Hong Kong: HK has extensive advantages: CE Chief Executive John Lee It gives me great pleasure to join the Fifth China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum. I am grateful for the opportunity to address you on regional co-operation. Hong Kong is one of the worlds most externally oriented and open economies. We thrive on trade and spare no effort to consolidate our status as an international trading centre, a position affirmed by our countrys National 14th Five-Year Plan. As the worlds largest free trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is an exciting opportunity that Hong Kong very much looks forward to. This is why I announced in my Policy Address last month that we are actively pursuing early accession to RCEP. But before RCEP, there was the true pioneer of regional economic co-operation - the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, which was founded in 1989. Hong Kong became a member economy in 1991. As provided for in the Basic Law, we continue to participate in APEC using the name Hong Kong, China as a separate and full member after our return to the motherland in 1997. Our participation is strong testimony to the unique advantages of Hong Kong under one country, two systems. This innovative principle accords us the enviable position of enjoying strong national support while being closely connected with other parts of the world. Today, APEC continues to be our close partner in regional co-operation. In two weeks time, I will be travelling to Bangkok to attend this years APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. As the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I will be there to tell the good and true stories of Hong Kong, to showcase Hong Kongs unwavering commitment to promoting regional economic co-operation, as well as Hong Kongs unparalleled resilience in the face of the pandemic. We are eager to join hands with other APEC member economies to forge high-standard and comprehensive regional undertakings, to rebuild confidence and to deliver a more open, reliable and predictable trade and investment environment. This is the only way towards a robust path of recovery for the region, and for the prosperity and well-being of our people and future generations. On this note, I must congratulate RCEP member economies for bringing the momentous free trade agreement into force in January this year. The trade pact provides a basis for broader regional integration through improvements in market access, more coherent trade facilitation and regulatory rules and co-operation. It creates new trade opportunities and is set to accelerate the regions economic recovery. RCEP members account for nearly 30% of the worlds total trade volume, and they all are Hong Kongs key trading partners. Together, they accounted for over 70% of our total merchandise trade in 2021. To date, we have already concluded free trade agreements with 13 of the 15 RCEP members. Like all RCEP members, Hong Kong is an advocate of free trade. The Hong Kong SAR Government submitted our formal accession request in the same month when RCEP came into force. We are most indebted to the Central Peoples Government for its support all along in our bid for RCEP membership. We are also pleased to have received positive responses from other RCEP members. Hong Kong is definitely well placed to add value to RCEP and indeed in many unique ways. As I have told an audience of top global financial leaders in Hong Kong this week, we possess extensive advantages for investors, including a business-friendly environment, a highly regulated system for financial services, as well as a simple and low tax regime. Our accession to RCEP will further strengthen our business ties with all RCEP members. It will also bring our mutually rewarding relations to a new height. We will continue to canvass support from RCEP members for Hong Kongs early accession, so we could better serve the region and achieve mutual growth. Against the headwind of unilateralism, we shall reaffirm our strong and unwavering commitment to free and open trade. Let us work together to achieve a higher level of openness and make good use of all available opportunities, including this forum, to exchange views on how to strengthen our resolve to sustain an open world economy. After all, we all have a stake in it. Before closing, I wish the China International Import Expo and the Hongqiao Forum continued success and good health to you all. Chief Executive John Lee gave this video speech at the Hongqiao International Economic Forum High-level Session "RCEP Spurs Higher-level Opening Up" on November 5. This story has been published on: 2022-11-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Kenya seeking to expand exports to China Xinhua) 10:05, November 05, 2022 NAIROBI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said on Friday that it is seeking to expand its exports to China to deepen bilateral ties. Moses Kuria, Cabinet Secretary for Trade Investments and Industry, said that in 2021 the east African nation sold goods worth 27.5 billion shillings (226.54 million U.S. dollars) to China. "Kenya is keen to pursue enhanced trade and economic cooperation with China for the mutually beneficial growth of our key industries," Kuria said in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, during an international trade forum. He revealed that most exports to China consist of flowers, nuts, coffee, avocado and other agricultural products, adding that Kenya is yet to fully exploit its export potential to China. Kuria noted that Kenya will tap into the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) especially on the Trade and Investment Promotion Program to boost its exports to China. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. HA NOI The visa policy of Viet Nam continues to be reformed to make entry into Viet Nam as smooth as possible, said an official of the Ministry of Public Security on Friday. At a dialogue on administrative procedures on November 4, Major-General Pham ang Khoa, Director of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS)'s Immigration Department, said the department had created favourable conditions for all Vietnamese citizens to enter and exit the country, and for foreigners to come to visit Viet Nam for tourism, investment, and trading purposes. He noted the reforms had also improved the detection of law violations to safeguard national security. Compared to other countries, Viet Nam's visa procedures are simple and quick and can be handled in different forms to meet foreigners' needs, according to the official. Viet Nam has expanded e-visas to citizens of 80 countries and territories. In addition, visas have been unilaterally exempt for citizens of 13 countries and bilaterally exempt for 12 other countries. The reception and settlement of exit and entry procedures have continued to be reformed and decentralised, especially the application of online public services at Level 4 - the highest level - in 2022 under the Prime Minister's and MPS Minister's direction. Khoa added the Immigration Department would press on with IT applications in visa granting for foreigners to attract more foreign investors and tourists to Viet Nam. Concerning the new passports, the official noted that the MPS had granted the new passport on July 1. However, from July 27, some European countries decided to suspend granting visas to new passport holders as the 'place of birth' was absent. This issue affected Vietnamese citizens' entry into the Schengen countries. At the request of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government ordered the MPS and Viet Nam's overseas representative bodies to include the 'place of birth' in passports' appendixes, allowing these countries to admit new passport holders once again. According to Khoa, to ensure the rights and legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens, the Immigration Department had proposed that authorities supplement the birthplace information to exit and entry papers of Vietnamese citizens. VNS The cooperation programme aims to promote gender equality and empower women, contributing to supporting women, especially women in rural areas, to unlock their full potential in the era of digital transformation. Under the agreement, Nestle Vietnam Co., Ltd. and the Vietnam Women's Union will focus on building capacity for women and Women's Union staff at all levels and carrying out humanitarian and social charity activities The success of the Nestle Accompanies Women programme between 2020 and 2022 has laid a strong foundation for the cooperation activities between the two sides over the next five years. By October, 20 provinces and cities nationwide will have joined the Nestle Accompanies Women programme. Meanwhile, 8,000 members have joined the training on nutritional knowledge and building healthy lifestyles. About 1.2 million families have gained access to product and nutritional information. Ton Ngoc Hanh, vice president of the Vietnam Women's Union said, "Following the achievement in the 2020-2022 period, the Vietnam Women's Union and Nestle Vietnam will closely follow the resolution of the 13th National Women's Congress to continue the implementation of the Nestle Accompanies Women programme. Therefore, I believe that the strategic cooperation between the two sides will contribute to empowering women and promoting the professional and effective operation of the Union." Le Thi Hien, vice president of the Hung Yen Women's Union said, "During the implementation of the programme, the Vietnam Women's Union and Nestle Vietnam have always listened to opinions and collected feedbacks. Thus, the programme can be implemented flexibly in accordance with the actual situation of each locality." Binu Jacob, managing director of Nestle Vietnam said, "Since our inception in Vietnam with the goal of promoting sustainable development, we have determined to enhance women's empowerment and gender equality. Gender equality is one of Nestle's top priorities. The strategic cooperation agreement with the Women's Union for the next five years once again affirms Nestle Vietnam's long-term commitment to joining hands to promote gender equality, empower women, and take care of health, nutrition, and safety for women and children in Vietnam." The two sides share a common vision with a desire to promote gender equality, ensure the safety of women and children, and empower women to promote the development of Vietnamese women in the new era. Nestle Vietnam and Vietnam Women's Union toast first year of programme to empower women Vietnam Women's Union and Nestle Vietnam have organised the seminar titled "Women's Empowerment Journey: Complete Life Own the Future to summarise a year of implementing Nestle's programme to accompany women as well as outline orientations for the coming time. Women empowerment a key pillar for Nestle Vietnam Nestle Vietnam has been one of the strongest advocates of gender equality in Vietnam over the past 25 years. HR director Truong Bich Dao explained to VIRs Olive Bui the journey to build a gender-inclusive workplace as well as contribute to womens empowerment in community. This main message was given at a roundtable on Green Chemistry in Industrial Production: Challenges and Solutions. Thanh pointed out that, The current Law on Chemicals has content related to green chemistry principles such as reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and preventing waste especially hazardous materials. However, the law does not have a separate regulation on the concept of Green Chemistry. In order to have a sufficient legal basis to issue regulations and guidelines related to the criteria of international conventions and green chemistry, this concept should be added to the Law on Chemicals. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's statistics, the total annual output of Vietnam's chemical industry accounts for about 10-11 per cent of the total GDP. Chemicals play an important role and are an indispensable input material in all production fields. However, the use of toxic chemicals in industrial production has had a serious impact on the environment and human health. The European Union recently approved a robust policy framework on chemicals and waste within the framework of the European Green Agreement. Under that, the EU will tighten technical and environmental standards for goods imported into the bloc, including regulations on the chemical compositions used in production. This is a challenge for businesses as well as management agencies as the EU is a significant partner of Vietnam. The export turnover to the EU accounted for 9 per cent of the country's total import and export turnover in 2021. Le Thi Thanh Thao, country representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) said, "While the transition to greener industrial production is unavoidable, it will take time to transit to green chemistry. However, to achieve the goal of sustainable industrial development and its long-term benefits, Vietnamese businesses need to start this journey. "Applying green chemistry is a challenge for businesses that require serious investment in terms of finance, resources, and technology. This is happening not only in Vietnam but in all fields in almost every country around the world, Thao stated. Within the framework of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) project, in 2021 and 2022, Vietnam Chemicals Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and UNIDO implemented a series of capacity building and awareness raising activities for policymakers, researchers, and businesses on Green Chemistry and Chemical Leasing to strengthen sound chemicals management in Vietnam. The IOMC promotes the coordination of policies and activities, pursued jointly or separately, to achieve the sound management of chemicals in relation to human health and the environment, said Rui Ludovino, first counsellor of Climate Action, Environment, Employment, and Social Policies at the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam. Rui Ludovino, first counsellor of Climate Action, Environment, Employment, and Social Policies at the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam explained that IOMC is to strengthen international cooperation in the field of chemicals and to increase the effectiveness of the organisation's international chemicals programmes. The European Union funds the IOMC Toolbox project, which was developed to assist countries to identify practical and cost-effective chemical management options to address national concerns, using the available resources developed by IOMC's participating organisations. The toolbox was designed as a problem-identification and problem-solving tool to enable countries to identify the most appropriate and efficient national actions to address specific national problems related to sound chemical management in relation to human health and the environment. The Green Chemistry toolkit is developed under the Global Green Chemistry Initiative a project led by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University. The partners aim to increase the general global awareness and capacities on deployable Green Chemistry approaches for the design of products and processes that advance global environmental benefits throughout their life cycles. This Initiative strives to support inclusive and sustainable industrial development and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The toolkit on this website explains Green Chemistry and its applicability in the industry interactive manner. The toolkit is publicly available without cost at https://greenchemistry- toolkit.org/ The internet-based Chemical Leasing Toolkit provides guidelines, materials, best practice case studies, and lessons learned from 15 years of work at UNIDOs Global Chemical Leasing Programme. The toolkit is designed as an interactive online tool that aims to help industry and also policy professionals to become more knowledgeable about the Chemical Leasing Business Model and its effective and efficient use in practice. The toolkit enables users to systematically kick-start the implementation of Chemical Leasing at the company level. It also supports policy-makers in understanding how best to approach Chemical Leasing in the policy arena. The toolkit is publicly available without cost at https://chemicalleasing.com/ toolkit-implement-in-3-steps- introduction/ US-UK-Japan trio win chemistry Nobel for lithium-ion battery Three researchers won the Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday (Oct 9) for the development of lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for smartphones and a fossil fuel-free society. CapitaLand secures $280 million in green loans to green out global portfolio by 2030 CapitaLand on April 17, 2020 has secured a total of SGD400 million (approximately $280 million) in two bilateral green loans to catalyse the greening out of the groups global portfolio by 2030. Run for Green online race to inspire green living From August 1 to 15, Muong Thanh Hospitality will be organising the Run For Green online running race in response to the green living movement for a better-protected environment and to stimulate domestic tourism. Police and witnesses say a manager at a Virginia Walmart pulled out a handgun before a routine employee meeting and began firing wildly in the break room, killing six people and injuring at least six others. It was the countrys second high-profile mass shooting in four days. Police in Chesapeake say the gunman, who apparently shot himself, was dead when they found him. He was identified as 31-year-old Andre Bing, an overnight team lead who had been with Walmart since 2010. There was no clear motive for Tuesday night's shooting. Employee Briana Tyler says the stocking team gathered in the break room when Bing turned around and opened fire on the staff. St. Jerome business, craft expo The Womens Society of St. Jerome Catholic Church, 9820 Chapel Road, will host a Discover Waco Business and Craft Expo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12. The expo, timed for holiday gifts, will feature many local businesses and craft vendors promoting their wares, plus food trucks and food vendors. The event is free. For more information, email kathy_liro@yahoo.com. United Way grant session United Way of McLennan County will have its 2022-23 Grant Eligibility information session at 2 p.m. Monday. It will be a Zoom event. To get the meeting link, call 254-752-2753. The 2022-23 session will cover eligibility criteria, United Ways Impact Framework priority areas for funding and the steps in the application process. Attending the webinar is not required to enter the eligibility process, but highly recommended, especially for organizations new to United Ways grant process. Free legal clinic Monday Greater Waco Legal Services presents a free legal clinic Monday at Alta Vista Elementary School, 3637 Alta Vista Drive. Appointments are available from 6 to 8 p.m. To make an appointment, email staff@greaterwacolegalservices.org or call 254-733-2828. YMCA diabetes program The YMCAs yearlong Diabetes Prevention Program will start Nov. 9 and continue with meetings from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. Wednesdays at Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 1402 Elm Ave. The program is for adults who have prediabetes or are at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. For more information or to register, email Crystal Hernandez at chernandez@ymcactx.org or call 254-776-6612. Bell ringers needed The Salvation Army of Waco is looking for volunteers individuals, groups and businesses to ring the bells at the Red Kettles this Christmas season. The annual Red Kettle Campaign is one of The Salvation Armys primary fundraising efforts of the year. Money collected supports the wide range of services and programs provided throughout the year in McLennan County. Volunteer opportunities for bell ringers will start Friday and run through Dec. 24, Mondays through Saturdays. To volunteer, go to www.registertoring.com For more information, call Dinah Mills at 254-756-7271. In recent weeks the Waco Tribune-Herald has printed several op-eds and letters to the editor about the debate over Roe v Wade. Most, if not all, have been written by men. Not that I think any of the writers lacked skill in their arguments. But I am just a mom that had the experience of bleeding out in a hospital emergency room. I was waiting for doctors to save me, not the legal team from the hospital or the district attorneys office. If there is a God in heaven, surely he will spare those like me from the long arm of big government. Thirty-plus years ago I was pregnant with our second child. I was due for a doctors visit on Monday. We were to listen for a heartbeat. I could not wait. In the early afternoon on Sunday I began to have serious cramps. As the evening wore on, I began to pass blood. After calling the doctor, he advised us to come up to the hospital. We did. The cramps and the bleeding got progressively worse and worse as the night wore on. It was clear to our doctor that we would have to do something drastic. I was bleeding out. The doctor spoke with my husband Roland and me and told us what his plan would be. I had to sign papers to give permission for a procedure that would stop the bleeding and save my life. After prayerful consideration, we decided that it would be best to consent to the procedure and save my life. It was pretty clear that whatever had been growing in my belly was dead or already gone. I signed those papers and then slipped into that sleep that only comes with a needle in the arm. I remember that I desperately wanted to wake up so that I could take care of our little boy and be a good wife to my husband. The next morning, I found out how close I came to dying that night. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 minutes is what the doctor said. He said that the sperm and egg did their little dance and like goofballs, implanted themselves on the wall of my fallopian tube, well short of the final destination of my uterus. It grew until the fallopian tube could no longer sustain growth. There death came to our baby on the Sunday night before we were to listen for that first little heartbeat. There are not many things that I am sure of, but there is one thing I can say. The long arm of government has no place where parents have to make life or death decisions. It was my call to roll the dice and have the good doctor scrape the walls of my uterus and stop my uncontrolled bleeding. It will always be my call. Or your call. Or your granddaughters call. It can never be the governments call. In the years since then we had four more pregnancies. In fact, we found out we were pregnant one year to the day that I almost died. Susan was born in 1985. Caleb followed in 1986. Then Faith was born in 1989 and Hope came along in 1991. Birth is a miracle, but birth can kill. I knew that the choice that we had to make as I lay dying must be ours and ours alone. In the years that followed I never mentioned our lost one. Until I talked to state Rep. Charles Doc Anderson about my experience. I wanted to be sure that mothers in life-and-death situations like I was in would be protected. The tragic reality of problem pregnancies became the battleground for a larger war over privacy rights and the right to control womens bodies. When I talked to Anderson, he assured me that I had not had an abortion but a miscarriage, and that doctors would be able to take care of situations like mine. But it is clear now that the lawyers will become involved in these intimate family decisions. The long arm of big government has reached the birth canal and beyond. These heartbeat bills will paralyze the medical profession and women will die. Andersons decision on the heartbeat bill would most likely have slowed down the medical approval process and I would have died that night. I used to laughingly say that the government should stay out of gun closets and vaginas. It seemed reasonable to me. I certainly never saw myself as a single issue voter until that single issue could cause someone I love to die because a doctor or hospital was afraid to intervene in a failed pregnancy. I must stand up for the young men and women that come after me. Will they have to be denied health care because of flawed reasoning? Will they die because someone scored political points with a certain constituency? It took days and days for me to have the courage to sit down and write this. I am afraid there will be fallout. People may not agree with my views here. Some people will. But, this I know: It must always be a mothers choice. Logic demands it. The God of love will have mercy on us. Doc Anderson and those who vote for these draconian heartbeat bills threaten the lives of all Texas women. Some Americans get smaller Social Security checks than they expected each month. Before you start to panic, this only applies to some states, and it only applies to some taxpayers within those states. There are a handful of states that tax Social Security income. Read on to figure out if you're impacted by these often overlooked taxes on retirees. The states in question There are 12 states that currently tax Social Security benefits in some way: Colorado Connecticut Kansas Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Mexico Rhode Island Utah Vermont West Virginia North Dakota was on this list until recently, so congratulations to all the North Dakotans who are benefiting from the adjustments to the state's tax code. Even if your state is listed above, you still might not owe any taxes on Social Security benefits. Many of them have deductions and income thresholds to protect seniors who are living on strict budgets. Colorado Colorado has a flat income tax rate of 4.55%. Previously, residents of the state could deduct the first $20,000 of Social Security benefits. Moving forward, Coloradoans will be able to deduct the same amount of Social Security income from their state taxes that they deduct from federal income tax. Single filers can deduct the first $25,000 of Social Security from federal taxable income, then they're only taxed on half of the benefits from $25,000 to $34,000. Above that level, 85% of the income is taxable. This means most people in Colorado will be able to deduct all of their federal retirement benefit, and even the people that have to pay will be able to deduct a large percentage of the benefit. Connecticut Connecticut taxpayers don't owe anything on Social Security as long as their adjusted gross income (AGI) is under $75,000 (or $100,000 for joint filers). Even above those thresholds, 75% of federal retirement benefits are deductible. The effective rate runs from roughly 3% to 7%, depending on income bracket. State legislators have repeatedly reduced the tax burden on seniors, so things are improving from this standpoint. Kansas Social Security benefits are taxed as ordinary income in Kansas. However, that income is exempt for anyone reporting AGI below $75,000, which applies to most retirees. This applies to people of every filing status. Minnesota Only a portion of Social Security income is subject to Minnesota state taxes. The proportion of benefits that is exempted is based on income, with higher brackets bearing the majority of tax liability. This has been hotly contested in the state legislature, and lawmakers reached a deal early this year that could eliminate all state taxes on Social Security as early as this year. Missouri Missouri fully exempts Social Security benefits from state income tax for single filers claiming less than $85,000 and joint filers below $100,000 in AGI. There's a partial exemption that's phased out for every dollar earned above those thresholds. The highest tax bracket in the state is 5.4%. Montana Montana is another state that follows federal AGI thresholds for Social Security exemptions. The amount of benefits that are subject to taxation increases along with AGI, but up to 85% of benefits are taxable at the highest level, which is around $35,000. Nebraska Nebraska exempts Social Security benefits from taxation for single filers claiming less than $45,000 in AGI and joint filers claiming under $60,000. Beyond these thresholds, Nebraska's code follows the same guidelines as Social Security benefit taxation at the federal level. Lawmakers in Nebraska passed a bill this year that will phase out those taxes over the next several years, and the benefits will be completely exempt starting in 2025. New Mexico New Mexico recently changed its tax code to exempt the vast majority of seniors from paying taxes on Social Security benefits. This is available to single filers claiming under $100,000 and joint filers claiming under $150,000. That still leaves affluent retirees with a liability on Social Security income, and rates can approach 6% for high earners in the state. Rhode Island Rhode Island offers exemptions from Social Security taxation for single filers claiming AGI under $88,950 and joint filers claiming under $112,000. Beyond that, deductions follow the federal schedule. Income tax rates in the state can rise as high as 6%. Utah Social Security income is exempt from Utah taxation for joint filers with AGI below $50,000 after new legislation last year. Utah has a flat 4.85% tax rate, but it also offers a partial credit that's slowly phased out for AGI above the exemption thresholds. Vermont Vermont's Social Security income exemption applies to single-filing residents who claim less than $45,000 in AGI and $60,000 for joint filers. Partial exemptions apply to the next $10,000 of income for both filing statuses, which are phased out over that range. Beyond that, there are no special concessions made for Social Security benefits, and state tax rates can climb as high as 8.75% West Virginia Last year, West Virginia allowed joint filers claiming under $100,000 to exclude 65% of Social Security benefits from state income tax. That figure is only $50,000 for single filers. Starting this year, West Virginia residents under those levels can exempt all of their Social Security benefits. However, anyone claiming income above those levels will follow the federal taxation schedule. As you can see, these matters can be complicated, and the situation varies from household to household. Tax treatment of Social Security benefits is also in flux in many states as legislation is passed to extend certain protections to seniors. It's wise to consult a tax professional who is knowledgeable about state-specific guidelines on Social Security income if you live in one of the above states and aren't sure about your personal liability. 10 stocks we like better than Walmart When our award-winning analyst team has an investing tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* They just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Walmart wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Stock Advisor returns as of October 26, 2022 The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. WATERLOO A former Waterloo nurse has been sentenced to prison for allegedly stealing pain medication from an elderly nursing home patent in 2019. Judge C.J. Williams sentenced 32-year-old Matthew Daniel Bowlden to one year and one day in prison to be followed by a year of supervised release on a charge of acquiring a controlled substance by deception. Authorities allege Bowlden was working for nursing homes in Waterloo and Cedar Falls in March 2019 when he took an oxycodone pill intended for a 95-year-old dementia patient at the Western Home Communities during his first day on shift. Williams said Bowldens actions were highly aggravating and an egregious violation of the trust placed in him as a licensed nurse. Prosecutors said Bowlden has eight prior convictions extending back to 2013. The charges include operating while intoxicated, interference with official acts, receiving a stolen firearm, tampering with a motor vehicle, possession of marijuana and escape or attempted escape. In one case, he was detained by Hudson police during a July 2020 traffic stop, and jail officials found a bag of marijuana in his rectum when he was being booked, according to court records. Bowlden had previously served time in a Missouri prison before he was released and violated the terms of his parole by committing crimes in Iowa. Bowlden was investigated on three separate occasions by the Iowa Board of Nursing, which suspended Bowldens nursing license in 2019 with leave to reinstate it after one year. As a result of Bowldens federal conviction, Bowlden is required to forfeit his nursing license to the United States. And Ive commented on this before, but if the west and the I stand with Ukraine volunteers gave a damn about civilians in Ukraine, theyd be shipping heavy blankets, coats and gloves, not trying to round up night vision, guns and funds for drones and artillery Winter is coming Lets talk food in Ukraine Now the west is saying Ukraine will starve. (Economist, the trash western media site, says so!) I am sure Ukrainians will starve and said so many months ago, when the EU has been stealing Ukraine grain Yet it seems that if Ukraine exports gigantic amounts of grain, it cannot have a food insecurity risk WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico broke another record for monthly sales of adult-use cannabis in October, when the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brought thousands of travelers to the state. Recreational sales stood at more than $25 million in October a first since sales began in April, and the fourth straight month of record-breaking sales, according to the Cannabis Control Division. While adult-use sales have seen an uptick, medical sales have continued to take a nosedive. Sales numbers for medical cannabis stood at $14.7 million last month a new low in the age of recreational cannabis sales, according to the CCD data. Overall, sales numbers for October stood at nearly $39.8 million. And, to date, recreational sales combined have brought in more than $161 million through seven months. The updated sales numbers for October came through the new Cannabis Reporting Online Portal, which went live Thursday afternoon on the CCD website. The portal also tracks plant counts, the number of dispensaries in the state and other relevant metrics relating to the cannabis industry. A few months ago, CCD saw an opportunity to provide greater information about the New Mexico cannabis industry through a data portal similar to other states, Regulation and Licensing Department spokeswoman Bernice Geiger said. We were able to capture data from our seed-to-sale software to further disseminate data in intuitive, customizable graphical form. Border towns, ABQ Recreational sales remain strong in New Mexicos border towns, which so far have made up about a third of overall adult-use sales. Sunland Park, for instance, did more than $1.5 million in adult-use sales last month. That was the best month yet for the town of less than 20,000, whose cannabis customers are largely Texans. Hobbs, which borders West Texas, also saw another record-breaking sales month on the adult-use side with about $1.47 million made in October. Clovis, which also borders West Texas, did $713,010 in adult-use sales. Reilly White, an associate professor with the University of New Mexicos Anderson School of Management, told the Journal sales are likely to remain strong in New Mexicos southern and eastern border towns so long as recreational cannabis remains illegal in Texas. Were likely going to see continued growth in month-to-month cannabis sales as the market becomes more mature, White said, noting Colorados border towns have seen a drop in sales since New Mexico began adult-use cannabis sales. In Albuquerque, adult-use sales stood at $8.1 million in October the best month to date for New Mexicos largest city. Las Cruces did about $1.73 million in recreational sales and Santa Fe did $1.84 million a decline from September according to the data. White said some of Albuquerques success on the adult-use side may be attributable to the Balloon Fiesta. The Balloon Fiesta did result in a positive increase in sales for local cannabis firms, as greater tourism traffic boosted recreational use, he said. The big test ahead for the industry will likely be macroeconomic conditions in 2023 if we have a recession, how will consumers cut back on recreational cannabis? Medical decline According to data from the New Mexico Department of Health, the number of patients in the states medical program stood at 123,990 in September. Thats a year-over-year drop of 473 patients. But the drop-off has largely been noticeable since adult-use sales began, as the state has seen a decrease of more than 10,000 patients since April, according to DOH data. That drop in the medical programs enrollees has largely been represented in sales numbers, too. Since April, when medical sales stood at $17.4 million, medical cannabis sales have dropped nearly $3 million, according to the data. Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ultra Health, said the increase in adult-use sales is likely attributable to medical patients who are no longer in the program, and who are purchasing cannabis recreationally. Medical sales are reclassified into adult-use sales, Rodriguez said. Theyre just being transferred from one bucket to the other. Ben Lewinger, the executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, said it is common knowledge that medical sales start to decrease in states that have also legalized cannabis recreationally something New Mexico is currently seeing. We knew that the number of enrolled medical patients was going to contract, as it has in every other medical state that has shifted to adult use, Lewinger said. Whats important is that we continue to invest in the medical program by continuing to add more qualifying conditions so that more people can receive cannabis treatment, without paying taxes on their medicine. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Even after 36 years of doing hair, Nina Farrow has no plans to retire. Im gonna be behind this chair at 90, Farrow said, although at 57, her 90s are a long way off. Ill be on the news: that 99-year-old woman behind the chair. Im gonna make it hard to beat my record. Farrow is one of two Black business owners being honored by the African American Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce this weekend at their inaugural fundraising concert, The Celebration of Black-Owned Business in New Mexico. This weekend the AAGACC is honoring two of the oldest known, continuously operated Black-owned businesses in the state: Nina Farrow Hair Studio, at 6300 San Mateo NE, and Mr. Powdrells BBQ, which has locations at 5209 Fourth NW and at 11301 Central NE. Black businesses have had such an uphill battle down through the years, said Karla Causey, AAGACC president and CEO. We started out where we were forced to create our own businesses, because of Jim Crow laws. We werent allowed to eat in their restaurants, and we werent allowed to go to their salons. So we had to create our own. Causey said the chamber is working on creating a statewide registry of Black-owned businesses in the state. There are already over 600 businesses on the list, although Causey said the number is likely higher. The chamber will be visiting several cities, including Las Cruces and Hobbs, next year to add to the registry. Although Farrow has owned her business since 1992, shes not one to rest on her laurels. Do I feel accomplished? Yes, Farrow said. Am I done? No. Besides being a licensed barber and cosmetologist, Farrow has taught at A Better U Barber academy, workshops at the APS Career Enrichment Center and inner beauty conferences for the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. Shes also organized a handful of hair shows. One of Farrows clients, who is now in her 90s, followed her from shop to shop for 35 years. Its just one of those jobs I dont even call it a job, Farrow said. I dont feel like I could do anything else. Or really, I dont want to do anything else. Many of her clients are planning to attend the ceremony on Saturday. Theyre just as excited as I am, Farrow said. They want best for me. Theyll join Farrows 80-year-old parents, who she said pushed her to success, and will also be in attendance. I feel accomplished, Farrow said. All my hard work and persistence it really just hit me the other day. The other honoree, Mr. Powdrells BBQ, was opened by Pete and Catherine Powdrell in 1962. Although the original founders have died, son Joe Powdrell, who operates the two barbecue shops in Albuquerque along with brother Mike Powdrell, will be present to accept the award. In what Joe Powdrell calls pre-ketchup days, his grandfather Isaac Britt created a simply-named recipe: sauce, made out of raw tomatoes, onions and homemade vinegar and sugar. He cooked meat pit barbecue style with hickory wood. Britts recipe was later passed along to his grandson, Pete Powdrell. Although the younger Powdrell said that pit BBQ is becoming obsolete, and despite rising wood costs, the barbecue restaurant continues to use the labor- and time-intensive process. The commitment to honesty was more important, Powdrell said. He became an employee of the business in 1969, a recent graduate of University of New Mexico. But Powdrell said hed been involved in the business much earlier than that. If you were in the house, youre involved in the business, Powdrell said. He left the business for a few years, then returned to New Mexico in 1974 a Vietnam War veteran and a father. Powdrells was growing all that time, Powdrell said. I kinda wanted to enter in and facilitate the expansion because we had a great business Albuquerque was growing, we were growing with Albuquerque. Powdrell said that even more than Powdrells 60-year tenure, hed like to see his parents be celebrated for their business savvy. They were good at business, they were good at employee treatment, maintaining morale, Powdrell said. The fundraising concert will feature a performance by Grammy-nominated husband-and-wife music duo, The Baylor Project. The concert will also honor two unsung heroes from Albuquerques Black community: Dr. Karissa Culbreath, medical director for infectious disease at TriCore, and Dr. Jeron Campbell, founder and principal of ACES Technical Charter School. Two other businesses will be highlighted via video at the event: Trendz Beauty Supply and 9 Mile Tees, which both received awards from Comcast, including free iPads and advertising. Entrepreneurship has been something that has been prevalent in the Black community for years, Causey said. Its something we had to do initially, and now we do it because it makes good business sense, and it also helps the community financially as well. In May 2008, Lehman Brothers was a pillar of American banking. Outside Alaska, no one but political junkies had heard of Sarah Palin. And LabMD was a thriving medical laboratory company in Atlanta. As part of its business, LabMD acquired sensitive information about the patients whose specimens it tested, including not just names and medical codes, but also addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and insurance information. LabMDs billing manager downloaded LimeWire to her work computer so she could listen to music on the job. For those readers who werent young in the aughts, LimeWire was a peer-to-peer file-sharing program that linked computers in a network, allowing a person sitting at one computer to access designated files on somebody elses computer miles away. It was used widely to share music. The billing manager inadvertently linked her documents folder to the LimeWire network, exposing its contents to anyone who cared to take a look. There was more in that folder than music. It included a file containing the detailed personal information of 9,300 patients. In May 2008, a Pittsburgh-based cybersecurity company called Tiversa contacted LabMD to announce it had found the contents of the file disseminated in cyberspace. Tiversa offered its remediation services. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Tiversa proposed to charge $475 an hour for a two-week job, for a total of around $38,000. Tiversa also forwarded a news story detailing the bad publicity a similar leak had generated once the press was alerted. LabMD instead hired a different cybersecurity company, which found no indication that the contents of the file had spread on the web. As far as it could discover, the only entity that had accessed the file through LimeWire was Tiversa itself. LabMDs CEO, Michael Daugherty, came to regard Tiversas solicitations as polite extortion notes, Bloomberg reported. As far as Daugherty was concerned, Tiversa had wrongfully hacked into his companys computers and was now demanding payment to keep quiet about it. Resisting Tiversa became a matter of principle for him. When LabMD refused to hire Tiversa, Tiversa responded Daugherty probably would say retaliated by informing the Federal Trade Commission that a medical lab in Atlanta had exposed the personal details of 9,300 patients on the web. The FTC opened an investigation. Its enabling act empowers it to challenge unfair or deceptive acts or practices affecting interstate commerce. Congress has specified that an act or practice may be unfair if it causes or is likely to cause substantial injury to consumers. Identity theft qualifies as substantial injury, as anyone who has suffered it can attest. But, from Daughertys point of view, his own government was siding with the extortionist against him. Fighting the FTC became another matter of principle. Bloomberg described his attitude as one of mulish resistance. He refused to settle with the FTC and became involved in a head-spinning number of legal actions. A congressional committee got involved. The result, predictably, was the demise of LabMD. Publicity about its failure to safeguard patient information led to insurers cancelling policies and doctors opting not to use its services. Most of Daughertys many lawsuits went nowhere, but, this August, a claim that Tiversa and its owner defamed LabMD was revived by the federal Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Fourteen years on, the case returns to the district court for more, more, more. This is just the briefest of summaries. For a fuller picture, check out the 2016 Bloomberg piece or Raffi Khatchadourians 2019 article in the New Yorker. There are almost too many lessons to be learned from the saga. One is purely practical. LabMD didnt file its suit for defamation and fraud until the damages had snowballed, with the result that most of its claims were barred by the statute of limitations. Generally speaking, the time to sue begins running as soon as an injured person learns of an injury and who caused it, even if its full extent remains to be determined. Dont delay. Second, LabMDs attorney in the defamation case pursued scorched-earth tactics, which can be deeply satisfying to a client intent on revenge. But all the envelope-pushing caused the federal magistrate judge overseeing discovery to impose sanctions that crippled the companys ability to prove its case. On appeal, the Third Circuit reversed some of the sanctions, but only after years had been wasted. In litigation, hyper-aggression often backfires. Third, litigation is not an effective way to enforce ethical principles. Thats not because the law is unethical, but because its concerned with legal principles instead. Business practices that can be compared to extortion, but dont meet the technical definition of extortion, do not violate the law against extortion. Daugherty went to court to vindicate a non-legal principle and it destroyed his company. Also: lock down your sensitive data. Joel Jacobsen is an author who retired from a legal career in 2015. If there are topics you would like to see covered in future columns, write him at legal.column.tips@gmail.com. IDABEL, Okla. Residents in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas began assessing weather damage Saturday, working to recover and thankful to have survived after a storm stretching from Dallas to northwest Arkansas spawned tornadoes and produced flash flooding, killing at least two people, injuring others and leaving homes and buildings in ruins. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt went to the town of Idabel to see the damage. He said on social media that all the homes had been searched and a 90-year-old man was killed. Keli Cain, spokesperson for the states Department of Emergency Management, said the mans body was found at his home in the Pickens area of McCurtain County, about 36 miles (58 kilometers) north of Idabel. Morris County, Texas, Judge Doug Reeder said in a social media post that one person died as a result of a tornado in the far northeastern Texas County, offering no other details. Reeder and other county officials did not immediately return phone calls for additional comment. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also reported a 6-year-old girl drowned and a 43-year-old man was missing after their vehicle was swept by water off a bridge near Stilwell, about 135 miles (217 kilometers) north of Idabel. The drowning has not been officially attributed to the storm and will be investigated by the medical examiner, Cain said. Saturday afternoon Stitt declared a state of emergency for McCurtain County, where Idabel is located, and neighboring Bryan, Choctaw and LeFlore counties. The declaration is a step in qualifying for federal assistance and funding and clears the way for state agencies to make disaster-recovery related purchases without limits on bidding requirements. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said damage assessments and recovery efforts are under way in northeast Texas and encouraged residents to report damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. I have deployed all available resources to help respond and recover, Abbott said in a statement. I thank all of our hardworking state and local emergency management personnel for their swift response. National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Darby in Tulsa said the far-reaching storm produced heavy rain in the Stilwell area at the time, around 4 inches (10.16 centimeters). Idabel, a rural town of about 7,000 at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, saw extensive damage, Cain said. There are well over 100 homes and businesses damaged from minor damage to totally destroyed, Cain said. Trinity Baptist Church in Idabel was preparing to complete a new building when the storm ripped apart their sanctuary and flattened the shell of the new structure next door, according to Pastor Don Myer. The 250-member congregation was to vote after the Sunday service on whether to move ahead with he final work to complete the building, Myer told The Associated Press. But we didnt get to that. Every vote counts and we had one vote trump us all, Myer, 67, said. We were right on the verge of that. Thats how close we were. Myer said the congregation is going to pray on what happened, see how much their insurance covers and work to rebuild. On Saturday morning, a few members of the church took an American flag that had been blown over in the storm and stood it upright amid the wreckage of the original church building. Shelbie Villalpando, 27, of Powderly, Texas, said she was eating dinner with her family Friday when tornado sirens prompted them to congregate first in their rented homes hallways, then with her children, aged 5, 10 and 14, in the bathtub. Within two minutes of getting them in the bathtub, we had to lay over the kids because everything started going crazy, Villalpando said. Ive never been so terrified, she said. I could hear glass breaking and things shattering around, but whenever I got out of the bathroom, my heart and my stomach sank because I have kids and it could have been much worse. What if our bathroom had caved in just like everything else? We wouldnt be here. Terimaine Davis and his son were huddled in the bathtub until just before the tornado barreled through Friday, reducing their home in Powderly to a roofless, sagging heap. We left like five minutes before the tornado actually hit, Davis, 33, told The Associated Press. Me and my son were in the house in the tub and that was about the only thing left standing. In their driveway Saturday morning, a childs car seat leaned against a dented, grey Chevrolet sedan with several windows blown out. Around back, his wife, Lori Davis, handed Terimaine a basket of toiletries from inside the wreckage of their house. The couple and the three kids who live with them did not have renters insurance, Lori Davis said, and none of their furniture survived. Were going to have to start from scratch, she said. They hope to stay with family until they can find a place to live. The next few days look like rough times, Terimaine Davis said. Judge Brandon Bell, the highest elected official in Lamar County where Powderly is located, declared a disaster in that area. Bells declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county. Powderly is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Idabel and about 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Dallas and both are near the Texas-Oklahoma border. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth confirmed three tornadoes in Lamar, Henderson and Hopkins counties Friday night as a line of storms dropped rain and sporadic hail on the Dallas-Fort Worth area and continued to push eastward. The weather services office in Shreveport, Louisiana, said it was assessing the damage in Oklahoma. Weather service meteorologist Bianca Garcia in Fort Worth said while peak severe weather season typically is in the spring, tornados occasionally develop in October, November, December and even January. Its not very common, Garcia said, but it does happen across our region. _____ Miller reported from Oklahoma City. Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. An Albuquerque police officer shot and killed a man who had crashed his car in the median of Tramway NE, south of Menaul, early Saturday morning. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said he was not aware of the slain man or anyone else firing a weapon during the incident. He said a gun was recovered from inside the car. Gallegos did not identify the man fatally shot or the officer who shot him. He did not say what led the officer to open fire or how many times he fired. Officers responded to the scene, and during the course of the investigation, one officer discharged his firearm, Gallegos said in a news release Saturday morning. He said there was a passenger in the car, also a man, who was not injured or detained by police. The Multi-Agency Task Force is investigating the shooting. The incident marked the eighth person shot and killed by officers with the Albuquerque Police Department this year and the 16th person they have shot, or shot at and missed. Last year, there were a total of 10 police shootings involving the department, four of which were fatal. In a video posted to APDs Twitter page, Chief Harold Medina said the incident began a little after 2 a.m. He said officers with the Foothills Area Command were dispatched to a crash at Tramway NE and Rover. It was believed that some individuals had driven down the middle of the roadway and had been involved in an accident, Medina said. As officers arrived they did find some individuals in the car. He said one of the occupants both later identified as men appeared to be passed out and officers removed a passenger from the vehicle. As they were removing the driver from the vehicle an officer indicated that there possibly was a firearm on scene and shots were fired, Medina said. He said rescue personnel were called, but the man died at the scene. As the orange hues of the sunrise stretched across the city Saturday morning, a section of Tramway was cordoned off with yellow tape between Menaul and Rover. A newer sedan sat in the median facing south, surrounded by crime scene investigators snapping photos and collecting evidence. The car had its doors open and its bumper ripped away, with nine yellow evidence markers fanning out from the drivers door across northbound Tramway. At one point, investigators pulled a body from the drivers seat. A woman watching the scene from afar said she was inside her home when she heard nine gunshots ring out. She came outside to the red and blue strobe of police lights and a crime scene. I was cleaning out my home office the other day when I happened upon some newspapers from 2016 and early 2017 that I somehow neglected to put in the recycle bin. Rather than automatically discard them, I took a few moments to peek into the news of the past. While the stories I read resembled a time capsule, it seems like some things never change. I read about the controversial presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the vitriol that reflected the mean-spirited campaigns we are now seeing at all levels of government. There were stories on Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), and the tight voting margin between this party and the Democrats. I read about the severe flooding in the South and Midwest caused by Tropical Storm Cindy. There were stories about inappropriate relationship scandals involving officers in the military. Border Patrol agents were saving migrants trying to cross into the U.S. from drowning in the Rio Grande. Eerily, I read how a Black, off-duty St. Louis police officer was accidentally shot by white officers who were trying to arrest some suspects. Yet while reading the old news, I was struck by a sense of how innocent those times seem today. This was before a pandemic killed millions across the globe, quarantined us at home, put millions out of work, and provided us with a daily sense of gloom. With all of this came hoarding, incongruent information on how the COVID-19 spreads, the deliberate spread of false information on the virus, and the split of the U.S. into camps of people eager to be vaccinated and the anti-vaxers who dont trust the vaccine, science or their government. This was before the supply chain disruptions that have caused delays in production, construction, and even routine food deliveries to grocery stores. It was before President Donald Trump refused to accept defeat in the 2020 elections and promulgated the Big Lie that the election had been stolen from him. This was before Jan. 6, 2020, when insurrectionists, fired up by outgoing President Donald Trump, tried to overturn a democratic election by storming and defacing the U.S. Capitol. Now we have Russia creating world instability by its invasion and brutal attack of Ukraine. This is causing the worst strained relations between the East and the West since World War II. It has also resulted in major energy shortages and high prices for European countries that over the years had become too comfortable and reliant on Russian petroleum and natural gas to fuel their economies. African and Middle Eastern countries have been exposed as to how dependent they are on purchases of Ukrainian grain to feed their populations a fact made more evident by a country engaged in an all-out war with an aggressor. The world has been reminded to the reality of what a major powerhouse Saudi Arabia is in determining crude oil production and prices. It has refused to be persuaded to increase production as the world suffers high energy costs and fuel shortages, yet it happily buys U.S. military equipment for its own protection. As we face yet another election that could well determine the course of democracy in our nation, changes in the world order, and how we prepare for future crises, I wish I could step back in time six years to write a note to ourselves about how to avoid the factors that put us in our present situation. I would encourage political dialogue to address the widening wealth and education gaps in our country, so that millions of Americans are not prone to misinformation, lies and conspiracy theories. I would remind the world of the danger of letting a nuclear superpower such as Russia fall into the hands of a man who has made himself a supreme dictator. Countries should never have let themselves become so dependent on a country that is managed by the whims of what appears to be a delusional and unstable man. I would reassess our trading relationships with countries that have proven not to be friends of the U.S. in times of crises. China strongly and immediately sided with Russias invasion of Ukraine. It, too, has been made into a dictatorship, run by a man intent on dominating the worlds economy by spreading Chinese investment to the ends of the earth, particularly to developing countries hungry for foreign direct investment. China is even more dangerous than Russia, because it is both a military and economic superpower. Six years ago, we could have become serious about investing in strategic industries such as computer chips, rare earth minerals, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Future U.S. reliance on China for products in key industries is a recipe for disaster. We knew it six years ago, and we surely know it now. Six years ago, we could have strengthened our trade relationships with proven allies such as Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Western Europe. The pandemic and Putins war in Ukraine has lit a fire under our shoes in this sense, but we could have redoubled efforts even sooner. Finally, we have to strike a balance in the U.S. between the production of fossil fuels and renewable energy. This is not a black-and-white issue. A strategic approach and compromise are the path forward. Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com. More than 300 participants are expected at the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerces annual meeting Nov. 15 at the Uptown Marriott for a networking luncheon, an overview of recent chamber accomplishments and goals, and a panel discussion on the emerging hydrogen economy. During the annual gala, current Board Chairman Peter Lorenz will outline initiatives, plans and priorities for the coming year, highlighting in particular three strategic development areas the chamber has focused on since 2016. That includes transforming Albuquerques Downtown into a bustling center of activity, reinforcing public safety including solutions for the citys homeless issues and improving the educational system. We focus on general advocacy work like any chamber, but our chamber is unique compared with others around the country, Lorenz said. We also focus on big, systemic challenges to engage the public and build community involvement to resolve them. That can help create more paths to prosperity and a better quality of life here. Among other things, the chamber is working with public officials on a grant-based study of the critical role principals and other educational leaders play in school development to make policy recommendations. Were big advocates of charter schools, Lorenz said. We want to grow enrollment in successful charter organizations. Its also working on technology development with the local police force and District Attorneys Office under a U.S. Justice Department grant to help compile better cases when prosecuting crime. This years main luncheon event, however, is a panel discussion on the emerging hydrogen economy in New Mexico, the U.S. and beyond. Hydrogen development is happening across the globe, Lorenz said. Its one of the new frontiers for clean energy alongside solar and wind. Its attracting significant investments and creating real opportunities that we cant afford to miss, so we want to be part of it and educate the public about it. Lorenz, who became the 2022-2023 board chair last July, is a longtime energy-industry veteran. Hes president of Albuquerque-based Unirac Inc., one of the nations premier manufacturers of mounting structures for rooftop and ground-based solar systems. Hydrogen development has generated controversy in New Mexico, especially among environmental groups that question how clean it really is, particularly if production is based on natural gas as a feedstock through a process that pulls hydrogen molecules out of methane, emitting substantial carbon in the process. Environmental opposition blocked legislative initiatives by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in this years session to promote hydrogen development. But New Mexico is now working with Colorado, Wyoming and Utah to develop a regional hydrogen hub that could attract significant federal funding. And new state-based policies and initiatives are likely to emerge again in next years legislative session, which starts in January. The panel discussion will focus on the challenges, controversies and opportunities for hydrogen development in New Mexico and beyond. Spoiler alert: As a Journal business writer and the papers energy-beat reporter, I will be moderating the panel discussion, which will include three prominent local leaders: Wendy Rollstin, chief financial officer with Albuquerque-based BayoTech Inc., which has developed the worlds first compact mobile hydrogen generators that it will begin deploying in local hydrogen hubs across the country next year. Ryan Shell, president of the New Mexico Gas Co. Daniel E. Klein, managing partner with Farmington-based Libertad Power, which plans to build the states first hydrogen production facility by 2025 in the Four Corners Area using electrolysis technology that pulls hydrogen molecules out of water, with no carbon emissions in the process. Not everyone agrees about hydrogen, but we want to bring people together, Lorenz said. We want to showcase companies in the state that are building businesses around hydrogen to get people engaged and excited about it to start a productive dialogue. This panel discussion is one way to start that process. Luncheon seats are rapidly filling up. Given the broad public interest in the event, the chamber has expanded seating to accommodate more people, chamber President and CEO Terri Cole. Tickets cost $50. To reserve a seat, send an email to chamber Vice President of Events and Marketing Chelsea Pitvorec at cpitvorec@greaterabq.com, or call 504-764-3754. Kevin Robinson-Avila covers technology, energy, venture capital and utilities for the Journal. He can be reached at krobinson-avila@abqjournal.com. Abby Bannon-Schneebeck Chandler Farnworth Jeremy Nickell Prev 1 of 3 Next Modrall Sperling has announced three new hires: Abby Bannon-Schneebeck has been hired at Modrall Sperling as an associate attorney. Bannon-Schneebeck focuses on employment matters, personal injury claims, product liability cases and commercial disputes. A native New Mexican, she received her bachelors degree at Trinity University, where she graduated magna cum laude. While attending law school at the University of New Mexico, Bannon-Schneebeck became a member of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association and the Womens Law Caucus. She also received the Roehl Mock Trial Award and graduated cum laude. She worked at a variety of local firms and on the New Mexico Civil Rights Commission, assisting in drafting and passing the New Mexico Civil Rights Act. Chandler Farnworth has been hired at Modrall Sperling as an associate attorney. Farnworth assists clients on a range of renewable energy project challenges, state and federal environmental permitting, water rights and water quality issues, and adjudicatory, rulemaking and legislative matters. Before joining Modrall Sperling, Farnworth served as a judicial clerk for Judge J. Miles Hanisee of the New Mexico Court of Appeals. She received her bachelors degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law. While in law school, she was twice published as a member of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal and served as president of Tulane Women in Law. She also gained experience as a student attorney in the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. Jeremy Nickell has been hired at Modrall Sperling as an associate attorney. Nickell focuses on matters involving real estate, tax, commercial transactions and creditors rights. Nickell received his bachelors degree from the University of New Mexico, graduating summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctor from SMU Dedman School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. Prior to attending law school, Nickell worked at Sandia National Laboratories as a financial analyst and international policy specialist. While in law school, he served as the Air Law Symposium Managing Editor for the SMU Law Review Association. He gained experience as a judicial intern for Judge Brenda Rhoades, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, and as an extern for the Federal Trade Commissions Southwest Regional office in Dallas. Ben Perich has been named senior vice president and principal at Colliers New Mexico-El Paso. Perich is a broker who specializes in the retail and investment sales market. He has been named a Colliers Leading Advisor and CoStar Power Broker numerous times and joined Colliers Million Dollar Club in 2020. After finishing his finance degree at Texas Tech University, Perich originally joined Grubb & Ellis New Mexico in 2008 prior to the company rebranding as Colliers in 2013. HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court adjourned a BJP petition seeking a probe into the alleged poaching of TRS MLAs to Monday. The interim orders issued earlier to defer the investigation will continue till November 7. The court also adjourned the petition of the wife of accused Kore Nanda Kumar, urging the court to direct the police and government not to release video and audio recordings of the alleged incident. Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy adjourned the matter after counsels for the BJP and implead petitioner Sivaprasad Reddy sought time after the state government furnished its counter on Thursday. Additional advocate-general J. Ramachandra Rao submitted that there was no objection to adjourning the case, but requested the court to vacate the interim orders and to allow the police to continue the investigation. He objected to the BJP filing a petition as it was neither an accused nor victim. Some other counsels intending to implead in the BJP petition requested the court to adjourn the matter. Naveen Kumar alias Teenmar Mallanna of Q Youtube channel said that he would file an implead petition. His counsel Sharat S objected to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao released video recordings before the media on Thursday. How can the Chief Minister ask the Chief Justice of India to save Telangana state counsel wondered. Senior counsel Gandra Mohan Rao, representing TRS MLA P. Rohit Reddy , contended that if the petitioner had objections over the videos, he could file a separate petition and but could not implead on this issue. Mohan Rao said that the BJP had suggested that the poaching episode would affect Munugode elections. Now that polling is over, why was the party still demanding a stay of the investigation, he asked. Justice Vijaysen Reddy asked the BJP how it file the petition when it was neither the accused nor the victim. When elections were over, why didn't the investigations go on, the judge asked BJP counsels. He asked Rohit Reddys counsel about releasing evidence of audio and video recordings. Justice Vijaysen Reddy said that the evidence shall not be disclosed in a criminal matter, until the chargesheet is filed. One of the UKs highest valued companies, Revolut, announced the appointment of Arjun Mehta as the Chief Financial Officer for India. In his new role, Arjun will focus on growth, channel development, expense management, and revenue planning. The company had announced the appointment of Paroma Chatterjee as the CEO of India in April, 2021. Arjun has an expansive career of over 19 years with brands like Apple, American Express and Max Life Insurance. With strong experience in revenue planning and business growth, Arjun has worked on business finance, strategy, P&L management, advisory, and various other facets of finance. On joining one of the biggest unicorns in the UK, Arjun said, I am excited about Revoluts vision to address the current challenges and evolving customer needs in the financial services sector. India presents a huge long-term opportunity and an established fintech ecosystem. I look forward to being a part of this journey and introducing our products and services to the Indian consumers. Welcoming Arjun to the dream team, Ms Paroma Chatterjee - CEO, Revolut India said, Revolut aims at helping Indian consumers manage their money better and in an efficient manner. With Arjun on my leadership team, I am confident we will be able to build a profitable business and grow at a fast pace in India. IndiaMART, the largest B2B marketplace of India has made an investment of approximately INR 15.1 Crores to acquire 7.96% stake in Mobisy Technologies Private Limited (Bizom) via a secondary share purchase of existing investor securities. This investment will result in IndiaMART increasing its stake to 25.08%. Bizom is a SaaS based end to end retail intelligence platform for brands and B2B retailers. It allows businesses to digitize the end-to-end sales and distribution platform from Sales Force Automation (SFA), Distributor Management System (DMS), and retail execution and management. It uses a proprietary analytics engine with AI and ML to deliver custom reports, alerts and actionable insights to brands. The technology also uses features like image recognition, and offers an auto replenishment system, business intelligence, smart merchandising, trade financing, trade promotion management, and more. Speaking about the investment, Mr Dinesh Agarwal, founder and MD of IndiaMART said Bizom continues to be one of the market leaders in the SFA and DMS space in India. They have grown significantly in a capital efficient manner since our initial investment. We are excited to further our commitment and partnership with Lalit, Shree and team as they scale further . Commenting on the deal, Lalit Bhise, CEO and Co-founder of Bizom said We are extremely glad to see the continued faith of Indiamart in Bizoms business and growth. We are grateful to Dinesh and the Indiamart team for helping us scale in the last two years. Omnicom Media Group (OMG) India has been appointed to manage the Integrated Media mandate for Electrolux a Global leader in home appliances. The directive will involve creating end-to-end media solutions for the business and accelerating its growth journey in the market. With its agile, client-first approach that helps businesses thrive today and into the future, OMG was the natural choice for Electrolux as they look to strengthen their footprint in the country. Leveraging the agencys analytics and insight-driven tools, the Swedish powerhouse is set to make waves with its range of premium products in the Indian market. Recently marking its entry in India, Electrolux is a leading global appliance company that has shaped living for the better for more than 100 years with its elegant Scandinavian design coupled with innovative technology across Electroluxs range of Care, Taste, and Well-being appliances. The brand has ambitious growth targets in India complemented by its cohesive omnichannel approach and optimism for sustainable and better living experiences for its customers. Electroluxs sustainable product portfolio is designed to meet the dynamic demands of modern consumers which includes air purifiers, air conditioners, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, dishwashers and dryers, coffee machines, warming drawers, cooker hoods, hobs, and ovens. Team OMG is excited to help Electrolux scale to new heights by drawing on its talent, strategic capabilities and data-driven approach; as the brand ramps up its proposition and presence in India to achieve sustainable growth. One of the major fronts on the war between progressives who want to tear down and reshape America against those of us who believe that America should be closer to what our Founding Fathers had in mind can be defined as a War on Words. Sadly, this war is very real and even more sadly, so far, we are losing that war. Much of the progressives ability to succeed in forcing all of society to bow to their whims is that they have an almost unique ability to change the meaning of words or even make up words the better to suit their goals. This is most evident in the vast expansion of the concept hate speech, speech made criminal because words dont just inspire violence, they are violence, which is illegal. From hate speech comes the concepts of trigger words, and violence-free zones, and long lists of words we may not say unless were progressives, actively denouncing hate speech words. Once progressives impose their new words and alternate meanings on us usually starting with the dual conflict arenas college campuses and the national news media we conservatives seem remarkably unable to risk resisting the power of words. Unfortunately, words and meanings do have power, and whether consciously or because of an unconscious groupthink, progressives are indeed winning the war for the use of words and meanings to control society. A recent weapon in the progressives War on Words has been their cancel culture. This recent phenomenon has caused people even people of real power to lose their jobs, their reputations, their families. Cancel culture is immensely violent but since the warriors are progressive, thats O.K. in a way it would never be acceptable if conservatives used the same words and tactics toward their own ends. Bottom line: When we dont resist, we cede to the progressives a power over their imposed cultural constructs, which in turn define the way we work, the way we live and, literally the way we think. A few quick examples. In one context, the word choice means having control over our bodies, meaning abortion. However, in another context, choice means which schools our children attend. Recently, this term has gotten more convoluted. In the context of choice meaning the privacy of our bodies there's abortion on demand. However, bodily choice is also applied to personal choice in another realm vaccinations against COVID-19 and to progressives, choice suddenly means something else. Progressives assert that mere citizens dont have the right to choose to NOT have their COVID shots. Should we try to exercise our false choice to abstain from being forcibly vaccinated, we can be victimized by job loss, travel restrictions or other arcane discrimination. But thats O.K.. In this case, choice means the progressive left can force us to get shots because they have the choice to be safe from vaccine deniers. Another example, the word phobia. As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, phobia is an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. But the way progressives use phobia, when they apply it to their own core constituencies, it means hatred against something. Hence, transphobia, which should mean fear of trans becomes hate of all things trans. This usage has been extended to fatphobia and other new phobia words, standing any hyphenated-phobia word on its head. Another widespread and egregious example is the word racism. Until five minutes ago, racism had only described people who violently hated other people because of their race, not their actions. Then, racist was easy to identify. A racist actively discriminated against blacks or Hispanics, Asians, or other physically-identifiable groups. In doing so, these haters used every tool from Jim Crow to Judge Lynch to enforce a harsh criticism against members of those other races. The horrific Jim Crow and Judge Lynch excesses found in the Deep South after the Civil War, were also found in the North and Midwest but not until after World Wars I and II. During those two wars, while white men were overseas by the million, fighting against truly racist regimes in Germany and Japan, and white workers absence in factories required replacements. Blacks abandoned share-cropper farms in droves, relocating for better-paying jobs in the North and Midwest. This led to violence not violent words, but violent actions. These first manifested themselves in the early 1920s with the rebirth in the North and Midwest of the KKK. The hatred and violence by some whites toward blacks became harsher during the Great Depression, when everyone was suffering. Many unemployed whites asserted their superiority over blacks often violently in order to not feel like they themselves were at the bottom of societys ladder. However, blacks werent the only victims of violent racism. The Klan also targeted Jews and eastern Europeans in the Midwest and North. Most Americans know of President Franklin Roosevelts decision to intern all West Coast Japanese even Americans citizens born of Japanese parents or grandparents into concentration camps for much of the Second World War. But most dont realize Japanese antipathy toward Americas racism stemmed from San Franciscos 1904 demands to exclude Japanese immigration from the U.S., culminating in the Gentlemens Agreement of 1907, agreed to by President Theodore Roosevelt, which voluntarily curtailed Japanese immigration. Despite the fact that Japan and America became allies during the First World War, the Gentlemens Agreement ultimately led to a ban of all Japanese immigrants, and was enacted as the U.S. Immigration Act of 1924. The antipathy this aroused in Japan made the Pacific War between the US and Japan in 1941-45 all but inevitable. The one-time allies hated each other, primarily because of racism. Racism manifests as either physical violence or overt discrimination. Violence is clear, but lets consider overt discrimination. In the late 1950s, lily-white Deerfield, Illinois won a Supreme Court decision that allowed the township to block the sales of open housing to blacks as long as the land was turned into public parks. At the same time, the town of Cummins, Georgia had a public policy manifested by their slogan, The sun never sets over a black head. More than 1,000 blacks were forcibly driven from the county in 1912, beginning with a lynching. This ban remained in force for 75 years, until 1987. The progressives have also succeeded in redefining recently created terms, such as denier. Originally used to identify anti-Semitic propagandists who alleged that the Holocaust Hitlers Germany inflicted on six and a half Jews, along with Gypsies, homosexuals and other so-called sub-humans never happened. Hence deniers. However, todays progressives use that word to identify those who dont agree with the groupthink that claims that the worst fears of climate change are not just wrong, but dangerous. They go on to claim that no other perspective is possible, citing the ascientific notion of settled science. Etymology has remarkable power, when we let the progressives get away with this coup de main. A surprise attack on the way we form thoughts, as well as how words create actions is has terrifying implications. This is not new to progressives but their use of it is unprecedented. George Orwells most famous work, 1984, postulated a dictatorial state where thoughts are controlled by altering the meaning of words. It gave us words such as Newspeak, Thoughtcrime, Crimethink, Doublespeak and Thought Police. What is this War on Words? An excellent example is the concerted effort to classify words as violence. This is at the heart of the woke movement so prevalent on college campuses. Ned Barnett is a long-time conservative political activist. He is currently helping authors by ghostwriting or coaching them in their work, editing and marketing books and their authors. A lifelong author himself, with 40 books published and more on the way, Barnett has gone to school on wokeness and the progressives war on words. He can be reached at nedbarnett51@gmail.com or 702-561-1167. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Kiernan Brown, 30, was recently charged with the hammer killings of two women after he showed cellphone photos of their beaten bodies to sheriff's deputies during a traffic stop. He was arrested on Interstate 69, about 108 miles northwest of Detroit, after an ex-girlfriend reported that he had been violating a personal protection order by banging on her door and sending disturbing texts. Brown pleaded guilty but mentally ill to second-degree murder in the deaths of 26-year-old Kaylee Ann Brock and 32-year-old Julie Ann Mooney in May 2019. Paul Pelosi the husband of House speaker Nancy Pelosi was recently attacked by a man with a hammer at the couple's home in San Francisco. Pelosi required emergency surgery, and his full recovery is apparently still not guaranteed. Deashe Calhoun, 20, recently attacked Hubert Meulens, 82, with a machete in lower Manhattan. She had previously been arrested seven times in roughly the past seven months for infractions involving knives and subsequently the machete. There have been a staggering number of knife attacks in recent years, both in the United States and abroad. In fact, stabbings account for well over 1,000 homicides each year in the U.S. alone. Knife violence in places like Britain is even more prevalent and shocking. In Britain in 2020, a knife crime was reported every 11 minutes, with the bulk of them occurring in London. I am sick and tired of innocent people being stabbed by all forms of cutlery, from Swiss Army Knives to machetes. (Pocket knives are obviously a gateway weapon to swords and machetes.) And I am sick and tired of innocent people being hammered to death. What can be done about the scourge of non-gun violence? To paraphrase progressives: "Do not blame the perp! Blame the implement!" It is obvious we need commonsense knife and hammer control! We must demand that the manufacture, sale, and possession of all knives, cutlery, hammers and other blunt instruments be banned immediately. It matters not that progressive policies create envy, hate, and despair. Or that they make crime a low-risk, high-reward activity to those with no moral compass. The fact that criminals, even violent ones, are being booked and almost immediately released, time after time, with little or no (cashless!) bail, has nothing to do with the problem. Nor, obviously, does our society's descent into hyper-secular amorality. No, it is the fault of the tools that seemingly once served us so well. And, speaking of tools, remember to vote Democrat on November 8. Our democracy depends on it! Image via Public Domain Pictures. Last week, the world's richest man, Elon Musk, bought Twitter for $44 billion, closing one of the highest-profile hostile takeovers in recent memory. Musk says he was originally motivated to buy Twitter after the platform allegedly participated in a conspiracy with political influencers, politicians, and media giants to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story first published by The New York Post in the fall of 2020. Upon taking control of the company Thursday night, Musk immediately fired the top two executives in the company, CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal, who tried several times to block Musk's purchase of the company and, according to Musk, misled him and other investors about the numbers of real users and spam bots on the platform. Musk also terminated acting chief legal counsel Vijaya Gadde, who was at the top of the conspiracy to suppress the Hunter Biden story. During all of this bloodletting, Musk did manage to make an ally in the company: Yoel Roth, a Twitter manager who, it seems, has thrown himself on his sword and shown Elon a shortcut to where all the bodies are buried. Aside from being on Gadde's team that opened a portal for liberals on the platform to directly alert her to damaging articles that they felt should be suppressed, like the Hunter Biden story, Roth also revealed to his new boss an internal communication, which Musk tweeted a picture of on Oct. 30, that says in part that the company's metrics were fraudulent and the corporate officers were "[l]iterally doing what Elon is accusing us of doing" in a memo dated May 17, 2022. Wachtell & Twitter board deliberately hid this evidence from the court. Stay tuned, more to come pic.twitter.com/CifaNvtRtt Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022 Part of Musk's motivation to reveal his newfound affection for Roth was to quell the uproar from a previous tweet congratulating and supporting Roth in his new position as Twitter's head of safety and integrity. This drew outrage from the right because Roth has tweeted many times about his liberal views, going so far as to tweet that Donald Trump was a Nazi the day after his inauguration. Musk acknowledged the past tweets, took responsibility for himself being one of the most controversial tweeters in the history of the platform, and said all political viewpoints would be respected going forward. Weve all made some questionable tweets, me more than most, but I want to be clear that I support Yoel. My sense is that he has high integrity, and we are all entitled to our political beliefs. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022 Musk also announced that the coveted blue checkmarks, which in theory have designated that a tweet has been confirmed to have been sent by the name on the account, would now cost $8 a month in an attempt to eliminate fake bot accounts and the misinformation spread on the platform in the past. While the feudal system of blue checkmark lords and the millions of unverified serfs contemplated their potential status on the new virtual landscape, Musk quietly dropped what could be a golden nugget of information that seems to have gone largely unnoticed. Musk wants to radically change the way the publishers who are now using paywalls for revenue interact with those who wish to read or experience their content. .@elonmusk describes the issue of reading articles with paywalls. In clips never shown before in our interview he alludes to the value of what Twitter can bring. He also talks about how the media wants to own their subscribers. @kgee @EliBurton_ @klwtts pic.twitter.com/WsA2lUHo0S Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) November 1, 2022 Instead of having users clicking on headlines that lead them to frustrating paywalls and leaving the site without reading the article or buying a subscription, which on the Twitter platform often motivates users to unfollow the publisher's account altogether, Musk wants to set up a micro-transaction economy wherein users would have the option to pay as little as ten cents to read a single article. These minuscule transactions might be conducted using DogeCoin, Musk's crypto-currency of choice. Publishers would get a small fee, possibly more traffic on their site in general, and users would get access to the desired content for a relatively small price. Musk believes that this business model will transform how users and publishers interact and eventually spread to other platforms as well. Michael Beschloss, who has attained the sobriquet of presidential historian, went off the deep end while chatting with MSNBC's Chris Hayes. He agreed with President Biden that democracy might come to an end in the U.S. if the Republicans prevail in the midterms. Indeed, he hysterically predicted that a GOP victory in the midterms would end "the rule of law" and lead to the arrest, and possibly killing, of children. Beschloss also warned that the "country could be consumed by violence" after November 8. Let's reflect on that prediction. In the days immediately preceding the 2020 presidential election, I saw workers at shops in the vicinity of Broadway (just above Union Square) placing plywood boards as shields for store windows. A CBS news story explained that retailers feared "civil unrest" following the 2020 election results. Was the unrest expected in the event of a Biden victory? Unlikely. Indeed, it is more likely than not that the retailers feared that leftists would unleash their fury at the re-election of President Trump, just as they did in 2016 and as they did with even greater effect in the summer of 2020, when they looted and burned urban areas across America. Based on history, who would be the likely source of post-election rioting if the Republicans regain majorities in Congress, particularly by a magnitude comparable to the GOP victory exactly 28 years earlier: MAGA Republicans or leftist thugs? I'm confident that the question answers itself. Image: Michael Beschloss. RealClearPolitics screen grab. In other words, even as he imagines democracy's "end," Beschloss might well be prophetic in predicting widespread violence next week it's just that he keeps from pointing his finger at the likely source of violence. But then, leftist violence is scarcely ever seen as such by Democrats or the media. For Democrats, leftist violence is merely a form of peaceful protest by other means. If the left resumes the rioting that afflicted the nation for 120 days in 2020, we cannot dismiss the possibility that something very bad will happen. The same administration that sends SWAT teams to arrest peaceful pro-life activists and 30 FBI agents to raid the residence of the former president, as well as gaining judicial support for subpoenas issued by a rogue congressional committee, may be inclined to cite violence, even from its own side of the ideological aisle, as the justification to declare martial law...to "save democracy," of course. Is this alarmist talk? Not at all. The alarmist talk comes from those, starting with the man in the Oval Office, who would traduce the word "democracy" to transform our country into a one-party state. We can only hope that Republicans will be prepared and recognize the ongoing relevance of Madison's insight, set forth in Federalist No. 57, that the American people are actuated by "a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is nourished by it." Madison would understand that, when Biden and his ilk declare MAGA patriots a "threat to democracy," they are putrefying polemical argument with, yes, a Big Lie. There is a risk that Republican officeholders will remain silent as the authoritarian left viciously vilifies the loyalty of American patriots and impugns their dedication to this free and grand republic's founding principles. For our republic to continue, the victorious Republican candidates must honor their election as representatives and senators of, by, and for the people. To this end, they must stand firm against attack from the authoritarian leftists who are the real threat to the American spirit of freedom. Why does my heart go on beating? Why do these eyes of mine cry? Don't they know it's the end of the world? It ended when you said, "Good-bye." Skeeter Davis, "The End of the World" (1962) Michael Beschloss apparently agrees with Skeeter. The important difference is that it is finally happening. The end is nigh! We still had a few years left in 1962, even if we didn't know it. But Skeeter's vision of the Apocalypse could come true next week if the voters say "good-bye" to Beschloss's political party, his connections, his fame, and the source of his wealth. Recall that Beschloss is the self-described "presidential historian" without any history degrees (he has a degree in political science and an MBA) who, in 2016, usefully (to both Obama and himself) described Obama as the "smartest president" with the "highest I.Q. ever." Unfortunately, Don Imus asked Beschloss for this thing called evidence: Beschloss: [Obama] is a guy whose I.Q. is off the charts. Imus: What is his I.Q.? Beschloss: Pardon? Imus: What is his I.Q.? Beschloss: Uh. I would say it's probably he's probably the smartest guy ever to become president. Imus: That's not what I asked you. I asked you what his I.Q. was. Beschloss: You know that I don't know. I'd have to find someone with more expertise. As is usual with television groupies, Beschloss had no evidence whatsoever. It is hard to know the I.Q.s of many U.S. presidents, but it is possible to estimate their I.Q.'s by examining what they accomplished. One typical list of the highest is this: John Quincy Adams (175), John Adams (173), Thomas Jefferson (160). There is no evidence whatsoever that Obama has an I.Q. anywhere close to the 160170 range. While editor of the Harvard Law Review, Obama did not publish a single article. In addition, Obama has said many dumb things. By contrast, Jefferson's writings on all manner of subjects number more than twenty volumes, including that thing called "The Declaration of Independence" that had a bit of an impact. Obama has written a few books on his favorite subject: himself. There is, therefore, no basis whatsoever for Beschloss's virtue-signaling claim about Obama's mind-numbing brilliance. What is usually going on in such cases is the mind-numbing groveling of the D.C. talking heads and wannabes. One should keep this in mind when examining Beschloss's latest application for an invitation as a guest on the various left-wing media shows, where he states: [S]ix nights from now, we could all be discussing violence all over this country. There's signs that may happen, may God forbid, that losers will be declared winners by fraudulent election officers, or secretary of state candidates, or governors, or state legislatures[.] ... We could be six days away from losing our rule of law, and losing a situation where we have elections that we all can rely on. You know, those are the foundation stones of a democracy. ... Joe Biden is saying the same thing tonight, and a historian 50 years from now if historians are allowed to write in this country and if they are still free publishing houses and a free press which I'm not certain of but if that is true, a historian will say what was at stake tonight and this week was the fact whether we will be a democracy in the future, whether our children will be arrested and conceivably killed. YouTube screen grab. Beschloss apparently thinks he has caught a sufficient glimpse of the future to warn the peasants of what a historian (one with an actual degree in history, not merely one who says he's an historian) 50 years from now might see if he reviews the horrors that awaited us if we did not put Beschloss's friends into high office. That is, Beschloss, given his unique soothsaying capacities, can see the horror in his hypothetical historian's heart as he looks back and sees the unspeakable horrors that came about as a result of Republican victories in the House and Senate. From his perch 50 years hence, the same perch held by his hypothetical future historian, soothsayer Beschloss sees "the violence all over this country" that might happen if the evil Republicans don't get their way (or maybe if they do get their way). From that same future perch, soothsayer Beschloss also sees us "losing our rule of law, and losing ... elections that we all can rely on," "the foundation stones of a democracy," if the evil Republicans are elected! Soothsayer Beschloss also sees, quite coincidentally, by his own words, the same thing "Joe Biden is saying ... tonight" namely, that "this week was the fact whether we will be a democracy in the future, whether our children will be arrested and conceivably killed." The evil Republicans are not just going to try to end the runaway spending, enforce immigration law, start putting actual criminals back in prison. No! If we don't stop them now, the evil Republicans might even arrest and kill your children. The Vampire Apocalypse of B-grade science fiction films has nothing over the constantly approaching Republican Apocalypse, which will be far worse. They're not just coming for your Medicare and Social Security. They're coming for your children...to arrest and kill them. Yes, of course, and drink their blood, too. Quite surprisingly, soothsayer Beschloss does not appear to have noticed that we already have violence all over the country. Steve Scalise was shot and almost killed by a deranged Bernie Sanderssupporter, not that the media have taken much notice. The recent vitriolic attacks on Republican Lee Zeldin in New York were followed by a knife attack on him at a campaign event. Shots were fired through the window of the family of a Republican, Pat Harrigan, campaigning for a House seat in North Carolina. Ordinary people, and yes, children, are attacked and killed in "blue cities" all over the country, some purposefully and some by stray bullets. Substantial numbers of both Republicans and Democrats have already lost faith in our elections. What on earth could be the reason? Maybe Dinesh knows? Conservatives are constantly censored or canceled. Democrats have already partnered with Big Tech to censor conservatives. Hundreds of literary figures, of all people, have signed a letter to censor SCOTUS justice Amy Coney Barrett's book. Although soothsayer Beschloss does not appear to have noticed, the reason we already have all these problems is the historically unpopular policies of Joe Biden and the Democrat party. In fact, Beschloss cannot see the future, at least not 50 years hence. What has actually inspired Beschloss's latest visions is that he is justifiably worried that on election night a few days from now, this is what he will be singing, Why does my heart go on beating? Why do these eyes of mine cry? Don't they know it's the end of the world? It ended when [the voters] said, "Good-bye" [to the Democrats once and for all]. In fact, it would be best for everyone if serious people on both sides of the political aisle agreed to put an end to this kind of clown show forever and start searching for solutions. The battle to be King 'Rat among the rapidly sinking Democrats is now going full steam. According to Politico: The race to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats may have been clinched at a meeting in the Capitol on Sept. 1. Thats when House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York slipped back to Washington to connect in Clyburns office during the summer congressional recess at Jeffries request. Jeffries, the fifth-ranking House Democrat who aspires to be the first-ranking House Democrat in the next Congress, was picking up heightened chatter from colleagues about California Rep. Adam Schiffs outreach expressing his own interest in the top caucus job. Hakeem, it seems, was pretty sure he had it in the bag until Adam Schiff came along, sneaking around under cover of darkness to get the leadership job locked up. According to my research from last January, Hakeem's planned it out like this for years. He went running to Clyburn, the man who made Joe Biden president, to try to get Godfather's blessing again. Clyburn, who is said to possibly want the job himself, was suitably clerical in his vaguely positive anointing of Jeffries as House Democrat leader: Theres nothing I would ever do to impede the progress of our up-and-coming young Democrats and I see him as an up-and-coming young Democrat, Clyburn said in an interview about Jeffries. He knows that, I didnt have to tell him that but I did. Asked if he would be willing to serve in an emeritus role in the leadership, Clyburn said he is willing to do anything the caucus thinks is to their benefit, noting that Jeffries has referred to me as a mentor. So he wants it, too, but he reassured Jeffries that he has his papal blessing. Meanwhile, Schiff, who has been plotting to lead the Democrats for about as long as Jeffries, has been scurrying around to be the top 'rat on the sinking ship, too. Here's the Washington Post, in a piece dated July 28, 2022: Schiffs overtures, which began in earnest earlier this year, have focused on consolidating support among his home base, the expansive California delegation, according to members of that group. And though he has not made an explicit ask for endorsements, he is gauging members interest and planting the seed that leading the caucus is his goal. Schiff has also reached out to members in a variety of key blocs in the vast Democratic caucus, including the minority tri-caucuses made up of the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. He has also reached out to the ideological factions within the Democratic caucus: both the large Progressive Caucus and the centrist New Democrat Coalition, of which he is a member, according to several people with knowledge of the outreach. Both Jeffries and Schiff position themselves as Democrat "moderates," which is utterly laughable, given their voting records. Schiff argues that the party owes him for all he's done for them -- the impeachment, the Russian collusion hoax, the January 6 kangaroo hearings. He's close to Nancy Pelosi. He's a big fundraiser, and for Democrats, money talks Jeffries argues that he is younger, which is a point in his favor, given the jurassic leadership of the Democrats, and of course, he holds the prospect of being another "first" for the Democrats, this time as the first black leader of the historic Party of the Klan. From the Democrats' point of view, that might make sense because Democrats are bleeding black voters, with approximately 20% said to have moved on to the Republicans. Democrats had thought they had that constituency in the bag, so what better than to put a black face in front of them as a sort of call to black people to rally, as if Republicans had no black leaders themselves? Democrats understand little about why black voters are leaving the Democrats. What a wretched way to choose the leadership of the loser party, though. Instead of openly debating on ideas and letting the best man win, they're sneaking around in private and trying to get big guys to stick up for them. Schiff, if he wins, would have won because of his capacity to raise money, meaning, his friendships with billionaire Democrat donors. Jeffries, if he wins, will have gotten his place based on affirmative action considerations, and we all know how well that worked out for Joe Biden, who elevated incompetent Kamala Harris to the vice presidency on those grounds. James Clyburn can take a bow for that one, too. Now it looks like the fix may be in, though it may be just a leaky weather balloon to pump up Jeffries. Jeffries has a record that's just as extreme as that of Pelosi and the other mainstream Democrats, his only argument on that front is that he's not one of the crazies. He had been all in for defunding the police when it was popular, then denied he was for defunding the police when the polls came in about the idea. He let the cat out of the bag on the Chavista goals of the Democrats, too, making an odd Freudian slip about it last January. Now he's angling for a leadership role in the sinking Democrat ship, seeking to become its nautical figurehead. Any questions as to why this party is going down? Image: Official photo, U.S. Congress / public domain It's been a week full of impending doom for both wings of the Democrat party: the candidates and the progressive media. CNN's increasingly desperate floundering has been covered by Peter Barry Chowka here, here, and here, while sister network CNBC's defenestration of its expensive anchor Shepard Smith once again proves that the Fox News brand is the only cable news perch that can make and keep a star shining bright. Now it is MSNBC's turn to eject a host who has become an outright embarrassment. Brian Steinberg of Variety reports: Tiffany Cross, the MSNBC weekend host who was known for running the freewheeling Saturday commentary program "Cross Connection," is leaving the NBCUniversal-owned cable-news outlet. Her production staff was informed of the decision Friday morning, according to three people familiar with the matter. MSNBC declined to make executives available for comment, and Cross could not be reached for immediate comment. MSNBC decided not to renew Cross' contract after two years, according to one of these people, and severed ties with her immediately. It's one thing to decide to not renew a contract, but locking her out of the studio tomorrow indicates panic. And it's not hard to figure out what the panic was about, though Steinberg paid no heed to it: CROSS: "I say Florida literally looks like the dick of the country. So let's get rid of Florida. Ron " [crosstalk] MCKELVEY: "Are you saying castrate the dick of the country?" CROSS: "Yes. Seriously, let's castrate Florida. Here's the problem, Ron DeStupid, Ron DeSantis, whatever you want to call Florida Man, he is so problematic. The people there passed Amendment Four, which gave returning citizens, those formerly incarcerated, the right to vote. He instituted a poll tax. He has done everything he can to keep Black and brown people from the ballot. He traffics in stupidity and ignorance and I just think they are a problem for the rest of the country. Let's get them out." Well, at least when she mentioned "dick," she seemed to gesture (as ladies of certain sort do), indicating that it was an impressive size: Grabien screen grab. It's not a really good idea to insult and threaten the third most populous state in the nation when you are in the business of gathering eyeballs to sell to advertisers. It is also a state where MSNBC's parent company has a major theme park and studio complex and a state that has a governor who retaliates when major corporations pick a fight. But nobody ever accused Tiffany Cross of having any I.Q. points to spare. Megyn Kelly has even called her a "dumbass" on her podcast, igniting a feud: Naturally, Cross hit back, calling Kelly "thirsty," which I take as an ethnic slur against people of Irish descent as drunkards: So it is unsurprising that Kelly gloated over Cross's firing, calling her "the most racist person in all of television": MSNBC apparently hired Cross specifically because of her race, as Variety's Steinberg indicates: Cross was an essential building block in MSNBC's efforts to add a broader range of diverse voices to its schedule. After competing in an on-air bake-off of sorts in 2020 with Jonathan Capehart and Zerlina Maxwell to fill weekend hours previously led by Joy Reid, Cross has presided over a loose but chatty program that she also promoted heavily on social media. So who will replace Cross? MSNBC has hired Jen Psaki and so far has not elevated her to hosting duties. But the ginger gal Jen is awfully pale, and for MSNBC, that might lead to criticism, to replace a black with a white. There are other POCs whom Steinberg sees as possibilities: [I]t also has an array of recent hires, like Katie Phang or Symone Sanders, it could also utilize. We'll see if the network works by quota. I'd guess Cross will head back to BET, where she used to be D.C. Bureau chief. Meanwhile, she can commiserate with African American fired female and former MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry about how unfair it all is. Congresswoman Val Demings is trying to unseat Senator Marco Rubio. Well, the Florida Democrats did have to run someone... To compete, though, Ms. Demings had to leave a few important points out of her bio, especially when it comes to her time as a police chief in Orlando. Ms. Deming's commercials say nothing of her time as a rabid Trump-hating congresswoman in Washington. The TV spots mention nothing but her time as Orlando police chief. The 30-second commercials are filled with old pictures of her in uniform, rising through the ranks. From her ads, you would think she made Orlando the safest city in America. But sorry, Val crime rose on your watch. Demings doesn't talk about it, but one of the memorable highlights of her stint as police chief is that she lost her gun. No, it wasn't taken away for any misconduct. She really lost it. But losing her gun was just a preamble for her post-police career. Based on her public recognition, Demings went to Washington in 2016, elected from a minority-majority district in Central Florida. The area does not have a good record of sending the best public servants to our capital. Former representative Corrine Brown went to federal prison after being convicted on 18 felony counts. Image: Val Demings. YouTube screen grab (edited). Once in Washington, Demings joined other Dems in varsity-level Trump-bashing. Despite her inexperience and lack of formal legal training, Nancy Pelosi chose her to help present the Democrat's first impeachment case against President Trump to the Senate. She read her scripts with the appropriate amount of radical rancor. Our present president should have taken lessons from her. When Joe Biden announced he would choose a Black woman as his running mate, Demings again made some headlines. After the idea of Stacey Abrams was scuttled, Demings became the buzz for about 18 hours. But when they ran her name up the flagpole, Demings's problem was that no one saluted. All you need to know about Demings's congressional career can be summed up in one sentence. It appears from Congress's own website that she sponsored 37 bills in the House, none of which ever became law. And of course, she voted with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time. But enough of the typical Democrat political resume. Back to the good stuff: the police chief who lost her gun and now wants to represent Florida in the Senate. It was a dark and stormy night. No, actually it was a typically warm and balmy February evening in Orlando, back in 2009. Demings drove home in her city-issued unmarked car. Rather than take her 9mm Sig Sauer pistol into the house, she left it in a duffel bag in the car. The duffel bag was not locked in the trunk. It was in plain sight in the passenger compartment of the car, and the car was left in her driveway, not in the garage. She claims that the car was locked. Demings claims she left her gun unsecured in her car because young people were having a sleepover at her House that night. Dear chief, have you ever heard of a gun safe? $42.97 on Amazon. Mine works great. By the way, with your own children in the house virtually every night, why didn't you have a gun vault from your first day as a rookie patrolwoman? Demings received a reprimand...and another gun. I wonder if the good people of Orlando paid for it. Ed Sherdlu is a pseudonym. According to a posting I read on the Nextdoor app, "woke implies social activism, nationalism, and collectivism. It suggests rage, passion, resistance, action; seeking to draw a line against the unacceptable." "Woke is being alert to injustice and discrimination in society, especially racism." So, what's wrong with being "woke"? This is a wonderful word salad of platitudes...but what do they really mean, and how are they to be implemented? Let's take a look. Being woke means: supporting Critical Race Theory and all the other ideologies and movements that advocate white privilege and insist that those born white are automatically racist rioting, mayhem, robbery, assault, and murder are acceptable behavior for supporting woke ideology lowering educational standards so that lower-performing groups can pass eliminating AP high school courses because not enough minorities gain seats based on merit (considered to be racist), enforcing equality of outcome supporting race-based admissions to college, independent of merit and ability, regardless of how many others have demonstrated higher merit and ability blaming the pencil for not passing a test math and Shakespeare etc. are racist areas in education (see above) if I didn't listen in school and study hard, it's your fault I got bad grades; likewise, if I come from a poor single-parent family, it's your fault that I can't learn or don't want to learn, etc. merit is racist. In a meritocracy, the cream rises to the top; in a "woke-ocracy," the cream is skimmed off and discarded. Who wants a doctor admitted by "woke" standards doing serious surgery, or the woke engineer designing a major bridge? unearned equity and equality of results must replace equality of opportunity and hard work those with talent, work ethic, perseverance, drive, intelligence, etc. should be penalized and their largesse spread to those without these qualities making legitimate observations on performance, etc. is racist if I'm not P.C., I'm a racist all problems are due to racism, and thus racism is the excuse for low performance (victimhood) giving illegal aliens free subsistence and tuition while not providing assistance for children of veterans disabled or killed in battle everything is free for illegal aliens but not for Americans citizens. Look at the homeless in major cities being ignored while the illegals are welcomed with open arms and given food, clothing, shelter, cell phones... self-defense is not permitted if the attacker is a minority; you must retreat; take a beat-down; be killed; or watch your property be destroyed, vandalized, or looted, or else you'll be charged with murder or using unnecessary/excessive force. I hate America, and its founding was illegitimate the 'US' was founded in 1619 instead of 1776 those who advocate freedom of speech are fascists males who call themselves females should be permitted to compete against females (fortunately, the NCAA has woken up on this one) working is optional And the latest claims of wokesim: you support a multitude of pronouns that are evidently changeable based on how a person feels that day conservative ideology is fascist (it is doubtful that a woke individual can properly define fascism) you support a national (secret) police force, nationalized elections, eliminating a republican form of government, one-party rule, defund the police, packing the Supreme Court, admitting D.C. and Puerto Rico as new states, eliminating cash bail requirement for release after arrest for serious felonies, police are racists, free speech as long as it agrees with woke ideals...and an unlimited supply of related et ceteras if you vote Republican, you're destroying our democracy. The operative word is "our," meaning the left's view of democracy i.e., you voted incorrectly. It is this writer's opinion that if you're so "woke-inclined," you have difficulty with accountability and rational thought. None of this means there are no problems in the U.S. There will always be a small minority who advocate racism. But look at the progress made in the last fifty years, which enabled an African American (AA) man to become president and an AA woman to become vice president. Nor are millions of immigrants flocking to China, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, Russia. They are coming to the good ol' U.S. of A. Why? It used to be equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law. Now it's a plethora of free stuff. Our Founding Fathers gave us an incredible document, the U.S. Constitution the likes of which the world had never seen and were provided with a method to change or update it as the case requires (twenty-seven times and counting) and became the world's only superpower in about 160170 years. Yet being woke means I hate the Constitution, even with the corrected original flaws. No one should be deprived of basic needs adequate food, proper clothing, safe shelter, and a good education if he is unable to earn the means for these needs that should be provided. But any able-bodied and mentally competent person should work for his needs. And a good education does not mean lowering standards, as the woke have done. If you're busy being "woke," you're too busy to be productive in society. You're being a victim or preaching or supporting victimhood when you could be a producer or gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be a producer. A new word is introduced, sent to me by a friend, that helps define wokeism or being woke: Ineptocracy 1) a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers. Contrast this to the Peter Principle: in a hierarchy, all people rise to their level of incompetence. 2) a system of government whose main characteristic is incompetence in all areas. Looking at our elected officials, who best fits these definitions? Image: JMacPherson via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. When it comes to Kari Lake, the mainstream, drive-by, leftist media is in pants-wetting mode. In a fair world, as a candidate for the Arizona governorship, Lake would get admiring or, at least, objective coverage. But we dont live in a fair world, so the media is attacking Lake with a savagery previously reserved only for Donald Trump (after he became a Republican candidate). Until 2021, Lake was best known in the Phoenix area, where she worked for 22 years as a television news anchor at KSAZ-TV. Her political identity was kind of all over the place. She was originally a Republican, a registration she kept until 2006. That was when, because she was dismayed by George Dubyas wars (which saw her voting for John Kerry in 2004), she switched to Independent. Then, in 2008, clearly dazzled by Obama, she registered as a Democrat and donated to several Democrat campaigns. However, in 2021, she launched her gubernatorial campaign as a Republican. Despite being substantially outspent during the Republican primary, Lake won handily. Perhaps it was because she didnt let Democrats bully her into hiding her suspicions that something was deeply wrong with the 2020 election results. Wikipedia frames it this way: Lake centered her campaign on promoting the false claim that the 2020 presidential election in Arizona and nationwide was rigged and stolen. When saying this, Wikipedia means Terrified or partisan judges shut down any efforts to analyze bizarre election results in real-time, and January 6 has effectively silenced most people. As a result, we have no obligation to prove that mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting, drop boxes, and long pauses counting votes in the middle of the night were meaningless in terms of the election outcome. Image: Kari Lake. YouTube screen grab (edited). Whats made Lake a national phenomenon is that, on the campaign trail, her instincts are extraordinary. Shes beautiful, intelligent, has tremendous presence andperhaps most importantlyis unafraid of the media. Unlike Trump, she doesnt insult media members. Instead, she just calls them out when they ask questions that are manifestly biased. Trump was a cudgel. Lake is more of a cat, elegantly and cheerfully toying with her prey before confidently destroying it. Its very satisfying to watch videos of her interactions with the media. The media, of course, know an enemy when they see one. Thats why their coverage of Lake is venomous in the extreme. While their coverage of most Republicans averages 87% negative, their coverage of Lake is 100% negative: A new Media Research Center study covering Sept. 1 to Oct. 26 found that midterm election news in CBS, ABC, and NBCs evening broadcasts is about as negative on Republicans as it was during the Trump presidency (88% in 2018). But while that 87% number is already appalling, Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake scored a perfect 100% negative coverage. Thats impressive, even by corrupt media standards. At least a decade ago, a Democrat commentator whose name Ive forgotten admitted that the invariably positive media coverage for Democrats versus the relentlessly negative media coverage for Republicans gave Democrats as much as a 15-point boost in elections. The medias fawning on Democrats constituted massive free advertising, along with the patina of objectivity. I suspect that things have changed nowadays. The media are so deeply disrespected that members of the public are likely to discount it, just as they once did with paid-for political advertising. Also, thanks to Biden, even Democrats are beginning to realize that the media are harming them by propping candidates who shouldnt be anywhere near power. Even SNL, in a surprisingly enjoyable sketch, is worried about the people the media promote (hat tip: Power Line): If one recognizes the American peoples disenchantment with an activist media, that 100% negative coverage Lake is receiving could be the best thing that ever happened to her. The only thing that remains to be seen, should Lake win, is whether she governs as competently as she campaigns. If thats the case, she may well become Americas first elected female president. (Harris may occupy the office if Democrats delete Joe from the job, but SNL makes clear that shell never be elected to the role.) Speaking of Joe, heres a bonus campaign video straight from the Babylon Bee: The headline in USA Today blares, "Herschel Walker's Senate run is a stain on American democracy." The author, a self-identified Nigerian immigrant, proclaims that he feels "enormous shame for this country." Perhaps he is unfamiliar with the really shameful politicians who populate the Democrat party. Democrats are still trotting out Hillary Clinton, who perpetrated a massive fraud on the American people, supported by the sycophant media, about Russian collusion, which was perpetuated by a fake dossier. The politicized, corrupt FBI then used that fake dossier to perpetrate a fraud on the FISA court as an excuse to destroy Trump and associates. That is a threat to our democracy. Hillary also funneled massive kickbacks to her family and foundation from foreign governments, and that is a great threat to our democracy. It should be a stain, and people should be embarrassed that they still support Bill and Hillary, no matter how many women they physically and mentally abused. They sought to destroy any woman who got in their way as they strive for power. How many women and girls have been abused by powerful people because the media, entertainers, and other Democrats looked the other way as they supported the Clintons? Joe Biden and family have taken massive kickbacks from foreign entities for years, and the truth was buried from the American people by the media as they campaigned for the clearly incompetent man. That is a threat to our democracy. And then there is Fetterman. The media and other Democrats are supporting this clearly incompetent man, who is extremely lazy and who has accomplished little in his life. He is a greater stain than Walker. The media essentially support anyone with a "D'" behind his name, no matter how extreme and destructive his policies are. That is a great threat to our democracy. During this election cycle, many Democrats are pretending they are someone else. Tim Ryan is pretending he is a moderate who supported Trump's policies. N.Y. governor Kathy Hochul is pretending she has nothing to do with crime. Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer pretends Michigan schools were closed for only three months. Stacey Abrams and other Democrats are pretending they have never challenged election results. The media and other Democrats are pretending their policies to destroy the energy industry have nothing to do with high prices. The media are the greatest threat to our democracy, not people who challenge election results. They run fake stories like Russian collusion for years to destroy people they disagree with. They bury truthful stories about the Biden family corruption as they campaign for him. Another great threat to our democracy is when we have a president and administration that refuse to enforce immigration laws that Congress passed and a media establishment that only minimally reports all the deaths and crimes that have occurred because of this abandonment of the law. Kamala and Biden ignore the border as the media cheer unless they put out fake stories about border guards whipping illegals. Sometimes you don't really become angry at the political situation in the country until it hits home. Being steeped in the sheer insanity of observing, documenting, and archiving what the anti-liberty left is doing daily, you would think you would be immune to seeing its localized effects. Your mind can intellectually separate what is going on in the rest of the world and what is taking place near you. You can think of the former as abstract and at a lower level of importance, while the latter is concrete and something you cannot ignore. The strange thing is that we're not getting as angry as you would think at the daily onslaught of leftist lies and accusations from the party of projection. We sort of expect them to incessantly project rampant fascist authoritarianism on those of us on the pro-freedom right. In case they didn't realize it, they are the villains in this movie, no matter how much they pretend otherwise. But when they have to constantly lie about such things, they need to look in the mirror to see the bad guy (and don't start with us on the insane climate-change gender-bender BS). They don't realize it, but all of that is going to be their downfall, because if they are going to lie about something this big, why should we trust them on anything else? This is why there is a growing body of evidence for a landslide for liberty, a tsunami for freedom that will dwarf any pathetic cheating the lying leftists will try this time around. We find it infuriating that they have impacted common ordinary occurrences, such as going to the store and consistently seeing empty spaces on the shelves. It's having to stock up on diesel fuel for the Kubota, and it's dealing with problems that shouldn't exist in the United States of America. When you go to several stores and none of them is stocked up on the basics like milk, and there isn't a blizzard in the forecast, then you know something is seriously wrong. On top of all that, the liberty-deniers could at least stop trying to insult our intelligence and still claim it's the pandemic. We all know that is a lie, so they should know it, too. We know they are masters at mendacity, so they could throw us a bone, exercise their creativity, and at least come up with some new lies. There is just something about being subjected to the same projections: fascist, National Socialist German Workers' Party, far-right, etc. That is downright insulting. It's as though they don't want to be bothered with coming up with new material or admitting that we have seen through their lies of the past. We didn't vote to move to Venezuela. We don't care if liberty-deniers don't want to properly call it by the S-word socialism or any of the other isms that are supposed to bring about a "worker's paradise." We know what it is, and we know that it's failed miserably. Insanity is all part of the plan. To see what we're up against, you must understand the general operational philosophy of the socialists of the nation's left. They intend to constantly keep things in flux, never letting anyone get used to current conditions. This will naturally cause pushback on the part of the pro-freedom community, giving the liberty-deniers a prime opportunity to claim we are overreacting, "reactionary" or an oldie but goodie: "counter-revolutionaries." They intend to propagandize the situation so that it's not what they are doing that's the problem, but how we're reacting that's causing chaos. It was the left that started teaching CRT, but concerned parents showing up at school board meetings were the ones branded as "domestic terrorists." It was the left that threw open the border, but only when a few illegal invaders were flown to New York and Martha's Vineyard did it become a political issue. No matter what happens, they must push things one more step. "Gay marriage" became transgender rights. We probably don't want to know where they want to take it from there, but rest assured: it will be something even more insane unless they are stopped. These are people who have nothing to offer but January 6, 2021 insanity and abortion on demand up until birth. These are people who create chaos and then complain when we want a return to common sense and sanity. Then they wonder why no one wants to vote for them. There is a great line in the song of true resistance to communist oppression in Cuba, "Patria y Vida" (Homeland and Life), translated: "Who told you that Cuba belongs to you?" It was a defiant question to the communist-leftist rulers of that open-air prison. Well, we in this country could ask the same of the oligarchy that wants to rule us with an iron fist. Who told you that the United States belongs to you? You issued "one final warning" as though the country and the very definitions of the words we use belong to you. You have nothing to offer but chaos and insanity, and if there is any justice in this world, a stunning majority will throw you out of office. D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, the director of communications for a Bill of Rights organization, and a longtime contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack. Image: Tom Arthur via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Migrants: Italian FM, we demand respect for rules Tajani in Berlin, 'we do it with great politeness, but firmly' (ANSA) - BERLIN, NOV 3 - On immigration, "we have asked for only compliance with the rules; we have done so in an official way, with great politeness but also with great firmness." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in Berlin in an interview with the Rai. 'With a partner country and a good interlocutor like Germany, we have to cooperate a lot, then when there is to give some message, especially on the issue of immigration, we do it with determination, but to ensure that the rules are respected. So, for example, we have asked that NGO ships respect European rules when they rescue someone at sea and then ask to dock in the nearest ports.' Before traveling to the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Muenster, the minister stopped in Berlin today to attend the Western Balkans Summit at Olaf Scholz's Chancellery. Also, during the summit, Tajani reiterated that "we need cooperation among all European countries, but also with the Balkan countries, to stop illegal immigration because it risks becoming an increasing problem for all of us." (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved International dance project towards Gorizia-Nova Gorica 2025 "Go Towards," led and coordinated by Arearea Company (Udine) (ANSA) - UDINE, 05 NOV - An international project involving seven partners in Europe and worldwide, entitled "Go Towards," coordinated by the Arearea Contemporary Dance Company (Udine), has won the three-year "Boarding Pass Plus" call for ideas promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture, ahead of Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture 2025. Arearea will lead a project in which the language of dance becomes a socio-cultural vehicle of contamination and dialogue between different cultures. The call for ideas "Boarding Pass Plus" 2022-2023-2024 aimed to select some theater, dance, music, circus, and multidisciplinary projects to achieve goals related to internationalization processes through the comparison and exchange of artistic practices between Italian and foreign professionals. Partners include three Italian contemporary dance companies, Abbondanza/Bertoni, AdArte, and Sanpapie. "We are particularly proud of this result," explained Marta Bevilacqua and Roberto Cocconi, artistic directors of Arearea. "For us, it is particularly significant not only for the first place achieved but above all because 'Go Towards' was born from the artistic research shared with all the partners around the key themes in the cultural path of approach to Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture 2025. The theme of cross-border culture is particularly close to our hearts." The Arearea-led network will also involve seven companies operating in as many countries: AREAL _ spatiu pentru dezvoltare choreografica (Romania), Derida Dance Center (Bulgaria), Machol Shalem Dance House (Israel), MN Dance Company (Slovenia), Improdancefest (Turkey), Cortocinesis Contemporary Dance (Colombia), and Lobo Festival (France). In addition, it will involve 26 artists seeking a cultural epicenter that challenges the concept of border. Thanks to its international network, the project's schedule envisages stages in Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Slovenia, Turkey, Colombia, France, and Italy. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved A group of armed detainees behind the violence and disorder at a west London immigration centre during a power outage will be held to account, a minister has said. No one was injured during the disturbance incident at Harmondsworth detention centre near Heathrow Airport on Friday night, according to immigration minister Robert Jenrick. It is understood that a group of detainees left their rooms and went out into the courtyard area armed with various weaponry. None of the detainees left the premises during the incident, and they have since been returned to their rooms. The Home Office said people are being moved to other centres while engineers fix the power and repair the damage. Mr Jenrick said: Thankfully no staff working or individuals detained there were hurt, despite clear evidence of unacceptable levels of violence and disorder. The public should be reassured that offenders and others waiting removal from the UK are being held securely. The perpetrators of this disturbance will be held to account and, where appropriate, removed from the country as swiftly as is practicable. Metropolitan Police officers attended the incident at 7.45pm on Friday and were still on the scene on Saturday, the force said. The Government has been urged to intervene to stop Twitter creating a digital P&O, as the company carries out sweeping job cuts to save money. The social media company began widespread staff cuts around the world on Friday, with suggestions as many as half of its more than 7,500 staff could be axed in what the company called an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path. New owner Elon Musk is thought to want to drastically reduce costs at the company after completing his 44 billion dollar (39 billion) takeover of the platform last week, since tweeting we need to pay the bills somehow. Prospect Union, which represents thousands of technology workers, including Twitter employees in the UK, said in a letter to Business Secretary Grant Shapps the firm had acted in an unacceptable way. The offices of Twitter in Air Street, central London (Aaron Chown/PA) It said: From the communications to staff that our members have shared with us, it looks increasingly likely that the company could ride roughshod over our existing employment procedures and protections for redundancies. These including the need to properly consult and to select those affected fairly. It is totally unacceptable that anyone should be treated in such a manner. I hope that you will agree with me that the government must make it clear to Twitters new owners a digital P&O would not be acceptable and that no-one is above the law in the UK, including big tech barons. It is clear that Twitter are treating their employees in an unacceptable way, locking them out of company platforms without notice and communicating only by impersonal emails. It seems highly likely that Twitter should have informed your department of these planned redundancies. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) confirmed it had received the letter. Simon Deakin, a professor of Law at the University of Cambridge, said if 100 or more employees are sacked within a period of 90 days, the Business Secretary must be notified 45 days before the first dismissal. Where there are more than 20 but fewer than 100 potential losses, the period is 30 days. Professor Deakin said: If theres no effective notice given here then there could be a fine, so the employer or director could be fined. And the fine currently doesnt have a limit and its a criminal offence. If they are making 100 workers redundant then theres a possibility of a criminal offence being committed, we dont know the full story, what is the establishment and maybe they have given notice. He went on: If a criminal offence has been committed then there would be a prosecution organised by the insolvency service and that could lead to criminal liability either for the company or conceivably for a manager or director. In his first tweet since the cuts began, Mr Musk said: Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. He also replied to posts and memes from users about advertising on Friday evening. Online safety groups and campaigners have expressed concerns about Mr Musks plans to allow more free speech on the site and reverse permanent bans given to controversial figures, including former US president Donald Trump. There have been reports that some advertisers have been concerned about the possibility of such figures returning and appearing alongside their adverts on the site. An internal email sent to staff on the job cuts on Friday said the action to cut jobs was unfortunately necessary to ensure the companys success moving forward. Staff have been told that everyone will receive an email by 9am PST (4pm GMT) on Friday, with those who are affected by the cuts set to receive the message on their personal email address rather than the one associated with their work. Staff have since taken to Twitter to confirm they are leaving the company, with some revealing they have been logged out of their work laptops and internal messaging systems. Twitter employee Simon Balmain told Sky News: We started hearing strong rumours about layoffs a few days ago, which Im sure everybody heard about because it leaked quite quickly to the press. Late last night we all received an email saying there is going to be a large reduction in headcount and the email stated that if we would be laid off, it would go to our personal email and if not to our work email. And it was about an hour after that, this is in the early hours of the morning UK, like 2am, that I noticed my work laptop was remotely wiped and my email access and Slack access were both revoked. And then I got in touch with a few colleagues, and it seemed a lot of people were seeing the same thing. A BEIS spokesperson said: We are watching what is happening at Twitter with interest. While we cannot comment on the individual cases, we expect companies to treat their employees fairly and our thoughts are with those who have lost their jobs. There are clear rules companies must follow when making large numbers of redundancies which includes consulting with staff and notifying the Redundancy Payments Service. James Hong has congratulated Asian-American creatives for carrying through work to promote themselves within the industry, which he started almost six decades ago. The screen veteran said his main goal was to stop hatred and boost the whole level of Asian-Americans. Hong, 93, made the comments while speaking at the Critics Choice Association (CCA)s inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television. Known for his energy despite his age, Hong grinned and showed off a selection of martial arts moves for photographers on the CCA events red carpet (Alamy/PA) Known for his energy despite his age, Hong grinned and showed off a selection of martial arts moves for photographers on the events red carpet. The star-studded event featured other big names from the Asian cinema industry, and aims to showcase both emerging and established talent. This organisation features all the Asia-Pacific people and thats probably one of the first organisations to promote culture, from here to China, east to west its great to be here, Hong told the PA news agency. To see an organisation collect all these people together and work together and stop this hatred for Asians is our main goal I think, and just boost the whole level of Asian-Americans. Hong was one of the founders of the East West Players in 1965, the nations first professional Asian American theatre organisation, that helps provide opportunities and education about Asian culture. Throughout his 68-year career Hong has amassed over 600 acting credits including 469 for television, 148 films, 32 short films and 22 video games (Alamy/PA) Throughout his 68-year career he has amassed over 600 acting credits including 469 for television, 148 films, 32 short films and 22 video games. He was honoured with the Icon award at the CCA event, held at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Friday. Playing with a prop hand, which featured in his recent film Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, he joked: What icon, what are you talking about? Asked what he would say in his acceptance speech he said: When I see the crowd I will know how to react I will just speak from my heart. I will congratulate all the people for coming here, taking the time and devotion to do something like this. I started it going and now they are carrying it through. Congratulations to Auli'i Cravalho This years honoree of the #RisingStar Award presented by @IMDbPro at our #CriticsChoice Asian Pacific Celebration. Stay tuned for a special portrait gallery from the gala event brought to you by @IMDbPro @auliicravalho #auliicravalho pic.twitter.com/Py0tY2fANr Critics Choice Awards (@CriticsChoice) November 3, 2022 The CCA inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television comes following a spate of successful Asian films and television series including Decision to Leave, Ms Marvel, Turning Red, Squid Game and Pachinko. Among others receiving honours were Park Chan-wook (director award for film), Zoe Chao (actress award for television), John Cho (actor award for film), and Aulii Cravalho (rising star award for film). Cravalho told PA she was honoured to be honoured and humbled to be recognised in a space alongside her mentors. Comedian Hasan Minhaj was honoured with the comedy award and British actor Nick Mohammed was given the actor award for television. Michelle ONeill has accused Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of scaremongering over his claims that the Northern Ireland Protocol delayed some heart surgeries from taking place. The Sinn Fein Stormont leader said that the DUP leader needs a reality check after he claimed that access to medicines has been impaired by the protocol. In her address to the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Dublin, Ms ONeill told assembled party members that Sir Jeffrey is incapable of accepting that the protocol is working. The DUP has prevented an assembly and executive from being formed in protest over the protocol, which places additional post-Brexit checks on some goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill speaks at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis (Damien Storan/PA) You see, it is an irrefutable fact that the protocol is working, and that Jeffrey Donaldson is incapable of accepting that is the case, Ms ONeill said. He has now been rebuffed on numerous occasions in the past week about his misleading claims. Including scaremongering about vital medical care. Jeffrey doesnt just need a fact-check, he needs a reality check. Most working people, businesses and key sectors I meet want the British Government to urgently reach a negotiated settlement with the EU around the protocol. They want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future taking full advantage of our access to the EU single market and the benefits this brings to our economy. We welcome the unstinting support of the White House and Congress. This was reaffirmed in a call between President Biden and the British Prime Minister last week. We must defend and protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and the need to reach a negotiated agreement with the European Union. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill speaks (Damien Storan/PA) We welcome the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen. What we all want to see is a deal done to make the protocol work better. But for the avoidance of doubt. Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these negotiations. So holding back powersharing in the meantime is simply to punish the public. This is reckless and it needlessly polarises our society and politics. She called for London and Brussels to propel the talks to resolve the outstanding issues around the protocol. Earlier this week, when asked about people on long waiting lists, Sir Jeffrey said work is done every day to help those who require medical care, but the matter isnt helped when access to medicines is impaired and inhibited by the protocol. It is not acceptable when people who are waiting on vital cardiac surgery in the Southern Trust are told they cant have their treatment because parts for an angiogram machine are not available in Great Britain and have to be ordered from Germany, Sir Jeffrey said. And three weeks later, those people are waiting on their surgery and then have to be referred to the Belfast Trust for their treatment. How does that help people on waiting lists? In a statement to the PA news agency, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said replacement parts were sought for some of its cardiac equipment in August from both the UK and Ireland. It said equipment had to be sourced from Germany due to its size. Twitter has launched a subscription service allowing users to buy blue-tick verification for a monthly fee of 7.99 US dollars (7) in a major change under its new owner, Elon Musk. The system was designed to help users identify authentic and influential users on the platform, including government figures, sports stars, entertainment figures, journalists and major brands and organisations. But in an update to Apple iOS devices on Saturday, the social media company said any users who sign up now to its premium Twitter Blue service for 7.99 US dollars a month will get a blue tick. Available in the UK, as well as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the update said the service will provide: Power to the people: Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow. Other features promised to be coming soon include half the number of adverts, the ability to post longer videos and priority ranking for content posted on the platform. Regarding Twitters reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 Musk appears to be looking to diversify Twitters revenue streams and seeking to drastically reduce costs at the company after completing his 44 billion dollar (39 billion) takeover of the platform last week. The firm began widespread staff cuts around the world on Friday, with suggestions as many as half of its more than 7,500 staff could be axed. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey took to the platform on Saturday to apologise for growing the company too quickly. He said: I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologize for that. I am grateful for, and love, everyone who has ever worked on Twitter. I dont expect that to be mutual in this momentor ever and I understand. Twitters offices in London (Aaron Chown/PA) It comes as Twitter staff who face losing their jobs in the UK were given three days to nominate a representative for a formal consultation about their employment. Workers in the UK have been told the company plans to inform and consult employee representatives ahead of potential redundancies, as required by employment law. An email sent to staff from Twitters HR department on Saturday said they had until 9am on Tuesday to nominate any current employee. A maximum of 10 representatives can be nominated, with an election to be held if more than 10 nominations are received, according to the email. Representatives will be required to attend consultation meetings and help communicate between the firm and affected employees. But Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, which represents thousands of technology workers including Twitter staff, described the process as a complete sham. He said membership among Twitter workers has been growing rather rapidly since new owner Elon Musk announced job cuts. Mr Clancy described the situation as the digital P&O in reference to the shipping company, which was widely condemned after it sacked nearly 800 crew members without notice in March and replaced them with cheaper agency workers. Musk said on Friday evening that Twitter employees who lost their jobs have been offered a three-month pay-off, with the company losing more than 4 million US dollars (3.5 million) a day. Its head of safety later said jobs cuts have affected about 15% of the trust and safety department, as opposed to approximately 50% of cuts company-wide. Prospect has written to Business Secretary Grant Shapps urging him to intervene in a letter which said: It is totally unacceptable that anyone should be treated in such a manner. More and more staff at Twitter are joining us everyday. If you work there or elsewhere in tech it's time to join our tech workers branch. #WeAreProspect [3/3]https://t.co/VeS1MGngwy Prospect Union (@ProspectUnion) November 5, 2022 I hope that you will agree with me that the Government must make it clear to Twitters new owners a digital P&O would not be acceptable and that no-one is above the law in the UK, including big tech barons. Simon Deakin, a professor of Law at the University of Cambridge, said if 100 or more employees are sacked within a period of 90 days, the Business Secretary must be notified 45 days before the first dismissal. Where there are more than 20 but fewer than 100 potential losses, the period is 30 days. Staff have been told that everyone received an email by 9am PST (4pm GMT) on Friday, with those who are affected by the cuts set to receive the message on their personal email address rather than the one associated with their work. Some have since taken to Twitter to confirm they are leaving the company, with some revealing they have been logged out of their work laptops and internal messaging systems. Twitter employee Simon Balmain told Sky News: Late last night we all received an email saying there is going to be a large reduction in headcount and the email stated that if we would be laid off, it would go to our personal email and if not, to our work email. And it was about an hour after that, this is in the early hours of the morning UK, like 2am, that I noticed my work laptop was remotely wiped and my email access and Slack access were both revoked. And then I got in touch with a few colleagues, and it seemed a lot of people were seeing the same thing. A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) spokesperson said: We are watching what is happening at Twitter with interest. While we cannot comment on the individual cases, we expect companies to treat their employees fairly and our thoughts are with those who have lost their jobs. There are clear rules companies must follow when making large numbers of redundancies which includes consulting with staff and notifying the Redundancy Payments Service. Sponsored content. Us Weekly receives compensation for this article as well as for purchases made when you click on a link and buy something below. Oh, to be on vacation right now. If we close our eyes, we can almost feel the sand between our toes. Wed swap out our coffee cup for a tropical smoothie and our sweats for swimsuits in a second, but its sadly not that easy. Traveling is not only expensive, but planning your trip can be a ton of work! Want to skip the stress and get right to the good parts of traveling? 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Product and service selection, however, is in no way intended to constitute an endorsement by either Us Weekly or of any celebrity mentioned in the post. The Shop With Us team may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. In addition, Us Weekly receives compensation from the manufacturer of the products we write about when you click on a link and then purchase the product featured in an article. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product or service is featured or recommended. Shop With Us operates independently from advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback at ShopWithUs@usmagazine.com. Happy shopping! LISBON, Portugal It only took about ten minutes to get to Elon. Im at a press conference with Microsoft President Brad Smith and Ukraines minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, at Web Summit in Lisbon on Thursday. Smith announced a donation of $100 million of cloud services to help Ukraine fight the Russians. Second question in the Q&A: Is Elon Musk still supporting Ukraine through Starlink [his satellite internet service]? Fedorov smiles and says something in Ukrainian. Translation: Yes, Elon is. Musk seems to be part of every conversation these days. Here at the world's largest tech conference 71,033 attendees from 160 countries Musk is an overwhelming presence, even though hes not physically present. If its not SpaceX and Starlink, its Tesla and of course Twitter. What is Musk doing? What is he thinking? Whats up with the layoffs? This is the case even in Europe, where distrust and antipathy towards big American tech companies runs high. Web Summit is made up of many more Europeans than say CES or South by Southwest: Americans are only the fifth biggest contingent here, according to Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave. That makes it a great place to get a different perspective on Musk though Elons taking all the air out of the room here, too. This video grab taken from a video posted on the Twitter account of billionaire Tesla chief Elon Musk on October 26, 2022 shows himself carrying a sink as he enters the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. (Photo by various sources / AFP) Elon is seemingly bound and determined to dominate the news cycle. Every. Single. Day. You can call him a relentless self-promoter, insanely narcissistic, or just off his rocker. But hes also trying to foist massive change on massive industries; cars, space travel, social media, really humanity, in real time. You may hate him, you may love him, but as the line goes, one thing you cant do is ignore him. Musk is the richest man in the world and one of the most famous people in the world whos constantly seeking attention on one of the worlds biggest social media platforms, which he now owns. Thats a pretty powerful combination. So getting back to Twitter, the hottest sector of Musks heat map right now, what exactly do we know besides his sometimes amusing, sometimes trolly posts and squabbles with AOC? First, as Microsofts Brad Smith told me: Elon Musk is undeniably one of the greatest technology visionaries of our generation. Second: Running a social media company and turning it into a super app may or may not be outside Elons area of expertise. Third: Twitter now has $13 billion of debt on its books, making it highly leveraged, which will certainly affect Musks decisionmaking. Fourth: Even though Twitter has 238 million DAUs, Yahoo Finances Dan Howley points out it is getting long in the tooth as upstarts like TikTok, BeReal and Discord take market share and attract younger audiences. Fifth: We dont know the degree to which Musk has an actual plan. Sixth: No doubt Twitter detracts from Musk running SpaceX and Tesla etc. Seventh: Many have doubted him before, and he has delivered. Sometimes. Which really has no bearing on Twitter. Ambiguous enough for you? Sorry not to be more definitive, but thats all the gospel. I am a technical person I do coding so I have a lot of respect for Elon as a technical person," Mikki Kobvel, a Ukrainian software consultant based in Lisbon and Singapore, told me. "But I get worried when I see someone doing something just for their reputation for their image." An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by the US tech billionaire Elon Musk in Izyum, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on September 25, 2022. (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) Andrey Khusid, founder and CEO of Miro, a unicorn tech company based in the Netherlands with offices in San Francisco, said that "Elon is obviously a genius with all his companies. I think it is 50/50 whether Elon will succeed with Twitter, but I do think he has a plan. Right now these are just steps. I think he has a big picture idea and I think we need to judge him on the outcome not just the steps along the way. Maybe it will be the most important social media platform in the world. Americans here are sharing their take on Musk too, most notably ARK Invests Cathie Wood. We did invest [in Twitter], as [Elon] took it private. We're very excited about that, Wood told interviewer Ann Curry on the main stage. Elon believes in vertical integration. I think he could turn this into a super app like WeChat pay. Remember, he started in the payments industry with PayPal. Wood has actually created a way for retail investors to buy into Twitter through the Ark Venture Fund, which reportedly has 12% of its assets in Twitter. Investors can buy into with as little as $500. Curry also asked Wood about Twitters toxicity. The darkness was in their opacity, Wood said. We didn't see the algorithms and how they were working. Wood added that she believes Twitter could rely on open-source code and software which could be viewed and modified by the public. Cathie Wood, the CEO and Chief Investment Officer at ARK Invest, speaks during a session at the Web Summit in Lisbon on November 2, 2022. (Photo by Henrique Casinhas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) This is a perspective shared by Chris Anderson, head of TED (as in TED Talks), who spoke with me at a dinner about how he believes Musk will move toward some sort of crowdsourced and or outsourced model to determine what content is accentuated. You may remember that Anderson, who wrote a prescient 2013 Businessperson of the Year cover story on Musk for Fortune when I was the editor there, interviewed Musk in April when he first made a bid for Twitter, and Musk spoke about open source then. In the interview, Musk said that one of the things that I believe Twitter should do is open source the algorithm and make any changes to people's tweets, if they're emphasized or de-emphasized, that action should be made apparent so anyone can see that action's been taken so there's no behind the scenes manipulation, either algorithmically or manually." (The full hour plus interview is here. Transcript here.) At another dinner I caught up with Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (known as CZ), very much a star here, who now lives part-time in Paris ("It's quite crypto friendly," he told me.) CZ just made news for... you guessed it... investing $500 million in Elon's Twitter buyout. Why? "It's all about freedom of speech," he said. Beyond the super app and open sourcing, there are all manner of rabbit holes and conspiracy theories out there on what Musk intends to do with Twitter. Or, as one Web Summit participant from Britain said to me regarding Elons Twitter: The content moderation will become the product. I think I know what that means, but Im not sure. Besides his laudatory point about Musk, Microsofts Smith sought to make a distinction between Twitter and his companys social media platform. At LinkedIn [which Microsoft owns], we really strive to use it as a platform that creates more light than heat," he said. "In the world today, there's a lot of heat, and I think we should all strive to ensure there's a little more light, and let's see if we can advance civil discourse along the way. And that would be the eighth thing we know about Elon and Twitter: Advancing civil discourse is probably not so high on his agenda. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube The worlds wealthier countries need to step up to help poorer nations transition away from fossil fuels and adapt to the impact of climate change, US envoy John Kerry has said. Speaking ahead of the Cop27 international summit in Egypt, Mr Kerry said the greatest responsibility lay with those countries which have been the biggest users of fossil fuels. Obviously those countries with greater means across the board and that includes some developing countries that have greater means need to also step up and help in this transition, he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. We dont view it and were not going to view it as compensation. We are going to view it as our efforts to try to help countries to adapt, to be able to become more resilient and obviously address the challenges that they face as a result of the losses and damages. The King speaks with John Kerry and Cop26 president Alok Sharma during a reception at Buckingham Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA) You have to work out the methodology by which you are going to assign a process that works for everybody. Wealthy nations have long promised to find 100 billion dollars (87.9 billion) a year in climate finance for poor nations, with the target originally meant to have been hit in 2020. It was first promised in 2009 but has never been accomplished. A report last year suggested it would not come to fruition until 2023. Mr Kerry said that while it should be possible to reach agreement at the gathering at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, the war in Ukraine had complicated the issue. There are people within the fossil fuel industry who are using the crisis in Ukraine, frankly, as leverage to be able to say We need to be pumping a lot more. Were moving much too fast. Its just not true, its not an accurate narrative. Mr Kerry said, however, that countries were realising they needed to reduce their dependence on oil and gas as a source of energy. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said the world is approaching tipping points (Jane Barlow/PA) Many countries in Europe most of them in fact have applied the lesson of this war, which is dont allow a petro-dictator to hold you hostage to energy, dont let them weaponise it against you, he said. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres warned the world is doomed unless nations gathered in Egypt are able to reach agreement. There is no way we can avoid a catastrophic situation, if the two [the developed and developing world] are not able to establish a historic pact, he told the Guardian. He said the the world is approaching tipping points that will make climate breakdown irreversible. As we are approaching those tipping points, we need to increase the urgency, we need to increase the ambition and we need to rebuild trust, mainly trust between north and south, he said. Because at the present level, we will be doomed. Present policies will be absolutely catastrophic. On Friday, Rishi Sunak spoke at a Cop27 reception hosted by the King in anticipation of the conference. The Prime Minister is attending the event in Egypt next week after a U-turn but Charles will miss the event. Speaking at a reception staged in the Buckingham Palace ballroom on Friday, Mr Sunak said: As recent events have shown, delivering on the promise of Glasgow is more important than ever. If we do not act today, we will risk leaving an ever more desperate inheritance for our children. It seems like summer just ended and now, all of the sudden, winter is on its way? Im not quite ready for that. If you arent either, you could probably use a space heater right about now and right on through till May. And if winter bums you out as much as it does me, heres a silver lining: Amazon just cut the price on the uber-popular Lasko Oscillating Ceramic Tower Space Heater to just $49 when you apply the on-page coupon. That's a 30% savings! The beauty of ceramic is that it can transmit heat that's powerful yet consistent that means no random dips or spikes in temperature...unless you want them. This heater from Lasko includes a thermostat and timer that allows you to customize your comfort. The airflow is also powerful and, paired with the oscillating feature, it can heat up a pretty big room or even a small apartment 300 square feet, to be exact. If youre watching your budget (arent we all?), this guy might just be powerful enough to save you cash on your heating bill. Proof is in the pudding When youre shopping for an item as important as a heater for the winter, it has to work. Well, this one gets a thumbs-up from more than 20,000 shoppers who have already tested it out for you. Some of them know a little bit about staying warm they live in some of the coldest states in the country! Very impressive, opined a happy shopper. Loved being able to control the hours it runs and the temperature. We used it in an 18' x18' bedroom in an unheated basement in Colorado, and it kept us cozy. If youve spent any time in an unheated room during a Colorado winter, you know how cold that is. Brrr! Customize your cozy comfort, at a deep discount. (Photo: Amazon) Cold weather companion But the cold weather doesnt end at the Continental Divide people from all over the Midwest stay comfortably warm throughout the winter, thanks to this heater. "My bedroom is a transformed basement den in an older home in Minnesota," shared a happy Midwesterner. "The space is quite large and gets very cold in the winter. Thankfully I decided to get this heater and no longer have to experience how cold it gets down here. I also love how quiet this fan is. Sometimes I can't even tell it's on when I go to bed." "This little heater has changed my life in frozen North Dakota," raved another satisfied customer. "It provides a great amount of heat. It's very lightweight, so I can carry it from room to room as needed. It is maybe a little bit louder than I'd hoped, but that's a small price to pay for being able to say cozy warm without turning my furnace up full blast to heat the whole house. Really excellent space heater!" But theres more! The bonus feature on this heater is the remote control. If you think its a handy gadget for your TV, a remote for a heater will blow your mind. I bought this heater probably eight or nine years ago, wrote a loyal customer. I smiled when I saw that Lasko still makes this exact model, as I'm here shopping on Amazon for another heater for my guest bedroom. It is on right now in my bedroom, and it still works great! Heats up nicelythe remote is handy .I dont have to get out of bed early in the morning to turn it on .I can just turn it on from my bed. Love it! Ready to add to cart? If you have Amazon Prime, youll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication. Looking for more great Amazon home and auto deals? Check these out: Auto Vacuums Kitchen Bedding and home Seasonal Gov. Gavin Newsom's first term has been defined by his attempts to execute his progressive campaign promises amid a near-constant state of disaster. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Four years ago, Gavin Newsom delivered an election-night acceptance speech that promised to make California "a place of opportunity, safety and affordability for everyone," ending a gubernatorial campaign stuffed with audacious policy goals. Less than 36 hours later, as acting governor, he was leading the state through a trio of tragedies that took more than 100 lives: a mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, a wildfire that barreled through Malibu and the devastating Camp fire in Butte County. "That's a bit of baptism by fire, isn't it? Quite literally, not figuratively," Newsom said in a recent interview, days before voters cast their ballots in the November election. "Gunfire. Wildfires." In the midst of a reelection campaign, Newsom insisted he wasn't in a reflective mood. But then he drifted back to those fatal events 60 days before he took the oath of office. That time served as a "preview of things to come" in a first term dominated by extraordinary crises, Newsom said. It prompted a sober realization of his obligation to respond to the problems that arise in the moment, regardless of his ambitious plans to restore California's grandeur. Those plans likely did not include declaring at least 54 states of emergency in California in response to wildfire, extreme heat, rainstorms, drought, earthquakes, riots, oil spills, monkeypox and COVID-19 since his inauguration on Jan. 7, 2019. "I know that there was obvious frustration, and justifiably so, when you want to come in and move things forward," said Dustin Corcoran, chief executive of the California Medical Assn. "Instead of having a positive vision, you have to deal with how to make the world not collapse. Its a really hard mantra to go out and say, 'Well, your life could have sucked more if it wasnt for me.'" Ann O'Leary, former chief of staff to Newsom and a longtime staffer for Hillary Clinton, said the underlying tension of the governor's first term has been defined by his attempts at finding ways to execute his progressive campaign promises amid that near-constant state of disaster. "I think, immediately, from literally day one of him winning the election, it was very clear that we were going to be having to do both," said O'Leary. Newsom, who says he's always "in a hurry" to take action, refused to allow disasters to beset his agenda and stubbornly rebuffed advice to narrow his policy goals. With Californias booming economy and Democrats iron grip on the Legislature, he was eager to take advantage of the state's flush tax revenuewhile it lasted. Over the last four years, Newsom passed a slate of policies unsurpassed by any governor in modern state history: the expansion of Medi-Cal to cover all immigrants, the creation of CARE Court to force the most mentally ill and drug-addicted unhoused Californians into care, a sizable expansion of paid family leave for parents of newborns and those caring for sick relatives, stronger gun safety measures, two years of free community college, free preschool for 4-year-olds and a phaseout of new gas-powered cars. But his policies have yet to produce the kind of results Californians want to see. Though the COVID-19 crisis allowed the state to seek new ways to house the homeless, sidewalks in big cities are still lined with tents, and the number of unhoused has grown. Newsom has fallen far short of the progress needed to meet his campaign promise to build 3.5 million homes by 2025, a goal he redefined as a "stretch" after the election. The governor's opponent in this year's race, state Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), has repeatedly criticized Newsom for worsening crime rates. The California Department of Justices recently released 2021 crime report showed that homicides and aggravated assaults shot up, driven largely by gun violence, from pre-pandemic figures. "I would give this governor an 'A' for effort and an 'A' for sizzle," said David McCuan, chair of the political science department at Sonoma State University. He describes "sizzle" as Newsom's knack for attention-grabbing, first-in-the-nation announcements and the news conferences he held during the pandemic, in which he unveiled initiatives sometimes on a daily basis. McCuan gives Newsom a "C" for execution. "I think he reflects the dilemma that is California: On the one hand, delivering this robust bounty and envisioning and epitomizing that American dream and, on the other hand, framed by chronic challenges of homelessness, housing, affordability." Newsom's desire to write his own narrative became widely apparent from the moment he took office. In his first three days as governor, he sent out a flurry of announcements taking on Medi-Cal prescription drug costs, promoting equity in assessing wildfire risks in communities, expanding the state's healthcare system for low-income Californians and reinventing the "troubled" Department of Motor Vehicles, which had come under scrutiny for long wait times and subpar service. But in his second week, his administration was hit by its first major crisis, when Pacific Gas & Electric announced its intent to file for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy placed Newsom in a perilous political position. He had to appear tough on a company that has been responsible for numerous wildfires and, at the same time, push the Legislature to require ratepayers to shoulder $10.5 billion in costs to protect the utility's financial future amid pressure from Wall Street. "Credit ratings companies painted all these doomsday scenarios," said Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network. The governor was between a rock and a hard place." The Democratic Legislature passed the law with overwhelming support, demonstrating the first signs of Newsom's ability to sway lawmakers and advocacy groups to support his controversial causes. But Toney, whose group supported the bill, is frustrated that Newsom's office didn't stick to its word and require higher transparency standards for a new entity created to hold utilities accountable. "We feel like there were promises made that havent been kept by the governors office," Toney said. That notion of overpromising became a common criticism of Newsom in his first year, which supporters and foes felt was more frenzied and uneven than anticipated as the governor took on dozens of issues at a time. Daniel Zingale, one of Newsom's top advisors during his first year in office, counseled the governor to narrow his priorities. But Zingale now says Newsom was right to ignore his advice. "Each governor is unique," Zingale said. "And as it turns out, this governor in these times didn't have the luxury of choosing a few things." The troubles would only get worse for California as time went on. "The second year, COVID slammed down on us," O'Leary said. Without direction from President Trump, Newsom on March 19, 2020, announced the most consequential government action in modern state history: Nearly 40 million residents were ordered to shelter in place until further notice. Effectively shutting down the worlds fifth-largest economy carried enormous political risk and marked a watershed moment for Newsom and California. Newsom and his aides felt it was necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 a mysterious, deadly disease with, at the time, no vaccine or known effective treatment to prevent hospitals from being overrun with sick and dying patients, as was happening in New York and other parts of the world. In the coming months, California saw a much less deadly first surge of COVID-19 than other parts of the United States. Newsom held daily news conferences and won national praise for his leadership, as he was hailed among Democrats as the antithesis to Trump. But the accolades for Newsom began to dim as weary Californians struggled through months of restrictions and closures that froze lives in place, devastating businesses and putting millions out of work, postponing weddings, isolating the elderly and forcing children into distance learning. Newsoms decisions increasingly came under scrutiny. Bolstered by his choice to dine with lobbyist friends at the Napa Valley's French Laundry restaurant while advising Californians to avoid mixing with other households, Republicans forced a vote to recall the governor the following year. Rolling blackouts, extended school closures and his administration's complicated web of requirements for businesses to reopen frustrated and confused voters. Newsom portrayed the campaign to oust the governor as a "life and death" battle against Trumpism and far-right antivaccination activists, and he seized on the top Republican trying to replace him, conservative talk radio host Larry Elder. He attacked Elder for being a political ally of Trump, with whom Newsom publicly sparred during his first two years in office. Newsom criticized Elder for his opposition to abortion rights and to COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates. The approach worked, and Newsom beat the recall by more than 3 million votes, but the Republican-led effort hardened him, he said, and showed him "a ruthlessness on the other side that I understand now." Newsom quickly launched an offensive against Republican governors across the country, accusing Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas, among others, of bullying immigrants and LGBTQ Americans and trying to dismantle civil rights protections. Those high-profile attacks stoked speculation about Newsom's presidential ambitions and endeared him to Democrats who want to see their party do more. His focus beyond the state inspired criticism from Dahle and others that he's more devoted to running for president than to fixing problems in California which Newsom denies. As for governing through crisis over four years, the 55-year-old said it was easier than serving eight years as lieutenant governor, in a largely ceremonial position. Stepping into the role of governor the day after the election, even in an acting position, was a "very familiar, interestingly comfortable space," he said, and felt similar to his days as mayor of San Francisco. "That's the space," Newsom said. "That's why you go through the process of politics. Finally, that position where we can do something about it." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. How did the state of Florida allow 20 felons to get voter-registration cards if they were clearly ineligible to get their rights restored? That his own administration failed to flag ineligible voters doesnt seem to faze Gov. Ron DeSantis. He has made a spectacle of the 20 voter-fraud arrests he announced with fanfare during a news conference in August. The arrested told the Miami Herald they applied for and received voter cards from their local supervisor of elections office. In other words, they didnt know they couldnt vote, and the officials who were supposed to stop them didnt. Moving forward, the DeSantis administration has a solution for that, but doesnt involve fixing this broken system. Eight days after the governors news conference in August, the Florida Department of Corrections quietly updated the form Floridians on probation are supposed to sign. Now, they must acknowledge that its up to them to determine if they are eligible to vote, the Herald has reported. Essentially, the form now shifts the burden to returning citizens, who usually have low literacy levels. This lets the state off the hook. The new form states people can find helpful information at the Florida Department of States website. But it doesnt mention consulting with county elections supervisors about eligibility or that people can seek an advisory opinion on their voting status from the secretary of state, who oversees elections. Theres nothing wrong with giving information to people about their rights and responsibilities. It might be helpful for ex-felons to read the warning so they dont find themselves caught in the next voter-fraud investigation by the newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security. But as Alex Saiz, a lawyer for the Florida Justice Center, told the Herald, these forms could be used as evidence to show future actions by released inmates were willful. Thats the key to DeSantis efforts. To properly prosecute people for casting illegal ballots, the state must prove they knew they were committing a crime. Its the perfect setup: Florida lets ex-felons still unaware they cant vote register to vote. Supervisors of elections let them cast ballots. DeSantis elections police arrest them. DeSantis takes credit for combating voter fraud. Felons be warned: You vote at your own peril. If this works in keeping people from voting, it essentially annuls the intent of voters who restored voting rights for some felons in 2018 through a constitutional amendment. Its voter intimidation disguised as bureaucracy. It should have been easy for the state to determine those 20 felons shouldnt be on the voter rolls. As the Herald previously reported, all of them have sex offenses or murder charges on their records. Amendment 4 was explicit in excluding those charged with these serious offenses from getting their voting rights restored. Yet they were given voter ID cards after initial checks by the Department of State. A state truly interested in rooting out voter fraud would focus on why that happened. Republican lawmakers spent taxpayer dollars to create the Office of Election Crimes and Security this year. Instead of focusing on big schemes like the ghost candidates funded by big political players to sway elections away from Democrats, the DeSantis elections police goes for the low-hanging fruit: former inmates who get little sympathy from the public. Republicans themselves made it very hard an administrative nightmare, as a federal judge put it for state experts to determine whether a felon can have his or her voting rights restored. Not happy that Florida voters approved Amendment 4, lawmakers set out to muddy the waters. The ballot language stated that felons would be eligible to vote once all terms of their sentence including parole or probation were satisfied. Thanks to additional requirements imposed by lawmakers, the state now has to also check if a felon still owes criminal fines, court fees or restitution to victims. Although the number of registered voters in Florida grew by 50% since 2005, staff numbers at the Florida Department of States Division of Elections has remained roughly the same, the Herald reported. The department director testified in a federal case in 2020 that her office had a backlog of 85,000 registration applications that had been flagged, and her team of 20 could process only 57 a day. The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature this year allocated $1 million to hire 15 new employees at the department. Thats good, but its a drop in the bucket. At DeSantis request, lawmakers also set aside more than twice that amount to hire 25 people, including law enforcement officers, for the Office of Election Crimes and Security. Hiring more civil servants to do the un-glamorous work of checking voter applications doesnt make for good political rallies. Arresting felons for alleged voter fraud when millions of people believe the 2020 elections were stolen, on the other hand, makes DeSantis by design, of course look like a hero. Deaths caused by alcohol use in the United States surged during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study. The study, conducted by the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics, examined alcohol-induced deaths over a 20-year period and found that after seeing steady annual increases of 7% or less from 2000 to 2018, the rate increased 26% from 2019 to 2020. This is the largest increase in the study, period, and it coincides with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Merianne Rose Spencer, one of the studys authors, told McClatchy News. So that goes from 10.4 [deaths] per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.1 per 100,000 in 2020. Rates of death shot up for both males and females and across age groups, though rates of death for males were two to four times higher than for females, the study revealed. For women, alcohol-induced deaths increased across all age groups above age 25. For men, rates of death ticked up across all age groups under 85, according to the study. For both men and women, the rates of alcohol-induced deaths were highest in midlife. Within the alcohol-induced bucket of deaths, you can look at specific causes, Spencer said. The absolute number of deaths was highest for alcoholic liver disease, followed by mental/behavioral disorders due to alcohol, and then the third highest was accidental poisoning. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy and alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis trailed far behind in third and fourth place in terms of causing the total number of deaths, according to the study. Though this study only used data from 2000 onward, publicly available data from earlier years can be used as a comparison, Spencer noted. The way we categorized or classified alcohol-induced deaths could be different, but going back [from] 1999 all the way to 1979, you can see that the rates were never as high as it is in this most recent year. As for why the death rates are going up, the study did not offer conclusions, saying only that alcohol use increased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected mortality rates. Life expectancy for Americans decreased in 2020 and 2021, according to the CDC. Chronic liver disease, which can be caused by alcohol abuse, contributed to that decline. COVID booster may lower protection against omicron reinfection, study finds. Heres why Most in US very concerned about political violence, poll shows. Whom do they blame? Cops say child died from THC gummies. Heres what experts say about marijuana overdoses Voters head to the polls in a matter of days and only one thing is for certain: The battle for the Senate is anyones ballgame as both sides look to sprint through the finish line with the majority at stake. The political winds are firmly at the backs of Republicans, but Democrats are continuing to count on a number of incumbent senators, buoyed by big money fundraising operations, to keep hold of the upper chamber. The late stages of the race have also brought some high-wattage politicos out to play as commanders in chief, past and present, are appearing in states across the board with the hope of driving voters to the ballot box. After a hectic week of campaigning and for the final time this season, heres a look at the seven Senate seats most likely to flip next week: Nevada (AP Photo) If Republicans are going to retake the Senate, a key first step would be to deny Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in her reelection bid against former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R). For months, the fight for the Battle Born State has been close, and that hasnt changed. But some surveys in the past week have shown Laxalt opening up an advantage over the incumbent Democrat, headlined by an Emerson College-The Hill poll showing the Republican up by 5 percentage points. Those numbers have Republicans feeling perhaps more confident about Nevada than any other battleground. Nevertheless, Democrats still believe a Cortez Masto win is well within reach. Its going to be really close. Really, really tight. I think theres some reason for optimism in early voting numbers, said one Democratic operative with Nevada ties, noting this is the first midterm contest where universal mail-in voting has been employed in the state. The steady drumbeat of grassroots events [and] surrogates coming into Nevada have helped draw a lot of interest, the operative continued, referring to former President Obamas visit to Las Vegas on Tuesday. Theres still cautious optimism that we can grind out a win. This race is nowhere near done. A win for Laxalt would likely mean a big night for the GOP in the state, as Republican gubernatorial nominee Joe Lombardo is running close polling-wise in his push to unseat Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D). Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Oct. 8, 2022, in York, Pa., left, and Mehmet Oz, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Republican Mehmet Oz has closed the gap between him and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), but the contest remains a close call as the hourglass winds down on election season. The situation has changed completely for Fetterman in recent months. After leading or being tied in survey after survey dating back to the May primary, multiple recent polls now show him behind his Republican challenger. Accordingly, the RealClearPolitics average of polls for the first time on Thursday has the former television doctor ahead. The latest developments come a little more than a week after the campaigns lone debate proved difficult for Fetterman, who struggled to string together words and sentences due to an auditory processing issue caused by the stroke he suffered in May. But political prognosticators caution that this is still anyones race. Its close. Theres overwhelming evidence its quite close. Anybody whos telling you they can clearly see this has broken one way or another, theyre probably exaggerating. A lot of currents are pushing up against one another, said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College. The nip-tuck nature of the race has brought heavyweights on both sides to the state in the final days. Oz campaigned alongside former President Trump in Latrobe, Pa., on Saturday, while President Biden and Obama stumped for Fetterman in Philadelphia (in addition to an Obama appearance in Pittsburgh). While Republicans feel good about Ozs chances, the governors race featuring state Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) and state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) could threaten the GOP nominees chances. Shapiro is the heavy favorite, and if his margin of victory over Mastriano reaches double digits, that could spell trouble for Oz. Hes been a terrible candidate, said Rob Gleason, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, about Mastriano. He cant raise any money. If he gets 40 percent, thats a victory for Trump. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., left, and Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker (AP Photo) The nations preeminent toss-up contest on the 2022 map is doing exactly what everyone thought it would: giving both sides agita, especially over the possibility that a winner in the race and of overall Senate control might not be ultimately known until early December. The race between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican Herschel Walker is airtight with days to go. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of surveys, Walker leads by less than half a percentage point over Warnock. However, operatives on both sides of the aisle are expecting that Tuesday will not be the final word on the matter, with a runoff slated for Dec. 6 the most likely scenario. If that takes place, all bets are off. A whole new ballgame, one GOP operative involved in Senate races told The Hill. Where the Senate majority sits at the time is another factor. Really hard to predict with any real certainty what the shape of that runoff might look like. Another complicating factor for Republicans is that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is likely to win handily over Democrat Stacey Abrams on Tuesday, providing needed coattails for Walker in the Atlanta suburbs. In a runoff, though, Kemp wouldnt be on the ballot, making things thornier for the former University of Georgia star running back. However, national Democrats are indicating that the race continues to give them headaches. The state where were going downhill is Georgia, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told President Biden on the tarmac in Syracuse, N.Y., on Oct. 27. Its hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker. New Hampshire (AP Photo) If theres a Republican wave on Tuesday and the party secures Democratic-held seats beyond those in Nevada and Georgia, look for New Hampshire to be next in line. Republicans have played footsie with the Granite State in recent months as they have wondered whether Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) could be defeated without what the party considered a top-tier recruit in the race, having missed out on convincing Gov. Chris Sununu (R) to launch a bid. But Republican Don Bolduc has narrowed the gap against her. The Senate Leadership Fund, a group run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), spent $16 million in the state from early September until Oct. 24, when the group canceled nearly $6 million in ads and redirected it to Pennsylvania. This left the Senate GOP campaign arm and others to fill part of the gap. In short, Republicans view Pennsylvania (along with Georgia and Nevada) as crucial, while New Hampshire would be the cherry on the sundae. For Democrats, its a must-win, but one in which they remain confident. Everything points to a close outcome, but Hassan has always been leading this race, and shell win on Tuesday. Granite Staters take their elections seriously and as Gov. Sununu said, Don Bolduc is conspiracy theorist who simply cant pull together a winning coalition, one Democratic operative involved in Senate races said. If Im wrong, were in for a long night and a tough two years, the operative added. According to the latest Emerson College survey, Hassan leads Bolduc by 4 percentage points. Crucially, she also leads with independent voters, taking 50 percent to only 40 percent for the GOP nominee. Arizona (AP Photo) For months, the question about the Arizona Senate race centered on how big a victory Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) was going to score over Republican Blake Masters. Now its whether Kelly will simply win at all. The change came after a late and hard charge by Masters and national Republicans that has put him within striking distance of defeating Kelly, who is still considered the best Democratic incumbent on the Senate map this cycle. Masters has seen a number of things move in his direction over the past month. Most notably, the national environment and economic state of the country is buoying Republicans everywhere, and he is chief among them. In addition to Arizona being one of the top swing states on the map, meaning GOP voters were likely to start coming home closer to Election Day, Masters is also the main beneficiary of Republican Kari Lakes surge in the governors race against state Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D). What matters for Masters and Republicans is the margin of Lakes potential victory. If its narrow, advantage Kelly. But if its sizable, look out. If Kari Lake wins by 4 [percentage points], then its really hard for Masters not to win. But Im not sure what she actually wins by, one GOP operative said. Adding to the Masters momentum, Libertarian candidate Marc Victor dropped out early in the week and endorsed the GOP nominee, giving him a potential added boost. However, more than 1.3 million voters have returned their ballots as of Friday afternoon, limiting the potential impact of the maneuver. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., left, and Democratic Senate candidate and challenger Mandela Barnes (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Six years ago, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) secured reelection by coming from behind in the final week of the race to nab what was considered an improbable victory. The situation has changed drastically for the GOP this time around, however. Dating back to mid-September, the two-term incumbent Republican has led Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) or been tied in every single poll, allowing the party to breathe a little easier. The advantage is improbable to some in the party. I would have laughed, one Wisconsin-based GOP operative said. Wisconsins always been a toss-up state. Its always been close. Democrats set their sights on taking out Ron Johnson early in the cycle. They emptied the tank and they went incredibly hard at him. Still, Wisconsin remains seen as a battleground. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Johnson leads Barnes by a 3.2-percentage point margin. Despite the polling lead, political pundits in the state are still expecting a tight race, just as most races have been in the Badger State dating back to that 2016 victory, which also saw Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. This is purely a toss-up race at this point, said Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law School poll, which showed Johnson with a 2-percentage point lead having led by 6 percentage points in the schools survey in early October. If there was a little bit of a widening of the gap last time, theres now a tightening of the gap. Ohio Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, left, and Republican candidate J.D. Vance (AP Photo/Paul Vernon) Easily, the least likely of these seven seats to switch hands is in the Buckeye State, where Republican J.D. Vance holds a steady lead over Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is making a last-minute play for moderate GOP voters and independents to give him a shot on Tuesday. According to the latest Emerson College survey, Vance leads Ryan by 8 percentage points (51 percent to 43 percent), with that gap having grown since October when Vance led by a single point (46 percent to 45 percent). The winner will replace Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who is retiring after two terms in office. Vance has expanded his lead for a number of reasons, headlined by the national environment thats trending Republican and the darkening red hue Ohio has taken on over the past six years since Trumps 2016 victory. Simply, Ohio is not the swing state it was as recently as 2012 when Obama carried the state. However, the impact of the Ohio race will likely be felt in other parts of the map. By the end of June, Vance had only $600,000 in cash on hand and he has, in total, only posted $6.9 million a light amount for a Senate candidate, especially compared to the $44 million brought in by Ryan. That forced Senate Leadership Fund to engage in the race to the tune of $32 million to ensure he would be financially competitive, effectively taking away money that could have been potentially spent in Arizona or New Hampshire. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. ATLANTA Malik Rhasaan can often be found at his popular southwest Atlanta restaurant, Che Butter Jonez, where the menu and other items take a decidedly Black and Northern flair. The borough of Queens is emblazoned on what appears to be a New York City street sign.Other artwork around the restaurant features the legendary Hip Hop group Run-DMC, also of Queens. On the menu, theres the Who Wants Beef, Son ?! burger. New York can be felt everywhere in the Georgia establishment, and yet it is hundreds of miles away and a place he hasnt lived for decades. Rhasaan left his hometown for Atlanta because it was the Blackest place Ive ever been, and it offered him career growth and other opportunities. With New York costs compared to Atlanta, Georgia, you could just kind of get things started a little faster, he said. Its a little easier to get momentum here. GEORGIA 2020 MIDTERMS: In the tight race for Georgia governor, Black men emerge as Stacey Abrams' key voters ELECTIONS: Gov. Brian Kemp, Democrat Stacey Abrams spar in Georgia gubernatorial debate over education, crime Rhasaan, 50, is part of a wave of Black people who have left Democratic strongholds such as New York City and Detroit to move to Georgia, helping to change the political landscape of the Bible Belt that remains fertile ground for conservative politics. And going into the midterms Tuesday, the political coalition built between these new Black migrants who tend to vote blue, long-time Black Southern residents and others could help fuel progressive policies and Democratic candidates in Georgia in the future. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker are in a tight race, polls show. Democrat Stacey Abrams is in a rematch with Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after losing to him by fewer than 60,000 votes in 2018. These contests are partially being powered by the new Great Migration, researchers said. The trend is a reversal of the Great Migration, which saw anywhere from 5 to 6.5 million Black people leave the South searching for political and economic opportunities in the North and Midwest between 1910 through 1970. The Black population in Georgia has roughly doubled since 1990, moving from about 1.7 million to more than 3 million in the 2020 census. Voters wait in line for up to two hours to early vote at the Cobb County West Park Government Center on October 18, 2018 in Marietta, Georgia. New Great Migration hits Georgia midterms Roughly half of all Black Southern migrants come from the Northeast, according to census research complied by the Brookings Institution. In contrast, fewer than two-fifths of white migrants from the Northeast chose destinations in the South. The Black population in Atlanta alone is larger than that of African Americans in Chicago, the city that helped launch the political career of former President Barack Obama and is sometimes called by scholars the Political Capital of Black America. Black voters make up a third of eligible voters in Georgia, according to the Pew Research Center. In North Carolina, they make up about 23% of the electorate. The number of Black voting-age residents in the South has grown by 15% since 2010, while it grew by 3% among white residents, according to a Pew article from 2019. Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Maryland are among the states that gained the highest number of Black migrants for most years since the Great Migration, as was Virginia, according to census data. William Frey, a demographer at Brookings, said these trends will continue. The demography change brought by the Black migration of the second and third generation Black migrants will have a lot more to do with the Democratic vote in a place like Georgia than whatever small voting change patterns that might happen among Blacks, he said. Charlie Maxwell, a member of the Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, votes as part of the Souls to the Polls at Midtown Shopping Center on West Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. Souls to the Polls Sunday is a historically energized day across the nation for congregations of Black churches to vote early together. Keneshia Grant, a political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said Black voters can be the deciding factor when whites, for instance, remain evenly split. "When there is a unified Black vote, it makes it the case that politicians have to speak to those voters," she said. Even with the demographic change, she emphasized that demographics are not results. Turnout, voting rights laws and voter engagement will also play a role in the midterms. Heading into the 2022 midterms, Rhasaan sees fewer Warnock signs along the streets near the restaurant than he did in 2021 a possible indicator of less engagement in politics compared to when protests following George Floyd's death helped electrify the electorate, he fears. Rhasaan, founder of the advocacy group Occupy the Hood, expects more statewide representation, particularly among young people, will emerge in the South because of the demographic changes that have already happened. "I see in the next 10 years or so, more (Black) people running, more people having an influence," he said. "That's just a no-brainer." Hundreds of people wait in line for early voting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. Eager voters have waited six hours or more in the former Republican stronghold of Cobb County, and lines have wrapped around buildings in solidly Democratic DeKalb County. 'You can't ignore them all' Since the beginning of the nation's history, the South has been the home to most Black Americans. Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina and other localities are where nearly nine in 10 Black people were confined, forced into chattel slavery, then ushered into sharecropping and menial work, research shows. By the 1900s, the first wave of Black migrants left the South, pulled by the prospect of less grueling Northern and Midwestern jobs and simultaneously pushed by the realities of Jim Crow segregation laws, political disenfranchisement and other discrimination. By the second wave, which started in 1930 and ended by the 1970s, Blacks moved in more significant numbers, drawn by the prospect of jobs opened by World War I and further restrictions on immigration. "Their migration fundamentally altered the American demographic landscape by shifting almost half of the Black population from primarily Southern and rural places to the urban North," according to Grants book, "The Great Migration and the Democratic Party." In their new homes, their Black children could be educated. They had greater access to the ballot, drastically changing the electorate in those states, pushing civil rights issues to the fore and leading to increased Black representation. In Detroit, for instance, the Black vote accounted for nearly 3% of the total voting-age population in 1915 and 43% by 1970, figuring in white flight and other factors, according to Grants book. "There are some instances where either the number of Black people in a community or the way that communitys political system is organized makes it such that white politicians, in particular, can ignore them for a little bit longer," said Grant, the Howard University professor. "By the time we get to 1965, 1970, the numbers in what I call the Great Migration cities Chicago, New York, Philadelphia their numbers are so high that you can't ignore them." In 1970, the Great Migration drew to a close as deindustrialization took hold, leading to the end of Black manufacturing jobs that would never return. Moreover, segregation and discrimination were still barriers in the North. Seeing opportunity and kinship in the South, Black people slowly moved back over the next few decades. Democratic strategists often point out Cobb County as an example of how demographic changes have taken hold in Georgia. Just north of Atlanta, Cobb County was a former conservative stronghold that has become bluer as the population grows more diverse. In 2020, the county's sheriff, a Republican, was replaced by a Democrat. The same shift happened to the district attorney and the county commissioner. All three of the winners were Black. Previously, the Sixth Congressional District, which includes parts of the county, was picked up in 2018 by Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, a gun control advocate and mother to Jordan Davis, who was killed in 2012 by a white man at a Florida gas station for playing loud music. In the 1990s, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a conservative, was the representative for the district. Tharon Johnson, a Democratic strategist in Georgia, said the appeal for Cobb is multifaceted for people of color. You have a well-educated workforce of individuals who are Black and Brown, who choose to go there for the improved school system and quality of life, Johnson said. A drumline from East High School performed at the Town and Country shopping center on the East Side of Columbus as the Black Voters Matter bus tour stopped to engage with Black voters and raise awareness on issues impacting Black communities on Nov. 1, 2022 in Ohio. Michael DuHaime, a Republican strategist and former Republican National Committee political director, said the trends are concerning, particularly as the nation diversifies. He said Republicans need to recruit more Black voters and candidates. When (former President) Donald Trump came in, I think progress that Republicans have made, you know, was pushed back a number of years and there was too much of a nativist strain within the Republican Party, he said. My hope is that will go away at some point." Hope is bringing us back For many Black migrants, Georgia represents better opportunities and a changing environment. After being raised in Detroit and living in other cities, Willie Davis and his fiance considered relocating to Atlanta as Georgia moved purple during the 2020 presidential elections. He and fiancee, Anna Nettles , who is white, had been searching to find a place where they could both thrive. They wanted to be closer to his mother and sister who lived in Florida. Willie Davis, a 36-year-old real estate professional who recently moved to Atlanta with his fiance, Anna Nettles, from Detroit. Now, as a real estate professional working in both Detroit and Atlanta, Davis, 36, helps relocate many people of color from Detroit to the South. He said those clients often point to the Southern weather and opportunities within their fields of work. In a lot of these areas like Atlanta, like Houston, I'm seeing greater opportunities for Black people," he said. "And I'm also seeing greater opportunities for Black people and people of color in places and spaces that were not there before." Many new residents are more likely to be college-educated Black Americans looking for more opportunities, Brookings said in research. And so, many of the advantages may not trickle down to struggling longtime Black Atlantans, advocates say. LaTosha Brown, right, and Cliff Albright, with Black Voters Matter, speak during a Fight for the Vote Rally at the state capitol steps in Montgomery, Ala., on Friday March11, 2022. While the South still has high poverty rates, especially in many Black communities, it is also a place where Black people can successfully tackle the structural racism that often drives these issues, activists said. Weve got blood that is still saturated in this ground for what Black folks have done to bring wealth to this country, said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, an Atlanta-based advocacy group. So if there is anywhere that literally rightfully is a space for Black prosperity we believe it is in the South. We have paid for this space with our blood, sweat, tears. Fear had us leave; hope is bringing us back, she said. Clinton Vicks, owner of The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery in Albany, Georgia. He grew up in Albany but moved away from the region to pursue a career in the arts. He moved back during the pandemic and purchased the property. That change can also be felt outside the confines of metro Atlanta. Today, Clinton Vicks is known for The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery in Albany, Georgia. But as a young man, he left behind his hometown and moved to the North to pursue a career in the arts. He found success. But after nearly a decade in New York, he felt the call of the South, much like his parents who moved to Detroit and back in the early 1970s. During the pandemic, he started The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery at a then-dilapidated nearly six-acre estate. He hopes to make a more significant role in his community, possibly sitting on an economic board in the historically Black side of the area. For other African Americans looking to find their Black mecca, he said they need not search too far. You have something in you that you dont have to find, he said. You take it with you. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith covers racial history for USA TODAY. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @T_Cusaac. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A new Great Migration: Black voters moving South could affect midterms A Kansas City man jailed over the summer in connection with a string of arson fires is now facing a murder charge in the death of 96-year-old Lorene Fickess, whose body was discovered in her Caldwell County home after firefighters were called to a blaze there in May. Caldwell County Sheriff Mitch Allen announced in a news release on Friday afternoon that Harold Edwards Jr., 28, is now facing charges of first-degree murder; first- and second-degree burglary; evidence tampering; arson; abandonment of a corpse; and armed criminal action. Edwards also faces charges related to child pornography after investigators allegedly discovered images in his possession following his initial arrest. Edwards remained held without bond in the Caldwell County jail as of Friday. Many details about the case, including the alleged motive, have remained unanswered over the past six months as court records in Caldwell County, including charging documents, are not publicly accessible. But authorities have said Edwards is responsible for setting three fires that sent firefighters and law enforcement scrambling on the morning of May 10. Authorities have said that firefighters responded to a blaze around 8:30 a.m. at 96-year-old Fickess home in rural Polo, Missouri, about 50 miles northeast of Kansas City. A neighbor tried to save her, but the door was too hot and he couldnt get in the house. By the time firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters found her body inside after the blaze had been put out. The second fire was reported around 9:40 a.m. at an abandoned house near State Route D and Southwest Mirabile Drive. And the third fire was reported about an hour later at an abandoned house about a mile north on Southwest State Route D and State Route HH. Authorities have alleged Edwards was placed at the scene of all three fires through location data provided by his cell phone carrier and through video surveillance that captured images of a black 2019 Ford Escape. They have also suggested Edwards may have set two of the three fires to cover up the first one. Fickess was the only person harmed in connection with the fires. In previous interviews with The Star, her family recalled she had celebrated Mothers Day with her six children in her home days before she died. The Stars Luke Nozicka, Katie Moore and Andrea Klick contributed to this report. Update: Police said late Friday night that Malcolm Sieggen was found safe. Kansas City police were asking the public for help on Friday night to find a 77-year-old man reported missing from the Northland near Kansas City International Airport since late Thursday afternoon. Malcolm S. Sieggen was last seen boarding a southbound KCATA bus from a stop at N.W. 112th Street and Ambassador Drive around 5 p.m. Thursday, police said. He has a health condition that requires medication and is considered possibly endangered, according to police. Sieggen stands roughly 5-foot-11 and weighs about 160 pounds, according to police. He was wearing a yellow jacket and khaki pants when he was last seen. Kansas City police were asking anyone with information concerning Sieggens whereabouts to call 911. Staff employed by an abortion-rights group in Kentucky are cavorting with socialists, witches and maybe even the devil, according to the Family Foundation of Kentucky. In a Friday news release, the Family Foundations Executive Director David Walls accused Protect Kentucky Access, the campaign working to defeat Constitutional Amendment No. 2 on November 8, of employing people with satanist and other radical ties. Walls cited an expose published Thursday by the Daily Wire, a conservative, conspiracy theory-laden media site. It details the social media conduct of three PKA staffers that, its reporter says, raises questions about whether they represent mainstream Kentuckians. The conduct? One staffer shared an Instagram post from the official account of The Satanic Temple, an organized religious group that touts itself as the leading beacon of light in the battle for abortion access. With Roe v. Wade overturned, a religious exemption will be the only available challenge to many restrictions to access. In addition to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in recent months, The Satanic Temple has raised money to support reproductive health care access across the country, particularly in states where it has been restricted. The Daily Wire points to another PKA staffer who called upon witches to hex members of the Ku Klux Klan. In 2020, after KKK fliers were reportedly distributed around Louisville, this staffer posted on Facebook, Brave enough to slide some papers around but too scared to show their face. So, this is a call to action. Witches of Kentucky, hex the KKK. This aint safe, yall. The reporter behind the Daily Wire article then shared his take on the staffers personal Instagram page. He called many of the images occult-themed, and said her Facebook profile photo appears to be a woman holding a skull. The occult-themed images appear to be part of a photo shoot involving two women, he continued. The Instagram of one of the women in the photos describes her as a traveling tangerine showgirl. This same staffer shared on social media her participation in pro-abortion rights rallies, including one organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Daily Wire notes. A third staffer advocated to defund the police, according to social media posts, and also hosted a radio show that advertised an event where dranks were sold, including Amiras booty for $10 and sweet (breast) sweat for $1, the Daily Wire said. Walls, in his Friday news release, said he hopes Kentuckians will take note of the radical groups and ideologies that are leading the opposition to Amendment 2, calling the behavior uncovered in the story a revelation. Amendment 2, if passed, would ensure there is no protected right to abortion or the funding of abortion in the Kentucky constitution. Walls is a vocal proponent of Yes For Life, the counter group trying to pass the amendment. Protect Kentucky Access had raised more than $6 million more than five-times as much as Yes For Life, according to campaign filings. Its not a surprise that those who advocate for taxpayer-funded, abortion on demand all the way until the moment of birth attract some pretty radical personalities, Walls said. As the Herald-Leader has previously reported in stories, doctors say elective abortion up to the moment of birth is not a practice, and taxpayer-funded abortions are already illegal in Kentucky. Walls said the behavior outlined in this story has further awakened Kentucky pastors and faith leaders ahead of the final weekend before the vote, because it isnt Kentucky values nor Kentucky dollars driving the opposition to Amendment 2. Of the story and the sincere warning from the Family Foundation, Protect Kentucky Access on Friday said, this is noise, and it is absurd. The group said its only focus from now until Election Day is on providing the people of Kentucky with the truth about this amendment: it is an extreme government overreach into issues that should remain between women, their families, and their doctors. One man died and another man was arrested for driving under the influence following a head-on collision late Friday afternoon near Easton. It happened around 4:10 p.m. The California Highway Patrol in the Fresno area said 66-year-old Jamie Figueroa of Fresno was driving a silver 2016 Hyundai Sonata sedan southbound on Elm Avenue approaching a four-way stop at American Avenue when he swerved into oncoming, northbound traffic for reasons unknown. The Hyundai crashed head-on with a gold 2002 Pontiac Grand Am. The driver of the Pontiac was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center but died there, according to CHP. His passenger was taken to CRMC with major injuries. Neither was identified. Figueroa suffered serious injury. He was arrested for DUI, as well as for vehicular manslaughter and will be booked into Fresno County Jail when hes released from the hospital, CHP said. A third car, a 2005 Honda coupe that was following behind the Pontiac, ended up in a ditch as the driver avoided the collision that unfolded in front of him. That Honda driver suffered minor injuries, CHP said at the scene. CHP did not immediately know how fast the Hyundai driver was going at the time of the crash. The Mothers of Gynecology Health and Wellness Clinic will pay homage to three iconic women, train doulas and midwives as well as provide womens healthcare. The historic building located at 33 S. Perry St. in downtown Montgomery, Alabama once served as a space where medical experiments were conducted on female slaves. Now the site is set to undergo a multimillion dollar transformation that will ultimately provide reproductive healthcare for Black women and others. Artist and activist Michelle Browder purchased the two-story building that 19th-century physician Dr. J. Marion Sims used for his medical experiments on Black enslaved women, PEOPLE reports. Browders acquired the building in response to a 1952 painting of Sims that depicts Sims considered the Father of Gynecology and two white men in suits studying a young Black girl on an exam table while two other Black girls observe nearby. Browder was an 18-year-old art student in Atlanta when she first came across the painting and she was moved to learn more about long-forgotten girls in the portrait. Michelle Browder, in the studio where she designed and constructed The Mothers of Gynecology Monument, has purchased a building that she will transform into a museum in honor of the three young women depicted in the monument. The building will also house a clinic specializing in womens healthcare. (Photo by Andi Rice for The Washington Post via Getty Images) They were girls, just a year maybe younger than me at the time, said Browder, 51, of the three women, PEOPLE reports. The look on their faces, I was troubled so bad. Browder later learned that the women were named Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey, whom she dubbed the Mothers of Gynecology. It was a crime against humanity, the Alabama native said of Sims experiments on vulnerable patients. Often these girls would have to hold each other down. Lucy had 12 surgeries and it nearly killed her there are reports of her screaming in pain. Sims, who believed Black people were impervious to pain, performed invasive surgeries without using anesthesia. This mindset is still held by many modern medical students, according to recent studies. Meanwhile, Sims is celebrated as a pioneer in the medical industry for his contributions such as the development of the Sims vaginal speculum, a medical tool still used during certain gynecological surgeries and procedures. Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey served as the inspiration for Browders Mothers of Gynecology Monument, which opened this past Mothers Day in a historically Black neighborhood in Montgomery. The exhibit is seemingly her response to the statue of Sims that still stands in front of the state capitol building. In 2018, a Sims monument was removed from Central Park in New York City. The Mothers of Gynecology Monument features three sculptures representing Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey. Browder worked on the project with San Francisco-based artist Dana Albany. When Id see that statue of Sims, I was infuriated, said Browder. How can this one person be elevated and amplified and heralded as the father of modern gynecology but theres no mention of these enslaved women, girls that were raped and trafficked? I said, Im going to change that. Im going to erect a monument. The three young women were handed over to Sims by their plantation owners after traumatic childbirths left each unable to bear more children. J. Marion Sims represents so much more than just a medical practitioner that believed that Black folks had a high tolerance for pain, but he also represents systemic racism, whether its in health care, whether its in government, said Browder, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. Browders ongoing tribute to Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey will come full circle next year when she breaks ground on Sims old building to construct the $5.5 million Mothers of Gynecology Health and Wellness Clinic, according to PEOPLE. The space will boast a museum honoring the mothers, training center for doulas and midwives as well as womens healthcare. Its a museum that teaches the history of gynecology but also has a primary care unit upstairs where medical students from around this country can come, Browder told the Advertiser. If there are some uninsured women that need support, were going to be able to give them that. Browder purchased the building earlier this year, thanks in part to her nonprofits fundraising efforts. She expects to break ground on Mothers Day 2023. She also plans to hang her new mural in the clinic. It depicts a naked Sims on an exam table surrounded by modern, empowered versions of Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey. We needed to flip the script, put him in our shoes and see how it feels, Browder said, PEOPLE reported. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Michelle Browder to build museum, clinic on site where experiments were done on enslaved women appeared first on TheGrio. Gov. Gavin Newsom, shown last month in Fullerton, said the Legislature should move quickly to exempt from state taxes the student debt forgiven through a new Biden administration initiative, saving borrowers up to $1.3 billion. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday called on the California Legislature to act quickly to prevent student loan borrowers from having to pay state income taxes on up to $20,000 in federal debt forgiveness. The Biden administration announced in August a sweeping, one-time loan forgiveness program that would wipe out thousands of dollars in federal direct loan debt. Borrowers who meet the program's income limits less than $125,000 for an individual or $250,000 for a couple will have up to $10,000 in debt forgiven, or up to $20,000 if they received a federal Pell Grant. Tax authorities treat forgiven debt in many cases as income. Under federal law, the amounts forgiven through the Biden initiative will be ignored by the Internal Revenue Service. But under current state law, analysts say, they will be treated as taxable income in California. Newsom said the preliminary budget he submits in January will include a proposal to exempt the forgiven debt from state taxes. The change would save more than 3.5 million borrowers in the state including more than 2.3 million Pell Grant recipients up to $1.3 billion, he said. Californians who get student debt relief shouldnt be hit with taxes for it," Newsom said in a statement. I look forward to working closely with the Legislature to get this done through early action. Newsom's position aligns him with the Legislature's top Democrats. The leaders of the state Assembly and Senate tweeted in September that they would make sure the forgiven amounts aren't taxable. The U.S. Education Department started accepting applications for loan forgiveness last month, and it was expected to start forgiving debt by the end of the year. But legal tussles have cast a cloud over its future. The program is being challenged in several courts across the country by Republican officials and conservative groups. Although judges have blocked at least two of the cases because the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue, a federal appeals court has temporarily stopped the Education Department from forgiving loans while it considers six GOP-led states' request for an injunction against the debt relief. The department said it would continue to process applications and identify borrowers who are automatically eligible for the debt relief program while the legal fight continues. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. An Oregon man was arrested this week after being linked to the 1974 cold case homicides of two teenagers, authorities said. Steven Paul Criss, 65, of Aloha, was a teenager himself when he allegedly used a .22 caliber gun to fatally shoot teens Donald Bartron and Peter Zito Jr. in the parking lot of a recreation center on Oct. 3, 1974, according to a statement from the Washington County Sheriffs Office. The bodies of Bartron, 16, and Zito Jr., 18, were found on the ground next to a 1956 Oldsmobile that had its hood popped open as the teens worked on it. Bartron and Zito were shot in the head, according to the sheriffs office. Det. Mark Povolny said Friday during a news conference that Criss was an early suspect in the case, after he was arrested in December of 1974 for theft and a deputy found a .22 caliber gun. The weapon was tested to see if it matched evidence in the teens slayings, Povolny said. After there was no match, the gun was returned to Criss, who joined the Army and was assigned to Fort Lewis in Washington in 1976. He used the same .22 caliber gun to kill his commanding officer Sgt. Jacob Kim Brown, officials said. Criss had damaged Browns car and owed him a few hundred dollars, Povolny said. Instead of paying his debt, he shot Sgt. Brown five times in the head," he said. Criss was sentenced to 35 years in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, but only served a dozen years and was paroled in 1988, according to the sheriffs office. Newspaper accounts in 1976 confirmed Criss was accused of killing Brown and then pleaded guilty in the slaying. Detectives this year sent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives evidence for testing, which showed Criss .22 caliber gun was used in the teens' 1974 slaying and matched the weapon used to kill Brown only two years later, authorities said. The gun Steve Criss used to murder Sgt. Brown was in fact the same gun he used to murder Donny Bartron and Pete Zito Jr., Povolny said Friday. Detectives decided to take a second look at the ballistic evidence because testing hadnt been done in nearly 50 years, Povolny said. After the ATF determined Criss' gun was used in the separate slaying cases, the Oregon State Police Crime Lab confirmed the match, officials said. Authorities did not disclose what motive Criss had for allegedly fatally shooting Bartron and Zito Jr. Barbara Zito, of Kent, Washington, was 26 years old when her brother was killed. She told NBC News on Friday, "I'm glad there is a shot at justice here." Zito recalls her younger brother's death was a "profound loss" and not knowing why he was killed was devastating. Investigators have told her that her sibling might have just been unlucky. "It looks as though Peter was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said. He was there when his friend was shot and the killer shot my brother because he was an eyewitness. Relatives of Bartron were not immediately reached Friday. A grand jury indicted Criss on two counts of second-degree murder and he was arrested Wednesday. Criss was arraigned on the charges Thursday and was held on no bail, according to officials with the sheriffs office and district attorneys office. A county prosecutor said a defense attorney had not been provided for Criss as of Friday afternoon. Relatives for Criss were not reached Friday. The sheriffs office also apologized in its statement and during the Friday news conference for arresting an innocent man for the teens slayings in 1974. The charges against that man, Joseph Amir Wilson, were dropped in January 1975, officials said. I am extremely thankful the charges were dropped before prosecution, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said Friday. But that does not change the fact that he spent several months in jail, charged with two murders he did not commit. Wilson died in 2000, officials said. Garrett also praised investigators in the 1974 case, including then-deputy Jim Spinden, who arrested Criss for theft and preserved evidence that led to his arrest 48 years after the teens were killed. Friends of Alexis Gabe gather during a vigil in Oakley in February. (Aric Crabb / East Bay Times via Getty Images) Partial remains of a Bay Area woman were discovered in a small community east of Sacramento on Thursday, according to authorities. The remains have been confirmed to be those of Alexis Gabe, 24, of Oakley, who was last seen in January visiting her ex-boyfriend, Marshall Jones, at his home in Antioch. "Due to the nature of the condition of Alexis remains, and the lack of her full body, we do believe the remainder of her remains are scattered in various areas," the city of Oakley said in a news release Friday night. "Due to the condition of Alexis remains we realize there may never be a full recovery of her." Thursday afternoon, a resident of Plymouth found what they believed to be human remains and contacted law enforcement, city officials said. Amador County sheriff's deputies responded and recovered the remains. "Due to the time of day and diminishing daylight, it was determined it would be best to keep watch over the area and initiate a more thorough investigation [Friday] morning," city officials said. Police from Oakley and Antioch assisted with the investigation. The area investigated Friday was just off Jackson Road in Plymouth, an area where Jones was known to be in the days after Gabe was reported missing, according to Oakley officials. Jones, who had been the prime suspect in the case, was shot and killed in June by police in Washington state who were attempting to arrest him in connection with Gabes disappearance. "The area where Alexis' remains were found has been searched further and no other remains have been located," Oakley officials said. A forensic odontologist a specialist who examines dental records positively identified the remains as Gabe's, officials said. Her family has been notified and is requesting privacy, authorities said. Thursday's discovery ccame about a month after bones were found in Amador County. They were eventually determined not to be human. Authorities said a news conference on the case will be scheduled "for early next week." Further information was not available Friday night. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The United States will fly a supersonic bomber over ally South Korea as part of a massive combined aerial exercise involving hundreds of warplanes, in a show of force meant to intimidate North Korea over its barrage of ballistic missile tests this week that has escalated tensions in the region. South Koreas Defense Ministry said at least one B-1B bomber will participate on the last day of a joint U.S.-South Korea air force exercise that wraps up Saturday. South Korean and U.S. military officials didnt immediately provide more details. The Vigilant Storm exercise, which has involved about 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries, has triggered an angry reaction from North Korea. The North this week launched dozens of missiles into the sea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered evacuation warnings in northern Japan, and flew its own warplanes inside its territory. North Koreas Foreign Ministry late Friday described those military actions as an appropriate response to Vigilant Storm, which it called a display of U.S. military confrontation hysteria. It said North Korea will respond with the toughest counteraction to any attempts by hostile forces to infringe on its sovereignty or security interests. B-1B flyovers had been a familiar show of force during past periods of tensions with North Korea. The planes last appeared in the region in 2017, during another provocative run in North Korean weapons demonstrations. But the flyovers had been halted in recent years as the United States and South Korea halted their large-scale exercises to support the Trump administrations diplomatic efforts with North Korea and because of COVID-19. The allies have resumed their large-scale training this year as North Korea dialed up its weapons testing to a record pace, exploiting a divide in the U.N. Security Council deepened over Russias war on Ukraine as a window to accelerate arms development. North Korea hates such displays of American military might at close range. The North has continued to describe the B-1B as a nuclear strategic bomber although the plane was switched to conventional weaponry in the mid-1990s. Vigilant Storm had been initially scheduled to end Friday, but the allies decided to extend the training to Saturday in response to a series of North Korean ballistic launches on Thursday, including an ICBM that triggered evacuation alerts and halted trains in northern Japan. Thursdays launches came after the North fired more than 20 missiles on Wednesday, the most it had launched in a single day. Those launches came after North Korean senior military official Pak Jong Chon issued a veiled threat of a nuclear conflict with the United States and South Korea over their joint drills, which the North says are rehearsals for a potential invasion. South Korea also on Friday scrambled about 80 military aircraft after tracking about 180 flights by North Korean warplanes inside North Korean territory. The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North Korean warplanes were detected in various areas inland and along the countrys eastern and western coasts, but did not come particularly close to the Koreas border. The South Korean military spotted about 180 flight trails from 1 to 5 p.m., but it wasnt immediately clear how many North Korean planes were involved and whether some may have flown more than once. In Fridays statement attributed to an unidentified spokesperson, North Koreas Foreign Ministry said the United States and South Korea had created a seriously unstable atmosphere in the region with their military exercises. It accused the United States of mobilizing its allies in a campaign using sanctions and military threats to pressure North Korea to unilaterally disarm. The sustained provocation is bound to be followed by sustained counteraction, the statement said. North Korea has launched dozens of ballistic missiles this year, including multiple ICBMs and an intermediate-range missile flown over Japan. South Korean officials say there are indications North Korea in coming weeks could detonate its first nuclear test device since 2017. Experts say North Korea is attempting to force the United States to accept it as a nuclear power and seeks to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength. On Nov. 8, incumbent Gov. Brad Little, who won the Republican nomination in the primary, faces an insurgent candidate with national name recognition. Ammon Bundy, a Nevada native, switched to independent on the ticket earlier this year and has run a campaign to abolish property and income taxes, cut welfare programs and privatize public lands. In campaign ads, he has also called abortions in the U.S. the greatest genocide in history, suggested liberals are in a cult and said he would help them leave the state. Bundy has become widely known in Idaho since the start of the pandemic in his fight against business closures, vaccine mandates and public health precautions. He has been arrested at the Idaho Capitol multiple times, and was sued by St. Lukes Health System for protesting state custody of a child believed to be in ill health, which led the hospital to shut down for over an hour. But Bundy was known before the pandemic, too. In 2014, after Bundys father, Cliven Bundy, refused to pay public land grazing fees for over two decades, federal agents with the Bureau of Land Management attempted to remove his cattle. Members of militias and others from across the country gathered in Nevada to protest the removal, and an armed standoff ensued. After protesters aimed guns at outnumbered police and federal agents, the agents stood down. Ammon, Cliven and other Bundy family members faced several federal charges. The case was dismissed in 2018, after a judge said prosecutors withheld important evidence from the defense. In 2016, Bundy led a group of armed protesters to take over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Following weeks of occupation, one protester LaVoy Finicum was shot and killed after trying to drive through a police roadblock and, according to the FBI, reaching for a weapon inside his coat. Ammon and his brother, Ryan, were among those who faced federal charges for the takeover. Later that year, they were acquitted. In her 2019 book, American Zion, Betsy Gaines Quammen, an environmental historian, examines how the history of settlement in the West by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints connects to the Bundy familys views of land ownership, property rights and the role of government. Last year, Gaines Quammen was a writer-in-residence at the Ernest and Mary Hemingway House and Preserve in Ketchum to work on a new project, True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America. In it, the writer, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, is exploring rising polarization in the West, and looking for ways to reconcile people with different political ideologies and bring them back into relationship with each other. She spoke to the Idaho Statesman recently. The transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity. Bundy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Could you tell me a bit about your research on the Bundys and how the familys history connects to the history of the West? Im very interested in how people perceive landscape based on their religious points of view. I began to look at the LDS settlement in the West and what ideas were brought with settlement. There was a real effort to establish a place that this new religion could practice without feeling oppression. In terms of the way land is viewed now, its important to understand that package of things that were bundled in the idea of Zion. How did the Bundys then fit into that picture? Theres a lot of layers here. Theres the religious significance of the U.S. Constitution. There is the idea that as a landscape is considered promised, what that means in terms of a religious obligation to utilize it. There are also texts or revelations that you can find in Mormon history that its incumbent upon a member of the church to be the hero, to protect the Constitution. You have prophecy, you have religious significance of the Constitution, you have the way that land is utilized, which all have religious implications. The Constitution is essentially part of a sacred canon. I think youre seeing that in Idaho and its not just LDS but it is a part of what informs the Bundy family. Who is Cliven Bundy and what are his views of land and how it should be used, settled or otherwise? He doesnt feel like the government is entitled to own land. He really sees his area that he operates in as being his. Its interesting to think about what is religious and what has just become the way the family sees the government. There is a real anti-government history in the church. They were trying to escape the U.S. government. There were real reasons why they had experienced bigotry. When they went to the Great Basin, it was Mexico. And so they really felt like they were going to have this autonomy. I think it informs the way they see land, that you have this history of anti-government sentiment that continued throughout generations, especially in rural places in these areas that were settled by Mormons. Theres a history of anti-government sentiment, there is a history of generation, after generation, after generation of Mormon land use. There is a belief that if you cultivate land, you are actually pleasing the eye of God. The idea of undeveloped land or wilderness is an antithesis to what Mormon worldview sees as appropriate ways to utilize land. And then you have the fact that there were environmental laws passed. Some of these acts like (the National Environmental Policy Act), (the Federal Land Policy and Management Act), the Endangered Species Act, there was a real response across the West. It wasnt just LDS, but this was land that they had been utilizing without any regulations, and all of a sudden regulations were coming in and impacting the way that they ranched. Cliven told me that, essentially, Jesus wrote the Constitution, and its divinely inspired. That means that your rights are somehow sacred, and you have this layer that its important as a LDS member of the church to fight to protect the Constitution. Cliven has over and over again suggested that his effort is part of a holy war. Its a bundle of things. Its libertarianism, its this very, very specific way of seeing Mormon worldview. I think its important to say, they do not represent the church. And in fact, the church has at times, during the Malheur takeover, they really came out and said, dont use scripture to justify what youre doing. You have these notions that this is my right and its my right because its God-given, and I also want to graze my cows here. Ammon Bundy is running for Idaho governor. But he was a national figure well before this. I wondered if you could tell me a bit about why hes a national figure, what he stands for and some of these views you were describing Cliven having whether you think Ammon basically agrees with those or whether there are any kind of key differences between the two of them. I think he really reflects his fathers beliefs. The battle of Bunkerville, which was the Nevada standoff, that was something that I think really galvanized the militia movement. The Malheur takeover was not supported by most militia groups that had participated in the Nevada standoff. The death of LaVoy Finicum changed the way the Oregon takeover was viewed in this culture suddenly it validated the idea that the federal government was the oppressor. Although Finicum resisted arrest, some saw his death as murder that legitimized the occupation. It gave Ammons actions credibility. Ammon, I think, hes very mission driven. And I think thats partially well, I think thats a lot religious. He was looking for his next thing. He was involved with a family that was being evicted (in Idaho), he put out the word, but then he realized that the family had for a long time not been paying their mortgage. And so he abandoned that. He had established Peoples Rights Network before COVID, but the membership swelled with the COVID stay-at-home, shelter-in-place measures. COVID became a central thing. Now its running for governor. I think hes looking for his mission, and he keeps turning towards ways that he can fulfill these both religious and political, what he sees as obligations. Youve been researching militia and anti-government movements in the West. What influence do you think Bundy has in those circles and how do these ideas connect to some of these other movements in the West, whether theyre Christian nationalist or other kinds of movements? They very much connect because the militia movement has really been inspired by the actions of the Bundy family. The Three Percenters, the Oath Keepers, they both had a presence in Nevada at the standoff, and I think the Bundy family has inspired them. They see themselves protecting peoples rights, and they feel like the Bundy familys rights have been violated. Think of you renting an apartment. Your landlord comes to you one day and says, You gotta move out, but Ill pay you. Thats really what happened. And so this wasnt a violation of rights. Actually they were being compensated to give up whats not even an inherent right. The militia movement was galvanized over people who were being compensated to give up a lease. After Nov. 8, well know who won the governors race in Idaho. Even if Bundy loses, what do you think the future holds for figures like him and the movement he leads? I feel like they still have momentum. I feel like theyre gaining power. They definitely have peoples attention. You now have Dorothy Moon who is head of the Republican Party. She very much is part of this network of figures that includes Ammon Bundy. As long as the Idaho Freedom Foundation and organizations like it continue to have power, youre going to continue to see figures like Ammon Bundy be in the public eye in some capacity. UN General Assembly First Committee includes "community of shared future for humankind" in three resolutions Xinhua) 10:10, November 05, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations General Assembly First Committee has included in its three resolutions the notion of "a community of shared future for humankind." This is the sixth consecutive time that the notion has been included in First Committee resolutions. The resolutions are "Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space," "No First Placement of Weapons in Outer Space" and "Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security," which were adopted on Tuesday and Thursday respectively. During the deliberations, a handful of countries raised questions about the phrase "a community of shared future for humankind" contained in the drafts and demanded separate votes on relevant paragraphs. In the voting, the inclusion of the notion was supported by more than 100 member states on all occasions. Prior to the voting on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song, also head of the Chinese delegation to the First Committee, noted that the phrase was not rejected by any state in the first two years of its inclusion in resolutions. "It wasn't until 2019 that certain countries requested separate votes on the relevant paragraphs. This is outright political manipulation," Li said. These countries are doing so simply because this concept was put forward by China. They are so obsessed with the Cold War mentality and ideological bias that they would oppose anything Chinese. In essence, they are trying to seek supremacy at the United Nations, he said. "I would like to emphasize that expressions in UN documents reflect the collective wisdom of all member states. They are not the proprietary rights of any country. Today, a handful of countries can vote down anything Chinese, tomorrow they may well obstruct at will other countries' ideas that are positive, constructive and reflecting the shared interests of the broad membership," he said. This is not the way things should work in the world, let alone in the United Nations, Li said. "A community of shared future for humankind" is a neutral term without any ideological undertone. This concept is highly consistent with the content of the relevant draft resolutions, he said. This concept is open, above-board and an embodiment of true multilateralism. It has been widely supported and recognized by the international community, Li said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Rishi Sunak will urge world leaders to move further and faster in transitioning away from damaging fossil fuels as he pledges to make the UK a clean energy superpower. The Prime Minister travels to Egypt on Sunday ahead of the Cop27 international climate change summit with a warning that tackling global warming is fundamental to future prosperity and security. In his address on Monday, he will argue the shock to the oil and gas markets caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine underlines the need to move to cheaper, cleaner and safer sources of energy. He will urge leaders assembled at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh not to backslide on commitments made at last years Cop26 summit in Glasgow intended to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C (2.7F) above pre-industrial levels. In a statement ahead of his departure, Mr Sunak said: When the world came together in Glasgow last year, nations agreed an historic roadmap for preventing catastrophic global warming. It is more important than ever that we deliver on those pledges. Fighting climate change is not just a moral good it is fundamental to our future prosperity and security. Russias invasion of Ukraine and contemptible manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to move further and faster to transition to renewable energy, and I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this global movement as a clean energy superpower. Mr Sunak had originally not intended to travel to Egypt, arguing his priority was to sort out the estimated 50 billion black hole in the public finances ahead of Chancellor Jeremy Hunts autumn statement on November 17. The King speaks with Rishi Sunak during a Buckingham Palace reception ahead of the Cop27 summit (Jonathan Brady/PA) However he was forced into what opposition parties called a screeching U-turn after coming under fire from within his own party, as well as from environmentalists questioning his commitment to the net zero agenda. The Government was already facing criticism for approving new oil and gas licences in the North Sea when the International Energy Agency has said there can be no more new fossil fuel exploration if the 1.5C target is to be met. The King, meanwhile, will not be going despite his passionate interest in environmental issues after Buckingham Palace agreed with the previous prime minister Liz Truss that he would not attend. Downing Street, however, suggested this week that they may well have come to a different view if Mr Sunak had been installed in No 10 earlier. The latest round of UN climate talks takes place against a backdrop of increasingly devastating extreme weather around the world as well as an energy and cost-of-living crisis driven by President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Rishi Sunak at last years Cop26 summit in Glasgow (Stefan Rousseau/PA) While there is evidence Russias actions have prompted an acceleration towards clean technology, the UN has warned that, based on countries latest climate action plans, there is currently no credible pathway to meet the 1.5C goal intended to avoid the worst impact of global warming. Rich countries are also falling short in providing the finance needed to help developing nations adapt to a changing climate and develop cleanly, the UN has warned. With vulnerable countries increasingly being hit by extreme storms, floods and droughts, such as Pakistans devastating flooding this year, how to address and pay for the now unavoidable loss and damage poorer countries are facing from climate change will be one of the key issues at the talks. The Cop27 talks also mark a milestone for the UK in international climate negotiations, as once it has handed over the presidency of the talks to the Egyptian team it will be the first time Britain is negotiating on its own rather than as part of the EU bloc. Mr Sunak is expected to chair a meeting of world leaders to drive progress on the landmark pledge signed by more than 100 countries last November in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation and damaging land use by 2030. He will also attend a roundtable on energy transition partnerships, which are utilising public and private sector funds to support low and middle-income countries like South Africa to move away from fossil fuels and grow their green economies. Greenpeace UKs head of politics Rebecca Newsom said Mr Sunaks rhetoric was not matched by the Governments policies. If Sunak wants the UK to be a global climate leader, he needs to rule out new oil and gas drilling, invest in home insulation, and back the demands of developing nations for a loss and damage finance facility, she said. He should increase taxes on the profits of the fossil fuel giants to help pay for it, alongside giving extra support to households struggling with their bills. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Friday announced an additional $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, including refurbishing T-72 tanks and missiles for HAWK air defense systems for Kyiv. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters that the U.S. would pay for 45 T-72 tanks from the Czech Republic to be refurbished and fund refurbishing some missiles for HAWK air defense systems. Singh said in addition to the funds to refurbish the HAWK missiles, the pledged $400 Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds would refurbish the Soviet-era Czech tanks and give them "advanced optics, communications and armor packages." There was also funding to buy 1,100 Phoenix ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems and 40 armored riverine boats, among other capabilities. The tanks would be refurbished by privately-owned Czech CSG, according to a person familiar with the matter, who added that once work is complete they would be equivalent to the T-72 AVENGER, which has been modernized to improve protective systems and to add modern night-vision and communications equipment. Deputy Czech Defense Minister Tomas Kopecny told Reuters that in total 90 tanks from third parties and private stocks would be modernized. The U.S. funds would pay for 45, or half the fleet. In October, Reuters first wrote about the initiative to furnish HAWK interceptor missiles to Ukraine. They would be an upgrade to the Stinger missile systems - the smaller, shorter-range air defense system - that the United States has already sent to blunt Russia's invasion. The MIM-23 HAWK - a name that began life as an acronym for "Homing All the Way Killer" - was first introduced in the 1950s as the U.S. military sought ways to defeat raids of high-flying strategic bombers. It was upgraded over the years to deal with jamming and other countermeasures, and eventually exported to more than a dozen countries, according the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command. The U.S. Army removed the missiles from service in the mid-1990s and the U.S. Marine Corps followed soon after. The Army replaced it with the MIM-104 Patriot, and the Marines shifted entirely to using smaller, more portable air defense systems. Once the HAWK air defense missiles are refurbished, they could be included in future Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) which allows the United States to transfer defense articles and services from stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency. Singh declined to provide a timeline or an amount if interceptors. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Mike Stone in Washington and Jan Lopatka in Prague) remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Students are returning to China. My office has issued many visas to the students wishing to go back to China, said the Consul General Kolkata: A Chinese diplomat in India has called for "working together" to resume direct passenger flight operations between the two neighbouring countries, especially for smooth air travel of the students and businessmen, after the decline in the Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Zha Liyou made the pitch on Wednesday evening while speaking on the sidelines of the briefing on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He said, "My area has seen many students wishing to go back to China. They want to have visas issued. So we issue them visas and advise them how to fly. Currently we do not have a flight from Kolkata to Kunming. But one of the facts is that China has been operating resumed flights to many cities Dhaka, Kathmandu, Colombo in the neighborhood of India. So we will have to work together to resume the flights sooner than later because many of our chamber friends wish to have such flights. That takes two centers to talk. I am sure they are working very hard on this. I wish they can do it better. Embassy, me and my colleagues in Mumbai are also working very hard on this." Mr Liyou added, "Students are returning to China. My office has issued many visas in the last few weeks to the students wishing to go back to China. Some of them, I am told, are already in China. Others are choosing flights. So this relates to flight-issue too because if you have the visa but you have to fly from Colombo. So when people talked to me to help them with the resumption of flights, I said it is the decision between the two centres. From China's perspective, we have opened flights to many cities in the world, including the US, UK and Australia but not here." Unchecked proliferation of anonymous accounts has weaponised Internet, turning it into a veritable orgy of hate violence and intimidation The Internet or the World Wide Web was the most impudent tryout in anarchy and it succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of its progenitors, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Internet today represents the largest ungoverned space on Planet Earth. Never before in the march of the human civilisation has so much power concurrently resided on so many fingertips. There is more data that is churned out today on a daily basis than from the dawn of civilisation to the turn of the third millennium. The future of the human civilisation in the foreseeable future will rest on the intersection of the brick and mortar civilisation that evolved over five thousand years and a virtual civilisation that is taking shape since the middle of the nineteen nineties. However every new milieu brings with it its own set of challenges. In the case of the Internet it is the dark net and most portentously its poster child social media and the dares it throws to the the nation state system given its borderless character. Today there are 5.03 billion Internet users around the world and 4.9 billion of these use social media. The average time spent using social media is two-and-a-half hours every day. Most of these users are in the age group of 15-35. An ominous characteristic the Internet has proliferated is anonymity. Though, anonymity is not a new phenomenon. British literary historian James Raven articulated that 80 per cent of novels published in England in 1750-1790 were anonymous or written under a pseudonym for fear of retribution by the tyrants of those times. Today, online platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, etc., are awash with anonymous accounts. These accounts use fake names and personas to engage in online activities. There may be certain positives to being anonymous or pseudonymous in the virtual civilisation including and not limited to freedom to air unorthodox views without fear of repercussions. However, unchecked proliferation of anonymous accounts has weaponised the Internet, turning it into a veritable orgy of hate, violence, intimidation and vitriol. One of the earliest cases of tragedy by an anonymity dates back to 2006 wherein a 13-year-old in the United States committed suicide after an anonymous user on MySpace cyber bullied her. The perpetrator turned out to be her adult neighbour using a pseudonymous profile. This case illustrates the dangers that anonymity poses. Unfortunately, nothing has changed since then in terms of laws that proscribe or restrict anonymity on the Internet. Defenders of anonymity are vociferous that it is intrinsic to the freedom of speech and expression. But can there be or should there be a right to anonymity? Can expression that is advantageous to public discourse not be disseminated without having to hide behind a fake name? There exists no express right to anonymity in either human rights law or most constitutions around the world. In fact, Article 5(IV) of Brazils constitution expressly bars anonymous speech. It states as follows: the expression of thought is free, anonymity being forbidden. In other jurisdictions, anonymity is usually considered a part of the right to free expression though is not expressly protected. For instance, there is no general right to anonymity in Canada, although the courts there have tied it to the right to privacy in cases that involved a party seeking the identification of anonymous users. Courts in common law jurisdictions have adopted the standard developed by the House of Lords in 1973 in Norwich Pharmacal Co. v. Commissioners of Customs and Excise [1973] 2 All ER 943 (UKHL) while answering the question of whether users who post defamatory material be identified. The Pharmacal standard states that for a third party to disclose information the plaintiff must show a bona fide claim and that the third party was somehow involved in the alleged tortious act. This is a difficult burden to discharge and such a standard is archaic considering the current stage of Internet penetration. In the US, given the First Amendment protection to free speech, courts have generally not interfered with anonymity. In Talley v. California, the US Supreme Court upheld the anonymous distribution of election pamphlets. In NAACP v. Alabama (357 US 449), the Court held that NAACP, a civil rights organisation, was not required to give a list of its members and they could stay anonymous because it allows the members to pursue their lawful private interests privately and to associate freely with others. What is of note is that these cases protect anonymity in very specific cases involving political rights. This can not be extrapolated to argue that these are judicial precedents recognising a constitutional right to anonymity. What these rulings do is recognise that compelled disclosure of a persons identity in peculiar circumstances would violate the First Amendment associational rights. However those cases, too, never acknowledged any general right to anonymity. Indeed, Justice Scalias dissent in Mcintyre v. Ohio (514 US 334) notes that the existence of a generalised right of anonymity was rejected in Lewis Publishing Co. v. Morgan, 229 US 288 (1913). In the absence of any specific right to anonymity the deleterious effects of namelessness on societys other legitimate interests must, therefore, be clinically dissected. It is a truism the benefits of anonymity qua legitimate expression are increasingly outweighed by the harms it perpetrates. Cyber harassment, bullying, crime, intellectual property infringements and cyber hate are some of the monsters anonymity has morphed into. Cyber mobs, always on the lookout for unsuspecting victims have proliferated ad nauseam. According to FBIs Internet Crime Report 2021, a record 8,47,376 complaints of cybercrime were reported to the FBI in 2020. Cybercrime in India has gone up from 3,377 cases in 2012 to 50,035 cases registered in 2020. Research shows that anonymity increases the de-individuation effect" that results in lower self-control and a greater propensity to toward anti-social speech. The recent Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the amendments thereto do not address this challenge of anonymity. It obligates social media platforms to make reasonable efforts to stop harmful content from being hosted by them. During scrutiny of the Personal Data Protection Bill by a Joint Committee of Parliament I had argued for mandatory verification of all social media accounts. It was a prominent part of my dissent that compelled me to reject the bill en-toto. The bill, subsequently, was withdrawn by the government. Monetisation of Blue Ticks as implemented by Elon Musk will not do. Social media platforms must ensure mandatory verification and traceability of every user active on their platform. There is no right to anonymity. The incident occurred near Allahwala Chowk of Wazirabad town of Punjab when Khan was leading the protest march Pakistani officials said Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, that a gunman opened fire at a container truck carrying Khan, wounding him slightly and also some of his supporters. (Photo: AP) ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan was injured on Thursday when an unidentified gunman opened fire on the container-mounted-truck carrying him during his protest march in Pakistan's Punjab province, but he was out of danger, media reports said. The incident occurred near Allahwala Chowk of Wazirabad town of Punjab when Khan was leading the protest march. Geo TV footage showed that 70-year-old Khan was hit in the right leg. He has been shifted to a hospital and he is out of danger, the channel said. ARY News, which is considered as a mouthpiece of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, reported that Khan was out of danger. Asad Umar, the senior leader of Khan's party, told ARY News that a bullet hit Khan's leg. He said six people were injured in the attack and two were apparently seriously wounded, including local leader Ahmad Chatha. "Khan is being taken to Lahore by road. He is not critical but he received a bullet injury," Umar said, adding that Khan's opponent couldn't see Pakistan being transformed. He, however, didn't blame anyone for the attack. A gunman fired on the container-mounted truck carrying the former prime minister from a close range, Geo TV reported. It said one person has been arrested from the spot and police took him to an unknown location. Initially, it was reported that Khan was safe while some people were injured. However, later it turned out that Khan was also injured in the attack. There are also reports that Khan's close aide Senator Faisal Javed was also injured in the attack. The other news of the day: Uyghurs disappointed by German Chancellor Scholz's few words on human rights in Beijing. A radical Hindu leader is killed in Amritsar, Sikhisms holiest city. The interim leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood dies in London. Iranian insurance companies provide Russians with 40 years of experience in the economics of sanctions. MYANMAR Four people were injured in a Myanmar after the countrys military shelled a Kachin Baptist-run Bible school in Kukkai, a city in Shan, a northern state torn apart by fighting between the military and ethnic armed groups. According to local sources, no fighting was taking place in the area when the attack occurred. CHINA Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, expressed disappointment that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz only briefly mentioned human rights during his visit to Beijing and that the delegation that accompanied him included no human rights experts, only business representatives. It is extremely disappointing to state that the genocide of the Uyghurs is due to a different understanding of human rights, Isa said in the statement," ISA said. NORTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA South Korea scrambled dozens of stealth fighter jets and other warplanes on Friday after its radars identified more than 180 North Korean aircraft activities at various locations. North Korean planes, including fighters and bombers, were spotted flying over inland areas and off the western and eastern coasts. North Korea has fiercely objected to the ongoing joint air drills between South Korea and the United States, called Vigilant Storm. INDIA A radical Hindu radical leader, Sudhir Suri, was shot dead in Amritsar, home to the famous Golden Temple, one of Sikhism's holiest sites. A local shopkeeper was arrested in connection with the murder. Sikhs had accused Suri of derogatory comments about their faith and community. According to the police, the radical Hindu was outside a local temple to protest against the alleged desecration of Hindu deities. EGYPT Interim Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Ibrahim Munir died at the age of 85 at his home in London, where he lived in exile. Munir took over two years ago. The Brotherhood's general guide, Mohammed Badie, is among thousands of people detained since the summer of 2013, when General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi overthrew then President Mohamed Morsi, a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood. IRAN RUSSIA Iranian insurance companies have created a consortium to operate in the Russian market, primarily in the energy field, cargo ships, and commercial transport. Russian oil and gas supplies, as well as planes and satellites, will be insured, based on 40 years of experience in sanctions economics. RUSSIA According to the Political Circus ( , Politichesky Cirk) website, 1 per cent of Russians hold almost 60 per cent of the countrys wealth, including 83 billionaires with a total wealth of 320 billion roubles. About 70 per cent of Russians own only 7 per cent of assets, and many are below the poverty line, including conscripts who have to buy their own equipment to go and die in Ukraine. Francis led the Mass at Bahrain's National Stadium attended by thousands of migrant workers from Asia. When Jesus invites us to love our enemies, he is not idealistic, but realistic, for that is the only way to shatter the chains". At the ecumenical meeting, the pontiff said that the Gulf is a laboratory of unity. Precisely in our own deserts, the Lord loves to open up new and undiscovered paths and makes fountains of living water spring up. Awali (AsiaNews) Pope Francis led Holy Mass this morning at Bahrain's National Stadium, the key moment of the third day of his Apostolic Journey to the Gulf country. In his address, the pontiff thanked the faithful for your gentle and joyful witness to fraternity, for your being seeds of love and peace in this land. Such is the challenge that the Gospel presents every day to our Christian communities and to each of us. Some 30,000 people attended the service, from Bahrain, but also from the other three countries in the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia), as well as other countries in the region. The crowd included mostly Christian migrants from Asia, Africa, and other Middle Eastern countries, who often find themselves working in extremely difficult situations in the Gulf. I bring the affection and closeness of the Church, which looks to you and embraces you, which loves you and encourages you, Francis said. May the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Arabia, accompany you on your journey and always keep you in love for all." In his homily, the pope focused on the call to love always and to love everyone that Jesus, the only prince whose power is peace, asserted as a Christian response to the evil we suffer. Jesus is not idealistic, but realistic: he speaks explicitly of evil and enemies. He knows that within our relationships there is a daily struggle between love and hatred. Yet when faced with such a situation, he dares to propose an answer that is surprising, bold and daring. He tells his disciples to find the courage to risk something that seems sure to fail. He asks them to remain always, faithfully, in love, despite everything, even in the face of evil and our enemy. Jesus does not ask us to dream idealistically of a world of fraternity, but to choose, starting with ourselves, to practise universal fraternity, concretely and courageously, persevering in good even when evil is done to us, breaking the spiral of vengeance, disarming violence, demilitarising the heart. To do so with love means going beyond the circle of those closest to us. This very land is a living image of coexistence in diversity, and indeed an image of our world, increasingly marked by the constant migration of peoples and by a pluralism of ideas, customs and traditions. It is important, then, to embrace Jesuss challenge: If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Mt 5:46). If we want to be children of the Father and build a world of brothers and sisters, the real challenge is to learn how to love everyone, even our enemies. Christians from different confessions must bear witness to such love together. Francis stressed this yesterday evening in the ecumenical meeting held in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia, in the presence of representatives of other local Christian communities and the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. The Christian people are called to come together so that the marvellous works of God may be accomplished in our midst. Our presence here in Bahrain as a little flock of Christ, scattered in various places and confessions, helps make us feel the need for unity, for sharing the faith. Just as on this archipelago firm connections exist between the islands, may it be also among us so that we are not isolated but united in fraternal communion. The pontiff recommended everyone perform the Prayer of Praise. It is the antidote to sadness and the temptation to lament our interior inadequacy and our outwardly small numbers. Those who praise the Father are not disheartened by the smallness of the flock, but rejoice in the grandeur of being Gods children. The Prayer of praise allows the Spirit to fill us with his consolation; it becomes a wondrous remedy for loneliness and homesickness. It allows us to feel the closeness of the Good Shepherd, even at times when we feel the absence of our pastors, as frequently happens in these lands. Precisely in our own deserts, the Lord loves to open up new and undiscovered paths and makes fountains of living water spring up. Pope Francis went on to praise the practice that has developed among Christians in Bahrain and in other Gulf communities of making your church buildings available also to other communities for the worship of the one Lord. For not only here on earth, but also in heaven, there is a song of praise that brings us together, sung by the many Christian martyrs of various denominations. How many of them have there been in these recent years, in the Middle East and throughout the world, how many! They now make up a single starry sky, guiding our way as we journey through the deserts of history. We have the same goal: all of us are called to the fullness of communion in God. Lastly, Francis urged those present to bear witness together because faith is not a privilege to be claimed, but a gift to be shared. Indeed, in Bahrain, such a gift has the simple and genuine face of charity; for example, the assistance you provide to our brothers and sisters who arrive from elsewhere, of your humble Christian presence, and the witness you bear daily in the workplace by your understanding and patience, joy and meekness, kindness and a spirit of dialogue. In a word: peace. Tseng Sheng-kuang, 25, arrived in Ukraine in June. He was killed in combat in the disputed Luhansk region. About 10 Taiwanese volunteers are fighting for Ukraine. Xi Jinping warns Putin not to use nuclear weapons. Taipei (AsiaNews) Tseng Sheng-kuang is the first Taiwanese foreign fighter to die in the Ukrainian conflict. Enlisted in the International Legion supporting Ukraine, the 25-year-old was killed on Wednesday in a military operation against Russian forces in the disputed Luhansk region. A fellow soldier informed Tseng's family and yesterday came the confirmation from Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament's Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation. Tseng, who hails from Hualien County, joined the Legion in June. According to the Ukrainian military, he was a member of the Carpathian Sich Battalion, an infantry unit. His wife hadn't heard from him since 23 October, Focus Taiwan reports. No exact data exist on the number of foreign volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, but one rough estimate is 20,000, including 10 Taiwanese nationals. Meanwhile, in August, the Kyiv Independent reported on possible misconduct by some leaders of an International Legion unit linked to Ukrainian intelligence, accused of mistreating foreign volunteers and employing them in suicide operations. News of Tseng's death comes as Ukraine prepares a counteroffensive to retake Kherson, a Russian-held stronghold in the southern part of the country. Meanwhile, yesterday in his short visit to Beijing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to use his influence on Putin to avert a new escalation of the conflict. However, the Chinese leader is unlikely to intervene directly against his Russian counterpart. In the meeting with the German leader, Xi did nevertheless issue a warning to the Kremlin, calling on the international community to "reject the threat of nuclear weapons and advocate against a nuclear war to prevent a crisis in the Eurasian continent. Scholz said Germany and China agree that Russia would be crossing a red line if it used nuclear weapons. by Stefano Caprio As they celebrate the ominous 17th century on 4 November, Russians find reasons to continue their great defensive war, now effectively mired in the late autumn mud of the annexed territories. Instead of selecting events from a past of imperial glory, it would be better not to suppress another symbolically charged date, 30 October, the day dedicated to the memory of Soviet dissidents, now wiped away by government order. Yesterday, 4 November, Russia celebrated its main national holiday, Peoples Unity Day (Den' narodnogo yedinstva), which commemorates events dating back to 1612, when Polish invaders were defeated and the Romanovs replaced the ancient Rurikids as the reigning dynasty of the Tsardom of Muscovy. Todays warlike rhetoric plays up this dark and controversial page of history, which ostensibly marked the end of the Times of Troubles, between the late 16th and the early 17th centuries. That epochal transition put an end to the dream of the Third Rome under the first tsar, Ivan the Terrible, whose 50-year reign left a legacy of ruins everywhere his autocratic and repressive madness reached, with senseless war campaigns in the Baltic lands. In many respects, that period is not so dissimilar from the one we are living at present, which followed the 20th century Soviet empire and the 30 years of troubles of the new Russia of Yeltsin and Putin, who are similar to several personages from that period. The Times of troubles stem from the contradictions of Boris Godunov, who was first regent, then tsar, connected to the Oprichnina, Ivan's imperial guard, mother of all of Russias political police, up to Putin's KGB/FSB. Godunov is a crucial figure in Russian history. He was the source of inspiration for poems and other artistic and musical works of primary importance: dictator and reformer, visionary and city builder, but also accused of infamous betrayals and abandoned by everyone, to the point of dying of excess food and alcohol on the terraces of the Kremlin, a bit of Yeltsin and a bit of Putin. Godunov had a stroke of genius when he had the Muscovite ecclesiastical see elevated to the rank of the patriarchate, by forcing the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremias II to sign in 1589 the decree establishing the "Third Rome", after holding him hostage for several months in a golden cage in the Kremlin. As a result, the 17th century was a time of symbiosis between secular and clerical power in Russia, between throne and altar, between politics and religion, not unlike what exists today in Putin's Russia. Peter the Great suppressed the patriarchate at the start of the 18th century, and the Church remained subservient to the empire in the following centuries, under both Tsarist and Soviet rule. The Soviets formally restored the institution but not its freedom of action, reducing the patriarchs to play the role of "altar boys" for Stalin and Brezhnev. During the Times of Troubles, however, praise was heaped on the figure of martyred Patriarch Hermogenes who was starved to death in a fortress by the invading Poles, then on the founder of the new tsarist dynasty, Feodor Romanov. Forced to become a monk, his wife locked in a cell, he took his revenge as Patriarch Filaret, and imposed his son Mikhail on the throne, the first tsar of the new era. For about 20 years, the son remained under his fathers thumb, a situation echoed throughout this century, in particular with Patriarch Nikon who demanded that he be referred to as lord and sovereign of Russia before he was driven out by Tsar Alexius, Filarets grandson. Patriarch Kirill has an uncanny resembles with his predecessor Nikon. Before his death, Nikon tried to return to Moscow to proclaim himself "universal pope", transferring the ancient patriarchates to the provinces near Moscow, supported in this by some Eastern patriarchs in exile from the Ottoman Empire. These and other complex and outrageous events are being celebrated in today's militant Russia, thirsty for revenge against the Poles and the West, who since then, according to Muscovite leaders, have been trying in every way to obliterate Russia. Against the invaders, inspired by the Jesuits of Krakow, stood the popular armies" of the merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, whose features are immortalised in the monument in front of the entrance to the Kremlin, showing with their arms the way back to the invaders. The latter are prophets of Russias resistance to every foreign attempt at occupation, be they 18th centurys Swedes, 19th centurys Napoleon, or Hitler's armies, repeatedly mentioned in recent months. By remembering the ominous 17th century, Russians can find cause to continue their great defensive war, now mired in the late autumn mud of the annexed territories, standing firm with the sacrifice of mobilised soldiers against the attempts at reconquest by the corrupt Ukrainians, heirs of the Poles and Jesuits of the past. This said, picking 4 November was fortuitous. It just happens to fall very close 7 November, the anniversary of the October Revolution, which, after the end of the Soviet Union, was suppressed. Another example of how moments in Russian history overlap, in a highly charged symbolism. The proximity of the two dates made it possible to have a long weekend in early November, which even post-Soviet Russians did not want to give up. In November, the weather turns frosty and the first snow falls. For Russians, this first taste of the coming cold is also a time when death and resurrection play hide and seek: winter covers and conceals, forcing people indoor, but also catches them in the streets, merciless with travellers or wanderers in the grip of alcoholic excesses. The November festival is a time of farewell, until the arrival of spring in May, the time of renewed birth, with greetings for those who return from the dead, but never as this year does the traditional timing coincide with the fears and hopes of reality, amid threats of nuclear catastrophe or never-ending war. The date, 4 November, was first suggested in the 1990s by the leaders of the Orthodox Church, the then Patriarch Alexy, and Metropolitan Kirill, as if they were once again the ones who could claim for themselves the right to bless and curse every form of social and political life. Eventually, the festival took over the imperial pretensions of the "tsar of the people", as the Romanov monarchs wanted to be known, and those of the "dictatorship of the proletariat", in which the people were educated and "mobilised" by the party. Now Patriarch Kirill thunders against Western moral decadence, which only true Russian Orthodoxy can resist. And just as the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan was raised against the Poles, today the icon of the Trinity is shown to the people, taken from Moscows Tretyakov Gallery, to evoke the "divine unity" of throne, altar, and army. Yet, remembrance is also a path to redemption and peace, as suggested by the Catholic celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. Instead of selecting events that commemorate past imperial glory, it would be better not to forget another symbolic date, 30 October, the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions, established by President Boris Yeltsin in 1991. It commemorated Soviet dissidents, now obliterated by Russias new dictatorial regime, which, in addition to its war in Ukraine, shut down all alternative voices, suppressing even Memorial, the association that was their instrument and voice. Foremost Soviet dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov was Memorials inspiration, after he organised a press conference on 30 October 1974 in his Moscow apartment, to support the hunger strike of political prisoners locked up in gulag camps in Mordovia and Perm region. Since then, 30 October had become a time for human rights activists to meet, during the years of persecution and even now, when we are back to erasing the past. This year too, Returning the Names" took place in almost all of Russia, except in Moscow, where Archbishop Pavel (Paolo) Pezzi did not allow the recitation of the names of Catholic victims of Soviet repression, which appear on the walls of the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Memorial was founded on 30 October 1988. And the following year, thousands of people gathered on the same day forming a human chain around KGB headquarters at the Lubyanka, calling for Chekist executioners, the Soviet political police, to be put on trial. The Returning the Names event began in 2007 at Moscows Solovetsky Stone, a monument that commemorates the victims of the Solovki prison camp, the first permanent camp to open under Lenin at the site of an old monastery in Russias far north. That year, some 420 names were returned, recited, then more each year as Memorial published more documents, that is until Putin had the archives shut down and memory turned off. Memorials last major public act was the inauguration of the "Wall of Affliction" (Stena Skorbi) on Moscow's Sakharov Prospekt (Avenue) on 30 October 2017, 80 years after the start of Stalins terror campaign in 1937. Putin himself spoke at the event, saying that repression was a tragedy and a crime that cannot be justified. Then, evidently, he lost his memory. 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. Email Newsletters Get the best of The Aspen Daily News in your inbox. Our newsletters are free, and you can unsubscribe at any time. An NYC correction officer who a Rikers Island inmate stabbed in a brutal attack lived despite injuries. The Correction Department said that the officer was stabbed several times in the head but miraculously survived. NYC Correction Officer Survives Ricker Island Stabbing Inmate Dennis Applewhite, accused of carrying out the assault, is said to have stabbed the 28-year-old officer 15 times in the back of the head at 4:45 p.m. The Anna M. Kross Center stated, reported by New York Daily News. The injured officer had to be rushed to the Elmhurst Hospital; he was seriously injured but not in immediate danger. He was in the jail's protective custody section, where detainees are in danger of getting attacked by other inmates, ABC7 noted. Benny Boscio, president of the Corrections Officers' Benevolent Association, suggested that a bill to outlaw solitary confinement be presented to the City Council's floor and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams to prevent fatalities. As stated by a spokesman, Democrat Mayor Adams went to the hospital Monday evening to visit the officer after becoming aware of the incident. Hizzoner remarked that these officers in prison take risks every day at work to keep the jail and city safe. Described the savage attack on the officer by the crazed inmate as an example of how difficult the risks are for prison officers. A remark by Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina is that the Rikers Island inmate will also be charged with a new crime, that of attacking an NYC correction officer. Read Also: Joe Biden Uncomfortably Grabs Teen Girl's Shoulder During Administration's Visit in Southern California Molina said the violent assault was committed against a dedicated officer who was performing his responsibility and suffering harm, asserting that they will not endure any efforts to harm the jail officers who keep everybody secure, citing the New York Post. The criminal Applewhite, 29, has been incarcerated since February. He uses the false name Dennis Fredericks and is accused of shooting dead a pregnant girlfriend on November 11, 2021. He shot the victim, Brittani Duffy, 27, at the neck in the location of Vladeck Houses, Madison St., close to Jackson St.; the Lower East Side said authorities. Rikers Island Inmate Shoots Pregnant GF Brittani Duffy, who lived in the lower East Side, was killed by ex-con Applewhite after getting shot in the neck, according to NYC authorities. The 27-year-old woman who was pregnant with the perp's child was sent to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Lower Manhattan. Applewhite and Duffy have a young boy. She died on Thursday. She was placed on life support to save her from injuries sustained in Applewhite's murderous attack on November 11 and mentions that privy to the case. Initially, the identity of the woman was kept from the public. Based on details of the deadly assault on the woman, ex-con Dennis Fredericks ran from the crime scene with his gun a bit after 8:45 p.m. when the shooting happened. First responders found the woman lying on the floor with a bleeding neck wound. Her mother told the EMTs that Fredericks had shot her daughter. He was in jail for domestic violence and had been on parole. Related Article: Sudden Brooklyn House Fire Leaves 4 Dead, Including Infant Girl, Two Boys @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SUV Jean-Philippe Imparato told Autocar that the brand is working on a bespoke vehicle that might be sold in limited numbers. By bespoke, the Alfa Romeo CEO means it will not be based on any car from Stellantis : Alfa Romeo will design it from the ground up. According to Imparato, it would be cool to stamp Alfa Romeo on a chassis once again. The last time that happened was in 1969, with the Spider.The Italian brand CEO told Autocar alfisti are asking for something special and that he hopes to give them an answer by March 2023. That is so specific that it must be more certain than Imparato wants us to believe. The CEO said that the company is still working on something that is not done yet. Alfa Romeo could make it a celebration of its heritage like a swan song for its musical engines or a high-profile introduction to its electric future. Being limited, the car will certainly also cost a lot, especially considering it will have a chassis developed exclusively for it. Just rest assured that the name Alfa Romeo will be stamped on carbon fiber, not on steel.Imparato also said that Alfa Romeo will have a smallerthan the Tonale in 2024 and a larger one in 2026. The former should be Alfa Romeos version of the Jeep Avenger. Autocar mentions an all-electric Alfa Romeo model, but the Avenger will also have at least one derivative with a combustion engine. That may also be the case with the future Alfa Romeo B-segment SUV. The larger SUV will be a replacement for the Stelvio, also with an all-electric derivative. Scotty Kilmer is known by many as the mechanic-turned-YouTuber that decided to share everything he thinks of with his followers, even though this practice attracted some ridicule and, at times, generated some controversy. However, the man kept going at it and never stopped uploading daily content on the Google-owned platform.In one of his latest videos, Kilmer strongly recommends his fans avoid the six-cylinder boxer made by Subaru and advises owners to always complain if they have a problem with a new car and want to get it fixed at no cost. He argues that theflat-six was always a problematic power unit. Speaking from experience, Kilmer says some of his customers had their cars engines blow up at unexpectedly low mileage. In his opinion, this happened because the engines were not rebuilt correctly when the valves had to be replaced.Just remember, stay away from six-cylinder Subarus, said Kilmer.The mechanic makes these statements while sitting in front of a 2014 Subaru Forester which had its four-cylinder boxer engine block replaced after the owner repeatedly complained about having to add too much oil. This service operation was refused initially, but the company eventually caved in. This, of course, happened after a series of tests.Changing the entire engine block for free was needed at 80,000 miles because the piston rings were of low quality. This prompted the pistons to wear the engine block because it was made from aluminum. After another 60,000 miles were added to the odometer, the fixed engine didn not burn oil anymore. However, Scotty Kilmer remains convinced that you should avoid Subarus turbocharged boxer engines because it will burn out faster.Subaru currently has made only two recalls for some 2014 Subaru Forester models one for the brake lights switch and another for the backing of the carpeted floor mats.Subaru uses the boxer engine in all its vehicles. The company has been developing this power unit since 1966.Now watch what Scotty Kilmer has to say, and dont forget to share with us your experience or opinion down below. First things first, why didnt they call it something more exotic? Maserati looked back at its on-track exploits for the Indys name, specifically at its back-to-back victories at the Indianapolis 500. The 8CTF, which packs a straight-8 powerplant capable of producing in excess of 350 horsepower from a displacement of 3.0 liters, won the 1939 and 1940 editions with Indiana-born racing driver Wilbur Shaw behind the wheel of chassis 3032.Met with highly positive critical reception at the 1968 Salone dell'Automobile di Torino, the Indy replaced two models: the Vignale-bodied Sebring and Frua-bodied Quattroporte. Shorter in both overall length and wheelbase than the Mexico, the Indy was designed to be that little bit chicer than the conservative yet incredibly elegant Mexico. Previously covered on autoevolution, the Mexico can trace its roots back to 5000 GT chassis 103.022 that Mexican president Adolfo Lopez Mateos had owned.Offered exclusively as a fixed-head coupe with 4+4 seating, the Indy was updated to series-production specification in time for the 1969 Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Mexicos chassis, albeit modified for this application, the gran turismo measures 2,600 millimeters between its front and rear axles as opposed to 2,640 millimeters for the Mexico. Rather than a straight-8 as the Boyle Special 8CTF that won the Indy 500, the Indy flaunts a dual-overhead-camshaft V8 with an alloy block and alloy heads.From 1969 through 1975, the House of the Trident rolled out no fewer than three V8s for the Indy. 1975 also marks a rather sad event in Maserati's history. Citroen spent a lot of money on very weird projects during that era, including a rotary-engined coupe based on the Ami. These totally unnecessary expenses, in combination with the oil crisis of 1973, forced the French automaker to sell off the Italian automaker. The Ministry of Industry and Alejandro de Tomaso gained control of the company in August 1975.Fitted as standard with servo-assisted brakes, the Indy originally came with a 4.2-liter V8 shared with the Quattroporte. Fed by twin fuel tanks and four carburetors from Weber compared to three for the Mexico, the AM 107 engine runs an 8.5:1 compression ratio and electronic ignition.Connected to a five-speed manual transmission supplied by ZF and a Salisbury rear differential, the 4.2L Indy cranks out 256 horsepower (260 ps) at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 275 pound-foot (373 Nm) at 3,800 rpm.Ventilated rotors also need to be mentioned, along with an optional three-speed automatic supplied by BorgWarner. 14-inch alloys from Borrani and four-bolt wheel hubs were standard issue. Measuring 7.5 inches in width, these alloys could be specified with rubber from Pirelli or Michelin. Maserati launched a more powerful Indy at the 1970 Turin Motor Show in the guise of a 4.7-liter V8 codenamed AM 107/1 by the Modenese outfit.Bore increased from 88 to 93.9 millimeters, resulting in a well-deserved performance bump to 286 ponies (290 ps) at 5,500 rpm and 275 lb-ft (373 Nm) at 3,800 rpm. Capable of 260 kilometers per hour (nearly 162 miles per hour) compared to 250 kph (155 mph) for the lesser sibling, the 4.7L Indy also introduced a few interior design changes. The twin binnacle design of the 4.2L Indy was replaced by a more conventional but slightly better integrated layout comprising a small driver-side cowl and five additional gauges.The instrument cluster houses the utmost essential instruments produced by Veglia Borletti. Black vinyl was used for the top of the dashboard, whereas the dashboard fascia was trimmed in the same leather upholstery as the transmission tunnel and seats. Other production changes introduced by the 4.7L Indy include air conditioning and power steering as standard.A few months after the 1970 Turin Motor Show, the Italian manufacturer introduced the Indy America specifically for the U.S. market. Come 1973, the peeps in Modena dropped both the 4.2- and 4.7-liter V8 engines in favor of a 4.9-liter V8 that is almost similar to the powerplant in the Ghibli SS.The AM 107/49 in the Indy uses wet-sump lubrication rather than the dry-sump oiling system of the Ghibli SS. The 4,930-cc mill produces 315 horsepower (319 ps) at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 355 pound-foot (481 Nm) of torque at 4,000 revolutions per minute, which enables this variant of the Indy to reach 265 kilometers per hour (165 miles per hour) at full chatter.Not a light car, with the lightest specification tipping the scales at 1,680 kilograms (3,704 pounds) with all fluids accounted for, the Indy came standard with tinted windows, a rather beautiful clock, electric windows, integrated headrests, and an adjustable steering column. The rear seats are wide enough and provide enough legroom even for adults on short trips.The 4.9-liter update further improved the breed with a Citroen-sourced braking system, and Maserati also upsized the wheels to 15 inches. 4.9 models further benefit from a few changes to the instrumentation, as well as three instead of two hood vents. The final iteration of the Indy also boasts a different tranny, namely the Khamsins manual with a dog-leg reverse.Replaced by the Kyalami , which is twinned with the De Tomaso Longchamp due to Alejandro De Tomasos way of doing business at Maserati, the Indy was retired in 1975 with a little over 1,100 units to its name. 1,104 units, to be more precise, of which the Indy 4200 is the most common (make that 440 examples), whereas the Indy 4900 is the rarest of the lot (300 examples). Shared on social media earlier this week by the companys founder, the Italian exotic is a project in the making by the looks of it, and it will be ready in time for the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon, scheduled to open its gates on January 13. Thus, we might be looking at renderings, official ones, nonetheless.Set to sit under the spotlight at the car event in Japans capital city, the Ferrari F355 in question doesnt look as bad as something made by Mansory. Still, its not a pretty proposal either, especially with those black fender flares, which are a typical trait of vehicles coming out of Liberty Walks garage, just like the stanced design.The face has only been slightly updated by that new spoiler attached to the OEM bumper, and the tuner chose to retain the grille, pop-up headlamps, and front hood too. At the back, it has bigger tailpipes and an add-on below them. The ducktail spoiler rounds off the looks here. But dont go anywhere yet, as we still have to tell you about the wheels, shod in Advan-branded tires, which look a bit too modern for the classic supercar made at Maranello from 1994 to 1999.Wed expect a few teasers before the grand unveiling early next year, so we may either update this story as they roll out or perhaps write a new one. Oh, and this is Liberty Walk we are talking about, so you should not look forward to a power boost, because they are not known for that. Thus, their tuned F355 will likely pack the same 3.5-liter V8 behind the seats, mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automated manual transmission, which used to kick out 375 bhp back in the day. That is, apart from one big exception, the Michelin Guide. Perhaps the highest sanctioning body in the world of fine dining reviews, restaurants, and critiques is being funded by a company that sells tires for cars and trucks. How on Earth did that happen? What possible reason would Michelin, the second largest tire and rubber company in the world, have to fund a guide to the world's most "must-travel" restaurants?In truth, it's one of the most successful and historic marketing campaigns in automotive history. That's all the more important because the main attraction isn't automotive in the slightest. It all got started over 122 years ago, in the year 1900. At this point, there were certainly more horses with carriages on the streets of notable cities like Paris or London than there were automobiles.The brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin strived to change all this by playing to one of the automobile's greatest strengths, its unparalleled freedom of travel. Through their first published volumes detailing the best and brightest in French restaurants and hotels, the Michelin brothers hoped it would spur more people to take the leap of faith in car ownership. All in hopes of one day traveling to experience it all themselves.With all that in mind, it was a simple formula. The more guides published, the more cars people wanted to buy, and the more car and truck tires Michelin could sell. From most points of view, it was an effective ploy, possibly even genius. By 1911, the Michelin guide for the British Isles was ready for distribution, followed by the English guide to France soon after. Before long, most of Western Europe had a Michelin guide dedicated specifically to their national restaurants and all the amazing cuisine therein. Did we mention these guys sold tires? Weird, right?By the 21st century, the Michelin guide had spread to every corner of the globe, exponentially extending the marketing reach of Michelin's tires whether dinner patrons knew it or not. But for all the good the Michelin guide did for tire sales, it might have been equally and oppositely toxic to the world of gastronomy. Don't believe us? Why don't you hear what the man who helped train Gordon Ramsay has to say about it. He also made Gordon cry once. But if you ask the undisputed culinary savant Marco Pierre White about it, he'll tell you it was his choice to cry.Marco Pierre White was the first English chef to earn three Michelin stars. It's the highest award the Michelin guide has to offer, doing so in 1995. But just four years afterward, and before the age of 40, Marco Pierre White retired from working behind the stove. MPW had undoubtedly worked for nearly 20 years to achieve the highest status any British chef had achieved in a pre-Gordon Ramsay world. But after all that time, he found that the constant grind and back-breaking labor needed to run a triple-starred Michelin Guide restaurant just wasn't worth it anymore.MPW was the first man to ever return all three of his Michelin stars before turning in the towel. It sent shockwaves across the world of gastronomy. In an interview given to the Caterer back in 2007, he spoke honestly about how the stresses made him reconsider his future life choices."I was being judged by people who had less knowledge than me, so what was it truly worth? I gave Michelin inspectors too much respect, and I belittled myself." Chef White told the Caterer. "I had three options: I could be a prisoner of my world and continue to work six days a week, I could live a lie and charge high prices and not be behind the stove, or I could give my stars back and spend time with my children."What can we gather from this? Well, for one thing, it's clear MPW was starting to get fed up trying to meet the standards of a food guide run by people that sell tires. Extremely high-performance tires, we'll grant you; and not just for cars and trucks but also everything from airplanes to military vehicles and even the Space Shuttle . But does that give Michelin the right to anoint which restaurants are proprietors of "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey," as their advertising exclaims?That's a growing sentiment in the food and wine community. Depending on who you ask, you'll probably get a different answer. In 2017, the lauded French chef Sebastien Bras also gave up his three Michelin stars, the second high-profile chef to do so.At the end of the day, if the goal was to sell more tires, Michelin stars certainly performed as advertised. Gastronomy and automobiles don't often mix well unless it's a pizza delivery. But when they do, it's always worth talking about. Now then, back to V8s and burnouts. A bear savage attacked a woman trying to avoid it, but she was attacked, cracking her skull, which led to her playing possum, or she'd be dead. Fierce Bear Cracks Woman's Skull While walking her two dogs, Kylie and Bones, Renee Levow of Frederick County, Maryland, came across a sizable bear, reported Fox News. Kylie came charging at the bear and tried to fight it, Levow and the bear made eye contact. The 55-year-old asserted that she heeded the advice she has been repeatedly given when coming across a bear outdoors: make noises and act big. But the animal took it as a threat and mauled her instead. She recalled the horrific scene when the animal bit her all across her body. The woman added that she got swatted and knocked down. The bear bit her left leg twice, just above the knee, then threw her by the leg and started to bite her head. While pinned down, the bear bit Levow's face twice. The first time was on the left side, which was when her skull was cracked, as noted by Yahoo. Victim Survives Even with Cracked Skull Levow was panicking as a bear savagely attacked and cracked her skull. She considered playing dead as a possum rather than resisting the fierce mammal. She curled up and covered her head while rolling flat on the ground. A while later, the animal stopped its attack and let her be. The injured and terrified woman curled tight for ten minutes before moving again to make sure the bear was gone. Read Also: Is Vladimir Putin Fighting Cancer? Rumors Spark Anew After Russia Video Goes Viral She took out her phone in her injured state to call 911, wiping off the blood that dripped on her mobile phone. She remarked that the local fire department and chief were neighbors, so she got help sooner for what was urgent. Immediately, the injured Levow was taken by air ambulance to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The damage was so extensive that surgery was needed to patch the cracked skull, with wounds on the scalp, face, and left leg. At the time of the attack, Levow recalls being numb from the pain, and the adrenalin pump kept feeling at a minimum. Levow said she is feeling fortunate to be alive and healing over two years later, even though the attack has left markings on her body. She said a scar was on her chest when the animal swatted her down, but there were marks over her knee on her left leg where the bear took two bites when she was down. But nerve damage remains on the scalp, face, and leg, but she was happy that it would have ended worse. Thankfully, her dogs were unharmed, citing the Outsider. As said by Taylor Phillips, owner of Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures in Wyoming, playing dead is indeed the best thing to do once actually faced by a bear suddenly. When a bear is near, lie face down on the ground and cover your neck. If a bear attacks at a distance, prepare to fight back if it goes near. Next, throw anything that could be hurled at it. Related Article: Tiger Mauls Farmer To Death in Northern India, Leaves Half-Eaten Body at National Park @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nature Pods Swedish manufacturer defines the vagabond spirit as a deep love for nature, freedom, and adventure. One of the best ways of getting all of that is to switch from conventional housing to a tiny cabin thats built with natural materials, that can travel anywhere, and that can function off-grid.Only 2.6-meter (8.5 feet) tall and 6-meter (19.6 feet) long, the Nature Pod is really tiny but cleverly configured. The bedroom area is strategically placed next to a large, panoramic window for a great connection with the outdoors. The rustic kitchen has enough room for the basics, as well as storage cabinets. The bathroom is also small but customizable.This charming rustic cabin is meant to be self-sufficient in any environment. Its built from ThermoWood, an eco-friendly alternative to timber that also makes it more durable, according to Vagabond Haven. For customers in extreme climates, the manufacturer recommends an additional layer of eco-friendly insulation, either from wool or recycled textile. Heating options include radiators, floor heating, and a wood stove for the off-grid version.Speaking of off-grid options, the Nature Pod can be totally self-sufficient, as it can be fitted with solar panels in combination with gas alternatives for electrical consumers, dry toilets that save water, plus a water pump and a freshwater tank. The Swedish builder can provide all of these features for a custom, off-grid tiny home. One that is also mobile because the Nature Pod can be set up on a trailer and pulled behind a vehicle.Versatile and surprisingly modern despite its rustic look, the Nature Pod is a beautiful example of tiny mobile living. Pricing for the unfurnished model starts at 16,380 ($16,000). EV SUV kW kWh PHEV ICE BEV When thinking of an, one could be inclined to factor in only vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 or the BMW i4. These are battery-electric cars that are also known as BEVs. But there is another type of EV on the rise the fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV). It uses hydrogen to create electricity, and the only thing it emits in the process is water. That is what the Toyota Mirai is doing. Things get even more interesting when you factor in things like BEVs with solar panels on top of them. The Lightyear 0 is a great example, even though it costs an ungodly amount of money.But EVs are even more common than you might think. There are multiple types of powertrains. Manufacturers thought it would be a great idea to put them in the same greenish category, even though electricity plays a minor or a partial role in their complicated architecture. These are commonly known as hybrids.Be it a chonky Mercedes-Benz GLS 450with a six-cylinder that hides a small motor cramped between the engine block and the gearbox or a Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv that comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine, a 100-electric motor, and a 17.8-battery, these types of cars are considered EVs as well. The GLS, for example, is part of the mild hybrid electric vehicle (mHEV) category, while the Mazda is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (). The latter is meant for a very specific group of drivers who make sure their cars battery is charged when most of the journeys are short and drive efficiently on longer trips. In some markets, they are also bought because of attractive incentives like free parking, lower annual taxes, and unrestricted access to low-emission zones.Drivers who use plug-in hybrids with a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal and without charging the battery might think they are siding with those that care about the environment because they also have an electric motor, but the only thing they do is pollute more because PHEVs are heavier than theircounterparts. This weight increase leads to more fuel consumption and wear and tear. Thats why, for example, tire manufacturers are being pressured into finding a compound that does not generate so much air particulate emissions and, at the same time, can help heavier EVs have better range when theyre running on electricity alone.Now that we know what were dealing with, lets look at why banning ICE vehicles is a mistake.Right now, buying an EV and using it like an ICE car would be very expensive. For starters, charging is becoming increasingly costly . Some automakers offer discounts or complimentary charging for a limited period. But when you cannot access these perks, the cost of DC fast charging is pricy and sometimes the places where they're installed are unexpectedly crowded. You might have to wait for someone to leave. Then, you spend at least half an hour plugged in to replenish your cars battery. So, raking in a lot of miles on a daily or weekly basis with ais not that good of an idea for your budget and for your time.And on top of this, EVs are generally more expensive than their ICE counterparts. In the UK, the gas-powered Fiat 500 starts from 14,990 ($17,054), while the EV version costs a whopping 30,645 ($34,866). Thats more than double! In the U.S., the new Kia Niro has an MSRP of $26,490, while the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrids cost starts from $33,740. If you want the Niro EV, then make sure you have at least $39,450 for one. At the same time, dont forget there are still some incentives available in most developed markets that make buying an EV an attractive proposition. But they wont be here foreverHowever, becoming an EV owner starts to make a lot of sense when you can charge at home (overnight or when your electricity rates are the cheapest) and your daily travel needs are not very demanding of your car. Going from home to the office and back could be done entirely on electricity, even when using a PHEV. Traveling with an EV can also be comforting and cheap if, at the destination, you can find a no-cost socket to add some electrons while youre sleeping or wondering about.Problems might appear when theres an emergency. Imagine you have to drive somewhere right away, and your all-electric cars battery isnt charged enough. That won't feel good, considering youll have to find a fast-charging station where youll have to spend at least 15-20 minutes or more. Or, lets say you live in the city and cant make use of your apartments electricity, and youre forced to either charge at the office (if possible), at a mall (if they still allow it during these high electricity prices), or at dedicated charging stations. And in most of these scenarios, you will need a valid credit card, an app, or both.With an ICE car, everythings simpler. Just go to whatever fuel station you want and fill the tank for exactly how much money you have in your wallet or your bank account. Youll pollute the environment by burning fossil fuel, but youll be more comfortable going anywhere, at any time (until OPEC+ decides otherwise, that is).Some things are better with an EV. They're more silent, the power is delivered unexpectedly fast, and the wheels start spinning immediately. They're packed with the latest technologies, have a lower center of gravity, and give you a sense of belonging to a group of people that embraced the future before others even had time to learn what DC fast charging is.But what happens when you want to sell your EV in, let's say, 2029? By then, industry experts expect batteries used in zero-tailpipe emission cars to be a lot better, and some big names from the automotive world, like BMW or Mercedes-Benz, are trying to break into the hydrogen game.Your three-ton Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 might not be such an attractive car for people looking to enjoy a premium experience for less money a couple of years from now. The depreciation might become a real worry for EV enthusiasts soon. Admittedly, owners that pay over $125,000 for their vehicle might not care if it ends up with someone else for a lot less.Meanwhile, enthusiasts will still bid on interesting ICE cars that come with interesting powertrains. If some V8-powered cars sell like hotcakes now, imagine what these cars will be worth when you won't be able to buy them new from any manufacturer.But lets say you spend the money on the new Rimac Nevera, the all-electric hypercar that might make you feel like taking off a runway is possible if you attach some wings to it. How will you show off? A Lamborghini or an Aston Martin can produce some sweet noises while the EV is silent. You might disagree with me, but there are people out there that buy these kinds of cars only to keep them in the city.The issue with making EVs the only option is that buyers will most likely not change their preferences. If a person owns a Ford F-150 Raptor, they will most likely look for a powerful F-150 Lightning in the future. Instead of providing the world with the same style of cars but with different powertrains, maybe we should think about making traffic more bearable. How about incentivizing the acquisition of smaller vehicles like a wagon or a sedan that is guaranteed to have a smaller carbon footprint during its lifetime than, lets say, a GMC Hummer EV? Or, hear me out, make public transport great again!EVs do not perform as well in colder climates as they do in warmer ones. For many Americans or Canadians, this could pose a problem. What if you need to help your grandparents during a blizzard, but your car is unable to travel the distance you need to cover? That does not sound good.Even though theyre considered to be safer than ICE vehicles, EVs are extremely dangerous when the battery is damaged. Not only can it burn for longer periods, but it can also ignite very fast, giving the occupants little time to leave the car. This is one of the reasons why firefighters are buying new containers that can keep a battery from spontaneously reigniting.Similarly, when EVs break down and need servicing, they are usually in the shop for longer periods than the ICE ones. Sometimes its about parts shortage, while on other occasions, it is about not having enough qualified personnel to work on them.The race to secure the metals needed in batteries is also very complicated. These resources are abundant in countries with questionable policies (apart from some exceptions like Australia), and making sure the supply chain is uninterrupted could pose a lot of challenges.Electricity prices are also on the rise. For example, dirty power plants are being closed in Europe now. Their replacements, however, do not cover the energy that was made using coal or other fossil fuels. Germany, on the other hand, is well known for giving up on some of its nuclear power plants even though they are perceived as some of the cleanest sources of electricity. This trend is set to continue because governments aim to revamp their national power grid and want to make it a lot greener. That cannot be done with the help of the consumer, who will have to support this transition out of their own pockets.On the other hand, gas and diesel prices wont remain high forever. The current politico-economic climate allows major oil producers to curb output, but they already know prices cant remain at these high levels forever. That's also one of the reasons why the current U.S. administration is releasing so much oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. They are trying to keep the prices under control and are confident about buying cheaper oil to fill the reserves back. Fossil fuel companies are greedy and have a long history of doing all sorts of problematic things, but one thing theyre not is stupid.Once the recession sets in and drivers will leave their cars at home and transporting goods will take a hit, gas prices will most likely drop to the pre-health crisis levels.If you followed my rambling up until this point, then you might wonder why I have not mentioned anything important about the environment and the fact that EVs outperform ICE cars in the long run when it comes to having a smaller carbon footprint. The simple answer is a plane journey cancels out your effort.On average, choosing a Polestar 2 instead of a Volvo XC40 could lead to saving around 31 metric tons of CO2 during the lifetime of the vehicle, according to a study done by the Chinese-owned Swedish manufacturer.The busiest flight route in the U.S. is Las Vegas to Los Angeles. One of the aircraft types used for this one-hour journey is the Airbus A320neo. It can accommodate up to 194 passengers. The 236-mile (380-kilometer) trip generates about 132 lb (60 kg) of CO2 emissions per person, according to airmilescalculator . Adding the cabin crew and the pilots into the mix, we could say that 200 people on board the plane traveling from Nevada to California are responsible for 26,455 lb (12,000 kg) or 12 metric tons of CO2. Five one-hour trips like this flight will exceed the amount of CO2 that a driver could save during the lifetime of their EV by twice the amount! And keep in mind, at the time of writing, 24 planes are traveling one way on this fairly short route every day!One thing cannot be stolen away from EVs having no tailpipe emissions is great. But this advantage alone is not enough to force everyone to give up on gas- and diesel-powered cars at a dead set time. Banning sales in 2030 or 2035 is the same as sounding the death knell for the internal combustion engine vehicle. Automakers are already scrambling to give up on this type of power unit while funneling cash toward EV development. In the short term, nobody wins newer ICE vehicles wont be as good as they couldve been, while the latest EVs (look at Honda e or the Mazda MX-30) cant attract customers because of their shortcomings. Moreover, most EVs are also a lot more expensive than their ICE counterparts for the time being.Lastly, it would be a lot better for the new car market to have more options available now and in the future. People are different, and not everyone can conform to a single option. That is why we currently have so many gas and diesel options at the fuel station and why some vehicles run on other things like compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquified petroleum gas (LPG). PHEVs exist for almost the same reason they aim at providing the customer with a middle ground. Now, instead of expanding the options available to car owners, were actively trying to remove and replace them with only one thing electricity. Which, unfortunately, is still not clean enough.So, were in a pickle. But these issues, comparisons, and future scenarios are invisible when your average new car customer looks at incentives, discounts, and charging offers that might seem very good at first, and learns from the news that governments want ICE vehicles banned because theyre not clean enough.The weirdest part of all this is that I believe EVs will win in the end. The infrastructure will grow, the research and development will most likely bring us breakthroughs that are going to be relevant for mass production, and solutions will be found even for those living in dense urban environments. However, rushing all this because our government wishes so is what should not happen.Lets just hope seven years (the UK) or 12 years (the EU and some U.S. states) will be enough for automakers and their suppliers or partners to make EVs cheaper, more reliable, and more common. The rally in Yerevans France Square came days after thousands of Karabakh Armenians rallied in the central square of Stepanakert on October 31 at the urging of local political groups to support their joint statement saying that the Armenian government must not unequivocally recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity through a bilateral peace treaty. Speakers at the Yerevan rally organized by the Resistance Movement, a coalition of political parties and groups, including two opposition parliamentary blocs Hayastan and Pativ Unem led by former presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sarkisian, respectively, again accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of planning major concessions to Azerbaijan in a planned peace treaty as a result of which, they claimed, Yerevan will formally recognize Bakus full control of Nagorno-Karabakh. They charged that Pashinian and his government have no mandate to make this or other major concessions to Azerbaijan that would jeopardize Karabakh Armenians right to self-determination and Armenias sovereignty and territorial integrity. Member of the Hayastan parliamentary faction Ishkhan Saghatelian, who has led street protests by the Resistance Movement, warned Armenian authorities against signing any document that would pave the way for Nagorno-Karabakhs being formally recognized by Armenia as part of Azerbaijan. He suggested that in order to preclude this and other major concessions Armenia needs to change its top negotiator at the talks with Azerbaijan, meaning Prime Minister Pashinian. With this rally we are saying that Armenia welcomes the efforts of mediators towards establishing durable peace in the region. Armenia is ready to discuss all complex issues. Armenia is ready for hard and meaningful negotiations and solutions. But this cannot come at the price of national humiliation and loss of our homeland. No document that would limit Artsakhs [Nagorno-Karabakhs] right to self-determination can be signed and ratified. Such a document would be torn by our people and immediately after a regime change it will be declared null and void, Saghatelian said. Armenian authorities do not conceal that a version of the future peace treaty with Azerbaijan that is being currently discussed does not mention the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, but they dismiss accusations of the opposition that the current government ignores the rights and freedoms of ethnic Armenians living in the region. Official Yerevan insists that these issues should be discussed directly between representatives of Baku and Stepanakert in a dialogue ensured by an international mechanism to be set up for the purpose. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host next week a fresh meeting between him and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, focused on a future peace deal between the two South Caucasus nations. Saghatelian claimed, however, that the Pashinian government does not express the collective will of the Armenian people. He said that in order to achieve victory the opposition movement needs an overwhelming number of people in the streets. We are not fighting for someone from among us to become a prime minister, we are fighting for Armenia to have a prime minister. Therefore, we will not step back or give up, we will go till the end, he said before opposition supporters staged a march through central streets of Yerevan. Former President Kocharian also attended the rally, but did not address it from the stage or talk to the media. The former leader believed to be behind the Resistance Movement also participated in the march. The opposition movement has staged several campaigns of sustained street protests demanding the resignation of Pashinian and his government since the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh in which Armenians suffered a defeat. All of those street protests, including the latest one last spring, fizzled out within weeks. Representatives of the current government have ascribed it to the lack of popular support for the oppositions demand for Pashinians resignation or policy change. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King described the west's desire to shake off rare-earth dominance as a pipe dream. The export of rare-earth elements is essential for many sectors of the high-tech industry; attempts to sever it will be catastrophic. China's Supply Domination of Rare-Earth Minerals Madeleine King described the idea of the west not needing supplies from Beijing as unrealistic, reported The Daily Telegraph. She told Bloomberg that the Chinese government saw it coming and made moves to dominate the trade of crucial materials. However, Australia's Resources Minister appeared unconcerned, stating that it will not deter Australia and the US from cooperating to increase investments in minerals critical to the defense, aerospace, and automobile industries in order to disrupt Beijing's stranglehold on international supply chains. It was emphasized that Canberra would strive to use the resources available to them as an alternative source instead of relying solely on Beijing. Rare-earth metals are a collective of 17 chemical elements that aren't really rare but are difficult to acquire at the required concentration levels. They are also challenging to extract because they frequently possess naturally occurring radioactive substances like uranium and thorium. Beijing has won the competition to regulate the twenty-first century's most valuable asset. An Australian Resources official says China has beaten everyone to the gun. The components have all been widely used among producers of cellular or mobile devices, automotive, military hardware, or even kitchen appliances. Rare-earth materials are also obtained in India, South Africa, Canada, Estonia, Malaysia, and Brazil. Read Also: Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov Says Majority of African Leaders Set for Russia-Africa Summit in 2023 An Australian Resources official said rare-earth domination has long been at the core of the US-China trade conflict, with Australia holding some of the nation's biggest deposits of these assets. It is one of the biggest producers of critical minerals, allying with Washington. Not a while ago, the US, which was once the world's leading producer of minerals, became highly dependent on the Chinese. It must be said that Beijing today makes up almost 80% of these high-tech materials and possesses most of the global supply, which is needed by many US high-tech weapons. During a press conference in Beijing last Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated that nations with essential mineral wealth must perform a favorable role in ensuring the security and reliability of important, relevant distribution networks. He stressed that it would be wrong to play politics with it, use it as an instrument, or weaponize it against the global economy. Rare-Earth Minerals Essential for Worldwide Production To name a few of the essential resources coveted by nations to propel them forward: lithium, cobalt, platinum, and rare-earth substances are used in various ways. These products are used for national security and climate change, and jet engines, solar panels, and electric vehicles use them. Australia has one of the world's largest deposits of these assets and is one of the world's largest producers of critical minerals. Western Australia is the location of a significant fraction of the country's lithium and rare-earth production capability. As said by Siriana Nair, the US consul general in the state capital of Perth, Australia, and the US both have "strong strategic interests" in safeguarding vital mineral distribution networks. Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King commented that the rare-earth domination of China cannot be broken easily and is a pipe dream of the west, per SCMP. Related Article: Moscow Stops Grain Deal Due to Accusations That UK Engineered Dastardly Terrorist Act Against Black Sea Fleet @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ukraine suffered a major blow after Tesla CEO Elon Musk's Starlink internet service was compromised when 1,300 of the military's satellite units went offline in the past week. Musk's private company SpaceX produced the small and easy-to-use satellite dishes that have been praised as game-changers in communication for Ukraine's military troops. The internet service has allowed soldiers to fight and stay online even as cellular phones and other internet networks have been taken down amid its war on Russia. Starlink Outage in Ukraine However, worries have recently risen over the satellite service's dependability after discussions regarding funding were revealed and outages started being reported near the frontlines. There was a report that SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon in September that claimed it had already spent nearly $100 million by funding Starlink in Ukraine, arguing that it could no longer continue the service. The letter also requested that the Defense Department take over more of the funding for Ukraine's military communication, which it estimated would be worth tens of millions of dollars every month, as per CNN. Only days after the report of the letter was revealed, Musk appeared to reverse course and claimed that his company had withdrawn its request to the Defense Department. In a Twitter post, he said, "The hell with it. We'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free." Negotiations between the Defense Department and SpaceX continued despite Musk's claim that the company withdrew its request, a senior defense official said. The Pentagon official noted that negotiations between the two sides were definitely moving forward and everyone in the Defense Department knew that they were going to fund SpaceX's Starlink internet service. Musk attended a ceremony on Wednesday for the U.S. Space Force which also included Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. The tech billionaire has also been involved in the high-profile takeover of Twitter. According to CNBC, with the dependability of the Starlink internet service, Ukraine has started searching for alternatives for its troops' communication. On Thursday, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that the Ukrainian government was looking for other ways to provide internet service to its troops. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Cancer Condition: UK Army Chief, Leaked Documents Confirm Russian President's Terminal Disease Other Means of Communication During a Thursday press conference held at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Fedorov noted that he has not seen any issues with Musk's financing of Starlink in Ukraine. The official added that the system was working fine, despite the tech billionaire's claims. However, the Ukrainian official added that the Ukrainian government was searching for new satellite communication tools to support its IT infrastructure, which has been disrupted by Moscow's advance. On the other hand, Maj. Roman Omelchenko, referring to Musk's tweets, said that the loss of Starlink would leave Ukraine scrambling during the brewing battle for Kherson. The 59th brigade's communications chief said during an interview that if the satellite service is lost, it would deal a major blow to the country's means of communications amid a crucial point in the war, Yahoo News reported. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Pushes For Russian Evacuation in Kherson Region But Kyiv Thinks It's a Trap @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Just in time for the Black Friday season, Kohls first Berkshire County location opened last week in the Center at Lenox. Kelsie Cote, of North Adams, 26, was arrested Friday for the death of 74-year-old Doris Cote. On Tuesday, North Adams police responded to a 911 call from a relative of Doris Cote, who reportedly found her deceased in her home on Church Street. On Nov. 5, 2009: A shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas left 13 people dead; Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. (No execution date has been set.) Lenox native James Brooke worked for 10 years as a correspondent in Brazil, including seven years as Brazil Bureau Chief for The New York Times. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years, coming home a year ago. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close In a speech at a private event earlier this week, the Commander of US Strategic Command, which manages the US nuclear weapons program, cautioned that China is producing nuclear weapons more quicker than the US and labeled the matter a "near-term threat." Richard's remarks portray the situation as more serious than other officials have made it appear in public, despite the fact that Pentagon officials have been raising the alarm about China's military expansion and development of nuclear weapons for years. China's Nuclear Weapons Program Grows Fast Adm. Charles Richard said, "As I assess our level of deterrence against China, the ship is slowly sinking." A "near-term problem," according to Richard, is the growth of China's nuclear weapons program. On Wednesday, ichard made the remarks while giving a speech at the Naval Submarine League Annual Symposium. Although the event was private, Richard's remarks were made public on Friday in a Department of Defense press story, as per CNN. In a series of policy documents outlining the US's defense and military strategy that were released at the end of October, the Biden administration repeatedly referred to China as the US' main global rival and issued warnings regarding the nation's advancement of its military and nuclear weapons program. According to a senior defense source, China represents the US's "pacing challenge" because it is "the only rival with both the purpose and increasingly the means to systematically attack the United States across the board, militarily, economically, technologically, and diplomatically." By the end of the decade, China "certainly aims to acquire at least 1,000 deliverable warheads," according to one of the strategic documents, the Nuclear Posture Review. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Cancer Condition: UK Army Chief, Leaked Documents Confirm Russian President's Terminal Disease US Worries About China, Russia Influence According to a senior US administration official, the US believes China and Russia have influence they may use to persuade North Korea not to continue nuclear bomb testing. Under the condition of anonymity, the official said that although the US has claimed since May that North Korea was getting ready to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017, it was unclear when it may actually carry one out. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog said last week that Pyongyang has been preparing for a test, and South Korea has been warning of a seventh nuclear test for months. Washington wanted China and Russia to exert as much pressure on Pyongyang as they could, Al Jazeera reported. After a wave of missile launches, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that South Korea and Japan intercepted on Thursday, the US has requested a public meeting of the UN Security Council, where Moscow and Beijing are two of the five permanent members with veto rights. While this was going on, the top diplomats from the world's most powerful democracies came together to issue a joint statement denouncing international rivals like Iran and North Korea and urging Russia and China to keep their security responsibilities to the UN in mind. Per Fox News, officials from the Group of 7 (G7) issued a long statement Friday in a message to its biggest geopolitical rivals, reminding them to abide by international laws following two days of discussions. The G7 said on Friday that it had established a "coordination mechanism" to assist Kyiv in repairing, restoring, and defending its key infrastructure system, which had been mostly destroyed by Iranian-made drones that Moscow had received as a present from Tehran. The alliance vowed to continue punishing Iran with international sanctions over its military assistance to Russia and demanded that Tehran end its participation in both the bloody conflict and appalling human rights abuses occurring domestically. Following Beijing's use of force against Taiwan earlier this year, the top leaders remained "extremely worried about the situation in and around the East and South China Seas," according to the statement. The G7's criticism of China was severe, echoing the US's listing of Beijing as its top security worry last month while pledging to maintain diplomatic relations with the Asian titan. Related Article: China's Xi Jinping Calls For Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Warns on the Use of Nuclear Weapons @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The House Select Committee has given former United States President Donald Trump more time to turn in subpoenaed documents amid investigations of the Capitol Hill riot. The committee released a statement that noted that they have informed the former president's counsel that he is required to produce records no later than next week. It added that Trump remains under subpoena for deposition testimony that would begin on Nov. 14. Trump's Subpoena Last month, the panel subpoenaed the Republican businessman as it was seeking a wide array of documents with a deadline of 10:00 a.m. on Friday. The committee also wanted Trump to sit for an interview under oath from Nov. 14 and would continue on subsequent days as needed. The committee added that it had received correspondence from the former president and his counsel in relation to the panel's subpoena. However, the members of the panel did not provide additional information regarding the matter, as per CNN. Trump's lawyers have accepted the service of the subpoena from the panel as of Oct. 26, sources familiar with the matter said. The former president has criticized the select committee but has not commented on whether or not he would comply with the subpoena. When the committee's subpoena was announced, the former president's attorney, David Warrington, released a statement that said the panel was "flouting norms and appropriate and customary process" by publicly releasing the subpoena. He added that Trump's legal team would respond appropriately to the unprecedented action by the select committee. According to USA Today, the committee's subpoena requests Trump for various communications and records that were placed or received by the former president between the 2020 election and the Capitol Hill riot. These include calls and texts sent through Signal, photographs and videos taken on Jan. 6, 2021, and memoranda and notes of conversations. Read Also: DOJ Rests Its Cases Against Oath Keepers Founder, Members on Seditious Conspiracy Trial Capitol Hill Riot Investigation Previously, committee members have said that they have not yet resolved how to compel the former president to comply with the subpoena if he refuses to voluntarily cooperate with the case. Lawmakers could move to hold Trump in contempt but legal experts and other lawyers said that it was unlikely for the Justice Department to prosecute Trump for contempt of Congress. Furthermore, the committee, led by chairman Democrat Bennie Thompson and vice chair Republican Liz Cheney, has yet to issue any criminal referrals to the Justice Department. However, the two leaders of the panel made it clear that they believed the former president's actions to overturn the elections were unlawful. Trump also told advisers that he would potentially be willing to testify live before the committee but his lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on the status of his potential cooperation with the panel's subpoena, the Washington Post reported. Cheney previously said that the committee was talking with Trump's attorneys about the former president testifying under oath in the investigation. The committee also sent a letter that summarized what the panel believes is how the Republican businessman "personally orchestrated and oversaw" the efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential elections. Related Article: Trump Organization To Receive Independent Monitor That Will Oversee Real Estate Empire's Financial Reporting, Judge Rules @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Conspiracy author David Icke has been banned from entering the EU and designated as a level three terrorist, according to his son Gareth Icke. The public speaker and former BBC television host was due to attend an event in Amsterdam this weekend, but will now reportedly be prevented from entering any country in the European Union for a period of two years. Received an email from the Dutch. My dad, David Icke, has been banned from entering the EU for two years, tweeted Gareth Icke. They claim he is a level three terrorist, he added. Received an email from the Dutch. My dad, David Icke, has been banned from entering the EU for two years. They claim he is a "level three terrorist". Gareth Icke (@garethicke) November 3, 2022 The old man is banned from entering the Netherlands, wrote Icke in another tweet. Zero convictions, zero crimes committed. Banned by the government. Wow. The old man is banned from entering the Netherlands. Zero convictions, zero crimes committed. Banned by the government Wow. Gareth Icke (@garethicke) November 3, 2022 Icke had been set to feature at an event called Together for the Netherlands, but far-left activist groups complained to the government and demanded he be barred from entering the country. The municipality of Amsterdam also asked the Dutch IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) to investigate whether Icke can be refused entry to the country, an appeal that was apparently successful. The municipality complained that Icke had made anti-Semitic statements in the past that are unacceptable and deeply hurtful, although it didnt cite any specific examples. The same authority even asked that if Icke had been allowed into the country, his speech at the event be closely monitored by the Public Prosecutor to assess whether criminal statements are being made. Questions about the event were also asked in the Dutch parliament. It remains to be seen what justification Dutch authorities actually used to ban Icke from speaking in the country, and why the ban also reportedly applies across the entire European Union. Icke was previously deplatformed by multiple Big Tech platforms for opposing lockdown and vaccine mandates. Some respodents to the news asserted that Icke had been banned for being outspoken against former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his role within the World Economic Forum. This is why the Netherlands has banned David Icke from entering the country deeming him a level 3 terrorist because he exposed Mark Rutte and the WEF plans pic.twitter.com/lXx3iXpJ3a Pelham (@Resist_05) November 4, 2022 Related Articles: Monday, March 28, 2022 - Researcher, author and alternative media icon Jordan Maxwell dies aged 82 The banning of the former TV presenter from Facebook and YouTube is an assault on free speech and free expression which needs to be forcefully resisted, whatever your views are on Ickes theories on world governance. Sunday, May 3, 2020 - YouTube and Facebook Ban David Icke Documents obtained by The Grayzone reveal plans by a cell of British military-intelligence figures to organize and train a covert Ukrainian partisan army with explicit instructions to attack Russian targets in Crimea. On October 28th, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Russian Black Sea fleets flagship vessel in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Moscow immediately blamed Britain for assisting and orchestrating the strike, as well as blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines the worst acts of industrial sabotage in recent memory. The British Ministry of Defense issued a blustery denial in response, branding the accusations false claims of an epic scale. Whoever was behind those specific attacks, suspicions of a British hidden hand in the destruction are not unfounded. The Grayzone has obtained leaked documents detailing British military-intelligence operatives inking an agreement with the Security Service of Ukraines Odessa branch, to create and train a secret Ukrainian partisan terror army. Their plans called for the secret army to conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations targeting Crimea on behalf of the Ukrainian Security Service (SSU) precisely the kind of attacks witnessed in past weeks. As The Grazyone previously reported, the same coterie of military-intelligence operatives was responsible for drawing up plans to blow up Crimeas Kerch Bridge. That goal was fulfilled on October 8th in the form of a suicide truck bomb attack, temporarily disabling the sole connecting point between mainland Russia and Crimea, and triggering a major escalation in Moscows attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. These blueprints were produced by a military veteran named Hugh Ward, at the request of Chris Donnelly, a British military-intelligence operative best known for hatching the covert, Foreign Office-funded Integrity Initiative information warfare program. The plans were circulated throughout Donnellys private transnational network of military officials, lawmakers and intelligence officials. Such high-level connections underline that he is far from a passive observer in this conflict. He has used his position and contacts to secure the resources necessary to train up the secret saboteur battalion in order to attack Russian targets in Crimea. This wrecking strategy is certain to escalate the war, and undercut any momentum toward negotiation. Branded support for maritime raiding operations, the planned assault on Crimea aims to degrade Russias ability to blockade Kiev, erode Moscows warfighting capability, and isolate Russian land and maritime forces in Crimea by denying resupply by sea and overland via Kerch. The documents obtained by The Grayzone show that these plans are conducted in close coordination with the Odessa-SSU, while a politically influential Ukrainian oligarch was tapped to fund the malign endeavor. Since a Western-backed coup toppled Ukraines elected government in 2014, Donnelly has worked tirelessly to foment proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Private memos authored by Donnelly and obtained by The Grayzone this October reveal his lust for escalation has only intensified since the Russian military invaded Ukraine in February. In a September 21st letter to his inner circle, Donnelly fretted that the Biden administration was not wholly committed to total war with Russia. Citing public statements by officials in Washington hoping for a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia, Donnelly declared (see below): This US position must be challenged, firmly and at once. In a separate communique, Donnelly blasted Biden as so unwise as to beggar belief for warning the Ukraine conflict could lead to armageddon. While The Grayzone cannot verify that the Ukrainian attacks on Crimea are the direct handiwork of Donnellys team, recent events closely mirror the strategies and tactics outlined in the documents this outlet has obtained. Whats more, the attacks have helped achieve the escalatory objectives pursued by both Donnelly and the British government, which successfully scuttled negotiations between Kiev and Moscow this April. Ukrainian partisans trained to shoot, move, communicate, survive According to the documents reviewed by The Grayzone, a private UK military company named Prevail Partners has been contracted to recruit and train the secret Ukrainian partisan fighters. Prevail was founded by special forces veterans, including former Royal Marine Brigadier and Special Boat Service commander Justin Hedges. The company is headquartered not far from RM Hamworthy, an elite British military training centre, replete with grounds resembling city streets and an improvised explosive device lane to trial combat scenarios. The programs genesis was the product of covert lobbying conducted over the course of several months by Donnelly, an MI6 veteran named Guy Spindler, and Audrius Butkevicius, a former Lithuanian Defense Minister with longstanding ties to the Ukrainian security, military and intelligence apparatus. Several obstacles appeared as the Prevail team launched its effort to form the secret army. First, Ukrainian officials expressed reluctance to rustle up the sizable sums demanded by Donnellys team, especially while Western states were pumping billions into the war effort. British officials were also skittish about farming out training services to private contractors, perhaps out of fear they would be caught in the act or even prosecuted for engaging in such provocative activity. Within Donnellys clique, concerns were also raised about Prevails initial proposal. Alex Finnen, a member of the British Armys Specialist Group Military Intelligence spy cell and the Foreign Offices shadowy Russia Unit, commented in a late March email that Prevails offering was very expensive for what it is, with a forecast cost of $600,000 per partisan fighter per year an indication the company was in a sellers market. I suspect that they have taken the first figure they thought of and then doubled it. So, there needs to be more discussion as to how and what these people are going to do, Finnen cautioned. Partisans live in and amongst the people. That suggests that you need people from across Ukraine, in small teams to take part as Prevail suggest oblast by oblast. How are they going to achieve this? After some maneuvering, a provisional agreement was drawn up on April 18th between Prevail and its implementing partner, a self-described London-based crisis management company named Thomas in Winslow. According to the contract, Prevail would conduct a capacity assessment of the Odessa-SSUs operations, then of other major regional SSUs and finally of the Security Services of all Ukraine, free-of-charge. Although this round was on the house, the assessment would ultimately be leveraged to justify a major investment in the partisan program. This objective was clearly emphasized in a Prevail appraisal of a battalion of the Ukrainian Armys 24th Brigade being mobilised for deployment to the frontline. The memo was authored by Justin Hedges after a visit he paid to a military training base in the western city of Yavoriv, near the Polish border, in late May. Hedges was accompanied to the base by British military intelligence veteran Darren Liddle and two Ukrainian special forces operatives. The invitation to attend did not emanate from the Ukrainian General Staff, but at a regional level a reference to the Odessa-SSU. Over the course of 36 hours at the Yavoriv base, Hedges and company observed a portion of what he described as an inadequate 12-day training session given to conscripts aged between 20 58, none of whom had prior military experience, and who would eventually be sent to Popasna, where the Russians are currently breaking through [Ukrainian] lines. Hedges noted a very low number of instructors; no set syllabus and doctrine; no in-unit experience; no planning training on the course, with unsound tactics being taught by inexperienced foreign trainers, leaving the battalion not prepared for what they face. He appraised that many of those present know that when they deploy to the frontlineit will be carnage, particularly given the previous battalion to receive the same 12-day training suffered 60 killed within the first 3 days. [This leads] to arguably unsustainable casualty rates. In my view, unsustainable from a human capital and therefore political perspective over the long-term, Hedges complained. This problem cannot be left unaddressed any longer; the training gap must be closed now otherwise unsustainable casualty rates, owing to inadequacy of training, may become politically decisive by forcing Zelensky to concede ground to Putin. By contrast, he described Prevail instructors as all qualified and experienced with combat experience, and posited Yavoriv as suitable and secure with appropriate discipline and tradecraft. In other words, we can help, and you need us urgently. As an email earlier that May from Spindler to Donnelly revealed, plans were already in the works to use the base to school 40-strong groups of partisans every four weeks over six months on how to shoot, move, communicate, survive, along with living in the woods, and surviving. Trainees with aptitude were to be identified and tutored in specialist modules. As the plan developed, the training ground at Yavoriv was transferred to undisclosed sites in Greece and Poland. Until now, the secret British partisan program has never been mentioned by the mainstream media. And as this report makes clear, significant efforts were undertaken by all actors involved to keep the initiative concealed from public view. Hedges, the special forces veteran, considered government funding essential to place this programme on a very firm footing. He imagined that sponsorship could come from Britain, the US, Ukraine, or even from the Baltics/Nordic countries. If separation of government funding from the activity was necessary, finance could be provided by flowing donations through Prevails established NGO, Rhizome Insights Ltd, a front that serves as the companys current route for funding equipment and training, and therefore allows it to remain hidden from public view. This is how Prevail is receiving donations from NGOs/private individuals to fund equipment and low levels of other support at this time, Hedges explained, noting that Prevail was also discussing financing with the office of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Ukraine and the owner of the countrys Channel 24 news network. Donnelly takes aim at Biden for warning of nuclear armageddon Chris Donnellys efforts at escalating the Russia-Ukraine conflict have not gone unnoticed by British officials. As recently as October 8th this year, he was enthusiastically invited by Brigadier Julian Buczacki of the British Armys elite 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade to serve as key advisor to Londons Chief of Defence Staff, General Nick Carter, and David Williams, Londons principal civilian guide on defense matters. In an email that afternoon, mere hours after the Kerch Bridge bombing, Buczacki noted he had recently been deep in the maelstrom of crisis work and on that subject, he had recommended that Donnelly serve as counsel of the wise to Carter and Williams on the grounds that they would benefit from an expert in deterrence/escalation and all that. It would be pretty soon given contextI will shortly be stepping up to be ACDS [Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Military Strategy] (not yet public), Buczacki concluded. Donnelly promptly responded that he would be delighted to take up such a pivotal role in Britains prosecution of the proxy war. Short notice was no problem, he wrote, attaching his official British government security clearance, and two recent commentaries on the conflict in Ukraine he had circulated to his network. The content of his commentaries makes clear Donnelly views the untold billions in weapons shipments flowing to Ukraine by Bidens decree as insufficient, and that he worries that Biden might soon appease Putin by authorizing negotiations. President Joseph Biden generated international headlines when he commented during a fundraiser at the home of James Murdoch, the son of right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch, that Putin is not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons, and there was a very real prospect the conflict in Ukraine could end up with Armageddon. In his October 8th email exchange with Brigadier Julian Buczacki, Donnelly complained that the US presidents off-the-cuff remarks were so unwise as to beggar belief. Im not sure what the opposite word to deterrence is, but Biden is actively doing that, alas, Donnelly lamented. He argued that Putins threats of nuclear warfare should be considered a bluff aimed at weakening the Wests will to escalate until total victory is achieved. Evidently, from his perspective, something had to be done to prevent Washington from authorizing a negotiated solution that would satisfy any of Russias terms. A human bomb strikes Kerch Bridge On May 25th, Guy Spindler emailed Donnelly to report that he had spoken a couple of times to Butkevicius, the former Lithuanian Defense Minister. He commented that Butkevicius had done an excellent job of unpicking Ukrainian hesitation over training support, and has now caused Prevails name to be fed into the British government and its Embassy in Kiev and therefore the Foreign Office and MI6 as a potential supplier. Spindler judged Hedges to be feeling positive, as British defense ministers were reportedly no longer in principle against private sector training solutions. The only things left to do were secure official approval for some kind of guerilla-style operations, and ensure that our contributions including those of Butkevicius were properly compensated. The MI6 journeyman added that he had very partial sight of Hugh Wards various plans a reference to support for maritime raiding operations, inviting Donnelly to play me in as you will. It seems the blueprints assorted sabotage plots are so secretive and sensitive, even senior British intelligence officials charged with overseeing the operations arent fully party to their details. The Grayzone previously exposed Wards blueprint for attacking the Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland. According to those plans, cruise missiles, specially trained scuba teams, or underwater drones would destroy the bridges concrete pillars, as Ward saw them as the weakest part of the structure. Though Ukraines SBU security services ultimately opted for a truck bomb attack, a commemorative postage stamp issued by Kiev within mere hours of the bombing depicted two explosions at precisely the points suggested by Ward. The speed with which the stamp became available strongly implies it was prepared well in advance of the attack. Prevail fleshed out plans for alternative strategies as well. A presentation produced by the company entitled Kerch Bridge information pack proposed blowing up a vessel carrying ammonium nitrate under a portion of the bridge overlaying a shipping lane. Prevails model for this attack was the August 2020 Beirut blast, in which a massive and mysteriously detonated explosion destroyed the Lebanese capital citys port, exacting significant damage throughout surrounding neighborhoods. The private military firm approvingly noted the 552 tons of ammonium nitrate that exploded in Beirut produced a 140m wide crater and an earthquake of a 3.3 magnitude on a Richter scale, a quantity much less than the 2,754 tonnes that purportedly arrived in Crimea on a Russian-leased cargo ship in 2013. It is unclear why the truck bombing scenario was ultimately chosen perhaps because it provided a degree of plausible deniability to those behind the attack. Ukrainian officials, after initially celebrating the incident, are now claiming it was a Russian false flag operation. Furthermore, in late August Russia beefed up protective measures in and around Crimea, such as moving an S-300 missile defense system to the peninsula, which may have necessitated an alternate course of action than the one originally chosen. The bombing of the Kerch Bridge involved a vehicle packed with explosives and transported from Odessa, Ukraine to Crimea, via Bulgaria, Georgia, and Armenia, using different drivers at separate stages of the journey. The last driver was allegedly unaware of their suicide mission. If British agents had indeed orchestrated the attack on the Kerch Bridge, they likely drew on past operations that bore eery similarities. In 2006, an NGO known as British Irish Rights Watch published testimony by anonymous former British intelligence informants revealing that MI6 had spearheaded a false flag terror strategy known as the human bomb in Northern Ireland. Civilians were strapped into explosive-packed vehicles, then coerced to drive into military checkpoints, inflicting incendiary attacks on targets that killed soldiers and civilians alike. The wave of bombing strikes inflamed local tensions, and provided justification for draconian British state repression of the provinces Catholic population. It is known that at least two security force agents were involved in these bombings and allegations have been made that the human bomb strategy was the brainchild of British intelligence [emphasis added], British Irish Rights Watch stated in an accompanying report. Given the contents of the leaked material reviewed by The Grayzone, it is striking that the explosives used to target the Kerch Bridge originated in Odessa. Located just across the Black Sea from Crimea, this city hosted the SSU unit that served as the basis for Donnelly and Prevails secret terror army. Russian officials have long stated that they consider Crimea to be Russian territory, and that any attack on it would cross a bright red line and elicit an escalatory response. When Donnelly and his team outlined plans to establish a secret Ukrainian partisan army, it seems this was precisely what they set out to do. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked the Asian leader to use his influence to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Scholz noted that the two countries had agreed that Moscow's nuclear threats on Ukraine were "irresponsible and highly dangerous." On the other hand, Xi refused to condemn Putin's war on his European neighbor. Scholz Meets With Xi Jinping However, the Asian leader said that the global community should support efforts to end the crisis peacefully and oppose the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons. China's foreign ministry, reporting on the two world leaders' conclusions, did not quote Xi as using the words "Irresponsible" or "highly dangerous." The German chancellor's visit to China sparked concern in his home country and elsewhere in Europe after the Chinese president recently cemented his grip on power. Scholz's trip to the Asian country was both short, only 11 hours, and controversial, as per BBC. Scholz is the first Western leader to travel to China's capital since the global pandemic and the first one to meet with Chinese President Xi since the latter achieved his third term in office. The timing of the German chancellor's visit is seen as highly questionable by many in Europe. This includes members of the German chancellor's own government, who expressed worry that his presence will serve to burnish the domestic reputation of an increasingly authoritarian Xi. However, Scholz, similar to his predecessor, Angela Merkel, argued that global problems can only be addressed through cooperating with China. According to Reuters, Scholz warned that Russia was crossing the line in the international community by threatening the use of nuclear force on Ukraine. While the two leaders were having lunch, Xi said that it was relatively easy to destroy political trust but difficult to mend it. Read Also: China Developing Nuclear Weapons Way Faster Than USA, Warns Strategic Command Chief Criticism of Putin's War Xi, while greeting Scholz at the Great Hall of the People when the German chancellor arrived, urged China and Germany to work closely together on various international issues. The visit comes as Ukraine's Western allies have accused Moscow of threatening to use nuclear force in the war. However, Russian authorities continue to deny the allegations and have repeatedly accused Kyiv of planning to use a radioactive "dirty bomb" despite an investigation revealing no evidence of the claim. Scholz previously told Xi that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has created problems for the rules-based global order. The German chancellor then met with outgoing premier Li Keqiang, saying that it was clear that China and Germany were not friends of "decoupling." But before the war, Xi referred to Putin as his best friend but stopped short of asking the Russian strongman to withdraw his troops. The Chinese leader also made no mention of Putin's refusal to honor the United Nations agreement on facilitating Ukrainian grain exports. Putin publicly acknowledged in September for the first time that Xi had "questions" and "concerns" about his war on Ukraine. Shortly after a meeting between the two leaders, Putin raised the notion that nuclear weapons could be used in the war in order to defend his country and his people, Politico reported. Related Article: Vladimir Putin Cancer Condition: UK Army Chief, Leaked Documents Confirm Russian President's Terminal Disease @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A pregnant woman from Benton County, Arkansas, who was last seen on Monday, along with the unborn child she was carrying, were found dead near McDonald, Missouri, and a couple is now being investigated in connection with the incident. Amber and Jamie Waterman, who are married, are being held in McDonald, Missouri on first-degree kidnapping charges with additional charges to follow in relation to the death of Ashley Bush and the child she was carrying, according to Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway, who made the announcement during a news conference on Thursday. 31 Weeks Arkansas Pregnant Woman Found Dead At the news conference, Nathan Smith, the prosecuting attorney for Benton County, said that it is still unknown if Bush was slain in Arkansas or Missouri. He further mentioned that the case involves several places. Jail documents and a statement issued by the McDonald County Sheriff's Office in Missouri both indicate that the FBI was engaged in the Watermans' Thursday arrest. Smith predicted that the accused will likely face federal prosecution. Bush, who was 31 weeks pregnant, was last seen in the passenger seat of an older model tan pickup vehicle near Maysville, Arkansas, according to a statement released by Benton County police on Tuesday. Investigators think Amber Waterman was "Lucy." Police said that Bush's body was discovered on Monday in a different place than the baby she was expecting. In an email to CNN, McDonald County Sheriff Rob Evenson stated that the infant had been deceased since late Monday afternoon. Although the remains were both discovered in Missouri, Smith stated that detectives were still attempting to determine how the killings happened. How the mother and baby were seperated was not further discussed by him. He said that it was too early in the inquiry to talk about a potential motive. He did note that the evidence indicated that when she was kidnapped and slain, Bush believed she was her route to a job interview. Read Also: Australian Woman Decapitated Friend After Fight Over Money; Incident Caught on CCTV Dragging Victim's Remains in Suitcase Couple Left Dead Pregnant Woman in Missouri On Halloween, near the crossroads of Highways 72 and 43 in Maysville, Bush was last seen riding in the backseat of a stranger's car, Fox News reported. Bush met the driver, who went by the fake identity "Lucy," online while looking for a job that would allow her to work from home, according to the investigators. Smith said the investigation indicates that Amber Waterman used the alias "Lucy" as a "fabricated identity." "That someone would prey upon a pregnant woman at her most vulnerable position is incomprehensible, but regrettably that's the world we live in. This is simply a reminder that there is evil in the world, people do awful things," Smith said. According to the documents, Amber Waterman first informed the authorities that she had not left Missouri on the day Bush went missing, stating instead that she had "had a stillborn child that evening." Her husband, Jamie Waterman, told detectives that his wife had contacted him that afternoon to tell him she was miscarrying. It was only afterwards, he claimed, that his wife told him she had murdered Bush and escorted him to the body, and he thought the blood found inside the tan pickup vehicle was from his wife's "pregnancy difficulties." According to court records, the two then burned the body before moving it. He subsequently directed detectives to the location, where they discovered a "charred human body," according to the records. Jamie Waterman and Amber Waterman were both being kept in federal prison for yet-to-be-scheduled detention hearings. They'll be sent to Arkansas and might be charged with more crimes there, as per WHNT. Related Article: Harmony Montgomery Case: Missing New Hampshire Girl's Step-Mother Says Dad Killed Daughter, Gave Cover Story to Police @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the November 5 edition of Good Weekend. See all 16 stories . I was wandering around a park with an acquaintance the other day, when he casually mentioned that hed lost the power of speech when his father died. My heart lurched forward. I could speak to them on the phone, he said, of friends and family, but when Id see them in person His voice trailed off, and he gestured with his hand away from his throat. Why? I asked. Shock, he said, with a small smile. He needed therapy to learn how to utter words again in the presence of other people. The author as a child in Canada in 1976 with her father, David. Credit:Courtesy of Samantha Selinger-Morris I had waited 18 years, since my own father died at 58 of brain cancer, for this moment. To speak plainly about what losing a parent does to you. Nobody used to talk much about death and grieving. So, whenever Id glimpse a middle-aged man with my late fathers lumbering gait like a grocery store owner walking the shops aisles cradling a stack of ungainly tomato tins in his arms Id have to sit down and jam the palms of my hands into my eyes. Advertisement Loading My father, David Morris, struggled to find his place in the world. He did fantastic drawings; the gently swooping neck of his swiftly sketched brontosaurus, tossed off on the back of a restaurant paper placemat, hinted at a river of subterranean creativity he wasnt able to express in everyday life. Anxiety and depression, and a tendency to bristle at his co-workers, pushed him from job to job. He worked, variously, as a security guard, draftsman, computer technician and amateur Canadian military historian before becoming, at 56, a teachers aide in a Toronto high school. On a family trip to California in 1989. Credit:Courtesy of Samantha Selinger-Morris My dad, whod dropped out of high school before later graduating as a mature-age student, became giddy with joy. No kidding! he emailed me in 2003, a year before his death. Me, a former mathematical bonehead is providing a positive touch in a mathematics class. His pride leapt off the screen. Loading He was the one who fretted about who drove me home at night even when I lived more than 15,000 kilometres away. I, too, have long coped with anxiety, and struggled to find where I belonged. Shortly after he died, I remember walking towards my office and stopping, frozen, in the doorway. That cocoon of care was gone. Forever. Advertisement How is one meant to live with great loss? In my case, I did what any type A personality would do. I researched the crap out of it. Id nod vigorously to myself, in my bedroom, while scrolling through Instagram and reading quotes about grieving. Like this one by Canadian author Saul Bellow: Losing a parent is something like driving through a plate-glass window. You didnt know it was there until it shattered, and then for years to come youre picking up the pieces, down to the last glassy splinter. I took perverse pride in what my grief gave me. I was an aristocrat of pain. And did you know, Id all but pant to my husband while we got ready for bed, that Stephen Colberts father and two brothers died in a plane crash when he was 10? That he once said the experience delivered him the gift of being able to love those in his life more deeply? I took perverse pride in what my grief gave me. I was an aristocrat of pain. Now, finally, stories about loss are coming out of the conversational wilderness. People regularly tweet about losing friends and family. One of the buzziest new podcasts is All There Is with Anderson Cooper, in which Cooper, a CNN host and son of the late fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt, talks with guests about grief, both his and their own. Its this thirst that everyone has, and no ones pouring water for anybody, says Stephen Colbert in one episode. The author and her father on her wedding day in Canberra, in 2001. Credit:Courtesy of Samantha Selinger-Morris I all but smacked my forehead. Oh, this feeling is normal. Im not alone. It was a fitting discovery, given my father taught me to revere the practical. Be a plumber or a baker, hed often say. The world will always need them. And, my personal favourite: Never get a tattoo where a judge can see it. It used to be that, when it came to coping with the loss of my father, I was like John D. Rockefeller, who, when asked by a reporter, How much money is enough? , responded: Just a little bit more. I was the same with solace for my dad. No matter what my wonderful friends or patient husband said, it was never enough. Advertisement The federal government will push through sweeping changes to Australias workplace laws that aim to increase wages across the economy days after aged care workers were awarded a 15 per cent pay boost in a landmark decision handed down by the Fair Work Commission. The Health Services Union had called for a 25 per cent pay rise for aged care workers and nurses, comparable to $5 an hour, after the royal commission into the sector called on the Commonwealth and providers to overhaul the historical underpayment of the feminised workforce. Anthony Albanese and Labor backed a significant pay rise for aged care workers. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Workplace relations minister Tony Burke said the aged care decision handed down on Friday afternoon signified the first step in changing the undervalued nature of care work. We fought for this pay rise because our government is committed to getting wages moving again, particularly in low-paid, female-dominated industries like this one, he said. Renters will be able to directly transfer their bond over to a new property and eviction rules will be tightened, the state opposition has promised if they win office at next years NSW election. NSW Labor said it would move to reduce the number of renters facing double bond needing to pay bond to secure a new rental before receiving the bond refunded from their previous home by having the bond board directly transfer from one property to another. NSW Labor is promising better protection for renters if elected next year. Credit:Peter Rae The opposition is also promising reform that would require landlords to identify a reason from a set list of reasonable grounds to end a lease, amid reports of tenants being evicted from properties for trying to enforce their contractual rights or dispute exorbitant rent rises. Data from Domains September 2022 quarterly rental report showed the average rent for a house in Sydney is $650, up from $570 in September 2021. The average rent for a unit increased from $480 to $550 in the same time period. Police are investigating the death of two men whose bodies were discovered in western Sydney on Saturday morning. About 7.20am, police were called to a property on The Northern Road in Londonderry after the men were discovered. They were aged 50 and 63. Neither man was known to authorities and there was no obvious sign of injury. The men are yet to be formally identified. A crime scene has been established and inquiries continue. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Austin, Texas: Debris from a Chinese rocket plummeting uncontrolled to Earth on Friday evening prompted NASA administrator Bill Nelson to issue a statement highly critical of the incident. Once again, the Peoples Republic of China is taking unnecessary risks with the uncontrolled rocket stage reentry of their Long March 5B rocket stage, Nelson said in a statement. They did not share specific trajectory information which is needed to predict landing zones and reduce risk, Nelson added. The Long March 5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian lab module blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Wenchang in southern Chinas Hainan Province on July 24. Debris from it were found in the Philippines. Credit:Xinhua/AP It was the fourth time a Chinese Long March 5B rocket has spiralled aimlessly down to Earth in the last two years, sparking concerns each time the debris hits Earth. Washington: The US Defence Department is setting up a new command to oversee how the United States and its allies train and equip the Ukrainian military, it has announced along with a new package of $US400 million in security assistance. The Pentagons commitment to supplying Ukraine with weaponry and the new command are clear signals the US expects the threat from Russia to Ukraine and its neighbours to persist for many years, current and former senior American officials said. Workers repair infrastructure in a power plant that was damaged by a Russian air attack in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Drone strikes are causing electricity and heating outages across Ukraine. Credit:Getty Images The command will ensure we are postured to continue supporting Ukraine over the long term, Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, told reporters at a news briefing on Saturday (AEDT). We remain committed to Ukraine for as long as it takes. In the military, a command is a focused organisation dedicated to a particular geographical or strategic area. The new command, called the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, or SAG-U, will be based in Germany and within the structure of the Pentagons European Command. With a staff of about 300 people, it will be focused on one mission: to help train and equip Ukraines military. Chinese premier calls for enhanced mutually beneficial cooperation with Germany Xinhua) 10:13, November 05, 2022 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang holds a ceremony to welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on an official visit to China, prior to their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday held talks with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing. Noting that China attaches great importance to ties with Germany, Li said China is ready to work with the German side to promote the stable and sound development of China-Germany relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to add more impetus to the global economy and better safeguard regional and global peace and stability. Li said that economic and trade cooperation is the bedrock of bilateral relations, and that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Germany in areas such as trade and investment, manufacturing and COVID-19 response, and work toward a cooperation mechanism to act on climate change. For his part, Scholz said Germany does not advocate decoupling, and that Germany is ready to work with China to overcome the impact of COVID-19, deepen cooperation and facilitate personnel exchanges to further promote the development of bilateral ties. The two sides exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis, pledging efforts to maintain world peace and regional stability. When meeting with the press, Li said that under the current circumstances, China and Germany should enhance strategic mutual trust, adhere to two-way opening up, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote bilateral relations, and use the stability of China-Germany relations to promote the stability of international relations and the world economy. "China and Germany have far more common interests than differences," Li stressed, noting that the two sides have agreed to increase exchanges and communication in various fields, and promote cooperation on key projects. Li said China will continue to foster a market-oriented and law-based international business environment to develop China into a high ground for opening up and a hot destination for foreign investment. He said that companies from all over the world are welcome to invest in China. For his part, Scholz said Germany is ready to have candid dialogues with China, enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation in key areas, promote the establishment of a cooperation mechanism to tackle climate change, jointly address challenges in food security, energy security and the ecological environment, and make positive efforts to safeguard world peace and stability. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on an official visit to China, jointly meet the press after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang holds a ceremony to welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on an official visit to China, prior to their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang holds talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Following their defamation trial, Johnny Depp was found to owe his ex-wife Amber Heard $2 million; he has now appealed that decision. After the jury in their well reported trial agreed with Heard on one of her three countersuit allegations, Depp was ordered to pay his ex-wife back in June. Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard The charge arose from an assertion made by Adam Waldman, one of Depp's attorneys, that Heard and her friends had wrecked their flat and that she had lied about it. According to extracts from the complaint obtained by Law and Crime on Thursday, Depp's attorneys claimed that "the judgment in Heard's favor on that lone remark is incorrect." Heard had made comments about the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star, alleging that he had mistreated her during their relationship, and the two were in court over those remarks. Johnny Depp filed the defamation lawsuit, claiming that her comments in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post had negatively harmed his career. Amber Heard did not specifically mention Depp by name in the article, but given their stature and celebrity, it was clear who she was alluding to when speaking about her history of alleged abuse. The jury in the trial awarded Johnny Deep more than $10 million in damages, which Amber Heard and her estate will be responsible for paying. The brief also claims that Heard's and her defense team's trial arguments were "fatally flawed." The actor now claims that he shouldn't be required to pay because the jury "overwhelmingly" agreed with him on the other charges made, as per Daily Mail. According to Depp's Thursday submission with the Virginia Court of Appeals, Waldman's remarks did not accurately reflect the actor's own ideas and views, and as a result, he should not be held accountable for them. According to Johnny Depp's current legal representation, he shouldn't be held responsible for claims he didn't directly make. Depp received $10 to $15 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive penalties at the conclusion of the slander trial. Later, the judge set a cap on the damages at the $350,000 state maximum, leaving Depp with $8.35 million in total. Out of the $100 million that the actress requested in compensatory damages, $2 million was granted. After Amber Heard and her attorney filed an appeal in October, Depp's team announced that they will follow suit so that "all information is examined by the court." Additionally, Heard's lawyer requested the judge to declare a mistrial and toss out the verdict last month. One of the jurors in the case was said to not have been qualified to participate since his summons was meant for his father, who had the same name and residence. The judge denied the motion, stating that the jury's decision should remain because there was no "evidence of fraud or wrongdoing" by the juror. Heard claims in her appeal that her ex-husband deceived the jury into thinking she was being tried for a comment made before she alleged domestic violence, and that this influenced the outcome. Read Also: Meghan Markle Sexual Scene Resurfaces Following Backlash Over 'Hypocrite' Comments on 'Deal or No Deal' Role [WATCH] Did Amber Heard Delete Her Twitter Account? Meanwhile, it appears that Amber Heard's Twitter account was deleted a few days after her ex-boyfriend Elon Musk took control of the website. As of Thursday, reports spread the American actor's handle, @realAmberHeard, was no longer an active account on the social media site. However, it was unclear when it had been deleted, and there were no official announcements from the Hollywood star explaining its disappearance. Per The Independent, Amber Heard's Twitter account was active as of September, based on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Heard had last updated the website and her still operational Instagram account in June to publish a message regarding the verdict of the lengthy defamation case filed by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, against her. Related Article: Selena Gomez Gets Honest on Brutal Bout with Depression, Suicidal Thoughts During Her 20s @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. operator (VIL) has said tariffs in India continue to remain at "unsustainable levels" and the industry needs "tariff correction" to support continued investments. VIL has seen average revenue per user (ARPU) growth for five consecutive quarters now. Its average revenue or realisation per user at Rs 131 in Q2 FY23 was 19.5 per cent higher than the year-ago period, aided mostly by tariff hikes and subscriber upgrades. ARPU for the September quarter was higher sequentially as well, when compared to Rs 128 in Q1 FY23. "However, it is important to note that despite the price intervention made in the last one year, the tariffs in India continue to remain at unsustainable levels. And we believe that industry needs further tariff correction to support the continued investments going forward," CEO Akshaya Moondra said during the company's analyst call on Q2 FY23 earnings on Friday. Over the last one year, the company has taken several tariff interventions including for entry level plans, he said, adding VIL continues to focus on getting more customers on 4G and unlimited plans. Citing the previews of digital and futuristic 5G use cases showcased by the company at the recently-held India Mobile Congress, Moondra said: "We are ready for the next journey of 5G technology where the connected world with limitless digital solutions will soon be new norm, and we will be playing a vital role in the same." To a specific question, Moondra admitted that both 4G coverage expansion and 5G rollout will depend on funding and fund raise. The company is ready with its plans and "engaged" with vendors, and once funding is in place, it will be able to roll out 5G and execute it quickly. "We believe once the funding is in place, we should be able to roll out quite quickly. I do understand that competition has already started rolling out so we will be behind them...but given the way 5G handset ecosystem has now started evolving and it will take some time, we don't think it will be significant disadvantage if we are able to have funding done in a couple of months, and roll out on that basis." On what is holding back the government's proposed conversion of telco's dues into equity, the VIL top executive indicated that he is not aware of the exact reasons why things are not moving. "We are in discussion with the government...I also don't know exactly the reason it is not happening. Government is taking some time. We had exercised this option to convert in January, post that we had a discussion with Department of (DoT), they had sent a letter to us in March, and we had confirmed the amount of conversion," he said. Since then, VIL has had "no communication from DoT in this matter". "So, we continue to be engaged with DoT and expect this should happen soon," Moondra added. The debt-ridden telecom operator earlier this week reported widening of its consolidated loss to Rs 7,595.5 crore in the second quarter ended September 2022. The company had posted a loss of Rs 7,132.3 crore in the same period a year ago. The service revenue of VIL, however, increased 12.8 per cent to Rs 10,614.6 crore in the second quarter of the current fiscal. In the year-ago period, the same stood at Rs 9,406.4 crore. recently received board nod to settle Rs 1,600 crore dues to equipment vendor ATC Telecom Infrastructure by converting the due amount into equity. Asked if the telco could use a similar arrangement with other parties, the VIL top honcho said the company has offered the option to some large vendors. "We have offered this to some large vendors. This is also governed by regulatory requirement, and of course it also depends on vendor policy and what they are interested in," Moondra said. The draft telecom bill -- circulated by the government for industry's comments -- is a step in the right direction, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 27th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP) to UNFCCC will start Sunday and it will see India seeking clarity on the definition of climate finance and nudging developed countries to enhance supply of technology and finance needed to address and resulting disasters. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav will lead the Indian delegation at the conference which will run from November 6 to 8 at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. One hundred and ninety eight parties to UNFCCC gather once a year to discuss how to jointly address . US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and more than 100 heads of states are expected to attend the conference. It is not yet clear if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it. According to the Union Environment Ministry, India looks forward to substantial progress on the discussions related to climate finance and clarity on its definition. "As it is a saying that 'what gets measured gets done', more clarity is needed on the definition of climate finance for the developing countries to be able to accurately assess the extent of finance flows for climate action," it said in a statement. The absence of a definition allows developed countries to greenwash their finances and pass off loans as climate-related aid. "India will seek clarity as to what constitutes climate finance whether it is grants, loans or subsidies," Yadav told reporters on Thursday. At COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, developed countries had committed to jointly mobilise USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries tackle climate change, but they have miserably failed in doing so. Along with other developing countries, India will ramp up pressure on rich nations to deliver on this promise. According to the fourth Biennial Assessment of the Standing Committee on Finance of the UNFCCC, the total public financial support reported by developed countries in October 2020 amounted to USD 45.4 billion in 2017 and USD 51.8 billion in 2018. Developing countries, including India, will also push rich countries to agree to a new global climate finance target - also known as the new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG) -- which they say should be in trillions as the costs of addressing and adapting to have grown. "Any consensus on an enhanced scale of financial mobilisation could be a welcome takeaway from COP27," said RR Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, and former climate negotiator under UNFCCC. "The figure of USD 100 billion for developing countries was agreed upon much before the Paris Agreement was signed. Based on the Nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the total cumulative financing requirements of the developing world is anything in the range of USD 5.8-5.9 trillion till 2030," Rashmi said. "The goal of USD100 billion per year of climate finance by 2020 and every year thereafter through 2025 is yet to be achieved. Due to lack of common understanding, several estimates of what has flown as climate finance are available. While the promised amount must be reached as quickly as possible, there is a need now to substantially enhance the ambition to ensure adequate resource flow under the new quantified goal post-2024," the environment ministry said. It said the discussion on NCQG in the ad-hoc working group must focus on the quantity of the resource flow and its quality and scope. "Issues relating to access and suggestions for improvement in the function of the financial mechanisms are also important. Besides, an improvement in transparency to ensure appropriate oversight of the quantum and direction of flows is imperative," the ministry said. Poor and developing countries also want to see a new finance facility to fund the "loss and damage" resulting from climate change -- for example money needed for relocating people displaced by floods. Developed nations have opposed this new fund which will hold them legally liable for massive damages caused by climate change. "The existing financial mechanisms, like Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund, under the UNFCCC have not been able to mobilise or deliver funds for loss and damage due to climate change," the ministry said. It said these are under-funded, most of the money is for mitigation (preventing and reducing emissions) and accessing it is cumbersome and time-consuming. "These are the circumstances based on which G77 and China have proposed adoption of an agenda item on loss and damage finance. It is the time that this issue is accorded prominence on the climate agenda that it rightfully deserves," the ministry said. Under the Paris Agreement, all parties had decided to have a Global Goal on Adaptation which aims to provide a system for tracking and assessing countries' progress on adaptation actions, and for catalysing adaptation funding. India says there needs to be significant progress on actions, indicators and metrics in respect of the GGA. "There must not be any hidden agenda of mitigation, especially in the form of nature-based solutions, in the name of co-benefits." At COP26 in Glasgow, parties agreed to develop a Mitigation Work Program (MWP) to urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation". Mitigation means avoiding and reducing emissions, ambition means setting stronger targets and implementation means meeting new and existing goals. Developing countries have raised concerns that rich nations, through the MWP, will push them to revise their climate targets without enhancing the supply of technology and finance. India says the Work Programme on Enhanced Ambition in Mitigation and Implementation cannot be allowed to "change the goal posts" set by the Paris Agreement. "The GST process and the other mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, including enhanced NDCs and submission of the long-term low emissions development strategies, are sufficient. In the Mitigation Work Programme, best practices, new technologies and new modes of collaboration for technology transfer and capacity building may be discussed fruitfully," the ministry said. Rich countries are seeking a discussion on Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement, which is about making all financial flows consistent with a "pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development" -- means the funds are tied to low emissions-based developments. India says "reaching the USD 100 billion per year goal must come first, and the developed countries must be asked to show the roadmap for the same." At the UN climate conference, India will also emphasise again on its invitation to all countries to join the LiFE movement "Lifestyle for Environment", a pro-people and pro-planet effort that seeks to shift the world from mindless and wasteful consumption to mindful and deliberate utilization of natural resources. (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.) Prime Minister expressed condolences over the death of India's first voter Negi, who died aged 106 at his residence in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur on Saturday morning. Two days ago, Negi had cast his vote for the state's Assembly polls through postal ballot, the Commission said earlier in the day. Addressing a poll rally here in Mandi district for the November 12 assembly polls in the hill state, Modi said, "When I started from Delhi in the morning, I got to know about the death of Negi. The 106-year-old had voted more than 30 times in his life." "Just a few days ago, Negi had cast his vote through postal ballot for the Himachal Pradesh polls. Even before his demise, he discharged his duty," Modi said, adding Negi's outlook towards will inspire the country's youth. "With a heavy heart, I bow my head to pay homage and express my deepest condolences to his kin," the prime minister said. In the morning, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had condoled Negi's death. (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.) Live news updates: leader will address a massive public meeting on November 7 at Jukkal before entering Maharashtra as Bharat Jodo Yatra is set to finish the leg on the same day, party sources said. Senior leaders from the state, including Pradesh Committee president Revanth Reddy, paid a visit to the venue on Friday. The leg of the foot march began on October 24 and will end on November 7 before entering Maharashtra. The opposition on Friday announced its first list of 43 candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections, fielding Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yagnik from the Ghatlodia constituency which is currently held by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Senior leader and former party MLA Arjun Modhwadia has been nominated from the Porbandar seat, which he had lost to the BJP's Babu Bokhiriya in 2012 and 2017. Only dialogue and diplomacy can end the devastating war in Ukraine, with total victory on the battlefield impossible for either warring party, members of a group of prominent former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela said Friday. The group, known as The Elders, delivered that message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him on a visit to Kyiv this summer that he must start considering a way out of the conflict, said group chairwoman Mary Robinson, former Irish president. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. Ahead of the counting of votes polled in the recently conducted bypoll, was reported in Dhamnagar assembly constituency in Odisha's Bhadrak district, leaving at least three people, including a woman, injured and a house burnt, police said on Saturday. Incidents of were reported from three different locations in Tihidi block on Friday night and Saturday, they said. A father-daughter duo was attacked with iron rods by supporters of a political party in Talagopabindha village on Friday night. They have been admitted to the Bhadrak district headquarters hospital, an officer said. The injured alleged that party supporters attacked them for voting in favour of another party in the by-election on November 3. They claimed they were earlier threatened against going to cast their votes. An FIR was registered with Tihidi police station and further investigation is underway, IIC Dibyalochan Behera said. In another incident, a person was attacked by supporters of a rival party while going to the agricultural field on Saturday morning. He was also admitted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment. A family at Kharapada gram panchayat alleged that their thatched house was burnt down allegedly due to political reasons by members of a political party. A viral video showed the victim family members were prevented from taking shelter at the gram panchayat building after their house was gutted in the incident. They alleged the son of local sarpanch attacked them when they attempted to take shelter at the panchayat building. However, Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S K Lohani said he had no information on the post-poll and would enquire about it from the Bhadrak SP. BJP candidate from Dhamnagar bypoll, Suryabanshi Suraj, visited the hospital and inquired about the health condition of the injured people. He urged all the political workers and supporters to refrain from any kind of violence. BJD state vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said the ruling party has nothing to do with the violence in Dhamnagar. "The law will take its course. Those involved in the violence would be taken to the task by the police," 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.) Medium and Large Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani on Saturday said proposals for investment to the tune of Rs 1.57 lakh crore were announced during the Global Investors' Meet (GIM) here. The 3-day GIM concluded on Friday. Briefing reporters, the Minister said the GIM rose beyond expectations as plans for a total investment of Rs 9.82 lakh crore were made. We have received investment proposals to the tune of Rs 9.82 lakh crore (since January this year) out of which Rs 2.83 lakh crore were approved by the single-window/State high-level clearance committee (SWCC/SHLCC) and Rs 1.57 lakh-crore investments were announced during the GIM, said Nirani. There are other big investment proposals that will be cleared by the State high-level clearance committee, headed by Chief Minister (Bommai), in the next three months, said the Minister. He said the energy sector received the major chunk of investment proposals, indicating the government's thrust on alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, wind, and solar. According to Nirani, 90 per cent of the investment plans were meant for places outside Bengaluru. He said the government was encouraging the One District, One Product' initiative to promote industries. Nirani vowed to improve waterway, airway, railway, and roadway in a big way. Further, he promised appointing nodal officers to help the investors with necessary infrastructure, water, power supply, and skilled manpower. There are eight airports operating in the State and three more would come up soon, 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.) and Technology Minister on Saturday stressed on the modernisation of indigenous texts of ancient knowledge as India seeks to assert its scientific prowess in the world. Inaugurating the national conference on 'Akash Tattva Akash for Life' here, Singh said India's indigenous knowledge and ancient texts were ignored as students of pursued their studies based on texts written by authors of other countries. "There is a scientific basis to this linking of ancient knowledge with modern . What India has, others are not aware of it. We are also not aware of what we have because we have been reading their literature," Singh said at the conference where former RSS general secretary Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, secretaries of science departments of the central government were also present. "Our textbooks were written by authors of other countries. We did not have the kind of resources and hence could not appreciate our own knowledge," he said, adding that the conference could be a step in that direction. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been encouraging all streams of sciences since he came to power, Singh said. Singh said the idea of a series of conferences blending the ancient knowledge of 'pancha maha bhoota' or five basic elements of life with modern science was first mooted by Joshi and it was a challenge to ensure that the message did not slip into the realm of superstition. In his address, Joshi said India's cultural heritage, spiritual thought and knowledge systems have been part of the way of life in the country and needed to be presented to the world. Humanity can progress only when one understands nature and the invisible force and achieves a fine balance between them, he said. The three-day conference is jointly organised by Vijnana Bharti, a swadeshi science movement, and the Department of Space with the endeavour to expose the youth to the wisdoms of ancient science along with modern scientific advancements. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the call for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and it would require major innovation to achieve this goal. (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 navies of India and Sri Lanka have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and actions to overcome common challenges faced by the navies and coast guard personnel of the two countries in the Indian Ocean. The 32nd international boundary line (IMBL) meeting between Sri Lankan and Indian navies was held here on board SLNS Sayura off the coast of Kankesanthurai in the north on Friday, the Sri Lanka Navy said in a press release. The talks between the navies of the two countries was held to mainly discuss common challenges in the Indian Ocean region. The objective of the IMBL meeting is to strengthen relationships between the two neighbouring countries and discuss actions to be taken pertaining to the navies and Coast Guard personnel to overcome maritime challenges. At this year's meeting delegates from both sides discussed matters pertinent to the security of maritime borders of both countries and exchanged views on the progress of previous meetings, the release said. The IMBL meeting is held to strengthen relationships and exchange views on actions to be taken by the navies and coast guard personnel of the two countries, the release added. The Indian High Commission here termed the discussion on matters of common concern as fruitful". "Fruitful discussions on matters of common concern and effective surveillance between India and Sri Lanka at the 32nd International Maritime Boundary Line Meeting held onboard SLNS Sayura yesterday," it tweeted. The Sri Lankan delegation at the IMBL meeting was led by Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Aruna Tennakoon, while the Indian delegation was headed by Flag Officer Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, Rear Admiral S Venkat Raman, the release said. Defence Adviser to the High Commission of India in Colombo, Captain Vikas Sood was also present at the meeting. (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.) FM Sitharaman likely to begin pre-Budget talks from third week of November is likely to begin her pre-Budget consultations with stakeholders from the third week of November. Sitharaman and senior officials will hold eight meetings with the representatives of agriculture and agro processing Industry, industry bodies, infrastructure and climate change, financial sector and capital markets, services and trade, social sector, trade union & labour organisations and economists, and state finance ministers. Read more defends layoffs, says losing over $4 million a day Defending his decision over of employees, Tesla CEO said that the micro-blogging site was losing more than $4 million per day. Taking to Twitter, said, "Regarding Twitter's reduction in force, unfortunately, there is no choice when the company is losing over $4 mn/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required." "Again, to be crystal clear, Twitter's strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged. In fact, we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press, he added. Read more ESMA-Indian regulators logjam: European banks' loss may aid US peers The derecognition of domestic clearing corporations by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) may come as a bonus for US-based banks providing custodial services for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to gain access to the Indian market. The move by the financial markets regulator of the European Union (EU) would mean Europe-based banks can no longer act as custodians in India come April 2023. Banks such as Societe Generale, Deutsche Bank, and BNP Paribas have a fairly large custodian business. If there is no agreement, their clients may switch to US-based banks, such as Citibank and BofA, said industry players. Read more Giving a thrust: Exports to account for 48% of nine PLI schemes Exports will account for 48 cent of the sales value committed by companies Rs 28.9 trillion across nine Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes spanning various sectors, based on their commitments to the government. Morgan Stanleys data, derived from government figures, estimates that total exports at the end of the scheme for seven out of the nine PLIs will be to the tune of Rs 13.9 trillion. The share of exports is expected to be far higher as the government has not given out the incremental export commitments, if any, of the PLIs in textiles, auto and auto components which are key export commodities. Read more Hero MotoCorp, Harley Davidson close in on motorcycle platform and Harley Davidson are in final stages of getting their jointly developed motorcycle platform off the ground, Hero MotoCorps management said in an investor call. This is part of the larger strategy to strengthen presence in the premium segment where rival Bajaj Auto and Royal Enfield have a stronghold and in which even TVS Motor Co is making rapid strides in. plans to launch one model every year in the premium end of the motorcycle market, Ranjivit Singh, chief growth officer, Hero MotoCorp, said during the call. Read more Just days before the end of voting in crucial midterm elections around the nation, Pennsylvania will play host to a battle of presidents as the leading figures from each party strive to rally supporters. AP News reported that former US President Barack Obama begins the day at a Pittsburgh event with Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor and best opportunity to capture a Republican-held Senate seat on Tuesday. Biden Remains Confident on Democrats Win Later on in the day in Philadelphia, Obama, Fetterman, US President Joe Biden, and Josh Shapiro will all make an appearance for their respective campaigns for the US Midterms. Former President Donald Trump will end the day campaigning with Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and candidate for governor Doug Mastriano. The presidential emphasis on Pennsylvania highlights the stakes in 2022 and beyond for a presidential battleground state hosting important Senate, House, and governor races on Tuesday's US Midterms. The Senate race could decide the majority for the next two years, affecting Biden's agenda and judicial nominations. The governor's race will impact state policies and election machinery before the 2024 election. Polls suggest a close race between Donald Trump's pick, Oz, and Biden's, Fetterman, to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Shapiro, the Democratic state attorney general, is up in the polls over Mastriano, a state legislator and retired Army colonel who, according to some Republicans, is too conservative to win a general election in a state that Biden barely took two years ago. And while Democrats are optimistic about the Pennsylvania governor's race, they spend the weekend on justifications as voters turn against Biden's administration in the face of rising prices, crime fears, and general cynicism about the country's future. Though, President Joe Biden told reporters he's certain Democrats will win the House in the US Midterms, as reported by The Washington Post. As he readies to leave California for his trip to Chicago, Pres. Biden expressed confidence that Democrats are "going to win this time around." "We're keeping the House," he said. Oz crafted a centrist image in the general election and attacked Fetterman's progressive ideas on criminal justice and drug reform. Some voters, particularly Republicans who don't trust him because he's too liberal or insincere, have been resistant to Oz's pitch. Read Also: Trump Organization To Receive Independent Monitor That Will Oversee Real Estate Empire's Financial Reporting, Judge Rules Pennsylvania Republicans Raise Concern on Midterm Ballot On Saturday night, Donald Trump will mobilize support for Oz and Mastriano in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. After receiving Trump's backing, Oz's chances of becoming the Republican nominee improved, albeit only slightly. The former Republican president is placing his bets on the famous TV doctor to help him win over suburban women in the pivotal swing state. This is just one stop on Trump's final rally blitz, which will also take him to pivotal presidential battleground states like Florida and Ohio. He plans to announce his run for president in 2024 in the days or weeks after the midterm elections, and he's hoping a strong GOP showing this week would generate momentum for his campaign. Meanwhile, Republicans in Pennsylvania are concerned about how the state would handle mail-in votes with inaccurate or lacking dates. According to Fox News, Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman and Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, both Republicans, wrote to interim Pennsylvania Secretary of State Leigh Chapman, a Democrat, on Friday: "Your office should ensure counties have clarity that undated mail-in ballots should be kept separate from mail-in ballots with a completed voter declaration and that those ballots should not be counted." The letter to the secretary of state of Pennsylvania comes days after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court instructed election officials to refuse mail-in ballots with the incorrect date indicated on the envelope, potentially invalidating a large number of votes in tight races in next week's midterm elections. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court stated in its brief opinion that the justices were divided on the subject of whether or not it is illegal to discard ballots for trivial reasons, such as having the wrong date or no date marked on the envelope in which they are mailed. The court ordered Pennsylvania county boards of elections to "segregate and preserve" undated or erroneously dated votes in the US Midterms. Doing so would protect the ballots if a higher court reverses the decision or determines that the destruction of such votes would infringe on federal law. Related Article: Republican Liz Cheney Hits the Campaign Trail in Support of Democrat Tim Ryan, Others @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Counting of votes will be held on Sunday in the by-election to seven assembly constituencies in six states including former chief minister Bhajan Lal's family bastion Admapur in Haryana. Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi, who contested on a BJP ticket, and RJD's Neelam Devi, whose husband Anant Singh's disqualification necessitated the by-election in Bihar's Mokama, are among the prominent candidates in the fray. The other constituencies where results of the November 3 will be out were Gopalganj in Bihar, Andheri (East) of Maharashtra, Munugode of Telangana, Gola Gokarannath of Uttar Pradesh, and Dhamnagar of Odisha. Among the seven seats which witnessed a stiff contest between the BJP and the regional parties, the saffron party held three and the Congress two, while the Shiv Sena and the RJD had one each. For the in Bihar, the main contest is between the BJP and the RJD, and the saffron party's main contenders in Haryana are the Congress, INLD and the AAP. Main contestants TRS, SP and the BJD are taking on the BJP in Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha respectively are taking on the saffron party. The BJP is seeking to retain the Gola Gokarannath seat in Uttar Pradesh and Dhamnagar in the BJD-ruled Odisha, banking on sympathy votes as it has fielded the sons of sitting MLAs whose death necessitated the . The Gola Gokarannath seat fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Arvind Giri on September 6. With the BSP and the Congress keeping away from the bypolls, there seems to be a direct fight between the BJP's Aman Giri and the SP candidate - former Gola MLA Vinay Tiwari. The BJD has fielded Abanti Das, the lone woman among the total five candidates in Dhamnagar. BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi's death necessitated the by-election. The saffron party has fielded Sethi's son Suryabanshi Suraj. The BJP and the ruling TRS had been campaigning aggressively in Munugode in Telangana, where the Congress MLA had resigned and is fighting on the saffron party's ticket. In Adampur, the by-election was necessitated after former chief minister Bhajan Lal's younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as MLA from the seat and switched from the Congress to the BJP in August. Bishnoi's son Bhavya is now contesting as the BJP candidate. The Adampur seat has been held by the Bhajan Lal family since 1968, with the late ex-chief minister representing it on nine occasions, his wife Jasma Devi once, and Kuldeep on four occasions. Bihar saw the first electoral test for the Nitish Kumar-led 'Mahagathbandhan' government, formed less than three months ago after the JD(U) parted ways with the BJP. The Mokama and Gopalganj seats in Bihar were earlier held by the RJD and the BJP respectively. The BJP is contesting from the Mokama constituency for the first time as the saffron party had, on previous occasions, left the seat to its allies. Both the BJP and the RJD have fielded the wives of local musclemen in the bypolls. BJP nominee Sonam Devi is up against RJD's Neelam Devi, whose husband Anant Singh's disqualification has necessitated the by-election. Mokama is the stronghold of Anant Singh since 2005. He won the seat twice on JD(U) tickets and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appealed to voters to support him. In Gopalganj, BJP fielded Kusum Devi, the wife of deceased party MLA Subhash Singh. The RJD fielded Mohan Gupta, while Indira Yadav, wife of Lalu Yadav's brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav, is contesting as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. Shiv Sena's Rutuja Latke is expected to comfortably win Andheri East Assembly constituency in Mumbai after the BJP withdrew from the contest which is the first after the recent split in the Shiv Sena following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who replaced Thackeray as the Maharashtra chief minister. The NCP and Congress have supported her candidature. The by-election was necessitated due to the death of Latke's husband and Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke in May. (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.) on Friday announced its first list of 43 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls. The list has some prominent names including Bharat V Solanki from Gandhidham, Ameeben Yagnik from Ghatlodia and Arjun Modhwadiya from Porbandar. The party fielded Ramesh Bhai Dangar from Anjar, Sanjaybhai Govabjhai Rabari from Deesa and Himanshu V Patel from Gandhinagar South. The faces a stiff challenge in Gujarat as the has been in power in the state for 27 years. The is also facing a challenge from Aam Aadmi Party. The in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will take place on December 8. Results of the Himachal Pradesh will also be declared the same day. (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.) Prime Minister will address a public meeting in Valsad district of poll-bound on Sunday and attend a mass marriage programme in Bhavnagar, a BJP functionary said on Saturday. This will be the first visit of the prime minister to his home state after the were declared by the Election Commission. PM Modi will address a rally in Nana Pondha in Valsad district on Sunday afternoon. He will attend a mass marriage function in Bhavnagar in the evening, BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave said. will be held in in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. The poll contest will be triangular in view of the Aam Aadmi Party's entry into the fray. In the 2017 elections, the BJP had won 99 seats and the Congress 77 of the total 182 seats. (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 has said a borrower cannot claim further extension of time as a matter of right for making payment under the one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. The apex court said the borrower has to establish any right in its favour to claim the extension as a matter of right. A bench of Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari quashed the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement delivered in March, which had granted further six weeks to a borrower, a company, to make the payment of balance amount with interest to the State Bank of India according to the sanctioned letter of OTS. The top court observed that rescheduling the payment under the OTS scheme and granting extension of time would tantamount to "rewriting the contract", which is not permissible while exercising the powers under Article 226 of the Constitution. The modification of the contract can be done only by mutual consent under section 62 of the Indian Contract Act, it said. Article 226 of the Constitution deals with the power of high courts to issue certain writs. "The borrower as a matter of right cannot claim that though it has not made the payment as per the sanctioned OTS scheme, still it be granted further extension as a matter of right. There cannot be any negative discrimination claimed," the bench said. The top court delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by the SBI against the high court judgement. It noted that the bank had sanctioned a cash credit in favour of the borrower. Later, the bank came out with OTS scheme in September 2017 which specifically provided for making payment as settled under the scheme within six months from the date of sanction, else infructuous. The apex court noted that the bank sent OTS offer to the borrower, who accepted it. It said under the sanctioned OTS, the borrower was required to deposit 25 per cent of the amount by December 21, 2017, and the balance amount with interest was to be deposited within six months from the date of the letter. The borrower requested extension of eight to nine months for repayment of balance amount of Rs 2.52 crore, which the bank declined and directed it to make the payment by May 21, 2018. The borrower then approached the high court seeking eight to nine months to pay the outstanding amount beyond May 21, 2018. In its verdict, the apex court noted that the bank had floated other OTS schemes and offered to the borrower to settle the account but the company did not opt for them. It said the question which arises for consideration of the top court is whether in the facts and circumstances of the case, the high court was justified in extending the period to make the payment of balance amount under the sanctioned OTS scheme while exercising powers under Article 226. The bench said in the sanctioned letter dated November 21, 2017, it was specifically provided that the entire payment was to be made by May 21, 2018. "It is an admitted position that the borrower did not make the payment due and payable under the sanctioned OTS scheme on or before the date mentioned in the sanctioned letter," it said. While allowing the appeal, the bench said the judgement passed by the high court granting further time to the borrower to make balance payment under the OTS scheme in exercise of powers under Article 226, was "unsustainable and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and is accordingly quashed and set aside". (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 emails started arriving in Inc. employees personal inboxes in the early morning hours Friday: Today is your last working day at the company, the message read. As people frantically refreshed their work and personal accounts to learn their fate, new owner sought to defend his decision to terminate thousands of jobs. He said the company had experienced a massive drop in revenue due to a flight of advertisers from the social network. It was an eventful week for . Since his takeover last week, Musk has assembled a transition team of close confidants to help identify deep cost cuts and quick ways to jump-start revenue. The global workforce reductions are expected to affect 3,700 jobs about half of the company. Some outgoing staff said they will be paid at least two months of severance. Musk is also looking for places to cut within Twitters technical infrastructure. At the same time, remaining employees are racing to develop new tools that can be sold to users. The most urgent is a revised subscription program that will, among other perks, let anyone get a blue badge with a check mark next to their name on the site if they pay $8 a month. Currently, the check marks are free, used as a designation for verified accounts of celebrities, politicians, journalists and other public figures to distinguish them from impostors. Musks acquisition of saddled the money-losing business with a large pile of debt, and the billionaire has said they need to pay the bills. The hastily arranged blue-check program, which could be released as soon as next week, was met with ire from popular users on Twitter. Musk and his transition team have responded derisively. Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8, Musk wrote in response to US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who criticized the idea of making people pay in the name of free speech. Twitter faces urgent matters besides cost-cutting and increasing cash flow. A major is on Tuesday, and Twitter employees said they were without access to essential tools for monitoring and removing political misinformation in the days following Musks takeover. Musk promised civil rights leaders he would restore content moderation tools that had been blocked for some staff by the end of this week. Before Twitter began the mass terminations, employees preemptively filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday. They claimed the company was moving too quickly to dismiss without warning, in violation of federal and California law. When details of the layoffs were communicated Friday, the attorney leading the class-action suit, prominent labor lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan, said she was pleased that Musk is making an effort to comply with the WARN Act by paying severance. Laws aside, Musk is looking to correct what he sees as a coddled workforce. He eliminated the companys days of rest policy, which had been introduced as a mental-health measure during the Covid-19 pandemic. The response to these moves from many employees in the UK was to join trade unions, an effort to better protect their employment rights ahead of the mass job cuts, said Mike Clancy, general secretary of the union Prospect. Twitter is treating its people appallingly, he said. Many workers turned to company Slack channels and public Twitter posts to say goodbye. They used blue heart and salute emojis to thank their colleagues. But they lacked official information about their next steps. At least two pregnant staffers who were laid off had no information about their medical benefits going forward, according to people familiar with the matter. Even the employees who survived the cuts were reeling from the way the process occurred. Some advertisers are wary of associating their brands with Twitter during a time of tumult. Audi, Pfizer Inc. and General Mills Inc. said they will temporarily pause spending on Twitter while they wait to see how it evolves under Musks leadership. Though Musk pledged to reinstate worker access to content moderation tools this week, civil rights groups remain wary of his changes. A coalition called #StopToxicTwitter made up of more than 60 advocacy organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and Accountable Tech said on Friday it plans to escalate calls to Twitter advertisers telling them to stop buying ad space on the platform in the wake of Musks sweeping layoffs. Jessica J. Gonzalez, co-CEO of Free Press, part of the coalition, said the groups were stepping up their campaign in response to Musks failure to uphold his commitment to take the measures that would prevent Twitter from becoming a superspreader of racism and disenfranchisement. On top of that, Musk is politically divisive, frequently promoting right-wing voices and sparring with the left. On Thursday night and early Friday morning, he was engaging on Twitter with someone who posted a meme making fun of Ocasio-Cortez and endorsed a message from the author Tom Fitton saying conservative speech is suppressed. Musk blamed activist groups pressuring advertisers for a recent and swift decline in ad revenue. Extremely messed up! he wrote. Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. German officials urged environmental activists to engage in constructive protests and avoid endangering lives on Friday as government-appointed experts warned that the key European Union country risks missing its climate targets for 2030. A heated debate has broken out over activists' methods after road blockades caused by a Monday protest delayed a specialist rescue crew from reaching a cyclist fatally injured in a traffic accident in Berlin. Some German media declared the protesters shared the blame for the woman's death. Climate activists also were criticized for gluing themselves to a dinosaur exhibit, throwing food over valuable paintings and spraying political party offices with paint. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports all democratic engagement, and we have repeatedly stressed that in connection with the climate protests, Wolfgang Buechner, the chancellor's spokesperson, told reporters. But the form of protest that we are seeing now, this week in particular, is not effective or constructive. Buechner noted Scholz had stressed on Monday that protests must not lead to endangering other people. People's lives must not be endangered, and so we do not accept this form of protest, Buechner said, urging instead protests that unite society to work for faster climate change. The chancellor's spokesman insisted that protecting the climate was the central concern of the German government and said it was already working hard on ambitious policy aims. Our aim is very clear: We, as the whole German government, want to implement effective climate policy, and we are making that clear with our determination to act, he said. Europe's biggest economy wants to slash greenhouse gas by at least 65 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030 and has plans in place to sharply boost renewable energy production while phasing out fossil fuels. But the government's own advisers cast doubt Friday on Germany's ability to meet that target, saying the country needs to reduce its twice as fast as the yearly average from over the past decade. In some sectors, such as industry and transportation, the cuts would need to be 10 times higher or more, the five-member panel said. Its chair, Hans-Martin Henning of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, said Germany's efforts to improve energy efficiency were being undone by higher consumption, such as from larger homes and increased mobility. The panel's findings are a blow to Germany's green credentials ahead of this year's UN climate talks in Egypt, which start next week. Facing an energy crunch as a result of Russia's war on Ukraine, the German government announced plans to reactivate old oil and coal-fired power stations, import more liquefied natural gas and extract more coal from its own mines, angering climate activists. The government insists the measures are temporary and the overall shift to clean energy will be accelerated. On Thursday, inked a preliminary deal to buy more natural gas from Egypt and to help the North African nation develop production facilities for hydrogen. has also tried to make up for its own high historical by helping countries that are now bearing the brunt of global warming's impacts. The government said Friday that it would provide Peru with about 352 million euros (USD 345 million) to help the Latin American nation improve its public transit system and to combat deforestation in the Amazon. Activists from the group Uprising of the Last Generation, which staged the museum protests and road blockades, expressed sadness at the cyclists's death Friday, but said they would continue to protest until the German government does enough to tackle the climate crisis. The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Friday cited a confidential report by the emergency doctor at the scene of the crash stating that the delayed arrival of the specialist crew made no difference to the victim's medical treatment. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after an attempted assassination on former Prime Minister Imran Khan, protesters took to the streets and "held traffic hostage" while Islamabad Police requested them to not set fire to vehicles. Taking to Twitter, Islamabad police said, "The protesters have taken the traffic hostage. Protesters are requested not to set fire to vehicles. The Rawalpindi administration has been repeatedly requested to stop the stone pelting on behalf of Rawalpindi. Stone pelting in the presence of public representatives is a sad thing." Imran was shot on Thursday evening when he was at his container when his party's 'Haqeeqi Azadi' march reached Wazirabad's Allahwala Chowk. Soon after the previous post, Islamabad police informed that Faizabad traffic routes have been opened. In the latest development, the Punjab police have confirmed that seven people were injured and a person was killed during the firing incident. As per the police, the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz. The suspected shooter who opened fire during the rally was caught by Punjab police where he admitted that he wanted to kill because "he was misleading the public." "I thought of this as there was Azaan going on and on the other side, is taking out his container and making noise. My conscience did not approve of this. I decided this suddenly... I conspired against when he kicked off his long march from Lahore. I made up my mind that I will not leave him alive," the shooter said according to a video shared on social media. Responding to whether someone else is also involved in the conspiracy, the shooter said, "I have conspired this alone and no one else is involved in this. I came on a bike and I parked it at my uncle's shop. He has a motorcycle showroom." Hours after the assassination attempt against Imran Khan, people held protests in front of the Corps Commander House in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in an inflammatory address on Friday shifted the blame of the assassination attempt on PTI chief Imran Khan onto the former prime minister for what he described as "crossing the red lines of religion", the Dawn reported. He expressed these views during the National Assembly (NA) centring on yesterday's assassination attempt on the former prime minister, which he alleged was being used to further "political objectives". Imran has been leading an anti-government march to the capital for almost a week and survived a gun attack on Thursday in Punjab's Wazirabad. He sustained a wound in his shin when the container was hit by a volley of bullets. (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.) Iran's foreign minister on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that his country has supplied with drones, insisting the transfer came before Moscow's war on Ukraine that has seen the Iranian-made divebombing Kyiv. The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian come after months of confusing messaging from about the weapons shipment, as sends the slamming into Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets. We gave a limited number of to months before the Ukraine war, Amirabdollahian told reporters after a meeting in Tehran. Previously, Iranian officials had denied arming Russia in its war on Ukraine. Just earlier this week, Iran's Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani called the allegations totally unfounded" and reiterated Iran's position of neutrality in the war. The US and its Western allies on the Security Council have called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to investigate if Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians in Ukraine. Even so, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has vaguely boasted of providing drones to the world's top powers. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has extolled the efficacy of the drones and mocked Western hand-wringing over their danger. During state-backed demonstrations to mark the 1979 US Embassy takeover on Friday, crowds waved placards of the triangle-shaped drones as a point of national pride. As he acknowledged the shipment, Amirabdollahian claimed on Saturday that was oblivious to the use of its drones in Ukraine. He said remained committed to stopping the conflict. If (Ukraine) has any documents in their possession that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide them to us, he said. If it is proven to us that Russia used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will not be indifferent to this issue. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elon Musks broad-based cuts at Inc. are leading current and former employees to question whether the social network will have the resources to keep crucial systems like content moderation running effectively, including during the on Tuesday. Musk on Thursday and Friday slashed over half the staff, affecting almost every team at the company. Product and engineering teams were gutted by well over 50%, according to two sources, and other groups like communications, marketing, and diversity were almost completely eliminated. Those who were suddenly restricted from email and Slack were left frantically messaging in outside Signal and chat groups to understand who was still employed. Its like a fire, said one former worker. People are looking for survivors. The dramatic scaling down of the companys staff immediately drew scrutiny from insiders, outside groups and disinformation watchers, who say its unclear how will manage its sprawling network, which has an outsized impact on global political and cultural conversation, with far fewer people at the helm. Twitter has historically been a major tool for following news during elections, as the first place information gets reported before it ends up on television or other social networks. Now, the site has been massively disrupted, becoming vulnerable to problems during high-traffic moments, or coordinated disinformation campaigns, said Dr. Kate Starbird, an associate professor at the University of Washington and co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public. Some of the ways that that platform worked yesterday are not going to be the ways that they work today, tomorrow and going into the election on Tuesday. Twitters curation team, which wrote context for trending topics and worked with media groups to publish content that fact-checked major news events, has been dissolved, two people say. The legal policy team, which removes content based on government and legal requests and reviews law enforcement inquiries for user data, faced massive cuts, according to a person familiar with the matter. The communications team at Twitter, responsible for engaging with journalists and putting out press releases, was cut from nearly 100 people to two, other people say. The partners team, which builds and maintains relationships with celebrity users, like athletes, actors and musicians, was almost completely eliminated. Also fueling the tension over the lack of content controls is Musks plan to allow anyone to pay for a verification check mark on Twitter as soon as Monday, as part of a new initiative to drive revenue through subscriptions to Twitter Blue, its premium product. If enacted as planned, it would mean anyone would be able to pay $8 to have their account look more legitimate, adding a risk they would impersonate candidates or government entities. The combination of massive layoffs, along with the end of verified users less than a week before the US election takes place, creates a combustible situation that could burst into flames at any point, said Melissa Ryan, chief executive officer of Card Strategies, a consulting firm that researches disinformation. Bad actors have a new tool to spread disinformation, harm, and cause chaos, and Twitter now lacks the capacity and institutional memory to deal with the inevitable problems. Beyond the election, if Twitter becomes more vulnerable to bad actors, the companys bottom line could be affected. Already, some advertisers have paused spending or expressed concern about the period of uncertainty. Musk tweeted Friday morning that Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Twitters marketing organization was among the groups hit hardest, with at most a couple dozen employees remaining from a team that had close to 400 people, according to two sources. The ad sales organization was less impacted by the job cuts, according to people familiar with the matter. Still, one point of concern is that the senior level employees who would typically be called to help soothe advertiser concerns people like head of sales Jean-Philippe Maheu or chief marketing officer Leslie Berland were fired from the company earlier this week. Twitters US trust and safety team, which handles content moderation, was also impacted by layoffs, affecting 15% of staff, according to Yoel Roth, the head of safety and integrity at the company, who remains. With early voting underway in the US, our efforts on election integrity including harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operations remain a top priority, he said on Twitter. While we said goodbye to incredibly talented friends and colleagues yesterday, our core moderation capabilities remain in place. Earlier this week Bloomberg reported that many of the tools that team uses to enforce its content moderation policies had been frozen, and those tools were still unavailable for most people as of Friday. Musk previously told civil rights leaders that internal moderators would have access back by the end of the week. Roth said access will be restored in the coming days. Globally, the trust and safety team was decimated, including in Ireland, the companys main outpost for monitoring the rest of the world, according to another person. The entire team has been cut from the company, Shannon Raj Singh, the counsel for that team, said on Twitter, adding that she was proud of her team for helping protect users during conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia and elsewhere. The lawyer who sued Inc. pre-emptively on the eve of mass layoffs by said shes pleased to learn at least some employees will continue being paid until Jan. 4. Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan said Friday that the billionaire is making an effort to comply with the law, less than half a day after she accused the company in a class-action federal lawsuit of violating federal and California statutes restricting from mounting mass layoffs on short notice. Liss-Riordan, who filed a similar lawsuit over June layoffs at Musks automaker Tesla Inc., said she will be monitoring the situation at to ensure employees receive appropriate notice and compensation. I am pleased that learned something from the lawsuit we brought against him at Tesla, she said in an email. We filed this case preemptively to make sure a repeat of that violation did not happen. sent out letters on Friday to regulators in California outlining the layoffs. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, known as WARN, generally requires at least 60 days of advance notice for mass layoffs at large . The company said it was cutting 93 jobs in Los Angeles, 784 in San Francisco and 106 in San Jose. The affected employees will be paid all wages and benefits they are entitled to through Jan. 4, the official termination date, the company said in the letters. Liss-Riordan said shed be looking into concerns about how the social media company chose which workers to terminate, and that the worker named as the lead plaintiff in Thursday nights complaint appeared to have been targeted for retaliation when he was laid off Nov. 1. Employees have been told they will receive a severance agreement next week in which Twitter will ask them to waive any potential claims against it, she said. The cost for failing to give notice under the WARN Act is limited to 60 days of pay and benefits, plus possible civil fines of as much as $500 per day for violations, said University of California at Berkeley law professor Catherine Fisk. All this can be avoided if the employer gives notice before laying off, Fisk said. But employers may make the calculation that theyre better off firing workers and paying the severance tab if theyre concerned about possible slacking, sabotage or theft of trade secrets by soon-to-be-former employees, Fisk said. Tesla hasnt responded to inquiries about the suit, which is still pending. Twitter on Friday began notifying many employees affected by a far-reaching round of job cuts. Musk plans to get rid of half the workforce, making good on his pledge to slash costs at the platform he acquired for $44 billion last month, people with knowledge of the matter have said. Liss-Riordans lawsuit asks the court to issue an order requiring Twitter to obey the WARN Act, and restricting the company from soliciting employees to sign documents that could give up their right to participate in litigation. In Liss-Riordans Tesla case, the company won a ruling from a federal judge in Austin forcing the workers to pursue their claims in closed-door arbitration instead of in open court. Musk described the Tesla lawsuit as trivial during a discussion with Bloomberg Editor-In-Chief John Micklethwait at the Qatar Economic Forum in June. Liss-Riordan, a veteran Boston-based labor law attorney, gained national prominence suing Uber Technologies Inc. and other gig-economy for allegedly exploiting their drivers. She ran unsuccessfully in Septembers Democratic primary for Massachusetts attorney general. At Twitter, Well be watching the situation to make sure the employees are treated fairly and as the law requires, Liss-Riordan said Friday. Billionaires are not above the law. The case is Cornet v. Twitter Inc., 22-cv-06857, US District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco). Human rights group Amnesty International reported on Friday that Iranian security forces may have killed up to ten people, including children, in a crackdown on protesters in the country's southeastern provinces. Amnesty International posted on Twitter on Friday that security personnel in Khash, Sistan, and Baluchestan provinces, had opened fire with live ammunition on "peaceful protesters" from the rooftops of the governor's office " and other buildings during the Iran protests. The province is home to the long-oppressed Sunni Muslim Baluch ethnic group and has a history of conflict. Mass protests have also broken out in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan when the police commander was accused of raping a Baluch girl, as reported by CNN. According to footage & accounts received from eyewitnesses from Khash, Sistan & Baluchestan province, since 2pm local time, security forces have been firing live ammunition at peaceful protesters from the rooftops of the Governor's office & several other buildings. #_ pic.twitter.com/47c2p43qzn Amnesty Iran (@AmnestyIran) November 4, 2022 Zahedan's police chief was fired last week, but Iran protests continued, and on Thursday, a senior Shia priest was killed by unidentified gunmen, according to state news agency IRNA. Protests against the government reportedly became violent on Friday in numerous locations across southeast Iran, including Khash, according to official media and activists. State media posted footage from the city showing building smoke. Human Rights Groups Raise Concerns Amnesty used interviews with eyewitnesses and video material it had gathered from a variety of sources in its findings. #_ - pic.twitter.com/ehb39G9jK7 Maryam Moqaddam (@MaryamMoqaddam) November 4, 2022 The group expressed grave concern about "further bloodshed" in Iran protests due to internet outages and allegations of government officials deploying additional security forces to Khash from Zahedan. Iran Human Rights (IHR), headquartered in Norway, shared footage of wounded people being carried away and reported that many have been killed or wounded in Khash" due to security forces shooting from rooftops, as per a Barrons report. Baloch Activists Campaign (BAC) reported security forces were firing "with intent to kill" and hospitals were overrun. Read Also: China Developing Nuclear Weapons Way Faster Than USA, Warns Strategic Command Chief They claimed in a Telegram channel that "dozens" had been killed, including a 14-year-old girl, and that they had confirmed the identity of nine of the victims. Videos uploaded on social media depicted scenes of mayhem in Khash, with smoke billowing and citizens racing to aid the injured. Stone-throwing protestors who also set fire to a police patrol post injured many officers, according to the official IRNA news agency. Activists in Sistan-Baluchestan have long complained of discrimination at the hands of Iran's Shiite clerical establishment due to the province's majority Baluch population, who adhere to Sunni Islam rather than Shiite Islam. Anti-Government Protests Continue Amid Violence Despite the violent crackdown, anti-government Iran protests resumed on the streets in force after dusk arrived, according to a report from Iran International. People in the capital city of Tehran took to the streets at night, burning fires, blocking highways, and screaming anti-government chants in areas such as Javadieh, Tehranpars, Ekbatan, and other neighborhoods. Hours after regime forces opened fire on unarmed people in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Zahedan's Sunni Imam, who had earlier in the day called for a referendum, criticized the Islamic Republic's response to protestors in Khash. According to the United Nations, "Iran's authorities must swiftly rein in security forces" after up to 14,000 people were detained in Iran over the previous six weeks. Amnesty International says UN members must address issues with Iran's embassies and support a UN Human Rights Council investigation. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Pushes For Russian Evacuation in Kherson Region But Kyiv Thinks It's a Trap @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. South Korea's military says has fired four short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, adding to its barrage of weapons demonstrations this week that has raised tensions in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the missiles flew around 130 kilometers (80 miles) toward the North's western sea. this week launched dozens of missiles into the sea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered evacuation warnings in northern Japan, and flew warplanes inside its territory. has described its military actions as an appropriate response to a combined U.S.- aerial drills, which it called a display of U.S. military confrontation hysteria. The United States flew two B-1B supersonic bombers on Saturday over on the final days of the joint drills, in a show of force meant to intimidate North Korea over its intensifying testing activity. (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.) Pakistan's electronic media watchdog on Saturday prohibited television channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting ousted premier Imran Khan's speeches or media talks, saying airing such content would likely to create hatred among the people and endanger national security. The Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) warned that it will suspend the broadcasting licence in case of any violation. In case of any violation, the observed licence may be suspended without any show-cause notice in the public interest along with other enabling provisions of law, it said in a notification. It also said that Khan during his long march speeches and a day ago in an address from hospital made aspersions against the state institutions by levelling baseless allegations for orchestrating an assassination plan. The media watchdog said that airing such content violated several laws and was likely to create hatred among the people or was prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or was likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or endanger national security. Khan, 70, suffered a bullet injury in the right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him in the Wazirabad area of Punjab province on Thursday, where he was leading a protest march against the Shehbaz Sharif government. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elon Musks ownership of Inc. and mass layoffs at the company stand to bring major setbacks for diversity and inclusion at the social-media platform. In his first week as owner, the billionaire fired Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal, who had been a supporter of Twitters employee resource groups, and rolled back a work from anywhere policy that opened the company up to more diverse areas of the country. Chief People and Diversity Officer Dalana Brand tweeted this week that she resigned the day Musk took over. The firings of about half of the staff on Friday also may hit hard: The leaders of several of Twitters diversity-focused groups were part of the job cuts, according to people familiar with the matter. posted significant gains in the number of Black and Latinx workers in 2021, in part because of its remote-work flexibility. The companys employee resource groups, such as Women and Blackbirds, which represents Black workers, were so important to diversity efforts that Agrawal remained a sponsor of the parent-focused group even after he succeeded Jack Dorsey as CEO. A diverse workforce is particularly critical for a social-media platform thats been criticized for fostering hate speech and failing to do enough to combat bullying of key user groups, including women and the LGBTQ+ community. Diversity advocates have quickly called foul on Twitters new direction, with racist slurs and memes swelling after Musks purchase, and such as Volkswagen AGs Audi, Pfizer Inc. and General Mills Inc. have said they are temporarily pausing advertising on the network. Musk said Friday that Twitter has seen a large drop in revenue as advertisers pull back. The #StopToxicTwitter coalition made up of more than 60 civil rights groups including the Anti-Defamation League and Accountable Tech held a call with media on Friday in which they discussed their escalation of calls to Twitter advertisers that they stop ad buys on the platform in the wake of the sweeping layoffs. We are witnessing the real time destruction of one of the worlds most powerful communication systems, said Jessica J. Gonzalez, co-CEO of Free Press, one of the advocacy groups in the coalition. She said the groups were escalating their campaign in response to Musks failure to uphold his commitment to take the measures that would prevent Twitter from becoming a superspreader of racism and misinformation. Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, an influential racial-justice group, criticized Musk for the layoffs involving ERGs. Such groups were critical, Robinson said on the call, not just for the employees, but for the communities they are connected to. Musk has been dogged by a spotty track record for diversity at his electric-vehicle company Tesla Inc., which has only three named executive officers, all of them White men. The company has faced numerous lawsuits on behalf of Black workers at its Fremont, California, auto plant. In February, the state of California itself sued the company for race discrimination and harassment, saying that Black workers were subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against in job assignments, discipline, pay, and promotion, among other violations and noted that Black employees remain severely underrepresented in the ranks of executives, senior officials, and managers at Tesla. Valerie Workman, once Teslas most prominent Black executive, left in January. At Twitter, Musk has assembled a transition team of close confidants to help identify deep cost cuts and quick ways to jump-start revenue. The global workforce reductions are expected to affect 3,700 jobs. Some outgoing staff said they will be paid at least two months of severance. As a general rule, layoffs typically disenfranchise people in protected categories: age, race, gender, disability, pregnancy and people who have complained about discrimination in the past, said Bernard Alexander, an employment lawyer in Los Angeles who represented a worker in a case against Tesla. Beyond layoffs, Musks policy of requiring Twitter employees to be in the office also may hurt underrepresented groups. An analysis by LinkedIn this week showed that Black, Hispanic and female job applicants make up a greater share of jobseekers for roles that can be done remotely compared with their White and male counterparts. And surveys have shown Black employees who work remotely are more likely to say they are valued and treated fairly. Angelo Carusone, the president of advocacy group Media Matters, said on the #StopToxicTwitter call that he was particularly concerned about Musks interest in unraveling Twitters policy against deadnaming trans individuals. He said Musks laughing emoji response to a news article warning how Twitter was going to become a more hateful platform for LGBTQ people was an illustration and a reinforcement of Musks inability to execute on even the modest content policies that are currently in place. Leaders of the advocacy groups said Musks recent actions betrayed his seeming attentiveness during their call with the new Twitter owner on Tuesday. During that call, said Free Press co-CEO Gonzalez, Musk promised that employees who were frozen out of Twitters content moderation dashboard would have access to those tools by Friday. Instead, she said, a noteworthy number of those workers about 15%, according to a recent tweet by Yoel Roth, Twitters head of safety and integrity had been fired from their jobs. By Sheila Dang, Katie Paul and Paresh Dave (Reuters) - Inc laid off half its workforce on Friday but said cuts were smaller in the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation, as advertisers pulled spending amid concerns about content moderation. Tweets by staff of the social media company said teams responsible for communications, content curation, human rights and machine learning ethics were among those gutted, as were some product and engineering teams. The move caps a week of chaos and uncertainty about the company's future under new owner Elon Musk, the world's richest person, who tweeted on Friday that the service was experiencing a "massive drop in revenue" from the advertiser retreat. Musk blamed the losses on a coalition of civil rights groups that has been pressing Twitter's top advertisers to take action if he did not protect content moderation - concerns heightened ahead of potential pivotal congressional elections on Tuesday. After the layoffs, the groups said they were escalating their pressure and demanding brands pull their ads globally. "Unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day," Musk tweeted of the layoffs, adding that everyone affected was offered three months of severance pay. The company was silent about the depth of the cuts until late in the day, when head of safety and integrity Yoel Roth tweeted confirmation of internal plans, seen by Reuters earlier in the week, projecting the layoffs would affect about 3,700 people, or 50% of the staff. Among those let go were 784 employees from the company's San Francisco headquarters and 199 in San Jose and Los Angeles, according to filings to California's employment authority. Roth said the reductions hit about 15% of his team, which is responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation and other harmful content, and that the company's "core moderation capabilities" remained in place. Musk endorsed the safety executive last week, citing his "high integrity" after Roth was called out over tweets critical of former President Donald Trump years earlier. Musk has promised to restore free speech while preventing from descending into a "hellscape." But major advertisers have expressed apprehension about his takeover for months. Brands including General Motors Co and General Mills Inc have said they stopped advertising on Twitter while awaiting information about the new direction of the platform. Musk tweeted that his team had made no changes to content moderation and done "everything we could" to appease the groups. Speaking at an investors conference in New York on Friday, Musk called the activist pressure "an attack on the First Amendment." Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. ACCESS TO SYSTEMS CUT The email notifying staff about layoffs was the first communication Twitter workers received from the company's leadership after Musk took over last week. It was signed only by "Twitter," without naming Musk or any other executives. Dozens of staffers tweeted they had lost access to work email and Slack channels overnight before receiving an official notice on Friday morning, prompting an outpouring of laments by current and former employees on the platform they had built. They shared blue hearts and salute emojis expressing support for one another, using the hashtags #OneTeam and #LoveWhereYouWorked, a past-tense version of a slogan employees had used for years to celebrate the company's work culture. Twitter's curation team, which was responsible for "highlighting and contextualizing the best events and stories that unfold on Twitter," had been axed, employees wrote. Shannon Raj Singh, an attorney who was Twitter's acting head of human rights, tweeted that the entire human rights team at the company had been sacked. Another team that focused on research into how Twitter employed machine learning and algorithms, an issue that was a priority for Musk, was also eliminated, according to a tweet from a former senior manager at Twitter. Senior executives including vice president of engineering Arnaud Weber said their goodbyes on Twitter on Friday: "Twitter still has a lot of unlocked potential but I'm proud of what we accomplished." Employees of Twitter Blue, the premium subscription service that Musk is bolstering, were also let go. An employee with the handle "SillyRobin" who had indicated they were laid off, quote-tweeted a previous Musk tweet saying Twitter Blue would include "paywall bypass" for certain publishers. "Just to be clear, he fired the team working on this," the employee said. DOORS LOCKED Twitter said in its email to staffers that offices would be temporarily closed and badge access suspended "to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data." Offices in London and Dublin appeared deserted on Friday, with no employees in sight. At the London office, any evidence Twitter had once occupied the building was erased. A receptionist at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters said a few people had trickled in and were working in the floors above despite the notice to stay away. A class action was filed on Thursday against Twitter by several employees, who argued the company was conducting mass layoffs without providing the required 60-day advance notice, in violation of federal and California law. The lawsuit asked the San Francisco federal court to issue an order to restrict Twitter from soliciting employees being laid off to sign documents without informing them of the pendency of the case. (Reporting by Sheila Dang in Dallas, Katie Paul in Palo Alto, California, and Paresh Dave in Oakland, California; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin, Rusharti Mukherjee, Aditya Kalra, Martin Coulter, Hyunjoo Jin, Supantha Mukherjee and Arriana McLymore; Writing by Matt Scuffham and Katie Paul; Editing by Kenneth Li, Jason Neely, Matthew Lewis and William Mallard) (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 and its allies clashed with and on Friday over North Korea's escalating ballistic missile launches and American-led military exercises in South Korea, again preventing any action by the deeply divided UN Security Council. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said North Korea's staggering 59 ballistic missile launches this year, including 13 since Oct. 27 and one that made an unprecedented impact about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from South Korea's shore, are about more than advancing Pyongyang's military capabilities and seek to raise tensions and stoke fear in its neighbours. She said 13 of the 15 Security Council members have condemned North Korea's actions since the beginning of the year, but Pyongyang has been protected by and who have bent over backwards to justify repeated violations of UN sanctions by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK, the country's official name. And, in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this council, she said. China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun countered that the DPRK missile launches are directly linked to the re-launch of large-scale US-South Korean military exercises after a five-year break, with hundreds of warplanes involved. He also pointed to the US Defence Department's 2022 Nuclear Posture Review which he said envisages the DPRK's use of nuclear weapons and claims that ending the DPRK regime is one of the strategy's main goals. Russia's deputy UN ambassador Anna Evstigneeva blamed the significantly worsening situation on the Korean peninsula on the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure and force. She called the US-South Korean exercises that began on Oct. 31 unprecedented in size, with about 240 military aircraft, and claimed they are essentially a rehearsal for conducting massive strikes on the territory of the DPRK. America's Thomas-Greenfield responded to claims by and that the military drills were stoking tensions on the Korean peninsula saying: This is nothing but a regurgitation of DPRK propaganda. She said the longstanding defensive military exercises pose no threat to anyone, let alone the DPRK. In contrast, just last month, the DPRK said its flurry of recent launches were the simulated use of tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to 'hit and wipe out' potential U.S. and Republic of Korea targets, she said. The DPRK is simply using this as an excuse to continue to advance its unlawful programs. 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 . That rift remains and appears to have grown deeper, but Russia, China and the did agree on one thing: the need for renewed talks and a diplomatic solution to the growing crisis on the Korean peninsula. China's Zun called on the to stop unilaterally playing up tensions and confrontation and respond to the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK to create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue. And he said the Security Council, rather than seeking additional pressure on the DPRK, should contribute to the restart of dialogue and negotiation and resolving the humanitarian and livelihood difficulties faced by the DPRK. Russia's Evstigneeva said further sanctions would threaten North Korean citizens with unacceptable social, economic and humanitarian upheavals, and reiterated the need for preventive diplomacy and the importance of finding a political diplomatic solution and real steps by Washington, more than just promises to establish substantive dialogue. Thomas-Greenfield said even in the face of the DPRK's escalating missile launches, the United States remains committed to a diplomatic solution and has conveyed its request to the DPRK for talks at all levels of the US government. Despite a lack of engagement from Pyongyang, we will continue to pursue meaningful dialogue, she 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.) The head of the Organization of American States is facing growing calls, including from the Biden administration, for an external probe into possible misconduct tied to his intimate relationship with a subordinate. The Washington-based group's own inspector general in a memo this week said it is in the organisation's best interest to hire an outside firm to investigate allegations that Secretary General Luis Almagro may have violated the ethics code. The inspector general's recommendation was based on a report by The Associated Press finding that Almagro carried on a relationship with a Mexican-born staffer described online, including on the organisation's own website, as head adviser to the secretary general. The inspector general said the AP report followed a loosely detailed, anonymous whistleblower complaint forwarded to his office by Almagro himself on June 3. The peace and democracy-building organisation's ethics code prohibits managers from supervising or participating in decisions that benefit individuals with whom they are romantically involved. The proposal to hire an outside firm to look into Almagro's behaviour is scheduled to be discussed Wednesday at the next meeting of the 34-member organisation's permanent council. The U.S. which has contributed about half of the organisation's $100 million in funding this year has already expressed support for an external probe ahead of the meeting. We take these allegations seriously, a State Department spokesperson told the AP, adding that any ethics violation should be investigated in a fair and impartial manner by an appropriate external investigative entity. But at least four members Almagro's native Uruguay, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and St. Lucia have publicly backed draft resolutions that raise concerns about the cost of an external investigation at a time when the 600-employee hemispheric body is under pressure to cut spending. Their benchmark is a recent investigation into similar misconduct allegations against the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mauricio Claver-Carone, who was accused of having a long-running relationship with his chief of staff. The months-long probe by American law firm Davis Polk determined that Claver-Carone had violated ethics rules by favoring the aide, paving the way for the president's removal. Repeated requests for Almagro's comment on the possibility of an external probe sent to the secretary general's press office went unanswered. But unlike Claver-Carone, who went down denying he ever had a relationship with his aide, Almagro has said only that he never supervised the staffe r or participated in any employment-related decisions like authorizing a pay increase. He previously has vowed to cooperate fully with any investigation by the organization's top oversight authority. Almagro faces criticism on other administrative matters as well. Mexico this week slammed Almagro for allegedly betraying members' wishes by renewing a contract for the OAS' ombudswoman, Neida Perez, days before a long-discussed plan to implement an open and competitive process for the leadership post was approved at the organization's annual meeting. Almagro in September unilaterally extended Perez's contract by four years and Mexico complained it was an attempt to preempt those new procedures, Unfortunately this isn't an isolated act, Mexico's delegation said in a written statement at a Nov. 1 meeting on administrative matters. It fits into a pattern of conduct in which the will of the states is disregarded and the OAS' institutions are violated. Perez whose contract was set to expire Oct. 21, two weeks after the new procedures were adopted was recently reprimanded by the OAS' top review panel for neglecting her duty to serve as an impartial arbiter of workplace disputes. That rebuke was in response to Perez's role facilitating Almagro's 2020 removal of the head of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights an independently run body. The commissions executive secretary was himself facing workplace complaints but nonetheless enjoyed the unanimous support of the watchdog's seven commissioners. Almagro, 59, was elected as head of the OAS in 2015 with near unanimous support after having served as foreign minister in Uruguay's leftist government. But once installed in Washington, he made common cause with the U.S. in opposing leftist leaders in Cuba and Venezuela, once even echoing President Donald J. Trump's line that he wouldn't rule out using military force to remove Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. He was reelected in 2020 with the support of 23 of 34 member states. More recently, as the left has regained power across Latin America, calls for his removal have been growing louder. Last month, members of the Puebla Group an organisation of former presidents and political leaders from 16 countries issued a statement calling for Almagro's removal, criticising his amoral firing of the rights watchdog and his intervention following messy elections in Bolivia that led to President Evo Morales' resignation and replacement by a U.S.-backed conservative government. (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.) Bank of Baroda's net profit surged 58.7% to Rs 3,313.42 crore on 13.86% rise in total income to Rs 23080.03 crore in Q2 FY23 over Q2 FY22. The PSU bank's profit before tax soared 51.01% to Rs 4,403.49 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 2,915.97 crore recorded in same period last year. Net Interest Income (NII) jumped 34.5% to Rs 10,174 crore in Q2 FY23 as against Rs 7,566 crore posted in Q2 FY22. Global NIM improved to 3.33% as on 30 September 2022 from 2.85% as of 30 September 2021. The bank's provisions and contingencies dropped 40.9% to Rs 1,628 crore in Q2 FY23 as compared to Rs 2,754 crore reported in the corresponding quarter previous year. On the asset quality front, the bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) stood at Rs 46,374.44 crore in Q2 FY23 as against Rs 52,590.83 crore in Q1 FY23 and Rs 59,503.82 crore in Q2 FY22. The gross NPA ratio improved to 5.31% in Q2 FY23 from 6.26% in Q1 FY23 and 8.11% in Q2 FY22. The net NPA ratio improved to 1.16 % in Q2 FY23 as compared with 1.58% in Q1 FY23 and 2.83% in Q2 FY22. The provision coverage ratio of the bank stood at 91.73% including TWO and 79.14% excluding TWO in Q2 FY23. Slippage ratio declined to 1.77% for Q2 FY23 as compared with 3.22% reported in Q2 FY22. Credit cost for Q2 FY23 stoood at 0.79%. Domestic deposits increased by 10.9% YoY to Rs 9,58,967 crore and domestic advances improved to Rs 7,16,737 crore, registering a growth of more than 15%. Overall domestic CASA reported a growth of 9.2% YoY while domestic CASA ratio decreased by 69 bps YoY to 42.77% in Q2 FY23. Organic Retail loan portfolio of the bank grew by 28.4% led by growth in Personal loan portfolio by 172.8%, Auto loan by 29.2%, Education loan by 23.2%, Home loan by 19% on a YoY basis. Agriculture loan portfolio grew by 14.1 % YoY to Rs 1, 14,964 crore. Total Gold loan portfolio (including retail and agri.) stood at Rs 33,502 crore, registering a growth of 27.8% on a YoY basis. Organic micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) portfolio grew by 13.4% YoY to Rs 1,01,278 crore. Cost of deposits stood at 3.59% in Q2 FY23 as against 3.52% posted in the same period last year. The bank's return on assets (RoA) (annualised) improved to 1.01% in Q2 FY23 from 0.73% reported in Q2 FY22. Return on equity (RoE) (annualised) increased by 554 bps YoY to 19.56% in Q2 FY23 over Q2 FY22. CRAR of the bank was at 15.25% in September 2022 from 15.55% in September 2021. Tier-I stood at 12.81% (CET-1 at 10.95%, AT1 at 1.86%) and Tier-II stood at 2.44% as of September 2022. Bank of Baroda is one of India's largest banks with a strong domestic presence spanning 8,161 branches and 11,461 ATMs and cash recyclers supported by self-service channels. The bank has a significant international presence with a network of 94 overseas offices spanning 17 countries. As of 30 September 2022, Government of India held 63.97% stake in the bank. Shares of Bank of Baroda declined 2.43% to settle at Rs 144.55 on Friday, 4 November 2022. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of India (EC) on 5 November 2022 announced that it will hold the bye-election to fill vacancies in five assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. It also declared by-election for the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh which fell vacant following the death of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. The by-polls on the Padampur seat in Odisha, Sardarshahar in Rajasthan, Kurhani in Bihar, Bhanupratappur in Chhattisgarh and Rampur in UP will be held on 5 November 2022 along with the Mainpuri Parliamentary constituency. The counting of votes will take place on 8 December 2022. The notification will be issued on the 10 November 2022. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sales rise 16.30% to Rs 1420.40 crore Net profit of Shipping Corporation of India declined 48.82% to Rs 124.38 crore in the quarter ended September 2022 as against Rs 243.01 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2021. Sales rose 16.30% to Rs 1420.40 crore in the quarter ended September 2022 as against Rs 1221.31 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2021.1420.401221.3122.6732.67326.96409.47136.49248.02124.38243.01 Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) chief J P Nadda alleged that the has contributed a lot in halting the nation's development and has focussed only on how to remain in power by confusing voters. He also claimed that the people of Himachal Pradesh have made up their minds to "break the tradition and re-elect a double-engine government of the to ensure speedy development" of the hill state. Nadda addressed three poll meetings in Behna Jattan, Nova Rajpura and Potwarkhana Kotla in Bilaspur, his home district, and in Charughat Chhakoh in favour of candidates. "The has contributed a lot in halting the country's development. It never tried to do on the real issues and managed to confuse people and win elections by any means to continue being in power," he told the voters. The BJP president claimed that is again trying to confuse the voters. "I have not come here to make the BJP win but to ensure that you protect your rights in this election," he said, urging people to vote for the BJP to protect their rights. "People have made up their mind to change the tradition this time and re-elect a double-engine government," Nadda said, alleging the Congress made false promises and showed lofty dreams to people. It is the BJP which does what it promises, its president said The BJP works for the welfare of all sections of society whereas the Congress works only for the benefit of one family, he alleged. "Our fundamental rule is 'sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas' and the Congress' mantra is corruption and commission," Nadda told a gathering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the tradition of in the country which no one has ever done, he said, adding Modi has stood with Himachal Pradesh whenever it was required. Prime ministers of Congress governments have not visited Himachal in 60 years as much as PM Modi has visited in eight years, the BJP chief claimed. "Have you ever seen the prime minister go on a holiday? He says he is the 'pradhan sevak' and never said he is prime minister," Nadda said. Nadda claimed the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government did not acquire land for the proposed rail line till Leh even though it was crucial for security. This work has started under Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, he said. Highlighting the developmental works initiated in the last five years in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP president said Modi-led Centre restored the special category status of Himachal Pradesh. Bilaspur has got AIIMS, six medical colleges and a hydro-engineering college. Una has got a bulk-drug park. A medical devices park is coming up in Nalagarh and the Vande Bharat train has also come to Himachal Pradesh, Nadda said. Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on November 12 and the results will be out on December 8. (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.) Twitter and Elon Musk may be in for some trouble soon. The employees that Twitter fired in a mass layoff following Elon Musk's takeover of the company had recently filed a class-action lawsuit against it. Twitter, through Musk's orders, previously laid off 25% of Twitter's employees to improve the company's cash flow and profitability, with more layoffs allegedly waiting to happen within the day. Twitter Class-Action Lawsuit Details Twitter's former employees allege in their class-action lawsuit that the company did not give enough notice before it terminated them. As such, it violated the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and the California WARN Act, per The Verge. The two acts require companies to give workers at least 60 days of advance notice before a mass layoff occurs. This class-action lawsuit named five Twitter employees as its plaintiffs and was filed in the US District Court in San Francisco. One of the plaintiffs had already been fired by the lawsuit's filing, while three others were presumably fired as they are reportedly unable to access company accounts - an action taken as a sign of their impending termination. This presumption is supported by the Twitter posts of many alleged now-former Twitter employees, who discovered that they couldn't access their work email accounts or log into their work laptops, per The Guardian. Read More: Here's Where You Can Watch the Uncut Version of 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' in Time for the Holidays Furthermore, the lawsuit cited a similar case in Musk's other company, Tesla. This particular lawsuit named two of the company's former employees as its plaintiffs, with them also alleging that Tesla violated the WARN Act. Monster.com mentioned in its article that employees who were not given the 60-day notice could seek damages for back pay and benefits for up to two months - the same period the law requires employers to give employees affected by mass layoffs. Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer representing the former Tesla and Twitter employees, revealed that the lawsuit was filed in an attempt to make employees aware of the rights they should not sign away and an avenue to pursue them. Twitter's Mass Layoffs Following Musk's Takeover The lawsuit's filing follows the initial mass layoffs after Musk took over Twitter from its previous leadership. However, the layoffs didn't stop there. You may remember that Twitter will be terminating the employment of many of its employees today as part of Musk's plan to improve the company's cash flow and profitability. As a result, Twitter's employees are waiting for an email that determines if they are staying in the company, per an email Twitter sent to its employees on early Nov. 4. This email said that the layoffs following Musk's takeover were "unfortunately necessary" to help place the company "on a healthy path" to ensure its success moving forward, per the Washington Post. This mass layoff affected the likes of Twitter's former CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and the company policy chief, Vijaya Gadde, per Fox Business. Those fortunate to stay will receive an email on their work email saying that they "'role' at Twitter." Meanwhile, the unfortunate ones will receive an email detailing the steps they must take on their email as a result of their termination. Related Article: Twitter is Reportedly Laying Off Employees Today Senior Congress leader Himanshu Vyas joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Saturday. leader and Union home minister Amit Shah welcomed him into the party fold. The development came ahead of the next month's Assembly in . Vyas, who held the post of secretary in the Congress, blamed the party leadership for his decision to quit, saying those who work for the party are ignored while sycophants get ahead. "The Congress leadership has failed in people's eyes and also failed in communicating with party workers," he told reporters. "The leadership is surrounded by people who do not allow true workers to approach the leadership," he added. He had been sidelined in the Congress for the last two years, Vyas claimed. Vyas had fought election twice from Wadhwan Assembly seat in Surendranagar district of the state but lost both the times. (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.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda on Friday called the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh as the elections of "protection of rights". While addressing the public, the President said, "I would like to thank all the people for the warm reception I have received from them. It clearly shows that the public is with us." He further said that the election is an election of "protection of rights". "This election is the election of protection of your rights. You have to decide who you want to give right. To those who have done nothing for you or those who have fought for you and protected your interests," he said. He further emphasised that has carried out great development in the state as well as in the country. " connects with people through development. Whether it is the vaccine production during COVID, digital transactions to infrastructural development, the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi has delivered on every front. Now, the people of Shimla and Himachal need not go anywhere for getting the services they need," he further said. Earlier today, the BJP President also held a road show in Shimla. Earlier on Wednesday, he urged voters to form a BJP government in the state again. "Mitti Ka Haq Ada Karna Hoga," (People of the state have to pay back to their land), Nadda had said. The BJP chief was addressing a public rally at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh ahead of the state polls. Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on November 12. Gujarat will also go to polls on December on December 1 and 5. The counting for both the elections will take place on December 8. In the previous election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 44 seats while Congress won 21 seats in Himachal Pradesh. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court on Friday held MP and four others guilty of violation of the model code of conduct during the 2012 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The special court for cases involving MPs and MLAs later ordered their release on probation for a period of six months. Joshi was a Congress leader in 2012 and joined the in 2016. The four other convicts are Prabha Srivastava, Ram Singh, Manoj Chaurasia and Sanjai Yadav. According to the prosecution, the FIR in the case was lodged at Krishna Nagar police station against Joshi, who was contesting the election on a Congress ticket, for addressing a public rally in Bajranj Nagar mohalla even after the time for campaigning had ended. The police investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet against the convicts on June 17, 2012. An accused, Shakil Ahmad, had died during pendency of trial. Joshi is currently the MP from Allahabad. Special court judge A K Srivastava directed the convicts to file two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount before the district probation officer for maintaining good conduct during the probation period. The court directed the convicts to appear before the probation officer within the next 30 days. The period of six months would be calculated from the date of appearance of the convicts before the probation officer. Forwarding a copy of the order to the probation officer, the court warned the convicts that if they did not appear before the probation officer within stipulated time, it would summon them again and hear them on quantum of sentence. (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.) Barack Obama moved into the White House during the digital dark ages in 2009, and still somehow turned around the way people view technology when he did. According to Engadget, Obama prioritized the modernization of the federal government of the US, and tackling STEM education and climate change. While not everything he did as president is a massive success, it is undeniable that Obama is commendable for putting technology at the forefront of his presidency. With that, here are some of Obama's notable legacies as America's tech savvy leader: 1. Modern Broadband Communications It is not surprising the first African-American president made broadband communications modernization a priority, seeing how it helped skyrocket his campaign to his eventual election. He immediately invested in improving the quality of the internet, not only in the White House, but in every home and establishment in the US. Aside from this, the Obama White House Archives writes that by funding this project, the former president wanted to power facilities like schools and libraries, and hospitals and public safety offices. While doing all of this, Obama also sought net neutrality, or the notion that every internet traffic should be treated equally. 2. Obama And Space During his administration, he led the revitalization of NASA by increasing its budget for space explorations and space shuttle programs. With this, it was only six months after his inauguration that a private company called SpaceX, became the first private company to reach orbit to run resupply missions to the ISS. Engadget claims that programs like these were billion-dollar investments into the industry to ensure that it leads its forces to positive change. Read More: Barack Obama Legacy: Trapdoor Spider, Fish And Worm Named After US President 3. Open Data Initiatives The Obama Organization reports that on his first day in office, a Transparency and Open Government memorandum was issued by the former president. This was in commitment to his administration's goal of creating an unprecedented level of openness to foster transparency and collaboration amongst the government and the people. He ordered the launch of Data.gov, Challenge.gov, and BusinessUSA.gov to help communities map significant information that would benefit people, industries, and communities through open data. 4. National Robotics Initiative In a broader effort to promote artificial technology and American manufacturing through Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, Obama launched the Presidential Robotics Initiative. This project highlights the development of robots that can aid humans through their extended and augmented human capabilities, the Obama White House Archives says. Besides this, the robots were created to assist astronauts in dangerous missions, help scientists in the discovery of new drugs, and improve food safety against microbial contamination. 5. TechHire Initiative Not only did Obama contribute to technology by fast-tracking developments, but by supporting it, the industry grew large enough to create jobs for Americans. The TechHire Initiative is a campaign that promotes working with middle-class communities towards well-paying technology jobs. This project is a multi-sectoral call to action to empower Americans through universities and communities with necessary skills needed in a competitive, technological, and global economy. Related Article: How To Keep Up With The Obamas? Follow Them On Social Media NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg AA Images NATO, Turkiye agree on supporting Ukraine to end Russia's 'war of aggression': Stoltenberg ISTANBUL (AA) NATO and Turkiye agree on the importance of supporting Ukraine to end this war of aggression by Russia, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Stoltenberg, who arrived in Turkiye on a three-day visit on Thursday, praised Ankaras role during the ongoing conflict. Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Saturday, a day after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, he said: I commended Erdogan and Turkiye for what they have done, both in providing support to Ukraine, but also in facilitating the deal enabling the export of grain from Ukraine. This is important for the whole world, especially the poor world, and it helps to reduce food prices. Turkiye has played a key role in making that possible, he said. Stoltenberg reiterated that the Ukraine conflict is a war of choice. This is Russia, President Vladimir Putin invading another country We have to understand that President Putin started this war. This is a war of choice, and he can end this war tomorrow, if he wants he said. Emphasizing Ukraines right to defend themselves and reclaim its territory, Stoltenberg said: If President Putin and Russia stops fighting, then well have peace. If President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and Ukraine stops fighting, then Ukraine will cease to exist as an independent and sovereign nation. He said the international community has the responsibility to support Ukraine to enable them to defend themselves. Of course, I believe that I hope that this war also at some stage will end at the negotiating table. But we also know that what Ukraine can achieve around that table in negotiations is absolutely dependent on the strength on the battlefield, he added. So if we want Ukraine to prevail as a sovereign independent nation, then we need to provide military support to Ukraine to strengthen their hand and to maximize the likelihood for an outcome in all negotiations which is acceptable for Ukraine. Stoltenberg also criticized Russias reckless and dangerous nuclear rhetoric. Russia must understand that nuclear war cannot be won and will have severe consequences for Russia, he stressed. 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Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Social media giant Twitter bled financially after many of its advertisers paused their ad spending to see how it would play out with Elon Musk at the helm. Musk announced a "massive drop in revenue" but did not provide detail on how much. The billionaire, who only days ago branded himself as Twitter in Chief but changed it to Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator, tweeted the financial bleeding. Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 He blamed the "activist groups pressuring advertisers" for the revenue loss. Again, he did not provide detail about who these activist groups were. Companies Pause Ad Spending The announcement came after several Twitter advertisers, some of them are Tesla rivals, said they are going to temporarily suspend their ad spending. Food giant General Mills and Tesla rivals such as General Motors and Audi had already stopped their ad spending on Twitter, CNBC reports. While advertising firm IPG advised its clients to suspend their ad plans on Twitter, it was not clear if these clients would heed the advice. Read Also: Twitter Employees Protest Musk's Mass Layoff Plans Attack Against First Amendment Musk, in an interview, said the operations have not changed despite opposition from groups whom he labeled as "activist groups." He claimed to have made some efforts to conciliate these groups, but none has produced positive results so far. He considered the activism against Twitter as an affront to the First Amendment. Musk unfortunately unleashed the storm after he announced his plans to restore suspended accounts, including the personal account of former US President Donald Trump. Hate Speech After the takeover, a social media analysis platform said the number of hate speech had increased. Dataminr recorded one racist slur had jumped to 1,300 percent only days after the takeover, Bloomberg reports. Musk also tweeted a baseless anti-LGBTQ conspiracy theory following the attack on Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi in her home. He deleted the tweet later. Musk is an unpredictable person who vowed to overhaul crucial safeguards that have been in place on the platform, Nicole Gill, executive director of Accountable Tech, said. The digital rights group co-founded by Gill was instrumental in organizing a lobby to pull back ad spending with the different CEOs if Musk takes down safeguards. Layoff Hits Twitter Employees Hours after the reported ad pullback, Twitter laid off about half of its employees. The company started to email its employees informing them of their status. Employees were told to check whether they were laid off or not. Musk is reportedly considering firing at least 3,700 employees of the company. The mass layoffs took place on Friday, Nov. 4, impacting employees in Twitter offices worldwide. The move, according to Livemint, seeks to cut operational costs while demanding those who were not laid off to follow the new work environment. Twitter reportedly asked the impacted employees they would get a severance agreement next week. They were also asked further to waive any claims against layoffs. Employees impacted by the layoff include those working in communications, engineering, and product and content curation. Some users of the platform hit back at Musk, with the users accusingd the company of implementing massive layoffs like a slot-machine after its India office was hit severely. Related Article: Twitter Is Reportedly Laying Off Employees Today California Department of Education News Release California Department of Education News Release State Superintendent Tony Thurmond in Washington, D.C., to Honor Californias 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools WASHINGTON, D.C.State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond congratulated the principals of Californias National Blue Ribbon School winners today at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C., calling out the long-term positive outcomes they have created for students during very challenging times. California boasts the largest number of public school National Blue Ribbon winners in the nation. Additionally, Thurmond met with Miguel Marco, principal of Wittmann (Helen) Elementary School in Cerritos, who was honored as one of the nine recipients of the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership. These California schools have done amazing things to address the education opportunity gap, Thurmond said. They are helping us learn, model, and develop refined strategies to scale success and innovation all across our great state. I am so glad the U.S. Department of Education recognized our 29 California Blue Ribbon schools today, and let me also say thank you to our awardees for their persistent hard work in creating a better environment for California students every day. You are all such huge points of pride for this entire country, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said, speaking at the ceremony. You are the beacons of hope, the beacons of light, you show whats possible in your communities, and you make the Department of Education and, in fact, our nation so very proud. You are the shining examples of whats possible for our peers around the country that are looking for answers, looking for whats possible, and seeing what can happen when a community discovers what it cares about and puts its hearts and minds into action and delivers on the hope and promise of education. More information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is available on the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools web page . Californias National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022 Arcadia: Foothills Middle School, Arcadia Unified School District Belmont: Ralston Intermediate School, Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District Burlingame: Burlingame Intermediate School, Burlingame Elementary School District Cerritos: Carmenita Middle School, ABC Unified School District Cerritos: Wittmann (Helen) Elementary School, ABC Unified School District Clovis: Woods (Harold L.) Elementary School, Clovis Unified School District Diamond Bar: Diamond Bar High School, Walnut Valley Unified School District Dublin: Eleanor Murray Fallon School, Dublin Unified School District Dublin: Harold William Kolb School, Dublin Unified School District Etiwanda: Grapeland Elementary School, Etiwanda Elementary School District Etiwanda: John L. Golden Elementary School, Etiwanda Elementary School District Fresno: Granite Ridge Intermediate School, Clovis Unified School District Irvine: Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District La Mesa: Helix High School, Grossmont Union High School District Long Beach: Newcomb Academy, Long Beach Unified School District Orinda: Orinda Intermediate School, Orinda Union Elementary School District Pleasanton: Thomas S. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton Unified School District Rolling Hills Estates: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District San Bernardino: Richardson PREP HI Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District San Diego: Westview High School, Poway Unified School District San Dimas: Arma J. Shull Elementary School, Bonita Unified School District San Francisco: Lawton Alternative School, San Francisco Unified School District San Ramon: Coyote Creek Elementary School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District San Ramon: Gale Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District San Ramon: Iron Horse Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District San Ramon: Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District South Pasadena: South Pasadena Middle School, South Pasadena Unified School District Valley Village: Colfax Charter Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District Van Nuys: Kester Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District # # # # Tony Thurmond State Superintendent of Public Instruction Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100 Last Reviewed: Friday, November 4, 2022 Missed Delivery? If missed delivery or wet paper please call our office 909-628-5501 ext 110 Leave a detailed message with name, address, and phone number. Readers must call before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Re-deliveries are available for Chino residents until 1 p.m. Saturdays. Click Here The NASA Artemis I Rocket returned to the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center for its launch on Nov. 14, which was delayed by glitches and bad weather. Scientists at NASA are looking at a 69-minute launch window to open at 12:07 a.m. EST. But the countdown of the launch will start at 12:27 a.m. on Nov. 12. Artemis I will test the viability of the space agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, an unmanned Orion spacecraft, and the ground system. A successful test could pave the way for a manned test flight and planned human lunar exploration of the Moon and beyond. Arrival at the Launchpad The mission to return to the Moon will officially start with an unmanned Artemis I mission to navigate around the Moon and return to Earth safely. NASA brought to the launchpad the massive SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft at 8:30 a.m. EST on Friday, Nov. 4. The rocket arrived at pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, ending the 6.5-kilometer travel from its garage at the Vehicle Assembly Building. While in the garage, NASA engineers had finished the final refurbishment jobs on the rocket. Read Also: NASA Artemis I Moon Mission: Why Moon Again? Delayed The original launch date of Artemis I was in August. But glitches grounded the rocket on Aug. 29 due to faulty temperature sensors. Another glitch, a liquid hydrogen leak, had stalled the Sept. 4 launch. In the later part of September, Hurricane Ian came. Engineers had to roll the rocket back to the garage where it was kept for safekeeping. Before it was rolled back to the garage, NASA engineers had successfully patched out the leak, and the rocket had shown upgraded tanking procedures. During this time, the teams conducted standard maintenance,l repairing minor issues. The hopes are high at NASA that the Nov. 14 launch will play out on schedule. Weather issues, if not technical troubles, might still crop up between now and Nov. 14 and possibly delay the Artemis I mission once more. Big Step The Artemis I mission will mark another era of Moon exploration that will put man back to the Moon's surface since the glory days of Apollo, CNET reports. NASA said it is crucial for this mission to prove two things. One is the viability of the SLS rocket. Two is the space-worthiness of the Orion spacecraft to carry the crew to the Moon. Artemis Program A successful Nov. 14 launch will start the series of space missions by NASA. There are currently three Artemis missions in progress. Artemis I is the unmanned space flight to circle around the Moon and beyond. Artemis 2, on the other hand, will be a manned space flight. This mission will try to put man back on the lunar surface, the farthest point in space that mankind has ever reached. And Artemis 3 will mark the beginning of man's quest for Mars using the Moon as the springboard. The mission will also land not just the first female astronaut, but the first astronaut of color on the Moon. The long-term goal of NASA is not only Moon exploration. While lunar exploration will enrich man's understanding of the Moon, the space agency will build its capacity to launch crewed missions to Mars. To achieve the Moon to Mars plan, the space agency will build a space station orbiting the Moon, which will eventually become a habitable base. Related Article: NASA Reschedules Artemis I Moon Mission to September 3 Following Rocket Issues This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions A fourth suspect in the Aug. 1 murder of Rossville, Ga., resident Dakota Bradshaw has been arrested, according to Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson. Darius Woods, 26, of Chattanooga, was taken into custody Thursday evening in Chattanooga by the United States Marshal Service. Woods was arrested on a murder warrant from Walker County charging him in the Bradshaw death at 417 E. Peachtree St. in Rossville. Additionally, Woods was arrested and charged with an outstanding murder warrant from Montgomery County, Tn. Sheriff Wilson applauded the diligence of the U.S. Marshal Service over the past two months as they searched for Woods' whereabouts. Charged earlier in the Bradshaw death were Kavon Collier and Eric Dodds, both 23 and both from Huntsville. A female was also charged. It was stated at a preliminary hearing that the incident involved a blue Dodge Challenger registered under Colliers name that was on Bradshaws property. A witness said Dodds was extremely emotional and was crying in rage while armed with a rife. It was testified at the hearing that Woods had previously been involved in two murders. Over 41,000 Hamilton County residents voted early in an election that features the governor's race, four constitutional amendments, some state legislators and some municipal contests. The final tally was 41,489. The number includes 3,497 absentee ballots. Election day is next Tuesday. The election office off Amnicola Highway drew the most voters - 11,170. Hixson drew 7,982 and Collegedale 7,926. There were 5,902 ballots cast at Brainerd, 2,747 at Soddy Daisy and 2,263 at Snow Hill. A new mechatronics-focused articulation agreement was made official between UTC and Volunteer State Community College during a virtual meeting on Friday. The articulation agreement, signed by UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle and Volunteer State Community College President Orinthia Montague, guarantees UTC admission to mechatronics students who have successfully completed the 60-credit-hour Associate of Applied Science in the Mechatronics degree program at Volunteer State Community College, located in Gallatin, Tennessee. The articulation agreement lays out a clear path for the remaining 66 course credits to be completed at UTC to receive a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering Technology. Providing more opportunities for students in Tennessee, helping to drive the economy and providing a trained workforce for businesses allows us to fulfill our missions as public institutions, Chancellor Angle said. Were delighted to partner with you and to provide opportunities for your students. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of study focusing on integrating electrical and mechanical systems and includes robotics, automation and industrial controls. This agreement will provide students from Middle Tennessee with a seamless pathway to receive an associate degree at Vol State and a BAS degree in Mechatronics Engineering Technology at UTC, said UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Daniel Pack. Given the continuing growth of Tennessees manufacturing industry, the pathway is one way higher education institutions working together to contribute toward the states efforts to generate additional workforce needed in the states evolving manufacturing sector. To make transfers to UTC from community colleges and area four-year universities as seamless as possible, the College of Engineering and Computer Science works with regional partners to develop plans so that students know what classes have to be taken before enrolling at UTC. According to Dr. Ahad Nasab, Engineering Management and Technology Department Head and Burkett Miller Chair of Excellence, the program at UTC is a natural next step for regional mechatronics students looking to further their education. The BAS Mechatronics program at UTC is designed to provide the knowledge and skill set demanded by the transition of manufacturing to Industry 4.0, Dr. Nasab said. We hope to serve as a unique conduit for community college students to advance in the exciting field of automation, robotics and mechatronics. The College of Engineering and Computer Science also has agreements with Pellissippi State Community College, Lee University, Motlow State Community College, Chattanooga State Community College and Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee; Dalton State College and Covenant College in Georgia; and Enterprise State Community College in Alabama. To have this seamless transfer agreement in place for our students in a time when graduates in this area are in such high demand is quite exciting, Dr. Montague said. This transition is a natural progression for our students looking to further their education to the bachelors degree level and beyond. Dr. Shane Talbot, dean of the Math and Science Division at Vol State, said, Mechatronics allows students to pursue a career in advanced manufacturing with foundations in computer programming and engineering technology. It is a great degree for those students who have an aptitude for hands-on learning. Dr. Tim Dean, professor and chair of the mechatronics program at Vol State, said, This agreement will offer a fantastic opportunity for past, current and future Vol State mechatronics students and graduates who choose to continue their education at UT-Chattanooga and pursue a bachelors degree. Mechatronics is a field that requires a commitment to life-long learning and this agreement will provide a pathway for our graduates to continue their education. From left, Dr. Randy OBannon and his wife Sandy, Dr. Mark and Udella Walker, Bethany OBannon-Bowman and her husband J.C. and Terry OBannon Dr. Paul Conn shares comments at the luncheon, honoring Dr. Robert OBannons legacy Bethany OBannon-Bowman gives her lecture in Rose Lecture Hall in the Helen DeVos College of Education Dr. Randy OBannon is shown here presenting in the School of Theology & Ministry Terry OBannon presents in Walker Hall, located in the Science and Math Complex Previous Next Bethany OBannon-Bowman, Dr. Randy OBannon, and Terry OBannon, children of the late Dr. Robert OBannon, were hosted for guest lectures at Lee University and gave a significant financial gift to the Dr. Robert O'Bannon Scholarship Fund in memory of their fathers legacy. "October 28th felt like Dr. Robert O'Bannon day at Lee University, said Dr. Brad Moffett, vice president for University Relations. It was wonderful for Lee to host Dr. O'Bannon's children on our campus for the lecture series. The highlight for me was the luncheon hosted by President and Mrs. Walker, where we fondly remembered Dr. O'Bannon's broad impact on Lee and its students through a reflection offered by Chancellor Paul Conn." Lee University was his world, said Mrs. OBannon-Bowman. He had other part-time jobs, but his work at Lee was everything to him. Robert OBannon taught science courses at Lee University for 45 years, retiring in 2008. While there, he received Lees Excellence in Teaching Award in 1980 and the Excellence in Scholarship Award in 1989. In fall 2002, the university named OBannon Hall, one of Lees male dorms, in his honor. Robert OBannon helped create Lees short-term medical missions program, which became the Global Outreach Program, and served as chair of Lees Science Department for several years, helping hundreds of students get into medical and dental school. His most popular course was Science & the Bible, which showed the harmony of two disciplines many thought were in conflict. He earned his masters degree in theology from the then-Church of God School of Theology in 1989. One thing everyone should know about our father is that he was very passionate about the truth, said Randy OBannon. He was interested in finding out what the truth is, promoting it, and rejecting lies and bad logic. After organizing their fathers books about science and creation, the OBannons gifted the collection to Lee Universitys Squires Library, which will be named The Robert OBannon Collection in his memory. Additionally, they will give the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center a collection of their fathers sermon and teaching notes, including notes taken during his mission work, along with some of his published works. Our parents met at Lee, so Lee has been in our family for generations, said Terry OBannon. We grew up running around at Lee. All three of us went to Lee, and I taught there. Beyond that, we believe in the mission of Lee. Because of their belief in Lees mission and their commitment to honoring their fathers memory, the OBannons continually give to the Dr. Robert OBannon Science Scholarship. Initiated by Dr. J. Patrick Daugherty and by the Collegiate Sertoma Club, the scholarship is given to a science major, and selection is based on the science laboratory abilities of the applicant. It is our hope and prayer that this gift and knowledge of this scholarship will encourage others who were inspired and influenced by my fathers life, ministry, and academic work to join us in supporting this effort to help raise up a whole new generation of scientists who acknowledge and worship the One who made, loves, and died for us all, said Randy OBannon. All three of Dr. Robert OBannons children gave a lecture on Oct. 28. Mrs. OBannon-Bowman, director of professional learning for Professional Educators of Tennessee, gave a lecture titled Using Your Teaching Career to Accomplish Gods Will; Dr. Randy OBannon, director of education for the National Right to Life Committee, presented on Creation, Covenants & Commandments: The Moral Framework of the Bible; and Terry OBannon, chief scientist and proprietor of OBannon Technologies, shared Seat of Your Pants Robotics: Engineering requires fluency in all math languages. We thought that a great way to honor our dad would not just be to raise money, but to do what he did, which was to teach, said Randy OBannon. For more information or to donate to the Dr. Robert OBannon Science Scholarship, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/give/. The Chattanooga Mocs volleyball team completed a season sweep over UNCG after rolling its way to a straight-set 3-0 (25-10, 25-10, 25-22) victory over the Spartans in a Southern Conference matchup on Friday night inside Maclellan Gym.Following the win, Chattanooga improves to 14-14 overall this season and 8-5 in SoCon play. UNCG falls to 10-15 and 4-9 in league action. The Mocs will have an opportunity to move into a tie for third place in the standings with a victory over Western Carolina tomorrow.Chattanooga controlled the match from the start after scoring the first six points of the opening set before cruising its way to a 25-10 victory.The Mocs posted a similar dominating 25-10 win in the second set after limiting UNCG to a -.032% attacking percentage during the frame.After trailing 18-14, UTC finished the match on an 11-5 run and capped off the sweep with a 25-22 come-from-behind win in the third. There were just four ties and one lead change in the match's entirety while three of the ties and the solo lead change all occurred in the third set.The Mocs posted a season-high 11 aces and out-slugged the Spartans in kills (37-29) and attacking efficiency (.341% - .104%). UTC also controlled play at the net on the defensive side after out-blocking UNCG 5.0 to 2.0 which included a pair of solo blocks and six assists.Natalie Tyson led the offensive attack with a match-high 12 kills at a blistering .367% percentage while also leading the match in aces with three. She chipped in with seven digs and a block assist to amass a match-high 16.0 point total.Kate Neill added eight kills at a .500% clip while Halle Olson finished with seven kills at a .227% number. Sydney Hall and Chloe Bryan each tallied four kills and combined for six blocks as Hall registered a block solo and two assists, in addition to Bryan's three assists.Sophia Bossong directed the offense with 22 assists and surpassed 2,000 career assists to become just the eighth Moc in program history to achieve the feat. She also added eight digs, two kills and three service aces to fill the stat sheet. Elaine Redman added seven assists to help guide the offense.Paige Gallentine once again reached double digits in the dig category after posting a match-high 16 digs over the three sets. She also added a pair of service aces as she was one of four Mocs who recorded multiple aces. Makenzie Jordan also added two aces and four digs in her defensive specialist role.UP NEXTChattanooga hosts Western Carolina tomorrow, Saturday, November 5, at 4 p.m. ET for Senior Day. The match will be LIVE on ESPN+ through the Watch ESPN and ESPN App platforms. All match coverage links are located on the schedule page. Advertisers are fleeing Twitter in droves and avoiding it like the Plague, but there's far more to it than that. The Big Twit himself, Elon Musk, recently revealed that Twitter had a massive drop in revenue following the mass exodus of advertisers from the platform in response to activists' calls to boycott Musk's policies in the company. Advertisers aren't the only ones fleeing Twitter. Some professionals and celebrities are considering leaving the platform altogether, while some, like Tea Leoni, have already left for other platforms. Twitter Boycott Details Twitter has undergone many changes since Musk's takeover in many ways. Since the acquisition closing, Twitter will soon have a "Content Moderation Council" while getting and keeping the blue check mark as a sign of having an account verified by Twitter will now cost their owner $8, per the BBC. The coveted Edit button, previously exclusive for Twitter Blue subscribers only, could be available to all users soon if Musk gets his way. However, Musk had many of Twitter's employees laid off to put the company on a "healthy path" and ensure its success. Some of the employees already terminated (or presumably about to be) have filed a lawsuit against Twitter for violating the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and the California WARN Act. The abrupt mass layoffs, though inevitable, along with content moderation issues at the start of Musk's takeover, have taken their toll on the advertisers on Twitter. Many major companies have paused ads on Twitter as a precautionary measure to the potential changes Musk could be doing in the company, per Engadget. It is also a response to the departure of top executives. Some companies that have paused their ads on Twitter include the Volkswagen Group, General Mills, Pfizer, and Mondalez, with General Mills being the first to flee Twitter, per CNN. Read More: LockBit Ransomware Claims Resposibility on Continental Automotive Attack Although these companies have declared that they will be pausing their ads on Twitter until further notice, other companies, like Toyota, are mulling over the option of joining them. Meanwhile, a coalition of civil rights groups is calling on other companies, such as Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, and Disney, to join those who have paused ads on Twitter, per CNBC. This coalition, which calls itself #StopToxicTwitter, consists of Media Matters, Free Press, Accountable Tech, and Color of Change. Jessica Gonzalez, Free Press' co-CEO, mentioned in a press conference that Musk promised to retain and enforce the election integrity measures already in place even before his takeover. However, she added that the mass layoffs that happened on Nov. 4, which also affected those responsible for content moderation, was a clear sign of his betrayal. "These companies can stop their advertising from fueling intimidation, violence and pain," Gonzalez said. Meanwhile, Derrick Johnson, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that supporting and funding a platform like Twitter, which allegedly enables "hate speech, election denialism and conspiracy theories," is highly dangerous to the country's democracy. Musk's Reaction To The Boycott Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 Musk mentioned in his tweet that nothing has changed with content moderation since his takeover and that he and Twitter had done everything they could to appease civil rights groups, whom he called "destroyers of free speech in America." Futurism reports that Musk has been spending the week meeting with advertisers in New York in light of the content moderation issues on Twitter to reassure them that the platform won't become a "free-for-all hellscape." However, despite the meeting being productive, many advertisers remain unconvinced and have been grilling Musk over his content moderation plans to stem the tide of misinformation on the platform. Related Article: Professionals, Celebrities Think of Leaving Twitter After Musk's Takeover: Here's Why Young Royals Season 2 has made its debut on Netflix, continuing the love story between Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding) and his classmate, Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg). After the series left their relationship hanging in the balance during its season 1 finale, fans will no doubt be eager to power through the latest outing. But with just six episodes in Young Royals Season 2, they may feel like diving into similar shows once theyre done. Fortunately, weve got you covered on that front. Here are five series you should watch after youve finished Young Royals Season 2. Omar Rudberg and Edvin Ryding in Young Royals Season 2 | Johan Paulin/Netflix 1. Heartstopper is the perfect feel-good binge after Young Royals Season 2 If you feel like watching a young adult, LGBTQ+ romance with slightly less angst than Young Royals, Heartstopper is another binge-worthy Netflix show to try out. Centered on a budding romance between two teenage boys, Heartstopper explores similar themes of discovering ones sexuality and coming out just with slightly smaller stakes, as neither lead is the Crown Prince of Sweden. But after watching all the drama from Young Royals Season 2, Heartstoppers fluffy romance will no doubt serve as a pick-me-up for romance lovers. Plus, the series has a loveable supporting cast on par with that of Young Royals. Those who love one are bound to fall easily into the other! Heartstopper is currently streaming on Netflix. 2. Love, Victor is another show with an angsty, LGBTQ+ romance Those looking for an LGBTQ+ romance with a combination of angst and fluff should look no further than Love, Victor. The Hulu series took its final bow with its third season, which came out earlier this year. However, it brought plenty of drama to the table before coming to a close. If you enjoy the ups and downs of Simon and Wilhelms relationship in Young Royals, youll probably enjoy the turbulent nature of Victor Salazars (Michael Cimino) dating life. Love, Victor will put viewers in their feelings, all while addressing important themes like coming out, addiction, and even divorce. And like Heartstopper and Young Royals, it also boasts a supporting cast you cant help but love. Love, Victor is streaming on Hulu. 3. HBO Maxs Gossip Girl reboot is set at an elite school, just like Young Royals If the elite school setting from Young Royals appeals to you, you may enjoy HBO Maxs Gossip Girl reboot so, why not give it a go once youve finished season 2? The new Gossip Girl takes place at Constance Billard, the same high-brow high school as the original series. However, it includes a far more diverse cast and modernized take on growing up. Theres compelling drama, plenty of partying, and a knockout soundtrack all things the series has in common with shows like Young Royals. Theres also more LGBTQ+ representation this time around, though its not clear if the series is building toward happily ever after on that front. Stream Gossip Girl on HBO Max. Netflixs Elite isnt a love story in fact, its main plot revolves around murder but it tackles conversations about class in a setting like that of Young Royals. Elite takes place at a prestigious high school called Las Encinas, where tensions between the rich kids and students on scholarship are at an all-time high. That eventually leads to tragedy, bringing about even more high-stakes drama for the series main cast. If you find yourself rooting for Simon throughout Young Royals, you may enjoy this more exaggerated exploration of class dynamics. Additionally, Elite Season 6 arrives on Nov. 18. That makes now the perfect time to dive in! The first five seasons of Elite are currently streaming on Netflix. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. RELATED: 5 Shows to Watch If You Like Netflixs Heartstopper Elvis Presley Had a 6-Word Ritual He Performed Every Day With His Inner Circle in His Graceland Bedroom Elvis Presley shot to fame in the 1950s and became one of Americas first rock stars. Some said his family was poor white trash, but that didnt change the fact he became a first-name-only music star. Whatever led to his success, Elvis prayed for protection with a six-word ritual he performed every night alongside his inner circle in his Graceland bedroom. Elvis Presley performs in 1975 | Steve Morley/Redferns Elvis Presley came from humble beginnings before he rocketed to fame Elvis biography is practically ingrained knowledge for music fans at this point, even if they dont care for his music. He grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, in the 1930s before his music career took off with four No. 1 singles Heartbreak Hotel, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, Dont Be Cruel, and Hound Dog in 1956. The King churned hit singles into the mid-1960s (except for one song whose cover version went to No. 1 in the U.S. instead of the original). Elvis success meant he could do rock-star-like things, such as buy Cadillacs and plunk down $102,000 for Graceland in 1957, equivalent of more than $1 million in 2022. Graceland was the setting for a nightly six-word ritual that involved Elvis inner circle joining him on his bed. Elvis performed a nightly six-word ritual in his Graceland bedroom along with his inner circle RELATED: Why Elvis Presley Never Sang Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville Even Though the Song Was Meant for Him After Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorced in 1973, he moved on with Linda Thompson. (He actually started seeing her before he and Priscilla finalized their divorce). She moved into Graceland and eventually joined his nightly six-word ritual. According to Elvis cousin, Billy Smith, and his wife, Jo Smith (via Express), they and Thompson spent a lot of time hanging out in his bedroom. Sometimes that meant talking about science or aliens. Other times, the gatherings took a more mystic road (such as everyone closing their eyes and describing what they saw). No matter what the hangouts included, they ended with Thompson and the Smiths joining Elvis on his bed for a six-word ritual before he went to sleep: When it came to the chant before leaving to go home around dawn, the four would all hold hands together on the bed. The words instigated by the spiritually curious Elvis would be: Christ love, Christ life, Christ peace.' Details of Elvis daily ritual per his cousin, Billy Smith RT @thememphisjones: Uptown Square was once Lauderdale Courts, #Elvis 1st home in Mphs, his first private bedroom pic.twitter.com/MrQ3fCio Elvis Presley (@ElvisPresley) August 15, 2012 Additionally, Elvis asked the Smiths and Linda to visualize a white aura around each person and a dome over the four of them, saying that it was supposed to protect you, your family, or whoever you were thinking about, as Express reports. Thompson and Elvis remained together until 1976, so it seems likely she joined the Kings nightly ritual for several years. Theres a chance the routine could have been different if he was playing a show or not sleeping at home. But if he was at Graceland, the bedroom was Elvis sanctuary and the site of his nightly ritual. The Kings relationship with Linda Thompson didnt make it into the biopic movie .@VisitGraceland celebrates Elvis' birthday each year with four days of special events. Visit Memphis from January 5-8 as Graceland honors the King of Rock 'N' Roll's birthday with concerts, movies, conversations and more! For more info, visit: https://t.co/2JFOihmzRk pic.twitter.com/FFWvQ1MNGn Elvis Presley (@ElvisPresley) November 2, 2022 RELATED: How Did Elvis Presley Die and How Old Was He? Thompson and Elvis maintained a relationship for four years, and he welcomed her into his nightly ritual. Yet her part of the Kings story didnt make the cut in the 2022 biopic movie Elvis. The film focused on two of Elvis relationships Priscilla and manager Colonel Tom Parker. The movie still clocked in at nearly 2 hours, 40 minutes, even without an intense focus on his 1970s period. Still, Thompson reminded fans that not being included in a movie couldnt erase her from Elvis history. That includes being part of his six-word bedroom ritual every night. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. Forest Whitaker is one of Hollywoods most versatile performers. From his early roles in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Good Morning, Vietnam to parts in dramas such as Panic Room and Respect, Whitaker has more than proven that he has the acting chops to take on any role. One of the actors best-known projects is the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland. Whitaker, who played Ugandan President Idi Amin, received critical acclaim for his work, with many calling out how well he nailed Amins accent. In a 2006 interview, Whitaker talked about the work that he did on the film, revealing that he was frightened of slipping out of Amins accent when he was preparing to shoot The Last King of Scotland. The Last King of Scotland received great critical acclaim The Last King of Scotland tells the story of the dictatorship of Ugandan President Idi Amin, utilizing the point of view of a fictional Scottish doctor named Dr. Nicholas Garrigan. The doctor becomes Amins personal physician, and after beginning a romantic relationship with one of Amins wives, Garrigan slowly becomes more and more disillusioned with the dictator. According to IMDb, The Last King of Scotland had only a limited release in movie theaters but quickly became popular with critics and fans. While James McAvoys performance as Garrigan was praised, Forest Whitakers role as Amin received the lions share of attention with many calling out how the actor seemed to completely transform into the real-life dictator. What did Forest Whitaker say about his accent in The Last King of Scotland? Forest Whitaker at a The Last King of Scotland panel | Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage for IFP/NY via Getty Images For Forest Whitaker, the challenge of playing a real person was significant enough but the added struggle of mastering Idi Amins unique accent made it even harder. In a 2006 interview with CBS News, Whitaker admitted that he worked hard to master Amins accent, even using it when he wasnt on the set in an attempt to better stay in character. There was one time into rehearsals that I dropped it because I had to go down and meet all the dignitaries, and it took me days to get it back, Whitaker revealed. I was so frightened because I was there a month before and I was like, this is not going to happen again, I am not going to lose this character.' In the end, everyone took notice of Whitakers hard work. The actor took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Amin. Additionally, he received the British Academy Film Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award. Whitaker admitted he took the character of Idi Amin with him after filming Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime #TheLastKingOfScotland #DubaioneTv 2400UAE https://t.co/jUqzcUPLIn pic.twitter.com/5OzzgQvhuZ Dubai One (@DubaiOneTV) February 4, 2017 Forest Whitaker not only learned Swahili and gained 50 pounds to play Amin but he also immersed himself in research, learning everything he could about the controversial dictator. It was such an intensive process, in fact, that Whitaker had a hard time leaving the role behind even after filming was done. In his interview with CBS News, Whitaker admitted, It took me a while. Even though I left the energy and voice, I was still talking in the first person for a while. My friends were like, could you stop saying, I, I, I? Its a character, let it go.' The acclaimed actor also noted that filming The Last King of Scotland on location in Uganda was essential for making the movie as well as they did. I dont know if we could have done it anywhere else, Whitaker revealed. In the end, The Last King of Scotland stands as one of Whitakers best films and a project that perfectly showcases his commitment to the craft of acting. RELATED: Andor Trailer Teases the Return of a Fan-Favorite Star Wars Character Taylor Sheridan continues to dominate the television world with the release of his new series Tulsa King. The show stars Sylvestor Stallone as Dwight Manfredi, a New York mafia capo who sets up shop in Tulsa, OK, after serving a 25-year prison sentence. The premise might not seem like it would leave much room for comedy, but Sheridan has added a mix of humor to the series. Taylor Sheridan | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic What is Tulsa King about? Tulsa King premieres on Paramount+ on Nov. 13, 2022. The new series follows Dwight The General Manfredi a New York gangster who is released from prison after serving a 25-year sentence. Coming out, he expects to be rewarded, Stallone, who stars as Dwight, said in a featurette. But now hes sent to Tulsa. The guy has to start a new life when most people think life is over, the actor continued. He goes out west, and now hes building a whole new family. Theyre not gangsters. Theyre just everyday people, and thats a whole different paradigm. Taylor Sheridan infuses humor into his new series, Tulsa King Tulsa King comes from the creative mind of Taylor Sheridan, the co-creator of Paramounts massively popular series Yellowstone. Sheridan has also worked on several other streaming service series, including Mayor of Kingstown and Yellowstones prequel 1883. Though Tulsa King is about a member of the mafia, Sheridan places him in an amusing situation. I actually wanted to work with Sylvester Stallone for a while, he said in the featurette. This was an idea that I had a gangster being sent from New York to middle America to establish the mobs influence in that area. What an absurd comedy of errors that would be. The trailer and other teasers give fans a brief view into this comedy of errors. Dwight, for example, seems to not understand what a dispensary is or that weed is legal in many areas of the country. He also tells a dumbfounded pair of Tulsa natives that he really doesnt go to church. Additionally, filming for the series took place in Oklahoma, which gave the cast something in common with Dwights feeling of being an outsider. The cast is not from here, so we all relate to Dwight, Andrea Savage, who plays Stacy Beale in the series, said in the featurette. Weve all been thrown into Oklahoma, and were all fish out of water. Sheridan works alongside The Sopranos EP Terence Winter Sheridan is joined by The Sopranos executive producer Terence Winter in co-creating Tulsa King. Winter, of course, brings experience working on a show about the mafia. Terence is someone whose work Ive admired, and I felt that he had a real keen understanding of this world and would appreciate a real fresh look at it, Sheridan said. Everybody responds to the mob genre, Winter added. And taking that idea and those characters and placing them in a place where youd never encounter them It might as well be another planet. Tulsa King premieres Nov. 13 on Paramount+. RELATED: 1883 Opening Scene Explained and What It Means for the Dutton Family Hundreds of teams have run around the globe pursuing $1 million and bragging rights on The Amazing Race. Teams are normally casualties of their own undoing as they hit obstacles. However, sometimes they are detained for reasons beyond their control. Teams often get eliminated for falling behind or getting stuck on challenges. Occasionally they are in more danger than just arriving last at a checkpoint. In at least a few instances, the shows security and even government officials have needed to step in to get participants safely to the next checkpoint. Andre and Damon competed on The Amazing Race Season 3 The Amazing Race season three contestants Andre Plummer and Damon Wafer | The Meranian Review via Youtube Andre Plummer and Damon Wafer competed on Season 3 of The Amazing Race. Plummer, a police officer, and Wafer, a firefighter, dubbed themselves Team 911. The two were friends in college and reunited while living in LA several years later. The team was fairly well-traveled before the series thanks to their military backgrounds. Plummer served in the U.S. Air Force, and Wafer was active in the Marine Corps. The competitors were confident in their abilities to be frontrunners in the competition thanks to that travel experience. They also attributed their ability to solve problems quickly from their day jobs. The most important item I am carrying is not in my backpack. It is underneath my hat. I am pretty smart and resourceful, Wafer said of his skillset, according to the shows fan page. Meanwhile, Plummer contributed by focusing on analyzing other teams well and strategizing based on the rules of the show. The duo earned the ire of their fellow competitors for making a habit of drafting off of other teams until they could complete the rest of the leg on their own, among other tactics. The team needed help from The Amazing Race security Plummer and Wafer raced from the U.S. through Mexico, United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain before hitting an unplanned obstacle in Morocco that ultimately knocked them out of the competition. Getting into Morocco was actually Team 911s strongest leg. According to the fan page, they finished second out of eight teams as they traveled from Portugal and Spain into North Africa. However, while in Morocco they took a cab ride that was their demise. The driver took them extremely far off course so far that their travels became suspicious. They were detained by local authorities who attempted to confiscate their passports. The racers refused to hand them over, which escalated the incident. At that point, the shows security team intervened on their behalf to sort out the situation, reports Screen Rant. The duo was allowed to keep competing despite the significant setback. But the delay was too much to overcome in the next leg of the race. They attempted to get to Munich to compensate for lost time but were eliminated, finishing in sixth place. Authorities have also detained other The Amazing Race participants Plummer and Wafer were one of the earliest teams on the show to be detained by local authorities. But they arent the only ones throughout 34 seasons of the show. During Season 5 of The Amazing Race, dating couple Colin Guinn and Christie Lee Woods were almost arrested in Tanzania for refusing to pay their full cab fare. The cab driver and Guinn originally settled on $100 for a cab ride. But the driver was already driving on a spare tire and got another flat tire while driving Guinn and Woods to Kilimanjaro Airport. The team eventually makes it to the airport. Guinn at first refuses to pay the full fare because of the delay. You can bring the president of your country down here and Ill be glad to talk to him, Guinn is seen saying in a YouTube clip. The driver opts to find a police officer. He tries to open a criminal case against Guinn, who relents, paying the full fare to catch his plane to the next destination in Kenya. Despite the setbacks in this leg, the duo secured their fourth first-place finish in the competition during that episode. They went on to finish second in Season 5. They returned to the competition show for Season 31 and won the entire race that time. The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan hasnt escaped from being detained throughout the shows history, either. In Season 10, Keoghan attempted to travel to Ukraine in the middle of the night without a visa. Hed been told he wouldnt need one while traveling on his New Zealand passport. However, he was escorted out of the customs line at the airport and detained in a locked room alone for several hours. Finally, a woman from the U.S. government could process a visa for him. (According to the New York Post, the woman was a huge Amazing Race fan.) Keoghan was released in time to make it to the pit stop just 10 minutes ahead of the first arriving team for that leg. A novel metric that estimates our burden, or cumulative exposure, to a family of thousands of synthetic chemicals that we encounter in everyday life with potentially adverse health impacts, has been created by a team of researchers at Mount Sinai. In a paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the team reported that its sophisticated tool could have distinct advantages for epidemiologists and researchers who routinely measure exposure levels to this class of chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which have been associated with high cholesterol, liver damage, thyroid disease, and hormone disorders. There are few existing methods to quantify total exposure burden of individuals to mixtures of PFAS chemicals that are found in our everyday lives, says lead author Shelley Liu, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Center for Biostatistics, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. For the first time weve developed a PFAS burden calculator that takes into account patterns of exposure to many chemicals within the PFAS family, and not just individual chemical concentrations which current methods are focused on. As a result, this robust tool could be extremely useful for biomonitoring by regulatory agencies, and for disease and health risk assessment. PFAS is a class of more than 5,000 chemicals whose fluorine-carbon bond gives them the ability to repel oil and water. That construct has made them an integral part of a growing number of industrial applications and consumer products in recent decades, such as stain and water repellents, Teflon nonstick pans, paints, cleaners, and food packaging. Moreover, PFAS chemicals do not disintegrate in the environment or in our bodies. Instead, they accumulate in our surroundings and in our blood, kidneys, and liver, as underscored by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study in 2007 that found PFAS could be detected in the blood of 98 percent of the U.S. population. Mount Sinai researchers used national biomonitoring data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to develop their exposure burden score using item response theory. Item response theory was developed in the educational testing literature to score standardized tests, and Mount Sinai researchers are the first to use it in environmental epidemiology to develop an exposure burden score, highlighted by this transdisciplinary investigation. Specifically, they used serum concentrations from eight common PFAS chemicals taken from adults and children. By combining a participants core biomarker concentrations with their much broader exposure pattern, that is, their relative exposure to other PFAS biomarkers within the entire chemical class, researchers were able to estimate a cumulative or summary PFAS exposure burden. This statistical methodology can be accessed by other researchers and epidemiologists by simply plugging their data sets into the PFAS burden calculator, which is available online. The benefits are significant. We found our method enables comparisons of exposure burden to chemical mixtures across studies even if they do not measure the same set of chemicals, which supports harmonization across studies and consortia, explains Dr. Liu, whose research is heavily focused on environmental health through latent variable modeling and longitudinal data analysis. Moreover, the calculator offers a straightforward way to include exposure biomarkers with low detection frequencies, and to reduce exposure measurement errors by considering both a participants concentrations and their exposure patterns to estimate exposure burden to chemical mixtures. By capturing individual biomarker variability, were essentially holding the exposure metric constant so it can be used for a variety of applications, says Dr. Liu. These could include, for example, looking across populations to determine if there are differences in exposure burden across racial/ethnic or socioeconomic strata, or if exposure burdens are the same between people in the United States or Canada. Or looking across physiological systems and health outcomessuch as cardiometabolic, hormonal, and immuneto see which are most perturbed by exposure to PFAS chemicals. This range of applications takes us well beyond anything currently available to the field of population health. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Everyone knows about Annabelle, the haunted Raggedy Ann doll that has terrified the public for decades. But have you ever heard of the lesser-known Robert the Doll? The plush toy is dressed as an unsuspecting little sailor boy but is still undeniably creepy. Roberts face barely resembles that of a human with a nubby nose, black and beady eyes, and little nicks all over that resemble scars. He also appears to smirk in a sinister way while clutching his own weird-looking plush dog toy. Aside from just appearing freaky, though, Robert the Doll is said to be seriously haunted and has actually been credited with causing various tragic events ranging from job losses and divorces to even broken bones and car accidents. The haunted plush toy is now one hundred and seventeen years old and has been housed in Keywest, Florida, at the Fort East Martello Museum since 1994. Robert is stored within a new display case equipped with UV-filtering glass and humidity control that was reportedly gifted to the museum by a fan of the doll. But apparently, the luxurious case still does not stop Robert from engaging in acts of evil. The doll was formerly owned by Robert Eugene Otto, an artist from a prominent Florida family. Otto received the toy as a birthday gift from his grandfather, who reportedly bought it while traveling to Germany. And from Ottos childhood into adulthood, he and Robert remained strangely close. What people really remember is what they would probably term as an unhealthy relationship with the doll. Otto brought it everywhere; he talked about it in the first person as if he werent a doll. He was Robert, as in he is a live entity, explained Cori Convertito, curator of the Fort East Martello Museum. Apparently, Ottos bizarre relationship with the doll began right after he was gifted it. As a young boy, he began to blame random events and accidents on Robert. Of course, this was not completely unusual for a young child to do, though, so most adults in Ottos life wrote it off as imaginative behavior. But, as Otto grew older, Robert the Doll raised more concerns. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. 4 times Democrats denied election results Amid warnings of Republican election deniers prevailing in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections that will determine the control of Congress for the next two years, recent history shows that several Democrats have also claimed that elections were stolen or hacked. With just days to go until the midterm elections, much talk has focused on election deniers, a derogatory term frequently used by the corporate press and some Democrats to refer to people who have raised questions about the results of the 2020 presidential election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Media figures and Democrats have presented election deniers as a unique threat to American democracy in light of the riots that broke out at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress gathered in a joint session to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. CBS News identified 308 so-called election deniers on the ballot in Tuesdays elections. The network classified an election denier as anyone who wont say Biden was legitimately elected, [believes the 2020 presidential] election was stolen, [repeats] disproven claims of fraud, signed onto [a] lawsuit to overturn the 2020 election, objected to certify electoral college results in [Arizona and Pennsylvania] or [supports a] post 2020-audit. According to CBS News, this includes 238 Republican candidates seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives, 20 Republicans seeking election to the U.S. Senate and 20 Republicans running in gubernatorial races. The Electoral Count Act allows members of Congress to offer objections to the certification of the electoral votes in a particular state when the joint session of Congress to certify the election results takes place on Jan. 6, two months after a presidential election. Under the Electoral Count Act, Every objection shall be made in writing, and shall state clearly and concisely, and without argument, the ground thereof, and shall be signed by at least one Senator and one member of the House of Representatives before the same shall be received. After an objection is raised, both chambers of Congress pause the counting of electoral votes and debate whether to reject the electoral votes of the state in question. Following the 2020 presidential election, amid questions about the numerous changes made to state election laws during the coronavirus pandemic without approval by state Legislatures, Rep. Paul Gozar, R-Ariz., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, objected to the certification of the electoral votes in Texas. Following a debate, 121 House Republicans and six Senate Republicans voted to object to the electoral college votes in Arizona. Those numbers did not produce enough support to successfully reject the electoral votes. Of the 121 House Republicans who voted to object to the electoral votes in Arizona, all but 17 are seeking reelection, and two are Republican nominees for U.S. Senate seats. Only one of the six Senate Republicans who objected to the electoral votes in Arizona, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, is on the ballot this year. Additionally, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., raised objections to the certification of electoral votes in Pennsylvania. This effort picked up the support of 138 House Republicans and seven Senate Republicans, once again coming up short. There was much overlap between the lists of members who objected to the Arizona and Pennsylvania results, with all but 18 House members running for reelection and none of the senators who objected to the Pennsylvania results appearing on the ballot this year. Outrage over the riot at the Capitol led to a second impeachment against Trump, whose critics saw his raising questions about the validity of the results of the 2020 election as the instigation that led to the chaos that day. As a lawyer defending the then-president pointed out during impeachment proceedings, Democrats have raised questions about the results of numerous elections that they did not win over the years and engaging in similar actions that have led to some of their Republican colleagues being called election deniers. Here are four times when Democrats raised questions about the authenticity of election results. 1 2 3 4 5 Next Joe Rogan takes back his statement about the select schools having litter boxes, for students who identify as furries. Rogan supposedly heard it from a friend's wife, who used to work for one of these schools, according to Gizmodo. Even politicians have agreed with the statement. Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert, and Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen, both say they have heard the rumor. At least 20 candidates and officials contributed to the misinformation. Is It True? No. It is not. The schools that were pulled into the issue have already denied it. There was also no evidence that can prove the rumors of schools, having litter boxes for their students. However, the rumor has already spread like wildfire. Even participants in the furry subculture said that they never heard of any fellow furries asking for a litter box. People have been spreading rumors, regardless. Some even claim that the friend of their friend saw it happen, according to NBC News. There are politicians who do not shy away from using these statements, to support their claims concerning the students in the LGBTQA+ community. A professor at American University's School for Information, Ericka Menchen-Trevino, said that it fits well with what they already believe, so they won't fact-check it. Harvard Kennedy's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy Director, Joan Donovan, expressed that it allows politicians to dog-whistle their transphobia, without having to say it out loud. This was according to The Guardian. Joe Rogan now claims that his friend's wife now worked in another school, and he can't verify if the previous school really did have litter boxes for students. He went ahead and added that he doesn't think they actually did it. Michelle Amazeen, an associate professor studying misinformation, expressed that mainstream news outlets covering the story even just for debunking it, give the story reinforcement and seeming credibility. She added that the false story only feeds into the fears of conservatives about gender non-conformity, and lack of control in the events within the school. Read Also: Spotify Chooses The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, Deletes Neil Young's Music What Are Furries? There are a group of academics who study the furry subculture, at FurScience.com. Dr. Sharon Roberts. The co-founder of the website, said that furries identify with animals, not as animals. She also stated that she's glad that Joe Rogan retracted his statement. She hopes that the attention to correction, would lead people to look into evidence-based research on the fandom of furries. Dr. Roberts said that most don't even have costumes. They're just into the artwork, cosplaying, and interacting with people who have the same interests in conventions. CNN reported that around 100,000 to a million are part of the furry culture. A study from FurScience.com said that furries create a fursona they can identify with, or use as an avatar. Fursonas are anthropomorphized animal characters made by people within the furry community. More than 75% of furries are under the age of 25, says the mentioned website. 60% of them expressed that they felt prejudice against furries from society. Related: Spotify Removes Over 100 Joe Rogan Podcast Episode Amid Controversies Brian Houston blames Hillsong board's statements for resignation, insists hes not an alcoholic Hillsong Churchs founder and former global senior pastor Brian Houston blamed public statements made by the churchs board for his abrupt resignation earlier this year instead of any mistakes he made in ministry. Houston said the board's statements led to public speculation and allowed peoples imagination to run wild and draw their own conclusions about his departure from Hillsong. Houston, who is set to fight charges that he covered up his fathers child sexual abuse in an Australian court in December, said in a Facebook video early Thursday morning that he was essentially forced out of leadership with a narrative that was misleading. I want to be clear. The media and others incorrectly say I resigned because I breached the Hillsong code of conduct, but thats just not true. I didnt resign because of my mistakes. I resigned because of the announcements and statements that had been made, which Bobbie and I felt made my position untenable. And I spelled out my reasons for my resignation in my resignation letter to the Hillsong Church board, Houston said. A March 23 statement from Hillsong Church Global and Australian boards published on the global megachurch networks website said Houston formally resigned as global senior pastor in the wake of revelations that two women had made serious complaints of misconduct against him in the last 10 years. Hillsong Church said Houston violated the churchs pastoral code of conduct by entering the hotel room of an unidentified woman for 40 minutes while under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs during the churchs annual conference in 2019. Houston and the woman both said they did not recall what happened. Hillsong Churchs Interim Global Senior Pastor, Phil Dooley, suggested that their accounts of what happened were not entirely reliable because they were impaired by alcohol and Houston was also under the influence of anxiety medication. The church also revealed that Houston exchanged an inappropriate text message with a staffer in 2013. According to Dooley, the text message was along the lines of, if I was with you I would like to give you a kiss and a cuddle or a hug. The staffer resigned shortly after. Hillsong Church blamed Houstons actions in this case on sleeping tablets. Houston said in his video message on Thursday that when he offered to resign in March, he was expecting the board to reject it and fight for him, understanding how much pressure he was facing at the time. I guess a big part of me hoped that the board, knowing the pressure I was under, would reject my offer and continue to fight for me, but that was not to be, he continued. We certainly did not want to just abandon the Hillsong congregation, as some have suggested. We adore the people of Hillsong Church, and to be honest, we miss you all terribly. Houston then proceeded to share excerpts from his resignation letter in which he said he made it clear that it was the statements made by the board that made it difficult to continue in his role. The board statement to the church has made my position untenable. The board gave enough detail to allow peoples imagination to run wild and draw their own conclusions. The statement did nothing to add my perspective, the letter said. The statements that are being made have left me with no choice but to end our time as pastors and leaders of Hillsong Church. Houston said he also made it clear that while he was resigning from Hillsong Church he would not stop doing ministry. 'Thank you for the opportunity. It has been an honor and I can truthfully say, Hillsong Church is our lifes work. I have no intention of retiring. And in the future, well still be in ministry, whatever that looks like. Wherever that is. My hope is that we could have an active role as founding pastor of our church. Thats what I wrote to the board and thats the resignation the board was quick to accept, Houston said. Sadly, in the statements and announcements made, there was enough detail to pour ultimate shame and humiliation on me, but enough ambiguity to lead people to make their own conclusions about what did or didnt happen. Frankly, in many cases, those conclusions are wrong. Houston further insisted that he is not an alcoholic or addicted to sleep or anxiety medication despite statements from the church indicating otherwise. In my heartfelt apology to the people of Hillsong Church and to the Church at large, I spoke about alcohol having not proven itself to be my friend. But sadly that has built a narrative out there that Im an alcoholic, he said. The stories about my alcoholism are the result of gossip, whispering and innuendo. The narrative that Im an alcoholic is false. In fact, Ive been told by an expert therapist that I do not display the behaviors that are typical of an alcoholic. The Australian megachurch founder said when he apologized for his use of alcohol he was referring to specific incidents which were unbecoming for a minister of the gospel. And for which Im deeply sorry. In addressing his use of sleeping tablets, Houston also explained that that habit is now a thing of the past. It was in the early 2000s with my constant global travel and the stress that I was under, I became dependent on sleeping tablets which I have spoken about openly many times including in my book, Live Love, Lead. But let me be clear, the last time I took a single sleeping tablet was over ten years ago. And even though Ive continued to travel widely I havent taken one sleeping tablet for a decade. Its not an ongoing problem, he said. The notorious night in 2019 where I mixed a double dose of anti-anxiety tablets with alcohol was a one-off occasion. It happened once. It hadnt happened before and it hasnt happened since. So I dont have an ongoing problem with anti-anxiety tablets or any other prescription medication, he added. I respectfully ask you to please not label me that way or blindly accept that narrative. Louisiana megachurch to leave UMC as 47 churches in the state have voted to disaffiliate A Louisiana megachurch has voted to leave The United Methodist Church, joining dozens in the state in disaffiliating from the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the United States amid an ongoing debate over homosexuality. St. Timothy on the Northshore, a congregation based in Mandeville that boasts approximately 6,000 members, held a disaffiliation vote on Sunday. According to the churchs website, 858 ballots were submitted, with 789 voting to disaffiliate and 69 voting against leaving the UMC, equalling around 92% in favor of disaffiliation. St. Timothy was originally chartered in September 1975 and held its first worship services in a local warehouse. By 1979, the church moved to its present location. In 2006, the church merged with a local congregation known as Church of the Servant. St. Timothy is one of 47 congregations in Louisiana that have decided to leave the UMC in recent months, according to the New Orleans-based CBS affiliate WVUE. It has been an interesting time for the United Methodist Church, Rev. Van Stinson, the director of clergy excellence for the UMC Louisiana Conference, told WVUE. There are 5,200 people out there. Some of them are looking for a new home, and we will ensure that there will continue to be a United Methodist Church in Mandeville on the North Shore for them to continue worshiping in. On the same day St. Timothy voted to leave the UMC, a prominent United Methodist congregation in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to disaffiliate. Christ Church Memphis, once considered a flagship congregation for the UMC Tennessee-Western Kentucky Annual Conference, voted 941-101 to leave the denomination. For its part, the Tennessee-based regional body already approved the disaffiliation votes of 60 congregations in June. Over the past several years, the UMC has been embroiled in an internal debate over whether to allow the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals. The UMC Book of Discipline officially labels homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching and prohibits both practices. Efforts to amend the Book of Discipline at the denomination level have been voted down at General Conference. However, many progressive leaders within the UMC have refused to enforce or follow the official rules, believing that resistance will eventually lead to the denomination changing its stance. In May, the Global Methodist Church officially launched, with scores of UMC congregations across the U.S. voting to join the theologically conservative alternative in recent months. Sadie Robertson Huff announces 2nd pregnancy: Another little miracle is in motion Author, speaker and "Duck Dynasty" star Sadie Robertson Huff and her husband, Christian Huff, are expecting baby No. 2. The couple welcomed their first child, Honey, in 2021; now, their little girl will be a big sister. "Another little miracle is in motion," the Huffs wrote on both of their Instagram pages. The news was announced with a photo of the couple and their 1-year-old holding a sonogram photo. The 25-year-old Robertson Huff, an outspoken Christian and daughter of Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson, has kept busy traveling and preaching at various conferences in recent years. Robertson Huff's mother, Korie Robertson, also shared the news on social media. "I have the VERY BEST NEWS to share!!" Robertson wrote. "Honey's going to be a big sister!! @legitsadierob and @christian_huff so excited for y'all, and also very excited for me and @realwilliebosshog another grand baby to love on." During her first pregnancy in 2020, Robertson Huff was very vocal about the difficulties she encountered, including a battle with COVID-19. She also reported having "some pretty crazy morning sickness." "The hardest thing was I did get COVID while I was pregnant and I was so sick from that, and so sick still in the morning sickness, so that was a challenge," she told People at the time. "Seriously, my heart goes out to every single pregnant person with COVID and everybody with COVID. They were telling me at the hospital, they were like, 'Man, people have to deliver with it.' I can't even imagine. So that was challenging in and of itself." The Huffs married in November 2019 at the Robertson family home in Louisiana. Pastor Louie Giglio of Passion City Church officiated the ceremony and described the event as "a God-breathed moment." Over 600 guests attended the ceremony. Just a few days before her engagement in May 2019, Robertson professed love for her beau by sharing what she cherished most about him. "Of course there are a lot of things that I love about this man," she wrote on Instagram. "He's strong and kind. He's handsome and humble. He is hilarious. He's my best friend and the best one to have." The Live Fearless author, who has struggled with anxiety, admitted that her relationship is "not perfect." But she said they work through their "silly communication" issues. "At the end of every day I couldn't be more grateful for this walking answered prayer. I literally have a picture of us taped to the back of my Bible to remind me to thank God for this miracle, gotta give some credit where it's due!" she maintained. Bishop advocates for Church of England to allow blessing of same-sex unions A bishop in the Church of England has released an essay arguing that clergy within the denomination should be allowed to bless same-sex unions. The Rt. Rev. Steven Croft, the bishop of Oxford, released a lengthy essay on Friday titled Together in Love and Faith, arguing that the Church of England should remove its prohibition on blessing same-sex unions. I confirm my affection and respect for those who will want to argue, in good conscience, against change and potential provision for such change. I also make no claim whatsoever to infallibility: I may be wrong, either in the detail or in the overall argument, wrote Croft in his introduction. However, the Church will only be led into true and accurate discernment as we each, honestly and faithfully, share the best perspective we can, and subject those views to the wisdom of whole Church. Croft, who said he once ascribed to the theologically conservative and biblical view on the issue, went on to argue that there were fruits and benefits of same-sex partnerships that the Church could benefit from, adding that the current stance of the Church created hurt and pain for the LGBT community. The Church's reluctance to conduct prayers of blessing for same-sex relationships or to solemnize same-sex marriages and to legitimize them in the eyes of the Christian community undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on all kinds of pastoral relationships, both within congregations and within dioceses, he argued. the faithful and stable same-sex partnerships I observe seem to be producing good fruit for them and for our wider society. It seems to me that this provides a strong justification for revisiting Scripture and the tradition to see whether a change in our policies and attitudes to same-sex partnerships and marriage can be both justified and blessed. Vaughn Roberts, a theologically Evangelical same-sex attracted clergyman who Croft dialogued with in advance of announcing his views, wrote an essay in disagreement with Crofts push for the floundering denomination to support and advocate for same-sex marriage. One point of content put forth by Roberts was his belief that the bishop had failed to adequately engage with same-sex attracted Christians who had chosen celibacy over homosexual romance. There is a reference to one meeting with some same-sex attracted Christians, who hold to the traditional teaching of the Church, but there is no evidence of any greater engagement with what is a significant group, wrote Roberts. The deep pain they feel at being undermined by church leaders who are, in effect, telling them that their efforts to remain godly are unnecessary, needs to be recognized, along with any wider engagement with the experience of LGBTQ+ people in our churches. Roberts acknowledged that there are examples of long-term same-sex relationships, yet cautioned that this does not mean, however, that the relationships are morally good in every aspect, or that the positive fruit is necessarily a result of them being sexual. Bishop Steven is certainly right in recognizing the missional challenge caused by these cultural shifts, but there is, of course, nothing new in the Church experiencing such dissonance within and hostility from its surrounding culture, he continued. Roberts also warned that modern western culture is increasingly embracing a host of moral viewpoints that are at odds with Christian teaching, writing that Croft failed to grapple with these wider aspects of the sexual revolution. Do we really think that the proposed change will result in large numbers returning to church? Roberts wrote. Surely what is needed in the face of the disjunction between Church and society is not accommodation, but rather a winsome, confident re-presentation of the riches of Christian teaching about sex and marriage. The bishops essay and the responses to it come as the Church of England considers the possibility of allowing the blessing of same-sex unions in their congregations. The College of Bishops held a meeting earlier this week regarding the matter, with the discernment process possibly leading to changes being approved next February at the Churchs General Synod meeting. On Friday, five other bishops in the Church of England also come out in favor of blessing same-sex unions, arguing that priests should be allowed to celebrate them if they support them. The Church of England Evangelical Council has said it's opposed to the push to change the denomination's biblical doctrine to support same-sex marriage. However, some members of the General Synod, like LGBT campaigner Jayne Ozanne, who see the blessing of same-sex unions as a brave, prophetic step, The Telegraph reported. 32 years on, Greg Laurie says the 'message hasn't changed' at SoCal Harvest Its safe to say theres not much that hasnt changed since 1990 and that goes for SoCal Harvest. Started that year by Greg Laurie and Chuck Smith, pastor and founder of Calvary Chapel, the annual evangelistic event held in Southern California has seen thousands come to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. Laurie is set to return to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, for two nights on Nov. 5-6 for SoCal Harvest, along with music from artists like Phil Wickham, Jeremy Camp, Andy Mineo, Newsboys and Crowder. Even back in 1990, when the internet was still in its infancy, Laurie, founder and lead pastor of Harvest Churches and Harvest Crusades, saw the potential reach for SoCal Harvest. It has evolved in every way imaginable, Laurie, 69, told The Christian Post. Since then, Laurie says over 6 million people have attended in person, and over 600,000 have made professions of faith to follow Jesus Christ. Though the inaugural event was streamed in what he called a very jerky webcast, it wasnt until Laurie received a letter with a photo that showed someone watching that years Harvest event using a computer hooked up to a battery in a field somewhere in Africa that he realized its potential. I thought, Well, we need to do this every year, he said. As time has passed, our message has not changed, but our methodology certainly has. According to Laurie, so have the audiences: he said the level of biblical literacy compared to when he began preaching in the early 1970s is mind-blowing. People know so little about the Bible, so little about God, yet theres this openness, he said, pointing to a survey released earlier this year which found over half of Americans hold largely positive views of Jesus Christ. I dont think its Jesus Himself that turns people away, said Laurie. Sometimes its the actions of His followers, other times its sheer ignorance on the part of people where they dont realize Jesus is not merely a historical figure, but Hes a Savior. Rapper Andy Mineo, whos part of the Reach Records family of Christian hip-hop artists, including Lecrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee, and others, told CP hes looking forward not only to performing at Angel Stadium but also just being a part of it all. Those are the type of things that you only dream of, the opportunity to perform on stages and spaces like that, he said. But beyond that, I love what the purpose behind the whole thing is, to give a world-class experience and top-notch production to people to come to enjoy for free and to hear a message of hope and positivity and goodness. I hope that I get to play a little part in seeing somebody have an evening thats memorable forever for them. In addition to music, this years SoCal Harvest will also feature exclusive, never before seen scenes from the upcoming Laurie-produced feature film, Jesus Revolution, which he hopes will stir the hearts of those who attend. In fact, Laurie said he plans to call on the thousands of believers at SoCal Harvest to join in prayer for another Jesus Revolution in California and beyond, even as he acknowledged the seeming mass exodus of Californians to other states during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish we could have a new export to the rest of America, a new fresh spiritual awakening that, God willing, would start here, he said. He did it before, He can certainly do it again. Evangelicals view immigration as an opportunity, not a threat As a Baptist pastor in Central Texas, I have witnessed how immigration issues are a high priority for many members of my church. When I minister to families about the complicated process of U.S. immigration, we are able to find common ground on the Scriptural mandates to assist the poor, be an advocate for the marginalized, and show hospitality as a church. Now, there is growing evidence that my church is not an outlier. A Lifeway Research survey this fall shows that many Evangelicals are changing their perspective on immigration and are being guided by their faith when contemplating the refugee and immigration issues facing our country. In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds His followers that the way they treat the vulnerable among them is a direct reflection of their love for God, saying, Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. The Biblical mandates to care for the vulnerable members of our communities should compel us to advocate for immigration reform and dedicate ourselves to caring for immigrants. As each person bears the image of God, we must treat them with the respect and dignity that image demands. Many Evangelicals already recognize the importance of immigration reform to their Christian testimony. In the Lifeway Research poll, 80% of Evangelicals want to see Democrats and Republicans work together to develop bipartisan solutions that provide a pathway to citizenship for those brought here as children, secure our border and provide farmers with an adequate legal workforce. Alongside evangelicals growing conviction of the importance of extending compassion to immigrants, there is also a mounting recognition of the need for immediate action. Over 70% of Evangelicals polled want Congress to pass such solutions this year. People are coming to the United States for opportunity and safety. Fleeing extreme poverty and violence has brought generations to our country since its establishment. However, nowadays, immigrant families are being challenged by immigration policies and living with the risk of being thrown back into environments where the ramifications are literally life and death. We need to provide solutions because real lives are at stake, and many of these lives are our brothers and sisters in the church. As a Southern Baptist, I have been taught to be generous to vulnerable people around the world through giving weekly to missions globally. By bringing immigrants into our country, God in His providence has brought the world to us and given us the opportunity to be generous to people in our communities, churches, and workplaces, as well as opening more doors to reach other countries with the good news of the Gospel. For hundreds of years, the Evangelical church in America has sent missionaries overseas to proclaim the Gospel, some of whom spent a lifetime working for one convert in a culture opposed to Christianity. Each person that is converted to Christ in the United States has intimate connections in their homeland that make cross-cultural evangelism and missions organic and effective. As part of a missional-minded church, I have begun to see immigration as an effective pathway back to countries of origin through the deeply established relationships of those seeking a new life here in the States. Welcoming immigrants is a great opportunity for the church to step up and be a real voice to the vulnerable. Where we have failed to represent the Kingdom of God in the past, immigration provides an opportunity for the church to redeem itself by being a united voice for the love, compassion, and justice of Jesus Christ. Is voting an obligation? In 1629, the first American balloting for an election occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. The issue? Choosing a minister and choosing a Christian teacher for the colony. Such is the origin of the use of the ballot on this continent; [Samuel] Skelton was chosen pastor and [Francis] Higginson teacher. So writes George Bancroft, an early American historian, on this first election on American soil in Volume I of his 6-volume, History of the United States of America (1882). Historian Paul Johnson writes in his 1997 classic, A History of the American People: In a sense, the clergy were the first elected officials of the new American society, a society which to that extent had a democratic element from the start. And Christians in America have been voting ever since. Founding father Samuel Adams once said, Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote ... that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. However, there has arisen a feeling among some professing believers that somehow it is spiritual to not participate in something as earthly as politics. As the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, noted pastor and author, once said: A Christian said to me, You dont really believe that Christians should get active in politics do you? And I said, with tongue in cheek, Why, of course not, we ought to leave it to the atheists. Otherwise, we wouldnt have anything to complain about. And wed really rather complain than do something, wouldnt we? But today we find ourselves in such a mess in America that the very least Christians could do is vote and vote our biblical values. Some people have written off elections because they think its all rigged. They look at some of the anomalies that have occurred in recent balloting, and they think, Why should I even bother? My vote wont count. Well, if you dont cast a vote, your potential vote certainly wont count. With great understatement, Gary Bauer notes in his End of Day Report, We know unhinged leftists are not constrained by the basic teachings of Judeo-Christian civilization. They feel justified in doing anything and everything necessary to win. But if Christians show up in great numbers, we can overcome the potential for cheating because the Christian conservative voting bloc is huge. About a decade ago, Alveda King, the niece of MLK, made some interesting observations about Christians and voting in an interview for television. Alveda told me, I hear remarks from both sides of the aisle. You know, Gods not a Republican and Gods not a Democrat. And so, we as God-fearing people dont need to try to lock in a position to a political party, but certainly our votes must always follow our values. One of those values is against abortion and for life. Meanwhile, the left is embracing abortion to the hilt. When we vote biblical values, we obey what the Lord would have us do. Writing for the Washington Times, Everett Piper, a former president of a Christian college, opines on how far to the left has gone these days because of things like the castration of children and pornography in the schools: The Democrat party is now so extreme that no serious follower of Christ can align with it. There is no longer any such thing as a Christian Democrat. The aforementioned Dr. Kennedy once declared that it is indeed a sin not to vote. His proof-text was from the passage in the Gospel, where Jesus said that we should render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods (Mark 12:17). On the issue of voting, he said: For non-Christian Americans, voting is a privilege and responsibility; for Christians, it is a duty demanded by God that we should fulfill [Emphasis his]. It has been said that in America, we get the kind of government we deserve. Historically, Christians in America applied their faith to virtually every sphere of life, including their politics. While the founding fathers were not all Christians, the vast majority of them were, and more importantly, they had a biblical worldview. So, for example, they divided power, since they knew man is sinful. James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, noted: All men having power ought to be distrusted. This is a biblical perspective. Sometimes people complain that the Constitution limits the amount of power any one single branch may have. That was by design. The only poll that counts is the one you cast at election time. Dont sit this one out. As the late Bishop Harry Jackson once declared, Too many people died for the right of all people in the nation to vote. 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. Asteroids are Mother Nature's grim reminder that we are always in danger of experiencing the same catastrophic event that wiped out the dinosaurs 65-66 million years ago. With the success of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission on Oct. 12, however, humanity has taken one step towards living without the fear of asteroids impacting Earth in the foreseeable future. So what's next for Earth's planetary defense against asteroids? Results of NASA's DART Mission Before we answer that question, we must first discuss the success of NASA's DART mission. The space agency's DART mission is part of its Planetary Defence Coordination Office methods against near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets, per NASA. The mission involves smashing a spacecraft at roughly 14,000 mph in the hopes of diverting/re-directing an asteroid from its original trajectory to see if humanity has the technology to accomplish such a feat. To test if we are capable of diverting an asteroid, NASA launched its DART mission in November 2021 toward the asteroid pair Didymos and Dimorphos, near-Earth asteroids that could come as close as 0.048AU to Earth. NASA mentioned that one AU is equal to 150 million kilometers - the distance of the Earth to the Sun, meaning that they are somewhat close to Earth when they pass by us. For NASA's DART mission, experts took aim at Dimporhos to see if the DART spacecraft was capable of diverting the asteroid. Read More: Dead by Daylight Goes Medieval With New Forged in Fog Chapter As previously mentioned, the mission was a success. The spacecraft altered Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos by 32 minutes - a significant trajectory change from the previously expected 73-second-change. As a result, Dimorphos now takes 11 hours and 23 minutes to orbit Didymos. The successful diversion of Dimorphos shows that humanity is capable of diverting an asteroid from its original trajectory little by little. "All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet. After all, it's the only one we have," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us." NASA's Current Plans for Planetary Defense Against Asteroids As of press time, NASA doesn't have other plans on how to protect Earth from asteroids that could pose a threat to humanity in the future. According to the NASA senior scientist who emailed Breaking Defense, the best countermeasure humanity has against asteroids on their way to collide with Earth right now is to spot them decades in advance before the window of opportunity to divert them closes. Once the asteroid in question is detected and identified, NASA will send spacecraft similar to the one used in its DART mission to divert it from its original path so it wouldn't impact Earth. The scientist explained that maintaining a fleet of planetary defense ships as a shield in space to deflect asteroids is costly as having one tumbling towards Earth is an extremely rare event. Lori Glaze, NASA's Planetary Science Division director, agrees with Breaking Defense's source. According to an NPR report, she mentioned that even though the DART spacecraft caused a slight change in orbit time, this change could cause a significant diversion if the dangerous asteroid in question was detected early. "The more time we have for that little nudge ... the better off we are," Glaze said. Related Article: NASA's DART Successfully Shortens the Orbit of Dimorphos The rate of unemployment is unchanged from September but there have been increases in the number of full-time jobs. Statistics Canada data shows that immigrants have a high rate of employment The rate of unemployment is unchanged from September but there have been increases in the number of full-time jobs. Statistics Canada data shows that immigrants have a high rate of employment The rate of unemployment is unchanged from September but there have been increases in the number of full-time jobs. Statistics Canada data shows that immigrants have a high rate of employment The rate of unemployment is unchanged from September but there have been increases in the number of full-time jobs. Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Statistics Canada has released the Labour Force Survey data for October 2022. Overall, the rate of unemployment has recovered from increases over May-September but is still consistent with September at 5.2%. The biggest gains in employment were in manufacturing, construction and accommodation and food services while employment decreased in wholesale and retail trade, as well as in natural resources. Most new jobs were within the private sector, which is the first time the private sector has seen an increase in employment since March 2022. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Immigrants are successful at finding employment The release of the 2021 census data on immigration showed that 23% of Canadas population is an immigrant. The census defined immigrants as people who are or have ever been a landed immigrant or permanent resident. The survey shows that immigrants have been successful in finding employment and filling some of the gaps in Canadas labour force. Just over 62% of immigrants aged 15 and over are employed. It was also found that immigrants who arrived in Canada over the past five years had an employment rate of 70.7%, a higher rate than October 2019, pre-pandemic. Most new jobs are full-time The employment gain in October was exclusively seen in full-time work (there were decreases in part-time employment, but full-time employment gains offset the total losses). There were 119,000 full-time positions filled, boosting the rate of full-time employment by 3% over October 2021. The rate of part-time employment has remained consistent, but there has been a shift as over the past 12 months, men have been more likely to find full-time employment than women, experiencing a growth rate of 3.9% while the increase is at 1.9% for women. The rate of women with part-time employment has risen since last October by 5.7%. Employment increases for both genders occurred mainly in the core working age group of 25-54 years old. However, men of core working age gained somewhat more full-time work between September and October this year at 0.7% for men and 0.4% for women. Young women aged 15-24 have seen a decrease in their rate of employment, down 1.7% from September and landing at a total unemployment rate of 10.5%. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Raises for top 25% of wage earners Wages over all sectors were up an average of 5.6% since October 2021. The report says that six in ten employees who had been with their employer for at least 12 months had received a raise over the previous year. The survey found that 64.3% of employees with wages over $40 an hour had received a raise but only 50% of employees received a raise if they made less than $20. The lowest proportion of employees who had received a raise worked in agriculture, 47.2%, and accommodation and food services at 49.7%. These are two industries that typically have hourly wages below the national average. Additionally, 53.6% of those employed in healthcare and social services received a raise. Wage growth in this sector has been slow, rising 0.9% year-over-year. Employment is up in six provinces Most new employment occurred in Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Ontario had the largest increase in employment with 43,000 positions filled, mainly in part-time work. The biggest gains were within the accommodation and food sectors as well as the professional, scientific and technical services sector. The overall rate of unemployment is consistent with September at 5.9%. Quebec also showed some significant growth with 28,000 positions filled. Overall gains were mainly full-time and within construction, finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing. The province has an unemployment rate of 4.1%. Prince Edward Island saw some significant gains in employment in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, which caused considerable damage to the province. Employment increased by 4,300 positions. Hybrid positions are still prominent The study found that 1.7 million Canadians are working in a hybrid position, meaning they split their work week with some time in the office and some time remotely from home. Hybrid arrangements have increased between January and October. The largest number of hybrid jobs are within the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sector, up to 21.7%. Additionally, nearly 16% of public administration and 17.9% of professional, scientific, and technical services are also hybrid positions. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Foreign professors bring German experience to China's technology hub Xinhua) 10:59, November 05, 2022 by Xinhua writers Liang Xizhi, Wang Pan and Yin Peng SHENZHEN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Franz Raps usually encourages his freshman students at Shenzhen Technology University (SZTU) to do things by themselves, such as changing light bulbs, as he believes "the world belongs to those who are not afraid to get their hands dirty." It is one of Raps' "German ideas" that he has brought to his Chinese students in China's high-tech hub of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. Home to manufacturing and Internet technology giants such as Huawei, Tencent, and BYD, the city of Shenzhen posted a GDP of more than 3 trillion yuan (about 413.48 billion U.S. dollars) last year, ranking third among Chinese cities. In 2018, Raps was hired as the first dean of the College of Urban Transportation and Logistics at SZTU, becoming the first foreign dean of the university. In 2017, he visited SZTU as dean of the College of Electrical Engineering at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Holger Haldenwang, fellow German and former executive vice president of the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, is the founding dean and chair professor of the School of Business. Officially established in 2018, SZTU focuses on the applied sciences and technology, and draws experience from overseas technology universities. Its establishment has demonstrated China's determination to cultivate high-caliber talent in this field. "Applied science and technology universities in Germany are successful, cultivating many engineers, designers and actuaries," said SZTU President Ruan Shuangchen. "The university should first become an international university, and then a high-level university of applied sciences. This is our key philosophy," Ruan said. Among the 14 colleges at SZTU, seven deans are foreigners. Meanwhile, SZTU has signed cooperation agreements with more than 20 German universities and institutions. SZTU's racing car studio is an example of how the Chinese institution has learned from others. The multidisciplinary workshop facilitates students majoring in areas such as design, manufacturing and business. "Designing and assembling racing cars is very popular in German technical universities. If students have the ability to design and assemble a racing car and make it actually run, I believe that students will not worry about finding a job," Raps said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) This picture taken on Nov. 4, shows fans of K-pop music group NCT127 gathered outside the concert venue after the event was stopped in Serpong, Banten provice, after chaos broke out and 30 people fainted in a crush. AFP-Yonhap A concert by K-pop boy group NCT 127 in Jakarta ended early on Friday after some excited fans caused chaos to get closer to the stage, a local event agency said. "An unexpected situation occurred at the end of the show," Dyandra Global Edutainment said on social media on Friday (Indonesian time). "The audience members in the standing areas were seen in disorder, causing confusion. The concert eventually was stopped for safety." There was no report of injury among them, the company said. This picture taken on Nov. 4, shows members of K-pop music group NCT127 performing in Serpong, Banten province, before the concert was stopped after chaos broke out and 30 people fainted in a crush. AFP-Yonhap U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during an arria-formula meeting regarding the ongoing protests in Iran, at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Nov. 2. AFP-Yonhap The United States on Friday called on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to hold North Korea accountable for its recent provocative actions that included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield also stressed the importance of fully implementing the existing UNSC sanctions on the recalcitrant country. "Over the last week and a half the DPRK has exacerbated an extremely worrisome trend that we've seen all year; an increasing number of (missile) launches in flagrant violation of the Security Council Resolution, destabilizing and threatening rhetoric and continue escalation," the U.S. diplomat said at an emergency meeting of the Security Council held in New York. "The United States condemns, in the strongest possible terms, all 13 recent DPRK ballistic missile launches since October 27, but the DPRK's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the seventh ICBM this year, is particularly concerning," she added. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Friday's UNSC meeting marked the ninth of its kind held this year to specifically discuss possible measures to hold North Korea responsible or stop its continued provocations. The previous eight meetings, however, ended in naught, primarily due to opposition from Russia and China, both veto power-wielding permanent members of the Security Council and close neighbors of North Korea. Thomas-Greenfield argued Beijing and Moscow have made a mockery of the Security Council by bending over backward to justify Pyongyang's repeated violations of UNSC resolutions that they had helped to put in place. "I want to remind this council of our responsibility to protect global peace and security, defend a global nonproliferation regime and uphold the Security Council resolutions," she said. "You don't get to abandon the Security Council responsibilities because the DPRK might sell you weapons to fuel your war of aggression in Ukraine or because you think they make a good regional butter to the United States," added the U.S. ambassador. The U.S. earlier released intelligence information that Pyongyang is trying to "covertly" send a significant number of artillery shells to Russia for use in Ukraine. Thomas-Greenfield said the North has now launched 59 ballistic missiles in total this year. "For a U.N. member state to so flagrantly violate the Security Council resolutions and all that the UN Charter stands for is appalling," she said, referring to North Korea's missile launches. "Equally appalling is the council's deafening silence on this issue." China and Russia refused to budge, instead accusing the U.S. and South Korea of provoking North Korea's recent missile launches. "The current events and root causes that have led to the current situation on the peninsula are clear to all. The DPRK's recent launches activities did not happen in isolation and they are directly linked to the words and deeds of relevant parties," China's envoy to the U.N. Zhang Jun said in the council meeting through an interpreter. "The United States and relevant country, after a five year hiatus, have re-launched their large scale joint military exercises with hundreds of warplanes involved," the Chinese ambassador said, referring to joint military exercises of South Korea and the U.S. Russia's envoy to the U.N. joined in accusing the U.S. of instigating North Korea's recent missile launches. "We note with regret that recently the situation on the Korean Peninsula has significantly worsened," said Anna Evstigneeva, deputy permanent representative of Russia to the U.N. "The reason for this is clear; the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure and force," she added, speaking through an interpreter. (Yonhap) Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. 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 North Korea fires ballistic missiles in these file photos released by its state media. Yonhap North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) toward the West Sea Saturday, the South Korean military said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from Tongrim County in North Pyongyan Province between around 11:32 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. The missiles flew about 130 kilometers at an apogee of 20 km with a top speed of Mach 5, it added. The North's latest provocation came on the last day of the extended large-scale combined air drills of the South and the United States. A B-1B Lancer strategic bomber at the Andersen Air Force Base on Guam is shown in this photo released by Pacific Air Forces. Yonhap Two U.S. B-1B Lancer strategic bombers staged joint drills with South Korean F-35A stealth fighter jets over the Korean Peninsula on Saturday, the last day of the allies' Vigilant Storm exercise, according to Seoul's defense authorities. It marked the first time that the long-range supersonic bomber has been deployed to Korea since 2017, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. After flying from Guam, the B-1Bs made a sortie over the peninsula alongside four F-35As and four U.S. F-16 fighters as part of the extended Vigilant Storm practice. In this June 20, 2017 file photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers, top, and second from top, and South Korean fighter jets F-15K fly over the Korean Peninsula, South Korea. AP-Yonhap This photo provided by fire authorities shows two miners rescued from a collapsed mine after being trapped for nine days, Nov. 4. Yonhap Two miners trapped for more than nine days in a collapsed zinc mine in southeastern South Korea walked out alive Friday, authorities said, a miraculous ending to rescue efforts that once looked bleak. The pair had been stuck in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground at a zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 kilometers southeast of Seoul, since the mine collapsed on Oct. 26. This photo provided by fire authorities shows a miner being carried into a hospital on Nov. 4, after being rescued from a collapsed mine where he was trapped for nine days. Yonhap Rescue authorities said the two, both surnamed Park and aged 62 and 56, came out at 11:03 p.m. after 221 hours underground. They are in stable health condition and have been sent to a hospital. Rescuers said the miners have pitched a tent with plastic and made a fire inside a tunnel to fend off cold. The miners were waiting inside and relying on each other with hope as they heard the sound of the blast from the rescue authorities, according to one of the rescuers. The miners subsisted on instant powdered coffee that they brought with them when they went to work and by drinking water falling down the shaft after using up the coffee. This photo provided by fire authorities shows a miner being rescued on Nov. 4, after being trapped in a collapsed mine for nine days. Yonhap Rescue workers began a search for the two on Thursday by drilling a hole and inserting an endoscope in an effort to reach the point where the two men were trapped, 190 meters underground. Park Jung-ha, one of the two miners who were rescued from a collapsed mine in southeastern Korea after nine days, lies next to his colleague at a hospital in Andong, 268 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Nov. 5. Yonhap Park Jung-ha, one of the two miners who walked out of a collapsed mine Friday night after being trapped for nine days, said he never lost hope and made constant efforts to find a way out. "It's good to be out. We spent time consoling each other in the tunnel," the 62-year old told Yonhap News Agency in an interview Saturday as he was recovering in a hospital in Andong, 268 kilometers southeast of Seoul. "We looked around the tunnel holding onto hope that there would be a way if we tried everything." Park and another miner, also surnamed Park and aged 56, had been stuck in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground at a zinc mine in the county of Bonghwa, 244 km southeast of Seoul, since the mine collapsed on Oct. 26. The miners subsisted on instant powdered coffee that they brought with them before being rescued after 221 hours. Park Jung-ha, one of the two miners who were rescued in a collapsed mine in southeastern Korea after nine days, is greeted by North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo at a hospital in Andong, 268 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Nov. 5. Yonhap "When the accident first happened, I never imagined it would take this long," he said as he thanked the rescue workers and everyone who supported them. "I could only survive because of all the efforts made by many people." As he recounted the moment he was miraculously rescued, Park said, "The blast sound that seemed so far away was a real blast this time and we faced the rescue workers as the tunnel was penetrated through to the other side." "If we weren't out by now, we would probably be holding each other and crying in the mine," he said as he turned to his colleague in the room. Park said the pair made unrelenting efforts to escape from the tunnel. On the second and third day after the collapse, the two digged some 10 meters of the ramp way section of the tunnel but decided against going on further to conserve strength. "We checked every tunnel we could go in to find a possible bypassing tunnel but they were all full of debris," he said. Bang Jong-hyo, a doctor treating the rescued miners at Andong Hospital, located in the nearby city of Andong, speaks to reporters, Nov. 5. Yonhap British Pound Technical Forecast: Neutral Recommended by James Stanley Access the Forecast for the British Pound Get My Guide It was a brutal week for the British Pound. Losses were pared a bit on Friday but, on net, weekly bars in GBP/USD, GBP/JPY and EUR/GBP all reflect varying degrees of Sterling weakness. It was the Thursday rate decision that really pushed the matter, as the Bank of England hiked rates by 75 basis points, their largest such move in over 33 years. But, they also warned of a very challenging path ahead while remarking that the UK is already in a recession. The bank talked up a lower terminal rate and accordingly the British Pound fell in response, with GBP/USD and GBP/JPY pushing to some key support areas while EUR/GBP pushed back-up to range resistance. While the fundamental backdrop remains bearish for the UK, the technical outlook for GBP/USD has some question marks which can mainly be attributed to the US Dollar. The Greenback has recently stumbled even in light of positive US data that denotes a continued path of hawkishness from the Fed. And this may be owed to the fact that the bullish trend in the US Dollar is somewhat crowded. And given the reaction to support this week, the forecast for the British Pound will be set to neutral. With that being said this is not to mean that there wont be opportunity present, particularly if bulls can force a re-test of the 1.1500 psychological level which, earlier in the week, was being used as support as a descending triangle formation had built. Those setups are often tracked with the aim of bearish breakouts, and that started to fill during FOMC and quickly hastened the next morning through the Bank of England rate decision. I had highlighted that as part of the Monday article on US Dollar Price Action Setups but, by the time Thursday rolled around, I warned of support potential after a really large move in the pair. GBP/USD Four Hour Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; GBPUSD on Tradingview GBP/USD Longer-Term From the daily chart, whats more interesting to me than what happened this week is what didnt. Even with an open door for prices to run down for a test of the 1.1000 handle, sellers pulled back and that led to a sizable move on Friday that erased the bulk of the Thursday sell-off. If bears really wanted to push the downside move the door was open for it and yet they didnt walk through. Again, this doesnt necessarily spell bullishness, but it also puts that bearish move that built earlier in the week into scope, especially considering both the fact that the Fed came out as more hawkish and the BoE came out as more dovish. The fact that we have this divergence in price from the headlines indicates that the short side of the trade may still be a bit crowded. Sellers had an open door and couldnt do much with it, and this brings questions to bearish continuation potential, particularly the timing element of the matter. Recommended by James Stanley How to Trade GBP/USD Get My Guide GBP/USD Weekly Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; GBPUSD on Tradingview GBP/USD Levels The 1.1500 psychological level remains an obvious focal point for the pair. But, if buyers can bring that back into play in the early-portion of next week with a push above that price, the door can quickly re-open for tests of 1.1646 or perhaps even 1.1742. GBP/USD Daily Price Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; GBPUSD on Tradingview GBP/JPY GBP/JPY may be more workable than GBP/USD in the current backdrop, and mainly in effort of avoiding USD-related themes. Thats not to say that the Japanese Yen has been any more consistent. But, from a technical basis, it has been cleaner in my point of view than whats showed in GBP/USD over the past week. After that Thursday sell-off, I highlighted a key zone of support that had started to come into play again in GBP/JPY. The bottom of the zone was the 165.00 psychological level, which both helped to set resistance in late-September and support in early-October. That price came back into the picture shortly after the BoE rate decision and price action grinded there for much of the next day, finally getting some lift late in the week as prices in the pair ran back to 167.00. Recommended by James Stanley Trading Forex News: The Strategy Get My Guide GBP/JPY Four Hour Price Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; GBPJPY on Tradingview The weekly chart below shows what a contentious area this zone has been, as it has helped to set resistance for much of the past six months, until coming back into the picture as support over the past couple of weeks, helped along by a couple of nearby Fibonacci levels highlighting confluence. GBP/JPY Weekly Price Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; GBPJPY on Tradingview EUR/GBP While EUR/GBP may not put in the same magnitude of moves that will often be seen in GBP/USD or GBP/JPY, there is still some brewing interest here, largely on the basis of a resistance test at a familiar area. The level of .8780 marks the recent high and this level came into play to catch the high again last week. This keeps the door open for bullish breakout potential so for those that are looking to press themes of Sterling weakness, this could be an area of interest to follow. For support, theres a zone that runs from .8709 up to .8731 that can be tracked for higher-low support potential. EUR/GBP Four-Hour Price Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; EURGBP on Tradingview EUR/GBP Longer-Term Since Im talking about a possible directional play in EUR/GBP, Id be remiss if I didnt point out how this fits in the longer-term backdrop. Taking a step back on the chart and the range over the past year is a little more than 1,000 pips. But, perhaps more telling than the mean or the median is the mode, or the frequency of price tests that have traded around current levels; and those flickers up to longer-term resistance have been fast and brief. Most recently, that was the collapse-like move in the GBP that saw EUR/GBP jump up for a re-test of .9270. So, for bullish approaches, especially breakouts in a pair that often has a tendency to range, bulls will want to be fast as the move may not last for long. And, on the other side of that, for those that are looking to buy GBP, perhaps a move up to resistance at .8853 could be that open door to look for a fade, pressing against a Euro that doesnt have a significant amount of fundamental strength behind it at the moment. And for longer-term approaches, a re-test of the .9000 psychological level, coupled with a resistance reaction on the daily, can open the door for possible fades. Recommended by James Stanley Building Confidence in Trading Get My Guide EUR/GBP Daily Chart Chart prepared by James Stanley; EURGBP on Tradingview --- Written by James Stanley, Senior Strategist, DailyFX.com & Head of DailyFX Education Contact and follow James on Twitter: @JStanleyFX Bitcoin, Ethereum Talking Points Bitcoin trades through $21000 level following NFP report Ethereum continues bullish move after breaking trendline resistance Focus remains on economic data, CPI in focus next week Recommended by Brendan Fagan Get Your Free Bitcoin Forecast Get My Guide Bitcoin and Ethereum Outlook: Bullish Bitcoin and Ethereum both posted monster sessions on Friday as risk rallied on the back of the US nonfarm payrolls (NFP) report. The labor report broadly appears to be a mixed bag, as both bulls and bears can point to aspects of the print to support their arguments for higher/lower prices. Despite that, market participants were forcibly pushing risk higher during Fridays session. US Treasury yields came in while the US Dollar posted a dismal session. Part of this was fueled by NFPs, while continued developments out of China also fueled a rebound in risk. So where does crypto play into all of this? At the moment, its role as an uncorrelated risk asset roughly means that market participants are stuck following the broader macro environment. The data is ultimately driving sentiment and positioning, as it weighs heavily on market pricing of the Feds terminal rate. Next week sees October CPI data cross the wires on Thursday, which could bring about significant shifts in rates pricing for the December FOMC meeting. Upcoming US Economic Calendar Courtesy of the DailyFX Economic Calendar Bitcoin continues to push higher despite volatile swings lately, following a long base that was built around the $18400 - $19000 zone. I wrote about this in previous pieces on Bitcoin, where I noted that the cryptocurrency was holding up well as other risk assets struggled immensely. That relative outperformance during a period of heightened stress in financial markets certainly caught my eye, and made me wonder why Bitcoin had diverged from traditional correlations. After largely holding the support zone between $18400 and $18800 for most of September and all of October, Bitcoin finally made the break higher into month-end. The October 25th session finally saw a daily close above resistance at $19666, which was the 2017 swing-high. BTCUSD hasnt looked back since making this bullish break, as price has punched firmly though the psychological barriers at $20000 and $21000 respectively. If risk continues to rally on a shift in fundamental news, BTCUSD may look to target the September high at $22781. Softness after such a strong rally on Friday may bring the support zone above $20000 back into play in the near-term. Overall, I remain bullish BTC. Bitcoin 8 Hour Chart Chart created with TradingView Just like Bitcoin, Ethereum has put in a monster rally after holding a major support zone for much of September. ETHUSD held the key zone just above $1200 following a strong sell-off to start September. This attempt to carve out a bottom ultimately proved to be crucial, as ETHUSD has now rallied to just short of $1700. Similar to BTCUSD, the ability for Ethereum to hold key support while traditional equity baskets slid hard during the latter half of September was eye-catching. Ethereum has since broken above descending trendline resistance that rejected ETHUSD firmly in September. The daily close above this key trendline on October 25th has seen bullish continuation materialize, as we now trade just shy of $1700. With risk appetite improving following this weeks slate of risk events, ETHUSD may be targeting the 23.6% retracement of the 12-month range at $1821. Given the inability for Ethereum to trade back down to the lows at $880 despite the bearish environment for risk, the case for a revisit of that area remains difficult to make absent of any potential developments on crypto regulation. Ethereum was trading just shy of $5000 this time 12 months ago, which shows just how much can change in a short amount of time. Ethereum Daily Chart Chart created with TradingView Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter RESOURCES FOR FOREX TRADERS Whether you are a new or experienced trader, we have several resources available to help you; indicator for tracking trader sentiment, quarterly trading forecasts, analytical and educational webinars held daily, trading guides to help you improve trading performance, and one specifically for those who are new to forex. --- Written by Brendan Fagan To contact Brendan, use the comments section below or @BrendanFaganFX on Twitter Owner and CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk, arrives at the 29th Annual Baron Investment Conference in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., Nov. 4. Reuters-Yonhap Twitter's new owner Elon Musk has pledged the platform will not devolve into a "free-for-all hellscape," but experts warn that mass layoffs on Friday may deeply impair the social network's ability to curb misinformation. Twitter fired roughly half of its 7,500-strong workforce, only days before next week's midterm elections in the United States, when a spike in fake content is expected across social media. The cuts, which comes after Musk's blockbuster $44 million buyout of the company, hit multiple divisions, including trust and safety teams that manage content moderation as well as engineering and machine learning, US reports said. "I would be real careful on this platform in the coming days... about what you retweet, who you follow, and even your own sense of what's going on," said Kate Starbird, a disinformation researcher and assistant professor at the University of Washington. Starbird warned in her own Twitter post of an increased risk of "impersonation" attempts, "coordinated disinformation by manipulators" and "hoaxes that attempt to get you to spread falsehoods." Jessica Gonzalez, co-chief executive officer at the nonpartisan group Free Press, said she was concerned about Twitter potentially loosening its content-moderation efforts prior to the election, "when we know social media goes off the rails to misinform, intimidate and harm voters of color." "Twitter was already a hellscape before Musk took over, and his actions... will only make it worse," said Gonzalez. People walk outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Nov. 4. AP-Yonhap Free Press is part of a coalition of more than 60 civil society groups that on Friday called on advertisers to boycott the platform until it committed to being a "safe place." Members of the coalition met with Musk earlier this week after academic studies reported a dramatic increase in hate speech, Nazi memes and racist slurs after his acquisition of the company. One study by Montclair State University found that Musk's purchase had "created the perception by extremist users that content restrictions would be alleviated." "We met with Elon Musk earlier this week to express our profound concerns about some of his plans and the spike in toxic content after his acquisition," said the coalition, which uses the hashtag "Stop Toxic Twitter." Twitter headquarters stands on Market Street on Nov. 4, in San Francisco, California. AFP-Yonhap "Since that time, hate and disinformation have continued to proliferate, and Musk has taken actions that make us fear that the worst is yet to come," the group said in a statement. But Musk rejected that assessment, tweeting that "we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms," though he offered up no data to back up this assertion. "To be crystal clear, Twitter's strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged," Musk wrote on Friday. Separately, Yoel Roth, Twitter's head of safety and integrity, said that combating harmful misinformation during the midterms was a "top priority" for the company. Musk, a self-professed free-speech absolutist, had promised to reduce Twitter's content restrictions, and since the acquisition has announced plans to create a "content moderation council" that will review company policies. "While Musk has publicly committed to transparency, his decision to lay off the staff members dedicated to this work is deeply troubling," said Zeve Sanderson, executive director of the New York University's Center for Social Media and Politics. Musk insisted that the layoffs were necessary as the company was losing more than $4 million per day. Twitter has long struggled to generate profit and has failed to keep pace with Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in gaining new users. (AFP) You can be privileged in Britain but only if you have the brass neck to pretend that you arent. Increasingly, parents who strain their budgets to the limit to pay private school fees are being punished for their thrift and responsibility. Their children are rejected for Oxbridge university places and jobs for which they are well qualified. Applicants from state schools are preferred for political reasons, as if this was a Peoples Republic. What began a few years ago as an elusive trend has now become very hard to ignore. A recent Freedom of Information survey of 50 leading private schools found that their pupils overall chance of getting an Oxford or Cambridge offer has fallen by one third in five years. The change followed soon after the two ancient universities which deny that they are discriminating against private school pupils began to use contextual selection methods. Yet Professor Stephen Toope, who has just stepped down as head of Cambridge University, has said: We have to keep making it very, very clear we are intending to reduce over time the number of people who are coming from independent school backgrounds into places like Oxford or Cambridge. Professor Stephen Toope, who has just stepped down as head of Cambridge University, has said: We have to keep making it very, very clear we are intending to reduce over time the number of people who are coming from independent school backgrounds into places like Oxford or Cambridge Whatever is actually going on, egalitarian zealots applaud and encourage this behaviour. The Labour MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy once said: The upper classes have a vice-like grip on Oxford admissions that they will not willingly give up. This sort of talk treats the suburban middle class as if they were privileged billionaire aristocrats rather than men and women who work and save, and put schooling before big houses, holidays and expensive cars and clothes. It is in line with the modern idea of social mobility which has much more to do with punishing the conservative middle class than with helping the poor. And it means that universities and employers are urged to shun applicants with obvious middle-class backgrounds, even if they are better qualified. The new regime snubs and rejects well-educated young men and women who have in many cases come from homes where the parents made major sacrifices for the sake of their education. Despite this, the country remains as privileged as it ever was, with the new noisily Left-wing elite well versed in the methods needed to come out on top. The actual poor are still terribly treated, as they have been since state grammar schools, which selected on merit rather than money, were almost all destroyed in the 1960s. The Labour MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy once said: The upper classes have a vice-like grip on Oxford admissions that they will not willingly give up (file photo of the University of Oxford) Try this story, as an example. You would have thought it was bad enough that Anthony Blair sent two of his sons to a totally exceptional state school, the London Oratory, miles from where he lived. By doing so, he tacitly accepted that the local comprehensive schools were not good enough for him. As so often, some are more equal than others. But, in 2002, he did something even more shocking. He hired teachers from the hugely expensive private school, Westminster, to give his boys extra tuition for their A-levels. After five years in office, chanting Education! Education! Education!, he was accepting the truth that all informed people know. Comprehensive state education is a disaster, especially for the poor. Even at its top end it cannot do the job properly. As a result many (though not all) of the private schools hugely outperform most state comprehensives, and so do the few remaining state grammar schools. But the future Sir Tony was not admitting it openly, just in his actions. Shouldnt he have used the schools he said he wanted all others to attend, if they were so good? But, of course, he knew they were not good. So instead he used the Oratory, officially a comprehensive. Is it really one? When I once suggested it wasnt, the Blairs came after me, until I agreed to say that it was a comprehensive in the same way that 10 Downing Street is an inner-city terrace house. This is always the way socialist utopians behave. When their utopia does not work, they find ways to escape it for themselves, leaving the rest of us to cope with the mess. The English state school system is, in fact, crammed with secret privilege, for those in the know, who have the money to pay for it and the sharp elbows to exploit it. The new regime snubs and rejects well-educated young men and women who have in many cases come from homes where the parents made major sacrifices for the sake of their education (file photo of the University of Cambridge) The Sutton Trust and Teach First, neither of them organisations of the Right, have produced research showing that the best comprehensives are in fact highly socially selective. There is also no way of knowing how many of the exam results of the better comprehensives in well-off areas are achieved by private tuition, Blair-style. Nobody is obliged to record it. In 2017 the Sutton Trust reported that more than 85 per cent of the highest-performing state schools took in fewer disadvantaged pupils than they should have for their catchment area. They also found there was a house price premium of about 20 per cent attached to living in the right area for a successful, highly rated comprehensive school. A typical house in such a catchment area at that time cost about 45,700 more than the average property in the same local authority. Teach First reported in the same year that 43 per cent of pupils at Englands outstanding state secondary schools were from the wealthiest 20 per cent of families. Poorer pupils were half as likely as the richest to be heading to outstanding secondary schools. Blair, in the days when he hired private tutors for his boys, was head of the Labour Party, the same party which had imposed supposedly equal comprehensive education on England, Wales and Scotland. His government made it illegal to open new state grammar schools, so ensuring that there was almost no escape for most people from the comprehensive disaster. You would have thought it was bad enough that Anthony Blair sent two of his sons to a totally exceptional state school, the London Oratory, miles from where he lived Most do not have the skills or the money to navigate the comprehensive system as elite Leftists so often manage to do. No wonder so many parents, who could not really afford it, went private. But now their children suffer for their parents sacrifices. To make things worse still, Blairs Chancellor and future successor, Gordon Brown, picked a foolish quarrel with Oxfords Magdalen College in 2000, for rejecting a state-school-educated candidate, Laura Spence. He alleged, without real evidence, that this showed prejudice against state school applicants. But despite the poverty of his arguments, his action may well have succeeded in scaring Oxbridge academics into a real prejudice against private schools. A-level marks have been so telescoped by falling school standards that they are not much of an objective guide, failing to distinguish between the excellent and the merely good. This makes it far easier to select on contextual grounds rather than hard grades. You may be sure that the children of the liberal elite, while they rail against supposed private school privilege, are doing all that they can, by professing strong religious faith or moving into costly catchment areas, or by hiring tutors, to put their own children on the magic carpet to Oxbridge, via state schools which are comprehensive only in theory. Privilege, in decline in the great days of the state grammar schools in the 1960s, is back with a bang. Peter Hitchenss new book, A Revolution Betrayed: How Egalitarians Wrecked The British Education System, is published later this month. Suella Braverman likes talking tough. I am utterly serious about ending the scourge of illegal migration, she defiantly told the Commons on Monday. That is why I am in government, and why there are some people who would prefer to be rid of me. Let them try. I know that I speak for the decent, law-abiding, patriotic majority of British people from every background who want safe and secure borders. She certainly does. A couple of days after her pugnacious performance, a focus group was conducted among swing voters. There was unanimous support for her stance over migrants. If they dont like it here, they can go back, said one respondent. It should have been stopped years ago. But its got completely out of hand, said another. They pulled a boat in yesterday. It was full of Albanians. Theres no war going on in Albania they are fleeing from. At the start of the week, many people in government thought Bravermans position as Home Secretary was irrecoverable. Shes a dead woman walking, one Minister told me. Shell be gone in a couple of days. At the start of the week, many people in government thought Bravermans position as Home Secretary was irrecoverable. Then came her fightback Then came her fightback. The immigration system is in crisis, she announced. Britain is facing a migrant invasion. The Commons was stunned. BUT for some fellow Tory MPs, it was music to their ears. This is going down really well in my patch, one Red Wall Tory MP told me. The liberals are complaining about her language. But shes just saying what Im hearing on the doorsteps. Its what my people want. They see Suella as their saviour. Maybe they do. But the new Populist Princess needs to tread carefully. Because shes not out of the woods yet. For the moment, Braverman is useful to Rishi Sunak. She is helping bind the Right of his party into his new coalition. And hes aware that her fiery rhetoric plays well with significant elements of the Tory base. But he also knows shes highly combustible. And if she does self-destruct, he has no intention of being too close when she starts self-igniting. For the moment, Braverman is useful to Rishi Sunak. She is helping bind the Right of his party into his new coalition. And hes aware that her fiery rhetoric plays well with significant elements of the Tory base Rishi hasnt ever used language like that, one of the PMs allies pointedly told me in reference to Braverman using the word invasion. Then they added: The PM knows Suella was trying to convey the scale of the challenge we face, which is serious and unprecedented. Theres no easy overnight fix. Theres no magic bullet. Meanwhile, while Sunak intends to handle Braverman cautiously, many of her ministerial colleagues are more emphatic in their dealings with her. Shes a lunatic, one told me. Another said: Shes a political liability, shes a security liability, and she shouldnt be anywhere near government. These concerns are echoed within her own department. One senior Home Office official said that while Braverman was talking a good game on the migrant crisis, she was falling short in a number of practical operational areas. First, while the Manston asylum centre in Kent is widely referred to as a detention centre, it is not actually a detention centre at all. It was only established as a processing centre, they told me, so it cant legally be used to detain people. And that means when the Government loses the case in court and it will there is a real danger the whole place could be shut down. A second issue is that Braverman was also responsible for shelving plans to open a new, 1,500-bed asylum centre at a former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. The MoD opposed it, and when she became Home Secretary she basically caved into them, the official said. But some of the most stinging criticism predates her appointment as Home Secretary. Meanwhile, while Sunak intends to handle Braverman cautiously, many of her ministerial colleagues are more emphatic in their dealings with her The official said that when Boris Johnson signed off the deal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a big part of the controversial arrangement was to ensure the Home Office could handle the legal challenges so some planes could actually set off. The official added witheringly: It was Suella, when she was Attorney General, who was supposed to manage that. But she didnt. Im not entirely sure she properly understood the law in this area. Some of the attacks on Braverman are misplaced. As last Sundays fire-bomb attack at Dover underlined, politicians have to be aware of the dangers of using language that can inflame passions and tensions. But as weve seen time and again, there are also dangers in attempting to ignore or downplay the very real and legitimate concerns that voters have about illegal migration. To his credit, this is something Sir Keir Starmer recognises, as he demonstrated at last weeks Prime Ministers Questions. While some of his colleagues engaged in formulaic hand-wringing over the Home Secretarys rhetoric and lack of humanity, Labours leader focused exclusively on a failure of delivery. Equally, people are wrong to view Braverman as some form of unguided missile, veering randomly and dangerously around government. There is a very clear, calculated political strategy behind her statements and actions. The Home Secretary has decided that to further her political agenda and, with it, her own career she needs to appeal over the head of her own colleagues and officials, and take her case directly to the British people. That was what essentially lay at the heart of her sacking by Liz Truss, who caught her working up an entirely independent immigration policy with close parliamentary allies. But popular though her strategy will be at least initially it contains one fatal flaw. The British people havent just had enough of illegal migration, theyve had enough empty promises from their politicians about tackling illegal immigration. This time last year, we said we would listen to peoples concerns and get immigration under control. Today I can confidently say that we are getting there. That was David Cameron in 2011. Braverman can round on her critics on the Labour benches. She can lambast liberal lawyers, chastise ineffective French gendarmes, berate woke civil servants and rage against evil people-traffickers. But it wont be enough While we must fulfil our moral duty to help people in desperate need, we must also have an immigration system that allows us to control who comes to our country. Because when immigration is too high, when the pace of change is too fast, its impossible to build a cohesive society. Theresa May in 2015. Lets get Brexit done, take back control of our borders and implement an Australian-style, points-based immigration system. Boris Johnson in 2019. Suella Braverman is indeed excellent at talking tough. But talk however crowd-pleasing doesnt cut it any more. Braverman can round on her critics on the Labour benches. She can lambast liberal lawyers, chastise ineffective French gendarmes, berate woke civil servants and rage against evil people-traffickers. But it wont be enough. She has admitted that Britains immigration system is in crisis. Fine. As Home Secretary, the responsibility for ending that crisis now rests with her. If she succeeds, Suella the Saviour will indeed become the nations new heroine. But if she fails, there can be no excuses. No finger-pointing. No attempt to pass the buck. Our Home Secretary showed last week she likes plain-speaking. Excellent. In the weeks ahead, Suella Braverman needs to shore up Britains borders, or shut up. The news that Vladimir Putin has openly discussed using nuclear weapons against Ukraine with President Macron should shock but not surprise us. The Russian dictator has crossed so many red lines in the course of this war the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets such as residential flats and hospitals, the repeated breaking of ceasefire agreements over humanitarian corridors, the use of white phosphorus and thermobaric weapons. Then theres the flattening by 500kg bombs of the Mariupol theatre where children had been sheltering (the word children was prominently displayed in large Cyrillic Russian lettering), the deliberate use of rape and torture and the attempted disposal of the evidence in mass graves. Little can genuinely shock us now. Yet we must examine our consciences and recognise that Putins threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine should indeed shock us all over again, however repulsively he has behaved so far. ANDREW ROBERTS: The Russian dictator has crossed so many red lines in the course of this war (pictured on November 4) Nuclear warfare is a Rubicon. And if Putin crosses it, that must mark him as an international pariah whose ousting will be the duty of any world leader worthy of the name. Of course, as ever with him, the remarks that Putin made about the precedents for his intended action were couched in ignorance. When he claimed that you dont have to bomb the major cities to win a war a sinister reference to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki he ignored the fact that the larger Japanese cities of Tokyo and Kyoto had already seen terrible destruction by then. Similarly, Berlin suffered huge casualties before the war was won against Germany. The news that Vladimir Putin has openly discussed using nuclear weapons against Ukraine with President Macron (pictured on June 26) should shock but not surprise us To equate the Allied destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end a world war against fascism in which about 60 million people had died after six years, with the maniacal dreams of todays Russian fuhrer is to delve into the mind of a dictator who is starting to recognise that he might lose the war he so stupidly started. As with his historically illiterate 6,500-word essay of July 2021 entitled On the Historical Unity of the Russian and Ukrainian Peoples, which was intended to provide the intellectual justification for his invasion of Ukraine the following February, Putins grasp of history is dangerously weak considering the vast weight he places on it to justify actions with devastating real-life consequences for millions of people. The signs are that the Russian high command knows it will have to give up Kherson in the south, the only major Ukrainian city it has captured in this war so far. Senior commanders are evacuating, leaving only untrained conscripts to try to hold up the relentless Ukrainian advance. To equate the Allied destruction of Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right) to end a world war against fascism in which about 60 million people had died after six years, with the maniacal dreams of todays Russian fuhrer is to delve into the mind of a dictator Kherson is nearly 400 miles to the east of the disputed Donbas region, and when it falls which many experts are predicting will happen before Christmas there will be no Russian-occupied city to the west of the Dnipro river. It is therefore possible that Putins disgracefully inflammatory remarks regarding nuclear weapons are merely a bluff to distract from his coming humiliation, more of the same nuclear brinkmanship in which he has indulged regularly since the invasion, often when things are going badly. On occasion he and his defence minister Sergei Lavrov have brought up the nuclear option to try to split Nato. Indeed, mentioning it to Macron, who is notoriously the least anti-Putin of the major Western leaders, and the most open to an negotiated off-ramp settlement, might be just the latest iteration of this bluffing, combined with the macho posturing that Putin enjoys. At least this time he did it with his shirt on. If he truly thinks he will win the Russo-Ukrainian War with nuclear weapons, he has still not taken the measure of the Ukrainian people, let alone understood the limits of the rest of the worlds patience. So far, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several other major countries upon which what is left of the Russian economy depends, have indulged Putin to a far greater degree than they would have if it had been a democratic Western-leaning nation that had transgressed so foully against every decent international norm. If today President Zelensky (pictured on November 3) was presented with an opportunity to have the highly capable Ukrainian secret services and special forces smuggle a dirty bomb into Red Square in Moscow, he would not take it Selling huge amounts of cheap oil and gas, buying weapons, and generally acting as a thorn in the side of the West, Putin has been a useful friend for these countries, which have not yet denounced him in the United Nations. Yet were Putin to let off a nuclear bomb, all of those countries except Iran would be forced to sever ties with Russia partly because of their own on-the-record denunciation of nuclear first-use, but also because the revulsion would be felt strongly by their own populations. Putin only has four allies in the United Nations today the paradises of Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea but 30 that regularly abstain in votes rather than condemn what is happening in Ukraine. A nuclear bomb would force them off the fence, and declare Putin an international leper. All it would take would be for the wind to change direction after a nuclear attack for leukaemia-inducing clouds of fallout to drift towards Belarus, Russian-held Crimea, or south-western Russia itself. Such considerations might even induce anti-Putin elements in the military to refuse to undertake such a clearly immoral order as to use even tactical nuclear weapons in a war that is not existential for Mother Russia. It would certainly revivify internal opposition to Putin within Russia, depleted somewhat recently by the exodus of the intelligentsia and educated middle classes, but still bravely led by the political prisoner Alexei Navalny. In retrospect, for all that Ukraine was lauded internationally for giving up her nuclear weapons under the Budapest Agreement in 1994, it proved an appalling misjudgment. Then theres the flattening by 500kg bombs of the Mariupol theatre where children had been sheltering Were Putin to use a nuclear weapon, the message would go out to every country that could build one Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt among them that they needed nukes as soon as possible. The consequences for global proliferation, and thus Armageddon, would be incalculable. All this is before considering what Nato might have to undertake in response to such a monstrous escalation of the war, or indeed what the Ukrainians themselves might do. Certainly, surrender is not an option because they have seen what comes of Russian occupation in places where mass graves have been unearthed, such as Bucha, Mariupol and Izyum. If today President Zelensky was presented with an opportunity to have the highly capable Ukrainian secret services and special forces smuggle a dirty bomb into Red Square in Moscow, he would not take it. After Putin had let off a nuclear weapon against his homeland, why would he hesitate? You might not have to bomb the major cities to win a war, but what if the Ukrainians, in response to an attack, were to make the Kremlin and its environs uninhabitable for three generations? Vladimir Putin is faced with what for him might genuinely be an existential decision. We know he has practised and wargamed the use of nuclear weapons, and now he is openly discussing their use with a Western leader (who one hopes was at least eloquent in dissuasion). The fact that no leaders in the world today beyond Kim Jong-un and the Iranian mullahs make such nuclear threats shows us where Putin has now reached in his terrifying descent into evil. Home Secretary Suella Braverman (pictured) argues that the 'asylum system has been broken by an unprecedented wave of illegal migration' As we face an incredibly challenging situation, I want to make it clear what we are doing to stem the number of people arriving here illegally in small boats. First, I wish to thank the people of Kent and our Border Force, military and other personnel working in the region. I completely understand their frustrations. The truth is that the British people are fed up with the number of boats reaching our shores. It cannot be right that thousands of people are paying smugglers organised criminals to make a lethally dangerous journey across the Channel before disappearing into the black economy or seeking financial support from taxpayers. It is not right that the British people are picking up a 2 billion bill every year because the asylum system has been broken by an unprecedented wave of illegal migration. It is not right that those who seek to undermine and abuse our system are jumping the queue, taking resources from the people who are in genuine need. While some critics provide only fairytale suggestions and the Labour Party champions open borders and has no desire or plan to crack down on illegal migration, I am working night and day on real, viable solutions. Our joint UK-France intelligence cell has dismantled 55 organised crime groups since 2020. In the coming weeks, we'll take further steps to bear down on the people-smuggling gangs operating on French beaches. The French authorities, with our support, have stopped more than 29,000 illegal crossings since the start of the year twice as many as last year and destroyed more than 1,000 boats. My French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, and I are working to build greater co-operation, and make better use of UK surveillance technology. The truth is that the British people are fed up with the number of boats reaching our shores. (Pictured: an inflatable craft crossing the English Channel in July) The Prime Minister and President Macron have also vowed to step up our actions. We need to overcome all legal obstacles and get our Rwanda partnership working we are defending it vigorously in the courts. If illegal migrants know that if they cross the Channel, they will be swiftly transported to Rwanda or any other country we make an agreement with the incentive to jump the queue will fall away. We are also working closely with the Albanian government to encourage returns and processing cases and removals as quickly as possible. Many Albanians spuriously claim to be victims of 'modern slavery' despite paying thousands to come here. This is an abuse of our system that must stop. We need a system that focuses on real victims of slavery not on those trying to circumvent our immigration rules. Where domestic or international law impedes our sovereign right to defend our borders, I will act. We must also wean ourselves off the use of expensive hotels. My French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin (pictured), and I are working to build greater co-operation, and make better use of UK surveillance technology While taking steps to tackle crossings, we will work tirelessly to cut our asylum-processing times. We have already seen a successful pilot scheme in Leeds, which has more than doubled the processing of claims for each case worker, and we are now rolling this out across the country. Yet, I must be frank we still have a long way to go. There is no one silver bullet and we'll redouble our efforts on multiple fronts to end the trade of these evil gangs. This will require a whole-of-Government approach. Britain is a generous and kind country. We always treat everyone in a humane way. But people who come here illegally from safe countries are not welcome and should not expect to stay. Any other approach would be unaffordable, make us less safe, and be extremely unfair on everyone else. This is the plan the British people want. I will deliver it. As a blood red sun sets across a deserted plain in Wyoming, Lady Cornelia Locke is reminiscing about the chance meeting with army veteran Eli Whipp that would end up saving both their lives and taking them on a dangerous, romantic and bloodthirsty adventure. So begins The English, an epic six-part Western about race, revenge and love starting on BBC2 this week. Created and directed by Hugo Blick of The Honourable Woman and The Shadow Line fame, its a modern take on the cowboy classics of the 1950s. Central to the tale is Lady Cornelia, played by Emily Blunt, an English aristocrat whose desire to avenge the murder of her son drives her to the lawless plains of the American mid west in the 1890s. Emily Blunt (pictured) is starring in a new six-part Western about race, revenge and love. She plays an English aristocrat whose desires to avenge the murder of her son There she meets an unlikely saviour in Eli (Chaske Spencer), a Pawnee Native American ex-cavalry scout whos out to claim land he believes is his, and together they embark on a perilous journey to exact their claims for justice, unaware that theyre also rooted in a shared past. I was completely kidnapped by it within the first line, says Emily, 39, who also served as executive producer. Its Alice in a Wild West Wonderland. Its a heart-stopping chase thriller with the most tender of love stories at its heart. Cornelia is a fish out of water when she arrives. Shes in this lacy pink dress and looks so ill-prepared for this dustridden, violent, masculine world. 'You think, Shes never going to make it but by the end shes had a remarkable transformation. Casting Chaske, a Native American, in a starring role in a Western is a first in a genre dominated by white A-listers, and Hugo engaged Pawnee and Cheyenne advisors to ensure an authentic portrayal. Emily's character Lady Cornelia meets an unlikely saviour in Eli (Chaske Spencer, pictured), a Pawnee Native American ex-cavalry scout whos out to claim land he believes is his 'It was important to me that they provided me with a map of where Eli was going, says Chaske, 47, who starred in The Twilight Saga. But it wasnt until we got onto set and I put on the costume and the hair that I really felt I was that character. As a Native American man, its rare to be the lead in a project like this. Its a beast of a role, but I had amazing support from Hugo, Emily and the crew. It made me feel comfortable to take risks. Hugo was inspired to write the show by his experiences living in Montana at the age of 18, when he learned to ride and hunt on Native American reservations. I had a hunting buddy I called Chief, he recalls. Its Alice in a Wild West Wonderland, a heartstopping thriller with the most tender of love stories. - EMILY BLUNT He called me English. We were easy with this casual racism but soon I saw it was a one-way street, with all the heavy traffic heading his way. 'I never knew his real name, nor he mine. This was a kernel for The English.' Hugo also sent his scripts to IllumiNative, an organisation in the US which challenges the narrative about Native people. I wanted viewpoints and I was pleased to receive positive feedback, he says. One of the biggest surprises for Emily was the British influence on the era, with landed gentry heading west to set up beef farms in Wyoming. I didnt realise how much of the aristocracy went to America to buy huge plots of land, she says. In some ways their invasion was the start of the cowboy period. Filming took place on a beef farm in Avila, near Madrid, where Spains prairies replicated the plains of Wyoming, and Emily used Covid filming delays to perfect her horse-riding skills. Id ridden as a child, but not to this extent, she says. I trained for four months and Id ride two or three times a week. 'It was the best part, really learning how to ride and not just hold on for dear life! My horse, Ethos, became my soul buddy. One of the biggest surprises for Emily was the British influence on the era, with landed gentry heading west to set up beef farms in Wyoming However, shooting in the Spanish summer proved gruelling. The heat was the main challenge, says Emily. 'Id be in a corset, wool pants, a skirt, shirt, waistcoat and jacket. The corset was an oven on my organs. 'But when the sun was setting and the horses were kicking up the dust it added a shimmer to the look of the show, so Im happy to take some heat. Chaske had his own method of dealing with the tough days. Theyre heavy characters and there were times when I went home and had to have a bottle of tequila. ' Well, maybe not a bottle! It was a fun journey to experience it from afar, God forbid Id never really want to go there. It also impacted the parenting of her three children and made her decide to stop But she found herself struggling with anxiety and panic attacks after drinking Victoria, 45, from the Sunshine Coast was a good time girl who loved a night out A reformed 'party girl' who once lost a finger on a drunken night out has revealed why she ditched booze, and how her life and her parenting have been transformed a as a result. In her drinking days, Victoria Vanstone did not feel she belonged to the category of alcoholic or 'problem drinker' as she could go days without touching a drop. But she came to realise she was in the 'grey area' as her mental health became increasingly fragile every time she went out drinking. 'I wasn't an alcoholic in the conventional sense of the word; I didn't need alcohol to function and certainly didn't drink every day,' Victoria, from the Sunshine Coast, told FEMAIL. 'I was just incapable of moderation when I went out, and then I would wake up with the fear, anxiety and shame of being too hungover to care for my children.' A reformed 'party girl' who once lost a finger thanks to her drunken antics has revealed how and why she ditched booze, after falling prey to dark spells of anxiety and panic attacks (Victoria Vanstone pictured) Victoria (pictured), from the Sunshine Coast, once had such a wild night at the millennium that she lost one of her fingers with a firework in Thailand Victoria, 45, began drinking at age 13 after observing her outgoing parents entertaining and drinking with big crowds. 'My family is incredibly extroverted and my house was the centre of everything,' she recalled. 'I grew up thinking that drinking was how to have fun and my squishy little child brain never saw that it had any negative effects.' I became a party girl, the sort of person people come to to have fun By the time she was old enough to be allowed to drink, Victoria said she had already spent years 'stealing wine from the garage' and breaking school rules to drink with various friends. 'The hangovers weren't bad, there were no consequences to my drinking,' she said. 'All drinking did was add to my large repertoire of stories and give me some kind of power over people. I became a party girl, the sort of person people come to to have fun. 'I never questioned: Is this right? Is it wrong? It was just expected of me to be the person with the backstage passes and a great story every morning.' Victoria (pictured with two of her three kids) said she only decided to quit alcohol when it started to have a knock-on effect to her parenting Before she knew it, Victoria's party lifestyle began to include recreational drug use and her nights out were becoming more and more wild. On millennium night when 1999 ticked over to 2000, she blew her finger off with a firework in Thailand and she was once arrested and put in jail for a night. On another occasion her husband had to hose her down in the shower after she vomited over herself in a taxi after a night out. But it was not until she had her first child that Victoria really started to reflect upon the damage that her drinking could do. 'Drinking would give me anxiety because I couldn't look after my son the next day,' Victoria said. 'I felt lost. I'd gone from glitter boobs at Glastonbury to nappies and the mundanity of motherhood. 'I thought the only way to find my old self was on a dancefloor, but then I couldn't shake the overwhelming anxiety it gave me the next day. I was stuck.' She said she has absolutely no regrets about giving up drinking and now is much 'more present and available' as a mum (pictured with her family) When she first became a mum, Victoria (pictured) said she had a bit of an identity crisis as she desperately tried to remember who she was on sweaty dancefloors Victoria moved between brief periods of feeling great and being sober when she was pregnant with her subsequent two children, and falling back into her old drinking habits for several years. This was the pattern until one final night out in March 2018 convinced her that she could no longer cope with the panic attacks and anxiety, and that she needed help. 'I contacted a local therapist to help me because I knew I was incapable of moderation and would need help if I was to break free from this habit for good,' she said. 'I had to come to terms with the fact that it was alcohol that was causing my panic attacks and anxiety. I wanted to become a better mum.' The mum-of-three (pictured) hasn't touched a drop of alcohol since March 10 2018, and now says it has been such 'a relief' to get to the understanding that she doesn't need to drink The mum-of-three hasn't touched a drop of alcohol since March 10 2018. 'It has been such a relief to get to the understanding that I don't need to drink,' Victoria said. 'It took time to learn who I was socially, and everything becomes very raw and real, but I now know who I am. I can hear my own voice without having to get the punchline in every time. 'I used to walk into a party and feel I had the responsibility to make everyone in the room happy. It's such a relief to be free from this.' Not only this, but she eats, sleeps and exercises better than she ever did when she was drinking. Now, Victoria hosts a hugely popular podcast called Sober Awkward, with her friend and fellow dad Hamish (both pictured) 'I wasn't a perfect mum before, and I'm not a perfect mum now, but I feel so much better and am more present and able to lead by example,' Victoria (pictured) said Now, Victoria hosts a popular podcast called Sober Awkward, with her friend and fellow dad Hamish. She also runs a free social network for those abstaining from drink and the 'sober curious' called Cuppa Community. 'I wasn't a perfect mum before, and I'm not a perfect mum now, but I feel so much better and am more present and able to lead by example,' Victoria said. 'There are many men and women like me who fall into this grey area of drinking. They don't drink every day but routinely drink too much. 'They are living for that high off two glasses of wine, but are never able to recreate that feeling of when they first drink. 'They are falling between the tracks and don't realise that alcohol might not really be working for them.' She said those are the people she is trying to reach, and urged them to seek help. 'Sober people aren't people you should hate, like I used to. They are the more interesting people and they're never racked with guilt and shame.' According to an Australian study published in the Drug and Alcohol journal, around 21 per cent of women aged between 45 and 60 are drinking at 'binge drinking' levels. You can follow Victoria Vanstone, who blogs at Drunk Mummy Sober Mummy, here. You can also join her Cuppa Community here. For support for alcohol-related problems and addiction you can contact one of the many services available, speak to your GP, local health service or call a helpline. There are trained telephone counsellors available in every Australian state and territory. Tesco has put forward its 'Christmas Party' manifesto in a playful new Christmas advert poking fun at UK politics. The supermarket chain unveiled their new 60-second ad today, which satirises political party's video campaign messages. The clip opens with a coastal view before unveiling the 'Christmas Party''s rosette, featuring a mince pie. Panning to a busy high street, the narrator says: 'Britain, there's a joy shortage so we at Tesco have created the Christmas party to help.' Showing a family digging into their annual festive lunch, they continued: 'We promise more pigs in more blankets for more people. Award-winning wines that deliver on budget.' Poking fun at the government's mini budget, the tongue-in-cheek voiceover added: 'The only thing we'll cut are prices and cake!' Tesco unveiled their new one-minute Christmas ad today, which satirises political party's video campaign messages. The clip shows various families sitting down for their Christmas lunch Poking fun at the government's mini budget , the tongue-in-cheek voiceover added: 'The only thing we'll cut are prices and cake!' Advert shows two mothers opening the doors to some Christmas carolers, who double up as 'Christmas party' campaigners. They pledge to 'scrap all bedtimes' in their manifesto - much to the delight of the children. The 'Christmas Party' rosette features a large mince pie, which is then printed on the retailer's delivery vans What's more, the supermarket then promised to deliver the UK's second most divisive referendum - i.e. whether Love Actually really is the best Christmas movie of all time. The clip jumps to a family watching the hit 2003 in matching red pyjamas. In response to a moody teenage boy saying it's 'not actually', his mother gave him a playful nudge. After this, the advert shows two mothers opening the doors to some Christmas carolers, who double up as 'Christmas party' campaigners. The 'Christmas Party' jokingly promises to deliver a referendum on the nation's favourite Christmas movie. It then shows a scene of a family watching Love Actually, which this moody teenage boy says is 'not actually' the best film Another scene shows a mother resembling a politician and cutting the ribbon to officially declare her dining room 'open' for Christmas dinner Telling the family about some of the festive prices through the medium of song, they then pledge to 'scrap all bedtimes' in their manifesto - much to the delight of the children. The following scene shows another mother cutting the ribbon to officially declare her dining room 'open' for Christmas dinner. The final full scene shows a man panicking after thinking he'd missed his street's bin day - only to find out that he was dragging them out just in time, prompting him to drop to his knees with joy. The hilarious advert ends: 'We stand for joy. We are the Christmas party.' The advert opens with this scene of British coast before the 'Christmas Party''s rosette appears on screen Last year, Tesco were hit with over 1,500 after their advert depicted Father Christmas bearing a Covid passport. Set to Queen's track Don't Stop Me Now, the 90-second clip celebrates overcoming obstacles to get in the festive spirit. It began outside of a Tesco store, with a customer set on trying to make sure she has everything prepared for Christmas. The ad then followed her on her journey home where she encounters merrymakers overcoming anything that is thrown at them. But in one scene a reporter appears on TV with the 'breaking news' that Santa could be quarantined. He is then shown presenting his Covid vaccine pass at border control, showing he can be let into the country. The Tesco ad follows her on her journey home where she encounters merrymakers overcoming anything that is thrown at them The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the bulk of complaints were from viewers suggesting the festive ad is 'coercive' and 'encourages medical discrimination on vaccine status'. The UK regulator said it is currently investigating the complaints to decide whether to take further action. A spokesman for the ASA said: 'We've received over 1,000 complaints regarding this ad. 'We are currently carefully reviewing these complaints to determine whether there are any grounds for further action. 'The large majority of complaints assert that the ad is coercive, and encourages medical discrimination based on vaccine status.' Following its release at the weekend, anti-vaxxers - including former I'm A Celebrity star Gillian McKeith, 62 - launched a #BoycottTesco campaign on social media over its inclusion of a vaccine pass. Twitter user Corrine Coles said: 'Did I really just see a Christmas TV ad on ITV for Tesco to Queen's 'Don't Stop me Now' hit with families having fun / flying abroad etc & then a guy smiling flashing up his smart phone with a COVID passport on it?? 'Omg screaming in fear I am NEVER shopping at Tesco again #boycottTesco.' A third added: 'Tesco is the latest company to show its support for medical apartheid with Santa showing his proof of vaccination. What are you selling? Food, or agenda?' Others took pictures of torn up Clubcards to voice their disgust at the advert. Tesco said: 'We respect everyone's views and we know that Christmas is a hugely important time for many of our customers and, after last year's events, that is truer now than ever. 'We set out to create a campaign which took a light-hearted view on how the nation is feeling and it has been well-received by colleagues and customers. 'We are still in the midst of a pandemic and the advert reflects the current rules and regulations regarding international travel.' It's an argument thats raging between eminent psychiatrists over an NHS-approved drug treatment for the mental health condition bipolar disorder. Are lithium tablets, developed in the 1950s, outdated, unproven and ineffective; a chemical cosh that puts patients into a stupor and exposes them to a raft of unpleasant and even life-threatening side effects in the process. Or is lithium highly effective in stabilising mood and preventing suicides, and should it even be put in to our drinking water, as some experts recommend? Could they be right? Or should lithium be consigned to the history books? Next week, campaigners are set to meet MPs to present the latest findings of a research project by UK charity Bipolar UK aimed at improving the lives of people with the condition. There are 1.5 million people in the UK currently living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder which used to be known as manic depression. The condition is characterised by extreme fluctuations in mood: sufferers can experience periods during which they feel constantly high and even irritable, need to sleep and eat little and have extreme amounts of energy Lithium has been used as a treatment for bipolar disorder since the 1950 when the condition was known as 'manic depression' The Bipolar Commission, which previously found that one in 20 of those who take their own life in the UK have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, is expected to strongly recommend lithium is offered more widely, as it can reduce this specific risk significantly. Chief executive Simon Kitchen said: When it works, its a miracle drug. The worry is that, as research suggests, lithium use is declining. A 2019 analysis of NHS data from Scotland found that the proportion of patients taking it dropped from just under a third to just over a fifth between 2009 and 2016, while prescriptions for newer psychiatric drugs increased. Psychiatrist Professor Allan Young, of Kings College London, says this is a problem. Our own studies show that a third of people with bipolar disorder respond exceptionally well to lithium, but all too often theyre not being prescribed it, or given it far too late. Its not too much of a stretch to say that not offering lithium to these patients is like not giving insulin to type 2 diabetics theyre missing out on treatment that could transform their lives. He says the drop-off in use is due to a stigma around the drug, adding: Doctors and patients have heard bad things about it, and that it has toxic side effects. But could some of those concerns be justified? Last week, a paper published in medical journal The Lancet reported low incidence of one of the most commonly cited side effects lithium building up to toxic levels in the kidneys, causing damage to the organ as well as dehydration. The authors of the report who included Prof Young found in a study of more than 2,000 patients that the risk of lithium-related kidney damage was roughly 0.6 per cent. The Bipolar Commission, which previously found that one in 20 of those who take their own life in the UK have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, is expected to strongly recommend lithium is offered more widely, as it can reduce this specific risk significantly Prof Young argued that his findings are proof that lithium is safe for use. But another eminent psychiatrist, Dr Joanna Moncrieff, Professor of Psychiatry at University College London, disagreed, arguing that the risks of lithium outweigh the benefits. I have concerns about its use for bipolar due to limitations of the evidence base that people deserve to know about, she wrote on Twitter. Patients responded too, saying doctors had failed to warn them of lithiums side effects. As a patient on lithium for ten years, the issue of side effects is important to me, tweeted Laura Hastie. From my own experience, informed consent is often not practised well. But Prof Moncrieff was immediately attacked by numerous psychiatrists, who accused her of misinterpreting scientific evidence and of inciting a moral panic. So whats the truth? There are 1.5 million people in the UK currently living with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder which used to be known as manic depression. The condition is characterised by extreme fluctuations in mood: sufferers can experience periods during which they feel constantly high and even irritable, need to sleep and eat little and have extreme amounts of energy. These episodes of mania, as they are known, are often followed by crushing depression. The mood stabiliser lithium is recommended as the first treatment by NHS prescribing watchdog The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in patients who have been suffering for many years. Those patients who have only recently developed mania, however, are advised to first try anti-psychotic treatments. Prof Young believes lithium should be offered earlier to all bipolar patients. There is evidence from colleagues in Australia that when lithium is used in first episode mania, patients seem to do better than those who take anti-psychotics, he told The Mail on Sundays Medical Minefield podcast. When NICE guidelines are next revised, there should be attention given to the fact that many people benefit if theyre treated [with lithium] at the early stage of the illness. The mood stabiliser lithium is recommended as the first treatment by NHS prescribing watchdog The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in patients who have been suffering for many years Several trials, many conducted in the 1970s, have shown lithium to be at least twice as effective as other anti-psychotic drugs for stabilising mood during episodes. And taking the drug prophylactically to prevent relapses has been shown to work in roughly a quarter of patients, according to a 2001 review of nine studies. When compared with commonly given anti-psychotics, such as olanzapine or quetiapine, researchers have reported lithium is more effective for preventing relapses over several years. Prof Young believes that adding more lithium to British water could help prevent suicides. Weve looked at areas in the world where lithium naturally occurs at higher levels in water and it may affect the developing brain. Adding it to water is a reasonable health goal. But he adds: I had death threats when I suggested that previously. Other experts say there are flaws in much of the research. Prof Moncrieff explains that a number of trials involve patients who take lithium along with other drugs, such as sedatives, meaning it isnt clear which medication is responsible for the effect. Many of those in placebo groups who have poorer outcomes than those on lithium had taken other medication in the past and were told to come off it for the study. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Viola Sebastiao said: It is well recognised that stopping antidepressants can worsen depression. Coming off lithium can itself trigger a manic episode. Some of the doubts about lithiums efficacy are rooted in the fact that doctors still dont fully understand how it works. It is theorised that it protects brain cells from damage, stopping the misfiring that happens during manic episodes. The most reliable conclusion about effectiveness comes from systematic reviews, which compile data from multiple previous studies and scrutinise them. One, published in 2014 in the International Journal Of Bipolar Disorders, concluded that lithium was mildly more effective for preventing mania, compared to anti-psychotics. But it was no better for avoiding depressive episodes or improving mood. As for stopping acute mania, a 2019 review found evidence that lithium is more effective than placebo. But it found little or no difference between lithium and other mood stabilisers or anti-psychotics. The authors also noted that kidney problems are not rare among those who take the drug long- term. Other side effects include drowsiness, tremors, urinary problems, hypothyroidism and weight gain. Dr Sebastiao says: We see side effects that need to be managed on a daily basis. Its not only about toxic levels in the blood, potentially harming the kidneys and thyroid. The drug can also make patients very thirsty, which means they drink a lot, and this disturbs their sleep. Prof Moncrieff adds: If you give lithium to a person, it will make them feel sedated and groggy. It is essentially a chemical cosh. But Prof Young says: Many patients dont like anti-psychotics. They cause sedation as well as weight gain and a build-up of fat in the blood. Many experts say there are some for whom the drug is life-changing, but the challenge is knowing who exactly these patients will be. The majority wont do well on lithium and will have to contend with side effects, says Dr Sebastiao. Currently there is no way of identifying the small number of patients who will see a big benefit. Prof Young is conducting research to find ways of predicting what he calls excellent responders. Other experts say negative effects are often down to the wrong dosage. Several trials, many conducted in the 1970s, have shown lithium to be at least twice as effective as other anti-psychotic drugs for stabilising mood during episodes. And taking the drug prophylactically to prevent relapses has been shown to work in roughly a quarter of patients, according to a 2001 review of nine studies Usually, when things like dehydration and kidney trouble happen its because the dose isnt right, says Sridhar Vasudevan, associate professor in pharmacology and drug discovery at Oxford University. With other drugs, like antidepressants, youd need to take a vast number of pills, like 20 or 30 in one go, before they become toxic. But the window with lithium is much smaller the tiniest amount too much can give a patient symptoms. Doctors must perform regular blood tests to ensure lithium doesnt exceed around 0.8 millimoles per litre of blood. Ultimately, the key is an honest discussion with patients about the risks and benefits of lithium. Every decision about treatment should be made jointly, between the doctor and patients, says Dr Sebastiao. If a patient understands the risks but wants to continue taking it, I will prescribe it. Equally, if they express a willingness to come off it I will decrease the dose gradually over a number of years. One man who credits the drug for keeping him mentally stable for 20 years is 45-year-old Darren Adams, a banker from London. He has suffered extreme mood fluctuations since he was a student. One winter I suffered a huge loss of energy and became withdrawn, inanimate and unable to concentrate on my work. By Easter I was feeling suicidal. But in the summer I began to feel elevated, excessively animated and confident. My moods were so erratic that it took me five years to finish my course. Some of the doubts about lithiums efficacy are rooted in the fact that doctors still dont fully understand how it works In Darrens fourth year, he saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium. My moods became more muted, he says. But as his final exams approached, Darrens supervisor advised him to come off it. By the summer I became insanely high. I started shouting, spitting and getting angry at people. I spent all the money I had on ludicrous nonsense like expensive fishing gear even though I dont go fishing. He was eventually hospitalised for two weeks, and put back on lithium, which put a stop to his mania. Lithium stabilised me. I dont go hyper any more, or feel as catatonic as a concrete wall. Darren has to go for kidney checks every six months. So far, his organs have remained healthy. But there have been other side effects. I get dreadfully shaky hands and I sweat a lot more than I used to. Lithium also makes me feel a bit flat, boring and much less creative rather blunted. Other patients will do anything to avoid taking the drug. Take Leah Charles-King, 43, presenter of Channel 4s A Place In The Sun. The broadcaster, who lives in London, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013, following a manic episode that lasted a year Other patients will do anything to avoid taking the drug. Take Leah Charles-King, 43, presenter of Channel 4s A Place In The Sun. The broadcaster, who lives in London, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2013, following a manic episode that lasted a year. At first, I developed terrible anxiety, which eventually left me feeling suicidal, she says. But a few months later my mood changed. I was suddenly very hyper. I wanted to party all the time, had the confidence of a queen and was impulsive. Then my mood would plummet and Id want to kill myself. My partner had to stop me overdosing. The cycle of highs and lows continued for months until Leah finally sought help. The GP referred her to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed bipolar disorder and suggested she try lithium. It sounded so hardcore, she says. I heard scary things about the side effects. I thought, I want to try other drugs instead. Leah was prescribed anti-psychotic medication, which gradually balanced her moods. Eight years on I still get high and low moods but I know how to spot the signs and I do things like exercise to try to prevent it. Ive also had CBT, which has been as important as medication. Although shes not on lithium, Leah often feels dopey from the anti-psychotics. For Darren, the down sides of his lithium medication are worth it. Its a trade-off. But my current situation is much better than blowing up spectacularly and the terrible highs and lows. For advice, visit bipolaruk.org. Steve Irwin's best friend Wes Mannion has quietly stepped down as director of Australia Zoo, with the crocodile hunter's widow Terri now in total control of the family business. Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal Wes, a longtime Irwin family friend and prominent figure in the zoo for more than three decades, mysteriously left his position without fanfare and with no explanation offered to the public. The abrupt end to his tenure came just months after he was chosen to be one of just three guests at Bindi's intimate wedding when it was expedited to March 2020 and attendee numbers slashed due to the impending nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Once a stalwart at family events, Mannion has also been notably absent from the Irwins' social media accounts ever since. Company records obtained by Daily Mail Australia show Wes's role as secretary of the business also ended on the same date that year, July 14. According to the documents, Terri has been both the sole director and secretary of the Queensland wildlife park since his departure more than two years ago. Despite eagle-eyed fans raising questions about his absence, the leadership change has not been publicly addressed by Australia Zoo, the Irwins, or Mannion. Wes is pictured with the Irwins at the unveiling of Steve's star on the Hollywood walk of fame in April 2018 Documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia show that Wes Mannion's role as director and secretary of Australia Zoo ended on July 14, 2020 Uncertainty about his employment status first began circulating online in December that year after followers realised the 52-year-old was notably missing from key Australia Zoo platforms and projects. 'Wondering whether Wes Mannion still works at Australia Zoo is occupying way too much of my brain space right now. But, like why isn't he on the website anyone or on the Crikey 'Rona special'?' one woman tweeted. Between January 2021 to April this year, several others tagged or wrote directly on the zoo or the Irwins social media pages asking if Wes was still an employee - but did not receive a response. 'Where is Wes Mannion??? Is he ok? I miss him on the shows and I never here you guys talk about him anymore? Is he still the director?' a self-described 'big fan' - tweeted. 'Yes he disappeared after Covid,' another person said. Daily Mail Australia made several calls to Mannion on Thursday, but all went unanswered. Wes is pictured with the Irwins at the Steve Irwin Day Gala Dinner in 2018 - having been firm family friends for many years Australia Zoo has been contacted for comment. Wes first met Steve as a 15-year-old when he visited Australia Zoo, which was then called the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, with his parents in the 1980s. After watching Steve, who was eight years his senior, with a crocodile, he begged the wildlife handler to let him work at the zoo. The legendary conservationist agreed and the pair became very close, with Wes given the nickname Steve's 'younger brother' and dubbed an honorary member of the Irwin clan. The then-teenager quickly became an integral part of the animal park and, in 1988, was only the second employee outside of the Irwin family to be given full-time employment. By 1992, he became the head reptile keeper and curator, then picked up a management role in 1995, before being promoted to director in the early 2000s. Wes was the only non-relative guest at Bindi's wedding (pictured) to Chandler Powell in March 2020 Following Steve's shock 2006 death from a stingray attack, Wes maintained a close bond with the family and said he had assumed a 'father figure role', helping Terri raise Bindi and Robert, now aged 24 and 18, respectively. 'I love Terri, she is [like] my sister, love her to death. Most importantly, I owe it to Stevie to look after her. I know that if I'd died, Stevie would have been like a lion with my family,' Wes told Woman's Day in 2007. 'I'll never be their dad, you can never replace your father, but I'll be a father figure and loving uncle.' Photos posted online over the years have shown the tight knit clans together at various events, including the 2018 unveiling of Steve's star on the Hollywood walk of fame and Steve Irwin Day Gala Dinner in 2015. More recently, Wes was selected alongside Terri and Robert as one of just three guests to watch Bindi marry Chandler Powell, 25, on March 25, 2020 - just hours before new laws on social gatherings were rolled out due to the pandemic. Wes was close with the Irwins for decades but has been notably missing from recent photos Wes pictured with Robert during a crocodile show at Australia Zoo - where he worked for decades Four months earlier, he asserted his role as a father figure during a live show at Australia Zoo by telling Chandler he had to 'prove himself' 'before marrying Bindi by walking into crocodile-infested waters. But in the months after the couple married, the close friend became notably absent from their circle, failing to appear in any recent photos with the Irwins - including the newly weds' one-year-old daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. Wes became bestfriends with Steve after the pair met at Australia Zoo in the 1980s Although the reasons for the separation remain unclear, it is not the first time the famous family have grappled with internal rifts. After Steve's death, Terri fell out with his father Bob, who alongside his wife Lyn founded Beerwah Reptile Park - now known as Australia Zoo - in 1970. Despite handing ownership of the park to Steve and Terri in 1992, he had remained involved in the business - but abruptly left in 2008 after reportedly being at odds with Terri over how it should be run. He later reached a financial settlement and bought a property near Kingaroy, and has been estranged from Terri and her children ever since. In 2019, his fractured relationship with Bindi made headlines after she wrote a scathing post in Instagram claiming he had shown 'no interest in spending time with me or my family' and had 'ignored her' since she was child. Bindi said her 58-year-old mother still writes to him and sends birthday cards and Christmas gifts, but claims they have received no reply. While Bob did not respond to the claims, two of Bindi's cousins spoke out in their grandfather's defence saying they were 'furious' and 'appalled' by her comments. In another quarrel, Terri has also reportedly fallen out with Steve's older sister Joy Muscillo and her family after firing her husband Frank, the zoo's general manager, in 2015. Wes is pictured alongside Terri, Bindi and Robert at a memorial service for Steve at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, in September 2006 How they were: The Irwins were once close-knit, working together at the family-run Australia Zoo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Pictured: Bob Snr with his children Mandy, Joy and Steve, Steve's wife Terri, and their two children Bindi and Robert Frank was reportedly 'marched off the property', with Joy and her adult children, who were also employed at the business, leaving soon afterwards. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in 2019, Ms Muscillo said the situation was 'very sad'. The management revelation comes amid recent rumours the animal sanctuary is in financial strife and had made several staff redundant last year as it struggled to draw visitors amid Covid restrictions. Citing sources close to the family, New Idea magazine claimed Terri was considered the option of selling the business for personal and professional reasons. While the reports are unconfirmed, the Sunshine Coast recently announced it would be extending its business model. Last week, Australia Zoo revealed it will be renting out its grounds as a wedding venue for couples to exchange nuptials. 'Tie the knot in our world-famous Australia Zoo grounds with our beautiful animals,' the venue wrote. 'Whether you are looking for a small intimate experience or a larger scale event, we have the perfect location for your wedding celebrations!' A disabled teacher whose Centrelink payments were slashed after he won lotto was on a pension because he was held hostage by convicted murderers. Craig Hill, 61, scored the modest $60,000 lower division win on October 14 and will be paid $5,000 a month for a year by The Lott's Set For Life game. However, he was shocked to discover his $821.20 a fortnight disability pension would be cut to $328.20 because Centrelink considered him a 'professional gambler'. Mr Hill was on the pension because he suffered severe psychological damage when he was held hostage by Townsville prison inmates in 2019. Craig Hill, 61, won The Lott's Set For Life game that pays $5,000 a months for a year, but because it is regular payments not a lump sum, Centrelink will cut his fortnightly payments from $821.20 a fortnight to $328.20 He was teaching hardened criminals literacy when a riot broke out in the main part of the jail and his nine students threatened him with their pens. 'Usually they're pretty well behaved but one of the guards thought it would be funny to tell them I was a former prison officer and I was spying on them,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'That had a pretty adverse effect, these guys are doing life for murder for a reason, they're not super bright.' Mr Hill said the prisoners blocked him from leaving the room and told him: 'If we have to kill anyone, because you're an ex-prison officer you'll be the first one.' The inmates wielded their pens like knives and threatened to stab him to death for the hour he was trapped in the classroom. 'A pen can do a lot of damage if you stick it in the jugular. I knew, OK, this is serious, it scared the f**k out of me,' he said. Mr Hill (pictured with his family) was on the pension because he suffered severe psychological damage when he was held hostage by Townsville prison inmates in 2019. Two prison guards were stationed outside the room but appeared to be unaware of what was going on inside, leaving Mr Hill to draw on his prison training from decades ago. 'I talked my way out of it by telling them that even if they were doing life for murder and thought they had nothing to lose, were they really willing to give up their lives?' he said. 'Because the unwritten rule is that if you harm a hostage you won't get out of there alive. 'Even though I was scared I couldn't show any fear, if you show fear they have power over you.' After a terrifying hour, the inmates gave up and went back to their cells, leaving Mr Hill unscathed. He flew straight back to his home in Brisbane but was dragged back for the last five days under threat of being sued for breach of contract. Fortunately there were no more issues, but he was extremely stressed about spending more time at the jail. Mr Hill already suffered PTSD and schizophrenia from his three years working as a prison officer at Goulburn Jail, diagnosed in 2003 a decade later and the hostage taking exacerbated it to the point where he can no longer work as a teacher Mr Hill said he also suffered horrific bullying from other prison staff, particularly one officer whose harassment started immediately. 'He told me teachers dont deserve meals, and would be forced to eat their lunch in the computer room,' he said. 'He told us teachers were "non-persons".' Mr Hill already suffered PTSD and schizophrenia from his three years working as a prison officer at Goulburn Jail, diagnosed in 2003 a decade later. He said being taken hostage exacerbated his PTSD and made him unable to continue as a teacher and barely able to leave the house. 'After a few weeks I couldn't concentrate, I have a lot of stress and anxiety, I get panic attacks especially when I leave the house,' he said. 'Once a month or so I have a good day and I'm able to go out, maybe to the local pub for trivia but after a couple of hours I'll have a panic attack and have to go home. 'I have nightmares about the jail, I wake up in a cold sweat.' Mr Hill was approved for WorkCover just 18 days after he applied for it after Queensland Corrective Services coped to it, but it ran out after two years. Since then he has got by on his pension, and his wife's carer payment as he is reliant on her to deal with the outside world. Mr Hill claimed after he asked for a review, Centrelink officers also cut his wife's (pictured with him) carer's allowance by about the same amount as his pension So when he won the $60,000 prize he thought he had finally caught a break, only for Centrelink to immediately slash his payments. The Australian Taxation Office confirmed his winnings were not taxable income, as is the case with all gambling payouts to average punters. Mr Hill claimed after he asked for a review, Centrelink officers also cut his wife's carer's allowance by about the same amount as his pension. 'I did the right thing and contacted Centrelink and they told me because it was paid monthly it counted as income from gambling,' he said. 'So I asked if I could deduct all my gambling losses over the past 20 years and they said no, you only become a professional gambler on the day you win. 'If I'd won $600,000 on the Powerball it wouldn't affect my pension but because it's paid monthly I'm a professional gambler, it's ridiculous.' Since his WorkCover ran out he has got by on his pension, and his wife's carer payment as he is reliant on her to deal with the outside world Mr Hill claimed Centrelink officers told him he could take the dispute to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal but then his entire pension for the past seven years could be audited. 'There's a culture in some of these departments where they see clients as the enemy but if they didn't have clients they wouldn't have jobs,' he said. Mr Hill said he was very far from being a professional gambler, only playing Powerball when the jackpot got high and buying Set For Life regularly since 2015. 'I'm not betting on the horses or going to the casino, I maybe have a bit of a lash on the poker machines once in a while,' he said. Mr Hill, a former Australian Democrats vice president, said Government Services Minister Bill Shorten could intervene but his office had not been cooperative. He also asked The Lott to ask if the winnings could be paid all at once to avoid the issue, but he claims the company refused to do so and didn't give a reason. 'Everyone has the capacity to fix the problem but no one wants to,' he said. He does sporadic clerical work from home that he declares on a profit and loss statement he submits to Centrelink every three months. The Lott's Set For Life lottery has a top prize of $20,000 a month for 20 years. Mr Hill won a lower division that pays $5,000 a month for one year The Social Services Department said unless specifically exempted in legislation, few income amounts were excluded from welfare calculations. 'Lottery winnings that are received periodically, for example on a monthly basis for an indefinite length of time, are assessed as income for the period to which they relate,' it told Daily Mail Australia. 'This is consistent with the principle of targeting assistance to those who need it most. A periodic lottery winning is an ongoing source of income which can be used for a persons own self-support.' The department admitted that if Mr Hill had received the payout as a lump sum it wouldn't have been assessed as income. However, any assessable assets bought with it would be, and any ongoing income - such as rent from a property or bank interest - would be. Mr Hill said he was very far from being a professional gambler, only playing Powerball when the jackpot got high and buying Set For Life regularly since 2015 Just because the lottery winnings were tax free didn't have any bearing on whether they could be assessed as income. 'The social security system measures a persons need for income support and their capacity to contribute towards their own support,' it said. The department said Mr Hill's wife's carer payment was affected because the pension income test uses the gross income of both partners, even if one of the partners does not receive a pension. 'This is based on the principle that couples are able to pool their resources for their mutual benefit,' it said. 'Accordingly, the income of each member of a couple is assessed for the purposes of the social security pension income test.' An irate couple has hit out at Betr for closing their account and denying them a $1000 payout from the Melbourne Cup. Betr - which is 33 per cent-owned by media giant News Corp and launched last month - offered 100/1 odds on any horse in the Melbourne Cup for a $10 stake as a promotion - meaning a return of $1010 if their selection crossed first. In the 2022 edition of the Cup, Gold Trip stormed home at Flemington to win, much to the delight of Kelly Chalwell, who had backed the horse through the new betting agency. Her husband Tyler told Daily Mail Australia he received a call from his excited wife to tell him she had won. However, they then discovered Betr had deactivated her account and they are now unable to claim their windfall or even get a reply from the company. Betr said the only accounts it closed were illegitimate and duplicates - however the couple dispute this and insist their account should not have been closed. Tyler Chalwell (right) told Daily Mail Australia he received an exciting call from his wife Kelly (left) that her $10 bet on Gold Trip at $100/1 won and they were $1000 richer until she realised her betr account had been deactivated Betr said the only accounts which had been closed were illegitimate, something the couple both 100 per cent dispute The punting couple say they use the same bank account as they are a married couple but both created separate accounts, fully verified by Betr. They say they can prove it but the betting agency won't respond to their emails, calls or live chat. 'I can 100 per cent prove this all to them, just they wont get back to us,' Mr Chalwell said. 'Ive tried calling, live chat and emailing again but nothing.' Mr Chalwell said while originally it was only his wife's account which had been deactivated, his account has since been deactivated. 'I cant live chat now because my accounts blocked and I have sent more emails with no reply,' he said. 'When I call it says something along the lines of they're not taking calls and to email or live chat.' Mr Chalwell said he has sent five emails to Betr about their accounts being deactivated - the first on Tuesday - and still hasn't received a single reply. Just 23 minutes before the race got underway she received an email that read; 'Your betr account has been deactivated. You will not have any access to your account until you choose to activate it by sending an account activation request to cutomerservice@betr.com.au' Ms Chalwell emailed back just four minutes later asking for her account to be reactivated Mr Chalwell said his wife is 'pretty p***** off' after realising she couldn't access her Melbourne Cup winnings. 'We opened the account a few weeks ago when having a few drinks with friends and family,' Mr Chalwell said. 'So my wife and some friends signed up as I was talking about the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup offer. 'She chose Gold Trip in the account, and her account was verified.' Ms Chalwell also backed Anamoe at 21/1 odds - another Betr offer for a max $10 stake - and was able to withdraw her winnings from that win. Kelly emailed, called, started a live chat and messaged betr customer support but she did not receive a response 'She saw Gold Trip won and she was stoked but went to login and saw her account had been deactivated,' he said. Just 23 minutes before the race got underway she received an email that read; 'Your Betr account has been deactivated. You will not have any access to your account until you choose to activate it by sending an account activation request to cutomerservice@betr.com.au.' 'Please do not consider opening a further account as any transactions occurring within this period will be voided and any winnings forfeited.' Ms Chalwell emailed back just four minutes later asking for her account to be reactivated. 'Hi, Can you please reactivate my account. I see no reason why I should have been deactivated. Cheers, Kelly.' She then proceeded to call and live chat but received no response from Betr. Both Mr and Ms Chalwell are irate with the betting agency and continue to try to get in touch and access their winnings. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Betr for comment. Betr - which is 33 per cent-owned by media giant NewsCorp and launched last month - offered anyone 100/1 odds on any horse in the Melbourne Cup for a $10 stake as a promotion - meaning a return of $1010 if their selection won Betr urged punters on Tuesday morning to scrap their bets after a promotion offered crazy 100-1 odds on every horse in the Melbourne Cup, including favourite Deauville Legend Betr caught the attention of Aussie punters earlier this week by offering outrageous 100-1 odds on all horses for the Melbourne Cup, even hot favourite Deauville Legend. The agency is now facing possible fines from the gambling regulator and the wrath of furious punters who claim their accounts were deactivated so they couldn't collect their winnings. The probe could also cost part-owner News Corp after the company's newspapers published adverts for the offer nationwide which may also have been in breach of local state laws. Gold Trip's storming victory on Tuesday meant the News Corp-backed firm dodged a disastrous $50 million payout. And on Friday, Betr boss Matt Tripp shot down the 'rubbish' rumours his company avoided millions of dollars worth of payouts on its controversial offer of 100/1 odds on every horse in this year's Melbourne Cup. 'I've read a couple of things that we deactivated accounts and all this sort of rubbish,' he told Sydney Morning Herald. 'There were a bunch of duplicate accounts trying to open multiple accounts, which wasn't in the spirit of the way things should be handled. That was a very small section of the 300,000 people who have joined us. Less than one per cent.' Tripp has now revealed how he and other Betr executives dealt with the stress of a looming financial disaster on Melbourne Cup day. They were gathered in his office to watch the horses in the parade ring, hoping favourite Deauville Legend wouldn't win and turn the 100-1 odds promo into a catastrophe - but became worried when experts said the horse looked in great shape. Betr agency founder Matthew Tripp (pictured with his family) has hit back at claims the agency shut down punters' accounts to avoid paying out their winnings after launching a controversial offer on all the horses in this year's Melbourne Cup Betr is desperately trying to stem the massive losses with a frantic text offering $150 in free bets to anyone who backed Deauville Legend under the offer. As well as the $150 in free bets, punters will also get a refund of their $10 stake if they scrap the wager on Deauville Legend before the first race at Flemington Betr was launched less than three weeks ago in time for racing's Spring Carnival in a joint venture with bookie entrepreneur Matthew Tripp, who previously launched Sportsbet and BetEasy (pictured, early arrivals at Flemington for the 2022 Melbourne Cup) Betr launched with 60 staff and plans to quickly expand to 120 by targeting the lucrative under 35s market (pictured, early arrivals at Flemington for the 2022 Melbourne Cup) 'I thought the same thing,' Tripp admitted. 'A few people also called me from the track and said it presented well. I thought, "S**t, that's all I need."' Deauville Legend looked a threat to win the race as it chased down the leaders with 450 metres left to run, and Tripp - who said the most he'd previously stood to lose on a horse was $2million to $3million - felt even more pressure. 'When the horse loomed up I thought, "Here we go. This is not a good way to start a business. They'll all be out to get me tonight,"' he recalled. The favourite finished fourth, however - and Tripp said the Betr office was 'like a nightclub' after the race. Betr was launched less than three weeks ago in time for racing's Spring Carnival in a joint venture with bookie entrepreneur Tripp, who previously launched Sportsbet and BetEasy. It was designed to harness and leverage the reach and power of broadcaster Foxtel and state newspapers to maximise betting potential, based on the successful Sky BET in the UK and FOX Bet in the US. Betr launched with 60 staff and plans to quickly expand to 120 by targeting the lucrative under 35s market. It is currently said to be bidding for the $1billion licence for wagering rights in Western Australia in a major investment and expansion. Pollsters were left red-faced in 2020 when most of their surveys significantly overestimated support for Joe Biden. Most tweaked their formulas and are trying new methods to get the results right for the critical off-year elections. But some experts fear that the industry could once again be overlooking harder-to-include Trump voters, though not for lack of trying. 'There is a group of voters, the Trump supporters, who I personally think are more reluctant to talk to reporters and pollsters. That is in my humble judgement one of the reasons why the polls overrepresented Democrats simply because they didnt agree to be interviewed,' said Terry Madonna, who directs the Franklin & Marshall poll in battleground Pennsylvania. 'I just think that segment of the population exists. Theres a reluctance on the part of many of them, not all of them, many of them to stay hell no, no interview,' he told DailyMail.com. 'In the end its going to require a proper sample of Trump voters because Trump voters dont like participating in surveys,' pollster Frank Luntz told DailyMail.com. 'They dont trust pollsters. They dont believe the informations going to be used objectively. And so too many pollsters dont go out of their way to ensure that they have a full sample of the country.' Real Clear Politics' projection is just one that has the Republicans taking the Senate after the midterms. Will some of the polls that were so far off in 2016 and 2020 be closer to the final result in 2020? Polls in 2016 famously failed to predict Donald Trump's win. Then, polls overstated Joe Biden's support by about 4 percentage points, although he still beat Trump by 7 million votes. Pollsters undertook new methods to try to bring in Trump supporters Luntz says he lengthened his own polling script by about 90 seconds after 2016, repeatedly telling respondents that 'your opinion matters' as a way to try to reduce their suspicion. Pollsters note that surveys represent a snapshot in time, and are better at showing the direction of a race than a precise forecast of where it will end up. In Pennsylvania, Democratic John Fetterman's race against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz is a keystone race that could determine control of the Senate and the fate of President Joe Biden's remaining agenda. 'I think it's very good and useful to look at polls assessments to provide a narrative,' said pollster Lee Miringoff, whose Marist poll released Friday gave Fetterman a six-point lead. Control of the Senate hangs in the balance. Many key races are tossups, and the Georgia Senate race could end up in a runoff if the polls are to be believed Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is one of several endangered Democratic incumbents. She faces Trump-backed Adam Laxalt Trump's own believe in his own private pre-election polling could have influenced his own belief that he 'won' the election, as he declared on election night 2020 Polling experts frequently warn to consider a polling margin of error, and not to place too much stock in an individual survey. Races hovering in the 2 percent range are basically tossups There are potential real world consequences to polling errors. If people think a race isn't close, they might decide not to vote 'I think the narrative in all the polls is: it's post race and it's gotten closer, as the campaign has gone on, and I think that the there's a difference clearly in Pennsylvania between the governor's and the Senate race. And the governor's race looks more of a lot the same race ... On our numbers there is the advantage to Fetterman overall, but it's not the kind of number that you really want to put the house on,' he told DailyMail.com. Even a six-point lead, with a 3.6 per cent margin of error, could be providing an inaccurate snapshot of who is 'ahead.' The early gold standard polls used to rely on telephone surveys of Americans in their homes. Now, pollsters relying on weighting techniques as well as multi-faceted approaches to track people down, on their phones, online, and on their phones. 'It has been harder to reach people,' said Miringoff. 'Because people vote differently. We're also now providing them an access to respond to polls in three different ways, For their current poll, they reached people three different ways allowing the survey to be conducted in three states in a matter of days. 'So we were able to get a better response pattern,' he said. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) finds himself in a dead heat against Trump-backed Herschel Walker Polling doesn't always take in late developments, like Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman over her former collaborator Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) in Pennsylvania Fetterman's debate performance does not appear to have hurt his support among Democrats, although his lead from several months ago has narrowed. His race is considered a toss-up The outlet's other polls showed Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker in a dead heat in the Georgia Senate race, 40 to 48. That closely tracked the RealClearPolitics average, which had the two men tied at 47, separated only by 0.4 percentage points. It is considered a true tossup and could go to a runoff, with Senate control hanging in the balance. A look at the national polling picture this year shows Republicans on the march, and in sight of retaking control of the House, which would be in keeping with historical patterns. The trend in recent days has showed a number of Democrats in unexpectedly tight races even in Democratic-leaning states like Oregon and New York. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly leads Trump-backed Blake Masters in Arizona but with a one-point lead that is trimmed down from 6-points in early September. But consumers of polls and voters might want to take caution not to put too much stock in polls in the final hours before election day. 'On our numbers there is the advantage to Fetterman overall, but it's not the kind of number that you really want to put the house on,' pollster Lee Miringoff told DailyMail.com. The Marist poll has John Fetterman 6 points up over Dr. Mehmet Oz The polls before the 2020 election had the highest errors in 40 years, according to an analysis by a task force of the American Association of Public Opinion Research. There is at least a possibility that the polls are overweighting Republican support this time not due to poor methodology, but because the polling averages are taking into account a greater share of Republican-leaning polls. The Trafalgar poll, which famously predicted a Trump win over Hillary Clinton in 2016, had Oz leading Fetterman 48 to 46 on Friday. It's a Republican leaning poll that scores high ratings for accuracy. But its frequency also tends to tilt poll averages more into the red column. 'They also don't really publish their methodologies, so we wouldn't be able to tell you the difference, said Jay DeDapper of the Marist poll, referring to the American Association of Public Opinion Research. 'There are ways in which you publish your methodologies and they and lots of others that get included in these aggregators don't do that,' he said. The political polling site FiveThirtyEight publishes grades and rankings of the major polling outfits. (Familiar outlets like Marist, Siena College, and Monmouth University get As. Trafalger gets an A-, and the storied Gallup gets a B+.) There is more at stake than simply getting it right. Faulty polls can have a real world impact persuading voters to sit out an election, for example, if they think falsely that their candidate is far ahead. Luntz thinks Trump's own rosy polls helped fuel his false belief that he 'won' the election. 'What happened after 2020 after the election was a tragedy. I believe that some polling played a role in it because it caused him to think that he was being robbed.' 'We all paid a price for it,' he added. The man accused of breaking into the San Francisco home of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer has been charged, but questions still remain about what actually happened that night. David DePape, 42, was charged with attempted murder after he struck Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer after he broke into their house, calling out 'Where's Nancy' the same phrase used by Capitol rioters on January 6. A week has passed since the hammer attack and Pelosi is home recovering from injuries to his skull and major surgery, but many questions are still unanswered. 1. Was there a third person involved? Law enforcement officials confirmed Paul Pelosi and the suspect, DePape, were the only two people at the Pelosi residence when police responded. Paul Pelosi, husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was injured in the hammer attack The confusion stemmed from media reports that followed a press conference on October 28 when San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Chief Bill Scott said that when officers knocked on the front door of the Pelosi residence, 'the door was opened by someone inside' and officers spotted Pelosi and DePape 'inside the entryway of the home' There was also confusion about the wording in the court documents that referred to 'another man' when Pelosi was on phone with 911. Social media users were quick to post that there was an unknown third person at the scene of the incident. But law enforcement officials told Reuters that Pelosi and DePape were the only two people at the Pelosi residence at the time. 2. How did DePape get inside? The court filing said DePape smashed his shoulder through a glass window early Friday in the back of the Pelosis Pacific Heights home and confronted a sleeping Paul, clad only in boxer shorts and a pajama top. While at the scene, DePape looked at the glass door and told investigators that was where he broke into the house. Officers later recovered his bag outside the damaged glass doors. Inside, there was another hammer, a laptop, and more bags of zip ties. However, some have raised questions about glass outside the back door - which some say looks like it may have been smashed from the inside. The court filing said DePape smashed his shoulder through a glass window early Friday in the back of the Pelosis Pacific Heights home, clad only in boxer shorts and a pajama top On a segment of BlazeTV podcast 'What We Know So Far,' Glenn Beck questioned the back door being broken: 'It appears to be busted from the inside,' he noted. 'I mean I watched enough Colombo excuse me sir one more thing when the glass be on the inside of the door and not the outside of the door but we don't know what kind of glass it was . . . we have no idea.' Another question is how DePape get inside the house with his wife being third in line to the presidency. The San Francisco Police Department often posted a patrol car at the Pelosi house, particularly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, but there was no police car present at the home during the time of the attack. Speaker Pelosi was in Washington at the time and under the protection of her security detail, which does not extend to family members. She quickly returned to San Francisco, where her husband was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries. 3. What exactly happened when police arrived at the scene? San Francisco Police officers Kolby Wilmes and Kyle Cagney were dispatched to the residence of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi around 2:27 a.m. on Friday, October 28, for an 'A-priority' well-being check. When they rang the doorbell, DePape reportedly told Pelosi not to open the door, but Pelosi did anyway using his left hand. Pelosi and DePape stood in the dimly lit foyer and faced the officers as Pelosi calmly greeted them, according to the police report When one of the officers asked the men what was going on, DePape responded 'everything's good' and pulled his hands toward his body. When an officer turned on his flashlight, DePape could be seen holding the bottom handle of the hammer with one hand and Pelosi's right arm with the other. Pelosi's right hand was also on the handle of the hammer. When an officer ordered for the men to 'drop the hammer,' DePape raised the hammer and said, 'um, nope' as he tried to pull it away from Pelosi who exclaimed 'hey, hey!' DePape then gained control of it and struck Pelosi's head, which knocked Pelosi unconscious. Officers immediately tackled DePape and arrested him. 4. How could he have attacked while police were already there? The two responding officers witnessed DePape hit Pelosi with the hammer at least once, striking him in the head, the court filing states. The assault was also captured on the officers body cameras. David DePape, 42, was charged with attempted murder after he struck Pelosi with a hammer after he broke into their house, calling out 'Where's Nancy' 5. What exactly are DePape's politics? While reports indicate that DePape was an unhinged, far-right conspiracy theorist, neighbors noted his politics were much more muddied. They said he had Black Live Matter flags and an LGBT rainbow flag outside his home, but also said that any liberal leanings appeared to be shallow and performative. His social media showed he posted conspiracy theories about the origins of the covid epidemic, about the validity of the 2020 election, and on the January 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill. Many of DePape's social media posts were filled with tirades against Jewish people, black people, Democrats, the media and transgender people, under categories such as 'Trannies,' 'Da Jewbs' and 'Great Reset.' By late August, DePape seemed to become engrossed in Twitter's decision to ban Jordan Peterson for his posts about transgender people after the Canadian psychologist compared being transgender to 'satanic ritual abuse.' More recently, amid backlash to rapper Kanye West's tweet declaring war on the Jewish people, DePape posted: 'We are ALL the Jews' slave race. In just the past month alone, DePape had published hundreds of blog posts promoting far-right conspiracy theories before he allegedly broke into Pelosi's home, the Boston Globe reports. DePape was also active on 4chan, positing memes and debating other anonymous users about his beliefs. Five lions escaped from their enclosure because the fastenings failed on a 'lion-proof' mesh fence used to secure the animals, Sydney's Taronga Zoo has confirmed. The big cats broke free at the zoo early on Wednesday morning while children from three schools had been camping overnight in tents as part of the 'Zoo Snooz' experience. It was also revealed two boys from one school were reported missing at a roll call at the time the lions escaped, after teachers and students had scrambled to safe spaces. The lions will remain in a back-of-house area and appear to have no adverse reaction to the incident (pictured, Taronga lions) Helicopter footage on the day showed zookeepers and dozens of police inside the lion enclosure inspecting what appeared to be a hole in the fence (pictured) Zoo staff then risked their lives searching in the grounds for the children, before the pair were found in a bathroom. They had become separated from their class during the 'code one' emergency - the zoo's most urgent alert warning of a dangerous animal on the loose. It was activated shortly after 6.30am, when the five lions were first spotted outside their main exhibit - with only a two-metre high fence separating them from the rest of the zoo. Children and teachers were about to start their day when the alarm rang through, heard by residents in the surrounding area. 'Our staff reacted in a highly professional way to the incident and resolved it quickly,' a zoo spokeswoman said (pictured, staff at the zoo on Wednesday) Zoo workers escorted them to designated safe places, where it was discovered one student had not answered the roll call. Staff left the safe house and scrambled through the tent lines and bathrooms before two boys were located. They were then escorted to safety 'within minutes', rejoining the others at the Backyard To Bush house. 'Our staff reacted in a highly professional way to the incident and resolved it quickly, including the process of moving guests to a range of designated safe houses,' a zoo spokeswoman said. 'We thank our staff and also the exemplary co-operation of guests.' Children from schools in Cammeray, Nowra Hills and Old Bar public had camped overnight on Tuesday. An Education Department spokeswoman told the Daily Telegraph students and teachers were never in any danger Helicopter footage on the day showed zookeepers and dozens of police inside the lion enclosure inspecting what appeared to be a hole in the fence. The spokeswoman said the opening in the fence had been secured and the lions would not be back in their main exhibit while the zoo awaits 'further engineering advice'. 'This advice will guide us on any further repairs or reinforcements needed,' she said. 'We would then seek approval from the Department of Primary Industries before returning the lions to their main exhibit. 'Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety of our people and guests and the welfare of our animals.' She said the exact timing of the repairs would depend on what advice the zoo is given. Meanwhile, the lions will remain in a back-of-house area and appear to have had no adverse reaction to the incident. They have since been identified as father Ato and cubs Kahri, Luzuko, Malika and Zuri, who are five of the seven African lions kept at the African savanna site. 'Lions are naturally inquisitive and exploratory animals,' the zoo spokeswoman said. 'As soon as Taronga's emergency procedures were enacted, keepers recalled the lions, with all but one cub which was safely tranquillised returning to their dens.' The Taronga Zoo Sydney welcomed a litter of five African lion cubs to its Savannah enclosure last August. The planned strike could plunge airports into chaos in holiday season once again Rescuers are demanding more staff and a 15 per cent pay rise over three years The firefighters' union voted 93 per cent in favour of taking industrial action Aviation firefighters have voted in favour of a strike that could wreak havoc at Australian airports as the busy holiday travel season looms. Members of the United Firefighters Union's aviation branch were overwhelmingly in favour of potentially chaotic work strikes, but its secretary Wes Garrett said travellers would be warned seven days in advance. Ninety-three per cent of the union voted to take industrial action, claiming to be understaffed and underpaid. It comes as the summer holiday period kicks off for Australian families, many of whom suffered the worst delays on record during the winter break. Staff shortages and Covid-19 disruptions caused mass flight cancellations on top of extended wait times in April, June and July. The Firefighters Union is reportedly staging the shutdowns for periods between two and 12 hours in the hopes of receiving a 15.5 per cent pay rise over three years. The union also wants to see airports commit to hiring more staff. Aviation firefighters (above) are set to go on strike after the union voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action The firefighters believe airport rescue crews are understaffed and are set to stage the strike during the upcoming holiday period (above, a queue at an airport) Most larger, civil airports are required to have firefighters and rescue equipment on the ground under international aviation rules. The union's secretary Wes Garrett said his members would meet next week to decide on the strike's timing. Airservices Australia, the government-owned organisation behind rescue fire fighting services at the country's airports, is only offering a pay rise of 11.5 per cent. 'We call on the UFU to return to the negotiating table,' it told industry publication Australian Aviation. Airports (above) are set to fill up with passengers as the summer holidays commence after Australia's airlines struggled to cope with post-Covid demand during the winter school holidays Airservices Australia previously said it had been 'generous' to union members in its offers. 'Airservices will take all steps necessary to prevent disruptions to flights as a result of the industrial action.' Mr Garrett said travellers' lives were at risk. 'At every major and regional airport across Australia, we do not have enough aviation firefighters to provide the protection for air travellers that's required by international aviation regulation,' he said. It's understood 776 firefighters are employed across Australia's airports. The Queen Mary University of London has launched an investigation after a students' racist WhatsApp group was exposed. In a series of screenshots shared to Twitter, students from Queen Mary University can be seen to be making a number of racist comments. Messages include repeated use of n***** as well as other explicit racial slurs. In a series of screenshots shared to Twitter, students from Queen Mary University can be seen to be making a number of racist comments Messages include repeated use of n***** as well as other explicit racial slurs One message reads 'down with the n*****s', while another student writes, 'f*****g hate black n*****s'. A spokesperson for the university said that they are investigating the issue and do not tolerate racism 'in any form'. 'We do not, and will not, tolerate racism in any form. We are in the process of investigating this serious issue.', they told the Tab. A spokesperson for Queen Mary University said that they are investigating the issue and do not tolerate racism 'in any form' 'Any student or staff member is urged to use our Report and Support online tool to report, anonymously if preferred, any issues they encounter. 'Any students affected by this incident are advised to contact welfare services.' She also referenced her husband's condition in a state-of-the-race fundraising email sent out Friday evening in which she expressed similar feelings 'Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words,' she said Via Zoom, Pelosi spoke on a Democrat Party fundraiser Friday called 'Strengthening Our Democracy' and addressed her husband's condition Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave her first public comments after her husband Paul left the hospital Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave her first public comments after her husband Paul left the hospital, as he still recovers from an attack by an intruder at the couple's San Francisco home last week. Via Zoom, Pelosi spoke on a Democrat Party fundraiser Friday called 'Strengthening Our Democracy' and addressed her husband's condition. She said: 'Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul.' Pelosi added: 'Its going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, its just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. Hes surround by family, so thats a wonderful thing.' The House Speaker also referenced her husband's condition in a state of the race fundraising email sent out Friday evening in which she expressed similar feelings. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave her first public comments after her husband Paul left the hospital, as he still recovers from an attack by an intruder to their house last week She said: 'Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul.' Pelosi came home Friday after a week in the hospital following an attack by intruder Paul DePape NBC News has pulled a bombshell report that claimed Paul Pelosi did not tell responding police officers that he was in danger just before he was injured in a hammer attack at his San Francisco home last week. The clip posted by the media outlet early Friday morning cited sources close to the investigation that claimed the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not declare an emergency or say he was in distress when cops showed up at his door in response to his 911 call. The report by Emmy Award-winning journalist Miguel Almaguer claimed the 82-year-old walked back a few feet away from the officers and into the foyer toward David DePape, 42, who had earlier broken into the home armed with a hammer. As Pelosi reportedly took steps away from the responding officers and in the direction of DePape, they saw him bludgeon Pelosi with the hammer, the report claimed. The NBC News report also stated that it was not clear what Pelosi's mental status was when he reportedly stepped back away from police and that responding officers were seemingly unaware that it was the home of Nancy Pelosi, who has a security detail and was in Washington, D.C. at the time of the attack. The report, which differs from the court documents filed earlier this week, was published Friday morning. By early afternoon, according to the New York Post, the report had been pulled with the explanation: 'The NBC report from Friday was taken down with the explanation, 'The piece should not have aired because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards.' NBC News has pulled a bombshell report that claimed Paul Pelosi did not tell responding police officers that he was in danger just before he was injured in a hammer attack at his home Secret Service agents are pictured in front of the home of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday, after her husband Paul Pelosi was released from hospital Paul Pelosi was released from the hospital on Thursday and returned to the same San Francisco home where he was attacked a week ago. DePape was carrying zip ties with him when he broke into the home in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, calling out 'Where's Nancy' the same phrase used by Capitol rioters on January 6. According to court documents filed earlier this week, Pelosi told the intruder his wife was not there and would not be there for several days, so DePape said he would wait. Pelosi was somehow able to get into the bathroom where he called 911. DePape told investigators he wanted to hold Nancy Pelosi captive and talk to her. He said that if the speaker told 'the truth' he would let her go, and if she 'lied' he would 'break her kneecaps.' 'She would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress there were consequences to actions,' he explained. DePape also later said that he broke into the house through a glass door using the hammer. Paul Pelosi, who was the only one home when DePape broke in, called the police who arrived two minutes later to find struggling over a hammer, according to a Department of Justice press release. When Officers Kolby Wilmes and Kyle Cagney responded to the residence and rang the doorbell, DePape reportedly told Pelosi not to open the door, but Pelosi did anyway using his left hand. Pelosi and DePape stood in the dimly lit foyer and faced the officers as Pelosi calmly greeted them, according to the police report. When one of the officers asked the men what was going on, DePape said, 'everything's good' and pulled his hands toward his body. When an officer turned on his flashlight, DePape could be seen holding the bottom handle of the hammer with one hand and Pelosi's right arm with the other. Pelosi's right hand was also on the handle of the hammer. When an officer ordered for the men to 'drop the hammer,' DePape raised the hammer and said, 'um, nope' as he tried to pull it away from Pelosi who exclaimed 'hey, hey!' DePape then gained control of it and struck Pelosi's head, which knocked Pelosi unconscious, according to San Francisco FBI special agent Stephanie Minor wrote in a request for a federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant. DePape, pictured recording the nude wedding of Gypsy Taub outside San Francisco City Hall in 2013, wanted to kidnap House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and break her kneecaps, it is alleged DePape was formally charged with attempted murder in court in San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to charges against him, including assault, attempted murder, and attempted kidnapping. Immigration officials confirmed Thursday morning that the suspect - Canadian native DePape, who is in custody, entered the U.S. illegally by crossing at the Mexican border in 2008. The US Capitol Police indicated on Thursday they are undertaking an investigation of security procedures for the raft of lawmakers who receive some form of protection. The Speaker herself has a 24-hour security detail who travels with her. The attack left Paul Pelosi, with a fractured skull and injuries to his arms and hands for which he underwent surgery, according to the speaker's office. He returned home on Thursday, where he will continue treatment. The real estate and venture capital executive, 'remains under doctors' care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence' back at home, the speaker said in a statement issued by her office. 'The Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world,' Pelosi's office said in a statement. 'Paul is grateful to the 911 operator, emergency responders, trauma care team, ICU staff, and the entire ZSFGH medical staff for their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment he received after the violent assault in our home,' said the statement. 'Paul remains under doctors' care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy.' The assault took place after 2 am in the Pacific Heights neighborhood Capitol Police were able to review security camera footage before the incident, which took place while the speaker was away The incident, just days before the November elections, has renewed calls in Congress to beef up security in light of a growing threats against lawmakers. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is second in the line of succession to the presidency, was in Washington at the time. U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said in a weekend memo to lawmakers that the attack 'is a somber reminder of the threats elected officials and families face in 2022.' In a speech Wednesday, US President Joe Biden linked the attack to the political violence unleashed by ex-president Donald Trump's supporters against Congress on January 6, 2021. Republicans, he said, have 'emboldened violence and intimidation of voters and election officials.' 'That is the path to chaos in America,' he said. Navy Adm. Charles A. Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, on Wednesday issued an unusually blunt warning about American capability One of America's most senior military commanders who oversees the US nuclear weapons program has urged the United States to dramatically upgrade its defense capabilities, warning that the China was developing nuclear weapons faster than the U.S. and adding: 'The big one is coming'. Navy Adm. Charles A. Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, issued an unusually blunt warning on Wednesday, saying that China's nuclear threat was a 'near-term problem'. 'As I assess our level of deterrence against China, the ship is slowly sinking,' Richard said. 'It is sinking slowly, but it is sinking, as fundamentally they are putting capability in the field faster than we are.' He said the military was encumbered by red tape, slow to react, and at risk of being dramatically outspent and outmaneuvered by its adversaries. 'As those curves keep going, it isn't going to matter how good our [operating plan] is or how good our commanders are, or how good our horses are we're not going to have enough of them. 'And that is a very near-term problem.' He added that the country needed to regain the dynamism and can-do spirit of the 1950s and 60s. 'This Ukraine crisis that we're in right now, this is just the warmup,' he said, addressing the Naval Submarine League's annual gathering in Arlington, Virginia. 'The big one is coming. And it isn't going to be very long before we're going to get tested in ways that we haven't been tested a long time.' Richard has been commander of Stratcom since 2019 - described by the Pentagon as being 'responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives' Richard, who has commanded Stratcom since November 2019, said the conflict in Ukraine (pictured, tanks on the frontline in Mykolaiv on November 4) was 'just the warm up' Richard, who has led Stratcom since November 2019, is in described by the Pentagon as being 'responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives'. As such, his job is to provide recommendations to the President and Secretary of Defense on the military capacity necessary to keep the U.S. safe, and fulfill its strategic aims. Richard said the current thinking was outdated - and Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear sabre-rattling showed that an urgent reassessment was overdue. 'We have to do some rapid, fundamental change in the way we approach the defense of this nation,' he said. 'I will tell you, the current situation is vividly illuminating what nuclear coercion looks like and how you, or how you don't stand up to that.' He said America's rivals, such as China, are making dramatic strides in military innovation - posing a threat to the U.S. Xi Jinping (right) is pictured on Friday meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing Senior Russian military leaders have discussed when and how they would use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Pictured: A Russian nuclear missile is fired during testing drillson October 26 Richard said the only bright spot was America's underseas capabilities, with the U.S. submarine fleet. The admiral served on multiple submarines before rising to command Submarine NR-1 - then the U.S. Navy's only nuclear-powered, deep-submergence submarine. He went on to be named Director of Undersea Warfare at the Pentagon, and command the fleet based in Norfolk, Virginia. 'Undersea capabilities is still the one ... maybe the only true asymmetric advantage we still have against our opponents,' Richard said. 'But unless we pick up the pace, in terms of getting our maintenance problems fixed, getting new construction going. 'If we can't figure that out we are not going to put ourselves in a good position to maintain strategic deterrence and national defense.' Richard, who graduated from the University of Alabama in 1982, said the United States had 'lost the art' of rapid response to new threats. He noted that, 60 years ago, America's military was more agile, resourceful and innovative. 'We used to know how to move fast, and we have lost the art of that,' he said, giving as an example the invention of the AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missile, which entered service in 1960. 'The Air Force went from a request, almost written on a napkin,' he said. 'They figured out in the late 1950s that the Soviet integrated air defense systems were getting to the point that the B-52 just wasn't going to make it in, and we needed a thing called up 'cruise missile.' 'And so, they envisioned what a standoff weapon looks like.' The U.S. military was able to deliver the Hound Dog cruise missile in just 33 months. 'We had two squadrons of B-52s equipped with this 800-nautical-mile Mach two-plus, one megaton nuclear warhead with accuracy that was really good for its day, hanging off the wings of B-52s in less than three years,' he said. 'This weapon was so cool you could actually turn the engines on, on its cruise missiles on your wings, to give you additional thrust on takeoff.' He continued: 'We have got to get back into the business of not talking about how we are going to mitigate our assumed eventual failure.' He said the policy makers needed to 'flip it to the way we used to ask questions in this nation, which is: What's it going to take? Is it money? Is it people? Do you need authorities? What risk? 'That's how we got to the Moon by 1969. We need to bring some of that back. 'Otherwise, China is simply going to outcompete us, and Russia isn't going anywhere anytime soon.' Cannons, attack boats and hangars that could house NUCLEAR missiles: New images reveal full extent of Beijing's military build-up on disputed South China Sea reefs Extraordinary photos of Beijing's military bases in the South China Sea have given the most-detailed view yet of what Xi Jinping has been building and show them bristling with defenses. The Chinese Communist Party has spent the better part of a decade turning a remote series of atolls and reefs in the region into highly developed military bases that are now equipped with naval guns, anti-aircraft systems, radar arrays, attack ships and hangars capable of housing dozens of fighters. At least two huge vehicle bays have also been built which are large enough to conceal mobile launchers designed to fire anti-ship, anti-air, and ballistic missiles which could be tipped with nuclear warheads. The bases are part of a territory-grab by Xi over the entirety of the South China Sea within borders that Beijing refers to as the 'Nine Dash Line'. By controlling the sea, Xi aims to project power over neighboring countries as well as fertile fishing grounds, and shipping lanes through which $5trillion-worth of goods pass each year. However, Beijing's claims have no basis in international law and were overruled by an international arbitration court. Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all have competing claims to the same piece of ocean. New images give the most-detailed picture yet of military bases that China has spent the best part of a decade building on remote reefs and atolls in the South China Sea, as it tries to lay claim over the entire region Fiery Cross Reef Fiery Cross Reef is controlled by China as part of Sansha of Hainan Province, despite Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines all claiming the island as their own. Large, multi-story hangers capable of housing ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear material can be seen across the island next to radar systems. A US Navy reconnaissance mission in March revealed the militarisation of the reefs, but high-quality photos of the islands have not emerged until recently. The mission found the artificial islands armed with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets. The US sent a P-8A Poseidon plane on the reconnaissance mission, which spotted the structures, despite President Xi's promise not to convert the islands into military bases. US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John C. Aquilino called the sight 'the largest military build up since World War II' by the People's Republic of China. Beijing says its military profile is purely defensive, arranged to protect what it says are its sovereign rights. The Fiery Cross was the name of a famous British tea clipper, a speedy merchant sailing vessel, which took part in the Great Tea Race of 1866 where vessels competed to be the first to transport tea from China to Britain. Large, multi-story hangers capable of housing ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear material can be seen across the island next to radar systems. A KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft is visible on the taxiway A medical landing pad, painted with a red cross, can be seen on the right. Smaller hangars can be seen next to the terminal building. The bases are part of a territory-grab by Xi over the entirety of the South China Sea within borders that Beijing refers to as the 'Nine Dash Line' An airfield, buildings, and structures are seen on the artificial island built by China in Fiery Cross Reef. China has progressively asserted its claim of ownership over disputed islands in the South China Sea by artificially increasing their size Another full-size runway and airfield are seen. The hangers could be loaded up with dozens of combat aircraft, it is thought. The Chinese Communist Party has spent the better part of a decade turning the reefs into military bases A wider-angle view of the same island shows a collection of building at the near end and another array of radome-topped towers at the far end Subi Reef On the smaller side of the Spratly Islands, Subi Reef is also administered by China Hainan province. But under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, only the Philippines has the right to build structures there. From the close-up photos, Subi Reef also appears to feature hangers capable of housing nuclear weapons. China sought to shore up its vast territorial claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls nearly a decade ago. The US responded by sending its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions. The US has no claims itself but has deployed Navy ships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote free navigation in international waterway and airspace. China routinely objects to any action by the US military in the region. The other countries in the area claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year. A collection of building close to an array of radome-topped towers at the far end. There is little sign of activity on the ground at any of the installations Close-in defensive weapons are installed on roughly 30-foot-wide platforms set atop clusters of hexagonal concrete towers Buildings, recreational facilities, and other structures are seen on the artificial island built by China in Subi Reef. Undeveloped ground and planted areas are among the large cluster of buildings Subi reef features hangers which are capable of housing nuclear weapons, seen alongside a lighthouse at the end of the island. It also features radar domes similar to others nearby The reefs are located between countries that contest China's claim to the region and stake their own assertions on defensive and economic access The close up pictures are some of the most detailed photos yet available of what China is up to in the region Mischief Reef On Mischief Reef, one of the larger islands, two Type 022 Houbei class catamaran fast attack missile craft can be seen docked on the left side of the island, readily recognizable by their camouflage scheme. Reports emerged that the People's Liberation Army Navy had deployed Type 022s to the islands last year. The boats can carry up to eight YJ-83 subsonic anti-ship missiles and a 30mm H/PJ-13 Gatling guns. Last April, the missile craft apparently chased away the boat operated on behalf of the ABS-CBN news crew, in an aggressive encounter when they approached the island. The reef sparked a 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found that China's claim over the island was without basis. A pair of Type 022 Houbei class catamaran fast attack missile craft can be seen docked on the left side of the island, readily recognizable by their camouflage scheme. Reports emerged that the People's Liberation Army Navy had deployed Type 022s to the islands last year. The boats can carry up to eight YJ-83 subsonic anti-ship missiles and a 30mm H/PJ-13 Gatling guns Four aids to navigation mark the visibly deeper channel between the island and another section of the reef A wider-angle view of the same island shows a collection of building at the near end and another array of radome-topped towers at the far end Buildings and structures are seen on the artificial island built by China in Mischief Reef on October 25, in the Spratly Islands Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam all have territorial claims to the areas in which China has built islands and put its flag Cuarteron Reef Cuarteron Reef photos show naval gun emplacements on a series of towers, alongside a radar gunnery director. China has long used the 'nine-dash line', a maritime boundary drawn up by it in 1947, to justify its jurisdiction over most of the resource-rich sea - often to the displeasure of Hanoi, which also claims parts of the waterway. The nine-dash line is a maritime boundary in the South China Sea drawn up by China, which claims to own the territory inside the line. The U-shaped line was initially claimed by the government of the Republic of China in 1947. In 1992, the Communist Party of China adopted the boundary while updating its law on the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, according to Strategic Regions in 21st Century Power Politics, a Cmabridge Scholas book edited by Martin Riegl, Jakub Landovsky, and Irina Valko. Chinese passports issued from 2012 onwards feature the Chinese map printed with the nine-dash line on three pages. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that there was no legal basis for much of China's claims to the area. The Chinese government has strongly objected to the ruling. Cuarteron Reef photos show naval gun emplacements on a series of towers, alongside a radar gunnery director. A large radome sits atop the battlements, likely positioned there for a better line of sight over the horizon Drive said the island could house host Type 730/1130 close-in weapon system (CIWS) and a H/PJ76 76mm multi-purpose deck gun, providing protection against low-flying air threats, like cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones Gaven Reef Gaven Reef was first pictured when the Philippine released photographs of Chinese construction work in the disputed waters in 2015. Last year, photos emerged of more than 200 boats lashed together in rows, in an act of aggression from China designed to 'squeeze out' other countries in Asia. The Philippine government's National Task Force-West Philippines Sea said they counted 254 ships as well as four Chinese warships in the Spratly Islands on March 29, 2021. They claimed the ships were not fishing vessels as China said but instead part of China's maritime militia, an group of sometimes armed civilians in the sea. China refused to move the boats from the area. One of the smaller man-made islands is on Gaven Reef, which has 76mm deck guns extending from its platform A harbor area and a handful of large domes are visible on Gaven Reef, one of the islands China has artificially built uo Hughes Reef Hughes Reef appears to have a helicopter pad and a multi-story building at the other end, complete with what looks like a large swimming pool. Hughes Reef appears to have a helicopter pad and a multi-story building at the other end, complete with what looks like a large swimming pool Photos of Chinese 'Island Fortresses' emerged last year, which experts said would allow the Chinese government to extend the range of its navy, air force, coastguard and fishing fleets in the region. The reefs are located between countries that contest China's claim to the region and stake their own assertions on defensive and economic access. Two men have died at a property in Sydney's north-west, with police currently investigating the circumstances. Police were called to The Northern Road in Londonderry about 7.20am on Saturday following reports the two men were unresponsive. Nepean police officers arrived at the property to find a 50-year-old and 63-year-old dead. Two men were found dead at a rural residence in Sydney's north-west (above) Teams of police officers arrived at the Londonderry property early on Saturday morning Officers then taped off the property and spoke with a man inside the grounds. The men have not yet been formally identified. A crime scene has been established, and police inquiries are ongoing. More to come. Police spoke with a man inside the property (above) as they investigated the circumstances surrounding the deaths Many pet owners would admit the prospect of being separated may be too much to bear. For one divorcing couple in Argentina it saw them head to court to resolve who would have custody of their two dogs. But in an unlikely resolution, the court apparently left it to the dogs - named Popeye and Kiara - to decide who they wanted to live with. Popeye, six, expressed a preference to live with Amorina Bascoy, while Kiara, nine, preferred Emmanuel Medina, Clarin newpaper reported. The divorcing couple did not clarify just how the dogs communicated their decision. An Argentine court apparently left it to the dogs - named Popeye and Kiara - to decide who between the divorcing couple they wanted to live with Their case has helped establish a legal precedent in Argentina which states they were a multispecies family with both humans and animals having their own rights. Miss Bascoy told the newspaper: Each of them chose which one of us to live with. We didnt have children, so our dogs are our babies. Its a pure and noble love. All four meet at least once a week. Miss Bascoy added: We dont have a problem seeing each other, in spite of getting divorced. We forget about each other because just spending time with them makes us smile. Judge Diana Sica, who made the ruling, said: Animals, especially domestic animals, are sensitive beings who feel, who miss, who rejoice, who suffer and who acquire habit. The case has helped establish a legal precedent in Argentina which states they were a multispecies family with both humans and animals having their own rights Miss Bascoy added she did not mind if her former partner found another human love in his life, unless the new girlfriend doesnt like dogs. In Britain, pets are considered chattels to be divided rather than having any specific individual rights. So theyll sympathise with a divorcing couple who headed to court to resolve who would gain custody of their two dogs. But in this particular case, it was left to the pets to decide. Popeye apparently choose Amorina Bascoy and Kiara opted for Emmanuel Medina. Confidentiality rules mean it isnt known exactly how this was achieved, but canine preferences are easily identified, according to animal experts Confidentiality rules mean it isnt known exactly how this was achieved, but canine preferences are easily identified, according to animal experts. The case in Argentina has set a legal precedent that the couple are a multispecies family with both humans and animals having rights. Miss Bascoy said: We didnt have children, so our dogs are our babies. All four meet at least once a week. Judge Diana Sica, who made the ruling, said: Animals are sensitive beings who feel, who miss, who rejoice, who suffer and who acquire habit. The Mail would like to congratulate the BBC on an excellent investigation into Albanian drug syndicates which are using the migrant camps of northern France as recruiting grounds. Its journalists found gangs offering to fund the cross-Channel passage of fellow countrymen prepared to help expand their criminal operations in the UK and pay them well once here. The organisations are also recruiting energetically in Albania itself. The BBC visited one town where 70 per cent of the male population had left for Britain. This paper has carried out similar investigations. But the fact the penny has finally dropped with the achingly liberal BBC that these people are not genuine refugees is hugely significant. (Could this strange new realism have anything to do with Deborah Turness, the new BBC News chief brought in from ITV with a brief to tackle institutional Left-wing bias? Let's hope so.) Migrants packed tightly onto a small inflatable (file image) The simple truth is that vast numbers of those crossing the Channel are either economic migrants or have been enlisted directly to work in the black economy. Yet they are a large part of the reason our asylum system is on the brink of collapse. Around a third of the 40,000 crossing from France this year were from Albania, a free democratic country hoping to join the EU. That is up from just 50 in 2020. Labour accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of inflammatory language when she described the influx as an 'invasion'. But everyone knows what she meant. This country has a proud record of giving sanctuary. New figures showing one in six people living in Britain was born abroad emphasise our kindness to outsiders. But if the asylum system is to survive, a swifter mechanism must be found for distinguishing those genuinely fleeing persecution from those who are not. We are spending 6million a day on housing asylum seekers and accommodation is running dry hence the overcrowding at assessment centres like Manston. Councils, including some Labour ones, are objecting to having large numbers of migrants placed in local hotels because it risks unbalancing their communities. New Labour's open door policy and Human Rights Act have made it nigh-on impossible to deport even obviously bogus claimants. That has to change. Whether it is sending asylum seekers to third countries for processing, or a law change which drastically cuts the time for appeals, the process must be shortened. There's no sign of the influx abating, and pressure on the NHS, schools and other creaking public services will get even worse. Rishi Sunak must back his Home Secretary in defying the migration lobby however much they shriek about alleged cruelty and racism. We've been taken for a ride quite long enough. Boris's self-sacrifice Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, confounded the cynics yesterday by confirming that Boris Johnson did indeed have the support of more than 100 MPs in the recent leadership campaign. This was enough to have challenged Rishi Sunak in the final members' vote, a contest he would almost certainly have won, propelling him back into Downing Street. That he chose to sacrifice this for the good of his party and his country was a remarkable act of statesmanship particularly for a man his enemies say is driven by blind ambition. This paper deeply regrets that Mr Johnson was never given the chance to realise his one-nation vision. His energy, wit and sheer force of personality are sorely missed in the sea of grey that is today's political class. Let's hope it really is hasta la vista and not goodbye. Grant Shapps was facing fury last night after saying there wasnt really much point to a long-promised railway across northern England. A new high-speed link between Liverpool and Hull via Bradford is set to be scrapped. The Business Secretary insisted that much of the benefit of Northern Powerhouse Rail could be delivered by upgrading existing lines at a much lower cost. But his comments sparked a backlash from campaigners as well as fresh fears that more vital infrastructure projects will be scrapped in the Autumn Statement later this month as the Government desperately tries to fill a 50billion budget black hole. The Business Secretary insisted that much of the benefit of Northern Powerhouse Rail could be delivered by upgrading existing lines at a much lower cost The 2019 Conservative manifesto declared its commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, also dubbed HS3, as part of plans to level up the UKs cities by improving connections between them. But Mr Shapps, formerly transport secretary, has now claimed that the new 46billion high-speed railway across the Pennines has been dropped. Instead the Government will scale back the proposals to those included in last years Integrated Rail Plan, costing about 17billion, involving upgrades and electrification of existing lines. The 2019 Conservative manifesto declared its commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail, also dubbed HS3, as part of plans to level up the UKs cities by improving connections He told the BBC: There wasnt really much point in going and blasting new tunnels through the Pennines. But he insisted: Its not true to say were not delivering on what we said we would do on levelling up the North. But Labours transport spokesman Louise Haigh said: A lost decade of broken Tory promises has left the North with second-rate infrastructure and rail services in crisis. And Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership lobby group, said: This option saves little to nothing to Treasury coffers now. Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning last night to the residents of Ukraines occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russias armed forces in the early days of the war. Those who still live in Kherson should certainly be removed from the area of the most dangerous hostilities... civilians should not suffer from shelling, from attacks, counter-attacks or something like that, said Putin. Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers abandoning checkpoints in Kherson and moving to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. Kirill Stremousov, one of Putins puppet officials in the occupation administration, last night slapped a 24-hour curfew across the city. The former Ukrainian politician, wanted for treason by Kyiv, said it was in order to defend our city of Kherson from what he called terrorist attacks. Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning last night to the residents of Ukraines occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russia s armed forces in the early days of the war He urged civilians to flee, saying columns of Ukrainian vehicles had been spotted on the frontline and that an attack was possible. On Thursday, he admitted we have to take some very difficult decisions after pictures circulated of his main HQ with Russias flag no longer flying atop it. Officials in Ukraine have admitted privately that they are wary, saying it could be an attempt to lure Ukrainian troops into a trap. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think-tank, said it remains unclear whether the occupying forces truly plan not to put up a fight for the strategic Black Sea port. In another apparent sign of Russias huge military weakness, Putin yesterday signed a decree allowing serious convicted criminals to sign up with the Russian army, effectively granting murderers and rapists their freedom if they are willing to fight. Britains Ministry of Defence said yesterday that Russia is deploying so-called blocking units which threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives. n President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of energy terrorism after strikes on Ukraines facilities left millions of residents without power. Russia has carried out missile and drone attacks on power facilities in recent weeks, leaving 4.5million across the country without electricity. A CNN panel criticized Oprah Winfrey for having 'created' Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz after she endorsed his Democrat opponent John Fetterman. Oz, a Turkish-American surgeon, and Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, are neck-and-neck ahead of next week's election. CNN discussed Oprah's seal of approval on 'Inside Politics,' with host Dana Bash calling the endorsement more an 'opposition announcement' to Oz. 'She created him,' Bash said. 'The reason Dr. Oz is Dr. Oz, is because Oprah put him on the map.' Winfrey turned Oz into a household name when she appeared on his show in 2003, 'Second Opinion with Dr. Oz' for the Discovery Channel, and invited him onto hers in 2004. He would go on to make more than 60 appearances on her hugely influential daytime show. Dr. Oz, a Turkish-American surgeon, and Fetterman (pictured right), the current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania , are neck-and-neck ahead of next week's election CNN discussed the Oprah seal of approval on 'Inside Politics,' with host Dana Bash calling the endorsement more an 'opposition announcement' to Oz Audie Cornish took it a step further, calling Winfrey's statement a case of 'brand maintenance' Audie Cornish took it a step further, calling Winfrey's statement a case of 'brand maintenance.' This is about maintaining the relationship she has with her brand and also focusing on White, Independent women in the Philly suburbs. This is a huge part of the Oprah audience,' she said. On Thursday, the 68-year-old media mogul said she could not support her former guest. 'At the beginning of the midterm campaigns, I said it was up to citizens to vote for who would represent them,' Winfrey said. 'If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman. Winfrey is seen in an early appearance with Dr Oz. On Thursday, she backed his rival for the Senate, John Fetterman 'There are clear choices and some dynamic candidates who are working to represent the values that so many of us hold dearlike inclusion, compassion and community. 'So, I ask that voters use discernment and choose wisely for the democracy of our country.' Fetterman was overjoyed at the news, tweeting in response a heart emoji and saying: 'WELCOME TO #TEAMFETTERMAN, @Oprah!!' Winfrey's support of Democrats is not a surprise, but her disavowal of Oz will have stung. The pair first met almost 20 years ago in 2003, when Oz and his wife Lisa created a medical series called 'Second Opinion with Dr. Oz' for the Discovery Channel. 'My friend Gayle was so intrigued by him that she encouraged me to be his first guest,' Winfrey said in 2011, in an introduction to her interview with him for her magazine. 'Lucky for me, Gayle isn't just persuasive, she's perceptive. The day of the taping, I immediately recognized what she'd sensed: a cardiac surgeon who cared as much about transforming people's lives as he did about fixing their hearts.' Winfrey invited Oz onto her show in 2004, and he went on to appear more than 60 times. 'Over the years, he educated us, gave us helpful advice, and saved countless livesfrom heart attack victims who, thanks to him, recognized their symptoms in time...to a cancer patient who, mindful of his warnings about medical mistakes, realized that she still had the tumor her surgeon was supposed to have removed,' she continued. 'He's the reason I started wearing lower heels (my bunions are eternally grateful), and he taught me everything I know about the omentum.' In a magazine interview, she asked him: 'Do you have any flaws?' Calls for Winfrey to condemn him escalated after his debate against Fetterman last month. Winfrey also listed other Democrats she is hoping to see win. 'If I was in North Carolina, sister Cheri Beasley, if I was in Florida, I'd be supporting Val Demings,' she said. 'If I was in Wisconsin, it'd be Mandela Barnes; in Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto; in Texas, Beto O'Rourke; and Raphael Warnock and the incredible Stacey Abrams in Georgia.' He has been left with no place to live and only a few scorched possessions An Adelaide man has relived the moment he accidentally burned down his home A man has relived the moment he narrowly escaped after accidentally setting his home ablaze while attempting to refill his zippo lighter. Adelaide man Dwayne Harvey, 48, said he had been filling the lighter with fluid about 7pm Thursday, but when he struck the flint his unit was engulfed in flames. 'It leaked out, everything I thought I was putting into the lighter didn't go in ... it went all over the floor,' he said, speaking to 7NEWS outside the home on Friday. 'When I struck the lighter, it lit up like a Christmas tree. 'I thought gas evaporates, but nah, there was a pool of it,' he told 9NEWS separately. Flames quickly spread across Mr Harvey and the floor. Mr Harvey said he froze at first, too stunned to act, but he quickly composed himself and smothered the fire on the floor with a blanket. Dwayne Harvey, 48, (above) told of how he nearly died when a pool of lighter fluid caught fire which scorched his home The blanket, however, only made the fire worse. 'I tried putting it out about four times and by that point I knew that I couldn't put it out, the whole kitchen was engulfed,' he said, tearing up. 'I admitted defeat.' The flames reached a bucket of cleaning chemicals and took off over the walls and ceiling. 'The heat was intense and it was immediately intense. I thought I was in the crematorium,' Mr Harvey said. Mr Harvey showed TV crews around his scorched home (above), with the walls blackened all the way to the ceiling Donning nothing but his beloved blues scarf, pants, and a cap, Mr Harvey (above) told reporters almost everything he owned was destroyed in the fire 'I've never seen anything like it in my life,' said Mr Harvey, whose unit previously caught on fire when he fell asleep while cooking. Mr Harvey lost most of his possessions in Thursday's blaze. 'It tore my kitchen apart, tore my bathroom apart, tore my room apart and tore my lounge room apart.' Mr Harvey's kitchen was barely recognisable after the fire, with the appliances completely destroyed and covered in debris (above) His kitchen was toasted, with burn-marks extending from the floor to ceiling on the walls and the appliances melted and disfigured. The rest of the unit's internal walls were charred black. Burnt debris remains scattered over the surfaces in the home and Mr Harvey's front door is hanging off. A pool table belonging to his father and a few items from his bedroom were about all Mr Harvey could salvage from the fire. Now, Mr Harvey must find a temporary place to live. 'What did I salvage? The shirt off my back,' he said. When a reporter said the blaze was really sad, Mr Harvey slumped. 'It is, it is really, I was just starting to get it right, you know what I mean.' An election due in Northern Ireland next month has been called off. The poll was meant to be held after the deadline expired for political parties in the province to form a fresh executive. But Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced yesterday that it would not take place before Christmas, after listening to concerns about the cost as well as the community impact. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced yesterday that an election would not take place before Christmas He said in a statement: I can now confirm that no Assembly election will take place in December, or ahead of the festive season. Legislation requires me to name a date for an election to take place within 12 weeks of October 28 and next week I will make a statement in Parliament to lay out my next steps. The poll was meant to be held after the deadline expired for political parties in the province to form a fresh executive (pictured: padlocked gate outside Parliament Buildings in Stormont) Most parties welcomed the announcement, with Alliance leader Naomi Long saying: If you talk to the average person on the street, most of them will see this as something of a Christmas miracle, because nobody wanted to go into the polls before Christmas. The delay has also prompted fresh speculation that the UK and European Union may soon reach a deal on troubled post-Brexit trade and so pave the way for the DUP to end its boycott of the devolved government. A former Marine pilot who was arrested in Australia on undisclosed charges listed the same Beijing address as a Chinese businessman jailed in America for hacking into US military aircraft designs. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, is an ex-US citizen who once ran a flying company called 'Top Gun Tasmania.' He was arrested by federal police in Australia in October on request of the US government. His arrest came amid mounting concern in both the United States and United Kingdom about military personnel selling their services to foreign rivals. Duggan, who reached the rank of major, flew Harrier jump jets in the Marines and was an air combat instructor before leaving the armed forces and moving to Australia, where he set up a company offering 'adventure flights' in fast jets according to the website of Top Gun Australia. Daniel Edmund Duggan, 54, is an ex-US citizen who once ran a flying company called 'Top Gun Tasmania.' He was arrested by federal police in New South Wales in October on request of the US government A review of company filings for Top Gun to the Australian corporate regulator showed Duggan had certified a change of address and his sale of the company in January and April 2014, stating his residential address from December 2013 was an apartment in Beijing's Chaoyang district. The same address appeared on the US Entity List in August 2014 as belonging to Su Bin - aka Stephen Su - and his aviation technology company Nuodian Technology, also known as Lode Tech in English language marketing material. Su Bin, 51, was arrested in Canada in July 2014 and jailed in the United States two years later, in a high-profile hacking case involving the theft of US military aircraft designs by the Chinese military in which he pleaded guilty, court records show. Su Bin, 51, was arrested in Canada in July 2014 and jailed in the United States two years later, in a high-profile hacking case involving the theft of US military aircraft designs by the Chinese military in which he pleaded guilty, court records show The address, Building 1-1, No. 67 Caiman Street, Chaoyang Road, remains on the US blacklist for involvement in the unauthorized exploitation of US Department of Defense contractor computer systems to illicitly obtain controlled technology related to military projects He was sentenced to a 46 months in prison in 2016 by a Los Angeles court after being charged with taking part in a years-long scheme by Chinese military officers to obtain sensitive military information. The address, Building 1-1, No. 67 Caiman Street, Chaoyang Road, remains on the US blacklist for involvement in the unauthorized exploitation of US Department of Defense contractor computer systems to illicitly obtain controlled technology related to military projects. The US Entity List, which refers to both company names, is a trade blacklist of people and companies deemed to pose a risk to national security. He pleaded guilty to conspiring with two Chinese air force officers who hacked into the computer systems of Boeing and other companies to obtain data about military projects, violating the arms export control act. A former military pilot said that Duggan, who became an aviation consultant after his military service, moved from Australia to Beijing in 2013/2014 to work with a Chinese businessman named Stephen. Shown a photograph by a reporter, the former military pilot identified Su, the Chinese businessman convicted on hacking charges in the United States, but did not supply details about the business the two were involved in. Duggan's LinkedIn profile also said he was in China during this time. Details of the American arrest warrant and the charges Duggan faces are sealed, his lawyer said. 'He denies having breached any US law, any Australian law, any international law,' Duggan's lawyer Dennis Miralis said outside a Sydney court on Friday. Miralis said Duggan was being moved to a maximum security prison in the regional town of Goulburn and that he did not seek bail at the directions hearing in the Sydney local court. The matter was adjourned until November 28. Dennis Miralis, the defense lawyer for former US fighter pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, walks out of the Local Court in Sydney on November 4 Miralis said Duggan was being moved to a maximum security prison in the regional town of Goulburn and that he did not seek bail at the directions hearing in the Sydney local court He arrived in Australia from China weeks before his arrest and had interacted with Australian intelligence agencies, his lawyer said. He did not name the agencies, provide details on what was under investigation or Duggan's possible role in it. When Reuters visited the Beijing address this week the reporter was told it was a residential building and denied entry. The blacklist also cites a second address for Nuodian Technology and Su Bin, in an office complex next to the residential building. Reuters was told by a building manager someone from Nuodian Technology had opened an office there, but added the company moved out seven to eight years ago. This is around the time of Su Bin's arrest. Chinese company records show Nuodian Technology first registered a Beijing office in 2003. Duggan flew missions from USS Boxer (pictured here leaving San Diego, California) in the Persian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch, according to his online biography Duggan, a former Marine Harrier pilot, was arrested in Australia, according to Reuters, and is wanted by the FBI because of his work in China, according to sources Miralis said he would lodge a complaint with Australia's inspector-general of intelligence, an oversight body, about matters which touch on Australia's national security. The inspector-general's office declined to comment. Miralis said the United States should not make an extradition request until this complaint was resolved. Under Australia's extradition treaty with the United States, an extradition request must be made within 60 days of arrest. 'It's important to understand the legal system in Australia has not yet seized jurisdiction of the matter, we are more in the area of international relations, and it is a decision for the United States State Department to determine whether or not it wishes to send an extradition request to Australia,' Miralis said. 'This has nothing to do with law, this has everything to do with international politics and international relations.' The United States Department of Justice has declined to comment about Duggan's case. Australia's Attorney General's Department said it could not give details of any possible extradition request and China's foreign ministry said it was 'not aware of this situation', in response to Reuters written questions. Robert Anello, the lawyer who represented Su Bin in the 2014 hacking case, declined to comment and Su Bin could not be reached for comment. Police have released a photo of a young boy they are urgently searching for after two bodies believed to be that of his mother and brother were found in a pond. Officers are searching Yerrabi Pond at Gungahlin in the ACT for Pranav Vivekanandan after discovering the bodies of a woman and young boy on Saturday morning. It is believed the dead woman is the mother of the missing Pranav and the dead boy is his brother. Officers found the bodies after a member of the public saw them in the water, while investigators later recovered a vehicle from a car park nearby. They issued a photo of Pranav on Saturday and suspect he could still be alive. Officers are searching Yerrabi Pond at Gungahlin in the ACT for Pranav Vivekanandan Police have grave concerns for Pranav and have pleaded for assistance from the public. Divers have been searching the water while other officers scour surrounding bushland. 'It's obviously a tragic situation, it's still very early days and it's unfolding,' Detective Superintendent Hall O'Meagher told reporters on Saturday. 'We're making inquiries with the family of these deceased people. They're assisting us with our inquiries at this time. 'Our thoughts go out to them and also to the responding police who have had to deal with this tragic circumstance.' Police describe Pranav as being of Indian appearance, about 110cm tall, with short, dark hair and dark brown eyes. Officers are searching Yerrabi Pond at Gungahlin in the ACT for the boy after the bodies of the woman and boy were found in the water early on Saturday (pictured) Divers are searching the water (pictured) while other officers scour through surrounding bushland He might be wearing an orange T-shirt, light-coloured shorts and a jacket. The cause and manner of the deaths are not yet known and investigations are ongoing. 'We're asking for any member of the public who has information in relation to the circumstances of this matter to come forward and call Crime Stoppers,' Det Supt O'Meagher said. The missing child was originally reported as being a girl until police corrected the information. It is understood both children are under the age of 10, the Canberra Times reported. State Emergency Services are at the scene, while 30 police officers are taking part in the operation (pictured) The bodies were discovered when police arrived at the area at 8am (pictured, police at the scene) Police later removed a white Subaru with a baby seat in the back of it from the water's edge, which locals said had been at the park since 4am. 'I opened the gate, noticed it was not locked with a child seat in back. I actually opened the door to see if keys (no keys) were in it, to move for access,' local resident Rod Wheatley said on Facebook. He told reporters that officers had received a call from a member of the pubic when they spotted what they thought was a body in the lake. The bodies were discovered when police arrived at the area at 8am. 'The cause and manner of [the deaths] is not known at this time,' he told reporters on Saturday. 'It's very early in the investigation and inquiries are continuing. ACT Policing Detective Superintendent Hall O'Meagher said a land and waterway search was underway to find the girl (pictured) Police have said there is no ongoing threat to the community, while the next of kin had been informed (pictured investigations being carried out at the scene) 'It's a very tragic situation and we are making inquiries with the family of the deceased who are assisting us with our inquiries at this time.' Divers are searching the water while other officers scour through surrounding bushland. The water is believed to be murky after recent rain, making it more difficult to search. Police are understood to be using a drone for a better view. Yerrabi Pond is a popular recreation spot in Canberra's north. It has a playground, walking and cycling paths, and a skate park. Police have said there is no ongoing threat to the community, while the next of kin had been informed. 'Our thoughts go out to them, and also to the responding police who've had to deal with this tragic circumstance here this morning,' Detective Superintendent O'Meagher said. 'It is a distressing situation for the first responders the police, SES and all the services that we rely upon to give us the assistance we need in these circumstances but rest assured we have welfare support to provide to those officers today and in the days coming.' It is unknown as yet whether the deaths were accidental or not. State Emergency Services are at the scene, while 30 police officers are taking part in the operation. A report on the deaths will be prepared for the coroner. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 George Osborne (pictured at the trustees dinner) has cautioned against carelessly dismantling the work of 'generations' The chairman of the British Museum has opened the door to some of its greatest artefacts being returned to their countries of origin but has cautioned against carelessly dismantling the work of 'generations'. Speaking to the annual trustees' dinner, George Osborne said the institution was embarking on a 'masterplan' to regenerate the museum, with the aim of becoming 'the global museum of common humanity'. But the former chancellor warned that dismantling the British Museum 'must not become the careless act of a single generation', the Times has reported. He said: 'When people say that the very fact that it would be impossible to assemble this collection today makes us illegitimate, we respond: "No, it is the very thing that makes us invaluable".' Mr Osborne, who was appointed chairman of the British Museum in June last year, insisted that collections would not be permanently broken up. But he said the museum would change the way it engaged with 'the communities of the world, whose treasures we hold in trust for all humankind', hinting at an increasing number of loans of artefacts back to their countries of origin. Museums have come under increasing pressure in recent years to acknowledge the reality of how they came to be in possession of valuable objects from around the world. In August, seven stolen artefacts - including a ceremonial Indo-Persian tulwar, a type of sword, which is believed to date back to the 14th century and three carved stone pillar fragments from a 10th century temple in Kanpur - were returned to India from Glasgow in the first repatriation to the country from a UK museum. Mr Osborne said the British Museum (pictured) would change the way it engaged with 'the communities of the world, whose treasures we hold in trust for all humankind' And last month, academics signed a petition calling for the British Museum's Rosetta Stone to be returned to Egypt after more than 200 years in the UK. Mr Osborne hinted that some of the British Museum's greatest objects could be seen again in the communities they originally came from, saying: 'My message is: if you're ready to find the common ground, then so are we.' He also announced that the trustees had agreed to a 'complete reimagining of the museum' which could cost as much as 1billion and will include the introduction of a new energy system to make it a 'net zero carbon museum'. 'We will present this extraordinary collection in galleries and buildings which are fit for modern purpose,' Mr Osborne said. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has described anti-gay and transgender comments made by a Kerry priest as wrong, hurtful and not the language of Christianity. Mr Martin is the latest in a string of Government politicians and members of the clergy to denounce the claim by Fr Sean Sheehy that gay politicians and those who support same-sex marriage will go to hell if they dont repent on sin and seek forgiveness. Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne has also apologised for Fr Sheehys Sunday homilies in Listowel that condemned transgenderism, abortion, same-sex couples, and supplying condoms to teenagers. The Taoiseach said: Those remarks were wrong, very disturbing, pretty hurtful to people generally, and in the LGBTQI community. Mr Martin is the latest in a string of Government politicians to denounce the claim by Father Sean Sheehy that gay politicians and those who support same-sex marriage will go to hell He continued: In my view the language used was not the language of Christianity, and certainly would seem to me to be the language of exclusion as opposed to inclusion. 'I think many people were taken aback by that. A spokesman for the openly gay Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said earlier this week that he profoundly disagrees with Fr Sheehys views but respects his right to express his religious beliefs freely. The Tanaiste does not believe that gay people will go to hell for being who they are, nor does he believe that any man or woman can make such a judgment, the spokesman said. As Pope Francis said, Who are we to judge? Last Sunday, Fr Sheehy deputising for Listowel parish priest Fr Declan OConnell, who is on a pilgrimage declared in his homily: You rarely hear about sin, but its rampant, its rampant. Father Sheehy (pictured) condemned transgenderism, abortion, same-sex couples, and supplying condoms to teenagers 'We see it in the legislation of our Government. 'We see it in the promotion of abortion. We see it for example in this lunatic approach to transgenderism. We see it, for example, in the promotion of sex between two men and two women. That is sinful. That is a mortal sin and people dont seem to realise it. Its a fact, a reality, and we need to listen to God about it because if we dont, then there is no hope for those people. He later insisted that he stood by his remarks, explaining: I do, because it is based on the scriptures and the teaching of the Church. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Bishop of Kerry said: I am aware of the deep upset and hurt caused by the contents of the homilies in question delivered over the weekend. I apologise to all who were offended. The views expressed do not represent the Christian position. The homily at a regular weekend parish Mass is not appropriate for such issues to be spoken of in such terms. Fr Sheehy appears to be aware of the storm of controversy his comments provoked, saying in church earlier this week that what he had said in the sermons was the truth. It was reported that he got a round of applause from some church-goers, but that not everyone joined in. Fr Sheehy is a retired priest, who spent most of his working life in the United States, returning to his native Co. Kerry in 2007 from his final post in Louisiana. He was one of two priests assigned to Kerry parishes on a loan basis from their US dioceses, due to the chronic shortage of priests in Ireland. Less than two years later, he provoked outrage and was forced to resign his post after providing a character reference for a man convicted of sexually assaulting a woman. Fr Sheehy described the man as being always respectful of women, and maintained there was not an abusive bone in his body. The priest was one of dozens of people who queued to embrace and shake hands with the convicted man before he was sentenced to seven years in jail. The then Bishop of Kerry, Bill Murphy, issued a statement in which he said he wished to disassociate himself and the diocese from the actions and statements made by Fr Sheehy. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was heckled by protesters as he gave a speech at Yale University on Thursday night. The interruption began when Pompeo discussed an individual who described him as the 'worst Secretary of State in history.' It was the perfect cue for one of the hecklers to get up from his seat yelling, 'Yeah, you're right. You are the worst secretary of state in history.' After the first heckler was removed from the room by security, they were quickly followed by two more protesters who were each seated around the auditorium. One heckler yelled how he was from the 'deep state,' 'destroying this country,' and a 'swamp monster' while another said he was the 'embodiment of evil.' Some members of the audience booed and jeered the hecklers while others clapped as Pompeo attempted to have a civil conversation with the disruptor. Mike Pompeo was interrupted during a speech at Yale by three protesters as he recalled an incident where someone described him as the 'worst Secretary of State in history' Pompeo was promoting 'intellectual diversity' on Yale's campus The initial interruption came when he described how he had been spoken to in the past Pompeo was speaking to promote 'intellectual diversity' on the Connecticut campus. The 58-year-old who served under former President Donald Trump spoke of what he perceived to be threats to the American way of life and recalled Trump's 'America First' ideology. Pompeo said the hecklers did an 'enormous disservice to colleagues and peers' by shouting. 'It's too bad that they didn't come and listen and make an argument instead of noise,' Pompeo said. 'They just wanted to scream . . . that's not the finest traditions of our country.' Others who were gathered to hear Pompeo speak took out their cellphones to video the interruption There were only a few security guards on hand to deal with the disruption Security were quickly on-hand to escort the protestors from the auditorium The hecklers stood up and made their voices heard as they attempted to down out Pompeo At one stage, a heckler blamed him for the 2020 killing Iranian terror leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a US military attack. Soleimani was the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force. Pompeo quickly justified the assassination: 'We saved countless lives by striking Qassem Soleimani,' he retorted. 'I'm glad the young people could exercise their First Amendment rights,' Pompeo said to Fox News. 'This could only happen in the United States.' The three protesters, Kynan Thistlethwaite, Jose Vega and Ben Smith, were removed from the venue. The Yale Daily News said the three involved were not affiliated with the university and were escorted out 'as per the University's policies on freedom of expression.' 'The disruption of Secretary Pompeo's speech highlights that free speech is in danger across America,' Lauren Noble, who organized Pompeo's speech, said. 'This is the latest reminder that more needs to be done to ensure that college campuses are spaces for open debate and discussion.' She added: 'We owe a special debt of gratitude to Yale police who escorted the protesters out of the event, and to the overwhelming show of support from the audience, who booed and mocked the protesters, and applauded Secretary Pompeo's even-handed response.' Pompeo is the second former secretary of state to have visited Yale recently; Hillary Clinton spoke about leadership at the Law School last week. Emergency drills over what will happen if the bird flu jumps to humans are being carried out by health chiefs, according to Whitehall officials. The highly pathogenic Avian H5N1 outbreaks have caused 3.8 million birds to be culled in the UK this year - nearly a third of the population in the UK. The virus is moving quickly among farmed and wild birds but has not yet mutated to be able to spread between humans, although those working with the birds have caught the disease. Chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said frequent exercises with the UK Health Security Agency are taking place to stop the disease spreading. Emergency drills over what will happen if the bird flu jumps to humans are being carried out by health chiefs, according to Whitehall officials. Pictured: Turkeys at a farm in Knutsford These include simulations, testing the virus for new mutations at each farm and offering antivirals to workers as a preventative measure. Dr Middlemiss said: 'Because this is a zoonotic disease, it has the potential to infect people. 'A teaspoon full of infected bird droppings will have thousands and thousands of infected viral doses in it. 'It takes a really small amount of virus to create an outbreak.' The virus's 'R' rate of infection can reach 100 - meaning one bird can pass it on to 100 others, reported The Telegraph. Farmer Steve Childerhouse, 51, told of his heartbreak at being forced to cull his entire flock of 10,000 turkeys destined for UK Christmas dinner tables But Dr Middlemiss said the risk to the general population remains 'low' and that the avian flu pandemic does not pose a threat to the UK's food security. A compulsory 'housing order' - essentially a lockdown - for farmed birds will come into force on Monday. A 'prevention zone' was declared on October 17 as the country continued to battle the outbreak, meaning bird keepers must have strict biosecurity measures to safeguard flocks. The flu also means families could be facing a turkey crisis come Christmas Day. Farmer Steve Childerhouse, 51, of Whews Farm in Norfolk, previously told of his heartbreak at being forced to cull his entire flock of 10,000 turkeys destined for Christmas dinner tables. Three of America's most influential Democratic governors are speaking to potential donors and staff about a 2024 presidential bid, according to a report - but will only run if President Joe Biden doesn't seek re-election. The leaders of California, Illinois and New Jersey are all eyeing the White House, Reuters reported on Friday. And, while California's Gavin Newsom has long been rumored to be interested, the addition of Illinois's J.B. Pritzker and Phil Murphy of New Jersey comes as something more of a surprise. Donald Trump on Thursday night all-but declared he was running, telling a rally in Iowa: 'In order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again. Very, very, very, probably.' Trump is expected to announce a third White House campaign soon after the midterms, The New York Times reported on Friday - possibly as soon as the week of November 14. Trump may well face a challenge from Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, is widely believed to hold presidential ambitions J.B. Pritzker (left), governor of Illinois, and New Jersey's Phil Murphy (right) are also said to be considering a presidential run Newsom, 55, was mayor of San Francisco before becoming governor of California in 2019, and is currently seeking a second term - a race he is expected to easily win. On Saturday, he was adamant he wasn't interested in the White House. 'It's not my ambition,' he told CBS News. 'It's not the direction that I'm leaning into. It's not the moment.' When pressed on whether he could say he will never run for president, Newsom said: 'Yeah, I have no interest.' Pritzker, the 57-year-old member of the billionaire Hyatt hotel-owning family consistently named one of America's richest, was elected governor of Illinois at the same time as Newsom took California. A businessman, he entered politics as the national co-chair of Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign and used it as a springboard to his election as governor. This summer he delivered speeches in the crucial states of New Hampshire and Florida, in what many saw as an attempt to test the waters. Yet Illinois voters are not keen on a Pritzker presidency: two-thirds said he should not run, with another 21 percent saying they were not sure. Only 13 percent embraced the idea of Pritzker trying to become the second Illinoisan in the past four presidential elections to sit in the Oval Office, according to a WBEZ/Sun Times poll. Murphy, 65, a multimillionaire financier who spent 23 years at Goldman Sachs, was elected in January 2018. He was Barack Obama's ambassador to Germany before becoming governor. Asked in January, Murphy told NJ.com: 'I'm not running. I'm not running. Jesus, lord, help me.' When asked specifically if he would jump into the Democratic primary if Biden doesn't, Murphy was less adamant. 'Listen, based on everything I'm hearing, he's running again,' the governor said of Biden. 'So it's a theoretical question. I'm not being disrespectful to you, but I don't think it's gonna happen.' Biden, 79, continues to insist that he will seek a second term: on November 20 he will become the first 80-year-old U.S. commander in chief. President Joe Biden gave an upbeat assessment of his party's chances in the midterms on Friday If he were to win again, Biden, who already holds the distinction of being the oldest president elected, would be 82 when he takes the oath of office a second time and 86 on his successor's Inauguration Day. Prior to Biden, the oldest man elected president was Ronald Reagan at the age of 69. Biden himself has insisted he intends to run for a second term, and last month Politico reported that discussions would begin in earnest after the midterms, with the First Lady, Jill Biden, playing a key role. A campaign would be launched in early 2023, the site said. Reuters on Friday reported that, if Biden choses not to run, his vice-president Kamala Harris would be the preferred candidate among Democrat aides. Yet The Los Angeles Times, which is tracking California-born Harris' approval ratings, reports that the latest polls, from October 3, show her to be significantly less popular than any of her four predecessors, at the same point in their terms. Mike Pence, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney and Al Gore were all higher rated than Harris. The latest polls show 39 percent of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Harris, while 53 percent had an unfavorable opinion. On Friday the Rose Institute, a California-based polling company, reported that 42 percent of registered Democrats want Biden to run again. Pete Buttigieg, the Transport Secretary, was tied with Harris for second choice, with 14 percent selecting them. Newsom was fifth, behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pritzker and Murphy were not mentioned. Trump was the favorite for registered Republicans, followed by DeSantis, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, and Texas governor Greg Abbott. Victorians who dislike their Premier Daniel Andrews are being offered $350 to run as a candidate in his electorate. Melbourne-based art dealer Andrew King is hoping to attract 50 candidates willing to run in the safe Labor electorate of Mulgrave in the city's south-east at the upcoming November 26 election. His campaign intervention comes as a Newspoll shows Victoria's Labor government potentially losing 10 seats and possibly its majority as Mr Andrews faces another anti-corruption investigation. Mr King, a co-curator of the KSR Gallery with his wife Sandra Powell, has set up a I've Had A Gutful website calling on potential candidates to nominate. 'Stand up to Andrews. Stand against him,' it said. Scroll down for video Victorians who dislike their Premier Daniel Andrews are being offered $350 to run as a candidate in his electorate (he is pictured, right, with his wife Catherine campaigning in Melbourne) Mr King is pledging to pay the $350 nomination fee for the first 50 people who nominate to stand as a candidate in Mr Andrews' seat of Mulgrave, which Labor held in 2018 with a 12.7 per cent margin. If he had that number of takers, that would leave him $17,500 out of pocket. Before committing, however, would-be candidates must be enrolled in the Mulgrave electorate - stretching from Wheelers Hill to Noble Park. They must also be of good character. 'I only have two conditions,' Mr King said. '1. Priority will be given to voters registered in Mulgrave. '2. No d***heads.' Mr King said he was willing to help candidates who didn't live in Mulgrave provided they were enrolled there. 'All Victorians - whether you live in Swan Hill, Sandringham or Shepparton - are eligible to stand up to Andrews by standing against him in Mulgrave,' he said. Those wanting to run as an independent candidate have until noon on November 11. Art dealer Andrew King is pledging to pay the $350 nomination fee for the first 50 people who nominate to stand as a candidate in Mulgrave, which Labor held in 2018 with a 12.7 per cent margin (pictured, Labor supporters in Mulgrave celebrate on election night, 2018) The deadline for registered political candidates is a day earlier at midday, November 10. Electoral enrolments must be updated by November 8. A Newspoll published in The Weekend Australian on Saturday showed a 3.3 per cent swing against Labor as Mr Andrews seeks a third, consecutive four-year term in power. This would see Labor lose 10 seats following redistributions. The Newspoll had both Labor and the Coalition each with 37 per cent of the primary vote. But after preferences, Labor led the Opposition 54 per cent to 46 per cent, with Greens voters expected to give their preferences to Labor over the Liberal Party. A Newspoll published in The Weekend Australian on Saturday showed a 3.3 per cent swing against Labor as Daniel Andrews seeks a third, consecutive four-year term in power. He is pictured (left) with Liberal leader Matthew Guy who is running again despite being defeated in 2018. They are with former ABC Melbourne radio host Jon Faine With just three weeks until election day, it has been revealed the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is investigating a $1.2million grant made to the Health Workers Union in October 2018. The investigation is centred on Mr Andrews, who has previously been investigated for taxpayer-funded electorate office staff being used in 2014 for Labor campaign activities. Mr Andrews on Saturday dismissed the latest report of an investigation into him, claiming he acted 'appropriately at all times and in all things'. 'Regardless of any smear, innuendo, or media reporting based on anonymous sources, the only IBAC matters I will comment on are those that are the subject of a final report as is appropriate and has always been my position,' he said. 'I act appropriately at all times and in all things. 'That is the oath I swore and I take it very seriously.' Labor won 55 seats in Victoria's 88-member Legislative Assembly at the November 2018 elections, compared with 27 for the Liberal and National parties. The loss of 10 seats for the ALP would see it barely govern with majority. More seat losses would force Labor into minority government and see it rely on the Greens or new possible independents to remain in power. Warnings were also in place for Missouri and Mississippi, while another storm system is reportedly headed for Louisiana Millions of people across the southern Plains are on high alert of more tornadoes, hail and severe storms One 90-year-old man is dead and dozens are injured after tornadoes ripped through parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri Advertisement Tornadoes tore through parts of three different states on Friday, killing one 90-year-old man, injuring two dozen others and leaving many of homes and buildings in ruins. Multiple people also are missing in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, where the only death has been recorded. Oklahoma, Texas and Mississippi are feeling the brunt of the devastating tornadoes, but warnings have been reported in Missouri and Mississippi, with another storm system heading to Louisiana. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center showed nine tornadoes that had formed in Texas, four in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma. Cody McDaniel, emergency manager for McCurtain County, confirmed one death and that there are 'multiple missing people.' More than 90,000 homes and businesses were without power across Arkansas, Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas as of early Saturday, according to Poweroutage.us. The severe weather forced the cancellation of almost 400 flights in the Dallas area. One man was able to capture the enormity of the tornado as lighting made it visible This before and after shows a church in Idabel, Oklahoma before it was hit by devastating tornadoes and and how it looks after it was reduced to rubble One Twitter user was able to film the sheer destruction that had been left in the storm's wake A woman can be seen as she walks in a farm as the funnel cloud of a tornado is seen in the background, in Greenview, Texas, on Friday afternoon Officials did not yet have official details on any injuries or deaths because authorities were still trying to check on people and homes. The small town of Idabel, Oklahoma saw a church, medical center and a school torn apart. 'There was total destruction on the south and east sides of Idabel,' Steven Carter, an emergency management coordinator for McCurtain County said. He added that people were still trapped late on Friday. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said search-and-rescue teams and generators were being sent to the Idabel area, and wished 'thoughts and prayers' to the family of the man who was killed. 'Praying for Oklahomans impacted by todays tornadoes,' Stitt tweeted. Keli Cain of the Oklahoma Emergency Management Office said at least three other counties were also hit by storms, with flash flooding in some areas. Another hard-hit community was Powderly, Texas, near the border of Oklahoma, and about 120 miles northeast of Dallas. Millions of people across the southern Plains remain on high alert for threats of more tornadoes, hail and severe storms. Hail the size of a quarter was reported to be falling from the sky as the tornados tore through. Very little remained of a neighborhood in the small town of Powderly, Texas Injuries included a truck driver who was taken to the hospital when his semi blew over near the Oklahoma-Texas border Scenes of devastation are visible in all directions along Lamar County Road 35940, west of State Highway 271, after a massive tornado hit the area Extensive damage could be seen with a number of homes destroyed in Powderly, Texas Scraps of wood are virtually all that remain of this structure that was standing before a tornado struck Pray for people in Lamar County (TX). Tornado hit small town of Powderly earlier. People are trapped, some feared to be dead. God bless em. pic.twitter.com/GKB6zJjADz +++ (@dfwtx17) November 4, 2022 Randi Johnson, chief of the Powderly Volunteer Fire Department, told The Paris News newspaper that she wasn't aware anyone had been killed but knew of injuries. They included a truck driver who was taken to the hospital when his semi blew over and a person who was hit by a falling tree as she tried to get to a shelter. 'It's going to take a long time to get this cleaned up, but the community came together,' Johnson said. 'It's really heartbreaking to see.' In Texas' Lamar County Judge Brandon Bell - the highest elected official in the county that includes Powderly - declared a disaster in the area, a step in getting federal assistance and funding. Bell's declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county in what he said was a confirmed tornado. The Lamar County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management said that 10 injured people had been treated at an area hospital, and two of those people had critical injuries. The Sheriff's Office said the tornado touched down shortly after 4pm and traveled north-northeast through the communities of Hopewell, Caviness, Beaver Creek and Powderly. It said about 50 homes had been damaged or destroyed. This partially destroyed home was among the scenes of devastation visible in all directions A home was entirely flattened as the powerful winds wrought destruction Look at the size of that tornado New Boston, TX. #WXtx Via/Snapchat. pic.twitter.com/QQWYkmxBnN Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) November 5, 2022 The storms hit north and eastern parts of Texas before moving eastwards Boorowa was the epicentre for the quake which was felt as far away as Canberra Earthquake alarmed local residents of the sleepy town of Boorowa on Saturday A magnitude four earthquake shook up a small farming village in New South Wales, with the rumble felt more than 100 kilometres away. The earthquake struck just north-east of Boorowa in the state's southern tablelands region at 9.45am on Saturday. Geoscience Australia recorded the epicentre as being 10 kilometres beneath the town. Geoscience Australia recorded a 4.0 magnitude earthquake in New South Wales' southern tablelands (above, stations which picked up the quake) Residents of Boorowa (above) and Frogmore were closest to the epicentre and said the earthquake sounded like 'thunder but under the ground' Residents in neighbouring regions reported feeling the quake, including in Canberra, around 110kms from the epicentre. One local resident of Frogmore, about 20 minutes' drive from Boorowa, told the ABC her house shook with the quake. 'We heard what sounded like 20 gas bottles exploding at once and then the ground and house started to shake,' Melissa Graham said. 'It sounded like a loud clap of thunder during a thunderstorm with the rolling thunder afterwards ... it was like that but under the ground. 'We've had little earthquakes over the years, but today's has left my heart racing.' Stations registered the quake from as far away as Buckleboo in South Australia and Quilpie in Queensland, respectively 1.200 and 968 kilometres from the epicentre. The Parliament House Basement station felt the rumbles just a minute after they began in Boorowa. North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday in Pyongyang's testing blitz this week, the South Korean military has said. This comes as The US and Seoul concluded their biggest-ever air force drills. The flurry of North Korean launches included an intercontinental ballistic missile and one that landed near the South's territorial waters. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said it was 'effectively a territorial invasion'. The launches came as hundreds of US and South Korean warplanes - including B-1B heavy bombers - participated in the Vigilant Storm exercise, which Pyongyang described as 'aggressive and provocative'. 'The South Korean military detected four short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from Tongrim, North Pyongan Province, to the West Sea at around 11:32 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. today,' South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement on Saturday, using another name for the Yellow Sea. Their 'flight distance was detected at about 130 km (80 miles), an altitude of about 20 km, and a speed of about Mach 5', they added. Mach 5 is equivalent to five times the speed of sound. The US Air Force's B-1B Lancer, seen here in 2017, is a long-range heavy bomber The United States and South Korea have warned that North Korea's flurry of launches could culminate in a nuclear test The United States and South Korea have warned that these launches could culminate in a nuclear test by North Korea, and extended their air force drills to Saturday in response. Vigilant Storm was originally scheduled to run from Monday to Friday. Pyongyang ramped up missile launches in response to the drills. Such exercises have long provoked strong reactions from North Korea, which sees them as rehearsals for an invasion. Vigilant Storm concluded on Saturday, with the US Air Force deploying two B-1B long-range heavy bombers on the final day in a ramped-up show of force. This was the first time B-1Bs have flown to the Korean peninsula since December 2017. The South Korean JCS said it demonstrated the 'capability and readiness to firmly respond to any provocations from North Korea'. Pyongyang has especially condemned past deployments of US strategic weapons such as B-1Bs and aircraft carrier strike groups in times of high tension. While the supersonic B-1B 'Lancer' aircraft no longer carries nuclear weapons, it is described by the US Air Force as 'the backbone of America's long-range bomber force'. The USAF lists the Lancer's weapons payload as 34 tonnes (75,000 pounds), which can include cruise missiles and laser-guided bombs. The B-1B's range can be extended by in-air refuelling, giving it the ability to strike anywhere in the world. Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean studies scholar, told AFP that given the B-1B's status as a strategic US asset, its deployment will be seen as a 'significant threat' by North Korea. Pyongyang ramped up missile launches in response to US and South Korean air drills. Pictured North Korean leader Kim Jong Un South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (pictured) said the missile launches were 'effectively a territorial invasion' The B-1B deployment came a day after South Korea scrambled fighter jets in response to what it said was the mobilisation of around 180 North Korean warplanes. Experts say Pyongyang is particularly sensitive about these drills because its air force is one of the weakest links in its military, lacking high-tech jets and properly trained pilots. Compared with North Korea's ageing fleet, Vigilant Storm has seen some of the most advanced US and South Korean warplanes in action, including F-35 stealth fighters. At the United Nations Security Council on Friday, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed criticism of Vigilant Storm as North Korean 'propaganda', saying it posed no threat to other countries. She assailed China and Russia during the emergency session, accusing them of having 'enabled' North Korea. Moscow and Beijing have in turn blamed Washington for the escalation, and the meeting ended without a joint statement from the Security Council. A crew member on a Netflix film starring Chris Pratt died Friday in what was described as an off-set car accident in Georgia, where the film is shooting. The film, called 'The Electric State,' stars Pratt, Millie Bobby Brown and Stanley Tucci and is directed by prominent Marvel masterminds Joe and Anthony Russo. A source told Deadline: 'Production was paused today, and cast and crew were offered counseling resources. The unidentified crew member's death reportedly happened 'after working hours.' Millie Bobby Brown hits the beach as she films a scene for her new movie 'Electric State.' The British actress, 18, was seen in a white T-shirt as she walked across the sand during filming in Acworth, Ga. Several actors wear unique blue costumes to allow for CGI affects on the film's set Chris Pratt (right) and Millie Bobby Brown (left) on the set of their Netflix film in Georgia Pratt and Brown were spotted on the set of the film Wednesday by DailyMail.com cameras just this past Wednesday in Georgia, with the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star unrecognizable as he sported a wig and a handlebar mustache. The film is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Swedish author Simon Stalenhag. It comes just days past the first anniversary of the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by Alec Baldwin on the set of his movie Rust, after pointing a 'prop firearm' at her that then went off, hitting the 42-year-old wife and mother-of-one in the chest and killing her. Official investigations were launched by authorities, while cast and crew members who had been involved with the project became embroiled in a bitter blame game, pointing the finger at one another, and making accusations about the overall safety of the set as the world watched on and Hutchins' family mourned. Brown plays an orphaned teenager searching for her brother with help from a robot (Jason Alexander) in Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's big-screen adaptation of Stalenhag's 2017 graphic novel. Filmmaking siblings Joe and Anthony Russo are directing The Electric State, which felt familiar for the Spanish-born, Florida-raised Brit having worked with the twins Matt and Ross Duffer on Netflix's Stranger Things. 'It's so funny, now I've worked with two sets of brothers,' Millie said in her Netflix Queue digital cover story on Tuesday. 'They're actually quite similar. One says yes to everything, and one's a bit stricter. It's a really good balance.' 'Eleven in Stranger Things is so far beyond who I am, while Enola feels like I'm coming back to a place of normality and consistency,' the SAG Award winner explained. An abandoned theme park set the scene for the film A cast member wearing a top hat was seen prepping before filming 'I'm able to really create her character organically . . . Of course, there are times when [director] Harry Bradbeer comes up to me and says, "Now, is that Millie or Enola?" And I go, "That's Millie, let's do it again!"' In the mag, Millie vented about 'young women getting dragged down for many different things.' 'If it's our maturity, if it's the way we dress, if it's the things we say, if it's the choices we make, we will never be enough,' Brown lamented. 'It's for us to find camaraderie and sisterhood in that. And to stand together and say, "We are enough." We have to stick together, breaking those stereotypes and standards.' An Australian freedom fighter dubbed 'the Ninja' has been killed fighting Russian forces in Ukraine. Trevor Kjeldal, 40, from Brisbane, was reportedly killed in action in the Donbas region of Ukraine this week. Mr Kjeldal, who was described as 'a very treasured and loved member' of his family, is believed to have arrived in Ukraine earlier this year. Social media posts suggest he had been wounded in action in July - suffering near-fatal gunshot wounds - before bravely returning to the frontlines in September. Trevor Kjeldal, 40, from Brisbane, was reportedly killed in action in the Donbas region of Ukraine this week He was dubbed 'the Ninja' on social media, after causing a stir during his time on the frontlines When he was injured, he suffered shrapnel wounds to the head. However, he said he had no plans to return to Australia and wanted to remain in Ukraine until the war is over. 'I've beat the odds once, so let's just see if I can do it again,' Mr Kjedal said at the time. Mr Kjedal is believed to have been serving in the 49th 'Select Carpathian' battalion of the Ukrainian army. He was dubbed 'the Ninja' on social media, after causing a stir during his time on the frontlines. Just last month he told a Nine News crew he felt compelled to help in the war. 'Ukraine was in trouble, they needed people to come and help, so we came and helped,' he said. In October, he also shared his belief that the tide is turning in Ukraine's favour. His death was confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who say they are now providing assistance to his family. In a statement, his family expressed their grief at Mr Kjeldal's death. 'Our depth of sadness at his loss is unfathomable,' the family said. The 40-year-old Queenslander, known by his callsign 'Ninja', arrived in the war-torn country earlier this year and was stationed on the frontline helping to liberate local towns claimed by the Russians Mr Kjedal is believed to have been serving in the 49th 'Select Carpathian' battalion of the Ukrainian army Social media posts suggest he had been wounded in action in July before returning to the frontlines in September 'We would like to thank DFAT for their ongoing assistance in bringing him home to us. 'At this incredibly sad time, we would request that the media respect our privacy as we grieve.' DFAT expressed its deepest condolences to the family and said it was unable to provide further comment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also passed on his condolences to Mr Kjeldal's family and friends on Saturday. 'This is tragic news. I remind people that the DFAT advice is that people do not travel to Ukraine,' he said during a press conference in Queensland. 'It is a dangerous place, but my heart goes out to the family and friends of the gentleman involved.' Consular assistance can include support and guidance to families and liaison with local and Australian authorities to assist with funeral arrangements or repatriation of remains. The Australian Government's advice for Ukraine remains at do not travel. Mr Kjedal's death comes as a 23-year-old man from Washington, in the US 'with no military experience who snuck out of his family home' to fight in the Ukraine War also died. Birds fly over a damaged building in the Kherson region village of Arkhanhelske on November 3. Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning last night to the residents of Ukraines occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers abandoning checkpoints in Kherson and moving to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, as the Ukraine counter offensive continues Skyler James Gregg was fighting on the frontline with the International Legion in Ukraine - which consists of foreigners and operates under the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Its believed Gregg died in north-eastern Ukraine when soldiers from the International Legion came under artillery fire in the last week of October, a Ukrainian army contact told The Daily Beast. Despite his father's aversion to the idea Gregg made the decision to sneak out of his home and travel to Ukraine to volunteer despite having no military experience. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin issued a chilling warning last night to the residents of Ukraines occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russias armed forces in the early days of the war. Those who still live in Kherson should certainly be removed from the area of the most dangerous hostilities... civilians should not suffer from shelling, from attacks, counter-attacks or something like that, said Putin. Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers abandoning checkpoints in Kherson and moving to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. In another apparent sign of Russias huge military weakness, Putin yesterday signed a decree allowing serious convicted criminals to sign up with the Russian army, effectively granting murderers and rapists their freedom if they are willing to fight. Meanwhile, Britains Ministry of Defence said yesterday that Russia is deploying so-called blocking units which threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives. He allegedly tortured his son with an 'offensive instrument' for seven months Parents of seven-month-old Rhuan have been charged with torture and murder A father who tortured his seven-month son for seven months had been employed as a youth worker before he and the boy's mother allegedly murdered him, court documents revealed. South African-born Reinhardt Bosch, 33, and German-born Noemi Kondacs, 22, are charged with one count each of murder and torture of their child, Rhuan Immanuel. It is understood that Bosch worked as a support worker but had been unemployed for some time before his son died. The couple faced Brisbane Magistrates Court by video link on Friday after being charged with one count each of murder and torture of their child. Reinhardt Bosch, 33, and Noemi Kondacs, 22, appeared via video link in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday after they were charged with one count each of murder and torture Bosch allegedly tortured his seven-month-old baby son almost from the time he was born up until he and the boy's mother allegedly murdered him, had been employed as a youth worker, court documents revealed Court documents allege Bosch tortured Rhuan and assaulted him while armed with an offensive instrument causing bodily harm between April 11 and November 2. He and the Kondacs allegedly murdered the baby on November 2, before his body was found by the paramedics the following morning. It alleged the couple prayed for the recovery of their critically injured baby before calling an ambulance the day after he died. Paramedics called police to the home on Mount Samson Road in Yugar, north of Brisbane, at about 6.45am on Thursday after they found the boy unresponsive. 'From what I've seen, the child was not neglected in terms of nourishment and such, but it's quite confronting,' Queensland Police Detective Inspector David Jackman said on Thursday. 'It certainly hits home. I have been a detective for 30-odd years, and it is one of the most confronting scenes I've seen.' Bosch is alleged to have caused bodily harm to his son Rhuan with an 'offensive instrument' between April 11 and November 2, the day he along with his wife allegedly murdered the baby It alleged the couple prayed for the recovery of their critically injured baby before calling an ambulance the day after he died The couple were taken into custody at the scene where the baby was discovered dead. Police sealed off the property as a crime scene and established Operation Uniform Salwood to investigate the death. 'At this stage we have no information that would suggest the child has any underlying health issues,' Detective Inspector David Jackman said. The couple's matters will return to court on December 5. China's top procuratorate orders arrest of former vice governor of Hubei Xinhua) 13:06, November 05, 2022 BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's top procuratorate has ordered the arrest of Cao Guangjing, former vice governor of central China's Hubei Province, for suspected bribe-taking. The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said in a statement on Saturday that Cao's case was transferred to procuratorial authorities for prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision. Further handling of the case is underway. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Le gouvernement a donne le feu vert pour la signature dun accord de principe entre le Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration et Societe des Explorations de Monaco/Monaco Explorations. Cabinet has agreed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration and Societe des Explorations de Monaco/Monaco Explorations. The mandate of Societe des Explorations de Monaco/Monaco Explorations is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 which is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is to enhance cooperation between the two organisations for the: (a) development of joint research projects in marine sciences, seabed mapping and geomorphology, ocean climate, and human impact and activity; (b) distribution and sharing of scientific information resulting from the marine research; (c) in-house training of scientists and opportunities to exposure to high-level qualified research in scientific and exploratory expeditions; (d) transfer of technology and equipment; and (e) access to infrastructure and research platforms through collaborative projects. A family has been reunited with their stolen pet Pug after mounting a desperate rescue mission to get him back. Delighted Nick Devereux, 43, told how 18-month old Ray was found safe and well five miles from the spot where he was taken by a suspected dog snatcher. The little dog had been left tied to a tree where he was discovered shivering by a mother who was walking her daughter home from school. Nick said he believed the much-loved family pet had become too hot to handle after animal lovers teamed up to track him down. Describing the heartwarming moment artist Nick said: We were over the moon. It was really emotional. Ray was just ecstatic to see us. He was going crazy. Hes got a big bone and hes been getting a lot of attention. The family launched a desperate search for their dog before finally being reunited with him It was a real team effort. So many people rallied round. It was very emotional because it was such a dark act and then to have such a demonstration of good will from so many people - it just reaffirmed our sense of humanity. Were extremely happy. We feel very blessed and lucky. It has really reaffirmed our faith in society. MailOnline told how Nick, wife Vanessa and their sons Marlon, nine, and Winston, aged seven, were left heartbroken when their 1,000 pedigree pet was snatched by a cropped-haired suspect in just 30 seconds. Nick had tied him to railings after popping into a convenience store to buy a snack yards from Acton Town station in west London. He launched a frantic search - obtaining CCTV footage which captured the heartbreaking moments when Ray was seized. The suspected thief was seen walking towards Ray before calmly untying his lead then casually strolling off down the street. Nick told MailOnline how life without the much-loved black pet, who weighs 10 kilos, had become unbearable and the family had been plunged into a nightmare. CCTV footage shows the suspected thief walking up to the dog and casually untying his lead before strolling down the street with him earlier this week Ray the pug (pictured) was taken after his owner popped into a shop near Acton Town tube station in West London Nick Devereux said wife Vanessa and sons Marlon, nine, and Winston, seven were overjoyed to get Ray back He said: Its absolutely heartbreaking. The kids are in bits. Were trying to do everything we can to get him back. The most frightening thing is the thought of my dog in somebody elses hands. Its extraordinary to imagine just how quickly your life can be turned upside down. After searching in vain for Ray, Nick ran back to his nearby studio and began printing off dozens of posters. He alerted police but quickly realised they were too busy to help. A woman he met at the station, who had just missed her train, was a member of a local dog-walking group and posted messages on the groups Facebook page. It led to the case being picked up by DogLost UK, which monitors abductions. The groups regional co-ordinator Karen Harding sprang into action and posted a series of alerts with appeals issued on social media. Nick said: Karen initiated the blitz of information about Rays theft on her huge network of friends and dog lovers, and apparently Ray was too hot to handle and therefore abandoned by the thief. Dog thefts on the rise in the UK, statistics show Data from 31 police forces across the UK showed that 1,882 dog thefts were reported in 2021. This was more than a 25 per cent rise of 1,500 offences recorded in 2020. In 2020, the charity DogLost saw a 170 per cent rise in dog thefts. In 2019 172 dogs were reported stolen compared with 465 in 2020. But experts working in lost pet charities believe the true figure is higher. A survey conducted by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, showed that in 2020, 22 per cent of 124,729 people had or knew someone whose dog had been stolen in the last year. It showed that 79 per cent of dog owners were also fearful that their dog could get snatched in the day, with a greater majority fearing walking their pets at night. The rate of dog thefts has risen in the UK over the past few years, with 1,881 dogs being reported as stolen in 2021 Advertisement Nearly 48 hours after going missing, mum Robyn Tuitt discovered Ray tied to a tree in Greenford, West London. She waited with him for 40 minutes before calling her partner Peter Bhola. The family took Ray to a nearby Pets at Home store where his microchip was scanned before Nick and Vanessa rushed down to the centre to be reunited with their beloved pet. Nick said: Luckily he was picked up by this really lovely family. They were so sweet. We cant thank them enough. Robyn was bringing her daughter back from school and found him there. They waited with him for 40 minutes before realising nobody was coming back for him. They gave him some water and posted his picture on Facebook. They cut him free and looked after him and along with her partner Peter they took him to the centre which has a vet. We are so happy we got to meet them and to express our gratitude. The couple waited until they returned home to break the news to their sons. Nick said: We didnt tell the boys on the phone. When we got home we rang the doorbell and we had him there waiting. They couldnt believe it. They were beside themselves. It was a beautiful end to the story. Today Ray was being checked over by a vet as he began to settle back into his old life. Nick said: It must have been terrifying to be taken away from your family and just chained up and left high and dry. Its pretty scary stuff. Hes got a slightly swollen eye. I dont know if its got to do with how he was treated or if it was trauma. Hes definitely not his old self yet but Im sure he will be in the next 48 hours. Hes sleeping a lot of the moment and was shivering but I gave him a big bath. Hes got his little coat. Nick said of the rescue mission: Even before the centre rang me I knew Ray had been found because I had already been contacted by Karen because of Robyns Facebook post. People really came together in a positive way in a community sense to shine light on a dark moment. It was such a wonderful feeling just to feel part of a network of good people. That king of sharing of energy. To have people pushing and pushing it along - people who gave up a lot of their own time. It was just extraordinary. We never expected anything like that. London is such a big place with people who have very little time on their hands. It was really beautiful. It really brought back all our faith in humanity, society - everything. Advertisement A British expat accused of brutally stabbing his wife to death inside their Costa del Sol apartment had been arrested three times for domestic violence, it was revealed today - but she refused to press charges against the 80-year-old, who was suffering from Alzheimer's. Police rushed to a property in the resort town of Benalmadena in Malaga on Friday night when the woman, 69, also British, frantically called to say her partner had stabbed her four times - before the phone line suddenly went dead. Spanish officers arrived at the flat, in the Maite-1 building on Antonio Machado avenue, to discover her dead on the kitchen floor with more than 20 stab wounds, believed to have been inflicted by a kitchen knife, while her suspected killer was lying on their bed. The husband, who has not yet been named, was questioned in the living room of the 130,000 home before being arrested. He is now being held at the local National Police station. Neighbours today recalled the dramatic moment police arrived at the scene as they tried in vain to kick the front door down. The officers eventually made their way in via a fire escape and the apartment's first-floor terrace, which overlooks the idyllic beach just a few yards away. The victim, who has not yet been identified, is said to have reported her husband to police for domestic violence on three previous occasions. According to DiarioSur, she filed an official complaint, known as a 'denuncia', earlier this year. However she did not follow it up with the judicial authorities, the equivalent of pressing charges, which could have seen her apply for police protection. Officers arrived at the flat, in the Maite-1 building (pictured) on Antonio Machado avenue, to discover the woman dead in the kitchen-diner with more than 20 stab wounds, while her suspected killer was lying on their bed Police rushed to a property in the resort town of Benalmadena, Malaga on Friday night when the woman, also British, rang the emergency services to say her husband had attacked her (Pictured: Police seal front door of home) The 80-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was questioned in the living room before being arrested. He is now being held at the local National Police station (Pictured: Entrance to block of flats) Neighbours today recalled the dramatic moment police arrived at the scene, as they tried in vain to kick the front door down before making their way in through a back entrance The front door of the couple's one-bed flat was sealed with police tape on Saturday, with a warning sign that said 'do not enter.' The doorframe was badly damaged in a clear sign that officers responding to the emergency call had tried to force entry. A neighbour of the couple's in the 12-storey 1970s apartment block, which overlooks the promenade at Benalmadena seafront, confirmed police had made a failed attempt to smash the door in before gaining access via another entry at the back. He added: 'They've lived here for ages, probably around 30 years. 'I'd heard they were both heavy drinkers and police have been around before to deal with what I presume were domestic disputes. 'A lot of foreigners live in this block and I know they used to help new-arrivals find their feet here. 'I never saw any younger people visiting that might have been relatives and I was told they had already decided to donate their flat to an animal sanctuary when they died.' The front door of the couple's one-bed first-floor flat was sealed with police tape on Saturday, with a warning sign that said 'Do not enter.' A neighbour of the couple's in the 12-storey 1970s apartment block, which overlooks the promenade at Benalmadena seafront, confirmed police had made a failed attempt to smash the door in before gaining access via another entry at the back Another neighbour said: 'I didn't hear any shouting or arguing before the police arrived. 'They tried to smash the door down but couldn't get through it and ended up getting in via an entrance round the back. 'It's so horrific that it's ended in this way.' The alarm was first sounded at around 10.30pm on Friday when the victim made her desperate call to police, saying she had been stabbed for times before the phone went dead. A well-placed source said: 'She said she was being stabbed by her husband and police were mobilised along with other emergency responders but found her dead inside the property when they arrived. 'She had been stabbed multiple times, apparently more than 20.' Another said the suspect was thought to be suffering dementia or Alzheimer's disease, although there has not yet been any official confirmation. He is expected to be taken to court in the next 48 hours so he can be quizzed again by a judge in a closed hearing. Police rushed to a property in the resort town of Benalmadena (pictured), Malaga on Friday night when the woman, also British, rang the emergency services to say her husband had attacked her The judge will have to decide whether to remand him in prison pending an ongoing investigation or send him to a secure psychiatric hospital if it is confirmed he is suffering from a mental or brain disorder. There has not yet been any official comment from police about the incident. A spokesman for National Police in Malaga said on Saturday: 'Yesterday at around 10.30pm, a man aged 80 allegedly killed his wife aged 69. 'The victim received several stab wounds with a bladed weapon. The suspected killer has been arrested. 'It would appear he has a psychological illness with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.' He added: 'In the last few months the suspected killer had been arrested three times for domestic violence. 'According to the police reports he had been diagnosed as having Alzheimer's. 'His wife decided not to ratify her complaints in court and the cases were archived. 'She never asked for any protective measures.' Confirming the suspect had not resisted arrest, the police spokesman said: 'The victim, a 69 year old woman rang asking for help. 'After finding it impossible to get into the property, police officers sought assistance from the fire brigade who were also unable to get in via the front door and managed to access the property via the terrace and a fire escape.' The outage left detainees without electricity or water for a day, in the latest example of poor conditions Some of the detainees were armed with 'various weaponry', a Home Office spokesperson confirmed A power outage was followed by a group breaking into the centre's courtyard with as many as 100 involved A 'disturbance' has been reported at one of the UK's migrant detention centres in Middlesex, near Heathrow Advertisement A 'disturbance' involving around 100 people armed with knives and various other weapons has been reported at a migrant detention centre near Heathrow Airport after a power outage left the site with no electricity or water. Riot police reportedly descended on the scene at Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre in West Drayton, Middlesex, after 100 people broke into its courtyard in the early hours of this morning. Reports suggest they were armed with knives and pieces of wood, but no injuries have been reported to staff or detainees. Harmondsworth, a male-only centre, has been without power or water since yesterday, it is reported, in the latest sign of poor conditions at the UK's asylum and immigration centres. The Met Police were initially called to the scene at 7.45pm on Friday. Officers from the National Tactical Response Group (NTRG) and Met's Territorial Support Police, as well as fire and rescue workers were also called to the site. It comes amid growing scrutiny over conditions at British immigration centres after it was reported the Manston site in Dover was massively overcrowded and people were being forced to sleep on the floor. The number of people coming to the UK on small boats has spiked this year, with 40,000 having made the life-threatening journey so far. Police and specialist officers were seen outside the detention centre preparing to enter with riot gear including shields The Metropolitan Police were called to the scene at 7.45pm last night and sent along Territorial Support officers Images from the scene show multiple police officers outside the centre along with police vans and what appears to be riot gear One of the jobs of NTRG officers is to help manage outbreaks of violence or rioting at the UK's prisons Highly trained specialist officers arrived at the scene on Saturday morning as the incident remains ongoing Home Secretary Suella Braverman (right) is coming under increasing pressure to fix horrific conditions at migrant centres around the UK Kent MP: Conditions at Manston are a 'breach of humane conditions' The situation at a migrant facility in Kent is a 'breach of humane conditions', according to an MP for the area. Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, told Sky News on Monday there are now more than 4,000 people at the facility in Manston. He said: 'Up until about five weeks ago the system was working as it was intended to, very well indeed. 'It's now broken and it's got to be mended fast.' Asked whether Suella Braverman is the right person to handle this situation, Sir Roger said: 'I'm not seeking to point fingers at the moment but I do believe whoever is responsible, and that is either the previous home secretary or this one, has to be held to account, because a bad decision was taken and it's led to what I would regard as a breach of humane conditions.' Sir Roger said he was told that the Home Office was finding it very difficult to secure hotel accommodation, adding that he now understands that this was a policy issue and a decision was taken not to book additional hotel space. 'That's like driving a car down a motorway, seeing the motorway clear ahead, then there's a car crash, and then suddenly there's a five mile tailback. 'The car crash was the decision not to book more hotel space,' he said. He said he believes it was a decision taken by the Home Secretary, but is not sure whether it was Priti Patel or Suella Braverman. Sir Roger said he has put forward an urgent question. Advertisement The incident is said to have peaked at around 2am on Saturday but is still ongoing. No injuries have been reported. Images from the scene show multiple police officers outside the centre along with police vans and what appears to be riot gear. 'Police officers have been providing support to staff dealing with a disturbance at the Harmondsworth immigration removal centre. 'Met officers attended the location at approximately 19:45hrs on Friday, 4 November. 'Officers remain at the location.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'There has been a power outage at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre, and work is currently underway to resolve this issue. 'We are aware of a disturbance at the centre and the appropriate authorities have been notified and are on scene. 'The welfare and safety of staff and individuals detained at Harmondsworth is our key priority.' The Metropolitan Police service and HM Prison Service remain at the scene. MailOnline understands that a group of detainees left their rooms and went out into the courtyard area armed with what was described as 'various weaponry'. It is understood that the power remained off as of 9am this morning and none of the detainees left the site. The people involved are said to have now been returned to their rooms. Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre in West Drayton, Middlesex, houses all males and can hold around 670 detainees. Among those at the site are thought to be vulnerable men seeking asylum, foreign convicts awaiting deportation and others who have been ruled to be in the UK illegally. In March, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons said of Harmondsworth that many detainees had 'complex needs' and that the 'lengthy detention of people with substantial vulnerabilities who had, in some cases, been declared unfit for detention, was also a serious concern'. It added that detainees had been held for very lengthy periods due to 'systemic problems with the provision of suitable release accommodation.' The report found: 'Eight people had been in detention for over a year and 26 for more than six months. 'Yet the majority (58 percent) were simply released after a potentially damaging period of detention.' It is unclear if anyone has been injured of what damage has been caused, as the incident is said to be still unresolved The detainees are said to have broken into Harmondsworth's courtyard (pictured) during the power outage (stock image) Some of those who arrive in the UK in Dover are later transported to other centres around the country such as Harmondsworth Mothballed detention centres to reopen Two mothballed detention centres for illegal immigrants and foreign criminals will reopen next year. The Home Office wants to use the secure sites again as it attempts to get a grip on the illegal migration crisis by deporting more people with no right to live in the UK. The news came as it emerged that some migrants have been put up in the grand surroundings of Stoke Rochford Hall, a stately home and wedding venue near Margaret Thatcher's birthplace of Grantham. Rooms, which can cost up to 200 a night, are filled with arrivals from Afghanistan, Albania, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan, the Telegraph reported. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick wrote to MPs yesterday about proposals to put Campsfield House, Oxfordshire, and Haslar in Hampshire back into service. Downing Street said: 'These facilities... will play an important role in efforts to control our borders... and ensure people going through our asylum system are treated with compassion...' Lib Dem Layla Moran said she would oppose the reopening of Campsfield House in her constituency. It closed in 2018 after being dogged by riots, hunger strikes and escapes. Advertisement The chief inspector of prisons also reported filthy cell toilets, problems with pests and dilapidated communal showers. Harmondsworth is operated by the private firm Mitie Care and Custody on behalf of the Home Office. The NTRG is a specialist unit of His Majesty's Prison Service, that works alongside National Dog & Technical Support Group that is equipped to respond to serious incidents in prisons, as well as high-risk situations around the country. The 'disturbance' comes at the end of a week which has seen the government come under huge pressure over asylum seekers and migrants, after Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the House of Commons that the UK's asylum system is 'broken'. Earlier this week a child ran to the fence at the edge of the Manston centre and handed a note in a bottle to a photographer. The note described harrowing conditions with dozens kept at the centre for at least a month - instead of the 24 hours it was designed for. It claimed there were pregnant women and sick detainees inside, and that a disabled child was not being cared for. The letter, written in broken English, said: 'We are in a difficult life now... we fill like we're in prison (sic).' Witnesses said they saw security guards at the site ushering detainees back inside when members of the press were walking by the fence. The young girl was among a group of children who broke past security guards and ran over to the fence to throw the bottle to the photographer. It said: 'Some of us very sick... ther's some women's that are pregnant they don't do anything for them (sic)... We really need your help. Please help us. 'It's not easy for someone who has children... There's a lot of children they shouldn't be here. They should be in a school not prison.' The letter added: 'We wanna talk to you but they don't even let us go outside.' More than 1,200 people had left the centre by Friday morning as Home Office staff scrambled to frantically book hotels for those detained at the centre in a bid to shift attention away from the poor conditions. No10 said the number of people at Manston in Kent had fallen to 2,600, with 1,200 people taken off site in the last four days. Its capacity should be 1,600 who stay for around 24 hours before being found further accommodation. But as many as 4,000 have been kept there in recent weeks. On October 30th a man drove more than 100 miles to the centre before throwing three improvised petrol bombs at its gates and killing himself at a nearby petrol station. Police confirmed today he was driven by 'extreme right-wing' terrorist ideology. A series of anti-immigrant and right-wing posts were later found on his social media accounts. Following the incident, campaigners held a vigil and protest outside the centre in support of those seeking asylum in the UK. It also emerged this week a group of asylum seekers had been bussed to Victoria Station in London and simply abandoned there, with no warm clothing, food or money. Although the majority of those on the coach had friends or family in London they could stay with, a small group did not and were left in the cold with no idea where they were. Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug today confirmed the council's rough sleeping service is looking after a number of asylum seekers from Manston who arrived at in central London with nowhere to go. 'The chaos that is engulfing the arrival centre at Manston is now impacting on councils across the country. It is not acceptable that people seeking asylum in the UK are effectively dumped at a coach station and left to fend for themselves, we need a more humane and frankly better organised response,' he said. 'We are happy do our share to look after asylum seekers - we have plenty of hotels in Westminster, that is not the issue. What is the issue is that the Home Office seems to have descended into panic with no clear picture of where people are going.' But a senior minister criticised migrants - who were the target of a suspected far-right petrol bomb attack this week - for complaining about conditions. Home Office minister Chris Philp said told Sky that Manston was legally compliant days after immigration minister Robert Jenrick suggested it was not. And he later told Times Radio: 'If people choose to enter a country illegally, and unnecessarily ... it's a bit of a cheek to then start complaining about the conditions. 'And you don't even have to come here, they were in France already and previously often passed through Belgium, Germany, and many other countries on the way.' Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the challenge of migrants entering the UK via the English Channel as 'serious and unprecedented' in an interview with the Times on Saturday. 'There's no easy overnight fix to that challenge,' he said. More than 1,200 migrants have left Manston in days as Home Office looks to expand crisis-hit immigration centre amid complaints hundreds are leaving 'without basic checks' By David Wilcock More than 1,200 people have left a massively overcrowded migrant center in the past four days, Downing Street said today as ministers faced heavy pressure to get a grip on the crisis. Political anger was mounting at the debacle amid a slew of further revelations about migrants being allowed to leave Manston with barely any checks on their destination and others being abandoned on the street in London. A minister also sparked a row when he accused those crossing the Channel in small boats of having 'a bit of a cheek' for complaining about conditions they faced after getting here illegally. Today No10 said the number of people at Manston in Kent had fallen to 2,600, with 1,200 people taken off site in the last four days. Its capacity should be 1,600 who stay for around 24 hours before being found further accommodation. But as many as 4,000 have been kept there in recent weeks. Hundreds of people have been encouraged to leave Manston in northern Kent after simply providing a forwarding address, the Telegraph reported today. And last night it was revealed a second group of migrants was dumped in London this week and forced to sleep rough on the streets of the capital. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'My understanding is there are currently 2,600 people on the site, so over 1,200 people have been removed over the last four days.' Asked if he expects this to drop to 1,600 over the next four days, he said: 'I'd defer to Home Office if they're putting a particular timescale on it. 'Obviously that does depend slightly on some of the variables such as the level of crossings we see.' He also said that he Home Office was looking at ways to increase capacity at the site near Ramsgate. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick visited homes in Dover with local MP Natalie Elphicke today. As the pair walked along the road, a local resident, Thomas Dougan, 48, who lives in Aycliffe, shouted: 'Are you Government? What a waste of space. 'Are you the loony party? They'd do better than you or Green Party.' Braverman, who was reinstated to her ministerial post just over a week ago, met Border Force teams in Dover to discuss Channel crossings operations before visiting the scandal-hit Manston processing centre via RAF helicopter to hear updates from staff. Ministers face calls to get a grip as it emerged that people who crossed the Channel in small boats were being allowed to leave an arrival center without undergoing basic checks, to ease overcrowding. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has visited homes in Dover with local MP Natalie Elphicke Hundreds of people have been encouraged to leave Manston in northern Kent after simply providing a forwarding address, the Telegraph reported today. The Home Secretary toured immigration centres yesterday while battling to grip the migrant crisis amid threats of legal action, sexual assault allegations at a hotel housing asylum seekers and international criticism of her use of language. The Home Secretary toured immigration centres yesterday while battling to grip the migrant crisis amid threats of legal action, sexual assault allegations at a hotel housing asylum seekers and international criticism of her use of language. Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug today confirmed the council's rough sleeping service is looking after a number of asylum seekers from Manston who arrived at in central London with nowhere to go. 'The chaos that is engulfing the arrival centre at Manston is now impacting on councils across the country. It is not acceptable that people seeking asylum in the UK are effectively dumped at a coach station and left to fend for themselves, we need a more humane and frankly better organised response,' he said. 'We are happy do our share to look after asylum seekers - we have plenty of hotels in Westminster, that is not the issue. What is the issue is that the Home Office seems to have descended into panic with no clear picture of where people are going.' But a senior minister criticised migrants - who were the target of a suspected far-right petrol bomb attack this week - for complaining about conditions. Home Office minister Chris Philp said told Sky that Manston was legally compliant days after immigration minister Robert Jenrick suggested it was not. And he later told Times Radio: 'If people choose to enter a country illegally, and unnecessarily ... it's a bit of a cheek to then start complaining about the conditions. 'And you don't even have to come here, they were in France already and previously often passed through Belgium, Germany, and many other countries on the way.' Home Office minister Chris Philp said told Sky that Manston was legally compliant days after immigration minister Robert Jenrick suggested it was not. And he later told Times Radio: 'If people choose to enter a country illegally, and unnecessarily ... it's a bit of a cheek to then start complaining about the conditions.' He added that the groups of migrants from Manston left stranded in London had told immigration officials they had addresses to go to and suggested something may have been 'lost in translation'. Some 14 council leaders in Kent have written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, saying: 'We have hundreds of mostly Albanian [migrants] not claiming asylum and being bailed and dropped at mid-Kent train stations with no follow-up where they go or if they leave Kent.' Meanwhile ministers are also facing pushback from locals in Kent who are at the forefront of the arrival of more than 40,000 people in small boats this year. Ashford MP Damian Green, a Tory former minister and the MP for Ashford, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Kent itself is really under strain because it is not just all the points of accommodation, it's the fact that you need to find school places for these children. 'There are (local) children in Kent being told there are no school places around town. This is completely unacceptable, we have to spread the burden around the country and we have to make the whole system faster and more efficient. 'If we don't do that this will become a long-running problem which will really affect people in their daily lives.' Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug today confirmed the council's rough sleeping service is looking after a number of asylum seekers from Manston who arrived at in central London with nowhere to go. Some 14 council leaders in Kent have written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, saying: 'We have hundreds of mostly Albanian [migrants] not claiming asylum and being bailed and dropped at mid-Kent train stations with no follow-up where they go or if they leave Kent.' Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: 'Chris Philp's comments reveal a shocking and callous complacency over the disaster unfolding at Manston. It is unbelievable that as we hear reports of sexual assualts, disease, and chronic overcrowding, his response is to accuse those who complain of ''cheek''. 'Rather than dismissing the problem he should start to show some leadership. People have had enough of the endless evasion, chaos and incompetence we have seen from the government on this issue.' The Home Secretary toured immigration centres yesterday while battling to grip the migrant crisis amid threats of legal action, sexual assault allegations at a hotel housing asylum seekers and international criticism of her use of language. Braverman, who was reinstated to her ministerial post just over a week ago, met Border Force teams in Dover to discuss Channel crossings operations before visiting the scandal-hit Manston processing centre to hear updates from staff. She has come under mounting political pressure over the illegal conditions at the site near Ramsgate, where at one point as many as 4,000 people were being detained for weeks in a site intended to hold 1,600 for a matter of days. Downing Street said the number has since reduced to 2,700, after more than 1,000 were moved in the last few days, and that the Prime Minister was receiving twice daily updates on the situation. Mr Philp added that the UK is a 'generous country' in accommodating asylum seekers. He said: 'We're spending something like two or three billion pounds a year looking after people who have entered the country illegally and unnecessarily. I think, frankly, that is pretty generous, actually ... our asylum accommodation is better than most European countries. 'In terms of people who are genuinely in need of protection, we are a generous country ... this is a very generous country that looks after people in genuine need.' Stephen Evans, chief executive of Norwich Council, has said the Home Office did not give its local officials any warning that migrants from Manston were being bussed into the city on Thursday. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr Evans said he first read about the group coming to Norwich in a news article. 'We hadn't been told. I checked back with colleagues at City Hall - they hadn't been told. So, we don't know who they are and we don't know where they've gone to in the city,' he said. 'I think that's part of the problem here. As a sector, councils are asking for early engagement from the Home Office and for us to be consulted.' He added that 'of course' councils need to know where migrants are in terms of safety and safeguarding, and often the Home Office usually give local leaders just a few days' notice when it comes to opening a hotel for migrants in their area. 'If the Government engaged councils earlier in the process, we could be on the front foot and it would be a better system for sure,' he said. Decarbonising the UK's public sector buildings is set to cost between 25 to 30 billion, government figures reveal. The move away from fossil fuel heating systems to low carbon heating is one way the country can reach its net zero CO2 emission goal by 2050. To hit this target, the Government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from public buildings by 75 per cent by 2037. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the estimated cost of the switch to greener energy is based off 'undiscounted 2022 prices'. The Government said the 'indicative' figure, reported by the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, should not be seen as the actual budget needed to move to low carbon heating. It added that the cost would be spread over a number of years. Decarbonising the UK's public sector buildings, in an attempt to reach the CO2 net zero goal by 2050, is set to cost between 25 to 30 billion new figures have shown. Pictured: Stock image of the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall, London In an attempt to decarbonise, public sector buildings would see new energy systems installed, converted or refitted. It would also include switching lighting systems, using solar panels and LED systems, in an attempt to offset the costs. NHS Trusts, local authorities, schools, colleges , emergency services and Government buildings would all be affected in the plans to revamp energy systems. After looking at the forecasted figures, Dr Sarah Ivory, director of the Centre for Business, Climate Change and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh told the BBC: 'Responding to the impacts of climate change in the UK is going to be an expensive business. NHS Trusts, local authorities, schools, colleges , emergency services and Government buildings would all be affected in the plans to revamp energy systems. Pictured: Stock image of an emergency department 'It's estimated it will cost the UK economy 3.3 per cent of GDP by 2050. 'Investments now - such as through the conversion of public sector buildings - will pay off in savings in the future. It will also ensure the UK meets our net zero by 2050 emissions targets.' It is not just public buildings that will be affected by decarbonisation. The Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK Government and devolved administrations, said that nearly a fifth of UK emissions come from buildings. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (pictured) said the estimated cost of the switch to greener energy is based off 'undiscounted 2022 prices' To decarbonise residential properties a 250 billion investment would need to be invested. This amounts to around 9 billion a year between the late 2020s to 2050. David Joffe, Head of Net Zero at the Climate Change Committee told the BBC that the amount of money being spent on low carbon projects currently was 'insufficient'. He said: 'While the emphasis on public sector leadership is welcome, a larger, firm, multi-year funding settlement is needed beyond 2025 to provide certainty and achieve this decarbonisation target.' Some public sector buildings, such as the Carlton Court Hospital in Suffolk (pictured), already have low carbon energy supplies, such as solar panels, installed At present, public-sector bodies can dip into Government funds to improve energy efficiency in their buildings and reduce carbon emissions. So far more than 1 billion has been spent on 20,000 projects across the country, according to Sail - the company responsible for administrating the grants. Local authorities, however, want the Government to go further so councils across England can invest more in low-carbon technologies. David Renard, environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: 'Investing now in making public buildings more energy efficient would allow councils to ready local businesses and supply chains to make it easier and cheaper for homeowners to retrofit their own homes.' Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, said decarbonising public buildings is a 'no-regrets investment for the government'. A government spokesperson said: 'We have halved emissions from the central government estate in the last 12 years and invested 2.5bn in supporting those running our public buildings such as schools and hospitals to make similar progress. 'This is on top of our wider efforts to increase our use of home-grown energy such as renewables, increasing our energy security while meeting our net zero ambitions.' A Waitrose sushi chef was fuming when he was sent his work rota after midnight Sushi counter owner Sumin Lohani (pictured) messaged his partner Hemanta Mainali after midnight A Waitrose sushi chef has sued his employer for harassment after his boss Whatsapped him the staff rota after midnight. Hemanta Mainali was furious after being woken up in the early hours of a Saturday morning, an employment tribunal heard. He told majority shareholder Sumin Lohani it was 'very wrong' to bother him at that time of night, replying to the message 'Go f*** yourself'. Mr Mainali claimed that the message had been sent directly to him - not to a group chat - and was a 'deliberate attempt to disturb him' and even 'encourage him to leave'. The tribunal heard that his relationship with Mr Lohani deteriorated so badly that a fortnight later, the pair ended up having a violent confrontation in public at the sushi counter of the upmarket supermarket. He ended up leaving the business and sued his former partner claiming he had been forced out as part of a deliberate campaign. However, his case has been thrown out after a judge ruled that Mr Lohani had not meant to disturb him on purpose by sending the message after midnight. The two men owned the sushi counter at a Waitrose supermarket in Godalming, Surrey The Watford hearing was told Mr Mainali owned 30 per cent of the firm which operated the independent sushi kiosk franchise at Waitrose in Godalming, Surrey, with Mr Lohani owning the rest. The pair had known each other since childhood and they had both come from the same village in Nepal. The chef started working at the supermarket in June 2018 and was paid 1500 a month, the tribunal heard. However, the friendship between the two became 'strained' in January 2020 when Mr Lohani sent a rota for the upcoming week to several employees via WhatsApp in the early hours of a Saturday morning. The pair reportedly had a violent confrontation in the shop The tribunal heard: 'On 4 January 2020, at about 00:29, Mr Lohani sent out the rota for the following week. He sent it to the employees of (the company) who would be working at the kiosk that week, including [Mr Mainali]. 'He sent it via WhatsApp. He did not send it to [Mr Mainali] only. He did not choose the time of sending to annoy [Mr Mainali] or anyone else. 'He had thought that people would read the message when convenient to them, and had not expected them to read/respond straight away (and no response was necessarily required, unless there was a problem working the specified shifts). '[Mr Mainali's] phone made a sound when this message was received. That had not been Mr Lohani's intention; he had simply given no thought to that possibility. [Mr Mainali] and his family were asleep, and were disturbed by the phone alert.' The tribunal heard he angrily responded 'This is very wrong to post at midnight. Go f*** yourselves', to which Mr Lohani replied 'Watch your mouth, I didn't ask you to check now'. Several weeks later the two had an angry confrontation at the sushi counter. Mr Lohani accused Mr Mainali of 'becoming very aggressive and trying to punch him' while holding a knife in his hand - while the chef said his business partner tried to headbutt him while 'block[ing] his escape route'. The tribunal found that both men's account of the incident was exaggerated and only involved some 'pushing and shoving'. 'Between the two of them before matters became too overheated, there was a realisation that having a very aggressive interaction in Waitrose during opening hours was not sensible for themselves as individuals, or for their business venture,' the panel found. The hearing was told Mr Mainali left the business - New Godalming Sushi Ltd - at the end of the month. He took the company to the tribunal claiming to have been the victim of a 'campaign' to force him out of his job. He said he had been discriminated against due to 'mental health issues which include anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks', and claimed he had been 'bullied and verbally abused in front of staff'. However, his complaints of harassment and disability discrimination were dismissed. Of the early hours Whatsapp message, Employment Judge Patrick Quill said Mr Mainali had 'suggested that the WhatsApp message of 4 January was a deliberate attempt to disturb him, and perhaps encourage him to leave. We find that that is not the case. 'Even if [he] is right in his belief that it was sent to his own contact address, not just to the group contact address, that does not indicate that he was being targeted or deliberately disturbed at night. 'As a co-owner of (the business) and somebody also responsible for drawing up rotas, there is nothing suspicious about the item being sent to him directly (if that was in fact the case).' However, Mr Mainali's complaint that he was forced to leave without his contracted 6 months notice period was found by the tribunal to be a breach of contract. He is entitled to damages, and the parties have been left to agree an 'appropriate sum' among themselves. Stalin used 'barrier troops' in his infamous 'No One Step Back' order in 1942 'Blocking units' or 'barrier troops' will threaten to shoot any retreating soldiers Any retreating Russian soldiers will be shot, Vladimir Putin has warned Vladimir Putin is set to deploy special units to shoot his own military if they retreat from the war in Ukraine, UK government defence chiefs said on Friday. Britain's Ministry of Defence said that Russia will deploy so-called 'blocking units' which 'threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives'. With low morale at a peak among Russian soldiers, Putin is turning on his own men. 'Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces have probably started deploying 'barrier troops' or 'blocking units',' the Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Friday. Vladimir Putin has deployed special units to shoot his own military if they retreat from the war in Ukraine Vladimir Putin also issued a chilling warning to the residents of Ukraine's occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory 'These units threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives and have been used in previous conflicts by Russian forces,' the briefing added. 'Recently, Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including possibly authorising shooting to kill such defaulters after a warning had been given. Generals also likely wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death.' Stalin used 'barrier troops' in the Second World War as part of his 'No One Turn Back' order. This comes after the Russian president issued a chilling warning to the residents of Ukraine's occupied Kherson, telling them to leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russia's armed forces in the early days of the war. 'Those who still live in Kherson should certainly be removed from the area of the most dangerous hostilities... civilians should not suffer from shelling, from attacks, counter-attacks or something like that,' said Putin. Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers abandoning checkpoints in Kherson and moving to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. Kirill Stremousov, one of Putin's puppet officials in the occupation administration, last night slapped a 24-hour curfew across the city. The former Ukrainian politician, wanted for treason by Kyiv, said it was 'in order to defend our city of Kherson' from what he called 'terrorist attacks'. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russia 's armed forces in the early days of the war He urged civilians to flee, saying columns of Ukrainian vehicles had been spotted on the frontline and that an attack was possible. On Thursday, he admitted 'we have to take some very difficult decisions' after pictures circulated of his main HQ with Russia's flag no longer flying atop it. Officials in Ukraine have admitted privately that they are wary, saying it could be an attempt to lure Ukrainian troops into a trap. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think-tank, said it remains 'unclear' whether the occupying forces truly plan not to put up a fight for the strategic Black Sea port. In another apparent sign of Russia's huge military weakness, Putin yesterday signed a decree allowing serious convicted criminals to sign up with the Russian army, effectively granting murderers and rapists their freedom if they are willing to fight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of 'energy terrorism' after strikes on Ukraine's facilities left millions of residents without power. Russia has carried out missile and drone attacks on power facilities in recent weeks, leaving 4.5million across the country without electricity. A 'drunk' woman has been arrested after a packed plane from Gatwick to Madeira's capital Funchal was forced to divert to Lisbon. Police were filmed boarding the Wizz Air flight to take the woman away amid local reports she had jeopardised the safety of the aircraft by assaulting crew and other passengers. The plane left Gatwick just before 5.30pm local time yesterday and was due to touch down in Madeira around 9.30pm. The flight made its unscheduled stop in the Portuguese capital just after 8pm last night. Picutred: A Wizz air Airbus A321 plane at Lisbon airport (file image) It made its unscheduled stop in the Portuguese capital just after 8pm last night. A Portuguese passenger spoke to Funchal-based paper Jornal da Madeira while the plane was still on the tarmac at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport. The passenger said: 'We were diverted to Lisbon because of a drunk female passenger who began to assault other passengers. 'She also assaulted crew as well. Police were filmed boarding the Wizz Air flight to take the woman (who is not visible in this shot) away amid local reports she had jeopardised the safety of the aircraft The plane left Gatwick just before 5.30pm local time yesterday and was due to touch down in Funchal, Madeira (pictured) around 9.30pm Low-cost airline Wizz Air is a Hungarian carrier which operates short-haul flights from 10 UK airports (file image) 'We were informed after police boarded that the plane was due to leave Lisbon just after midnight, when it was supposed to have arrived at 9.25pm. That would mean us reaching our destination more than six hours late.' Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said the problems had been caused by two 'drunk passengers' on board the Wizz Air Airbus A321 and reported both had been arrested. Low-cost airline Wizz Air is a Hungarian carrier which operates short-haul flights from 10 UK airports including Gatwick and Luton in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast International. Portuguese police could not be reached early this morning for comment. Wizz Air has been contacted for comment. Marine Le Pen's 27-year-old 'general' has been elected as the new president of the French far-right party, Rassemblement National. Today the party, known as the National Rally, elected Jordan Bardella to take over from Le Pen, who failed to unset Emmanuel Macron at this years presidential election in April. The historical move means that Bardella will be the party's first leader who is not a member of the Le Pen family. European Parliament member Bardella won 84.8 per cent of party members' votes, against 15.16 per cent for his challenger Louis Aliot, a party veteran of more than 30 years and Le Pen's former boyfriend. Bardella and Marine Le Pen (pictured) at the National Rally Congress in Paris this morning The result was announced at a congress in Paris this morning. He was seen celebrating with the party's long-term leader Le Pen. Bardella previously described himself as Le Pen's 'general'. He is expected to address the rally later today. His nomination comes after the party had its best-ever showing in parliamentary elections earlier this year, gaining 89 seats even after Le Pen's third failed run for President. Bardella, who has been the acting president of the party since September 2021, has embraced Le Pen's efforts to shed the virulent anti-Semitic and extremist views fomented by her father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was excluded in 2015. Jordan Bardella, 27, (pictured) has been elected to take over the French far-right party, Rassemblement National, known as the National Rally Bardella has been the acting president of the party since September 2021. It was widely anticipated that he would win the election. The National Rally is a far-right party in France known for its anti-immigration and extremist views. Le Pen, who took over as leader of the party from her father in 2011, won 13 million votes in the most recent election. The 27-year-old was brought up by his Italian-born mother in the Parisian suburbs During the leadership contest she said she would ban people from wearing Muslim headscarf's in public, called for a referendum on immigration controls and pledged a series of tax cuts to tackle the cost-of-living. She also vowed to hold a referendum to bring back the death penalty to France and ban win turbines. President Macron, in a fierce backlash, accused for retaining 'authoritarian' views, slamming her plan as an 'aberration'. By stepping down as party chief, Le Pen is expected to focus more on leading the National Rally in parliament ahead of the presidency election in 2027, which she is widely expected to run for. Earlier this week the incoming party chief was caught up in a racism row after a far-right MP from his party shouted 'go back to Africa' at a black MP. France's National Assembly voted to sanction MP Gregoire de Fournas on Friday following his comments to 31-year-old Carlos Martens Bilongo which led parliament to be suspended. The row erupted as the National Rally party member was challenging the government's response to migrants being rescued in the Mediterranean. He later said he was referring to the boat, not his fellow lawmaker, but Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday that Bardella had shown his complicity in 'everyday racism'. Bardella and Le Pen at their party's 'from hope to power' at the National Assembly earlier this month Following the incident, Bardella insisted Mr de Fournas had meant the return of boats to African ports and accused the government of 'extreme dishonesty'. Bardella also faces the daunting task of getting the party on solid financial footing as it faces inquiries over alleged misuse of public funds by party members, including Le Pen. The incoming party chair was brought up by his Italian-born mother in the Parisian suburbs. The parents of a three-month-old baby girl who was mauled to death by a dog at a beauty spot had 'raced huskies and kept them in their home'. Karen Alcock, 41 and Vince King, 54 are said to be husky enthusiasts, owning at least five of the dogs and using them for racing. Images on the couple's social media profiles appear to show them while racing the dogs, pulled by up to eight at a time. The parents reportedly took their three month-old Kyra on a husky training trip before her death in the car park of Ostler's Plantation, close to Kirkby Moor Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire, at around 11.13pm on March 6. The couple, from Lincoln, have now been charged in connection with their daughter's death. Ms Alcock and Mr King are said to regularly take their several pet huskies on dog races Kyra King died in the car park of Ostler's Plantation close to Kirkby Moor Nature Reserve, Lincolnshire at around 11.13am on March 6 The tragedy happened at one of the few places in the UK where dogs can be legally raced. The incident was reported to police by East Midlands Ambulance Service, and the parents arrested at the location. Vince King (pictured) will appear in court alongside Ms Alcock over their daughter's death Lincolnshire Police said Karen Alcock, 41, and Vince King, 54, were arrested for an allegation of having an out-of-control dog which caused injury resulting in death. The dog has been kept in isolation at secure kennels since the incident, and officers are seeking to have it put down. Neighbours of the couple have said their home is very noisy with constant dog barking. One local who lives nearby told The Sun: 'I just don't think it is right for one family to have so many dogs.' Another added: 'We can hear them barking and we are half a mile away. 'Keeping that many dogs is a bit obsessive for me. I would be very happy for the dogs to be got rid of.' Detective Constable Craig Davey, investigating officer, said: 'This has been a profoundly sad investigation for everyone involved in understanding the circumstances around baby Kyra's death. 'We have kept an open mind throughout this investigation, which has been lengthy and thorough and involved specialist forensic experts and officers from our protecting vulnerable people unit.' The parents, of Castledyke Bank, New York, Lincoln, are due before Boston Magistrates' Court on November 9. Advertisement The firebombing of an immigration centre in Dover was motivated by extreme right-wing terrorist ideology, police have confirmed. Counter Terrorism Policing South East has said on Saturday they have recovered evidence indicating it was 'motivated by a terrorist ideology'. The incident, which took place on October 30, saw three petrol bombs being thrown towards Manston processing centre before the perpetrator took his own life. Andrew Leak, 66, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, killed himself after throwing three 'crude' incendiary devices at the Western Jet Foil site, in Kent, last Sunday. After hurling the petrol bombs, he told coach drivers waiting to transport migrants: 'Do you know what you're doing? Your children should be raped and killed!' Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said on Saturday evidence has been recovered that indicates the attack was motivated by an 'extreme right-wing' terrorist ideology. Two members of staff at the centre were left with minor injuries after police were called to the centre at 11.22am on Sunday morning. One of the three bombs is understood not to have gone off, while two others are believed to have become ignited Two members of staff sustained minor injuries as a result of the firebombs, but no-one was seriously hurt Andrew Leak, 66, from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, was named as the petrol bomber shortly after the incident last Sunday Leak's social media contained multiple photos and right-wing posts, including showing him to be a fan of the Joker The bomb thrown from a window. Another improvised explosive was found in the car after the driver died Terror police have been investigating the case of divorced father-of-two Andrew Leak, 66, who had a history of deluded online rants against Muslims The driver left the scene and went to a nearby petrol station where he killed himself. Police found another explosive device in his vehicle Another fire burns next to the Border Force centre after the firebomb attack in Dover last Sunday. Police have now said it was motivated by right-wing terrorism A map shows the location of the migrant processing centre where the man threw three petrol bombs before driving to a nearby garage and taking his own life according to witnesses 'A number of significant witnesses have been spoken to during the course of the investigation and a number of items of interest have been recovered, including digital media devices,' a statement said. 'Evidence from examining these items suggests there was an extreme right wing motivation behind the attack.' Tim Jacques, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said that despite there being 'strong indications that mental health was likely a factor'. he was 'satisfied that the suspect's actions were primarily driven by an extremist ideology.' He added the firebombing was 'a terrorist incident.' Police said there is no evidence Leak was working with anyone else or there is any wider threat to the public. A Home Office spokeswoman said the department was not planning to comment further on the attack after it was declared a terrorist incident. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper tweeted: 'Very serious that far right extremism drove this attack. 'I remain concerned that it took so long for counter terror police to take lead on this case - something I urged Home Secretary to pursue on Monday. 'There must be highest vigilance on potential terror or extremist attacks.' Leak, who was said to be laughing as he through the incendiary devices, was a Joker-obsessed, far-Right-supporting cannabis smoker who suffered from mental health issues following the death of his son and had his penis removed because of cancer. He drove around 120 miles from his home in Buckinghamshire to the processing centre in Dover, which was suffering from severe overcrowding and welfare issues at the time. Leak was said to be a suspected paedophile who had previously threatened to kill himself while being questioned by police. Leak's social media profiles were a mixture of him in disturbing masks and in more normal activities, such as being in the pub Andrew Leak's car, involved in the incident near the migrant processing centre in Dover, Kent Leak drove to a nearby petrol station after the incident, during which witnesses said he was 'laughing' - before he shouted at coach drivers waiting to transport migrants, telling them their children 'should be raped' Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguish one of the fires from a petrol bomb in Dover, Kent The group managed to successfully extinguish the flames after the petrol bomb was thrown, but two employees sustained minor injuries Police previously raided a High Wycombe property after the petrol bomber drove 'more than 100 miles' to lob three home-made explosives at the Western Jet Foil centre after 'carrying out a recce' the night before the attack. Kent Police and Thames Valley Police began searching the Buckinghamshire property after confirming that the Dover migrant centre firebomber was from the area. Facebook posts on a now-deleted account under the name of an Andy Leak from High Wycombe contain islamophobia and complaints about people claiming benefits if they do not speak English. One, shared on August 9, said: 'The next time the job centre sanctions your money for not looking for enough work ask them about the thousands of people getting benefits cannot speak English and can not write English, how are they looking for work? 'Unemployment benefits clearly state you cannot claim benefits if not looking for work, all of these people should be excluded from benefits. A chilling tweet from Andrew Leak, 66, that was posted on his now-deleted Twitter feed leading up to the attack in Dover on Sunday Vile social media posts included paranoid theories on the Covid vaccine and even suggesting the World Economic Forum was connected to Nazism, as well as an anti-royal family post on March 20 Leak, 66, drove 'more than 100 miles' to lob three home-made explosives at the Western Jet Foil centre on Sunday morning Leak resided in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire (pictured). Kent Police and Thames Valley Police began searching his property yesterday after confirming he was from the area Kent MP: Conditions at Manston are a 'breach of humane conditions' The situation at a migrant facility in Kent is a 'breach of humane conditions', according to an MP for the area. Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, told Sky News on Monday there are now more than 4,000 people at the facility in Manston. He said: 'Up until about five weeks ago the system was working as it was intended to, very well indeed. 'It's now broken and it's got to be mended fast.' Asked whether Suella Braverman is the right person to handle this situation, Sir Roger said: 'I'm not seeking to point fingers at the moment but I do believe whoever is responsible, and that is either the previous home secretary or this one, has to be held to account, because a bad decision was taken and it's led to what I would regard as a breach of humane conditions.' Sir Roger said he was told that the Home Office was finding it very difficult to secure hotel accommodation, adding that he now understands that this was a policy issue and a decision was taken not to book additional hotel space. 'That's like driving a car down a motorway, seeing the motorway clear ahead, then there's a car crash, and then suddenly there's a five mile tailback. 'The car crash was the decision not to book more hotel space,' he said. He said he believes it was a decision taken by the Home Secretary, but is not sure whether it was Priti Patel or Suella Braverman. Sir Roger said he has put forward an urgent question. Advertisement 'You can clearly not look for work if you cannot read English or speak English, they are breaking the law, time to stand up.' Another post, on July 24, said: 'All Muslims are guilty of grooming, they never spoke out because it wasn't their daughters, f****** animals wake up up. 'They only rape non-Muslims that's a religious hate crime are you f****** stupid.' Other vile social media posts included paranoid theories on the Covid vaccine and even suggesting the World Economic Forum was connected to Nazism. He had a history of sharing far-Right content from extremist groups including Traditional Britain Group, Turning Point UK and the US-based Islamophobic movement ACT for America. Leak shared a transphobic article from conservative news site The Blaze and would reference far-Right activist Tommy Robinson, a study of his profile by campaign group Hope Not Hate found. He also shared videos connected to common far-Right conspiracy theories including 'New World Order' and used other slogans common among conspiracy theorists, such as 'we do not consent', it found. On July 28, roughly three months before the attack, in a garbled post he wrote: 'I have 12 weeks to get you ready.' It appears Leak may have believed his shocking attack was honouring a pledge he made last October to 'end illegal immigration into this country within one year'. He boasted online that he had 'sent a parcel to the British government' with his threat last year. Lorry driver Mark Wilkinson, who saw Leak's car at the petrol station, told KentOnline: 'I was going for a coffee and when I arrived at the garage I was told I couldn't cross the road into the garage because it was a crime scene. 'As I walked past I saw a car with a body. At first I thought it was a gangland killing or something but obviously it wasn't. 'The guy who died seemed to be in his late 50s or early 60s. He was white and grey haired and looked fairly well dressed.' Tim Jacques, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: 'This was clearly a very worrying incident and although nobody was seriously hurt, two people did sustain minor injuries. 'Increasingly in counter terrorism casework, across all ideologies, we are seeing individuals who have mental health concerns and a hateful mind-set. 'Assessing when this crosses the terrorism threshold is a complex process and needs to be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. 'These decisions need to be determined by the facts, as far as they can be established at any given time. 'After considering the evidence collected so far in this case, whilst there are strong indications that mental health was likely a factor, I am satisfied that the suspect's actions were primarily driven by an extremist ideology. 'This meets the threshold for a terrorist incident.' Police said the investigation is ongoing, including work being carried out on behalf of His Majesty's Coroner. An inquest into Leak's death is expected to be opened at Maidstone's County Hall on Tuesday. Le gouvernement a agree au renouvellement de laccord de principe jumelant lIle Rodrigues et celui de La Digue des Seychelles. Cabinet has agreed to the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles regarding the twinning between the island of Rodrigues and the island of La Digue. The objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding are: (a) to study, promote and strengthen cultural ties, broaden approaches and enrich the lives of citizens of the Parties; (b) to exchange experience and best practices in terms of strategy, policy and development in such areas as arts, marine, education, history, sports, agriculture, craft, tourism, business, technology and investment promotion; (c) capacity building according to an annual schedule based on mutual agreement and to develop a work ethic to fit into the global economy; and (d) to encourage the involvement of individual citizens and community groups to develop a spirit of co-operation and create strong bonds of friendship. A married South Dakota state Senate hopeful was charged with felony child abuse allowing allegations that he groomed, molested and raped a female family member. Joel Koskan, 44, a Republican running for state Senate for the third time, was arrested on Thursday following an investigation from the State Attorney General's Office, the Mitchell Republic reports. He was accused of grooming the child by kissing her, giving her long hugs and having her sit on his lap, making her believe there was nothing wrong with his behavior. '[The woman] thought that it was 'normal things' that families were supposed to do,' the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation wrote in its investigation after the victim reported Koskan. She told investigators Koskan installed camera in her bedroom when she was 14 to watch her on his phone and began molesting and raping her when she was 17, which took place 'many times' and in different residence across the state. According to text messages from the victim, Koskan appeared to be tracking her movement when she reached out to investigators on May 6. 'You promised you'd never do this,' Koskan texted her. 'I'm begging you, you don't want to do this.' Joel Koskan (above), 44, a Republican running for South Dakota state Senate, was accused of grooming, molesting and raping, a female family member Koskan, pictured with wife Sally, allegedly began grooming the victim when she was 12, and was accused of raping her multiple times when she turned 17 According to the criminal complaint against Koskan obtained by the Daily Mail, the victim was 14 when she realized something was wrong while attending a religious summer camp. She said counselors warned children that they could suffer sexual abuse at the hands of adults, which made the victim realize that what Koskan was doing to her was wrong. After speaking to her counselors, they contacted the Department of Social Services, but the case was ultimately dropped when the victim refused to cooperate. She told state investigators in May that she feared speaking out back then because she suffered abandonment issues and feared she would be displaced from her family. The victim said her family chastised her for reporting Koskan, and said that while the molestation stopped for two years, it resumed when she was 16. She said other family members were aware of the situation, and when she tried to distance herself from Koskan, she was told she was being 'disrespectful' and required to apologize and sit near him. The complaint also states that Koskan put cameras in her room to watch her change, forcing the victim to hide in the closet, and that he 'would make her not wear a bra as she got older.' According to the victim's statement, when she confronted Koskan's wife, Sally, about the abuse, she said she was told to 'just lock her bedroom door' to prevent Koskan from getting to her. The victim added that Koskan controlled all her social media accounts, blocking or unfollowing her male friends and reprimanding her for going to college classes with mostly male classmates. Koskan allegedly kept a camera in the victim's room to watch her changes. She said that when she first accused him of wrongdoing when she was 14, the family, including Sally (above with Koskan) reprimanded her for trying to ruin their family Koskan faces multiple counts of rape, sexual contact with a child under the age of 16 and aggravated incest-related child abuse charges. He could face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $20,000. Koskan could not immediately be reached for comment. Since news of the allegation broke out, he was deleted his Twitter account and made his campaign website private. The South Dakota Democratic Party has since called on him to immediately end his campaign. 'These allegations concerning Joel Koskan are deeply disturbing, and he should immediately end his campaign,' state Democratic Party chairman Randy Seiler said in a statement. 'While he will still appear on the ballot, the choice for the voters of District 26 couldn't be clearer. Partisan politics aside, Joel Koskan should not be voting in the legislature on issues that affect South Dakota kids or any issues at all.' South Dakota GOP Chairman Dan Lederman also condemned Koskan in response to his arrest. 'The allegation against Joel Koskan is very serious, and the South Dakota Republican Party unequivocally opposes child abuse in all forms,' Lederman said. 'The South Dakota Republican Party trusts the justice system to work through the allegation.' Advertisement The wealthy Italian family of a teen who took his own life after being 'forced into solitary confinement' for 'cheating on an assignment' is suing their son's elite New York boarding school. Exchange student Claudio Mandia hanged himself in a room at EF Academy in Thornwood on February 17 - three days into being isolated and just days before his 18th birthday. His father, Mauro Mandia and another representative of his estate filed the lawsuit at the Westchester County Supreme Court this week, according to the New York Post. The lawsuit stated that Claudio had been expelled from the school for cheating on a math assignment and forced by school officials to stay in a room alone. The soon to be 18-year-old had been struggling with personal issues which had impacted his school performance. The suit alleges that the school was aware of his emotional state when they relegated him to his room for days. The elite boarding school has rebuffed claims filed in the lawsuit and said that they 'remain deeply saddened by the tragic passing' however, 'the narrative that is shared in the legal filing is not accurate or based on fact.' 'It was painfully foreseeable that forcing [Claudio] into solitary confinement, malnourishing him, and inadequately supervising him after delivering the life-altering news that he would be expelled - all while he was enduring other hardships that EF Academy knew about and was treating him for could result in his tragic death,' the lawsuit states. Claudio Mandia (pictured) hanged himself in his EF Academy room on Feb 17 just three days after being 'put into solitary confinement.' His parents are now suing his NY boarding school Claudio's parents Elisabetta and Mauro Mandia (pictured) filed the lawsuit to prevent this happening to any other students The lawsuit has been placed against EF Academy, four school officials, its parent company and 20 other unnamed defendants who allegedly contributed to Claudio's 'wrongful death' Claudio's family is demanding punishment for the school as well as compensation alleging that EF Academy, four school officials, its parent company and 20 other unnamed defendants contributed to wrongful death, negligence, false imprisonment, emotional distress among other charges. It is unclear how much compensation the family is seeking. A spokesperson from the school told NBC News that the suit contained 'multiple inaccurate statements' and disputed the claim that Claudio had been 'placed in solitary confinement.' 'The narrative that is shared in the legal filing is not accurate or based on fact,' the statement said. 'We are confident that the legal process will allow us to provide and prove a fact-based legal case recounting what actually transpired.' Claudio had been enrolled into EF Academy as part of the school's two-year International Baccalaureate Program after expressing an interest in studying abroad before returning to Italy for university. The academy boasts a tuition of $66,500 per year for students who live full-time on campus. The suit claims Claudio had been a bright student excelling in math including getting an 'A' in previous years. In November 2020, another Italian student who had been expelled from the academy also attempted suicide, according to the suit. Claudio had been enrolled at EF Academy as part of the school's two-year International Baccalaureate Program The academy boasts a tuition of $66,500 per year for students who live full-time on campus. After expressing an interest, Claudio's parents Mandia and Elisabette Benesatto agreed to send their son to the institution where one of his sisters also attends Claudio was allegedly forbidden from leaving the room on his own and was served his meals there, although the lawsuit identified a 24-hour period when he claimed to have been given no food The following year, however, after having to stay home when family contracted COVID-19 in Battipaglia, the teen started to 'fall behind' in school. 'This caused [Claudio] to fall behind in his academic work, and when [Claudio] did return to campus after being quarantined, he was under a lot of pressure to try and catch up,' the suit alleges. 'Then, less than two weeks after his delayed return to campus, [Claudio] suffered the unexpected loss of a close family member, which upset him terribly and caused him to seek counseling from EF Academy's in-house social worker Chelsea Lovece.' While seeking mental health support Claudio was expelled for plagiarism and placed in solitary confinement on Feb 14 until his parents were able to pick him up, the suit claims. Claudio was forbidden from leaving the room on his own and was served his meals there, although the lawsuit identified a 24-hour period when the family claims he was given no food. On February 16, the night before his parents were scheduled to pick him up, several of his friends were able to visit him in the room, the suit claims. It's believed the soon to be 18-year-old had been dealing with mental health issues after losing a family member and falling behind in class Elisabette and Mandia were meant to pick up their son when he was found dead in his room three days after being put into solitary confinement The suit alleges that Claudio had been a bright student who had excelled in math, getting an 'A' in previous years They were accompanied by two administrators. The students noticed on his neck what the lawsuit calls ligature marks indicative of a suicide attempt. They asked him about the marks, and he claimed he fell in the shower. '[Claudio] screamed and cried for help while held in solitary confinement. EF Academy and the individual Defendants callously ignored him,' the suit says. The following morning, Claudio's younger sister, who was also a student at the school, allegedly pleaded with Lovece to check on her brother. Lovece told the girl that she had knocked on his door earlier that morning, and that she believed he was asleep when he didn't answer. When she checked on him again later that morning, he was found dead. 'EF Academy's implementation of its solitary confinement protocol, combined with its grossly negligent and indeed blatantly abusive handling of [Claudio] known risk factors, was truly outrageous and warrants the imposition of punitive damages to ensure such conduct does not ever happen again.' Advertisement Alexander Nikulin (pictured) is 'fighting for his life' after being hit by a bullet in Vuhlehirsk, in the Russian-controlled region of Donetsk in Ukraine last night. According to Russian news agency TASS, police are still hunting the 'attackers'. A Russian judge who sentenced two Britons to death is in a critical condition after being shot in a suspected 'assassination attempt'. Alexander Nikulin is 'fighting for his life' after being hit by a bullet in Vuhlehirsk, in the Russian-controlled region of Donetsk in Ukraine last night. According to Russian news agency TASS, police are still hunting the 'attackers'. Denis Pushilin, leader of the self-declared 'Donetsk People's Republic', said the judge had previously 'sentenced Nazi criminals'. The Nazi label is often attached to Ukrainians as part of Vladimir Putin's attempts to justify his barbaric invasion, launched in February this year. 'There was attempt with the use of firearms on a judge of the Supreme Court of the Donetsk Republic Alexander Nikulin,' Pushilin said on Telegram. 'The Ukrainian regime continues to show its vile terrorist methods,' Pushilin added, 'His condition is assessed by doctors to be stable but serious.' Brits Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, were convicted by Nikulin in June of being 'mercenaries' for fighting with Ukrainian troops, weeks after they were captured by Russian forces during the siege of Mariupol. They appeared behind a metal cage at a court in Donetsk as the verdict was read out. In harrowing scenes, ex-British Army soldier Pinner stared at the ground and appeared distraught and close to tears, while former care worker Aslin remained composed. Judge Nikulin had said: 'The aggregated penalty for the crimes [means] the sentence Aiden Aslin to an exceptional measure of punishment, the death penalty,' before reading out the same verdict for Pinner. Brits Aiden Aslin (far left), 28, and Shaun Pinner (centre), 48, were convicted by Nikulin in June of being 'mercenaries' for fighting with Ukrainian troops, weeks after they were captured by Russian forces during the siege of Mariupol A damaged building is seen in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, 01 November 2022. Four missiles hit the city area the night before The Nazi label is often attached to Ukrainians as part of Vladimir Putin's attempts to justify his barbaric invasion, launched in February this year Aiden Aslin (right) and Shaun Pinner (left) were detained in April while fighting in Ukraine, before appearing in court in the separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in June. They were freed in September Pinner (right) and Aslin (left) were sentenced to death, along with Moroccan Saaudun Brahim (centre) in June this year by a pro-Russian separatist court headed by judge Alexander Nikulin Shaun Pinner (centre) and Aiden Aslin were pictured smiling as they flew on a plane from Russia to Saudi Arabia after being freed in September The list of prisoners released includes five British nationals, two Americans, one Swede, one Croat and one Moroccan. Pinner is pictured in the orange shirt with Aslin on his left after landing in Riyadh Aslin, pictured here during his time in captivity in Donetsk, thanked people for their support after being released yesterday The sentence was issued after a three day trial in which the five 'witnesses' in the case did not appear. The Brits were eventually released in September after an agreement was brokered by the Saudi Crown Prince to free a total of 10 POWs who had been captured during fighting in Ukraine. A total of five Britons, along with two Americans, one Swede, one Croat and one Moroccan, were airlifted to Riyadh, where they were checked over before being sent home. In a video which was posted on Instagram, the pair smiled at the camera as they sat in their seats on the plane to Riyadh. Aslin said: 'We just want everyone to know that we are now out of the danger zone and we're on our way home to our families. Pinner, who is sat next to him, chipped in: 'By the skin of our teeth'. Aslin added: 'Not just us, there was in total 10 foreigners that were in captivity. We're going to be pretty quiet... until we get things sorted out, but we just want everyone to know the good news.' It comes as Putin is set to deploy special units to shoot his own military if they retreat from the war in Ukraine, UK government defence chiefs said on Friday. Britain's Ministry of Defence said that Russia will deploy so-called 'blocking units' which 'threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives'. With low morale at a peak among Russian soldiers, Putin is turning on his own men. 'Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces have probably started deploying 'barrier troops' or 'blocking units',' the Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Friday. Vladimir Putin also issued a chilling warning to the residents of Ukraine's occupied Kherson leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory 'These units threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives and have been used in previous conflicts by Russian forces,' the briefing added. 'Recently, Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including possibly authorising shooting to kill such defaulters after a warning had been given. Generals also likely wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death.' Stalin used 'barrier troops' in the Second World War as part of his 'No One Turn Back' order. This comes after the Russian president issued a chilling warning to the residents of Ukraine's occupied Kherson, telling them to leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russia's armed forces in the early days of the war. 'Those who still live in Kherson should certainly be removed from the area of the most dangerous hostilities... civilians should not suffer from shelling, from attacks, counter-attacks or something like that,' said Putin. Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers abandoning checkpoints in Kherson and moving to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. Kirill Stremousov, one of Putin's puppet officials in the occupation administration, last night slapped a 24-hour curfew across the city. The former Ukrainian politician, wanted for treason by Kyiv, said it was 'in order to defend our city of Kherson' from what he called 'terrorist attacks'. The despot made his remarks in an interview with state media in Moscow that indicated his troops could soon be on the retreat, with Ukraine pushing further towards the city snatched by Russia 's armed forces in the early days of the war He urged civilians to flee, saying columns of Ukrainian vehicles had been spotted on the frontline and that an attack was possible. On Thursday, he admitted 'we have to take some very difficult decisions' after pictures circulated of his main HQ with Russia's flag no longer flying atop it. Officials in Ukraine have admitted privately that they are wary, saying it could be an attempt to lure Ukrainian troops into a trap. The Institute for the Study of War, a US think-tank, said it remains 'unclear' whether the occupying forces truly plan not to put up a fight for the strategic Black Sea port. In another apparent sign of Russia's huge military weakness, Putin yesterday signed a decree allowing serious convicted criminals to sign up with the Russian army, effectively granting murderers and rapists their freedom if they are willing to fight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of 'energy terrorism' after strikes on Ukraine's facilities left millions of residents without power. Russia has carried out missile and drone attacks on power facilities in recent weeks, leaving 4.5million across the country without electricity. The Red Wedding depicts a brutal massacre in which an entire family are double-crossed and murdered New Twitter boss Elon Musk cut around 3,700 employees on Friday, prompting comparisons to the Red Wedding scene from popular show Game of Thrones Elon Musk's cut-throat cull of around half of Twitter's staff on Friday has been likened to Game Of Thrones' Red Wedding massacre - while he tweeted 'power to the people' hours after the firings. Around 3,700 of Twitter's 7,500 employees were laid off by email - a decision Musk defended by saying he had 'no choice' because the company was losing $4 million a day. The Tesla CEO has long said Twitter's workforce was inflated and ordered managers to ask workers where the company could cut $500 million annually. He paid $44 billion for the company which lost $221 million over the last fiscal year. He then tweeted 'Trash me all day, but itll cost $8,' referencing his controversial plan to have Twitter users pay $8 a month to be verified. He has fired a number of executives and reports suggest the firings targeted teams in the sales, trust and safety, marketing, product, engineering and legal divisions. Entire sections of the company have also been cut, including Twitter's human rights team and 'ethical AI' team. Musk laughed and was in good spirits ahead of the termination emails being sent out, while chatting on stage to Baron Capital Group Chairman and CEO Ron Baron Twitter had a global workforce of some 7,500 employees at the end of 2021, and Musk (pictured on Halloween) reportedly laid off around half of them The sackings have been branded Musk's 'Red Wedding' moment, a reference to the The Rains of Castamere episode in season three the hit fantasy series Game of Thrones (pictured). The episode showcased what was supposed to be the happy marriage of Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and his pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin). The wedding, hosted by Walder Frey (David Bradley), turned out to be a double-cross and a bloody massacre resulting in the deaths of Robb, Talisa, her unborn child and the House Stark matriarch Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), to name just a few The human rights team monitored conflicts across the globe and attempted to protect individuals from them with lawyers and activists. Eight months pregnant Twitter worker reveals she's among those FIRED during Elon Musk's 3,700-strong cull A pregnant Twitter employee discovered that she was out of a job after being cut off from her Twitter issued laptop. Product marketing employee Rachel Bonn posted a picture of her last day in the San Francisco office with her toddler. The heartbroken mother-of-two was unaware that her last day in the office would be her final day working for the social media giant. She is one of 3,700 people who have been culled buy billionaire Elon Musk in his plan to save more than $400billion next year. Posting a picture of her last day in the office with her son, she said: 'Last Thursday in the SF office, really the last day Twitter was Twitter. '8 months pregnant and have a 9-month-old. Just got cut off from laptop access.' Advertisement The move alarmed advocacy group Human Rights Watch, which tweeted 'companies have a responsibility to employ people who are essential to the protection of people's rights.' Other civil rights groups have called on advertisers to abandon the company due to concerns over content moderation and user safety. The company has reportedly fired 85 per cent of their employees in India and 90 per cent of those in Asia, with public relations and communications teams down to two people. Workers also said the company eliminating employees without enough notice is in violation of federal and California law citing a class-action lawsuit filed in a San Francisco federal court. A class action lawsuit filed on Thursday alleged that Twitter is in violation of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act after some employees were already laid off. It requires and employer with more than 100 employees to provide 60 days' advance written notice prior to a mass layoff 'affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment'. But Musk has seemingly got around the issue, by allowing workers to remain on the books until February 2 - which is in 91 days time. He also confirmed that the company would be in contact with those who have been sacked to discuss their severance pay. They will also have access to their Twitter systems deactivated - though some employees reported being kicked out of their accounts almost 12 hours before. The class-action lawsuit was filed by Shannon Liss-Riordan, who sued Musk's electric car company Tesla Inc over similar claims in June, when it laid off around 10 percent of its workforce. She said: 'It looks like employees are getting their notices and at least some will be paid until January 4. 'I am pleased that Elon Musk learned something from the lawsuit we brought against him at Tesla and is making an effort to comply with the WARN Act. 'We filed this case preemptively to make sure a repeat of that violation did not happen.' Earlier on Friday, Musk joked it would be 'deeply ironic' if someone on Twitter 'takes him out' as he said it could be 'one of the most valuable companies in the world'. The world's richest man arrived at the Baron Investment Conference at the Metropolitan Opera House in Manhattan in high spirits and laughed about the number of enemies he had in front of New York's wealthiest investors. But one shareholder broke cover to reveal his delight at the move, saying the company had been 'grossly mismanaged', was a 'weapon for the Democrat party' and Musk was 'retooling for business'. Nick Flor, a shareholder of the social media giant, claimed that their profit this year was a negative 270 million and praised the richest man in the world for the massive layoffs after his dramatic $44billion takeover. Flor claimed the company was 'grossly mismanaged' before it was taken over by the billionaire and was 'mainly used as a political weapon for the Democrat party. Nick Flor, a shareholder of the social media giant, claimed that their profit this year was a negative 270 million and praised the richest man in the world for the massive layoffs after his dramatic $44billion takeover Those who were selected to stay have been informed that the office will remain closed until November 7th, and have been urged to 'refrain from discussing confidential company information' They are not expected to work, and will have their access to Twitter systems deactivated - though some employees reported being kicked out of their accounts almost 12 hours before Musk, pictured leaving the investment conference, managed to wriggle around California law, which requires employers to give at least 60 days notice when firing people, by offering staff severance and to stay on the payroll until early next year Twitter employees appeared to be speaking to security detail at the headquarters for the company in New York on Friday morning He was discussing his vision for Twitter and other companies when fellow billionaire Ron Baron joked how he would live forever, with Musk quipping: 'If I keep increasing that enemies list it might not be much longer.' Musk went on to say it would be 'deeply ironic if it was someone angry on Twitter that takes me out', before saying he could now remove them from the site. As the layoffs began, sacked Twitter employees posted on the platform under the '#OneTeam' hashtag about their final hours at the company, expressing a mixture of anger and sadness, and gratitude for their time working there. Just over an hour later almost half of the workforce at the social media giant received a blunt email telling them they were fired will remaining on the payroll until at least January as he skirts California's workers' laws. Earlier Musk posted a furious message to woke users who caused a 'massive drop in revenue'. He said it was 'extremely messed up' and accused them of 'trying to destroy free speech in America' despite what he said were his best efforts to 'appease' the campaigners. Those who were selected to stay were told the office will remain closed until Monday, and were urged to 'refrain from discussing confidential company information.' Additionally they will be told of Musk's 'vision for the company' in the coming days, with 'more information' to be shared next week. Workers took to the platform late Thursday and early Friday to vent their fury at the new CEO, with some trying to tell the billionaire businessman his actions were 'no way to run a firm'. Twitter (pictured: Its office in San Francisco) said its offices will be temporarily closed and all staff badge access will be suspended in order 'to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data.' Musk blasted it as 'extremely messed up', before claiming that he and his new team did 'everything they could' to 'appease the activists' The company has reportedly fired 85 per cent of their employees in India and 90 per cent of those in Asia, with public relations and communications teams down to two people Twitter employees started to receive the email around 12pm EST to let them know whether they were among half the workforce being culled. Simon Balmain, whose Twitter profile said he was a 'former Senior Community Manager' at the company, wrote: 'Looks like I'm unemployed y'all. 'Just got remotely logged out of my work laptop and removed from Slack. #OneTeam forever. Loved you all so much. So sad it had to end this way.' He said he received an email saying there would be mass layoffs, 'and then around an hour later, folks started getting their laptops remotely wiped and access to Slack and Gmail revoked.' Another user named Johann told his followers: 'Heya I just lost access to all my Twitter logins so I guess that's it.' Another by the name of Miryam wrote: 'Don't cry because it's over. 'Smile because it happened.' She wrote the message along-side a picture of her posing in front of a large blue Twitter bird mounted on a wall at the offices. Karen Zapata, another employee, posted a picture of her laptop screen, having been locked out. 'This gray screen could have been a meeting,' she wrote - suggesting she was unhappy with how impersonal the sacking was. One Twitter employee shared a selfie of her and two other colleagues in an elevator which she wrote was at Twitter's New York City offices. 'Last teary eyed @TwitterNYC elevator selfie,' she wrote. Advertisement Climate change protests swept through Europe on Saturday as hundreds of eco-fanatics blocked aircraft from leaving Amsterdam for hours by sitting in front of the wheels, while Spanish zealots glued themselves to the frames of two Francisco de Goya paintings in a Madrid museum. Environmental activists wearing white overalls stormed an area holding private jets at Schiphol Airport, located southwest of the capital, before military police moved in and were seen taking dozens of the protesters away in buses. More than 100 activists were arrested, national broadcaster NOS said, but no delays to commercial flights were reported. The protest was part of a day of demonstrations in and around the air hub organised by Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion in the build-up to the COP27 climate talks in Egypt. 'We want fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets,' Greenpeace Netherlands campaign leader Dewi Zloch said. The environmental group says Schiphol is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands, emitting 12 billion kilograms annually. Hundreds of other demonstrators in and around the airport's main hall carried signs saying 'Restrict Aviation' and 'More Trains'. Responding to the protest, Schiphol said it aims to become an emissions-free airport by 2030 and supports targets for the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Military police tasked with airport security said in a statement they had 'made a number of detentions of persons who were on airport property without being allowed'. The Dutch government announced plans in June for a cap on annual passengers at the airport at 440,000, around 11 per cent below 2019 levels, citing air pollution and climate concerns. Transportation Minister Mark Harbers told parliament last month his office could not control growing private jet traffic and the government is considering whether to include the issue in its climate policy. In a separate protest, two female activists glued themselves to the frames of two paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya at Madrid's Prado Museum. Environmental activists wearing white overalls stormed an area holding private jets at Schiphol Airport, located southwest of the capital, before military police moved in and were seen taking dozens of the protesters away in buses Two female activists glued themselves to the frames of two paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya at Madrid's Prado Museum More than 100 activists were arrested, national broadcaster NOS said, but no delays to commercial flights were reported The protest was part of a day of demonstrations in and around the air hub organised by Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion in the build-up to the COP27 climate talks in Egypt The environmental group says Schiphol is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the Netherlands, emitting 12 billion kilograms annually Hundreds of other demonstrators in and around the airport's main hall carried signs saying 'Restrict Aviation' and 'More Trains' Responding to the protest, Schiphol said it aims to become an emissions-free airport by 2030 and supports targets for the aviation industry to reach net zero emissions by 2050 The pair scrawled the message +1.5 degrees Celsius between the paintings they targeted - the Naked Maja and the Clothed Maja - a reference to the damaging differences to the planet which will be seen at two degrees as opposed to 1.5. Reports suggested that police arrived and vacated the room, but no updates on the protesters has yet been given. They identified themselves as belonging to Futuro Vegetal, which literally means Vegetable Future and is a movement linked to Extinction Rebellion Spain. Futuro Vegetal said in a tweet showing the women stuck to the paintings: 'We have stuck ourselves to Goya's Mijas in the Prado Museum. 'Last week the United Nations recognised the impossibility of limiting global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels in line with the Paris Agreement.' The group added that not sticking to the limit will lead to more extreme weather such as drought, endangering the farming and food industries. It said: 'We need change now. We need a plant-based future [literal translation: Vegetable future]'. Video footage from the scene appears to show museum staff attempting to stop bystanders filming the protest. The two young women are raising awareness of the importance of sticking to the 1.5C limit to global warming, agreed at the Paris summit One of the pictures targeted was Clothed Maja by Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes The second picture targeted was the Naked Maja by Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes Meanwhile in the Netherlands a large group of protesters gathered in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport protesting the environmental impact of the aviation industry A woman wearing a staff lanyard could be heard saying 'no photos, please' and seemed to say police had been called. Images showed one young woman glue herself to one of the pair of paintings first, while the second wrote their 1.5C message on the wall between them. She then was given the glue by the first activist and glued herself to the second frame. No damage appears to have been done to either painting. Hundreds of climate protesters also blocked private jets from leaving Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Saturday in a demonstration on the eve of the Cop27 UN climate meeting in Egypt. Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion protesters sat around private jets to prevent them from leaving and others rode bicycles around the planes. Dewi Zloch of Greenpeace Netherlands said the activists want 'fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets'. Military police said they arrested a number of protesters for being on the airport's grounds without authorisation. Staff asked people not to film or take photographs of the protesters after they had glued themselves down Protesters from Extinction Rebellion perform outside the Schiphol Airport control tower on Saturday Protesters gathered inside Schiphol airport as well as outside in a bid to stop flights from leaving Environmental protesters hold signs at the Dutch airport on the eve of Cop27 Responding on Friday to an open letter from Greenpeace, Schiphol's new chief executive Ruud Sondag said the airport is targeting 'emissions-free airports by 2030 and net climate-neutral aviation by 2050. And we have an duty to lead the way in that', but conceded it needed to happen faster. More than 120 world leaders will attend this year's UN climate talks at the Red Sea coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh starting on Sunday. Issues up for discussion at the November 6-18 talks include further cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting financial aid for poor countries struggling with the impacts of climate change. The latest museum protest follows close on the heels of an incident last month in which activists from Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Days later climate activists threw mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in Germany. Most recently on Friday a group of activists threw pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece in Rome, in a protest they warned will continue until more attention was paid to climate change. 'The Sower', an 1888 painting by the Dutch artist depicting a farmer sowing his land under a dominating sun, was exhibited behind glass and undamaged. Security intervened immediately and removed the protesters kneeling in front of 'The Sower' at the Palazzo Bonaparte. Protesters from the same group, the Last Generation, earlier blocked a highway near Rome. The climate activists from Last Generation called their protest 'a desperate and scientifically grounded cry that cannot be understood as mere vandalism'. 'Non-violent direct actions will continue until citizens get answers from their government on the demands to stop gas and coal and to invest in at least 20 GW of renewables,' they said in a statement. Video taken from inside a museum gallery crowded with visitors show two young women throwing a liquid substance onto the painting. They and a third woman are then seen gluing their hands to the wall as shouting erupts in the room. Last month, a pair of demonstrators glued themselves to the floor after throwing soup on Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' at the National Gallery in London One of the protestors said after the stunt: 'What is worth more, art or life?' before they glued themselves to the wall The 76 million piece of art was 'unharmed' during the climate demonstration on October 14 They have targeted masterpieces such as the 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre in Paris or 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' by Johannes Vermeer at The Hague's Mauritshuis museum. In October, the group Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup over Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' at London's National Gallery. All of those paintings were covered by glass and were undamaged. In other recent action in the UK eco-group Just Stop Oil spent every day in October blocking various roads around the capital as they demanded an end to any new sources of fossil fuels. On the final day of action activists also sprayed bright orange paint on MI5's headquarters, the Bank of England and News Corp offices. The MI5 building was one of four chosen by the group that they say represent the pillars that support and maintain the power of the fossil fuel economy government, security, finance and media. Later, activists sat in the middle of the road on Victoria Street outside the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Police asked the public to stop intervening in protests, such as by trying to remove protesters from roads, as it could hamper efforts to prosecute offenders. But angry members of the public continued to do so in spite of the warnings. One man attempted to wrest a fire extinguisher, being used to spray paint over the MI5 building, from a protester - resulting in them both becoming covered in paint. Video captured the moment the furious passer-by jostled with the climate activist for control of the device and sprayed them with paint as they doused the front of the MI5 building on Marsham Street in Westminster Police intervened after Tez Burns, 34, sprayed orange paint on the exterior of the MI5 building on Marsham Street earlier today The Bank of England on Threadneedle Street in the City of London was also targeted on the group's final day of mayhem The headquarters of News Corp - which owns publications including The Sun, The Times and TalkTV - in London Bridge was also targeted by the group. It is the second time the building has been vandalised this year by eco activists A Brown University Professor is facing backlash from conservatives for demanding 'pandemic amnesty' for those who championed masking, lockdowns and vaccines. Economist Emily Oster earned harsh criticism from her opinion piece in The Atlantic, 'Let's Declare a Pandemic Amnesty,' where she called on Americans to forgive and forget some of the failings of the COVID mandates. The liberal professor said that people were acting on the information they had at the time when they pushed for ineffective cloth masks, for schools to be shut down, and to reprimand those who refused to get vaccinated. Conservatives, many of whom criticized the mandates, said there was no room for amnesty because of how far children have fallen behind in school and that people lost their jobs because of the rules. 'Funny how the calls for amnesty come right before Republicans take charge,' Fox News Contributor Lisa Boothe tweeted, referencing the GOP's expected victory in the midterms next week. Brown University Professor Emily Oster (above) faces harsh criticism for calling on Americans to forgive and forget the failings of the COVID-19 mandates In her opinion piece for The Atlantic, Oster said Americans needed to move forward instead of focusing on the past, which created outrage online from conservatives Lisa Boothe, of Fox News, noted the timing of the piece just as Republicans are expected to take control of the House and Senate. Conservatives have long criticized the effectiveness of the COVID mandates and their impact on schools and the economy Conservative commentator Lauren Chen told Oster there would only be forgiveness if she apologizes for her previous tweets, which called on family members to shame each other into getting vaccinated. 'Forgiveness usually comes after an apology,' Chen tweeted. 'I see no apology in this piece. 'Remember how you encouraged family members to pressure each other and the unvaxxed to be fired? Perhaps a little I'm sorry for that' would be a good place to start.' Business expert and TV personality Carol Roth joined in on the criticism, tweeting: 'Counterpoint: we could hold people accountable and make sure bs like this doesnt happen again.' Libs of TikTok, an account that typically mocks progressives, agreed that there needed to be some accountability, not forgiveness. 'Hell no. Ill never forget what the Democrats did- how they destroyed thousands of lives by forcing school/business closures, people died alone in hospitals while nurses danced because they didnt allow visitors, thousands lost their jobs for refusing a vax, list goes on and on.' Gerogi Boorman, a contributor for The Federalist, echoed the criticism and said it was hypocritical of Oster to say that the failures of the mandates were not a 'moral failing.' 'No, actually disinviting relatives to family gatherings because they refused a jab is a moral failing, Boorman wrote. 'Calling people "reckless" or "murderers" for not wearing a mask is a moral failing. Pushing the burden of protecting the elderly onto children was a moral failing.' Many conservatives took to Twitter to slam Oster for her call for amnesty Defending her idea on NPR on Friday, Oster said that the chaos and high infection rate of the pandemic forced people to make quick decisions that they believed was for the best of society. 'We were all trying to do the thing that we thought was best - that we thought was best for our families, that we thought was best for society - in a world of basically no information, of just tremendous uncertainty.' Rather than focus on who was right and who was wrong, Oster said American's needed to move on to focus on fixing the damage of the pandemic. According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, which gathered a district-by-district analysis of test scores, the average student lost more than half a school year of learning in math and nearly a quarter of a school year in reading. The report said the pandemic devastated children's well-being, not just by closing their schools, but also by taking away their parents' jobs, sickening their families and teachers, and adding chaos and fear to their daily lives. 'When you have a massive crisis, the worst effects end up being felt by the people with the least resources,' said Stanford education professor Sean Reardon, who compiled and analyzed the data along with Harvard economist Thomas Kane. The average American child fell behind six months in math (above) and about three months in reading due to COVID school closures, according to a new study Students in Hopewell, Virginia, which is predominantly low-income, lost about 2.29 years in math, while in Rochester, New Hampshire, where about half the student body lives in poverty, kids are behind two years in reading. And kids in Memphis, Tennessee, fell behind in math and English by a year NAEP assessment results are reported as average scores on a 0-500 scale. They are derived from student responses to assessment questions, and summarize overall performance levels Online learning played a major role, but students lost significant ground even where they returned quickly to schoolhouses, especially in math scores in low-income communities. Reading and math scores are one of the only aspects of children's development reliably measured nationwide. 'Test scores aren't the only thing, or the most important thing,' Reardon said. 'But they serve as an indicator for how kids are doing.' And kids aren't doing well, especially those who were at highest risk before the pandemic. The data show many children need significant intervention, and advocates and researchers say the US isn't doing enough. In some districts, students lost more than two years of math learning, according to Reardon and Kane's data. Hopewell, Virginia, a school system of 4,000 students who are mostly low-income and 60 percent Black, showed an average loss of 2.29 years of school. The data provides the most comprehensive look yet at how much schoolchildren have fallen behind academically, with the federal government's own report card indicating that math and reading scores have reached record lows. Dozens of protesters march across the Brooklyn Bridge last fall denouncing the vaccine mandate which went into effect COVID mandates also took their toll on jobs as teachers, law enforcement and many others were fired for refusing to get vaccinated. In New York City, more than 1,750 city workers were fired for refusing to get vaccinated, including 850 teachers and classroom aides. Last week, Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Ralph Porzio ordered city officials to reinstate and hand back pay to the axed employees. In his ruling, Porzio wrote that former city Health Commissioner David Choksi's October 20, 2021 vaccine mandate 'violates the separation of powers doctrine' enshrined in the United States Constitution. The city's Legal Department, though, has said it is already appealing the decision, which a spokesman says 'conflicts with numerous other rulings already upholding the mandate.' Our comprehensive Covid Performance Index of the 50 states and Washington DC analyzed the results of government policies to determine what worked and what didn't. (Above chart shows study results) The 'Combined Score' in the third column from the left combines the three metrics (economy, education and mortality from virus). The 'Economy rank' is shown in the sixth column from the left. The 'Education rank' is shown is the eight column. The 'Covid mortality rank' is shown in the 10th column. Stephen Moore, co-author of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity's Final Report Card on State Responses to Covid-19 that measured and compared how states handled the pandemic, highlighted the impact of the COVID mandates. 'Our bottom-line conclusion: The strictest economic and societal lockdowns did not save lives, but they did have severe consequences,' Moore wrote for the DailyMail. 'In 2020, the U.S. economy declined by more than in any year in 75 years. 'Tens of millions of jobs were lost in 2020 and even today total employment is about two million below the pre-Covid peak in January 2020. 'And our children suffered. Missed school days and poor-quality remote learning have caused significant learning loss for entire generations of students with long-lasting personal and societal costs.' Moore wrote that Red states fared far better than blue states, although there were exceptions. 'But overall the picture is clear: The poorest performing states opted for heavy-handed lockdowns that wreaked havoc on local economies, while still suffering very high death rates from the virus,' Moore wrote. Advertisement Damp and mould inside the 'disgusting' home of a toddler with breathing difficulties who died shortly after his second birthday have been revealed at an inquest into his death. Two-year-old Awaab Ishak was admitted to Royal Oldham Hospital with breathing difficulties and died on December 21, 2020. Images seen in court yesterday show the extent of the mould in the Ilminster block on the Freehold estate in Rochdale. The photos were taken by Greater Manchester Police in the days following Awaab's death. The images show thick black mould behind radiators, in the kitchen and bathroom of the property. Two-year-old Awaab Ishak was admitted to Royal Oldham Hospital with breathing difficulties and died on December 21, 2020. The toddler had been forced to live in the damp and moudly conditions in Ilminster block on the Freehold estate in Rochdale Photos shown during the inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court show the extent of the black mould, which was found in the kitchen and bathroom. The photos were taken by Greater Manchester Police in the days following Awaab's death Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah told the court that he first reported mould in the house in autumn 2017 - more than a year before his son was born. These photos show the damp and mould in the Rochdale flat in the days after the young child's death During the inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court, housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said that it was 'too simplistic' for housing associations to blame tenants for damp and mould at their homes. He suggested damp was a 'symptom' of other long-standing issues with housing - and insisted social landlords should be more 'proactive' about tackling the problem. Yesterday, on the first day of evidence at the inquest, Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah said he first reported the mould in his kitchen in autumn 2017 - more than a year before his son was born. The young boy's father repeatedly complained to staff at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, which owned and managed the site but was told to 'paint over it' by a member of staff. The inquest comes after a post-mortem examination found a medical link between Awaab's death and the damp and mould that blighted his family's flat. The inquest comes after a post-mortem examination found a medical link between Awaab's death and the damp and mould that blighted his family's flat. Pictured: Thick black mould in the flat in December 2020 Mr Abdullah told the coroner when he complained in 2017, two years after he arrived in the UK from Sudan, he was never told to specifically use anti-mould paint and had not experienced the issue before. A year later the mould returned to the kitchen and bathroom just a few months before Awaab's premature birth in December 2018. Th father applied for a new home in May 2019 before later making further bids for a new home. One email sent from Mr Abdullah in 2020, while his wife Aisha Amin was pregnant with their second child, read out in court, said: 'Kitchen... damp is really bad... I have a kid and my wife, she is pregnant. I need further movement please.' During the inquest the court heard that Awaab had a history of a blocked nose and coughing on several occasions in his young life. His mother said Awaab was prescribed an inhaler after he was found struggling to breathe through his nose in autumn 2020. She recalled telling health visitors about the damp and mould in November 2020, around the same time her toddler started suffering from a continuous cough. Black mould was also seen behind the radiator in the family's home. Awaab's mother, Aisha Amin told the court that Awaab had a history of a blocked nose and coughing on several occasions in his young life Ms Amin also said a yellow liquid had been leaking into the kitchen. She said: 'When anyone came into the flat, they said it was disgusting and I felt sad about it. I would rather visit my friends than have people visit the flat.' Awaab was reported to have a sore throat for three weeks before December 16. Three days later he was admitted to Rochdale Urgent Care Centre. He was then transferred to Royal Oldham Hospital being treated for croup before being discharged on December 20. That night, however, Awaab was unable to sleep, according to his mother, and was admitted once again to the urgent care centre. The following day, on December 21, he was transferred back to the Royal Oldham Hospital where he died. Awaab died just weeks after this photo was taken of him blowing out candles on his second birthday His mother had arrived at the hospital following an appointment about her pregnancy to find a crowd of doctors around his bed. She told the court: 'When I got to hospital, I saw my son in bed surrounded by doctors. About 30 minutes later he died.' Speaking to the court on Saturday after the photos were shown, Mr Blakeway said: 'The report acknowledges there may be factors like fuel poverty, age and design of homes, which may make the risk of damp and mould greater. 'Our report was to say that those are known risks and therefore it's important for them to think about their approach to make sure they address those known challenges.' When Awaab's father first complained of the damp in the Ilminster block (pictured) on the Freehold estate in 2017, he was told to 'paint over it' by a member of staff from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing Following Awaab's death, other families living on Freehold have also complained of severe damp and mould issues, Manchester Evening News has reported. Much like Awaab's family, they had tried and failed to move home, with some having letters from their GP urging them to leave. Some children had to be rushed to hospital with severe breathing issues including four-month-old Gabriel, son of Vilma Lavres, who filmed the shocking moment he was struggling before attending hospital. The Manchester news site said families battled with the damp and mould problems while senior managers at the housing organisation enjoyed huge 'fat cat' pay rises in recent years. Awaab's inquest is expected to continue for another eight days. An RBH spokesperson said: 'We continue to extend our condolences to the Abdullah family. Due to the live inquest hearing, we are legally unable to comment further at this time.' She started her career as a makeup artist in 2008 where she attended the Los Angeles Cinema Makeup School Chantal was recognized for her work in reality show Face Off and worked as the lead artist for Lil Nas X's Montero video Parkhurst said her daughter had 'overmedicated on prescribed medicines' following a 'severe anxiety attack' Halloween night She went on to say that her daughter did not 'commit suicide' or die from 'street drugs' In a post to Facebook on Friday, her mother Brandy Parkhurst, revealed that the 33-year-old had been struggling with multiple mental illnesses Celebrity makeup artist Laney Chantal, whose full name is Alaina Chantal Parkhurst, died from an 'accidental drug overdose' on Halloween aged 33, according to a public obituary written by her family. In a post to Facebook on Friday, her mother Brandy Parkhurst, revealed that the 33-year-old had been struggling with multiple mental illnesses. She went on to say that her daughter did not 'commit suicide' or die from 'street drugs' but had 'overmedicated on prescribed medicines' following a 'severe anxiety attack' that night. Chantal was known for her appearance on reality TV competition Face Off and worked as the lead makeup artists for Lil Nas X's 'Montero' which won video of the year at MTV's video music awards in 2021. Six months before her death Chantal posted a picture of a pink coffin. Her family said she 'struggled with various mental illnesses throughout her adult life' and asked for donations in her honor to contribute to mental health awareness. Parkhurst said the family had added a 'cause of death to the obituary' because they 'didn't want rumors started' about how her daughter died. 'Let me make this clear. Laney did not commit suicide, she wasn't 'using', she did not buy street drugs, and she didn't get 'bad stuff' at Hallowicked,' the post read. 'As our family goes about making funeral/memorial arrangements for our daughter/sister/aunt/niece, something I wouldn't wish on anyone, I'm going to let everyone know what caused Alaina's death.' Laney Chantal, whose full name is Alaina Chantal Parkhurst, died from an 'accidental drug overdose' on Halloween aged 33 In a post to Facebook on Friday, her mother Brandy Parkhurst, revealed that the 33-year-old had been struggling with multiple mental illnesses She went on to say that her daughter did not 'commit suicide' or die from 'street drugs' Parkhurst said her daughter had 'overmedicated on prescribed medicines' following a 'severe anxiety attack' As part of the post Chantal's mother posted a picture of what appear to be 9 medicine bottles and said 'That picture up there? It's Laney's medicine.' 'Actually it's about half of it that she took every day. That is what mental illness looks like,' she continued. 'Laney suffered with Bipolar, Borderline, Body Dysmorphia (can you imagine that beautiful girl could hardly look in a mirror?), and severe anxiety. 'At the time of her death she was on a waiting list to go to a Borderline intensive outpatient program in Chicago.' Parkhurst said that she had been in a 'good place' having just completed a nutritional rehab in California. 'She struggled every day and fought hard, and yet she was still able to create the most amazing art. Her skills were wicked good,' the post read. 'Laney could do it all. She worked with so many bands, and actors, on video and movie sets. She loved creating her monsters, her babies. Her family said she 'struggled with various mental illnesses throughout her adult life' and asked for donations in her honor to contribute to mental health awareness Chantal started her career as a makeup artist in 2008 where she attended the Los Angeles Cinema Makeup School 'She loved being a Juggalo and all the people she met. The Gathering was 'the most fun she had ever had in her life'. Parkhurst goes on to say that on the night of her death Chantal 'suffered a severe anxiety attack.' 'Yes, some may have seen her at Hallowicked, but she left the venue at 9.15,' the post continued. 'From there I know she went back to her house, was texting a friend and overmedicated with Her Prescribed Medicine. Not street drugs.' Parkhurst finished the post by telling those who struggle with mental illness to 'never give up.' 'Keep fighting until the psychiatrist gets your medications right, find the right therapist and therapies,' the post read. 'If you don't have the money or insurance, contact your local community health department. They will help you. 'And parents, don't ever stop trying to save your kids. I know it's hard, it's tormenting. Losing them is the most devastating thing that will ever happen to you.' Family and friends paid their respects to the 33-year-old makeup artist remembering her as someone who was 'deeply loved by all.' Her family remembered the young makeup artist as someone who 'put her whole self, body, mind and soul into her jobs' Chantal was recognized for her work in reality show Face Off and worked as the lead artist for Lil Nas X's Montero video 'Her family and friends meant the world to her and gathering with them during the holidays were some of her favorite and most anticipated times,' her family wrote. Chantal started in the makeup industry in Los Angeles in 2008, where she attended Cinema Makeup School. Here, she received her accreditation to work as a special effects makeup artist. 'Alaina put her whole self, body, mind and soul into her jobs, no matter the size,' her family said. 'Her artistic ability and visions quickly set her apart from other artists in her field and her portfolio blossomed. 'Laney, as she was known by many, lived her life to the fullest, and accomplished more in her short time on earth, than most do in a full lifetime.' Chantal grew up in Manitou Beach with her parents and two older sisters and was born February 20 1989. Fellow makeup artist Gabriella Accarino also shared a tribute. 'Her art and spirit are unparalleled, making the world a better place. My last memory with her was riding on four wheelers in the woods in Michigan until sunset,' Accarino wrote on Instagram. 'Laney, you deserved the world and were loved by so many people. 'You forever changed my life and taught me, unconditional love. You were a gift and I cherish every moment spent with you. I will carry you in my heart forever.' Chantal was recognized for her time on season 5 of Face Off which aired in 2013, she was most notable for being the second contestant to voluntarily leave the competition. It comes as former prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair slammed the show She defended the programme but added she understands the 'reaction to it' The Australian actress, 32, will play Diana, Princess of Wales in the new series The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki has said those watching the Netflix drama know it is 'clearly fiction'. The actress, 32, playing Diana, Princess of Wales jumped to the defence of the fifth series following weeks of criticism, including from former prime ministers Sir John Major and Sir Tony Blair as well as veteran actress Dame Judi Dench. Dench said the show had begun to verge on 'crude sensationalism' and called for a disclaimer to be added to each episode. Netflix confirmed earlier this week that no disclaimer would be added despite the mounting outcry. The Australian actress was asked in an interview with the Guardian whether she felt defensive to the criticism the show had received in recent weeks. Elizabeth Debicki, who is playing Diana in the upcoming series of The Crown, said those watching the Netflix drama know it is 'clearly fiction'. Pictured: Debicki playing Princess Diana in the fifth season She said: 'I don't really. I understand what the show is and what it's trying to do. I also understand the reaction to it. 'I think this is a period of time that's been told many times over and will continue to be told, and I know the degree of care and respect people enter into these stories with.' The lash back from the two former Prime Minister's, who both served in the 1990s when the latest season of The Crown was set. Debicki said she understood the 'reaction to it' but added she knew 'the degree of care and respect people enter into these stories with' The show is expected to show a scene where King Charles, played by Dominic West, cuts a holiday short with Diana to host a secret meeting with Sir John at Highgrove in 1991 where they discuss ousting the Queen. The former Prime Minister wrote in a letter in The Telegraph 'will be profoundly hurtful to a family who are still grieving for the very person on whose life the entire drama was founded'. Debicki stressed that in her mind the show is a television drama - based on real events. Dame Judi Dench said the show had begun to verge on 'crude sensationalism' and called for a disclaimer to be added to each episode. Netflix confirmed earlier this week that no disclaimer would be added despite the mounting outcry She said: 'I mean, it is clearly fictional. I feel like audiences know that, because there are actors playing parts. 'I never watched The Crown and thought, 'this is a documentary' or 'this is obviously true.' Another scene expected to be shown in the new season reportedly shows King Charles trying to recruit Sir Blair as an ally to protect his future and pave a way for him to marry Camilla, shortly after he was elected. The former Labour Prime minister said: 'It should come as no surprise that this is complete and utter rubbish.' Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair hit out the show claiming some of the depictions were 'complete and utter rubbish' For the upcoming fifth and the final sixth series, Debicki is taking over the role of Diana, who Emma Corrin portrayed in series four. The fifth series will document the events leading up to Diana's death, but the tragic crash will not be revealed until season six. It will, however, dramatise sensitive scenes including Diana's divorce from Charles and the infamous Panorama interview with former BBC journalist Martin Bashir. Debicki said that despite the sensitivity of the role and knowing it would bring intense scrutiny on her, she was never reluctant on joining the show. She said: 'I went off instinct and I didn't overthink it. I've watched this show and loved it for years. 'I knew I was stepping into working with people who were extremely intelligent and very sensitive about how they went about creating the script and making decisions. 'So, I never felt like I'd jumped on unstable ground.' Canon Europe announced the launch of the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM, a telephoto prime lens ideal for shooting portraits in low-light and the SPEEDLITE EL-5, a high-performance Speedlite for capturing weddings and events. A fast, bright f/1.8 aperture and built-in optical image stabilizer enable the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM to capture crisp images with a soft background, while the longer focal length creates flattering portraits. Offering the same intuitive design as the EL-1 and advanced performance at a competitive price, the SPEEDLITE EL-5 is the perfect accessory for professional photographers. Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) is also announcing a Neural Network Image Processing tool will be added to its DPP software, enabling photographers to improve the quality of the images they capture. Capture stand-out portraits with the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM The successor of the popular Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM, the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM achieves striking portraits thanks to the combination of a fast f/1.8, 9-blade aperture and 135mm focal length that create a beautiful bokeh effect, while compressing subject features for more flattering shots. This also creates a more comfortable and relaxed shooting environment thanks to the additional distance between subject and photographer, for natural looking photos whether capturing tight headshots or full body shots. The RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM is also perfect for close shooting, with a focusing distance of 0.7m that gives a 0.26x magnification. RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM also employs an Optical Image Stabiliser for up to 5.5 stops of stabilization, which increases to 8 stops with co-ordinated stabilization[i], which is ideal when shooting in low light or hand-held. As with Canons entire RF lens range, the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM delivers exceptional image quality across the entire frame. The advanced optical design features three UD elements to ensure high resolution, accurate colour reproduction and reduce chromatic aberrations. With ASC and Super Spectra Coating, the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM also benefits from minimal ghosting or flare, while the fluorine coating helps to keep the lens free from dirt for sharp images every time. The RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM offers effortless operation and handling, to support photographers in high-pressure shooting scenarios such as weddings or live sporting events. A Nano USM motor enables fast and quiet AF operation, which, coupled with Canons Eye AF feature[ii], ensures the RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM accurately focuses on the subjects eye so that the photographer can concentrate on the composition useful when shooting with a shallow depth-of-field. The RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM is Canons first ever lens, other than super-telephoto lenses, to feature two Lens Function buttons, which can be used for AF-stop function or other features. A Control Ring can also be customised to change various settings from the lens such as shutter speed, aperture or ISO. Dust and water-resistant seals around the lens mount ensure reliability in any shooting conditions. SPEEDLITE EL-5: Powerful, yet easy-to-use Speedlite Packed full of professional features, the SPEEDLITE EL-5 is a high-performance, reliable Speedlite that is a must have for the kit bag of any event photographer. Featuring a Guide Number of 60[iii] and a blisteringly fast flash recycle time of 0.1-1.2 seconds [iv], its never been easier to illuminate action-packed events such parties or weddings. Likewise, the rechargeable Li-ion Battery Pack LP-EL enables a long continuous flash count at up to 85 flashes at full power, and up to 350 flashes in a single charge, at full power[v]. For more subtle lighting requirements, the extended manual power setting enables users to set the flash to 1/1024th power[vi]. Canons first Speedlite to feature a Multi-Function foot that is compatible with the latest EOS R series cameras[vii], the SPEEDLITE EL-5 uses gold plated contacts to ensure a reliable connection with the camera and improved communication. For reliable performance even when shooting with flash for long periods of time, the SPEEDLITE EL-5 is designed with an efficient passive cooling system that allows heat to dissipate more quickly. When shooting in adverse weather conditions, the dust and water resistance seals give photographers confidence in their kit. Built for professional workflows, the SPEEDLITE EL-5 offers a number of features such as wireless radio control for up to 15 additional Speedlites and a Camera Link function that allows photographers to trigger external cameras connected to these Speedlites. The Dual White LED light acts as modelling light or AF assist lamp, to support focusing in low light situations. With the custom flash mode (C.Flash), users can register flash settings (C1, C2, C3) on the Speedlite and can also link these to the cameras custom modes[viii], which act as a pre-set to speed up workflows in more complex environments. With the same intuitive design and menu system as the EL-1, the SPEEDLITE EL-5 offers a familiar joystick and button layout along with a new (Flash) Menu Direct button for easy access to the Speedlite settings menu on the camera. DPP Cloud Upgrade Canon has also bolstered its Digital Photo Professional software for advanced photographers, with a new subscription-based Neural Network Image Processing tool that enhances image quality through the power of cloud computing and Canons advanced AI technology. Photographers are able to reduce noise, while restoring detail and sharpness, previously not possible at such a high ISO, improve colour accuracy and benefit from lens optimisation. Also launching today is EOS R6 Mark II, a full-frame mirrorless camera that delivers innovative ways for hybrid shooters to master their creativity without compromise and no matter what the subject. Capable of continuous shooting at 40fps and featuring Canons Dual Pixel CMOS AF to recognize and track more subjects at greater speed, EOS R6 Mark II sets new speed records. A true hybrid, it can also capture superb oversampled 4K 60p video or 6K RAW. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey took to the platform on Saturday and apologized to current and ex-employees after new boss Elon Musk's mass layoffs saw 3,700 of Twitter's approximately 7,500 employees fired. In his first tweet addressing the takeover, Dorsey said he was sorry for growing the company 'too quickly' and declared that Twitter employees 'always find a way no matter how difficult the moment.' The co-founder rolled over his 18 million shares into the Elon Musk era of the company rather than taking a payout. His shares equal approximately a 2.4 percent stake in the company. This means he will be one of Twitter's biggest investors in the company, and contributed roughly $1 billion to Musk's $44 billion purchase. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey tweeted an apology on Saturday for growing 'the company size too quickly' after Elon Musk gutted the company's workforce, firing 3,700 3,700 of Twitter's 7,500 employees were laid off by email after Musk took over, but he defended the decision by saying the company loses $4 million a day He joins Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Qatars Investment Authority as major investors. Dorsey said he was sorry for growing the company 'too quickly' and declared that Twitter employees 'always find a way no matter how difficult the moment.' 'Folks at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment,' Dorsey wrote. 'I realize many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologize for that,' he continued. Dorsey has faced backlash for his decision to abandon Twitter to work on his payments company Block, formerly known as Square. He addressed the ill-wishes in a subsequent tweet: 'I am grateful for, and love, everyone who has ever worked on Twitter. I don't expect that to be mutual in this moment...or everand I understand.' The employees that were fired were laid off by email - a decision Musk defended by saying he had 'no choice' because the company was losing $4 million a day. Musk almost immediately dissolved Twitter's board of directors upon purchasing the company, leaving Dorsey as one of few stakeholders with ties to previous leadership. Dorsey named Parag Agrawal, pictured, the new CEO when he left in November, but Agrawal's tenure was short-lived after Musk purchased the company Though Agrawal facilitated much of the deal with Musk, Dorsey was previously in favor of Musk's takeover plans and called it 'the right path' The Tesla CEO has long said Twitter's workforce was inflated and ordered managers to ask workers where the company could cut $500 million annually. In court filings, Dorsey was revealed to have contacted Musk and discussed the direction of the company. 'A new platform is needed. It can't be a company. This is why I left,' he texted Musk. When Musk asked him what the new model should look like, Dorsey responded that Twitter 'should never have been the company' and that was the 'original sin.' 'I think it's worth both trying to move Twitter in a better direction and doing something new thats decentralized,' he said. Dorsey famously left his post as CEO of Twitter last year, and named former chief technology officer Parag Agrawal the new CEO. Though Agrawal facilitated much of the deal with Musk, Dorsey was previously in favor of Musk's takeover plans and called it 'the right path.' 'Elon is the singular solution I trust,' said Dorsey in an April 2022 tweet. 'I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness.' Dorsey founded Twitter in 2006 along with co-founders Biz Stone, Noah Glass and Evan Williams. After popularity consistently increased, the app went public in 2013. Rishi Sunak has asked his Home Secretary to sign the biggest ever deal with the French to tackle illegal migrants on the coast. The Prime Minister will meet the French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday at the Cop climate summit in Egypt to thrash out the details. The agreement, which the UK hopes to sign in the coming weeks, would mean an increase in French officers patrolling beaches. It comes as Suella Braverman warns in a piece for Mail+ that many Albanians make 'spurious' claims that they are 'modern slaves' - despite paying thousands to get to the UK. Home Secretary Suella Braverman will meet the French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday at the COP climate summit in Egypt to thrash out the details Rishi Sunak has instructed the Home Secretary to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday at the Cop climate summit in Egypt to discuss the deal She warned that the abuse of the system 'has to stop' and said that the UK and the French would work more closely to tackle illegal migration. 'Many of the arrivals this year have been from Albania, so we are working closely with the Albanian government to encourage returns and processing cases and removals as swiftly as possible,' she writes. 'But we are also seeing many Albanians making spurious claims that they are 'modern slaves' despite paying thousands to come to this country. 'This abuse of our system has to stop we need to ensure our world beating regime to tackle modern slavery focuses on real victims, not those trying to circumvent our immigration rules.' A group of people, thought to be migrants, being brought in to Dungeness beach by a lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel Rishi Sunak has asked his Home Secretary to sign the biggest ever deal with the French to tackle illegal migrants on the coast She added that she hoped greater use would be made of UK surveillance following 'positive conversations' with her French counterpart. In her piece, she pours scorn on her critics and the Labour party for failing to come up with realistic solutions to tackle dangerous small boat Channel crossings. She writes: 'The truth is that the British people are fed up at the number of small boats reaching our shores. Some critics only provide fairytale suggestions on how to tackle the problem.' The UK needs to do 'everything possible' to tackle the crossings and continue to stop people smugglers, she added, admitting there was a 'long way to go'. The judge handling the assault case of the husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi disclosed that she had previously worked with the couple's daughter in the 90s. David DePape, 42, was charged with attempted murder for striking Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer after he broke into the Pelosi's San Francisco house, calling out 'Where's Nancy' the same phrase used by Capitol rioters on January 6. Judge Loretta Giorgi revealed in court that she was a colleague of Christine Pelosi when the pair worked at the San Francisco attorney's office but added that they hadn't spoken in several years. Christine is one of five adult children to Nancy and Paul Pelosi and while she has never held elected office, she's considered to be a potential successor when Nancy retires from her House seat. 'I do want to make a disclosure on the record that the daughter of Mr. Pelosi, Christine Pelosi, and I were in the city attorney's office together in the 90s,' Giorgi told the court. 'And I have disclosed to counsel the interactions that I had when she and I were together. I haven't seen or heard or talked to Ms. Pelosi after she left the office. I do see her here today.' Judge Loretta Giorgi (pictured) revealed in court that she was a colleague of Christine Pelosi when the pair had worked at the San Francisco attorney's office in the 90s Christine (right) is one of five adult children to Nancy and Paul Pelosi and while she has never held elected office, she's considered Nancy's potential successor No one objected during Friday's hearing to Giorgi's ties to the Pelosi family but either side could in the future and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told the Associated Press the case might be heard by another judge regardless. Giorgi worked in the city attorney's office from 1985 to 2006, when she was appointed to the bench. She rose to the rank of deputy city attorney and was the office's public integrity chief. Christine Pelosi attended Friday's hearing but left through a back door, seemingly in order to avoid media waiting in the hallway. She entered the courtroom right before the proceeding started and sat in the front row away from reporters. Christine is active in California and national Democratic politics. In 2019, she released a book about her mother titled 'The Nancy Pelosi Way.' In 2017, as chair of the California Democratic Party's women's caucus, she was actively involved in the #MeToo movement as it took shape in the state capital. In court filings released earlier this week, officials said DePape broke into the home carrying zip ties, tape and a rope in a backpack. He woke up Paul and demanded to talk to 'Nancy,' who was out of town. Two officers who raced to the home after Paul Pelosi's 911 call witnessed DePape hit him in the head with the hammer. DePape, who is Canadian, overstayed his authorized entry to the US more than two decades ago. No one objected during Friday's hearing to Giorgi's ties to Christine (pictured) but either side could in the future David DePape, 42, (pictured) was charged with attempted murder after he struck Paul Pelosi, 82, with a hammer after he broke into their house, calling out 'Where's Nancy' He should have been blocked from getting back into the country when he returned a few times over the years, according to a US official who spoke to the Associated Press who wished to remain anonymous. Nancy made her first public appearance this week since the brutal attack on her husband, saying the midterm elections for control of Congress are 'very winnable.' 'People say to me, 'What can I do to make you feel better?' I say: 'Vote!' said Nancy. 'I believe that this race is very winnable.' Polls released Wednesday, however, show Republicans are enjoying a last-minute wave of voter enthusiasm that could carry them to victory in the Senate and House of Representatives. Paul returned home Thursday after he was released from the hospital - the same San Francisco residence where he was attacked and suffered a fractured skull six days before. The 82-year-old was taken for treatment after DePape allegedly broke into his San Francisco house with a hammer and beat him. An erroneous NBC report that was later pulled by the network claimed that Paul did not tell responding police officers that he was in danger just before he was injured in a hammer attack at his San Francisco home last week. The report differed from court documents filed earlier this week, and a person with knowledge told DailyMail.com that 'the main source for the information was unreliable regarding the question of the circumstances that the police encountered when they arrived at the house, specifically what the police saw and how far the attacker was from the door.' This week Nancy (left) made her first public appearance since the brutal attack on her husband Paul (right) saying the midterm elections for control of Congress are 'very winnable.' The couple are pictured here in 2021 DePape was formally charged with attempted murder in San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to charges against him Pelosi's office said in a statemen that 'the Pelosi family is thankful for the beautiful outpouring of love, support and prayers from around the world.' 'Paul is grateful to the 911 operator, emergency responders, trauma care team, ICU staff, and the entire ZSFGH medical staff for their excellent and compassionate life-saving treatment he received after the violent assault in our home,' said the statement. 'Paul remains under doctors' care as he continues to progress on a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy.' Doctors operated on Pelosi, a successful investor, to treat a skull fracture he sustained while struggling with his attacker. Police said they arrived at Pelosi's home around 2am Friday to find Pelosi and DePape both gripping a hammer. They said DePape pried it away and used it to strike Paul on the head, knocking him unconscious. The Speaker's office said following the attack that 'Mr. Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery.' The US Capitol Police indicated Thursday they are undertaking an investigation of security procedures for the raft of lawmakers who receive some form of protection. The Speaker herself has a 24-hour security detail who travels with her but is not tasked with protecting her loved ones while she is away. DePape was formally charged with attempted murder in San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon. He pleaded not guilty to charges against him, including assault, attempted murder, and attempted kidnapping. A 'male sex pest' who allegedly dressed up as a woman to assault another man in a town centre was today remanded in custody. Wayne Rogers, 46, from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, was arrested yesterday accused of assaulting a man in the town centre in the early hours of September 11. He appeared before Hatfield Remand Court this morning where he was remanded in custody to appear before St Albans Crown court on December 5. Detectives have been investigating the incident in which a man was assaulted by a suspect, who was a man dressed as a woman. A 'male sex pest' who allegedly dressed up as a woman to assault another man in a town centre was today remanded in custody at Hatfield Remand Court (file image) Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, is leading the investigation. She said: 'I would appeal to anyone who has any information about the incident, or anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area to please contact us. 'I would also ask anyone who may have been approached in similar circumstances to make contact with my team. 'Please be reassured any information will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and in the strictest confidence.' Advertisement Thirty-eight people were hurt, with two suffering life-threatening injuries, after a fire broke out inside a 37-story building in Manhattan on Saturday. The FDNY reported that a three-alarm fire erupted from the battery of a micro-mobility device - an e-scooter or an e-bike - at around 10:30am on the 20th floor of an apartment building at 429 East 52nd Street. Officials said at least two dozen residents rushed to the roof while others hung out of their windows to try and escape the fire. Harrowing video on social media shows the moment firefighters quickly worked to perform a rope rescue of two people clinging from the building. A team of firefighters are seen pulling a woman out of a smoking window on the 20th floor as they secure her to their rope. One of the firefighters could be seen heroically giving up his own mask to the woman so she could breathe while surrounded by plumes of smoke. They then lower her slowly to the window below, where another group of firefighters grab her and bring her to safety, all within the span of a single minute. 'That is a last resort from the FDNY,' Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb said of the rescue. At least two people were reported to have sustained life-threatening injuries, with five others listed with severe injuries. About 38 people were hurt, with two suffering life threatening injuries, after a fire broke out on the 20th floor of a Manhattan apartment block Firefighters were on the scene within three minutes and pulled off two, daring rope rescues of residents hanging outside their windows (above) Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh (above) commended first responders' quick action to rescue the building's residents. She said the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery that was powering a micro-mobility device, which typically refers to an electric scooter or e-bike Fire-fighters were on the scene within three minutes and were met with heavy smoke conditions inside the apartment building. Riley Jankowski, 23, told the New York Times she didn't know her building was on fire until she heard first responders outside as residents began yelling about the blaze. 'I run down the stairs, and as I'm running out on the courtyard, the window bursts and glass flies around as I'm on the phone with my mom screaming for my life,' she said. At least two people suffered from smoke inhalation due to the fire. Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh commended first responders' quick action to rescue the building's residents. 'I cannot emphasize enough the extraordinary work of our members this morning in unbelievably dangerous conditions,' Kavanagh told reporters. Leeb echoed the praise from the quick-acting first responders to save more than three dozen people. 'What we saw today was our training, our teamwork and our absolute dedication from the units that operated up there with the life-saving rope rescue, to passing them off ot our exceptionally trained EMS personnel to get these patients all off-scene in a matter of minutes,' Leeb said. Additional praise came to the brave firefighters on social media, with Twitter user Andrew Fine writing: 'OMG. This may be the scariest rescue I have ever seen. @FDNY you guys are the bravest, ballsiest, most amazing. Wow! Holy heck! Thank you for everything.' The smoke could be seen completely covering the window as firefighters quickly worked to rescue the trapped residents Pictured: a team of FDNY firefighters secured the woman quickly and worked to lower her down to safety The fire broke out on the 20th floor of the 37-story apartment complex on East 52nd Street FDNY officials said they are investigating the cause of the fire as well as the safety mechanisms inside the building. Officials are specifically looking to see whether fire alarms were set off, whether doors were left open that inadvertently fed the fire, and whether fire protection and planning in the apartment complex were adequate. Grant Rosenberg, 26, noted that when he ran out of his room on the 10th floor, there didn't seem to be any alarms ringing in the building. 'The alarm didn't go off, but it seemed like everyone got the memo and started going out,' Rosenberg told the Times. Samantha Walker, 30, a friend of Rosenberg who was visiting from D.C., told the New York Post that the extreme heat and smoke from the fire caused the windows to shatter. 'We evacuated to the courtyard of the building and glass started breaking from the windows so there was glass coming down and [firefighters] were like, "You guys need to go to the back of the building, its not safe out here. Pictured: Firefighters preparing to pull a person from safety who was hanging from their window on the 20th floor Fire officials warned that rooms can catch on fire within seconds from blazes erupting from lithium-ion batteries Last month, FDNY officials said an 8-year-old girl was killed in an apartment building in Queens from such a fire. Authorities had recovered five e-bikes from the building and said a person was repairing the bikes when the fire broke out. Chief Fire Marshall Dan Flynn told reporters there have been 200 lithium-ion battery fires in New York City this year, and six people have died as a result. Iran sparked fury in Kyiv as the country admitted for the first time on Saturday that it had sent drones to Russia - but insisted they were supplied to its ally before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In response, Kyiv has warned Iran that the 'consequences' of supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine are greater than the 'benefits'. This comes as Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Russia of using Iranian-made 'kamikaze' drones in recent weeks to carry out attacks in Ukraine and hit key infrastructure sites. Previously, Tehran denied the accusations, but on Saturday Iran's foreign minister said a small number of the vehicles had been sent to Moscow. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Russia of using Iranian-made 'kamikaze' drones in recent weeks to carry out attacks in Ukraine and hit key infrastructure sites For weeks, Russian forces have rained missiles and explosive drones onto Ukraine infrastructure Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying that drones had been sent to Russia before the invasion began in late February. 'We supplied Russia with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine,' the official news agency IRNA quoted Amir-Abdollahian as saying. For weeks, Russian forces have rained missiles and explosive drones onto Ukraine infrastructure, as a major Ukrainian ground offensive - propelled by Western arms deliveries - has pushed Russian troops back in swathes of the country. Russian strikes over the past month have destroyed around a third of Ukraine's power stations and the government has urged Ukrainians to conserve electricity as much as possible. Ukraine's state energy company on Saturday announced additional power rationing in Kyiv and several other regions of the country. 'In a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian foreign minister last week, we agreed that if there was evidence (of Moscow's use of Iranian drones), he would provide it to us,' Amir-Abdollahian said. 'If the Ukrainian side keeps its promise, we can discuss this issue in the coming days and we will take into account their evidence,' he added. And he again denied Iran had supplied missiles to Russia, calling the accusations 'completely false'. In response Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman hit back and warned Iran on Saturday in a post on Facebook that 'the consequences of complicity' with Moscow would be 'greater than the benefit from Russia's support.' Kyiv claims around 400 Iranian drones have already been used against the civilian population of Ukraine and that Moscow has ordered around 2,000 'Tehran should realise that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine will be much greater than the benefit of Russia's support,' foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said. Kyiv claims around 400 Iranian drones have already been used against the civilian population of Ukraine and that Moscow has ordered around 2,000. Britain and the European Union have imposed sanctions on three Iranian generals and an arms firm accused of supplying Russia with drones. Ukrainian and Russian forces appear to be gearing up for a fierce battle in Kherson, a southern city with a population of around 288,000 people before the conflict. It was the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russian forces after the Moscow invasion. Russia has been pulling civilians out of the Kherson region, with President Vladimir Putin saying residents must be 'removed' from danger zones. But Kyiv has likened the departures to Soviet-style 'deportations' of its people. The Ukrainian presidency has accused the Russians of 'trying to identify residents who refuse to be evacuated' to Moscow-occupied areas further away from the front line. A judge in a Ukrainian town controlled by Moscow was in a 'serious' condition after surviving an assassination attempt, a separatist leader in Donetsk said Saturday. Russia has sent 30 prized thoroughbred horses to North Korea just days after the White House alleged Pyongyang supplied artillery shells for Putin's war efforts. The prized Orlov Trotters were shipped via cargo train and are considered a sign of status and wealth in North Korea. There are mounting concerns the shipment may have been payment for Kim Jong-un's support of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, particularly after Russian media revealed plans are underway to deliver medicine to the pariah state in the near future. On Wednesday, the White House revealed intelligence suggested North Korea was covertly sending weapons shipments to bolster Russia's supplies. 'Our information indicates that the DPRK is covertly supplying Russia's war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they're being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa,' John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said. Kim Jong-un was pictured on the back of an Orlov Trotter in October 2019, when he climbed the sacred Mount Paektusan on horseback Mr Kirby said the shells would not 'change the course of the war', but raised enough of a concern that it would be monitored by United States officials moving forward. Both Russia and North Korea have denied the allegations. According to the 38 North project, which monitors developments with North Korea, a train crossed into Russia on Friday afternoon, marking the first time the route is known to have been used since 2020. The 800-metre Tumangang Friendship Bridge is the only land link between the two countries, but was blocked in February 2020 amid rising concerns about the Covid pandemic. Russian state media said the 30 thoroughbreds - five stallions and 25 mares - were quarantined in Russia before making the journey into North Korea. A professor at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Artyom Lukin, told NK News in 2020, North Korean dignitaries, including Kim Jong-un, favoured Orlov Trotters because of their 'royal look'. The prized Orlov Trotters were shipped via cargo train and are considered a sign of status and wealth in North Korea. Pictured: Putin stroking an Orlov Trotter in 2019 'In 2003, Putin gifted Orlov horses to Kim Jong Il as a birthday present,' he said. 'The North Koreans came to like Orlov trotters. I think one reason they took to them is the Orlovs' magnificent, royal look as well as their good temper.' Kim Jong-un was pictured on the back of an Orlov Trotter in October 2019, when he climbed the sacred Mount Paektusan on horseback. North Korea was one of the only countries to publicly recognise the independence of Ukrainian regions that were 'liberated' by Russia during the war. As Putin's war efforts stagnate, UK government defence chiefs revealed he is planning to deploy special units to shoot his own military if they retreat. North Korea was one of the only countries to publicly recognise the independence of Ukrainian regions that were 'liberated' by Russia during the war. There are concerns about the improved relations between the two nations Britain's Ministry of Defence said Russia will deploy so-called 'blocking units' which 'threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives'. 'Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces have probably started deploying 'barrier troops' or 'blocking units',' the Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Friday. 'Recently, Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including possibly authorising shooting to kill such defaulters after a warning had been given. Generals also likely wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death.' Joseph Stalin used 'barrier troops' in the Second World War as part of his 'No One Turn Back' order. The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police has offered to meet a woman who claims an officer was among the gang of paedophiles that abused her in Sheffield 10 years ago. Leona Whitworth, now 28, was groomed by Amanda Spencer who was jailed for 12 years in 2014 after being found guilty of 16 charges relating to child prostitution. Ms Whitworth, who waived her right to anonymity in an interview with Sky News, told how aged just 13 she was drugged, raped and beaten, so she could be sold to men for sex. She said she recognised one of the men who abused her as a police officer when he picked her up after she went missing. 'He just spoke to me like the police officers do,' she told the broadcaster. Leona Whitworth (above), who waived her right to anonymity in an interview with Sky News, told how aged just 13 she was drugged, raped and beaten, so she could be sold to men for sex. Ms Whitworth, now 28, was groomed by Amanda Spencer (above) who was jailed for 12 years in 2014 after being found guilty of 16 charges relating to child prostitution '(He said) "You know everybody's been worried about you, don't you? You can't keep putting your family through this. '"You've got a lot of people out there looking for you, and you're wasting our resources by doing this".' The allegation comes after a damning report found serious failures in vetting police officers and staff. South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney told Sky: 'What happened to Leona at the hands of her abusers is simply unforgivable, and I am extremely concerned to hear today that the trauma she faced may have involved an officer who was serving with the force. She said she recognised one of the men who abused her as a police officer when he picked her up after she went missing 'There is no place in policing for individuals who abuse their position for criminal behaviour, and we proactively root out those who do so. 'I want to say to Leona directly that I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to obtain as much detail as you can provide in relation to this officer. 'We are here to listen and, if you feel ready to make a report, I will personally ensure this matter is thoroughly investigated by the specially trained officers in my counter corruption unit.' MailOnline has contacted South Yorkshire Police for comment. Three men were seriously injured after being stabbed in a fight outside a Manchester city centre nightclub. Police are appealing for information following the incident on Deansgate in the early hours of Saturday. It's thought it took place when a fight broke out between six to eight men outside Club Liv. Three suspects fled the scene soon after. A picture from the scene taken at around 4.30am shows Deansgate, at the junction of Bridge Street, cordoned off. Police are appealing to anyone in the area at the time or anyone who has CCTV or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward. Three men were seriously injured after being stabbed in a fight outside Manchester city centre nightclub Club Liv as police appeal for information from those who were in the area at around 3:30am A GMP spokesperson said: 'At around 3:35am this morning (Saturday), officers received reports of a stabbing on Deansgate in Manchester city centre. Officers attended the scene and three men were taken to hospital with serious but not life threatening injuries. 'Enquiries suggest that the incident started as a result of a fight between six to eight males outside Club Liv on Deansgate. The three male suspects subsequently made off away from the scene after the incident. 'GMP are appealing to members of the public who were on or around the Deansgate area around 3.30am that morning.' Call 101 referencing incident number 451 of November 5, report via www.gmp.police.uk or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Cannabis has been dubbed 'the new tobacco' by doctors after a raft of new research revealed it is as damaging to the heart as smoking cigarettes. In regular users, the drug was found to increase blood pressure and heart rate significantly in a similar way that heavy smoking does, according to the results of one study. In the trial, scientists in Canada where recreational use is legal gave 21 otherwise healthy volunteers who smoked cannabis frequently a 'vape' containing the drug. A single session of inhaling it was enough to alter the part of nervous system responsible for blood pressure and pulse, according to scans. Cannabis has been dubbed 'the new tobacco' by doctors after a raft of new research revealed it is as damaging to the heart as smoking cigarettes (file image) The changes could be enough to increase the risk of a heart attack in less healthy patients, they warned. New Jersey-based cardiologist Dr Abbas Alshami, who has been involved in the research, said: 'When the tobacco industry first began, we didn't know the damage smoking caused. 'It was only once it was in widespread use that we started seeing the health consequences, and acted to try to limit it. Unfortunately, millions of people died avoidable deaths before that happened. 'I feel like we are going through the same thing with cannabis now. We're alarmed by what we're seeing, and would like to see much tougher restrictions reimposed. Many people here [in the US] have no idea the cannabis is harmful but, clearly, it is.' In regular users, the drug was found to increase blood pressure and heart rate significantly in a similar way that heavy smoking does, according to the results of one study (file image) In another study, American researchers examined almost 35 million hospital admission records. It found that the odds of cannabis users developing acute coronary syndrome an umbrella term for conditions in which the blood supply to the heart becomes compromised, including heart attacks and angina was the same as for heavy cigarette smokers. Other research found older cannabis users who had common conditions such as chronic kidney disease, which affects 3.5 million Britons, were more likely to suffer heart attacks than those who didn't touch the drug, and over-60s who used it were also more likely to have a stroke. A study found the odds of cannabis users developing acute coronary syndrome an umbrella term for conditions in which the blood supply to the heart becomes compromised, including heart attacks and angina was the same as for heavy cigarette smokers (file image) American Heart Association medicines expert Professor Robert Page said he believed cannabis was 'absolutely the new tobacco' in terms of heart risk. He said: 'Cannabis is a psychotropic drug that not only has an impact on the brain but also the nervous system, so what we're seeing in these studies makes a lot of sense. 'The worry is that we're observing an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes even in younger adults, who are the biggest recreational users of cannabis. This is a huge signal that warrants more research.' Recreational cannabis use is legal in 19 US states. However, it remains illegal for recreational purposes in the UK. Not later than July 2022, the PIAFRICA2022, was opened by the Minister of Financial Services & Good Governance, Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, in the presence of more than 180 delegates from different countries of the African Continent. !more> Over and above the 180 delegates who travelled to Mauritius from 16 African countries with over 40 speakers, 100 attendees joined the Forum virtually.< The Hon. Minister, took the opportunity on this day, to invite the audience, to come and do business with Mauritius. He shared that the Mauritius Brand is now a mature IFC which ticks all the boxes from an investors perspective, and that Mauritius is used as a platform of choice for onward investments across the African continent. The event is being brought for the 6th consecutive year by AME Trade, the Organiser, in collaboration with communicationsC!. We are proud to reveal the date of PIAFRICA2023 being, the 15-16 March 2023, in Balaclava, Mauritius. The Forum will be even bigger than 2022, with more collaborators, extended hot topics of the moment, more networking events and larger crowd coming from Africa and other parts of the world. Laura Sitzia, General Manager & International Director of AME Trade, is now a known figure in Mauritius, to all the local financial services operators, in driving for 6th consecutive years, the PIAFRICA in Mauritius. Appreciative of the quality of professionals in Mauritius, she finds Mauritius the best place to hold such a high level conference. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires I remember my reaction when I was first presented with an opportunity to go to space. I said: 'No.' I turned it down not for lack of curiosity, or because I was afraid. Well, I was afraid, but that wasn't my primary reason. I turned it down because I'm an actor, not an astronaut. Captain Kirk, the role I'd played in the original 1960s Star Trek series and, later, on the big screen, was a spacefaring hero. But I was a real-life 90-year-old relying on the help of Medicare the American health system for the elderly and poor. 'Bill,' said a friend in TV, 'they're going to send civilians up into space. Bezos is going himself and will be looking for others to take with him. Wouldn't it be great if Captain Kirk went up there?' 'I don't think so,' I replied. 'I don't need to go into space. Besides, who on earth would be interested in an actor going up there?' Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the world's richest men, for starters. I remember my reaction when I was first presented with an opportunity to go to space. I said: 'No.' I turned it down not for lack of curiosity, or because I was afraid. Well, I was afraid, but that wasn't my primary reason. I turned it down because I'm an actor, not an astronaut. Just a few years back, he invited me to the headquarters of Blue Origin, his space tourism project, in Seattle, and it was immediately clear he was a major Star Trek fan. I was astonished to see that the centrepiece of the lobby was a replica of the Starship Enterprise. He told me he'd grown up watching Star Trek, and spoke of the power that its portrayal of an optimistic future had had on him as a child. We hit it off immediately. I learned at that first meeting there was genuine enthusiasm for the idea of sending the world's most famous space captain into outer space for real. And by the end of it, I was excited at the prospect of being on the first civilian trip into space, a journey on a rocket-powered spacecraft that would take me 66 miles above the surface of the Earth, beyond its atmosphere and gravitational pull. Far enough and high enough for weightlessness. Today, there have been six crewed Blue Origin flights carrying celebrities or those rich enough to spend up to 24 million for a ticket. But back then, they were still figuring out when they were going to go on that first flight, so they said they'd get back to us. Then, in 2020, Covid hit. Everything was delayed. More than a year went by, things changed and it turned out I hadn't been chosen after all. There would be a second flight in a couple of months' time. Would I consider that? I said no. It was like inviting the vice-president to speak after missing out on getting the president. But a few weeks later, I found myself looking up at the evening sky. When the day finally arrived, October 13, 2021, I couldn't get the doomed Hindenburg airship out of my head. Our take-off was due to be from Launch Site One, a spaceport in the West Texas town of Van Horn, near the Mexican border It was an unusually clear night, and I could really see the stars, twinkling in their time-warped majesty as their light made its way to me in Los Angeles. I thought about what it might mean to go into space, to slip the bonds of Earth. The wonder of it overcame me then the thrill. Being weightless. Looking out into the heavens. Going where no one has gone before. (Well, where some had gone before, I guess) I also thought about the dangers. Space disasters flooded my mind. The disastrous explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986; the damaged wing of the Columbia shuttle that led to its break-up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere in 2003. There were other accidents, large and small, most often caused by simple human error. I thought long and hard about whether I really wanted to do this. Ultimately, I concluded that the sense of thrill outweighed the fear. And so I found myself back at Blue Origin to complete two days of training in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. (By comparison, a typical Nasa astronaut must undergo two years of training before being certified for spaceflight.) Fortunately, the New Shepard spacecraft that was to carry us to space is fully automated there is no pilot on board and there are no flight controls. So I wasn't expected to fly the thing. As part of the preparation, we were taken up 11 flights of the launch gantry. Then we were escorted to a chamber built out of thick cement with oxygen tanks inside. 'What's this room for?' I asked casually. 'Oh, you guys will rush in here if the rocket explodes,' a Blue Origin fellow responded just as casually. Uh-huh. A safe room. Eleven storeys up. In case the rocket explodes. Well, at least they've thought of it. Our training continued. 'Should there be a problem with the rocket, the pod is equipped to eject and shoot you to a safe distance, where you will float down in a parachute' Should there be a problem with the rocket? That's like when you're on a plane and they tell you that in the event of a water landing, your seat can be used as a flotation device. With the exception of the Miracle on the Hudson, when a passenger airliner was safely glided on to the Hudson River in 2009, there are few water landings to speak of. Most involve the plane hitting the water at a gazillion miles an hour and exploding on impact. But just in case you land successfully on the water, they've got you covered with floating airplane seats. When the day finally arrived, October 13, 2021, I couldn't get the doomed Hindenburg airship out of my head. Our take-off was due to be from Launch Site One, a spaceport in the West Texas town of Van Horn, near the Mexican border. I was so thoroughly unprepared for this experience, I was overcome with the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness Sensing the nervousness in our group, the ground crew reassured us along the way. 'Everything's going to be fine. Don't worry about anything. It's all OK.' Sure, I thought, easy for them to say. We remounted those 11 flights of stairs to the top of the gantry, breathless at every stop, and got ourselves inside our special pod, lying down in its reclining seats. Most of the practice sessions we had been through were all about how to get back into those seats for the return journey after you've been weightless and floated out of them. If you aren't strapped in correctly, there's a danger you will break your back. You have to strap yourself in in a specific order: left shoulder, right shoulder, waist, crotch, and by the time you get to the last few straps, you're lying down and can't really see where the straps are supposed to go. I didn't nail it every time in practice, so as I sat there, waiting to take off, the seat straps were at the forefront of my mind. As was the catastrophic Hindenburg fireball in New Jersey in 1937. Then there was a delay. 'Sorry, folks, there's a slight anomaly in the engine. It'll just be a few moments,' said a voice. An anomaly in the engine? That sounds serious, doesn't it? More importantly, why would they tell us that? There's a time for unvarnished honesty, and this wasn't it. Apparently, the anomaly wasn't too concerning, because 30 seconds later, we were cleared for launch. The countdown began. Then with noise, fire and fury, we lifted off and I could see Earth disappearing. As we ascended, I was at once aware of the pressure. Gravitational forces the Gs pulling at me. There was an instrument that told us how much we were experiencing. At two Gs, I tried to raise my arm and could barely do so. At three Gs, I felt my face being pushed right back into my head and the seat behind. I don't know how much more of this I can take, I thought. Will I pass out? Will my face melt into a pile of mush? How many Gs can my 90-year-old body handle? And then, suddenly relief. No Gs. Zero. Weightlessness. We were floating. Travelling at 2,233 miles per hour, we had passed the Karman line, the point 62 miles into the air that separates Earth's atmosphere from outer space. We got out of our harnesses and began to float around. The other folks went straight into somersaults and enjoying all the effects of weightlessness. But I wanted no part in that. I wanted, needed, to get to the window as quickly as possible, to see what was out there. I pressed my face against the glass and looked down at where we'd come from. I could see the hole our spaceship had punched in the thin, blue-tinged layer of oxygen around Earth. And just as soon as I noticed it, it disappeared. I turned my head to face the other direction, to stare into space. What I saw was a cold, dark, black emptiness. In me, it reinforced tenfold my own view on the power of our beautiful, mysterious collective human entanglement. Bezos came by with a camera crew and interviewed me. I must have sounded nonsensical as I tried to process what I was feeling. I told him: 'I hope I never recover from this' It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing. I turned back toward the light of home. I could see the curvature of Earth, the beige of the desert, the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky. It was life. Nurturing, sustaining, life. Mother Earth. Gaia. And I was leaving her. Everything I had expected to see and think and feel had been proven wrong. I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis, that connection I had been looking for between all living things that being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe. In the film Contact, when Jodie Foster's character goes to space and looks out into the heavens, she lets out an astonished whisper: 'They should've sent a poet.' I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isn't out there, it's down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound. And it truly is tiny. The sun is so big in comparison, yet it's only a moderate-size star. We have seen images from the Hubble Space Telescope that show the true grandeur of our galaxy, and more. But when I finally arrived out there, the splendour was absent. The feeling wasn't a warmth or a glow that required poetry to express it; it was ominous. It was the opposite of life. In space, we know that the temperature can get as cold as minus 270C. You're either an instant icicle, or too close to the sun an instant fireball. Every precaution we take on Earth is to ensure we are never subjected to such elements. I was so thoroughly unprepared for this experience, I was overcome with the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness. Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind. It filled me with dread. My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it felt like a funeral. Then, almost without warning, it was time for the return journey. I struggled back into my seat and we were off. But by the time we reached around 3Gs once again, I was not conscious of my bones feeling like iron or my face turning to mush. I was consumed with sadness. The pod landed successfully. We had been gone for a mere ten minutes 17 seconds. One by one, we all made our way out of the capsule and back to terra firma. And from some wellspring of emotion I hadn't realised was there, I began to cry uncontrollably, like being told someone you love has died. I was flooded with grief, unable to talk, barely able to function. Others were popping champagne corks, yahooing, slapping each other with high-fives. Every time champagne spray hit my arm, it was like a hot iron. It was the antithesis of everything I was feeling. I learned later that I was not alone in this feeling. It is called the Overview Effect, and is not uncommon among astronauts, including Yuri Gagarin, Michael Collins, Sally Ride, and many others. When someone travels to space and views Earth from orbit, a sense of the planet's fragility takes hold in an ineffable, instinctive manner. It can change the way we look at the planet, but it can also turn your world view on its axis. In me, it reinforced tenfold my own view on the power of our beautiful, mysterious collective human entanglement. Bezos came by with a camera crew and interviewed me. I must have sounded nonsensical as I tried to process what I was feeling. I told him: 'I hope I never recover from this.' That feeling was something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. William Shatner and Joshua Brandon, 2022 Boldly Go, by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon, is published by Atria Books on November 10 at 20. To pre-order a copy for 18, go to mailshop. co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937 before November 19. Free UK delivery on orders over 20. Educational experts say this is down to how Britain is now portrayed in schools He has been voted the greatest Briton of all time a heroic wartime leader who took on Hitler against the odds. But Winston Churchill, it seems, is no longer so universally admired. Just one in five 18-to-24-year-olds say they have a positive view of the former Prime Minister, compared with 58 per cent of over-65s, a poll has revealed. Educational experts say the findings are down to changes to the school curriculum, which have led to Britains past being portrayed in increasingly negative ways. The survey, commissioned by the think tank Policy Exchange, revealed views of history depended not only on age but also political leanings. More than 60 per cent of Conservative voters in the 2019 Election admire Churchill, compared with just 22 per cent of Labour voters. He has been voted the greatest Briton of all time a heroic wartime leader who took on Hitler against the odds Across all ages, 36 per cent of the public had a positive image of the wartime PM, down from 47 per cent in a 2018 YouGov poll. In a 2002 BBC survey, Churchill was voted the greatest Briton of all time. But in recent years, Left-wing critics have increasingly focused on his apparent racism and his support for the British Empire, rather than on his stand against Hitler and the defeat of fascism. The backlash has led to his name being removed from school houses, while the charity formerly known as the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has changed its name to The Churchill Fellowship and removed images of him from its website. Views on colonialism in the poll, carried out by People Polling, also vary by age. Just 17 per cent of young people believe the British Empire did more good than harm, compared with 61 per cent of the 65-plus group. Just one in five 18-to-24-year-olds say they have a positive view of the former Prime Minister, compared with 58 per cent of over-65s, a poll has revealed Among 18-to-24-year-olds, 45 per cent think Britain should be more ashamed of its involvement in the Atlantic slave trade than proud of its role in ending it. For older people, the figure was less than a quarter. Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, who has been an adviser to the Department for Education on three National Curriculum documents, including the current one, said the survey findings demonstrated ignorance and a victory for the mob. The curriculum does not require the teaching of Winston Churchill, or WWI or WWII that was why I was a dissenting voice, he said. The number of people who are not sympathetic to Churchill is growing. That represents a victory for history teachers who dont, on the whole, treat Churchill with any sympathy or support; they dont regard him as a heroic figure. Chris McGovern (pictured), chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, who has been an adviser to the Department for Education on three National Curriculum documents, including the current one, said the survey findings demonstrated ignorance and a victory for the mob If hes taught at all, it is often in terms of the starvation and hunger in India and his racist views. The views in the poll are based on ignorance. In the Second World War, he did more than anyone else to save this country. Without Churchill, the government was prepared to compromise with Hitler. Churchills abiding achievement was his refusal to compromise and his determination to stand firm against fascism. Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon said something had gone very wrong when the greatest defender of freedom in Europe was seen in a negative light. Churchill was the greatest Prime Minister this country has seen, he told The Mail on Sunday. He was, more than anyone, responsible for resisting the evil of Hitler and the threat this posed to Britain and Europe. Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon (pictured) said something had gone very wrong when the greatest defender of freedom in Europe was seen in a negative light Something is obviously going very wrong if young people think otherwise. Either they are not being taught about him, or theyre being taught the wrong things about him. In truth every leader is a mixture of good and bad. But in Churchill, as in all great leaders, the balance was overwhelmingly positive. Jeremy Black, Emeritus Professor of History at Exeter University, said he suspected that the survey results showed the unfortunate impact of poor history. The Policy Exchange poll also revealed widespread concern about how history is taught in schools. Just 19 per cent of the 1,260 respondents said they agreed that children today were taught about British history in a balanced way. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has alarmed Western leaders by referencing the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a conversation with French president Emmanuel Macron, diplomatic sources have said. According to the sources, Putin expressed the view that the bombings which triggered the Japanese surrender and the end of the Second World War demonstrated that you dont need to attack the major cities in order to win. The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians. Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 15. Russian leader Vladimir Putin (pictured on June 23) has alarmed Western leaders by referencing the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki The reported remarks come amid growing concern that the Russian leader could be prepared to use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, where Russian forces have suffered increasing setbacks in the conflict. A source said: Macron was distinctly alarmed. It sounded like a very heavy hint that Putin might detonate a tactical nuclear weapon in the east of Ukraine, while leaving Kyiv intact. That appeared to be the thrust of his remarks. A French government source told this newspaper: The two presidents have undoubtedly discussed the risk of nuclear weapons use. Putin wants to get the message across that all options are on the table, in line with Russian doctrine relating to nuclear weapons. This newspaper revealed last week that during the final days of her time in Downing Street, Liz Truss became increasingly concerned that Putin might use a battlefield nuclear weapon in Ukraine to the extent that she became fixated with the weather forecast in case the wind blew a radioactive cloud over the UK. Ms Truss had been told by the intelligence agencies that Putin might explode a weapon in the air above the Black Sea, which would show the West what he was capable of without triggering a full-scale nuclear war. The comments took place in a conversation with French president Emmanuel Macron (pictured on June 28), diplomatic sources have said Officials had warned that Putin might go nuclear after Ukrainian forces attacked the road bridge connecting Russia and Crimea, something the Russian president had said would cross a red line and prompt judgment day. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was told by his security services there was a very high risk that Russia might use tactical nuclear weapons. Putin warned that if Western forces endangered the integrity of Russian territory then we will certainly use all the means at our disposal, adding: This is not a bluff. On October 12, Mr Macron said in an interview that France would evidently not use nuclear weapons in response to a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine. He said: France has a nuclear doctrine that is based on the vital interests of the country and which are clearly defined. These would not be at stake if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region. Mr Macron last spoke to Mr Zelensky on Tuesday, when he agreed to help boost Ukraines air defences. The French presidents last publicised phone call with Putin was on September 11 when Mr Macron demanded a ceasefire in Ukraine, and restoration of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. The revelation about the Hiroshima/Nagasaki comments came as Putin warned the residents of the Ukrainian city of Kherson to leave or face being forcibly deported to Russian-held territory. According to the sources, Putin expressed the view that the bombings which triggered the Japanese surrender and the end of the Second World War demonstrated that you dont need to attack the major cities in order to win (file image) Kyivs forces have been steadily advancing on the strategic port, which is the only major city gained by Moscow since its troops invaded in February. At least 70,000 people are reported to have been moved already from Kherson, with Russian soldiers also reported to be leaving the city. Putin said: Those who still live in Kherson should certainly be removed from the area of the most dangerous hostilities. Civilians should not suffer from shelling, from attacks, counter-attacks or something like that. Officials in Ukraine have admitted privately that they are wary, saying it could be an attempt to lure their troops into a trap. Putin also claimed that 318,000 military recruits had signed up for duty during the recent mobilisation exceeding his target of 300,000 of which 49,000 were already involved in active fighting in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence said this weekend that Putin was planning to deploy special forces to execute his own troops if they retreat from the war in Ukraine so-called blocking units which threaten to shoot their own retreating soldiers in order to compel offensives. A spokesman for the French government declined to comment. The Russian embassy in London was approached for comment. Putins threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine gives insight into the mind of a Russian fuhrer whos realised he might just lose the war he stupidly started, writes author and historian ANDREW ROBERTS The news that Vladimir Putin has openly discussed using nuclear weapons against Ukraine with President Macron should shock but not surprise us. The Russian dictator has crossed so many red lines in the course of this war the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets such as residential flats and hospitals, the repeated breaking of ceasefire agreements over humanitarian corridors, the use of white phosphorus and thermobaric weapons. Then theres the flattening by 500kg bombs of the Mariupol theatre where children had been sheltering (the word children was prominently displayed in large Cyrillic Russian lettering), the deliberate use of rape and torture and the attempted disposal of the evidence in mass graves. Little can genuinely shock us now. Yet we must examine our consciences and recognise that Putins threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine should indeed shock us all over again, however repulsively he has behaved so far. ANDREW ROBERTS: To equate the Allied destruction of Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right) to end a world war against fascism in which about 60 million people had died after six years, with the maniacal dreams of todays Russian fuhrer is to delve into the mind of a dictator Nuclear warfare is a Rubicon. And if Putin crosses it, that must mark him as an international pariah whose ousting will be the duty of any world leader worthy of the name. Of course, as ever with him, the remarks that Putin made about the precedents for his intended action were couched in ignorance. When he claimed that you dont have to bomb the major cities to win a war a sinister reference to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki he ignored the fact that the larger Japanese cities of Tokyo and Kyoto had already seen terrible destruction by then. Similarly, Berlin suffered huge casualties before the war was won against Germany. To equate the Allied destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end a world war against fascism in which about 60 million people had died after six years, with the maniacal dreams of todays Russian fuhrer is to delve into the mind of a dictator who is starting to recognise that he might lose the war he so stupidly started. As with his historically illiterate 6,500-word essay of July 2021 entitled On the Historical Unity of the Russian and Ukrainian Peoples, which was intended to provide the intellectual justification for his invasion of Ukraine the following February, Putins grasp of history is dangerously weak considering the vast weight he places on it to justify actions with devastating real-life consequences for millions of people. The signs are that the Russian high command knows it will have to give up Kherson in the south, the only major Ukrainian city it has captured in this war so far. Senior commanders are evacuating, leaving only untrained conscripts to try to hold up the relentless Ukrainian advance. Kherson is nearly 400 miles to the east of the disputed Donbas region, and when it falls which many experts are predicting will happen before Christmas there will be no Russian-occupied city to the west of the Dnipro river. It is therefore possible that Putins disgracefully inflammatory remarks regarding nuclear weapons are merely a bluff to distract from his coming humiliation, more of the same nuclear brinkmanship in which he has indulged regularly since the invasion, often when things are going badly. Then theres the flattening by 500kg bombs of the Mariupol theatre where children had been sheltering On occasion he and his defence minister Sergei Lavrov have brought up the nuclear option to try to split Nato. Indeed, mentioning it to Macron, who is notoriously the least anti-Putin of the major Western leaders, and the most open to an negotiated off-ramp settlement, might be just the latest iteration of this bluffing, combined with the macho posturing that Putin enjoys. At least this time he did it with his shirt on. If he truly thinks he will win the Russo-Ukrainian War with nuclear weapons, he has still not taken the measure of the Ukrainian people, let alone understood the limits of the rest of the worlds patience. So far, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and several other major countries upon which what is left of the Russian economy depends, have indulged Putin to a far greater degree than they would have if it had been a democratic Western-leaning nation that had transgressed so foully against every decent international norm. Selling huge amounts of cheap oil and gas, buying weapons, and generally acting as a thorn in the side of the West, Putin has been a useful friend for these countries, which have not yet denounced him in the United Nations. Yet were Putin to let off a nuclear bomb, all of those countries except Iran would be forced to sever ties with Russia partly because of their own on-the-record denunciation of nuclear first-use, but also because the revulsion would be felt strongly by their own populations. Putin only has four allies in the United Nations today the paradises of Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea but 30 that regularly abstain in votes rather than condemn what is happening in Ukraine. A nuclear bomb would force them off the fence, and declare Putin an international leper. All it would take would be for the wind to change direction after a nuclear attack for leukaemia-inducing clouds of fallout to drift towards Belarus, Russian-held Crimea, or south-western Russia itself. Such considerations might even induce anti-Putin elements in the military to refuse to undertake such a clearly immoral order as to use even tactical nuclear weapons in a war that is not existential for Mother Russia. It would certainly revivify internal opposition to Putin within Russia, depleted somewhat recently by the exodus of the intelligentsia and educated middle classes, but still bravely led by the political prisoner Alexei Navalny. In retrospect, for all that Ukraine was lauded internationally for giving up her nuclear weapons under the Budapest Agreement in 1994, it proved an appalling misjudgment. Were Putin to use a nuclear weapon, the message would go out to every country that could build one Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt among them that they needed nukes as soon as possible. If today President Zelensky (pictured on November 3) was presented with an opportunity to have the highly capable Ukrainian secret services and special forces smuggle a dirty bomb into Red Square in Moscow, he would not take it The consequences for global proliferation, and thus Armageddon, would be incalculable. All this is before considering what Nato might have to undertake in response to such a monstrous escalation of the war, or indeed what the Ukrainians themselves might do. Certainly, surrender is not an option because they have seen what comes of Russian occupation in places where mass graves have been unearthed, such as Bucha, Mariupol and Izyum. If today President Zelensky was presented with an opportunity to have the highly capable Ukrainian secret services and special forces smuggle a dirty bomb into Red Square in Moscow, he would not take it. After Putin had let off a nuclear weapon against his homeland, why would he hesitate? You might not have to bomb the major cities to win a war, but what if the Ukrainians, in response to an attack, were to make the Kremlin and its environs uninhabitable for three generations? Vladimir Putin is faced with what for him might genuinely be an existential decision. We know he has practised and wargamed the use of nuclear weapons, and now he is openly discussing their use with a Western leader (who one hopes was at least eloquent in dissuasion). The fact that no leaders in the world today beyond Kim Jong-un and the Iranian mullahs make such nuclear threats shows us where Putin has now reached in his terrifying descent into evil. Rugby player Levi Davis is feared missing as his family launched an urgent appeal. The winger, 24, who starred on X Factor: Celebrity, was last seen out with friends at The Old Irish Pub in Barcelona a week ago. His 'worried' family have reported him as a missing person to local Spanish police. 'Levis' family and I are very worried about him and desperate to know that he is OK,' his mother Julie told The Sun. 'Levi please get in touch with us or if anyone knows anything please contact us. 'Nobody has heard from him since Oct 29th when he was last known to be in The Old Irish Pub in Barcelona.' Rugby player Levi Davis is feared missing as his family launched an urgent appeal The winger, 24, who starred on X Factor: Celebrity, was last seen out with friends at The Old Irish Pub in Barcelona a week ago A 21-year-old man has been fatally stabbed and three others are on the run in the latest tragedy on the streets of Lawless London. Emergency services were called to Bromley Road in Downham about 11.50pm on Friday after the man was set upon. He was rushed to hospital for treatment but died this afternoon. Police believe they know the identity of the victim and have informed his family, but are still awaiting formal identification. Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen from the Met's Specialist Crime Command said her team have launched a murder investigation. 'We know there were several people in the Bromley Road area who either witnessed this incident or the events leading up to and after this incident,' she said. Emergency services were called to Bromley Road in Downham about 11.50pm on Friday after the man was set upon 'I would urge them, along with any road users in the area who may have captured events on dashcam to come forward and speak to police.' She said initial investigations have led her team to believe he was attacked by up to three men, who 'then fled the scene on foot'. 'A young man's family is grieving following another senseless loss of life to knife violence; please help them get justice and speak to police if you know anything that could help us.' No arrests have been made, and police are appealing for assistance. It is the latest in a wave of vicious attacks to have erupted on the streets of the capital, which saw six people gunned down or stabbed to death in the space of a week. Police believe they know the identity of the victim and have informed his family, but are still awaiting formal identification Three people were reportedly stabbed in Colindale, North London, shortly after 7pm on Thursday. When officers arrived, they found three males with stab wounds close to Colindale tube station. The trio, two in their 20s and one in his 30s, were taken to hospital for treatment to stab injuries. Their condition has been assessed as non life-threatening. Last Sunday, a 21-year-old delivery driver was killed minutes before finishing his shift in Brixton during a brutal double killing. It is the latest in a wave of vicious attacks to have erupted on the streets of the capital, which saw six people gunned down or stabbed to death in the space of a week Guilherme Messias Da Silva was an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and died alongside rapper Lamar Scott, who was trying to flee a gunman. Earlier on Sunday, a man was stabbed to death in Wembley, while a 32-year-old man was killed during a knife attack near Waterloo Station on Saturday. None of the incidents have been linked by police, while officers are yet to make an arrest in three of the four incidents. Anyone with information or any witnesses who are yet to speak with police are asked to come forward. Witnesses who want to remain anonymous can contact Crimestoppers. Fears the videos are encouraging Albanians to come to UK to join criminal gangs The rap group shares the same name as a violent gang of Albanian drug dealers Video posted by Hellbanianz rap group was viewed more than 17 million times Masked men drove through east London housing estate in an armoured vehicle Albanian gangster rappers drove military vehicles fitted with heavy machine guns around a British housing estate while shooting a music video that glorified drug crime and violence. In an online video viewed more than 17 million times, fearsome masked men cruised around the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, East London, in an armoured fighting vehicle equipped with a .30 calibre machine gun. The gang also brandished a .50 calibre Browning machine gun fitted on to a military jeep. It is believed neither of the guns could be used and were either decommissioned or replicas. The video, entitled Poppin Smoke, is the latest to be posted on YouTube by the notorious Hellbanianz rap group. A video shared on YouTube showed Albanian gangster rappers driving military vehicles fitted with heavy machine guns around a British housing estate The masked men cruise around the estate in an armoured fighting vehicle equipped with a .30 calibre machine gun The video, entitled Poppin Smoke, is filmed in the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, East London They share the same name as a violent gang of Albanian drug dealers that has terrorised the area for years. It is feared the slick videos featuring Barking-based rappers Ervin Selita, currently believed to be in jail in Albania awaiting trial for an alleged firearms offence, and Fatjon Dibra are encouraging others in Albania to enter the UK illegally to join criminal gangs. 'These songs are glorifying violence and drugs and showing off a lavish lifestyle,' said Muhamed Veliu of Albania's Top Channel TV station. 'Young men watch these videos and want to move to the UK to enjoy this wealth. They help attract more recruits for gang bosses.' Liz Truss is on her fourth new mobile phone number since July, as the security services battle to protect her from being further compromised by foreign powers. The Mail on Sunday revealed last week that the former Prime Minister had to change her number during the summer leadership contest after she was hacked by agents suspected of working for Russia. Now this newspaper can disclose new details about the panic the hack caused in Ms Trusss team and how she is still suffering the consequences. A former aide says Ms Truss, who was Foreign Secretary, was ashen-faced when she was told that the number she had been using for more than a decade had been compromised. She was also warned a years worth of messages including exchanges with former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and sensitive information about military strategy in Ukraine were in the hands of an individual who had alerted her office to the security breach. A former aide says Ms Truss, who was Foreign Secretary, was ashen-faced when she was told that the number she had been using for more than a decade had been compromised' The aide said: GCHQ laid the blame for the hack squarely at the feet of Russia. Liz was told that the individual had agreed to hand them over because they were clearly the work of Russia. One adviser in the room asked Ms Truss what she worried might be in the messages. She is understood to have replied: Stuff between me and my guys. Ms Truss initially told just two of her closest advisers about the hack out of fear the information would leak but more knew as the campaign progressed. The aide added Ms Truss exchanged concerned looks with her political aide responsible for national security policy while explaining events. The former Prime Minister had to change her number during the summer leadership contest after she was hacked by agents suspected of working for Russia As soon as they were notified of the unprecedented security breach, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case moved to ensure information about the incident was suppressed. The individual who had been handed the messages was advised in strong terms not to publish on security grounds, the aide said. They added that questions have been raised about why GCHQ was unaware of the hack until the individual came forward with the messages. It is believed that key international allies the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand who comprise the Five Eyes intelligence alliance were informed. According to one security source: As a matter of normal protocol, intelligence of this nature will have been shared with Five Eyes. But that will probably have been within the intelligence community, rather than at Ministerial level. Initially security services believed the phone may have been hacked while Ms Truss was overseas, either in her role as Foreign Secretary or as International Trade Secretary. According to one security source: What people miss is hacking like this is relatively easy. Lots of countries do it, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, etc. As soon as they were notified of the unprecedented security breach, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case moved to ensure information about the incident was suppressed Particular focus was paid to Ms Trusss trip to Moscow in February, where she held talks on the Ukraine crisis with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. However officials with knowledge of that visit claim it is unlikely that was where the hack occurred. Liz took extensive security precautions in Russia, one Government source revealed. She was given a temporary burner phone, and the aircraft carrying her didnt stay on Russian soil to ensure its own communications systems couldnt be compromised. GCHQ believes the hack probably occurred on British soil. After the incident, Ms Truss was handed a secure phone for the duration of the leadership campaign. However, after she entered No 10, it was felt an even higher level of precaution was required. In early September she was handed her third phone in as many months. But the technology in the third phone was so sensitive that when she stood down last month she was required to hand it back in and had to change her number for a fourth time. Tobias Ellwood, Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee, said: This is a constant threat from Russia. They are getting better and better at cyber-attacks and hacking. It is something for the intelligence and security committee to investigate. A major leak of secret files has exposed how Albania is in the grip of dangerous criminal gangs feared to be infiltrating Britain as illegal migrants. Albanian government documents plundered by hackers reveal how police lost track of 17,000 criminals as its justice system became 'backlogged' by the scale of illegal activity. Secret talks between the UK and Albania on stamping out organised crime and illegal migration are also revealed in the documents, seen by The Mail on Sunday. It comes as the Albanian prime minister accused the British Government of discriminating against Albanians to distract from its 'policy failures'. In return, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has hit back. Writing exclusively for this newspaper, below, she promises a raft of initiatives to stem the flow of illegal cross-Channel migrants, 42 per cent of whom are now Albanian. Thousands of files many marked 'Sensitive' and including detailed intelligence briefings and emails from prime minister Edi Rama have been leaked in a highly embarrassing diplomatic incident. The files reveal: 100,000 'suspects' are allegedly on the Albanian police system, including some convicted after illegally entering the UK to establish vast drug networks; British officials were so afraid the nation was falling behind in the fight against mobsters that they offered to genetically profile a backlog of 17,000 Albanian criminals; The names, locations and contact details of Albania's intelligence agents have been made public in a 'catastrophic' security breach; One Albanian drug lord illicitly purchased luxury property in the UK under the name of a British-Albanian relative as part of his multi-million-pound criminal empire; Albanian mobsters plotted a series of assassinations 'with a hunting rifle', including the prime minister of neighbouring Kosovo in an attempt to establish a foothold. The Albanian prime minister Edi Rama (pictured) has accused the British Government of discriminating against Albanians to distract from its 'policy failures' Intelligence experts last night described the leak as a 'devastating blow' and warned it could set back efforts to tackle Albanian organised crime by years. The massive data haul was stolen from Albanian government computers in July and has been released gradually online, with the latest disclosure last Wednesday. Albania has accused Iran of being behind the attack, and last month cut diplomatic ties and expelled Iranian embassy staff following a joint investigation with the FBI. The number of Albanian migrants arriving on Britain's shores has swelled in a record year for small-boat crossings. More than 12,000 Albanians between one and two per cent of its adult male population have arrived so far this year. Albania, a country of just 2.8 million people, makes up the largest proportion of foreign inmates in British jails, and Albanians are ten times more likely to be incarcerated than the average person in the UK. Among the disclosures is a file titled 'Suspects' containing more than 100,000 people, complete with mugshots, that the hacking group claims was taken from the Albanian police database although authorities deny this. The leader of the Albanian opposition, Sali Berisha, said that this disclosure has informed crime bosses they are under surveillance and they will already be fleeing the country. 'This is a moment when Albania has become the most dangerous country in the Balkans and Europe,' he said. The number of Albanian migrants arriving on Britain's shores has swelled in a record year for small-boat crossings. Pictured: an inflatable craft crossing the English Channel in July The Mail on Sunday has verified that the names of many of the most high-profile Albanian drug kingpins to have operated in Britain are included in this list. It includes a 37-year-old suspected Albanian crime boss who was banned from the UK for his alleged involvement in flooding the country with cocaine and cannabis last year after a battle with the Home Office. Also on the list is a convicted killer who was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in 2019 after spending 22 years on the run, and was deported to Albania last November. He had used a fake name to claim asylum in the UK as a bogus Kosovan refugee. Contained in the files are tip-offs from informants to security services that expose how the tentacles of Albanian organised crime have extended to Britain. One tip-off, sent in October last year, reveals that an 'Albanian drug lord' has bought luxury property worth millions of pounds, including 'many properties' in the UK, in the name of his Albanian-British uncle. The uncle, the message adds, 'is dangerous and carries weapons at all times'. Extensive British efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and crime in Albania are also revealed in the files. This includes British Border Force assistance at the airport in the capital Tirana and a formal arrangement to shore up the port of Durres, the largest in Albania. A delegation including officials from Felixstowe port travelled there as part of that agreement. Significantly, the leaked cache also includes a draft agreement marked 'Official' to clear an alleged backlog of 17,000 DNA samples from people detained and arrested in Albania since 2018 that needed to be added to an online database as a 'matter of urgency'. TikTok videos show dozens of Albanian migrants making the crossing, with this group unfurling the nation's flag on the boat The agreement was due to last for 24 months from August 2021, but it is not clear if it went ahead. Failure to put criminals in an online database could allow them to cross borders without raising an alert on immigration computer systems, experts warned. Albanian officials expressed their thanks for the UK's assistance, with one email from the former police chief thanking the British ambassador 'for all your support so far', adding: 'We need your support for our joint efforts against organised crime.' Perhaps the most damaging leak is a 16-page document detailing the names, passport information and phone numbers of members of Albania's state intelligence service SHISH, the equivalent of MI5. Also contained within the files are the names of officers from the National Crime Agency, Britain's version of the FBI, who are in Albania attempting to combat organised criminal gangs. Classified intelligence reports have also been leaked, including one that details a plot by Albanian criminals to carry out a string of assassinations with snipers and a hunting rifle, including that of Kosovan premier Albin Kurti. It was intended to destabilise the country so gangsters could gain a foothold. The plot was confirmed by the Kosovan government in September. Philip Ingram, a former colonel with British military intelligence, warned the leaks could seriously hamper British efforts to thwart Albanian criminals who control small-boat people-smuggling as the gangs 'change their tactics to stay one step ahead'. 'These leaks are a devastating blow not only for Albanian security services, but also our own law-enforcement agencies who work to protect our shores from criminal gangs,' he said. The Home Office said it did not comment on leaks, while a spokesman for the Albanian government said the material was a 'mix of truth and lies' and disputed some of the figures mentioned in official documents as 'totally made-up numbers'. Asked for clarification, they did not respond. He added: 'Albania has been the victim of a cyber attack by Iran that has been condemned by Nato.' HOME SECRETARY SUELLA BRAVERMAN: Britain is generous ... but people who come here illegally are NOT welcome As we face an incredibly challenging situation, I want to make it clear what we are doing to stem the number of people arriving here illegally in small boats. First, I wish to thank the people of Kent and our Border Force, military and other personnel working in the region. I completely understand their frustrations. The truth is that the British people are fed up with the number of boats reaching our shores. It cannot be right that thousands of people are paying smugglers organised criminals to make a lethally dangerous journey across the Channel before disappearing into the black economy or seeking financial support from taxpayers. It is not right that the British people are picking up a 2 billion bill every year because the asylum system has been broken by an unprecedented wave of illegal migration. It is not right that those who seek to undermine and abuse our system are jumping the queue, taking resources from the people who are in genuine need. While some critics provide only fairytale suggestions and the Labour Party champions open borders and has no desire or plan to crack down on illegal migration, I am working night and day on real, viable solutions. Our joint UK-France intelligence cell has dismantled 55 organised crime groups since 2020. Home Secretary Suella Braverman (pictured) argues that the 'asylum system has been broken by an unprecedented wave of illegal migration' In the coming weeks, we'll take further steps to bear down on the people-smuggling gangs operating on French beaches. The French authorities, with our support, have stopped more than 29,000 illegal crossings since the start of the year twice as many as last year and destroyed more than 1,000 boats. My French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, and I are working to build greater co-operation, and make better use of UK surveillance technology. The Prime Minister and President Macron have also vowed to step up our actions. We need to overcome all legal obstacles and get our Rwanda partnership working we are defending it vigorously in the courts. If illegal migrants know that if they cross the Channel, they will be swiftly transported to Rwanda or any other country we make an agreement with the incentive to jump the queue will fall away. We are also working closely with the Albanian government to encourage returns and processing cases and removals as quickly as possible. Many Albanians spuriously claim to be victims of 'modern slavery' despite paying thousands to come here. This is an abuse of our system that must stop. We need a system that focuses on real victims of slavery not on those trying to circumvent our immigration rules. Where domestic or international law impedes our sovereign right to defend our borders, I will act. We must also wean ourselves off the use of expensive hotels. My French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin (pictured), and I are working to build greater co-operation, and make better use of UK surveillance technology While taking steps to tackle crossings, we will work tirelessly to cut our asylum-processing times. We have already seen a successful pilot scheme in Leeds, which has more than doubled the processing of claims for each case worker, and we are now rolling this out across the country. Yet, I must be frank we still have a long way to go. There is no one silver bullet and we'll redouble our efforts on multiple fronts to end the trade of these evil gangs. This will require a whole-of-Government approach. Britain is a generous and kind country. We always treat everyone in a humane way. But people who come here illegally from safe countries are not welcome and should not expect to stay. Any other approach would be unaffordable, make us less safe, and be extremely unfair on everyone else. This is the plan the British people want. I will deliver it. However, he stepped up to score a 95th-minute penalty to snatch three points The 22-year-old has missed City's last two matches through illness and injury The Norwegian striker instead started the match from the substitutes bench Erling Haaland admits he was 'really nervous' before stepping up to score a 95th-minute winner from the penalty spot for Man City, with his strike enough to snatch all three points against Fulham on Saturday. Haaland had been left out of the starting line-up once again by Pep Guardiola after missing the last two matches due to injury and illness. With City down to 10 following Joao Cancelo's red card and the game poised at 1-1, Haaland thought he put his side in front 15 minutes before the end but VAR disallowed the goal for offside. Erling Haaland (right) came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner for Manchester City Haaland stepped up to score a 95th-minute penalty to snatch three points from Fulham However, City were awarded a penalty in the dying embers of the game following a foul by Antonee Robinson inside the area, which saw Haaland step up and convert the spot-kick, sending the Etihad into hysterics. The Norwegian has now scored 23 goals in all competitions already this season. Haaland was substituted off at half-time during City's goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on October, 25 and hadn't played before Saturday. The 22-year-old had been struggling with a bout of flu and also the foot problem, forcing him out of City's 1-0 win at Leicester City and 3-1 victory over Sevilla. Haaland's goal sparked wild celebrations at the end of the match at the Etihad on Saturday Haaland said after the game: 'Really nervous [for the penalty]. It is about getting though the situation in the proper way and that is what I did. 'I don't care how it went it, it is about it going in. Amazing feeling. 'For me it was about coming in with some energy and try and get a goal because these three points are really important. It was about trying to get it and that is what we did. 'When you go 10 v 11 for 70 minutes it is difficult, I don't think any team would do it as good as we did it today. The Norwegian striker missed City's previous two matches struggling with injury and illness 'I was one week out and finally I am back. A good feeling.' Guardiola has opted to go against putting his star man straight back into the starting line-up. Julian Alvarez, who has been deputising for Haaland in the last two matches, kept his place in the team and went on to score the opener in the 16th minute. The Argentine has now scored six times in 18 matches for City so far this season, including picking up a goal and two assists in their 3-1 victory over Sevilla to wrap up the Champions League group-stages. Pep Guardiola opted against putting Haaland straight back into the line-up on Saturday Earlier this week, Guardiola also confirmed that Haaland was feeling much better, as he returned to training. 'He's much better. We will decide today [if he can play against Fulham],' the Spaniard said. 'It's a good step, he starts to train, and we have training this afternoon and we will see.' Asked what factors will be taken into consideration, Guardiola added: 'Himself, his opinion, the doctor's opinion. If it's 90 minutes or less we will see after training.' Newcastle fans planning to protest against the club's Saudi ownership have been threatened and abused by social media accounts that have been linked to the country's ruling regime. Members of NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing have been described as racist, insulted and threatened with physical abuse for attempting to hold the Saudi state to account over its human rights record. Digital-media experts say the abuse is typical of the activity carried out by social-media accounts linked to an 'army' of professional trolls working for a state-run operation in Riyad. John Hird, the founder of the NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing, has been individually targeted, with the bot accounts lifting photographs from his various social-media accounts and sharing them online alongside posts attempting to dismiss his status as a genuine Newcastle fan. The trolls have also disseminated information relating to where he lives. 'They are obviously Saudi bots,' Hird told the MoS. 'Recently set up accounts, called NUFC then a load of numbers, with messages that come in waves. Newcastle fans protesting club's Saudi ownership have been targeted by professional trolls 'Some of them have taken photos of me and say I live in Spain etc. They praise the Saudi owners and say we and the campaign are definitely Sunderland fans.' Hird's group are planning a silent protest against the Saudi ownership outside St James' Park ahead of next Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea. He showed the MoS some of the offending social-media posts and Twitter accounts. They included several anonymous accounts created in the past two months, each with either one or no followers, the typical profile of bot accounts. Hird also shared abusive posts from apparently legitimate Newcastle fans, which included personal insults and comments rubbishing his group's motivations for their protest, claiming they were secret Sunderland fans. Hird's group are planning a silent protest against the Saudi ownership outside St James' Park ahead of next Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea Another comment on a forum entitled The Independent Voice of Newcastle United Since 1988 encouraged supporters to give Hird and his allies 'a good hiding' at the protest. 'As we warned would happen, it's not just the case of NUFC fans sitting on the fence,' Hird said. 'The worrying aspect of the ongoing Saudi ownership of the club is that, not only have they managed to neutralise the majority of fans regarding their human rights abuses, they've managed to get a minority of fans to actually defend them and speak up for them. That's why we have to protest.' Hird's group was set up following Newcastle's takeover by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in October 2021. PIF's chairman is Mohammed bin Salman, the Gulf state's crown prince. Bin Salman's regime has been heavily criticised by human-rights groups for multiple alleged offences, including the exploitation of migrant workers, criminalising the LGBTQ community and the imprisonment and torture of anti-Saudi dissidents. Human Rights Watch last year published reports of a political detainees being tortured, with methods including electric shocks, beatings and whippings. Newcastle club director Amanda Staveley (right) and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi (left) pictured with Eddie Howe (middle) after he was appointed as Newcastle boss last November The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights this week revealed that 1,000 prisoners have been executed during Bin Salman's reign. Intelligence agencies in the United States, meanwhile, concluded that Bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi journalist. The US agencies said Saud al-Qahtani, Bin Salman's former media advisor, orchestrated the murder. Al-Qahtani was also also involved in masterminding the Saudi state's digital surveillance activity, according to emails leaked by Italian spyware vendor Hacking Team. The Saudi Prosecutor General himself said Al-Qahtani has been involved in targeting social-media accounts 'who cast aspersion on [the country's] achievements'. The kind of trolling Hird has suffered has been specifically linked to an army of professional trolls employed at the Etidal Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyad, a state-run institution. It was opened in 2017 by Bin Salman with Donald Trump, then the president of the United States, in attendance. The centre's mission statement claimed it was designed to combat terrorism. Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) whose chairman is Mohammed bin Salman (pictured), the Gulf state's crown prince completed the takeover of Newcastle in October 2021 An Al Jazeera report on the centre claimed to reveal the internal structure of the centre. It is broken down into three departments, including research and digital-analysis units, with the former comprising an 'electronic army' of about 400 employees who monitor the activity of prominent Saudi dissidents. The media unit, meanwhile, launches social-media 'storms' supporting the Crown Prince. Al Jazeera is a news outlet with links to the Qatari state, which in the past has been in diplomatic conflict with its Saudi's counterparts. Marc Owen Jones, author of Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East, said: 'The modus operandi is about seeking out those who dare criticise Saudi, and trying to intimidate them and silence them. 'We know that state-sponsored social media trolling in Saudi has always had a close orbit to the Royal Court, most notably through Saud Al-Qahtani, the so-called Lord of the Flies, who orchestrated Saudi's disinformation and propaganda wars online through a network of employees and PR marketing firms.' Newcastle and Etidal were approached for comment. You could say it was a night in the pub that changed British history. On August 28, 1651, Royalist troops were making merry in a cosy tavern (thought to be Ye Old Anchor) at Upton upon Severn, a town held by the forces of Charles II. But they had forgotten to remove the plank on which locals could cross the River Severn. At daybreak, a team of 18 crack commandos from the Parliamentary forces of General John Lambert walked over. Fierce fighting ensued and Cromwells New Model Army prevailed. The Royalists then retreated to Worcester, where just a week later they suffered their final defeat. Slowly does it: Neil Clark travels to Upton upon Severn (pictured), which he says redefines the word 'attractive' But, of course, the monarchy eventually survived and now we have another King Charles on the throne. So this might be a good moment to visit. Before the railways, the Severn was the most important commercial waterway in Britain. Upton thrived as a major port the only place where you could cross the river between Worcester and Tewkesbury. The towns most distinguishable landmark is The Pepperpot, the last remnant of the 13th-century church which derives its name from its hexagonal lantern and copper cupola. Inside is a heritage centre where I learn that trows was the name of the two-masted vessels which plied the Severn, carrying up to 120 tons of cargo. They were towed by men until 1812. Across the street is the Tudor House Museum, whose three floors are home to the most eclectic collection of everyday items Ive ever seen. My guide, Jim, shows me everything from pottery, lace, old pipe tobacco tins and Victorian dolls. There is also a display paying homage to Uptons most celebrated son, the war hero Admiral William Bill Tennant, the man in charge of the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940. The Severn has been both friend and foe to Upton, bringing prosperity and floods. New defences were built after 2007, but in early 2020 the waters came to within half of inch of breaching them. With its mix of wooden framed buildings and splendid Georgian facades, Upton redefines the word attractive. Its not just the splendid architecture, its the lack of chain outlets which makes the town so special. Theres a traditional confectioners with jars of sweets in the window, a model train shop, a map shop and the Stitchery for all ones sewing needs. Above is The Pepperpot, a 13-century church regarded as Upton's most distinguishable landmark The church houses the town's Heritage Centre At Cooks Bakery you can buy large pieces of caramel shortbread for just 1.15. G. Shinn Country & Leisure Wear (proprietor: Mrs Shinn), is where comedians Bob and Paul enthused over the range of fishing tackle in their popular Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing television series. Henry Fielding refers to The White Lion Hotel as a house of exceedingly good repute in his bawdy 1749 masterpiece Tom Jones; the Rose Room and the Wild Goose Room which are mentioned therein are still in use. The cast of the classic 1970s BBC drama series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stayed at the hotel during filming. In the lobby there is a signed photograph from George Smiley himself, aka the actor Sir Alec Guinness, thanking the staff for their kindness. Neils says it's the lack of chain outlets that make the town 'so special'. Pictured is an independent sweet shop Crossing the river on the towns latest bridge, dating from 1940, I head across to the marina. As I enjoy fish and chips by the waterfront, a friendly couple from Coventry ask me if Ive been to the town centre. Its like going back to the 1950s. You could also say the 1850s or 1650s for that matter. Human Nature have a special gift planned for their fans this Christmas season. The beloved Aussie boy band will re-form with their original line-up for a series of shows in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney in December. Phil Burton, 48, who left the band's long-term residency in Las Vegas last year, appeared on Channel Seven's Sunrise on Friday to make the announcement. The beloved Aussie boy band Human Nature will re-form with their original line-up for a series of shows in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney in December. Pictured: Toby Allen (left) with band mates Michael and Andrew Tierney appeared on Sunrise on Friday to talk about the tour 'I'm genuinely excited about the reunion,' he said during the live studio interview. Fans can expect a mix of Christmas favourites and the band's classic hits, explained Toby Allen, 49, who joined the chat via a live feed from Las Vegas, with band mates Andrew, 48, and Michael Tierney, 45. 'We love this season,' he gushed. 'Our Christmas album has been out for ten years...so Human Nature and Christmas is a marriage made in heaven.' The band will begin their A Christmas Celebration Tour in Melbourne at the Palm at Crown on December 8, where they will play a residency until December 11. A show in Canberra will follow on December 14, before the tour wraps up in Sydney on December 14. Phil Burton (pictured), who left the band's long-term residency in Las Vegas last year, appeared on Channel Seven's Sunrise on Friday to make the announcement Phil confirmed early in 2021 that he had left Human Nature's long-term residency in Las Vegas to return to Australia with his family. The beloved crooner later explained it was the Covid pandemic that ultimately convinced Burton and his wife Justine to return home, after they were already feeling somewhat homesick. He said he would re-join with the band on their trips Down Under. Fans can expect a mix of Christmas favourites and the band's classic hits from the upcoming tour Pictured: Human Nature's Michael Tierney, Toby Allen, Andrew Tierney, and Phil Burton at the Beverley Hilton in Los Angeles in 2011 'I will travel anywhere for a gig, but I wont live anywhere for a gig anymore,' he explained to The Courier Mail last December. Phil added that Australia felt more like home to his family as he expressed his wish for his children to have an 'Australian upbringing'. 'Home is Australia, this is where my family should be,' he said. Evan Rachel Wood has revealed she hopes to play a Disney villain in the future in a candid new interview, after it emerged HBO had canceled her show Westworld. The 35-year-old actress discussed playing villainous roles in an interview with /Film where she explained that playing a devious character isn't easy for her. She said; 'I don't like playing the villain most of the time. A lot of people say it's more fun, but I don't like being mean. So it can be hard for me at times. Candid: Evan Rachel Wood has revealed she hopes to play a Disney villain in the future in a candid new interview, after it emerged HBO had canceled her show Westworld (pictured last week) 'If there was another live-action Disney film, I would love to play a Disney villain or something along those lines,' she said. 'This is the amount of villain I can do without feeling terrible.' Her interview with the publication came out on the same day it was announced that her hit show Westworld was canceled by HBO after four seasons. Wood played Dolores Abernathy in the show. The show's third and fourth seasons suffered a ratings downturn, and the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes also showed a sharp drop off in critical acclaim. Despite worse reception for the more recent seasons of the show, Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy said they were still hoping to do a fifth season. Wow: Her interview with the publication came out on the same day it was announced that her hit show Westworld was canceled by HBO after four seasons. Wood played Dolores Abernathy in the show Exception: 'If there was another live-action Disney film, I would love to play a Disney villain or something along those lines,' she said. 'This is the amount of villain I can do without feeling terrible' (pictured Nov. 3, 2022) 'We always planned for a fifth and final season,' Nolan said at New York Comic Con earlier this month. 'We are still in conversations with the network. We very much hope to make them.' Joy previously told Deadline, ' [Jonathan Nolan] and I have always had an ending in mind that we hope to reach. We have not quite reached it yet.' The decision to cut the show came at a time when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav pledged to cut costs, though The Hollywood Reporter said insiders told them price isn't the reason the show was canceled. HBO made a statement about the cancellation which read, 'Over the past four seasons, Lisa and Jonah have taken viewers on a mind-bending odyssey, raising the bar at every step. We are tremendously grateful to them, along with their immensely talented cast, producers and crew, and all of our partners at Kilter Films, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. Its been a thrill to join them on this journey.' Westworld ran for four seasons and received 54 Emmy nominations during its run. It featured Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Aaron Paul, Thandie Newton and a host of other stars. Olivia Frazer got hot and heavy while on a date with her new man William Mitchell on Friday night. The Married At First Sight star, 29, was seen packing on the PDA and getting cosy with the British filmmaker while roaming the streets in the Sydney suburb of Glebe. The couple were pictured leaving a date at The Glebe Hotel and walking back to the William's apartment. Married At First Sight star Olivia Frazer, 29, got hot and heavy while on a date with her new man William Mitchell on Friday night The OnlyFans star dressed comfortably in a white top with an oversized cream knitted sweater and relaxed white trousers. She accessorised with a tan brown bag, white sandals and wore gold hooped earrings. Olivia's blonde locks were straightened and she had a minimal makeup palette. The couple were pictured leaving a date at The Glebe Hotel and walking back to the William's apartment The OnlyFans star dressed comfortably in a white top with a oversized cream knitted sweater and relaxed white trousers William also dressed casual in a Brown Polo jacket and black pants while flashing a silver wristwatch. The pair hugged and kissed several times as they walked on the footpath back to his apartment. It comes after the reality television star was pictured kissing Will, a man she had just met, at a Halloween party hosted by Believe Advertising and PR at Sussudio in Potts Point. William also dressed casual in a Brown Polo jacket and black pants while flashing a silver wristwatch Olivia smiled and glanced over at her new lover as they walked through the street She immediately took a shine to William after being introduced to him by a mutual friend. 'They were all over each other, and she didn't even seem to notice Jackson was just a few feet away in the same venue,' an onlooker told Daily Mail Australia. 'The bloke she hooked up with is from Manchester and only arrived in Australia a few weeks ago. I don't think he had any idea who Olivia was.' The pair hugged and kissed several times as they walked on the footpath back to his apartment Olivia immediately took a shine to William after being introduced to him by a mutual friend In an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday, Olivia said she will never get back together with her ex and MAFS groom Jackson Lonie. She said she and Jackson, 31, had their 'lovely ending' and wouldn't be reopening that 'chapter' of their lives. 'Do you still believe Jackson and you will end up back together?' the fan asked. It comes after the reality television star was pictured kissing William, a man she had just met, at a Halloween party hosted by Believe Advertising and PR at Sussudio in Potts Point 'They were all over each other, and she didn't even seem to notice Jackson was just a few feet away in the same venue,' an onlooker told Daily Mail Australia 'Nope. That chapter has had a very lovely ending. But an ending nonetheless,' she replied, sharing a picture of herself sitting at the hairdresser's with foils in her hair. Jackson also confirmed the pair were over for good during in his own Q&A on Monday. 'Not sure why this keeps coming up, but no. We're friends, and that's it. That's all there is to it,' he said bluntly. Jackson was also spotted with a new partner while partying at the same Halloween event on Friday, while just metres away from Olivia. Olivia says she will never get back together with her ex Jackson Lonie. The Married At First Sight star put an end to any speculation of a reconciliation during an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday 'Nope. That chapter has had a very lovely ending. But an ending nonetheless,' she said on Wednesday, sharing a picture of herself sitting at the hairdresser's with foils in her hair While Olivia was kissing the man, Jackson was seen working his charms on a glamorous brunette he had met at the bar. In an awkward twist, he could be seen in the background of several photos of Olivia and Will kissing, with his distinctive halo visible above the throng of guests. After meeting at Sussudio, Olivia and Will went with a group of friends to a karaoke bar in the CBD, where they continued to make out. The pair left the venue together at about midnight. It comes after Olivia and Jackson were spotted with new partners while partying at a Halloween event on Friday, while just metres apart The R&B group Xscape is not breaking up despite LaTocha Scott distancing herself from the band following a dispute over a promoter, according to a new report. The girl group, comprising of Kandi Burruss, Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle, LaTocha, and Tamika Scott, sparked breakup concerns after fans noticed LaTocha, 49, was missing from a poster advertising an upcoming tour, reports TMZ. Insiders told the site LaTocha is still a member of the group but has taken a step back following a disagreement with the band. Minus one: The R&B girl group Xscape is not breaking up despite LaTocha Scott distancing herself from the girl following a dispute over a promoter, according to a new report; pictured May 2022 The women, who are going to be starring in a new reality show set for release next March, began experiencing conflict after they decided to go ahead with a small tour and had selected a promoter who ended up experiencing conflict with LaTocha's husband. LaTocha, who was set to join the tour, asked the group to drop the promoter but ultimately decided to pull out when the others agreed to continue using him. The group also reportedly declined a request made by LaTocha to go by a different name as she would not be joining them. They previously went by Xscape 3 after Kandi stepped away to take a break. Where's LaTocha? The group, comprising of Kandi Burruss, Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle, LaTocha, and Tamika Scott, sparked breakup concerns after fans noticed LaTocha was missing from a poster advertising an upcoming tour Insiders claim LaTocha is not communicating with her sister Tamika or the rest of the group, however it does appear they will reunite at the upcoming Soul Train Awards next weekend, where they will be honored as the Lady Of Soul. Xscape are set to be the second group honored with the title, following SWV in 2017, according to Vibe. Speaking of the honor, Xscape said in a statement: 'Given how important Soul Train is to all of us, were so thankful to be honored with the Lady of Soul Award this year. Drama: Insiders told the site LaTocha is still a member of the group but has taken a step back following a disagreement within the group; Scott pictured July 2021 'Its going to be an amazing night, and we cant wait to see you all there.' As for their upcoming venture on television, the women will be joining forces with SWV for a multi-part, limited series on Bravo. The series will follow the two groups reuniting following their Verzuz performance as they prepare for another big show that has the potential to revitalize their careers. 'There is much at stake for these powerhouse women as they navigate different stages in their lives, both personally and professionally,' according to a description on Deadline. 'From celebrating the power of collaboration and sisterhood to pushing to overcome obstacles, there is no shortage of wonder in watching two of the most iconic female R&B groups of the 90s come together for this multi-part limited series.' The series has the working title of XSCAPE/SWV. The colour pink has been a huge trend during racing season this year. So it's no surprise that Georgia Love was dressed to impress in a puffy pink frock for Stakes Day at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Sunday. The 34-year-old topped the look off with a red hat that matched her strappy high heels. Bachelorette couple Georgia Love and Lee Elliott stepped out for Stakes Day at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Sunday The former Bachelorette star was joined by her dapper husband Lee Elliott. Socialite Lee looked stylish in a navy blue pinstripe suit that was perfectly fitted to his muscular physique. He clung to his glamorous life as the pair posed up a storm for photographers. It comes after Georgia revealed to The Daily Telegraph she was thankful for the exposure The Bachelorette brought her as it helped her launch her Georgia Elliott Sleepwear brand, which she founded in 2020. 'Having a large audience on social media was a huge help in getting Georgia Elliott kickstarted. I had that platform to immediately take it to a lot of eyes from day one,' she said. Georgia was dressed to impress in a puffy pink frock that showcased her long legs She further explained the decision to launch her own sleepwear brand was an easy one as 'the favourite thing I have always loved is pyjamas'. Georgia added her love for pyjamas is so strong that she puts them on the 'second' she gets home from work. 'Home is where I can be myself, relax and wear my pyjamas full-time,' she explained. Georgia rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia in 2016, where she found love with Lee. The two have since gone on to marry and purchased their first home together this year. Emma Corrin was the epitome of chic on the cover of Flaunt Magazine this week, nailing a major photoshoot and in-depth interview. Clad in Miu Miu designs and Cartier jewelry, the 26-year-old - who goes by they/them pronouns - fought through 'the worst kidney infection' to flaunt their toned abs and capture the glamorous photographs. The queer, nonbinary star is promoting their new romantic drama film My Policeman, in which they star with pop sensation Harry Styles, 28. Flaunting it: Emma Corrin, 26, was the epitome of chic on the cover of Flaunt Magazine this week, nailing a major photoshoot and in-depth interview Photographed by Frederico De Angelis, Corrin rocked a cropped tank top of white feathers and low-hanging black jeans from the fashion brand Miu Miu. A striped powder-blue dress shirt gave them some extra coverage up top, but Corrin's enviable abs were on full display down below. The rim of their black briefs peeked out above their belted black denim jeans and white loafers matched their white feathered chest. A-list abs: Clad in Miu Miu designs, the queer, nonbinary star fought through 'the worst kidney infection' to flaunt their toned abs and capture the glamorous photographs Blinded by style: Photographed by Frederico De Angelis, Corrin rocked a cropped tank top of white feathers and low-hanging black jeans, with their enviable abs on full display The english star's blonde pixie cut was styled with edge throughout the shoot and minimal makeup accentuated their flawless skin in every look. Beyond the cover, Emma's abs were showcased in shot after shot as they donned an oversized black blazer with only a black bandeau top underneath. From there, the setting changed from the clean streets of Toronto to the marble walls and metallic pipes of a luxurious bathroom. Posing in and around a porcelain tub and antique shower, Corrin exuded strength and confidence. Washboard: Beyond the cover, Emma's abs were showcased in shot after shot as they donned an oversized black blazer with only a black bandeau top underneath Classic edge: The english star's blonde pixie cut was styled with edge throughout the shoot and minimal makeup accentuated their flawless skin in every look Porcelain perfection: The setting changed from the clean streets of Toronto to the marble walls and metallic pipes of a luxurious bathroom A sheer black skirt, dark-brown loafers and an oversized black jacket clad Corrin's sylph physique as their unknowable expression oozed A-list mystery. The English actor who received critical acclaim for their portrayal of a young Princess Diana in season four of The Crown commanded the cover of Flaunt to promote the Friday release of Prime Video's My Policeman. Based on the 2012 novel by Bethan Roberts, the film chronicles a dramatic love triangle in 1950s England as Corrin's homophobic schoolteacher is married to a closeted policeman who is having a secret affair with their friend, a male curator. Soaking in stardom: The English actor commanded the cover of Flaunt to promote the Friday release of Prime Video's My Policeman Showering in success: Based on the 2012 novel by Bethan Roberts, the film chronicles a dramatic love triangle in 1950s England as Corrin's homophobic schoolteacher is married to a closeted policeman who is having a secret affair with their friend, a male curator Corrin admitted that it was difficult playing a character lightyears away from their beliefs. 'The words coming out of your mouth are so the opposite of what you believe in, what you're advocating for every day of your life,' the star told Flaunt. But Corrin went on to add that they sometimes appreciate the 'element of separation' between 'being nonbinary and playing female characters,' describing a 'license to explore that character's journey.' Corrin's megawatt costar in My Policeman certainly shares their passion for pushing the boundaries of style and gender. Headline grabber: Emma and Harry Styles became close friends while making the film. The pair even share the same stylist in Harry Lambert Thoughtful look: 'Happy My Policeman release day!' Corrin captioned a selection of their Flaunt photos on Instagram Emma and Harry have become close friends and even share the same stylist in Harry Lambert, who helps them grab headlines around the world with their fashion. Corrin certainly grabbed more headlines on Friday with the release of their latest film and photoshoot. 'Happy My Policeman release day!' Corrin captioned a selection of their Flaunt photos on Instagram. 'And thanks to everyone who helped on this shoot whilst I had the worst Kidney infection, bless ya x.' Jamie Dornan hosted a special screening of Eddie Redmayne's new film The Good Nurse in London on Friday. The star-studded event was held at the Soho Hotel and was attended by the likes of Charles Dance and Angela and Colin Radcliffe. Fifty Shades star Jamie, 40, looked dapper in a navy jacket at the event, while Eddie, also 40, wore a shirt with a striped vest on top. Pals: Jamie Dornan looked dapper in a navy jacket as he hosted a special screening of The Good Nurse with Eddie Redmayne in Soho on Friday Jamie teamed his look with a pair of navy trousers and a white shirt. He appeared in high spirits and showed off his moustache on the outing. Eddie meanwhile, who is known for films including the Fantastic Beasts franchise, wore a pale blue shirt with a glittery woolen vest. Stylish: Jamie teamed his look with a pair of navy trousers and a white shirt Well-groomed: He appeared in high spirits and showed off his moustache on the outing Relaxed: He paired the look with grey trousers and looked relaxed before hitting the stage for an intimate Q&A with guests He paired the look with grey trousers and looked relaxed before hitting the stage for an intimate Q&A with guests. According to IMDB, Eddie's new film centres on 'an infamous caregiver [who] is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients'. It also co-stars the likes of Jessica Chastain and Denise Pillott. Familiar face: The star-studded event was held at the Soho Hotel and was attended by the likes of Charles Dance Stepping out: Angela and Colin Radcliffe also attended the screening New film: According to IMDB, Eddie's new film centres on 'an infamous caregiver [who] is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients' Doing his thing: Eddie looked thrilled as he took part in a Q&A with guests Eddie and Jamie go way back, and were previously roommates in Los Angeles. During an appearance on Variety's Actors on Actors, Jamie said: 'Weve known each other forever and been best friends for 15-plus years. We lived together in LA.' He continued: 'We look better than we did when we met, probably, in many ways. Some pretty terrible hair going on. I remember that it was 2009, because lets set the scene up a little bit. We werent working a great deal.' After assertions from Eddie that they weren't working 'at all', Jamie admitted: 'OK, we werent working at all. Were going up for a lot of stuff in LA, a lot of the same stuff sometimes, which was depressing. Connections: Eddie and Jamie go way back, and were previously roommates in Los Angeles During an appearance on Variety's Actors on Actors, Jamie said: 'Weve known each other forever and been best friends for 15-plus years. We lived together in LA' 'I think we lived together for about three months. And there was so little to do if we didnt have an audition. The reason I remember it was one day we went to a Pottery Barn or something, and we made some crockery. 'We made plates and clay pots, and I remember we wrote the names of all these actors who were our gang. Everyone has done pretty good. Youve got an Academy Award. I mean, its kind of insane.' Back in 2018, Eddie, who is married to Hannah Bagshawe, relived his time with the Irish star during an appearance on Good Morning America. 'I think we lived together for about three months. And there was so little to do if we didnt have an audition. The reason I remember it was one day we went to a Pottery Barn or something, and we made some crockery,' he said The Danish Girl star said sharing a place with Northern Irish heartthrob Jamie was like 'living with a puppy' because of his abundant energy. He told George Stephanopoulos: 'Basically, it was like living with a puppy because he has more energy than any human being you've ever met. 'There's sort of a twilight zone between 5:00 and 6:00 when he just goes insane and it was like a puppy.' Tyler West has revealed his Strictly Come Dancing experience is dedicated to his NHS 'hero' mother Debbie. The Kiss FM presenter, 26, gushed over his mum in an interview with The Mirror, and said he wanted to make her 'dream' of meeting professional dancer Graziano Di Prima come true. He said after they met: 'It was, 'Who's Tyler?' after that point. My whole Strictly experience is pretty much a dedication to my mum because there were times when we were younger where we didn't have it easy.' Heartwarming: Tyler West has revealed his Strictly Come Dancing experience is dedicated to his NHS 'hero' mother Debbie Tyler explained he was brought up by his mother on a council estate in Croydon, South London, after his father walked out when he and his brother Lewis, 31, were kids. He continued: 'So for me to be out there on a Saturday night and having my mum come and watch the show and seeing her face light up and being able to support her in every way possible, it's everything I could have ever asked for.' Debbie worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, with Tyler adding: 'My mum would tell me how hard it was on the front line. It was a massive eye-opener but she's a hero for what she's done.' Tyler said: 'So for me to be out there on a Saturday night and having my mum come and watch the show and seeing her face light up and being able to support her in every way possible, it's everything I could have ever asked for.' It comes after Tyler flew 12,000 miles in just over a day to be best man at his brother's wedding in Mauritius for three hours. He told MailOnline he was determined to fulfil a promise he made older brother Lewis, 31, that he would be present for his nuptials, despite competing in the BBC dance show. During his brief stay on the island, Tyler was able to get ready alongside the groom and watch the vows being exchanged before having to jet back to London for training with dance partner Dianne. However, the emotional DJ wasn't able to watch the couple's first dance and is using that as motivation in the competition as a tribute to his brother and new wife Yasmin, who say their eternally grateful for his dedication. Sweet: The Kiss FM presenter, 26, said he wanted to make her 'dream' of meeting professional dancer Graziano Di Prima come true Tyler told MailOnline: 'I'm an emotional wreck. I landed at 7:30am and I went home, changed my suitcase over and I'm on my way to training. 'I was only in Mauritius for three hours. I trained all day Tuesday, and I went straight from training to the airport and I got there at 8pm. I arrived in Mauritius, who are three hours ahead, the next morning and the flight was about 12 hours. 'I was held up at the airport for two hours and it was an hour transfer to the hotel where my brother was getting married. I just got there in time so that I was getting ready with the groomsmen. 'I watched the ceremony, he said his vows and 'I do', and it was emotional but as the sun was going down and everyone was having their photos taken, I had to say my goodbyes and I went straight back to the airport. I got there at 3pm and I left just before 6pm for the airport. 'My brother and I are so close, so I was never going to miss that moment where he said I do. He was so overwhelmed I was able to be there.' 'I'm an emotional wreck': Tyler flew 12,000 miles in just over a day to be best man at his brother's wedding in Mauritius for three hours The wedding was particularly special for Tyler because his entire family were under the same roof for the first time ever. Tyler grew up with mum Debbie and older brother Lewis, who he says has shaped the man he is today, but the nuptials saw his dad, step mum, and sisters all come together in celebration of the couple's vows. He explained: 'My brother is my idol. He is five years older than me and when we were younger it was just me, him, and my mum growing up. 'My dad, my step mum and little sisters, were all still close but my brother's wedding was the first time we've all been in the same place, which was amazing. 'We pushed aside any bitter memories of the past and we just came together to celebrate those special moments.' 'My brother and I are so close': The Kiss FM presenter told MailOnline he was determined to fulfil a promise he made older brother Lewis that he would be present for his nuptials, despite competing in the BBC dance show Dedication: During his brief stay, Tyler was able to get ready alongside the groom and watch the vows being exchanged before having to jet back to London for training with dance partner Dianne Buswell (pictured) Tyler did his utmost to fulfil his duties as best man even prerecording his speech, which was played to the wedding party once he was already on his flight home. But the Strictly star, who topped the leaderboard in week three, is gutted to have missed his brother's first dance with wife Yasmin after the pair were forced to postpone their overseas wedding amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said: 'My brother's wedding was a once in a lifetime experience. 'I reassured him and said 'I'm going to make it happen, I don't care how long I have to travel, I will be there for when you say I do' and I was. 'I have always dreamed about going on Strictly but out of all the weddings to possibly happen this year it has really pulled on my heartstrings that I have missed the first ever dance with my brother and now my sister-in-law, Yasmin. 'Coming away from my brother's wedding I have a new level of motivation, I am so motivated to do the best I can possibly can and leave everything on the dance floor. 'I've got to make up for the first dance I missed at his wedding.' Rebel Wilson has reportedly gotten engaged to her Ramona Agruma after seven months of dating. According to Page Six, the proposal occurred 'a couple of weeks ago' and the couple sported diamond rings at George Clooney's star-studded Casamigos Halloween party on Friday, October 28. 'They were making out in a corner and telling everyone how excited they are to be engaged,' a source claimed to the outlet. Report: Rebel Wilson has reportedly gotten engaged to her Ramona Agruma after seven months of dating DailyMail.com has reached out to Rebel's representatives for comment. Rebel and Ramona arrived to the Halloween party in Barbie-inspired getups with several of their gal pals. The Pitch Perfect actress confirmed her romance with Ramona earlier this year following her shock split from Jacob Busch in 2021. She and the heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing company, began dating shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began, and they made their red carpet debut in Monaco. According to Page Six , the proposal occurred 'a couple of weeks ago' and the couple were sporting diamond rings at George Clooney's star-studded Casamigos Halloween party on Friday, October 28 (pictured) Love: The Pitch Perfect actress confirmed her romance with Ramona earlier this year following her shock split from Jacob Busch in 2021; the pair seen in March Previous relationship: The actress previously dated heir to the Anheuser-Busch brewing company, Jason Busch, but called it quits in 2021; the two seen in 2020 in Monte Carlo Earlier this year, the comic star had been rumored to be dating the Australian tennis player Matt Reid, though that relationship was never confirmed. In June, Rebel came out as a gay on Instagram along with a photo of herself and Ramona. In the caption of the post, the actress had typed out, 'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess.' At the time, a source close to the Australian actress informed People that, 'Rebel's in an amazing place and I've never seen her happier.' The post also officially confirmed her relationship with the entrepreneur. Shortly after, the couple whisked themselves away on a European summer vacation. Coming out: Earlier this year in June, Rebel came out as gay via an Instagram post, and typed, 'I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,' also confirming her relationship with Ramona Special bond: After publicly announcing their relationship, Rebel and Ramona took an extravagant European vacation over the summer; seen on October 28 after a Halloween party in Beverly Hills Another insider had talked to Us Weekly one month after Rebel's news, and expressed that she was 'very happy all around, in her new relationship, with her body, and her career.' 'Its been a huge weight off of her shoulder that she doesnt have to keep it a secret anymore. Shes relieved that she can share photos and these happy moments with her fans,' the source added to the entertainment publication. Rebel also revealed during an Instagram Live session last year one of the reasons for her healthy lifestyle was due to plans for fertility. 'I was thinking about fertility and having good quality eggs in the bank, so I was like, 'OK, I'm going to do this. I'm going to get healthy.' Before publicly confirming she was dating Ramona, Rebel had revealed that she was 'in a relationship' during an interview on the U Up podcast in May. 'Happy': Earlier in July, a source close to Rebel informed Us Weekly that she was 'very happy all around, in her new relationship, with her body, and her career'; Rebel seen with a diamond ring on her finger on October 15 with Ramona close to her side Making memories: Since announcing their relationship, the two have uploaded various snaps onto their social media of their budding romance The Senior Year star further explained that she had met Ramona through a set up by a friend due to him thinking they would 'hit it off.' 'And then we did!' she added. The actress has since happily shared various snaps of their budding relationship on Instagram to her 11.2 million fans and followers. Ramona is known for notably starting the sustainable fashion brand called Lemon Ve Limon last year in 2021. She also founded the jewelry brand called, DeLys, nearly ten years earlier in 2013. The couple recently launched their own limited collection called, R&R Club, reported People. Collaboration: The newly engaged duo recently launched their own limited capsule collection called R&R Club earlier on Thursday Special moments: The Pitch Perfect alum shared a number of snaps from her European trip with Ramona earlier in the summer The actress announced the launch on her Instagram earlier Thursday, and wrote, 'Ramona & I have created this very limited capsule collection called R&R Club.' She could be seen modeling an R&R Club hooded sweatshirt along with matching comfortable sweatpants. Although Rebel and Ramona have yet to publicly confirm the engagement news themselves, a source recently revealed to Us Weekly that the actress is 'wildly happy.' Lorraine Kelly has insisted she does not hold a grudge against Anthea Turner after Anthea took her job on GMTV. After giving birth to her daughter Rosie, now 28, Lorraine, 62, went on maternity leave. But Lorraine claims that just one week she was due to return, she was replaced, with the star being asked on Elizabeth Days How To Fail podcast: 'Is it true - I couldnt quite believe this when I read this - and you were sacked when you were on maternity leave?' No bad blood: Lorraine Kelly, 62, has insisted she does not hold a grudge against Anthea Turner after Anthea took her job on GMTV (pictured May 2019) 'Yes,' Lorraine responded, prompting Elizabeth to ask: 'Is that not illegal?' Lorraine explained: 'No, not back then. That was 1994 and I was freelance. 'She [Rosie] was born in June and I was going back to work in September, a couple of months later, but if youre freelance thats what you have to do. All change: After giving birth to her daughter Rosie, now 28, Lorraine, 62, went on maternity leave and was replaced by Anthea Turner (Anthea pictured November 2021) 'We just got the call about a week before I was due to come back I was thinking oh I havent lost any of my baby weight, who cares. 'And I just got the call to say, "Really, sorry weve got Anthea Turner, but do you know what thanks and thats that."' Asked if she holds a grudge, Lorraine insisted: 'No, not at all.' On a break: Lorraine went on maternity leave from GMTV in 1994 when she worked alongside Eamonn Holmes Family affair: Lorraine's daughter Rosie is now 28 years old (pair pictured together in April 2018) She continued: 'Shes a nice girl, and of course it didnt work, because her and Eamonn [Holmes] were like oil and water, and it didnt work.' It comes after Lorraine admitted she became 'very unhappy' after gaining 1.5 stone in lockdown, but has now dropped two dress sizes in recent months. The presenter gleefully revealed she's back to her 'happy and healthy self' after bouncing back to her previous weight due to 'comfort eating'. Hanging in there: Anthea remained in place on GMTV in 1994, meaning Lorraine did not return from maternity leave In an interview with woman&home, the magazine's December cover star said: 'I'm lucky. My mum [Anne Kelly, 80] looks incredible and I've inherited her skin and cheekbones. 'I've got wee patches of grey but I've never done anything to my face. I'm too scared to do Botox. I've heard too many stories over the years where people have ended up looking like Klingons.' She added: 'After gaining weight in lockdown, I'd become very unhappy with my size. Like most of the nation, I had been comfort-eating, not doing as much exercise as normal and my husband has no conception of portion.' Woohoo! The presenter gleefully revealed she's back to her 'happy and healthy self' after bouncing back to her previous weight due to 'comfort eating' (L: May 2022, R: November 2021) The broadcaster previously revealed signed up to WW in a bid to drop some pounds after steadily putting on weight in lockdown and after Christmas, and had gone from 11st 10lbs to 10st 3lbs since January. And the breakfast television legend claims her self-esteem has been given a boost while she's lighter on her toes. She told The Mirror: 'It's made life a lot easier. I know I wasn't alone in putting on weight over the pandemic. I think a lot of us were comfort eating. 'I've certainly got my zest for life back. It's improved my confidence massively. I feel like I can take on anything right now.' Lorraine said she took to enjoying chocolate and a glass of wine during lockdown, with the amount of confectionary she was consuming increasing to 'humungous' amounts by the end of the week, and for breakfast she would have croissants or buns.' Newly single Olivia Molly Rogers made a show-stopping appearance at the 2022 TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday. The former Miss Universe Australia, 30, looked fabulous in a custom bright orange and blue suit by Eliya the Label. Her suit jacket was well fitted to her small waist while her long fitted skirt reached her ankles. Newly single Olivia Molly Rogers, 30, made a show stopping appearance at the 2022 TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday Olivia accessorised her sophisticated ensemble with a blue clutch purse, garnet red earrings and a dainty gold bangle. She matched her patent heels with a bright orange headband that kept her brunette tresses slicked back off her face. Olivia's makeup was bright and summery with a plenty of blush, brown eyeshadow and minimal eyeliner. The former Miss Universe Australia, 30, looked fabulous in a custom bright orange and blue suit by Eliya the Label The model also dazzled with shiny painted nails and wore a Horseshoe pin that is being sold at Stakes Day for charity The model also dazzled with shiny painted nails and wore a Horseshoe pin with a special meaning. Taking to Instagram, Olivia wrote that the pins are being sold at Stakes Day for charity. 'If you are at the track today keep an eye out for the lovely volunteers selling pins - all funds raised go towards Australian Childhood Foundations national trauma recovery program,' she wrote. Olivia recently confirmed her split from husband Justin McKeone after just seven months of marriage. Olivia's outing comes after she recently confirmed her split from husband Justin McKeone (left) after just seven months of marriage Rumours about Olivia and Justin's marriage began swirling in September after fans noticed she'd reverted to her maiden name on Instagram and unpinned all the photos from her February wedding. The former couple, who met in 2018, were last pictured together in August in a series of loved-up holiday snaps from their trip to New York City. Olivia finally addressed her break-up in an Instagram post on October 3. 'After 4.5 years together, Justin and I have come to the difficult decision to separate as a couple,' she wrote. 'I do not wish to make any further statements about this in the near future. 'Please respect our decision and privacy at this time. Thank you for all your private DMs, kindness and support.' Advertisement Auli'i Cravalho made a glamorous appearance as she attended the first-ever Critics Choice Association Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and TV in Los Angeles on Friday. The Moana voice actress, 21, donned a stunning ensemble with a fitted skirt and blue velvet top for the evening. Along with the talented star, other celebrity guests also stopped by the ceremony, including Glee alum Darren Criss and The Afterparty actress Zoe Chao. Glamorous: Auli'i Cravalho, 21, donned a stunning ensemble as she attended the Critics Choice Association Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema and TV in LA earlier Friday evening The Crush actress glammed up for the star-studded event, and opted to wear a form-fitting outfit. The top portion comprised of a blue velvet corset with an added long-sleeved piece on top. The long, black skirt fell down straight towards the floor, leaving a small train resting on the ground behind her. Auli'i accessorized the look with dangly, contrasting silver earrings for an additional stylish touch to the overall look. Beautiful: The Moana actress glammed up for her appearance at the special ceremony in Los Angeles Recipient: Auli'i was honored with the Rising Star Award for Film based on her performance in Hulu's Crush The talented star pulled back her dark hair into a sleek bun, showcasing her elegant makeup. She added a blue winged eyeliner, a peach-colored blush, and a nude-colored lipstick. Auli'i held a sparkling, dark navy clutch bag in her hand to coincide with the color scheme of her gown. The beauty was not only a guest at the ceremony, but was also honored with the Rising Star Award for Film based on her performance in Hulu's Crush. Another honoree at the the Critics Choice Celebration included Zoe Chao for her role in the Apple TV+ series, The Afterparty. Honoree: Actress Zoe Chao also made an appearance at the ceremony and was an honoree for her role in the Apple TV+ series, The Afterparty Fashion statement: Kylie Mar, an on-air personality for Yahoo, donned a fitted black jumpsuit with chain embellishments on the front She stunned in a chic white suit, which comprised of a white blazer jacket and a long skirt that fell down right above her ankles. Zoe completed her classic look with a pair of white heels, while accessorizing with gold, dangly earrings. The Strangers star was honored with the Actress Award for Television during the special event. Kylie Mar was also in attendance, and donned a black, embellished jumpsuit with a deep, low V-cut. She is known for being an on-air personality for Yahoo. Mandeep Dhillon and current CSI: Vegas actress, opted for an eye-catching dress made of shimmering material and black ruffles. Chic: Mandeep Dhillon was pictured wearing a shimmering and ruffled dress as she attended the ceremony Classy! Rubina Bernabe wore a strapless, corseted dress with feathery material on the bottom hem, along with sheer black gloves for a classy touch Big smile: Andria Wilson flashed a happy smile for the camera as she posed for an exclusive photo Sleek: How I Met Your Mother star Kal Penn wore a purple blazer with a flower imprint over black shirt and black slacks Media personality, Rubina Bernabe, wore a form-fitting, strapless black corseted dress that contained feathery material at the bottom. For a classy touch to the look, the roller-skater added a pair of sheer, black gloves. Andria Wilson, actress and director of ReFrame, opted for a colorful ensemble which included a peach-colored dress and detailed sweater. How I Met Your Mother star Kal Penn wore a purple blazer with a flower imprint over black shirt and black slacks. He was joined by his longtime collaborator Jon Cho on the red carpet. Bling Empire star, Christine Chiu, showcased her toned legs in a tasseled, cut out mini dress. Underneath the tassel material, stunning colors sparkled under the light on the dress. Hugging: He was joined by his longtime collaborator Jon Cho on the red carpet. Speaking: Penn also spoke onstage during the big event before introducing Cho Award! Penn presented Cho with an award at the big event Embrace: The pair celebrated the moment with a tight embrace Unique: Bling Empire star, Christine Chiu, opted for a sparkling, tasseled mini dress as she attended the glamorous event Industry stars: Actress Alysia Reiner and CNN host/journalist, Lisa Ling, both opted for classy monochromatic looks for the evening Keeping it cool: Michelle Rodriguez from the Fast & Furious franchise kept her look on the casual side in pants and a velvet jacket Orange Is The New Black actress, Alysia Reiner, and CNN journalist, Lisa Ting, both opted for all-black, monochromatic outfits for the evening. Fast And Furious star, Michelle Rodriguez, kept her look on the casual side, and wore a pair of fitted pants, a velvet jacket, and adorned heels. Stephanie Hsu from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and talented actor, Ke Huy Quan, gave each other a cheerful embrace on the red carpet. Actress Isabelle Du and Dennis Hour posed together for an exclusive photo at the ceremony together. Glee alum, Darren Criss, appeared to be in good spirits as he wore a vibrant blue suit jacket paired with classic black dress pants. Big hug! Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan reunited with a happy embrace on the red carpet of the event Happy couple: Actress Isabelle Du and her husband, Dennis Hour, posed for an adorable photo together Dressed to impress: Glee alum, Darren Criss, was all smiles in a vibrant blue suit jacket and dress pants as he arrived James Hong, who has worked in the industry for decades and been involved in a number of projects, such as Mulan (1998), was also in attendance. He also received the special Icon Award to honor his long-lasting and dedicated career in the industry. Hasan Minhaj looked dapper in a black suit and white dress shirt, while Hocus Pocus 2 actor, Sam Richardson, opted for a gray and black suit. Lewis Tan, who has starred in various projects such as Deadpool 2, wore a black suit paired with a black dress shirt. Later in the night as stars made their grand appearances at ceremony, celebrities had a chance to take a few memorable group photos together. The inaugural Critics Choice Celebration for Asian Pacific Film & TV was created to recognize both 'emerging and established talent,' according to the main website. Icon Award: James Hong, who has worked in the industry since the 1950s, received the Icon Award during the ceremony Ready for the night: Hasan Minhaj and Sam Richardson dressed to the nines in classic suits to attend the special event Big event: The Critics Choice Celebration for Asian Pacific Cinema and TV held its inaugural ceremony earlier Friday; Lewis Tan pictured for an exclusive photo Gathered together: Sana Amanat, Alysia Reiner, Aramis Knight, Iman Vellani, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laurel Marsden, Mohan Kapur, and Rish Shah took a fun photo together in front of a green backdrop Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens brought their fashion A-game for a bottle signing in Las Vegas on Friday. The Pretty Little Liars star, 32, and the High School Musical alum, 33, both looked sensational in Sin City as they arrived at Lee's Discount Liquor Store. The glamorous pair joined forces to promote Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits and the liquor brand's new 'Margalicious Margarita.' No discounts here: Ashley Benson, 32, and Vanessa Hudgens, 33, brought their fashion A-game for a bottle signing in Las Vegas on Friday. The Pretty Little Liars star and the High School Musical alum both looked sensational in Sin City as they arrived at Lee's Discount Liquor Store Margalicious: The glamorous pair joined forces to promote Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits and the liquor brand's new 'Margalicious Margarita' Dressed in head-to-toe leather, Benson's brown look fully embraced the fall season while exuding chic edge. Ashley's heeled suede boot's elevated her petite frame while her oversized leather coat and her leather Bermuda shorts gave the overall look some cosmopolitan refinement. The Teen Choice Award winner wore her blond bob in slightly-curled waves. Minimal makeup and blush-colored lips allowed Benson's brilliant blue eyes to have maximum impact. Vanessa clung to Halloween in a plunging pumpkin dress and oversized black leather jacket, which paired well with her raven hair and black boots. Both actresses sported claws for the event as their manicures popped with dark and deadly sharpness. Leatherette: Dressed in head-to-toe leather, Benson's brown look fully embraced the fall season while exuding chic edge Halloween vibes: Vanessa clung to Halloween in a plunging pumpkin dress and oversized black leather jacket, which paired well with her raven hair and black boots After making their way into the liquor store and posing for pictures, the two Thomas Ashbourne 'Tastemakers' took their seats behind a table and started signing bottles. Ashley and Vanessa aren't the only celebrities promoting the sustainable line of top-quality all-natural pre-mixed cocktails. Rosario Dawson, 43, also endorses the brand's margarita, while WWE star John Cena, 45, is paired with Thomas Ashbourne's take on the old fashioned. 26-year-old rapper Playboi Carti is the face of their vodka-fueled and white wine-inspired 'Hardscatto' concoction. And just like that, Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, has finally endorsed a cosmo that comes in a can and a bottle. Las Vegas leather: Ashley's heeled suede boot's elevated her petite frame while minimal makeup and blush-colored lips allowed her brilliant blue eyes to have maximum impact Hollywood claws: Vanessa's manicure popped with dark and deadly sharpness The A-list roster of Thomas Ashbourne 'Tastemakers' are also founding partners in the ready-to-drink brand. At 16$ per bottle and 26$ for a four-pack of cans, the affordable selection appears to be poised for success and might just become the latest gusher of money for celebrity entrepreneurs in the liquor space. After George Clooney and Rande Gerber struck gold with Casamigos, Hollywood has saturated the market with a bevy of celebrity-backed wine and liquor brands. Everyone from Ryan Reynolds to Kendall Jenner has succumbed to the craze, with Esquire ranking 63 star-fueled brands last year in August. Vanessa and Ashley are the latest in a long line of liquor moguls. Time will tell if they end up toasting to success or failure. Lesley Manville has admitted she 'thought' she was going to play Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown, before being cast as Princess Margaret in the upcoming fifth series. The actress, 66, was convinced she'd be playing the late matriarch when she was asked to meet with creator Peter Morgan - before the part went to Imelda Staunton. She explained how she initially was unsure whether she could become the sovereign's late sister, because she doesn't see herself as 'glamorous'. Honest: Lesley Manville has admitted she 'thought' she was going to play Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown, before being cast as Princess Margaret (pictured in September 2022) The Mum star told The Times: 'When my agent called and said, 'Can you go to Peter Morgan's house on Monday?' - that's how it happened for me, and I think it happened for Imelda - I never thought of myself as a Margaret. My immediate thought was the Queen, the Queen! 'My agent said, 'He wants to talk to you about playing Margaret.' I thought, 'Hang on a minute. Margaret? I can't do Margaret.' 'Because in my head I saw Margaret as young and glamorous, when Vanessa [Kirby, of series one and two] played her, and glamorous and still quite young, but a bit older, when Helena [Bonham Carter, of series three and four] played her.' Lesley concluded that doesn't see herself in that way, admitting it's a 'problem with her own self-image', but was 'really chuffed' to take on the role anyway. Candid: She explained how she initially was unsure whether she could become the sovereign's late sister, because she doesn't see herself as 'glamorous' With the previous two seasons of The Crown covering the three decades before the Nineties the entire team have been recast for this series' 13-year time frame of 1990 to 2003. Focusing heavily on the fallout between Princess Diana and King Charles (then Prince of Wales) the new series will showcase a number of low points for the royals. Among them are Charles and Diana's marriage breakdown, the late royal's controversial Panorama interview and the notorious 'tampongate' phone call between the King and Queen Consort. One of the most controversial aspects of the series is how it will tackle the death of Diana, with Netflix facing scrutiny over the decision to recreate the final days of Princess Diana, shooting some scenes in Paris, where she died. The streaming giant was recently forced by the row to add a disclaimer to its trailer for season five saying it was a 'fictional dramatisation inspired by real events'. Hilarious: The star said: 'When my agent said, 'Can you go to Peter Morgan's house?' - I never thought of myself as a Margaret. My immediate thought was the Queen!' (pictured in 2018) It followed accusations of callousness amid reports the show will recreate the Paris car chase that resulted in Diana's death and scenes of young princes William and Harry following their mother's coffin in a future season. The exact moment of the crash will not be shown. Acting royalty Dame Judi Dench, who is close to King Charles and Camilla, has accused the programme of being 'crude and hurtful'. Dame Judi, 87, who has played Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, told The Times the series risked damaging the monarchy. The Oscar-winning actress blamed it for 'crude sensationalism' and blurring fact and fiction. Former Prime Minister Sir John Major criticised a scene which shows him having a conversation with then Prince Charles about the possibility of the Queen abdicating as 'malicious nonsense'. The previous fourth series of the drama was criticised for not doing enough to tell viewers it was a work of fiction. Talented: The actress, 66, was convinced she'd be playing the late matriarch when she was asked to meet with creator Peter Morgan - before the part went to Imelda Staunton (pictured) The Crown has been a hit for Netflix since it was first released in 2016 with the main characters being regularly recast to follow the age of the royals in their respective timelines. Earlier this month a trailer for season five showed the royal family in crisis during the new episodes, detailing the events leading up to Princess Diana's 1997 death. The sneak peek shows Elizabeth Debicki whizzing away from paparazzi as she drives at full speed in a tense car chase scene. Being released on November 9, another scene from the new season displays the character floating in a pool in a skimpy swimsuit - as she battles the crisis of royal protocol and family scandal in front of the nation. Throughout the trailer, emphasis is placed on pressure the royal family faced during the 1990s as the marriage between Prince Charles and Princess Diana broke down - while also covering the late Monarch (Imelda Staunton) and her reaction to the Windsor Castle Fire of 1992. It will also include an entire episode focusing on Diana's controversial sit-down interview with BBC journalist Martin Bashir in 1995, in which she sensationally said 'there were three of us in the marriage' - a reference to Charles and Camilla. Over the first three series of The Crown, the Netflix hit has become well known for bending facts to suit its narrative, and while some artistic license is inevitable, some critics have been outraged in its rewriting of history and relationships. Character: Lesley added: 'Because in my head I saw Margaret as young and glamorous, when Vanessa [Kirby, of series one and two] played her, and glamorous and still quite young' But in its most controversial series yet, the brand new trailer declares that the 'royal family is in genuine crisis', as it depicts at-the-time Prince Charles and Diana's divorce. Actress Elizabeth's voice can be heard explaining that Diana 'never stood a chance' in the trailer, as shots show the royal whizzing down a street while driving a black car at high speed to avoid paparazzi. The dramatic scene shows an overwhelmed Diana at the wheel, donning a red puffer jacket as she struggles to keep control of the wheel. Lizzie Cundy wowed onlookers as she headed out to Coya Mayfair to celebrate her friend Joy Desmond's birthday on Friday night. The TV personality, 54, looked her usual glamorous self as she put on a leggy display in a fringed silver-and-gold minidress while adding inches with black heels. She styled her golden tresses loosely in voluminous waves and accessorised with silver droplet earrings. Emerging: Lizzie Cundy wowed onlookers as she headed out to Coya Mayfair to celebrate her friend Joy Desmond's birthday on Friday night Lizzie accentuated her striking features with a full-coverage make-up palette as she strutted her stuff outside the venue. Joy, the wife of billionaire publisher Richard Desmond, slipped her enviable physique into a tight floral jumpsuit as they made their way into the swanky establishment. It comes after Lizzie put on a very sexy display on Friday morning as she arrived at the Silverstone racetrack. Out of this world: The TV personality, 54, (left) looked her usual glamorous self The influencer looked busty in a plunging tight black catsuit as she took to the track. Lizzie styled out her look with blacked out sunglasses and matching high heel shoes as she carried a colour coordinated crash helmet by her side. The television presenter took to the famous race circuit as part of the Porsche GT-3 cup hot laps race day. Stylish; She put on a leggy display in a fringed silver-and-gold minidress while adding inches with black heels Lizzie, known for her racy social media posts, required a quick costume change as she swapped her black leather ensemble for a white racing overall. The mother-of-two partnered racer Nathan Harrison as he spun Lizzie round the track at speeds up to 260khm down the spine-tingling straights. 26-year-old Nathan is a British Karting Champion as well as a two-time Mini Challenge Champion. The Porshe driver who competes in the Carrea Cup rose to prominence when he was ranked as high as sixth in the world in the Rotax Max standings. Nathan is a team member of Redline Racing who have dominated the Carrea Cup - winning the event 11 times since 2004. Lizzie's Silverstone appearance comes two days after she attended the UK premiere of The Last Heist in lavish Leicester Square. Earlier the same day, Lizzie had celebrated in aid of National Farmer's Day. The television personality said: 'Happy National Farmers Day! Celebrating our farmers today and heres to producing our own food! Ive got the best fertiliser by the way!' Ita Buttrose is one of the most formidable women in Australian media. But the 80-year-old ABC boss admits that she has experienced ageism but believes older people are very valuable to the workforce. 'Are we an ageist society? Yes, I think we are still. I mean, you listen to people talking about a shortage of workers; well, what is the problem with employing older people? It's people's prejudice against older people' she tells this week's Stellar Magazine. Ita Buttrose is one of the most formidable women in Australian media. But the 80-year-old ABC boss admits that she has experienced ageism but believes older people are very valuable to the workforce. Pictured in this week's issue of Stellar Magazine 'You hear it all the time: 'Oh, they can't be retrained.' 'They're too old.' That is all wrong. There's plenty of evidence from overseas that shows older people can be retrained, they do adapt to technology, they're very keen to learn new skills. 'And if you train them correctly, they'll turn out to be fantastic workers. They take fewer days off than younger people and they don't spend all day sending text messages on their telephone'. Elsewhere in the interview, Ita admitted that she is unlikely to marry again at this stage of her life. 'Are we an ageist society? Yes, I think we are still. I mean, you listen to people talking about a shortage of workers; well, what is the problem with employing older people? It's people's prejudice against older people' she tells this week's Stellar Magazine Ita posed for a stunning photo shoot in the magazine, donning a striking black ensemble 'I really don't think it's going to happen. I'm a romantic and even I don't like my chances' she said. 'But look, I'm quite happy living my own life. You just take where life leads you. And if it surprises you, it surprises you' Ita was previously married to Peter Sawyer from 1979 to 1980, and before that to Alasdair Macdonald between 1963 to 1976. Elsewhere in the interview, Ita admitted that she is unlikely to marry again at this stage She and Alasdair had two children, daughter Kate and son Ben. 'I have dated men since my second marriage but have not been in a long-term relationship' she told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2019. 'It would be very surprising if I married again. I hear that a lot of men think they'd be punching above their league if they invited me out' she went on. 'I'd say, don't put yourself down or out of the equation I am a woman with the same desires and feelings as every other woman.' Katie Price appeared to be getting in the holiday spirit as she touched down in Thailand with her fiance Carl Woods, 33, on Friday. The former glamour model, 44, sported an all-black co-ord for the flight that consisted of a plain black T-shirt and figure-hugging black leggings. She arrived in Thailand with a boat load of luggage and appeared to be in great spirits as she unloaded her luggage from the car waving on to fans. Holiday ready: Katie Price was spotted on Friday looking in high spirits as she touched down in Thailand with her fiance Carl Woods, 33 Katie also donned a small cross-body bag for the long journey and opted to style her bleach blonde locks in a slick and straight fashion. The jet-setter, who has enjoyed a string of holidays with Carl, also adorned a natural make-up look as she arrived in the bustling airport. She could be seen wearing her surgical moon boots after breaking both her feet two years ago in a horrific accident during a holiday in Turkey. Her fiance Carl was also spotted arriving in Thailand with the model, and the happy couple looked excited to be spending some quality time together. Happy: The former glamour model, 44, arrived in Thailand with a boat load of luggage and appeared to be in great spirits as she unloaded her luggage from the car waving on to fans Carl also oozed airport chic as he opted for an all-black ensemble similar to Katie's, made up of jeans and a black T-shirt. Their latest holiday comes after Katie recently revealed that she had been to see a doctor to discover whether or not she has undiagnosed Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Katie, who is known for her tumultuous personal life, said she needs to have another appointment before she will know for sure. Speaking to her paying subscribers on OnlyFans, Katie said: 'I went to see a doctor to see if I have ADHD and it turns out, I probably have! Airport arrival: The blonde beauty sported an all-black co-ord for the flight that consisted of a plain black tee and a pair of figure hugging black leggings 'I have got some forms to fill out, say what I was like as a kid, my mum's got to fill out forms and my dad, and then my next appointment is when I'm back from Thailand.' ADHD is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more noticeable as a child grows. The majority of cases are diagnosed in children under the age of 12 but some people are not diagnosed until adulthood. Disability: The airport arrival comes after Katie revealed that she had been to see a doctor to discover whether or not she has undiagnosed Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Pierce Brosnan was greeted by fans on Friday as he and his wife Keely Shaye Smith stepped out of their Paris hotel. The James Bond actor, 69, wrapped up warm for the winter weather while enjoying the holiday, accepting a bouquet of flowers from a fan. While Keely looked chic walking alongside her husband, sporting a longline blazer over a glitzy black dress, emblazoned with sequins. Pierce Brosnan, 69, wrapped up warm on Thursday as he stepprf out to a host of adoring fans in Paris alongside his wife Keely Shaye Smith The journalist added a pair of sheer tights and black pumps, holding onto a matching clutch bag. Her brunette locks were left to fall freely in a natural style, as she kept her complexion natural. Matching his wife in all-black, Pierce opted for a pair of tailored trousers with a textured material - adding a dark scarf underneath. Gifts: The James Bond actor wrapped up warm for the winter weather while enjoying the holiday, accepting a bouquet of flowers from a fan Stylish: Keely looked chic walking alongside her husband, sporting a longline blazer over a glitzy black dress, emblazoned with sequins The former James Bond actor teamed his ensemble with a location-fitting beret, smiling as he held onto a bouquet of flowers that had been gifted by a fan. The couple, who are often based in Hawaii, have been enjoying a getaway to Paris this week. It appears that the smitten pair have been enjoying a trip travelling Europe over the last few weeks, enjoying a romantic break in Italy's Lake Como last week. Pierce exchanged vows with Keely in his native Ireland in August 2001. Heading out: Pierce teamed his ensemble with a location-fitting beret as he made his way out of the hotel The couple met at a party in 1994 after the death of Pierce's first wife Cassandra Harris in 1991, and hit it off before eventually deciding to tie the knot seven years later. The couple share two sons together, Dylan, 25, and Paris, 21, who are the youngest of Pierce's five children. The Mamma Mia! hunk also has son Sean, 38, and adopted son Chris, 49, as well as his late adopted daughter Charlotte with Cassandra. Pierce adopted Cassandra's children Chris and Charlotte after their father Dermot Harris died in 1986. Priyanka Chopra was spotted strolling through the airport in Delhi this Saturday while surrounded by her entourage. The 40-year-old actress is back in India after nearly three years, enjoying her first trip to her native land since before the COVID-19 pandemic and the birth of her daughter Malti. 'PeeCee,' as her Indian fans affectionately call her, brought back the 1970s in an airport look that included a sleek pair of fossil grey bell bottoms. Back in town: Priyanka Chopra was spotted strolling through the airport in Delhi this Saturday surrounded by her entourage Letting her luxurious dark hair cascade in waves over her shoulders, she kept her mask on as she headed through Indira Gandhi International airport. As the daughter of two military doctors, Priyanka had a peripatetic childhood that included a stint in the Indian capital. A few days ago she fired up her Insta Stories and wrote that she was 'Finally.. going home. After almost three years..,' over a picture of her boarding pass to India. She had clearly been hankering to visit her country of origin for awhile, judging by a Travel + Leisure interview she gave several months ago, in which she said: 'My brain has been taking vacations every night, but I am dying to go back to India.' Homecoming: The 40-year-old is back in India after nearly three years, enjoying her first trip to her native land since before the COVID-19 pandemic or the birth of her daughter Malti Priyanka explained: 'Every state in India has its own written and spoken language, which means different alphabets, clothing, attire, foods, and holidays. So it's like going to a new country every time you cross the border in India. Every time I go back home, I make sure I take time to do a bit of a holiday and travel.' Before jetting to Delhi she stopped off in Bombay, which is the city of Bollywood, the industry in which Priyanka first became a movie star. Priyanka lapped up the luxury at the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, a posh northern suburb known for being a nexus of celebrities. Although her Bombay trip was chockablock with work engagements, she did indulge in a personal stopover at the Marine Drive promenade for an Instagram video. City girl: Although her Bombay trip was chockablock with work engagements, she did indulge in a personal stopover at the Marine Drive promenade for an Instagram video Place to be: Marine Drive, the most famous street in the city, is sometimes called the 'Queen's Necklace' because of the way it dazzles while lit up at night Marine Drive, the most famous street in the city, is sometimes called the 'Queen's Necklace' because of the way it dazzles while lit up at night and its connection to the history of the British Raj during the Victorian Era. Priyanka's trip to India comes after she and her husband Nick Jonas celebrated their baby's first Diwali the Hindu festival of lights in America. Nick and Priyanka welcomed Malti via surrogate in January, and after her premature birth the baby spent 100 days in neonatal intensive care before arriving home. The couple tied the knot in 2018 at Umaid Bhawan, a palace in Rajasthan that was built under British rule for the Maharajahs of Jodhpur but has since become a hotel after Indian royalty was abolished in the 1970s. Joaquin Phoenix was defended from claims of being 'difficult' while working on film sets by director James Gray during an interview with Vulture that was published on Thursday. During the sit-down, the 53-year-old filmmaker spoke about his admiration for the 48-year-old performer's dedication to his craft. Gray, who is currently preparing for the release of his upcoming movie Armageddon Time, also spoke about working with the Phoenix on the set of their 2012 film The Immigrant. No big deal: Joaquin Phoenix was defended from claims of being 'difficult' while working on film sets by director James Gray during an interview with Vulture that was published on Thursday; he is seen in 2020 Gray began by expressing that working with Phoenix provided him with a creative challenge, for which he was grateful. 'He's not difficult. He's great. He's "difficult" in the best way. You want that difficult,' he said. The filmmaker went on to speak about why the Joker star has been given the label of being hard to work with over the years. 'With Joaquin, the "difficult" label comes because he gets very open about his vulnerability and his need to feel safe in a space,' he said. Enjoying it: Gray began by expressing that working with Phoenix provided him with a creative challenge, for which he was grateful. 'The "difficult" label comes because he gets very open about his vulnerability and his need to feel safe in a space,' he said; seen in October Gray did recall one situation in particular where Phoenix did give his collaborators a hard time while prepping for a role. 'Joaquin in table reads, when it's his turn to speak, he'd say, "Bulls***, bulls***, bulls***, my line. Bulls***, bulls***." He didn't want to reveal himself there,' he said. The filmmaker also spoke about an instance where the performer's willingness to improvise led to a particularly poignant moment on set. 'In the middle of the take, he just screamed, "Belva! Get in here!" [Actress Dagmara Dominczyk] just walked into the middle of the take, and she actually did something great,' he recalled. In the past: Gray did recall one situation in particular where Phoenix did give his collaborators a hard time while prepping for a role; he is seen with Marion Cotillard in 2013's The Immigrant Rolling with it: The filmmaker also spoke about an instance where the performer's willingness to improvise led to a particularly poignant moment on set; he is seen with Marion Cotillard in 2013's The Immigrant Phoenix is currently preparing for the release of the upcoming comedy horror feature Disappointment Blvd., in which he will star. The movie is centered on a successful entrepreneur and follows him through several decades of life. The film will also feature performances from figures such as Patti LuPone, Parker Posey and Stephen McKinley Henderson, among others. Leading man: Phoenix is currently preparing for the release of the upcoming comedy horror feature Disappointment Blvd., in which he will star; he is seen in 2021 Development on the feature was announced in 2020, and Phoenix signed on to star the following year. Physical production took place last year, with much shooting being done near Montreal. Disappointment Blvd. was originally supposed to be released this year, although it is now expected to arrive in 2023. Eminem was spotted on a rare outing with his daughter Hailie while leaving rehearsals for the upcoming 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles on Friday evening. The 50-year-old rapper and his child, 26, kept a low profile as they made their way through the event's backstage while being accompanied by several staff members. The performer shares his daughter with Kimberly Anne Scott, to whom he was married on two separate occasions. Staying close: Eminem was spotted on a rare outing with his daughter Hailie while leaving rehearsals for the upcoming 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles on Friday Eminem wore a white graphic-printed T-shirt underneath a light gray jacket while rehearsing for the Induction Ceremony, where he will enter into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ranks. The 8 Mile star, born Marshall Bruce Mathers, also donned a set of slim-fitting black pants and a set of dual-tone sneakers. Hailie kept it relatively casual in a black jacket and matching pants that were contrasted with a white T-shirt. The social media personality's gorgeous blonde locks shot out from underneath a black cap. Stylish: Eminem wore a white graphic-printed T-shirt underneath a light gray jacket while rehearsing for the Induction Ceremony, where he will enter into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ranks Eminem and his ex Scott initially met in high school and began dating during their teenage years. The former couple went on to start a family with Hailie's arrival in 1995. The two went on to tie the knot in 1999 and divorced after just two years of marriage. They subsequently reconciled and remarried in January of 2006, although their second marriage quickly concluded that April. Making it official: The former couple went on to start a family with Hailie's arrival, which took place in 1995 Eminem has also helped to raise two of his younger relatives, and he was also his half-brother Nathan's legal guardian. The rapper spoke about his love for his daughter and adopted children during an interview on Mike Tyson's Hotboxin' podcast, where he spoke about how he was happy at how Hailie turned out. When asked about his daughter, he stated: 'She's doing good...she made me proud for sure.' Proud father: The rapper spoke about his love for his daughter and adopted children during an interview on Mike Tyson's Hotboxin' podcast, where he spoke about how he was happy at how Hailie turned out Eminem went on to express that, although he was happy about the success he had achieved over the years, he was more concerned with being a good father. 'When I think about my accomplishments, that's probably the thing I'm the most proud of is being able to raise kids,' he said. The hitmaker then remarked that he had attempted to prevent his children from embracing flashy lifestyles. 'It's important to keep your kids grounded when they're in a situation like I have...people also think too that money just buys happiness, [but] that absolutely is not the truth,' he said. She has modeled couture on runways all over the world. But Kaia Gerber stuck to a simply stylish look when she was spotted stepping out to run errands in her hometown of Los Angeles on Saturday. The 21-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford showcased her endless pins in a pair of black Alo leggings and bundled up in a matching sweater. Away from the runway: Kaia Gerber stuck to a simply stylish look when she was spotted stepping out to run errands in her hometown of Los Angeles Letting her luxurious dark hair tumble freely over her shoulders, she warded off the California rays with a pair shades from Salt. Kaia added a pop of color to the ensemble with a green handbag and rounded off the autumnal look with a pair of UGGS. She has followed Cindy's footsteps into the modeling business and has also broken into acting with American Horror Story. Out and about: The 21-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford showcased her endless pins in a pair of black Alo leggings and bundled up in a matching sweater Recently she released a collaboration with Zara, and got a bit of advertising for it on Instagram from her world-famous mother. Meanwhile Kaia's father is Rande Gerber, the dashing businessman who co-founded Casamigos with George Clooney and their pal Mike Meldman. Cindy and Rande married in 1998, just three years after the collapse of Cindy's brief first marriage to Pretty Woman heartthrob Richard Gere. Making it happen: Recently she released a collaboration with Zara - and got a bit of advertising for it on Instagram from her world-famous mother Along with Kaia, the couple have a 23-year-old son named Presley, who recently implied that he might be engaged to his girlfriend Lexi Wood. Meanwhile Kaia is involved with 31-year-old actor Austin Butler, who this year drew gushing praise for his performance as Elvis Presley in a new biopic. She previously dated Saturday Night Live Lothario Pete Davidson in late 2019 at a time when he was 26 and she had just turned 18. Advertisement Week seven of Strictly Come Dancing saw Hamza Yassin and his partner Jowita Przystal come out on top once again as they pulled off an incredible Cha Cha Cha to I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' by the Four Tops. The wildlife presenter's dance was so good in fact that the Queen of Latin herself Shirley Ballas branded it the 'best Cha Cha Cha I've ever seen!' Hamza and Jowita certainly set the bar high for the evening as they bagged an incredible three 10s, with an overall score of 38 points - topping the entire leaderboard. Top score: Week seven of Strictly Come Dancing saw Hamza Yassin and his partner Jowita Przystal come out on top once again as they pulled off an incredible Cha Cha Cha to I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' by the Four Tops Commenting on the performance, head judge Shirley said: 'Thank you for opening the show like that, it was absolutely amazing. She added that she felt 'overwhelmed and emotional', saying that their dance was the 'true language of the cha cha cha'. Praising Hamza's beautiful ease of movement and cheeky smile, she concluded that it was the 'Best cha cha cha I've ever seen!' Meanwhile, Anton Du Beke said: 'If this is the way evening go on, it will be a great night. It was absolutely brilliant', adding that he struggled to find something to mark him down for. What a start! The wildlife presenter's dance was so good in fact that the Queen of Latin herself Shirley Ballas branded it the 'best Cha Cha Cha I've ever seen!' Well done! Hamza and Jowita certainly set the bar high for the evening as they bagged an incredible three 10s, with an overall impressive score of 38 points - topping the entire leaderboard STRICTLY COME WEEK 7 LEADERBOARD Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal: Cha Cha Cha to 'I Can't Help Myself' (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - 38 Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez: Jive to 'Tightrope' by Janelle Monae - 37 Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima: Argentine Tango to 'Assassin's Tango' by John Powell - 37 Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu: Foxtrot to 'You Make Me Happy' by My Sun and Stars - 35 Fleur East and Vito Coppola: Waltz to 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' by Elton John - 35 Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin: Charleston to 'Too Darn Hot' by Kiss Me Kate - 33 Will Mellor and Nancy Xu: Quickstep to 'Soda Pop' by Robbie Williams featuring Michael Buble - 33 Tyler West and Dianne Buswell: Viennese Waltz to 'Ive Been Loving You Too Long' by Seal - 29 Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe: Rumba to 'Alone' by Heart - 22 Tony Adams and Katya Jones: Salsa to 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' by Pitbull 21 Advertisement As per usual, Craig Revel Horwood had a few points to make, noting that Hamza had his feet turned out and there were heel leads in there. However, he was quick to positively add that 'the hip action was there' and that the presenter had 'beautiful straight legs and fantastic body rolls.' Motsi Mabuse meanwhile agreed with Shirley that it was 'one of the best cha cha's ever', adding that 'the music is in your body, on the dancefloor - we enjoyed that!' Impressed: Commenting on the performance, head judge Shirley said: 'Thank you for opening the show like that, it was absolutely amazing Liked what he saw: Meanwhile, Anton Du Beke said: 'If this is the way evening go on, it will be a great night. It was absolutely brilliant', adding that he struggled to find something to mark him down for Opinion: As per usual, Craig Revel Horwood had a few points to make, noting that Hamza had his feet turned out and there were heel leads in there, Motsi Mabuse meanwhile agreed with Shirley that it was 'one of the best cha cha's ever' One's to beat: Hamza and Jowita topped the leaderboard with 38 points Up next was Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe and despite topping the leaderboard last week, the pair failed to emulate their previous success. After their Rumba to 'Alone' by Heart, the judged dished out some harsh criticism, with Craig kicking things off by stating that it was 'a little stiff' and that she was 'walking around'. He added that the performance had 'no resistance, lacked any hip action and therefore lacked passion.' Meanwhile, head judge Shirley said the 'fluidity and flexibility was totally missing', adding that she wouldn't do them a 'disservice' by padding things out. Oh no: Up next was Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe and despite topping the leaderboard last week, the pair failed to emulate their previous success Performance: After their Rumba to 'Alone' by Heart, the judged dished out some harsh criticism, with Craig kicking things off by stating that it was 'a little stiff' and that she was 'walking around' Going for it: The pair gave it their all as they danced the notoriously difficult Rumba Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu were next to take to the floor with a Foxtrot to 'You Make Me Happy' by My Sun and Stars, with the judges very impressed with their efforts. Shirley remarked that the dance was the 'epitome of style' before going on to praise their 'sophistication and overwhelming sense of beauty'. She went on to speak about Molly's great technique, adding that she should keep working on those fundamentals. While Anton commented that it was a 'hard dance', before gushing that 'I really love you dancing like this, super duper - well done!' What a performance! Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu were next to take to the floor with a Foxtrot to 'You Make Me Happy' by My Sun and Stars, with the judges very impressed with their efforts Nicely done: Shirley remarked that the dance was the 'epitome of style' before going on to praise their 'sophistication and overwhelming sense of beauty' Praise: While Anton commented that it was a 'hard dance', before gushing that 'I really love you dancing like this, super duper - well done!' Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin were next to take to the dancefloor with their Charleston to 'Too Darn Hot' by Kiss Me Kate, with the duo coming out with a bang with their thrilling routine which featured plenty of impressive flips and tricks. The judges were suitably pleased, with Motsi gushing: 'You raised that level! You came and put your heart on the dancefloor and this is what the show is about... I thought you did great!' While Shirley observed Ellie's 'Paralympian mentality' is that she never gives up, adding that the swimmer 'didn't miss a beat' during her performance. Anton meanwhile commented that it was a 'perfect number - it had everything in it!' Wow: Ellie Simmonds and Nikita were next to take to the dancefloor with their Charleston to 'Too Darn Hot' by Kiss Me Kate, with the duo coming out with a bang with their thrilling routine which featured plenty of impressive flips and tricks Putting on a show: The judges were suitably pleased, with Motsi gushing: 'You raised that level! You came and put your heart on the dancefloor and this is what the show is about... I thought you did great!' You go girl! Shirley observed Ellie's 'Paralympian mentality' is that she never gives up, adding that the swimmer 'didn't miss a beat' during her performance Tyler West and Dianne Buswell were hoping to continue their success from last week with their Viennese Waltz to 'Ive Been Loving You Too Long' by Seal, but like fellow leaderboard topper Ellie T before them, they failed to hit the mark. Shirley started off positively by noting she liked their 'delivery of expression' before she called out Tyler on making 'too many mistakes' and having 'too much incorrect footwork.' Craig also had things to point out, calling the routine 'pedestrian', telling the couple he was 'saying it to be horrible'. He added that the radio DJ's 'bottom was sticking out a lot', but ended by saying he was 'a lovely dancer'. Uh oh; Tyler West and Dianne Buswell were hoping to continue their success from last week with their Viennese Waltz to 'Ive Been Loving You Too Long' by Seal, but like fellow leaderboard topper Ellie T before them, they failed to hit the mark Criticism: Shirley started off positively by noting she liked their 'delivery of expression' before she called out Tyler on making 'too many mistakes' and having 'too much incorrect footwork' Tried their best: Craig also had things to point out, calling the routine 'pedestrian', telling the couple he was 'saying it to be horrible'. He added that the radio DJ's 'bottom was sticking out a lot', but ended by saying he was 'a lovely dancer' Contrastingly, the judges couldn't praise Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima enough, thanks to their electrifying Argentine Tango to 'Assassin's Tango' by John Powell. An excitable Anton enthused: 'This was unrecognisable from last week - I loved it! Yes please!' While Craig commented: 'Apart from your raised shoulders, I thought the dance was absolutely perfect!' Mosti was in agreement, noting that they were the 'strongest competitors' and that they 'do it with such humbleness and understatement' before adding the routine was 'exquisite.' Sizzling: Contrastingly, the judges couldn't praise Kym Marsh and Graziano Di Prima enough, thanks to their electrifying Argentine Tango to 'Assassin's Tango' by John Powell High praise indeed: An excitable Anton enthused: 'This was unrecognisable from last week - I loved it! Yes please!' Excellent work: Mosti was in agreement, noting that they were the 'strongest competitors' and that they 'do it with such humbleness and understatement' before adding the routine was 'exquisite' Amazing: With Shirley concluding: 'I'm not sure you realised just how good that was. You were emotionally invested in each other. It was by far one of the most accomplished routines I've seen you do, that was beautiful' With Shirley concluding: 'I'm not sure you realised just how good that was. You were emotionally invested in each other. It was by far one of the most accomplished routines I've seen you do, that was beautiful.' Will Mellor and Nancy Xu were the next couple to perform, dancing a Quickstep to 'Soda Pop' by Robbie Williams featuring Michael Buble. Craig noted that it was a' tiny bit heavy, only marginally' before adding the dance 'had rhythm' and was so entertaining.' Routine: Will Mellor and Nancy Xu were the next couple to perform, dancing a Quickstep to 'Soda Pop' by Robbie Williams featuring Michael Buble Feedback: Craig noted that it was a' tiny bit heavy, only marginally' before adding the dance 'had rhythm' and was so entertaining' Good work: With Motsi agreeing that it was 'So entertaining, I couldn't take me eyes off you.' She added that Will had 'such a wonderful way of moving across the floor' With Motsi agreeing that it was 'So entertaining, I couldn't take me eyes off you.' She added that Will had 'such a wonderful way of moving across the floor'. Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez were hoping to impress with their Jive to 'Tightrope' by Janelle Monae and they did just that. Motsi gushed: 'It was a real, real statement. I could go on for hours and tell you absolutely everything that was great about that Jive - it was magnificent!' However. she was quick to add that Helen made a small mistake. While Shirley said: 'Anybody who knows me knows I love the Jive. Anybody who's about to do a Jive, that's the way to do it.' Looking good: Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez were hoping to impress with their Jive to 'Tightrope' by Janelle Monae and they did just that Such style: Motsi gushed: 'It was a real, real statement. I could go on for hours and tell you absolutely everything that was great about that Jive - it was magnificent!' However. she was quick to add that Helen made a small mistake Cool: Craig told the presenter he was so close to giving her a 10 but then he saw the mistake. Gutted at her error, Helen then did an impressive cartwheel to try and convince him to score her high, with the couple going on to score 37 points overall Craig meanwhile told the presenter he was so close to giving her a 10 but then he saw the mistake. Gutted at her error, Helen then did an impressive cartwheel to try and convince him to score her high, with the couple going on to score 37 points overall. Following their disappointing appearance in last week's dance-off, Fleur East and Vito Copolla were no doubt hoping to avoid being in the bottom two as they dance a Waltz to 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' by Elton John. And they certainly gave themselves a fighting chance as the beautiful dance garnered some favourable comments from the judges, with an enthusiastic Craig remarking: 'Graceful, elegant, stylish - I absolutely adored that!' Shirley added that there was 'a lot in there I liked. I loved the connection with the body and the beautiful closes.' The dance expert then went on to discuss Fleur's toe placement with the help of a pair of dancing shoes. Lovely: Following their disappointing appearance in last week's dance-off, Fleur East and Vito Copolla were no doubt hoping to avoid being in the bottom two as they dance a Waltz to 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' by Elton John Gorgeous: They certainly gave themselves a fighting chance as the beautiful dance garnered some favourable comments from the judges, with an enthusiastic Craig remarking: 'Graceful, elegant, stylish - I absolutely adored that!' Doing well: Shirley added that there was 'a lot in there I liked. I loved the connection with the body and the beautiful closes.' The dance expert then went on to discuss Fleur's toe placement with the help of a pair of dancing shoes Anton then shared: 'I so much prefer this dance for you, it was beautiful to watch, you are the most divine dancer.' He then made the audience giggle as he followed up by saying: 'one or two things down below that could need adjusting', referring to her footwork. The final couple to dance were Tony Adams and Katya Jones, who were hoping to improve on their highest scores from last week with a Salsa to 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' by Pitbull. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be as the judges had some mixed remarks over the performance. Here they go: The final couple to dance were Tony Adams and Katya Jones, who were hoping to improve on their highest scores from last week with a Salsa to 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' by Pitbull Uh oh: Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be as the judges had some mixed remarks over the performance Reaction: Craig simply told the pair: 'It didn't work tonight - its a shame', while Motsi struggled to produce a compliment as she uttered: 'You tried so hard... stuff goes on in life... pick up you crown, go out there and salsa it out!' Look who it is! Ian Wright was in the audience to support his fellow Arsenal legend Tony Craig simply told the pair: 'It didn't work tonight - its a shame', while Motsi struggled to produce a compliment as she uttered: 'You tried so hard... stuff goes on in life... pick up you crown, go out there and salsa it out!' With Shirley trying to stay positive by praising Tony's rotations and 'fearless' lifts, but added it was an 'absolute shame' that he went on the wrong foot and made 'too many mistakes'. Week's seven's live show concluded with Hamza and Jowita topping the leaderboard with 38, while Tony and Katya languished at the bottom with just 21 points out of 40. Chilling out: After the show, judge Craig put on a humorous display as he sat on a wall outside his hotel and read his Strictly Come Dancing annual while waiting for his food to arrive Living his best life: The choreographer, 57, was clearly enjoying himself as he flipped through the pages of the book Happy man: The star looked chuffed as his takeaway finally arrived, with Craig then making his way back inside Last week's Halloween special saw both Ellie Taylor and radio presenter Tyler West top the leaderboard with the sizzling performances. But it was the end of the line for James Bye as he became the fifth contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing as the EastEnders star faced Fleur East in the ghastly dance off. The remaining couples took to the Ballroom floor for a spook-tacular Halloween special, in the hopes of impressing the judges, Craig Devil Horwood, Motsi Maboo-se, Phantom Du Beke and Head Judge, Scary Ballas and the voting public. Both couples performed their routines again, with James and his dance partner Amy Dowden performing their Charleston to Bumble Bee by LaVern Baker. Farewell: James Bye became the fifth contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing evening as the EastEnders star faced Fleur East in the ghastly dance off Then, Fleur East and her dance partner Vito Coppola performed their Salsa to Break My Soul by Beyonce in a bid to impress the judges and remain in the competition. And as the judges delivered their verdicts, all four opted to save Fleur, meaning James left the competition. When asked by host Tess Daly about his time on the show, James said: 'Ive said this from the very beginning, all I can do is go out there and do my very best. I am dancing against Fleur East, I went and did my best but she is phenomenal. Well done: Ultimately it was Fleur and dance partner Vito Coppola who made it through after a unanimous verdict from the judging panel Close: James described his Strictly Come Dancing colleagues as 'family' during an emotional farewell speech on Sunday evening 'Ive had the best time on this show and I have a friend for life [in Amy], all I can do is thank the family, and I have a new family now. 'Its a competition but you dont feel like that backstage, you honestly feel like everyone has each others backs and everyone is just willing everyone to do their best!' The dance-off wasn't without its controversy as the show faced another potential fix row as it emerged that Fleur East was allowed to redo her dance-off performance after falling over. Well done: James and Amy were surrounded by their supportive colleagues before taking to the ballroom floor for their final dance Fleur started her dance again after a horrific fall which saw her come 'crashing down' on her partner, with the moment not aired or mentioned on the results show. The Sun reports that the Sax hitmaker tumbled over her prop and brought down her dance partner during their Salsa to Break My Soul by Beyonce, with the decision made that they were allowed to start again once they were checked over by medics. A source said: 'It was a deeply unfortunate incident, and not Fleur or Vitos fault at all. About five seconds in, when she was meant to pull Vito along in the prop chair, the legs slipped. 'She came crashing down, taking Vito down too. They landed incredibly hard - it was quite shocking and the audience audibly gasped. Poor Fleur looked stunned and devastated, and no one really knew what was happening on or off stage. Drama: The dance-off wasn't without its controversy as the show faced another potential fix row as it emerged that Fleur East was allowed to redo her dance-off performance after falling over 'Eventually the warm-up guy came on and addressed the audience while Fleur and Vito got checked out. They started their dance again and obviously this second version was the one aired. There was no reference to the fall by the judges either.' The source added to the publication that competitor James 'wasnt bothered at all' by Fleur's second chance and that he 'genuinely believed' that she was the better dance on the night. A Strictly Come Dancing spokesperson told MailOnline: 'After an incident with a prop at the beginning of Fleur and Vitos dance off performance, the decision was made to halt proceedings to check they were not injured, as a matter of urgency. Drama: It comes after Fleur addressed her Strictly fall drama after it emerged she was allowed to redo her dance-off performance after a prop blunder 'As they had not begun to dance before the incident occurred, it was decided they could start the performance again, once it was confirmed they were fit to do so.' After the reports emerged, the performer addressed the incident during a TV appearance. Speaking on Thursday's Loose Women, Vito said: 'Basically what happened, in the first few seconds of our number, I just fell down on the chair. Literally was a bad fall. 'Everyone was gasping, but I showed them I was okay and able to restart so thank you - Im fine, Im here today so all good. Thank you very much.' Strictly Come Dancing returns with the results show on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One. Having their say: Now Fleur and Vito have opened up on the controversy, explaining she had a 'bad fall' on a chair within the first few seconds of the number Roman Kemp has confirmed he's been in talks to host the new series of Big Brother - and he has the backing of former frontwoman Davina McCall. The Capital FM presenter, 29, has previously been named as one of the stars in the running to front the ITV2 reboot when it airs next year and he says he's a 'huge fan' of the iconic reality series. Former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of here! campmate Roman told the Mirror: 'Id love to present Big Brother. High hopes: Roman Kemp, 29, has confirmed he's been in talks to host the new series of Big Brother 'There have been talks. Ive always been a huge fan so Id do my best to do it justice.' Roman added: 'Davina and I were talking about it the other day. She said I should do it.' However, Roman reportedly faces stiff competition from actress Emily Atack, 32, and BBC Radio 1 presenter Vick Hope, 33. In the running: The Capital FM presenter has previously been named as one of the stars in the running to front the ITV2 reboot when it airs next year Exciting: Roman says he has the backing of former host Davina McCall and the pair have been chatting about him taking on the job (Davina pictured on Big Brother in 2002) Meanwhile, it has also been reported that former Love Island star Maura Higgins is the frontrunner to present the reboot. The former Love Islander, 31, is reportedly the producers' top choice due to her resume of TV gigs on Glow Up Ireland and Dancing On Ice. A source told The Sun: 'Producers are determined to distance themselves from former Big Brother names but the former favourite, Mo Gilligan, is now busy in the States. Wow! Maura Higgins has also been named as the 'frontrunner to present ITV's Big Brother reboot - with producers determined to distance the show from its former cast' 'Now bosses are looking at female stars who have the strength to hold the show together, while also the warmth to gently quiz contestants in the way that Davina McCall and Emma Willis did so well. 'Maura is a homegrown ITV talent who has all that - plus of course looks great on screen.' It comes after Big Brother's highly-anticipated return has allegedly been set for March 2023. Screen star: Actress Emily Atack has been named as one of the stars being considered for the hosting job It was confirmed during the Love Island final in August that the TV favourite would have a new home on ITV2 and streaming service ITVX. Now, Broadcast has claimed a date has been 'confirmed' for the civilian edition of the programme, which last aired on Channel 5 in 2018. An ITV representative told MailOnline: 'It's too early to confirm scheduling at this point.' Shirley Ballas came under fire from Strictly Come Dancing viewers on Saturday after she called the show's professional dancer Dianne Buswell by the wrong name. Despite the pair working together on the BBC show for the past five years, Shirley, 62, used the wrong moniker while giving her critique of Dianne's dance with her celebrity partner Tyler West. While reviewing the pair's Viennese Waltz to Ive Been Loving You Too Long by Seal, Shirley called Dianne, 'Diana', prompting fans to call the show judge out on social media. Mishap: Shirley Ballas, 62, came under fire from Strictly Come Dancing viewers on Saturday after she called the show's professional dancer Dianne Buswell by the wrong name Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: 'How after 5 years can Shirley insist on getting Diannes name wrong? #Strictly.' Another viewer posted: 'How is Shirley still getting Diannes name wrong after 5 years? rude #Strictly.' Someone else wrote to Shirley: 'FAO: Shirley Ballas. Her name is Dianne, not Diana. Kind regards, The nation. #Strictly.' Mistake: Despite the pair working together on the show for the past five years, Shirley used the wrong moniker while giving her critique of Dianne's dance with her partner Tyler West While another audience member at home shared: 'Her name is DIANNE, Shirley. Thats twice shes called her Diana #Strictly.' 'Why does Shirley still not know Diannes name come off it this isnt your first year nor is it Diannes,' wrote someone else. While someone else tweeted: '@TheAntonDuBeke @bbcstrictly please tell Shirley that her name is Dianne not Diana! Every week. Its so rude! Thanks. #StrictlyComeDancing2022 #strictly #shirleyballas.' Speaking out: While reviewing the pair's Viennese Waltz to Ive Been Loving You Too Long by Seal, Shirley called Dianne, 'Diana', prompting fans to call the show judge out on social media One other person posted: '@bbcstrictly can Shirley Balas not get Dianes name right? Every week she calls her Diana. Surely shes been on long enough to know the professionals names by now.' And someone else wrote: 'Shirley could at least get the professional's name right! That's twice she's called her Diana! #strictly.' Despite her blunder, Shirley was reasonably complimentary of the pair and their dance, with Tyler and Dianne scoring 29 out of a possible 40 for their performance. Glitz and glamour: Despite her blunder, Shirley was reasonably complimentary of the pair and their dance, with Tyler and Dianne scoring 29 out of a possible 40 for their performance Comments: Shirley told them: 'I'll give you the two things that I really enjoyed and that was the delivery of the expression. I really enjoyed that part Shirley told them: 'I'll give you the two things that I really enjoyed and that was the delivery of the expression. I really enjoyed that part. 'And I think that you give Diana room to show her fluidity and her flexibility which I rather enjoy as well. 'But I don't quite think it was the most comfortable dance for you... there was too many mistakes, you know that, two or three little mistakes were in there, incorrect footwork. Too much incorrect footwork. Critique: She continued: 'And I think that you give Diana room to show her fluidity and her flexibility which I rather enjoy as well Speaking out: She said: 'But I don't quite think it was the most comfortable dance for you... there was too many mistakes, you know that, two or three little mistakes were in there' 'I can forgive a little bit but too much incorrect footwork.' Elsewhere, week seven of Strictly Come Dancing got off to a great start on Saturday night as Hamza Yassin and his partner Jowita Przystal pulled of an incredible Cha Cha Cha to I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' by the Four Tops. The wildlife presenter's dance was so good in fact that the Queen of Latin herself Shirley Ballas branded it the 'best Cha Cha Cha I've ever seen!' Hamza and Jowita certainly set the bar high for the evening as they bagged an incredible three 10s, with an overall score of 38 points. Wow! Week seven of Strictly Come Dancing got off to a great start on Saturday night as Hamza Yassin and his partner Jowita Przystal pulled of an incredible Cha Cha Cha to I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)' by the Four Tops Commenting on the performance, head judge Shirley said: 'Thank you for opening the show like that, it was absolutely amazing. She added that she felt 'overwhelmed and emotional', saying that their dance was the 'true language of the cha cha cha'. Praising Hamza's beautiful ease of movement and cheeky smile, she concluded that it was the 'Best cha cha cha I've ever seen!' Meanwhile, Anton Du Beke said: 'If this is the way evening go on, it will be a great night. It was absolutely brilliant', adding that he struggled to find something to mark him down for. What a start! The wildlife presenter's dance was so good in fact that the Queen of Latin herself Shirley Ballas branded it the 'best Cha Cha Cha I've ever seen!' Well done! Hamza and Jowita certainly set the bar high for the evening as they bagged an incredible three 10s, with an overall impressive score of 38 points As per usual, Craig Revel Horwood had a few points to make, noting that Hamza had his feet turned out and there were heel leads in there. However, he was quick to positively add that 'the hip action was there' and that the presenter had 'beautiful straight legs and fantastic body rolls.' Motsi Mabuse meanwhile agreed with Shirley that it was 'one of the best cha cha's ever', adding that 'the music is in your body, on the dancefloor - we enjoyed that!' Impressed: Commenting on the performance, head judge Shirley said: 'Thank you for opening the show like that, it was absolutely amazing Liked what he saw: Meanwhile, Anton Du Beke said: 'If this is the way evening go on, it will be a great night. It was absolutely brilliant', adding that he struggled to find something to mark him down for Opinion: As per usual, Craig Revel Horwood had a few points to make, noting that Hamza had his feet turned out and there were heel leads in there, Motsi Mabuse meanwhile agreed with Shirley that it was 'one of the best cha cha's ever' One's to beat: Hamza and Jowita topped the leaderboard with 38 points Up next was Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe and despite topping the leaderboard last week, the pair failed to emulate their previous success. After their Rumba to 'Alone' by Heart, the judged dished out some harsh criticism, with Craig kicking things off by stating that it was 'a little stiff' and that she was 'walking around'. He added that the performance had 'no resistance, lacked any hip action and therefore lacked passion.' Meanwhile, head judge Shirley said the 'fluidity and flexibility was totally missing', adding that she wouldn't do them a 'disservice' by padding things out. Oh no: Up next was Ellie Taylor and Johannes Radebe and despite topping the leaderboard last week, the pair failed to emulate their previous success Performance: After their Rumba to 'Alone' by Heart, the judged dished out some harsh criticism, with Craig kicking things off by stating that it was 'a little stiff' and that she was 'walking around' Going for it: The pair gave it their all as they danced the notoriously difficult Rumba Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu were next to take to the floor with a Foxtrot to 'You Make Me Happy' by My Sun and Stars, with the judges very impressed with their efforts. Shirley remarked that the dance was the 'epitome of style' before going on to praise their 'sophistication and overwhelming sense of beauty'. She went on to speak about Molly's great technique, adding that she should keep working on those fundamentals. While Anton commented that it was a 'hard dance', before gushing that 'I really love you dancing like this, super duper - well done!' What a performance! Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu were next to take to the floor with a Foxtrot to 'You Make Me Happy' by My Sun and Stars, with the judges very impressed with their efforts Nicely done: Shirley remarked that the dance was the 'epitome of style' before going on to praise their 'sophistication and overwhelming sense of beauty' Praise: While Anton commented that it was a 'hard dance', before gushing that 'I really love you dancing like this, super duper - well done!' Ellie Simmonds and Nikita were next to take to the dancefloor with their Charleston to 'Too Darn Hot' by Kiss Me Kate, with the duo coming out with a bang with their thrilling routine which featured plenty of impressive flips and tricks. The judges were suitably pleased, with Motsi gushing: 'You raised that level! You came and put your heart on the dancefloor and this is what the show is about... I thought you did great!' While Shirley observed Ellie's 'Paralympian mentality' is that she never gives up, adding that the swimmer 'didn't miss a beat' during her performance. Anton meanwhile commented that it was a 'perfect number - it had everything in it!' Wow: Ellie Simmonds and Nikita were next to take to the dancefloor with their Charleston to 'Too Darn Hot' by Kiss Me Kate, with the duo coming out with a bang with their thrilling routine which featured plenty of impressive flips and tricks Putting on a show: The judges were suitably pleased, with Motsi gushing: 'You raised that level! You came and put your heart on the dancefloor and this is what the show is about... I thought you did great!' The Bachelorette fans were sent into a spin on Saturday when Georgia Love and Lee Elliott attended the Phantom of the Opera musical in Melbourne. Fans came up with a theory that Georgia, 34, is 'pregnant' after she wore a billowing dress to the event. 'Is this congratulations?' one curious fan asked, while another wondered if they had some exciting news to share. The Bachelorette stars Georgia Love, 34, (left) and Lee Elliott, 40, (right) sent fans into a spin after posting photos at a musical that had some convinced included a baby clue 'Ooh have you news for us?' a third questioned. The couple, who married last year after meeting on the Channel 10 dating show, looked as loved-up as ever as they posed on the red carpet. A dapper-looking Lee, 40, wore a tuxedo and had his arm around his wife while she stood by his side. The couple, who married last year after meeting on the Channel 10 dating show, posted a photo of them at Phantom of the Opera looking loved-up-as-ever 'Is this congratulations?' one curious fan asked, while another wondered if they had some exciting news to share 'Although not my aria of expertise, I do know a thing or two about getting the girl and ending on a high note!' Elliott captioned the post. The sighting comes just days after Georgia stepped out wearing a loose pink frock for Stakes Day. Her decision to wear loose fitted clothing of late has led fans to speculate that the pair may be expecting their first child together. The sighting comes just days after Georgia stepped out wearing a loose pink frock for Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse on Sunday Georgia previously revealed was continuously badgered about falling pregnant. 'The fact that we're married now, we get people saying 'When do you want to start a family?'' she told WHO Magazine back in October last year. 'I don't know if Lee gets it so much individually but certainly when you're a female, especially one who's just been married and you're openly saying you're not drinking alcohol everyone assumes. When you've had a big lunch or wearing a felt coat that sits out away from your stomach everyone assumes.' Georgia previously revealed she was continuously badgered about falling pregnant Georgia said she wanted the conversation to change when it comes to pregnancy and fertility. 'There are so many people and people close to me who are going through really difficult fertility journeys and battles and any talk of pregnancy and why or why aren't you pregnant is really really offensive, triggering and hurtful to them,' she said. 'We're not trying to get pregnant at the moment so it's not an offence to me directly but I think the conversation of asking people if they're pregnant, when they're going to be pregnant and if they want kids at all is offensive. 'It just needs to be learnt and taught that it's never ok to ask anyone if they're pregnant or when they're planning to be. Bella Hadid hinted at her midriff in a cutoff top when she was spotted arriving on the set of a shoot in Santa Monica on Saturday. The 26-year-old supermodel was retro chic in a hair band, a massive pair of yellow-tinted sunglasses and a boyfriend fit black leather jacket. She slid her vertiginous legs into a pair of fashionably wide-set dark jeans before heading to her latest professional venture. Looking fab: Bella Hadid hinted at her midriff in a cutoff top when she was spotted arriving on the set of a shoot in Santa Monica on Saturday The little sister of Gigi Hadid is now back at work after a trip to Qatar where she went skydiving with her boyfriend Marc Kalman. Bella uploaded an Instagram album earlier this week documenting the hair-raising experience of leaping from the aircraft. 'My toxic trait is making people I love jump out of planes with me,' she joked in the caption, revealing her jumpsuit was by Azzedine Alaia. While Bella has been dating her art gallerist boyfriend for over a year, Gigi is currently in the midst of a swirl of rumors linking her to Leonardo DiCaprio. Off she goes: The 26-year-old supermodel was retro chic in a hair band, a massive pair of yellow-tinted sunglasses and a boyfriend fit black leather jacket Bella, whose mother Yolanda was also a model, recently said she suffered from 'eating disorders' when she was growing up. 'Growing up, I thought it was normal that I had this chronic anxiety and this disassociation, crying every day and not knowing who I was,' she told i-D. 'Whether it was eating disorders or smoking a pack of Marlboros since the age of 14, Im like: "Oh, this is what all of the kids are doing." I realized that maybe that was me trying to figure out why I felt that way. And in reality, all I needed was therapy.' Bella shared that as a rising model she continued to suffer from body dysmorphia, which affected the way she reacted to her fame. Hello, gorgeous: She slid her vertiginous legs into a pair of fashionably wide-set dark jeans before heading to her latest professional venture 'During that part of my life, I was so out of body, disassociating so much... I was so confused by what people saw of me,' she said. 'I still, even now, see comments on Instagram when Im sitting on the couch and am like: "Are they talking about me?" I dont understand how Ive gotten to this point where people either appreciate my work or know who I am.' She told Vogue this year that as a teenager she suffered from anorexia, which she attributed partly to the Adderall she was prescribed for what was thought was ADHD. The interview drew a storm of controversy when Bella revealed that she had a nose job when she was just 14 years old. Having a ball: The little sister of Gigi Hadid is now back at work after a trip to Qatar where she went skydiving with her boyfriend Marc Kalman Social media erupted with anger at Yolanda for providing her daughter with cosmetic surgery at such a tender age. Bella herself expressed regret about the procedure, saying: 'I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors. I think I would have grown into it.' Yolanda hails from the Netherlands, while Gigi and Bella's father Mohamed Hadid is a Palestinian who was born in Nazareth just months after the foundation of Israel. Emily Ratajkowski's estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard was spotted stepping out in New York City on Saturday. The film producer visited an art gallery with his dog, Colombo, before taking his four-legged friend for a walk. Bear-McClard split up from the 31-year-old model earlier this year after he was hit with allegations of infidelity. Out and about: Emily Ratajkowski's estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard was spotted stepping out in New York City on Saturday Bear-McClard kept it casual in a white t-shirt, black jeans and a set of sneakers during his outing. The producer and Ratajkowski were first introduced by mutual friends several years ago though the pair did not begin seeing each other until 2018. After just three weeks of dating, the former couple announced their engagement. They tied the knot during a courthouse wedding in New York City that took place that February. Good company: The film producer visited an art gallery with his dog, Colombo, before taking his four-legged friend for a walk On her own: On Saturday, newly-singled Ratajkowski stepped out in NYC's SoHo neighborhood with the former couple's baby son tucked away in a black stroller Split: Bear-McClard split up from the 31-year-old model earlier this year after he was hit with allegations of infidelity Ratajkowski became pregnant with the couple's only child in October of 2020. She gave birth to her baby boy Sylvester, aged one, the following March. The model's son and husband frequently appeared in shots that were shared to her Instagram account in the months leading up to their shock split. By July, it was announced that the pair were planning to divorce. Whirlwind romance: The producer and Ratajkowski were first introduced by mutual friends several years ago though the pair did not begin seeing each other until 2018. After just three weeks of dating, the former couple announced their engagement; the pair seen in May 2022 Wedding bells: They tied the knot during a courthouse wedding in New York City that took place that February; the pair seen in 2018 A source spoke to People at the time and told the media outlet that the model was the one who wanted to end the marriage. 'They split recently. It was Em's decision. She is doing okay. She is strong and focused on her son. She loves being a mom,' they said. The following month, an insider told Page Six that 'Sebastian is begging [Ratajkowski] to give him another chance' despite his alleged cheating. But the source claimed that a reconciliation was quite unlikely. Baby Sly: Ratajkowski became pregnant with the couple's only child in October of 2020. She gave birth to her baby boy Sylvester, aged one, the following March; Ratajkowski and her son in October 2022 They expressed that the two would not get back together 'because she did her own digging and discovered even more s*** he did behind her back.' On Saturday, newly-singled Ratajkowski stepped out in NYC's SoHo neighborhood with the former couple's baby son tucked away in a black stroller. For the outing, the model opted for a black cropped t-shirt and a denim maxi skirt. The fashion industry personality also rocked a pair of black-and-pink leather cowboy boots. Collette Dinnigan has purchased a property in the NSW Southern Highlands. The fashion designer, 57, spent $2.85million on a three-bedroom cottage, according to The Sunday Telegraph. The property sits on a 1.8 hectare block and has incredibles views of the Kangaroo Valley escarpment. Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan (picttured) has spent $2.85million on a three-bedroom cottage in the NSW Southern Highlands The home is set on a sheltered country road and its spacious kitchen features an AGA cooker. The property also has a newly renovated studio and workshop. The purchase comes after the acclaimed fashion designer opened a homeware store in Mittagong to showcase her developing range of artisanal homewares. Collette and her husband Bradley Cocks run a number of luxurious rental properties on the North and South coast, as well as Bowral in the Southern Highlands. Set on a sheltered country road, the home comes with an AGA cooker in the kitchen The property is surrounded by farmland on a 1.8 hectare block It includes 360 degree views to the Kangaroo Valley escarpment The renowned designer shocked the fashion world in 2013 when she pulled her Sydney, Melbourne and London stores. The South African born designer later revealed she made the decision to leave when her work began to take a toll on her personal life. The star wanted to spend more time with her husband Bradley and her two children, Hunter, six, and Estella, 15. In 2020 Collette sold two of her Paddington holdings for a combined total of $4million just days after listing each property She previously spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the major life change, and how it has altered her home life for the better. 'You can't do nine to five in fashion,' she revealed. 'It's all encompassing. But I can control it now. I'm able to spend school holidays with my family rather than having to be in Paris for shows.' In 2020, Collette sold two of her Paddington holdings for a combined total of $4million just days after listing each property. The City of Harare is piloting a new waste management project known as vermicomposting to move away from the controversial Pomona waste management deal and save the local authority millions of United States dollars. Government imposed the costly Pomona waste-to-energy deal on the City of Harare without going to tender. The tender was awarded to Geogenix BV, which is fronted by businessman Delish Nguwaya. Under the deal, the local authority is supposed to pay US$22 000 per day or an estimated US$1 million a month to Geogenix BV for the next 30 years. But the council has refused to pay the bill and cancelled the contract. Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said the waste management project to recycle food waste and wastewater can save the local authority millions of dollars. We will not be part of the (Pomona) process which enriches individuals without benefit to the residents, Mafume said. We want our Pomona dumpsite back because its a project meant to satisfy or quest the corrupt thirst of a few individuals. Money is going down the drain, chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow is never going to amount to anything except the fleecing of residents hard-earned money. The pilot project is being undertaken by the local authority in partnership with MSF working with HCC waste management department and Jojatis Bio-Wastewater Management Systems, a private company. We hope that it will be a sustainable and more realistic manner in dealing with our biodegradable waste, Mafume said. A huge part of Harare was created haphazardly and, therefore, we need to find biodegradable ways of dealing with waste. MSFs environmental health supervisor Ignitious Takavada said apart from cutting costs to the HCC, the model would also benefit households financially. Its too much to estimate tonnes that can be spared from being ferried by council but if adopted, this project can see reduction of the waste collection related costs such as transport cost, Takavada said. Income can be generated from the processing and selling of the waste. The ultimate goal is to bend the curve of acute water borne disease outbreaks through provision of better waste management practices in the community. Local Government minister July Moyo has insisted that the Pomona waste management deal cannot be cancelled. In August, government said it will divert devolution funds meant for the City of Harare towards paying Geogenix BV for the debt accumulated. This prompted the Combined Harare Residents Association petitioning Parliament protesting the move by the Local Government ministry to dictate how devolution funds for Harare may be used. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Thunder possible. Low 54F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Thunder possible. Low 54F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is proving to be very popular with Apostolic sects in Bulawayo being the latest movement to throw its weight behind the first citizen of Zimbabwe. Today, all Apostolic sects in Bulawayo are converging at Madzibaba Emmanuel Mutumwa Johane Masowe Chishanu shrine in Bulawayos Selborne Park suburb where they will endorse President Mnangagwa as the man they want to lead Zimbabwe after next years polls and launch an organisation with the moniker Mapostori for ED. ED stands for Economic Development. The Mapostori for ED Bulawayo chapter was created three months ago and the union has been preparing for the launch which is set for today. The launch is set to start at 8am. Madzibaba Mutumwa said the gathering of the chapter is meant to pray for the country and to support President Mnangagwa. We have more than five million people who are already part of the apostolic organisation. Despite the difference that we have as the Apostolic sector we still came together and formed this chapter. This shows that we are looking forward to a united Zimbabwe that will support our President in everything that he is doing, said Madzibaba Mutumwa. He said they have a lot of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that they are currently running and believes these businesses can contribute to economic development. Once this chapter starts working at full swing, we are sure the SMEs that are already at our disposal will be uplifted and people who need help in establishing their businesses will find it very easy, said Madzibaba Mutumwa. He expects large numbers of people to show up at the venue as they celebrate the official launch. We are looking forward to the work that is going to be done by the Apostolic sector to change the economy of the country and to pray for our President so that he never runs out of power to continue leading us as a nation, he said. Chronicle HYDERABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slammed Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for claiming to be saving democracy and accusing the BJP of orchestrating the poachgate scandal involving four TRS MLAs, saying he was nervous and his government "weak. In response to the CM's claims at Thursday's press conference that the BJP had enticed TRS MLAs with cash, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy stated in New Delhi, "There was nothing new in KCR's allegations. Nothing in the videos showed that BJP was trying to bring down his government. The KCR government is weak. KCR dreamed up this entire episode. By going over the so-called evidence that was already in public domain, he displayed his nervousness and fear. "I've been in the Union Cabinet for four years," he continued. If there is anything related to Telangana, I would know. We do not want the TRS government to fall. It will disappear anyway when the next general elections come. The BJP has no need to involve outsiders. In a series of tweets, BJP vice-president D.K. Aruna said, "KCR talking about democracy is laughable. The BJP follows democratic methods and gains power in states with the support of the people. The BJP will not rest until every penny looted by the TRS government and its leaders in Telangana is recovered." Tarun Chugh, BJP general secretary in-charge of Telangana affairs, said that the Chief Minister could not bring himself to the Yadadri temple to swear under oath that neither he nor the TRS was involved in the poachgate case. Our state unit president said under oath that the BJP was not involved or attempted to bribe TRS MLAs," Chugh said in a statement. "KCR is trying to fool the people of the state, spreading the canard of political defections in the run-up to the Munugode bypoll," he said. After failing miserably to deliver on his promises to the people, it is time for him to leave the stage and make way for the BJP." Former PCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah said that Chandrashekar Rao had admitted 43 MPs, MLAs and MLCs into the TRS fold in the last eight years (DC Image) HYDERABAD: Congress leaders fumed at Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for his appeal to save democracy from the destabilising governments in different states, while he had encouraged Opposition MLAs to switch parties. Rao had encouraged defections despite the TRS government enjoying a comfortable majority in the 2014 and 2018 Assembly elections. They said that Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted similar tactics to wipe out the Opposition. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, former PCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah said that Chandrashekar Rao had admitted 43 MPs, MLAs and MLCs into the TRS fold in the last eight years. The High Court found fault with him 65 times on various issues as he had never respected the judiciary and now appeals to the judiciary to protect the democracy, he said. Chandrashekar Rao is equally responsible for the misdeeds of Modi for having supported all bills in Parliament, he said. It is not Desh bachavo' but save Telangana from Raos clutches that was needed, he said. Former Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao wanted to know why when the MLAs poaching incident was being probed, the Chief Minister politicised it. Why did he not respond when BJP dethroned Congress governments in different states, he quipped. TPCC senior vice-president G. Niranjan said that the Chief Minister and Modi were trying to eliminate opposition parties at the state and national levels. The hue and cry over poaching of MLAs was part of the drama, he said. TRS leaders created problems for Palley Ravikumar, when he accompanied the Congress candidate at the time of filing of nomination papers. When Boora Narsaiah Goud accompanied the TRS candidate, he was subject to a similar treatment by the BJP leaders, he said. ROSEMONT, Illinois: U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Elon Musk had purchased a social media platform in Twitter that spews lies across the world. Twitter laid off half its workforce on Friday but said cuts were smaller in the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation, as advertisers pulled spending amid concerns about content moderation. Biden said at a fundraiser: "And now what are we all worried about: Elon Musk goes out and buys an outfit that sends - that spews lies all across the world... Theres no editors anymore in America. Theres no editors. How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake?" White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier that Biden had been clear about the need to reduce hate speech and misinformation. "That belief extends to Twitter, it extends to Facebook and any other social media platforms where users can spread misinformation," she said. Musk has promised to restore free speech while preventing Twitter from descending into a "hellscape." But major advertisers have expressed apprehension about his takeover for months. The Global Investors' Meet turned out to be a productive outing for Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as his government bagged investment proposals worth Rs 9.8 lakh crore, almost double the expectations it had before the start of the event. This investor meet was an extraordinary effort during an extraordinary time, Bommai said during his 45-minute address concluding the three-day event on Friday. "When the whole world is reeling under recession, governments are trying to meet both ends in their respective countries and there is an economic crisis in such a time, our state, in a federal structure of our country India, called Karnataka dares to do this investor meet," the CM said. The comments came during what could be Bommais last big outreach to investors before the state goes to polls in 2023. Read | What Karnataka thinks today, India thinks tomorrow: Bommai The success of Global Investors' Meet Invest Karnataka 2022 has proved the naysayers wrong and will prove to be a shot in the arm for micro and small-scale industries, said Narasimhamurthy K N, the president of the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association. While the first day of the event saw close to Rs 5.6 lakh crore worth MoUs being signed, the final figure was close to Rs 10 lakh crore, as green hydrogen and renewable energy sectors grabbed about 50 per cent share of the pie. Bommai said the amount of MoUs signed meant little to him as he was more focused on turning these promises to projects. A memorandum of understanding, or MOU, is a nonbinding agreement that states each party's intentions to take action, execute a business deal, or form a new partnership. BJP is likely to retain governments both in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in the Assembly elections, a survey claimed on Friday. The India TV-Matrize opinion poll predicted a nearly two-third victory for the BJP in Gujarat, an improvement from the 2017 elections, while in Himachal Pradesh, the saffron party is likely to win comfortably but may lose a couple of seats from the polls five years ago. In Gujarat, the survey predicted that the BJP may win 119 out of 182 seats while Congress is likely to win 59 seats. AAP, which is aggressively campaigning in Gujarat, may not get much traction and could end up with just two seats. Read Interactive | How parties fared in 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections In the 2017 polls, BJP had won 99 seats while Congress had won 81 and others 2. If one takes the voting percentage, the survey said the BJP may get 51.3 per cent, Congress 37.2 per cent and AAP 7.2 per cent. In 2017, BJP had got 48.8 per cent, Congress 42.3 per cent and Others 8.9 per cent votes. BJP is likely to retain power in Himachal bagging 41 (44 in 2017) out of 68 seats. Congress could win 25, an improvement from 21 that it won five years ago. Other parties could win two seats. BJP may garner 46.2 per cent votes in Himachal while Congress can get 42.3 per cent, AAP2.3 per cent and other parties 9.2 per cent. Congress leader Naseem Khan was injured in a car accident on Wednesday while travelling to Nanded in Maharashtra from Hyderabad. Khan, a former Maharashtra minister, was going to Nanded to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra which will be entering the state on November 7, party sources said. Khan is the in-charge of the Yatra's Nanded leg. The accident took place at Bhiloli toll plaza in Nanded where a speeding vehicle collided with the SUV in which Khan was travelling. The driver of the SUV too was injured, party sources said. The impact of the collision was such that the entire front bonnet of the SUV was damaged, they added. "I have suffered a minor injury to my right leg and I am safe. I am excited to fulfil my responsibility as in-charge of Bharat Jodo Yatra," Khan stated later. Last month, delivering an address at a government-run think-tank in Delhi, foreign minister S Jaishankar once again claimed that peace and tranquillity in the border areas clearly remains the basis for normal relations. Arguing that the bilateral ties are profoundly disturbed, he has maintained that the relationship cannot be normal till there is peace and normalcy in the border areas. This is his counter to Beijings contention that the Ladakh border crisis should be put in its appropriate place and the rest of the relationship between the two Asian countries can continue as normal. Jaishankars loud protestations are not matched by facts on the ground. Economic ties with China continue robustly alongside the border crisis. While loans to India from multilateral banks based in China continue unabated, the foremost evidence comes from trade, which has hit record levels this year, with the balance tilting further in Chinas favour. As per data from Chinas General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade with China Indias largest trading partner shot up to $103.6 billion in the first nine months and is set to exceed last years $125.6 billion. Imports from China have risen 31% to $89.6 billion, while exports to China have shrunk 36.4% to $13.9 billion. The actual numbers are even more distorted in Beijings favour as reconciliation of Chinese data with Indian records shows massive under-invoicing by Indian importers to avoid duties and taxes. After PLA troops marched into Indian territory in Ladakh, the Modi government took strong steps to punish and deter China. It banned 270 Chinese apps, unleashed law-enforcement agencies on Chinese smartphone-makers such as Xiaomi and Vivo for money laundering and tax evasion, and made rules for greater scrutiny of Chinese investments. These may have satisfied Modis domestic supporters, but have had little effect on Beijing. After the disengagement at PP15 in September, Beijing welcomed it as a positive development but unambiguously stressed that it would not accept Indias demand to restore the status quo prior to Chinas ingress, claiming that the status quo of April 2020was created by Indias illegal crossing of the LAC. Chinas intransigence should lead to an interrogation of Jaishankars threat that new normals of posture will inevitably lead to new normals of responses. Let alone unleashing new ideas, the Modi government has failed to execute even the time-tested responses available in Indian plans since the 1980s. To counter a PLA ingress, Indian security planners have always banked on a quid pro quo or QPQ operation against a lightly-held Chinese area. These areas have long been identified militarily and moving into any such place would give India a bargaining chip. Right now, China seems to hold all the cards during negotiations and refuses to even discuss the militarily important areas of Depsang and Demchok, where the PLA has blocked Indian patrols. For fear of escalation by the Chinese, the Modi government has refused to exercise this option after a half-hearted QPQ attempt at Kailash Range in 2020. It is driven by the ghost of 1962 but this demonstration of a lack of political will has meant a loss of credibility of Indian intent and capabilities. It has further added to a breakdown of deterrence, forcing the Indian military to be deployed defensively for the third continuous winter in inhospitable terrain and weather to block any further Chinese ingress. Jaishankar has tried to blame this diffidence on the last six decades during which a structural gap has developed with China. He said that this has two broad metrics: one, the Cumulative Border Balance (CBB), and the other, Comprehensive National Power (CNP), with a linkage between them. After nearly two terms in power of the Modi dispensation, during which the Chinese have given enough warnings -- from Chumar in 2014 to Doklam in 2017 -- this excuse holds no water. The gap with China has increased under Modis watch even as he has personally met Xi Jinping 17 times since 2014. Modis confidence that the force of his personality will keep the Chinese in check has been proven as unfounded as his midnight demonetisation or sudden lockdown. By its timidity, Delhi has ended up hyping Xi into an embodiment of Sun Tzu, who said that To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. The Modi government has also failed to discharge two basic functions of the State against China: ensure Indias territorial integrity and safeguard its sovereignty. Even when it lost the 1962 war, India did not cede territory to China. After that, India was even more forceful in asserting its claims in 1967 in Sikkim or in 1987 in Arunachal Pradesh or in 2013 in Depsang. The current crisis is constraining Indias ability to make geopolitical choices in a sovereign manner. Meanwhile, the government is trying to direct citizens attention toward Pakistan as an adversary. That country is economically and politically in doldrums and poses no immediate threat. Delhi should instead be working to help that country, because an unstable and insecure Pakistan with its nuclear weapons cant be in Indias interest while the Chinese troops remain amassed on the border. The US sees China as a strategic challenge to its global hegemony, but India has no such anxieties. It should work to ensure that its limited goals with Beijing are met swiftly. An under-pressure, unprepared and domestically misled India cannot meet those goals. Unless the government course-corrects, the future with China could become precisely the scenario that it wants to avoid. The government will appoint a nodal officer and coordination committees at district level for the implementation of the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed at the Global Investors Meet (GIM) held in Bengaluru for three days. Large and Medium Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani announced this at a news conference in Bengaluru on Saturday. As explained by the minister, the nodal officer and the coordination committees will be responsible for timely and effective implementation of the MoUs. The agreements signed in the GIM will be approved in 90 days. For this, there is a high-level committee headed by the chief minister, said Nirani. The data provided by the minister shows that the renewable energy sector has received the highest share. Read | Karnataka crushes GIM goals, signs MoUs worth Rs 10 lakh crore As much as 38 per cent of the total investments was contributed by the manufacturing-renewable energy sector, Nirani said. Green hydrogen and derivatives contributed the second highest with 33 per cent of the total investment, followed by manufacturing-sunrise sectors and infrastructure/industrial/logistics parks (9 per cent each). We are expecting to create six lakh jobs in the state through investments in GIM. The department has made all necessary arrangements for investors in the state and we are even ready to provide skilled labour, the minister said. Noting that Karnataka was an investor-friendly state, Nirani said the government would start the process to acquire 50,000 acres of land for the land bank, under which uncultivable land will be acquired from farmers for industrial purpose. Of the 50,000 acres, 20,000 will be in and around Bengaluru. The rest will be in other cities. Nirani said, in GIM 2022, a majority of the investors opted to invest beyond Bengaluru. Of the agreements signed with the government, 90 per cent investors are interested to invest outside Bengaluru. We have also convinced them to look at tier-two and three cities. It is a good development, he said. Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter turned out to be a nightmare for the employees as the company reportedly laid off 3,738 people out of its total workforce of 7,500, a report by Tribune India mentions. Earlier this week, the company sent out an email to all its employees saying they will be notified whether they are retained or fired by Friday, November 4, 2022. Twitter lays off a majority of its staff in India The mass layoffs come at a time when Twitter is facing a massive drop in advertising revenue. From what it looks like, the company is running low on income. It is unable to meet its costs, which could also be the reason behind the massive layoffs and a hasty push in revenue streams, including the controversial Twitter Blue subscription that includes verification. Citing PTI, Tribune India reports that the microblogging platform laid off almost half its staff on November 4, 2022. Twitter has also fired "the majority of its over 200 employees in India." In addition, Twitter India's entire marketing and communications staff has been fired. As per sources, people were fired from the engineering team as well. Justifying these job cuts, Twitter mentioned in its email to employees that it is an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path. Ironically, Musk-led Twitter has instructed the employees from discussing any aspect of the layoffs or related information on social media platforms. Twitters current content moderation team might be limited to 15 people The job cut's full details were unavailable while writing this report. As per a report by Reuters, "cuts were smaller in the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation." However, this contradicts another report from Bloomberg that said the present content moderation team had been reduced to 15. Yes, you read that right! The report mentions that Twitter "has frozen some employee access to internal tools used for content moderation and other policy enforcement, curbing the staff's ability to clamp down on misinformation ahead of a major US election." Previously, the Twitter staff used agent tools to ban or suspend accounts deemed to have violated the content policy. However, since Muskk's takeover, these tools are no longer available to the concerned team. Typically, the access to content moderation tools is with hundreds of Twitter employees, but last week, it was reduced to about 15 people. The restriction is in place purposefully as Twitter wants to keep its software code safe during the change to new ownership. Meanwhile, Twitter is temporarily closing its offices for the safety of employees as well as Twitter systems and customer data." The Indian government is focusing on building a leading drone industry worldwide, with the manufacturing unit set up locally. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced the Make in India scheme in September 2014. Since then, the industrial sector in the country has prioritized manufacturing products locally within the country. Drones are available in all shapes and sizes. The smaller drones typically carry three of four rotors and can carry something small like a camera. The bigger ones look more like aeroplanes, can take substantial payloads, and are usually used by the military. As a result, India banned the import of drones, except ones used by the military and for research and development. Drones to be produced in India? Former joint secretary at the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, Amber Dubey, says, "Drones can be an essential creator of economic growth and employment due to their ease of use and versatility, especially in India's remote areas. Moreover, given India's traditional strengths in information technology, frugal engineering, innovation, and its huge domestic demand, it has the potential to build a global drone hub by 2030. Currently, drones are involved in all sorts of jobs in India. Police use them to monitor congestion, and border security forces are utilizing drones to monitor the movement of smugglers and traffickers. In addition, drones have been a great help in agriculture, where they monitor crops' health and spray them with fertilizer and pesticides. A Drone Federation of India official, Rajiv Kumar Narang, stated, "India has set an aim of being a drone hub by 2030, but I think we should take cautions because we currently don't have an ecosystem and technology initiatives in place." He adds that the drone industry needs a robust regulator to oversee all the safety measures and help develop an air traffic management system for drones in the country. In addition, India lacks the network of industries and companies that are required to make all the parts that a drone infrastructure needs. Many components are currently imported, including motors, batteries, flight controllers, etc. However, the government will seemingly introduce an incentive scheme to boost domestic industries. Despite the limitations, the government and the firms are confident there will be a high demand for drones. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo is gearing up to release yet another flagship smartphone series before the world. By the end of this year, the company could release the successor to its X80 series - the X90 series. Ahead of the anticipated launch, one of the lineup models has received 3C certification with the model number V2227A. Vivo X90 Pro+ could support 80W fast charging According to a report by Gizmochina, the model number is associated with the top-of-the-line Vivo X90 Pro+ model. Let's have a look at what the 3C certification reveals about the Vivo X90 series. As per the 3C certification, Vivo X90 Pro+ will support fast wired charging up to 80W. Additionally, the smartphone will come with 5G connectivity, which should be valid for all flagship smartphones that are released henceforth. Although the listing does not reveal much, other sources have also hinted about the upcoming smartphone's specifications. Based on the X80 lineup, the Vivo X90 series could comprise three different models - Vivo X90, Vivo X90 Pro and the Vivo X90 Pro+. Vivo X90 Pro+ rumoured specifications According to a report by TechGoing, the Vivo X90 Pro+ could come with a 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED E6 panel with a 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the smartphone might be powered by the unreleased Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which is also rumoured to power upcoming flagships like Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, Qualcomm might reveal the processor at the Snapdragon Summit 2022, scheduled to take place on November 15 to November 17. Although, the other two smartphones in the lineup, Vivo X90 and the Vivo X90 Pro, could come with a MediaTek Dimensity chipset. As far as optics are concerned, the Vivo X90 Pro+ will feature a 50MP quad-camera setup, including a Sony IMX989V 50MP primary sensor, a Sony IMX598 48MP ultrawide sensor, another 50MP portrait lens and an OmniVision OV64A periscope lens unit. Last but not least, the smartphone could come with up to 12GB of RAM, 512GB of internal storage. and feature a 4,700 mAh battery Cambodia to export more milled rice to China in coming years Xinhua) 14:56, November 05, 2022 PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is expected to export more milled rice to China in coming years thanks to the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal and the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) earlier this year, Song Saran, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), has said. A report released by CRF on Saturday showed that China remained a major buyer of Cambodia's milled rice in the first 10 months of 2022. "These FTAs will further ease trade in goods between Cambodia and China as well as other participating countries," Saran told Xinhua. "Both trade deals have provided a bigger market access for Cambodia's products, and I think it will attract more foreign investors to invest in various sectors, including in the rice industry, in order to export finished products to those RCEP member countries, with tariff concessions," he said. Ministry of Commerce's Undersecretary of State Penn Sovicheat said the RCEP and the CCFTA have given and will continue to give a big boost to Cambodia's exports to China and other member countries. "China is a huge market for us," he told Xinhua. "Under both trade pacts, we believe that the exports of our potential agricultural products such as rice, cassava, bananas, mangoes, and longans, among others to China will continue to grow in coming years." From January to October, Cambodia's milled rice exports to international markets reached 509,249 tons, up 10.6 percent year-on-year, earning gross revenue of 324 million U.S. dollars, the report said, adding that the milled rice had been shipped to 56 countries and regions. Exported milled rice varieties included fragrant rice, long grain white rice, parboiled rice, organic rice and glutinous rice, it said. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has called for a general election in the Republic, describing the years of governance by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael as political hokey pokey. Ms McDonald hit out at what she said was the cosy club of parties that have been in government for a century. She used her keynote speech at the partys Ard Fheis in Dublin to call for a Sinn Fein-led government. It comes as a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll revealed that support for the party remains ahead of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. However, the poll also found that support for Sinn Fein dropped three points to 34% but the party retains a 13-point lead ahead of Fine Gael at 21% while Fianna Fail sits at 17%. Support for both parties remain unchanged. The poll was carried out among 1,002 people. Support for Sinn Fein has been growing in recent years, with the party taking 22.3% of first preferences in the 2020 general election. Ms McDonalds speech was met with a standing ovation by more than 2,000 Sinn Fein members who gathered at the Shelbourne Hall in the RDS in south Dublin on Saturday. She also condemned Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, sent condolences to the families of those who died in the Creeslough tragedy and criticised the treatment of Traveller and the LGBTQ communities. Ms McDonald said that the two main parties in government have had their time and their chance, saying it is a time for a new government. A government of change. A government for the people, Ms McDonald added. Change cant be stopped by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, now so joined at the hip that it doesnt matter to them which leader is Taoiseach. So long as its one of them. Leo leaves, Micheal goes in. Micheal leaves next month, Leo goes back in. In. Out. In. Out. Political hokey pokey. Thats the cosy club that has run this state for a century. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have had their time, had their chance. Its time for a new government. A government of change. A government for the people. Change cant be stopped by the chaotic Tories in London either. They cant run their own country without bringing it to the brink of financial ruin. They certainly have no right to tell the people of Ireland how to run ours. Referring to Sinn Feins historic win in May in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, which resulted in the party winning the most seats for the first time, Ms McDonald said there is no turning back. She told members that the result of the election reflects the spirit for change. For the first time, a republican, a nationalist, a woman from Tyrone, was elected as First Minister in a state designed to ensure that this could never happen, the Dublin Central TD added. Well friends, it did. Michelle ONeill a first minister for all. There is no turning back. There is now no job in the land off limits to anyone. The days of second-class citizenship are over. A new generation moves together, to a new Ireland where everyone has the chance to realise their dreams. To push the boundaries. To exceed expectations. To succeed. To change Ireland. Change means a place called home. A secure, affordable roof over your head. It means access to a doctor, to hospital and to care when you need it. It means real opportunity, good jobs, decent pay, and the right to retire at 65 on a fair pension. And friends, change means taking those final steps to full nationhood, ending partition, reunifying Ireland. In a message to those who she said were apprehensive about Irish unity, Ms McDonald said that all will be cherished, included, respected as equal citizens. This is your place. This is your home. Be part of shaping its future, she added. She also said that those who say yes to Irish unity but not now are wrong. The time to plan for peaceful, democratic, constitutional change is now. The days of treading water are over. The Irish government must immediately establish a Citizens Assembly on unity. If this government refuses to hear tomorrow coming, if it does not establish a Citizens Assembly, Sinn Fein in government will. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The opening of the ambulatory clinic in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda on Friday 4 November by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was welcomed by Louth Senator Erin McGreehan, who attended the opening with the Minister. Senator McGreehan said that this one-stop-see-and-treat clinic, will play a significant role to improve access to gynaecology, reducing waiting times and improving clinical outcomes for women. Commenting on the opening of the clinic Senator McGreehan said, this is really positive news. I have been pushing for this to happen for some time and I would like to thank Minister Donnelly for working with me on this and to the staff of Our Lady of Lourdes hospital for their work in bringing this to a reality. An ambulatory gynaecology clinic will help so many women and dramatically assist with and improve their gynaecological health. This is another example of this government and Fianna Fail putting womens healthcare needs to the fore. This clinic has been promised for some time and Fianna Fail Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has delivered on this promise. Conakry A group of 26 people, including Malayalees, who were detained by the Guinean navy in West Africa are in desperate need of help and have no option to escape. The ship they were working on was impounded by the Guinean Navy at the request of the Nigerian Navy. The shipping business paid the ransom, but they were not released. All of them are currently being extradited to Nigeria. Among the prisoners is Vijith ,brother of Vismaya , who is the victim of dowry harassment in Kollam. The Norwegian-based freighter Heroic Idem arrived at Nigerias AKPO facility on August 8 to carry crude oil. The crew observed a boat approaching the ship while waiting at the terminal. They were wrongly assumed to be pirates, and the ship was quickly redirected. The Nigerian Navy arrived only after the Guinean Navy encircled the ship and imprisoned the crew. The inquiry was conducted in the manner of a ship sent to steal crude oil. Three Malayalis are among the 16 members of the Indian crew, including Vismayas brother. There are ten foreigners. Following a lack of findings from the inquiry, the Guinean Navy requested a $200,000 ransom from the cargo business. After the corporation delivered it, it was thought that release would be possible. However, the crew and ship are currently being handed over to Nigeria. Only a significant involvement by nations like India would make liberation feasible. Three stunning Cork shots have been featured in the shortlist of the Clean Coasts Love Your Coast photography competition, which showcases the beauty of the Irish coastal landscape, heritage, and wildlife. The winners of the 13th edition of the competition were announced on Thursday at the award ceremony in the Smock Alley Theatre, in Dublin, across the five categories of Coastal Heritage, Coastal Landscape, People & the Coast, Wildlife & the Coast and Creativity and the Coast. While no Cork photographers claimed top prizes, three beautiful photographs of Corks coastline made the shortlist of the 50 best images which were displayed at the awards ceremony. John Bennetts photo taken in Ballycotton, Ghost Ship Sunrise, made it into the top ten under the Coastal Landscape Category. The long-exposure shot of the mysterious MV Alta shipwreck was taken against a clear September sunrise in Ballycotton. Pathway to the Light, a photo taken by John Hall in Monkstown, made the top ten in the Creativity and the Coast category. The moody black and white photo was taken close to nightfall, and depicts the sharp angles of cranes in Cork harbour against the water and sky smoothed by a three minute exposure. John Hall - Pathway To The Light, Monkstown ,Co. Cork. Sarah Ryans shot taken at Lough Mahon on the Rochestown-Blackrock Greenway, Fishermen at Dusk, was ranked in the top ten of the Wildlife and Underwater category. The image captures the perfect stillness of a heron and curlew fishing together in the pearlescent dusk of a spring evening in May. Underwater Sarah Ryan - Fishermen at Dusk, Lough Mahon, Co. Cork. Darragh Gormans Splash, captured in Mullaghmore Co. Sligo, was awarded the title of Image of the Year out of a total of over 1,100 entries. Coastal Communities Manager Sinead McCoy said that after two years of virtual ceremonies, they were delighted to be able to celebrate in person again both the beauty of the Irish coast and the talent of the photographers who entered our competition. Ms McCoy said that the photography competition which has been running for 13 years is a way for everybody to appreciate and celebrate our coast and be inspired to get involved with Clean Coasts. Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which engages communities in the protection of Irelands beaches, seas and marine life. Currently, there are over 1,800 registered Clean Coasts volunteering groups and 37,000 volunteers who organise hundreds of beach clean-ups annually, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Irelands beaches and waterways. A CORK organisation is set to host Corks first Irish language pantomime as part of efforts to revive Gaeilge among the younger population. Rehearsals are already underway for the upcoming production of Stacey i dTir na nOg which is set to take place in ActorsVision on Patricks Quay in December. Organised by Cois Laoi Productions, a bilingual production company in Cork City, the pantomime will feature a blend of the Irish and English language to ensure accessibility for every audience member. Led by Douglas woman Aisling Nic Carthaigh, Cois Laoi supports and promotes the use of the Irish language for younger audiences. Many of their productions have been geared towards a teenage audience but the group are now looking forward to engaging with an even younger generation through the medium of Irish. Actors have been working tirelessly over the last few months to bring the story to life. Penned by Antoin O Dullaing, Stacey i dTir na nOg is inspired by the legend of the Celtic otherworld that sees visitors granted eternal youth. The Cois Laoi team, which also includes production manager Timothy McCarthy, has put their own twist on the myth with the inclusion of some fun new characters including a witch and Lord Mayor. Influences evident in the production also include the Wizard of Oz which Aisling says has many parallels with the story. We felt there was a lot of similarities between the story of Oisin and Tir na nOg and the Wizard of Oz because Oisin and Dorothy are both people who find themselves in a world they dont belong to. The Lord Mayor character in Stacey i dTir na nOg is quite like Oz in the Wizard of Oz. Members of the cast come from all walks of life. The majority of the cast and crew are fluent in Irish. However, Aisling said a small number of participants are still new to the language. Sometimes I forget that they arent fluent because they have learned so much Irish since beginning the production. Children are especially great when it comes to learning new languages because they absorb it like sponges. The team is glad to offer something new to young people interested in learning Irish through the arts. I have heard of Irish language pantomimes in other parts of the country such as Galway but we havent heard of any bilingual pantomimes to date. The bilingual aspect and the fact that this is just a fun and enjoyable show makes it really unique. She opened up about how much she has been enjoying the experience. Having the production in Irish and English makes it really accessible. The atmosphere since the first read through has been amazing. We are having so much fun and couldnt have asked for any better than the cast and crew we have. Aisling said the educational value of shows like this can be invaluable for children. Whats great is that kids who arent fluent dont even realise they are picking it up because they are having so much fun. The vocabulary sticks with them in a way that wouldnt happen if someone was just teaching them Irish. Aisling said that Irish has always been a huge part of her life. I went to a Gaelscoil so Irish has always been part of my life. I always speak to my friends through Irish. Myself and Antoin, who wrote the script, send all our voice notes in Irish. I have one friend who I had never heard speak in English before until one day when we were in a restaurant. The funny thing was when she began speaking in English I couldnt understand her because it was so different to how she usually sounded. The Douglas woman is glad to have found a way to combine her love of Irish and the arts. Ive always loved pantomimes as child. I used to be involved in the Montforts pantomime and later on I loved the adult pantomime. Aisling is feeling positive about the upcoming production. Weve had amazing feedback from parents so far who have seen the rehearsals. The dream for us is to get children to love Irish. Stacey I dTir no nOg will run for two days with performances from 2pm and 7pm at ActorsVision on Patricks Quay, Cork city on December 10 and December 11. Tickets are 12 for children with an 8 OAP price also available. The production is being made with funding from Foras na Gaeilge-an organisation which promotes the Irish language across Ireland. Tickets for the show are available at Eventbrite. WAS it being racist, the old woman inquired, to say that she thought the Ukrainian Ambassador had been downright ungrateful? Complaining that a group of her countrymen had to stay overnight in Dublin Airport when the people had done everything they could for Ukrainian refugees at a time when our homelessness crisis was at epic levels, probably at its worst since the evictions of Famine times? As usual in these days of no eye-contact and political correctness, everyone gazed into their phones and avoided answering. Irritated by the lack of engagement with this feisty and outspoken elderly lady, and the pervasive sense of whatever you say, say nothing, I said; No, thats not racist. The Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko, had repeatedly expressed her gratitude for what Ireland had done for Ukrainian refugees - before recently issuing a widely publicised criticism that it was unacceptable that a group of her people had had to spend the night in Dublin Airport. Well, of course its unacceptable. We know how unacceptable it is, because Ireland is floundering to deal with a dreadful housing crisis which is affecting, it should be emphasised, many, many Irish people, resulting in astronomical rents, a vicious shortage of accommodation, and widespread homelessness. We know many homeless Irish people were not spending that same night in State-provided accommodation or, even, in the shelter of Dublin Airport - they were spending the night under bridges and in doorways on the streets. As it lurches through a spiralling domestic homelessness crisis, this State is straining every resource to continue to host Ukrainian refugees, along with the other people from all over the world who continue to seek sanctuary here. It is true that Ireland is hosting a mere fraction of the estimated seven million Ukrainian refugees being hosted across Europe since the war began last February. However, as the New York Times observed after it visited Ireland last September to see how were dealing with the influx, this country has worked to accommodate the largest number of refugees the State has ever accepted, mixing refugees fleeing war with locals in the largely homogenous towns and villages of its more rural corners. We dont need the New York Times to tell us this of course; we know. People throughout this small nation, across its cities, towns, villages and countryside, have been doing their best. Like the old lady, I felt someone really needed to stand up and explain to Ms Gerasko that Ireland has been doing its utmost for the Ukrainian refugees but that we are not drawing from a bottomless well; that this is a small island nation with limited resources, that it has a massive pre-existing homelessness and accommodation problem, a broken health service, overcrowded school classrooms and a serious shortage of doctors and teachers - and that yet, despite all of this, the Irish people have looked after some 50,000 refugees from Ms Geraskos country. Someone might say that given the gargantuan effort to welcome, house, clothe, feed, heal and educate refugees fleeing from the war throughout this country, its a bit bloody ungrateful to be castigating us when our severely strained resources show occasional signs of faltering. Its hard for some of us to swallow Ms Geraskos complaints in the cold light of the fact that providing sanctuary for some 50,000 or so Ukrainian refugees has been a phenomenal logistical challenge for this small country. Of course, we accept that things have not always run smoothly and to plan, that at times there has been a lack of co-ordination, a lack of communication, and no small amount of chaos. But were doing the best we can. And the Ukrainian Ambassador has on several occasions expressed gratitude for what has been done. She is also obligated to stand her ground and fight her peoples corner, but you know what, lets be realistic and not flog the goddamn struggling horse to death here. I was relieved to hear that, shortly after she made her widely publicised complaint, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic OGorman and his officials held a meeting with Ms Gerasko to update her on the accommodation shortage in this country, whilst reiterating the Irish governments continued solidarity with Ukraine. Afterwards, the Ambassador once again expressed her gratitude for the support that people fleeing the war in Ukraine have received from the Irish people and the Irish government, and acknowledged the challenges involved in responding to the number of people arriving in Ireland. Strange to think, though, that Ms Gerasko - living, as befits her high diplomatic status, in comfort in one of the most expensive cities in the world - appears to have been so oblivious to the massive housing shortage and the homelessness crisis in this country. Recently, there was a line of people applying to rent a house in a housing estate in the rural town of Bandon for 1,750 a month. In Dublin, the landlord of a one-bedroom apartment in Harolds Cross was asking 2,400 a month. Like I said, lets not flog that struggling horse to death, Larysa. Twitter has begun rolling out support for the new, more expensive version of its Blue subscription. As of Saturday, the companys iOS app now reflects the fact users can soon pay $8 per month to obtain a verified account. The changelog notes people who sign up for Twitter Blue will receive a checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow. The new Blue isnt live yet the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time. The Twitter team is legendary. New Blue coming soon! https://t.co/ewTSTjx3t7 Esther Crawford (@esthercrawford) November 5, 2022 However, Twitter is still rolling out the necessary backend changes to support the change more broadly. Following reports of users not seeing a blue checkmark on their account even after signing up for the new subscription, Esther Crawford, a product manager at the company, tweeted the updated service was coming soon. "The new Blue isn't live yet the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time," she said. To that point, Twitter has yet to update its Android app, and the other perks Elon Musk promised would be part of the revamped Twitter Blue, such as the ability to post longer videos, are listed as coming soon in the changelog of the iOS update Twitter pushed out today. At one point after the release went live, the app briefly had a new notification view that only showed content from verified users. Its unclear when all the elements Musk promised will be in place, but he reportedly gave employees working on making verification a paid feature until November 7th to complete the work or else lose their jobs. On Friday, the company began laying off about 50 percent of its workforce, leaving entire teams gutted. Update 7:38 PM ET: Added more context and information about Twitter's rollout of its new Blue subscription service. Appeal for Donations to the Corpus of Sameeksha Trust This is an appeal to the subscribers, contributors, advertisers and well-wishers of Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), published by Sameeksha Trust, a public charitable trust registered with the office of the Charity Commissioner, Mumbai, India. The emergence and growth of the big-tech companies like Google (Alphabet), Facebook (Meta), Apple and Amazon have polarised opinions the world over. While one side celebrates their innovative products and services, the other criticises them for lack of transparency and anticompetitive behaviour. These fears are especially understandable in countries like India where big-tech companies have made huge inroads; even its capacity to regulate them does not match with the advanced economies. Moreover, finding the right policy path and regulating big tech in a rapidly evolving landscape is no easy task. It is in this context that the two orders passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against the anticompetitive practices of Google in October this year gain significance. While the first order imposed a penalty of `1,338 crore for violation of competitive practices in multiple markets in the android mobile phone ecosystem, the second one imposed a penalty of `936 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position for selling products through Play Store, its digital distribution service. The non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are important constituent components of Indias financial system. These are private sector institutions and have been there since the 1940s, although formally recognised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) only in 1964. This sector has grown substantially over the years, with the size of assets becoming almost 13% of Indias gross domestic product (GDP). These are regarded as shadow banking1 entities and their activities largely fall outside the regular banking system (Financial Stability Board 2012). Being an emerging market economy, a considerably large section of the Indian society still remains out of the reach of the formal sector financial network. The NBFCs act both as substitute and complement for the banking system. Substitutability comes through its penetration into the geographical locations where formal banks are absent and complementarity through the process of financial intermediation with certain edge over banks, like lower transaction costs, proximity with the customers, and regulatory arbitrage to a certain extent. NBFCs cater to niche areas, such as automobile financing, gold loan, and agricultural credit. Success of the NBFC ecosystem is due to its diversified product lines with low costs, wider reach, lower bad debts, and better risk management. NBFCs in India fill the gap in extending financial services that still remain unfulfilled by the banking sector and corroborate the global trend in this regard. NBFCs are perceived to have quick decision-making ability, bring in flexibility as per the requirements of the customers, and assume greater risks and hence are free from the rigid structure of the banks.2 However, the overall vulnerable nature of the NBFCs in India remains a serious cause of concern. For instance, the so-called Indias mini-Lehmann moment is crucial here. The Infrastructure and Leasing Financial Services (IL&FS) went bankrupt, affecting the funding channels for other NBFCs in the market and created a scary situation for the banks as well (since banks, which are the major sources of funds for the NBFCs, hesitate to lend further to infuse liquidity). Although, a possible predicament in the NBFC market may have far-reaching implications on the formal sector banking. Unfortunately, this segment does not get any direct support from the central bank to tide away the crisis. Given this backdrop, we investigate the liquidity management issues and some other related aspects of the NBFCs in India. We are specifically interested since the overall functioning of the NBFCs remains largely unexplored despite the fact that the NBFC segment plays a significant role in Indias financial system. Thus, even when the literature on Indian banking is voluminous, that on NBFCs is astonishingly scanty. We study three specific issues: (i) the main parameters to be considered for examining financial performance of the NBFCs; (ii) performance of our sample NBFCs in terms of these parameters and their implications on the NBFC sector at large; and (iii) whether there is a need to tighten the regulatory standards for this sector? T he aim of The Watch Library Foundation (TWL) is to preserve and promote watchmaking heritage through new technology, particularly by digitising archives and historic documents connected with watchmaking and the watch industry. Its mission is supported by a number of benefactors, including the major watch manufactures Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille. The Watch Library Foundation and the Musee dArt et dHistoire de Geneve (MAH) have joined forces to digitise the archives of Louis Cottier (1894-1966) of Carouge in the Swiss canton of Geneva, who is known for his ingenious and innovative work on universal hour watches, and whose collection is of global significance. Some of the archives are in the Musee dArt et dHistoire de Geneve, where they may be consulted by special request. Digitisation will make it possible to share their content with an international community of watchmaking professionals and aficionados, in keeping with the spirit of openness that drives The Watch Library Foundation, and with the 2020 recognition by Unesco of the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics as part of the worlds intangible cultural heritage. Documents and correspondence relating to inventions, models and prototypes, original sketches, even a school report and a reconstructed workshop are just some of the treasures that will eventually be accessible to a far wider audience. The influence of Louis Cottier remains important to this day, and is recognised by experts and collectors alike. This November, for instance, Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo will be auctioning a Patek Philippe pocket watch ref. 605, dating from 1946, with a universal hours display featuring a mechanism invented by Louis Cottier (also signed by Gubelin). Baszanger, pocket watch with universal hours. Louis Cottier (Carouge, 1894-1966), watchmaker. Edouard Wenger, case. Arnold and Steinwachs, engravers. Stern freres, dial makers. Geneva, 1930-1931 Ville de Geneve, Collection du Musee dart et dhistoire, inv. AD 8088. Don de la Societe des Amis du Musee, 1992 In Louis Cottiers footsteps Louis Cottier was born on 28 September 1894 and died on 16 September 1966 in Carouge (in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland), where he lived his entire life. The workshop of Louis Cottiers father, Emmanuel Cottier (1858-1930), also a watchmaker, engineer and automaton maker in Carouge, was cluttered with all kinds of objects: old watchmaking tools, machines he had invented, old movements, sketches of clocks, newspaper cuttings, brochures and fine books. Growing up in this environment, Louis Cottier came to share his fathers insatiable curiosity. He trained as a watchmaker in Genevas municipal watchmaking school, where the teacher of the preparatory class, Henri Hess (1867-1932), had a decisive influence on the young student. Original drawing, signed Louis Cottier, 1932. Corresponds to the Baszanger watch Ville de Geneve, Archives du Musee dart et dhistoire. Louis Cottier completed his training just as the 1929 stock market crash shook the world. He worked in several Geneva factories as a general watchmaker before setting up his own business in 1931, after the company he worked for folded. His first workshop was in the back of the book and stationery shop he ran with his wife. In 1947 he moved into a small apartment in Rue Ancienne in Carouge. A multi-faceted creator In the big watch factories, progress was measured in improved methods of mass-production. But Louis Cottier worked alone, on commission, modifying movements on behalf of watch manufacturers based in Geneva and elsewhere in Switzerland. They called on Louis Cottier when they needed someone to hand-build prototypes for them. He registered a number of patents, including one in 1930 for the universal hours mechanism that was to cement his reputation. Back in 1885, his father had presented a prototype of this same mechanism to the Geneva Watchmakers Society. Louis developed variations with jumping hours, designed a mystery watch, a repeater mechanism and a watch with an electric motor. Louis Cottier was a humble man, and he never registered his own trademark. His inventions and creations, with the exception of a few unsigned pieces he produced for himself and for individuals, were all for the benefit of manufacturers including Agassiz, Baszanger, Boninchi, Breguet, Cyma Watch & Co. (studies and prototypes), Golay Fils & Stahl, Gubelin, Ulysse Nardin, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Reuge (automata and music boxes), Stern, Rolex, Tissot, Universal, Vacheron & Constantin and Wittnauer. City of Geneva, Archives of the Museum of Art and History. Louis Cottier at his workbench, Carouge, photograph around 1950. A keen interest in watchmaking history Louis Cottiers fascination with history led him to study the history of watchmaking, and to learn how to restore historical timepieces. Hans Wilsdorf (1881-1960), who founded Rolex in 1908, entrusted Cottier with the preservation of his personal collection, on the recommendation of Alfred Chapuis (1880-1958), a pioneering horological historian from Neuchatel, who restored several pieces and documented their history. Thanks to his understanding of traditional tools and techniques, which he had acquired through his historical researches, Louis Cottier was able to manufacture a number of unique timepieces, from creating the preliminary sketches, through inventing their mechanisms and executing them by hand. A collector himself, Louis Cottier wrote a number of scholarly articles that were published in the main Swiss professional journals: Journal Suisse dHorlogerie, Suisse Horlogere and Revue Internationale de lHorlogerie. In 1955, Alfred Chapuis invited him to help organise an exhibition at the Musee dArt et dHistoire de Geneve under the aegis of the Association Montres & Bijoux. The exhibition was devoted to musical automata and mechanisms, and formed the basis of a book Alfred Chapuis later wrote on the history of mechanical music. As a member of the exhibition committee for Montres & Bijoux, Louis Cottier developed a wide network of acquaintances, with whom he corresponded. Aside from his interest in historical watch and clockmaking, Cottier was also a keen local historian, and he bequeathed a considerable library of documents to the Carouge authorities. Finally, he was a talented amateur watercolourist and, in 1936, he founded La Palette Carougeoise, a society for local artists, of which he remained president until his death. One of his works was awarded the Prix de la Ville de Carouge in 1959. Original drawing, signed Louis Cottier, 1930: Universal watch without hands (with centre seconds). The names of the cities are fixed, the numbers turn. Ville de Geneve, Archives du Musee dart et dhistoire Conservation at the Musee dArt et dHistoire In 1963 Louis Cottier made a donation to the Musee dArt et dHistoire de Geneve of a collection of Automata by Emmanuel Cottier representing characters (articulated figures in zinc) from the Escalade [the failed attempt by the Duke of Savoy to conquer Geneva in 1602], executed between 1925 and 1930. Donated by Mr Louis Cottier of Carouge, 1963. The collection has been conserved and restored and was filmed in action in the workshops of the Musee dArt et dHistoire in 2018- 2019. Another of Emmanuel Cottiers shadow theatres, now housed in the Musee de Monaco, was restored in 2019-2020. In 1969 the Association Montres & Bijoux de Geneve, at the urging of Gilbert Albert, a jeweller, financed the transfer of the Cottier workshop to the new Musee de lHorlogerie et de lEmaillerie, which opened its doors in October 1972 in the Villa Bryn Bella in Malagnou, Geneva. In 2004 the Musee de lHorlogerie et de lEmaillerie (which in 2010 became part of the Musee dArt et dHistoire de Geneve) registered a donation of documents and archives by the Cottier family. The Cabinet Cottier installed in the Museum of Watchmaking and Enamelware, in Malagnou, from 1972 to 2002. Photograph Ville de Geneve, Archives du Musee dart et dhistoire. Appeal The digitisation of these priceless archives will be undertaken as part of the mission of The Watch Library Foundation and the creation of its digital platform, a portal for promoting the understanding and appreciation of watch culture. Because the Louis Cottier archives, like many private collections, are spread out in a number of different sites, the Foundation is taking this opportunity to launch an appeal to any person or body who holds archives connected with the watchmaker, that would benefit from conservation and publication, as part of the first phase of digitisation or at a later stage. The Watch Library platform will go live in the first quarter of 2023. A number of archives have already been uploaded to a prototype site, an exercise that has been invaluable in improving the platforms usability, from both a technical and a historical point of view. The platform will include other watchmaking documents in addition to the Louis Cottier archives. The Watch Library Foundation has been granted charitable status by the Swiss federal government, and enjoys the support of several benefactors. It hopes to be the catalyst for a generalised movement to safeguard and publish watchmaking archives. The Foundation is proactively reaching out to known repositories of archives (public institutions, museums, libraries, archives). Once its work has gained wider recognition, the Foundation will also seek the support of any individual or body in possession of archives or documents related to watchmaking, in order to prevent their loss, and to make them available to the widest possible audience. Kenya has introduced the latest tourism attraction campaign to increase destination awareness whose travel is now back on track after recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. Through the destination marketer, Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Kenya has unveiled its global marketing campaign The Real Deal that will carry vivid visuals across key digital platforms to maximize reach and destination awareness and accelerate Indian arrivals in Kenya in the upcoming years. The Real Deal campaign has been conceptualized to exhibit the multiple facets of destination Kenya and spread awareness of its latest tourism products and experiences through promoting on-chosen OTT platforms PAN India, Theatre screens and digital billboards across select areas in Delhi and Mumbai. To ensure the campaigns holistic reach while also driving conversions, KTB has also collaborated with Kenya Airways and five leading tour operators including Thomas Cook, SOTC, Yatra, Make My Trip and Ease My Trip. The partners will be influential in promoting Kenya through varied packages and discounted airfares, which will be communicated across their websites and social media pages. This will be with an aim to redirect the interested travelers to the landing page from which they can plan their upcoming travel to Kenya. Collectively, the partners and their respective platforms will be instrumental in executing the campaign and positioning Kenya as The Real Deal amongst holidaying destination. India is ranked fifth as a source market following USA, Uganda, UK and Tanzania. Kenya has recorded consistent footfalls from the India market even during the past two years owing to multiple favorable reasons including direct flight connectivity from Mumbai, ease in visa application, flexible COVID-19 entry-exit rule while maintaining health and safety measures and lastly the destinations array of adventurous activities and unique cultural attractions. Since January 2022 to October 2022, Kenya has witnessed 924,303 tourist arrivals out of which Indian arrivals were 55,761. Provided the positive numbers and India as an exponentially growing market for outbound tourism, KTB aims to capitalize on the luxury and family segments and direct the traffic to Kenya by establishing it as an ideal long-haul holiday destination. KTB CEO Dr. Betty Radier, expressed, her confidence in the campaign stating that India was one of the key destinations showing great promise in the recovery of tourism in Kenya and that the campaign will give impetus to the existing interest amongst Indian travelers on the destination. India was one of the most hit countries by Covid-19, especially the delta virus that said, they have critical steps that create confidence to travel, for example they are the country with the most vaccinated people. We chose India for the launch because of the immense potential as a key source market and also the fact that Indians love our products, from Safari to Beach and also adventure, Said Dr. Radier Adding to it, Neeti Sharma, Director, Intrepid Marketing & Communications, said, Kenya as a destination is brimming with aspirational quotient owing to its gamut of once-in-a-lifetime and authentic experiences. The Real Deal campaign is a true expression of Kenyas vast canvas, and we are certain that the strategic activations across media channels along with the efforts of our key partners, will tempt the travelers and result in accelerated rate of arrivals. The Real Deal campaign has been executed in the USA and UK markets and has been successful in positioning Kenya and driving footfalls to the magical destination. Read more news about (marketing news, latest marketing news,internet marketing, marketing India, digital marketing India, media marketing India, advertising news) The UKs 2022-2023 oilseed rape area has been estimated to be around 413,000 hectares, up from 360,00 hectares the previous year, United Oilseeds has said. The co-operative, consisting of 4,500 growers, said this estimate would mean that the UK would be left some 438,000 tonnes short of self-sufficiency. Whilst the UK oilseed rape area is increasing, production will 'not be enough' to meet the UKs annual domestic demand. United Oilseeds said this had reduced from 1.9 million tonnes in 2021 to 1.8 million tonnes for 2023, owing to the closure of the OSR processing plant in Hull. Chris Baldwin, managing director of the co-op, said he remained 'very confident' in the future for oilseed rape in the UK. "With international supplies also hindered by availability and the war in the Ukraine, the outlook for OSR market prices remains bullish. There is a pipeline of new varieties coming to market with improved traits and performance characteristics that will appeal to our growers. "At the same time, UK demand for OSR remains high which means British farmers can grow oilseed rape for a domestic market that will remain buoyant over the next few years. It comes after the co-operative announced an 18% rise in pre-tax profits to 1.8m for the trading year ending 30 June 2022, compared to 1.5m profit during the same period the previous year. United Oilseeds' annual turnover was also up, rising to 174m, from 172m the previous year, whilst its net worth rose 13.17 % to 15m. Total commodity tonnages traded by the co-op rose by 6.5%, amounting to 421,132 tonnes compared with 395,557 tonnes the previous year. German fashion brand Hugo Boss has raised its outlook for fiscal 2022 (FY22) and expects sales to grow between 25 and 30 per cent to a record level of between 3.5 billion and 3.6 billion. It expects EBIT to increase between 35 and 45 per cent. In the third quarter (Q3) of FY22, the companys currency-adjusted group sales increased by 18 per cent year-over-year and 27 per cent compared to 2019 levels. Momentum in brick-and-mortar retail accelerated in the third quarter, rising by 25 per cent compared to 2019 and it witnessed a double-digit revenue improvement across both brands, all regions, and all channels. Hugo Boss EBIT amounted to 92 million in Q3; 8 per cent above the prior-year level, the company said in a media release. German fashion brand Hugo Boss has raised its outlook for fiscal 2022 (FY22) and expects sales to grow between 25 and 30 per cent to a record level of between 3.5 billion and 3.6 billion. In the third quarter (Q3) of FY22, the company's currency-adjusted group sales increased by 18 per cent year-over-year and 27 per cent compared to 2019 levels. We look back on an extremely successful quarter, in which our broad-based growth continued seamlessly, said Daniel Grieder, chief executive officer of Hugo Boss. Building on our strong brand momentum, we look forward to the important final quarter with confidence. Thanks to the relentless execution of our CLAIM 5 strategy, we are well on track to make 2022 not only a record year for Hugo Boss, but also a major milestone along our 2025 targets. In the third quarter of 2022, Hugo Boss posted significant top-line growth, thereby continuing its strong momentum from the previous quarter. This development was once more fuelled by the successful execution of several brand and product initiatives as part of the companys CLAIM 5 growth strategy. Group sales increased by 18 per cent currency-adjusted to 933 million (Q3 2021: 755 million), representing the highest quarterly sales in the history of Hugo Boss. In Group currency, this corresponds to an increase of 24 per cent. Compared to 2019 levels, currency-adjusted sales growth was 27 per cent (Q3 2019: 720 million). The global launch of the Fall/Winter 2022 collections was accompanied by two star-studded campaigns in August. Both Boss and Hugo showcased their new collections during Milan Fashion Week in September. Strong sell-through rates, well above pre-pandemic levels, underline the success of both collections. Consequently, both Boss and Hugo posted double-digit revenue improvements in the third quarter with robust growth across all wearing occasions. While currency-adjusted sales for Boss Menswear were up 20 per cent against the prior-year period, sales for Boss Womenswear increased by 13 per cent and thus strongly accelerated on a three-year-stack basis. At Hugo, currency-adjusted revenues also grew by 13 per cent year over year. Growth in the third quarter was once more broad-based with all regions recording double-digit sales improvements fuelled by robust consumer demand. In Europe, currency-adjusted sales increased by 17 per cent year over year, reflecting ongoing strong demand across key markets. Also in the Americas, momentum remained strong throughout the third quarter with currency-adjusted sales up 18 per cent year over year. Compared to 2019 levels, momentum in the Americas therefore remained virtually at the level of the second quarter, with currency-adjusted sales up 35 per cent. In Asia/Pacific, momentum also picked up strongly in the third quarter with revenues returning to double-digit growth. Significant double-digit improvements in Southeast Asia and Pacific spurred momentum in the whole region, with currency-adjusted sales consequently up 33 per cent year over year. Currency-adjusted growth in the Groups digital channels accelerated to 20 per cent compared to the prior-year period, reflecting both a double-digit sales increase in the Groups digital flagship platform as well as strong improvements in digital revenues generated with partners. Also, momentum in brick-and-mortar retail remained strong, with currency-adjusted revenues up 18 per cent compared to the prior year. On a three-year-stack basis, growth in brick-and-mortar retail even accelerated to 25 per cent, with momentum strengthening across all three regions. In brick-and-mortar wholesale, currency-adjusted sales were up 18 per cent year over year. While this development reflects ongoing robust demand from wholesale partners for Boss and Hugo, delivery shift effects limited growth to some extent, the release added. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD) LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / November 4, 2022 / S-Ventures PLC, ("S-Ventures" or the "Company") (AQSE:SVEN)(OTCQB:SVTPF) the Company investing in and growing exciting brands across the natural, wellness and food-tech category, is pleased to announce new contract wins from its Pulsin, Purely, Ohso and Livia's product ranges. ASDA has recently partnered with S-Ventures and has given Pulsin branded space within their brand partnership programme to showcase the brand in six ASDA flagship stores. This follows the launch of the Pulsin Keto range in the Health & Wellbeing fixture in 200 Morrison stores in Spring of this year. In Holland & Barrett UK Stores, Pulsin has increased its store distribution on their protein powders range by over 2,000 distribution points, which goes live this month. They also launched the latest flavoured protein powder, the Vanilla & Faba protein powder in over 300 stores. As well as supporting Pulsin, the food team at Holland & Barrett UK have also listed the Purely brand, listing the 28g impulse bags at front of store locations. Further afield, Holland & Barrett Benelux have really supported S-Ventures, with the Pulsin Orange Keto Bars now listed within stores, as well as the 75g Purely sharing bags now available within the food section. Co-op has been revamping its ranges in their Healthy Snacking fixtures and will see an increase in Pulsin distribution of their Keto range as well as launching a Pulsin brownie range. In WH Smiths: Purely 75g recently went live in over 100 travel sites; Pulsin went live in February 2022 with the brownie range featuring within their "meal deal" solution; and OhSo went live in May featuring Ohso's "block" chocolate fixture. Epicurum Wholesale has launched Pulsin, Purely & Livias which are now all live. At Blakemore/The Vegan Store, it is in the process of going live across all S-Ventures brands. Pulsin is now live within the two major retailers, S-Ok and more recently Kesko, in Finland. Easyjet has selected Livia's Nugglets for its inflight menu for the Summer / Autumn 2022 period. Valli Forecourts agreed to go live with Pulsin in their forecourts in the Summer 2022, offering a range of Keto Bars, Protein Bars and Brownies. CEO, Scott Livingston, Statement: "These significant contract wins with major brand names, demonstrate the rapid progress S-Ventures is making establishing itself in the UK and in Europe. Our focus on quality across our product range underpins our success and we look forward to further progress in the coming months." For further information, please contact: The Company Robert Hewitt (Chief Financial Officer) Scott Livingston (Chief Executive Officer) +44 (0) 1932 400 224 AQSE Corporate Adviser and Broker: VSA Capital Limited Andrew Raca - Corporate Finance Andrew Monk - Corporate Broking +44 (0) 20 3005 5000 IFC Advisory (Financial PR) Graham Herring Tim Metcalfe Florence Chandler +44 (0) 20 3934 6630 About S-Ventures S-Ventures is listed on UK AQUIS Exchange (Ticker Code "SVEN"). The Company seeks to identify investment opportunities in the health & wellness, organic food and wellbeing sectors within the UK and Europe, adding value by providing capital and expertise to the target companies. The experience and operational skills of the Board led by Scott Livingston (CEO) are intended to act as an accelerator to?smaller brands that have a solid foundation and platform but may lack the skills and capital. The main objectives are to cross-fertilise opportunities between the target companies and?scale the individual entities and look for exit opportunities and/or synergistic collaborations through scaling we seek to create significant value for all stakeholders. Since listing on AQSE in September 2020, the Company has acquired significant interests in seven companies. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy. SOURCE: S-Ventures PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/724047/S-Ventures-PLC-SVTPF-New-Contract-Wins MILLICOM (TIGO) ANNOUNCES DEBT TENDER OFFER BY TIGO GUATEMALA Millicom announces a Tender Offer by Tigo Guatemala to purchase up to US $90,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Comcel 5.125% senior notes due 2032. LUXEMBOURG, Nov 4, 10.40p ET / Nov 5, 3.40a CET - Millicom, announced today that its Guatemalan operation, Comunicaciones Celulares, S.A. ("Comcel"), has commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") up to U.S.$90,000,000 in aggregate principal amount (such amount, as may be modified by Comcel in its sole discretion, the "Maximum Amount") of the outstanding 5.125% senior notes due 2032 (the "Notes") issued by Walkers Fiduciary Limited (the "Cayman Trustee") acting as trustee of CT Trust (the "Trust") and guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Comcel and certain other guarantors. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated November 4, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and is subject to certain conditions described therein. Timetable for the Tender Offer Commencement of the Tender Offer: November 4, 2022 Early Tender Time: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Withdrawal Deadline: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Expiration Time: 11:59 p.m. NYT on December 5, 2022 Final Payment Date: Expected on December 6, 2022 Purpose of the Tender Offer The purpose of the Tender Offer is to purchase debt guaranteed by Tigo Guatemala consistent with Millicom's previously announced plans to purchase outstanding debt issued or assumed by Millicom or its subsidiaries to reduce Millicom's debt. Details of the Tender Offer The Tender Offer expires at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 5, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). In order for holders of Notes to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below) for their Notes, such holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) such Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Time"). Holders that tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below), which does not include the Early Tender Payment (as defined below). The consideration for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer (the "Total Consideration") will be U.S.$822.50. The Total Consideration includes an early tender payment (the "Early Tender Payment") equal to U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes (which is payable in respect of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer. Holders who tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive on the Final Settlement Date (as defined below) a consideration (the "Tender Offer Consideration"), equal to (i) the Total Consideration minus (ii) the Early Tender Payment. The Total Consideration and the Tender Offer Consideration will be payable in cash in U.S. dollars. In addition, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest under such Notes from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below) (the "Accrued Interest"). Comcel will only accept for purchase Notes up to the Maximum Amount. The following table describes certain terms of the Tender Offer: Title of Securities Outstanding Principal Amount Tender Offer Consideration(1) Early Tender Payment(1)(2) Total Consideration(1)(3) 5.125% Senior Notes due 2032 (CUSIP/ISIN: 12659B AA2 / US12659BAA26 (Rule 144A); G2588B AA2 / USG2588BAA29 (Reg S)) U.S.$900,000,000.00 U.S.$792.50 U.S.$30.00 U.S.$822.50 (1) Consideration in the form of cash per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn). Excludes Accrued Interest, if any, which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or Total Consideration, as applicable. (2) The Early Tender Payment will be payable to Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Time. (3) Includes the Early Tender Payment for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) on or prior to the Early Tender Time. (4) The Notes were issued by the Cayman Trustee acting as trustee of the Trust and guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Comcel and certain other guarantors. On any business day following the Early Tender Time and before the Expiration Time, Comcel will have the right, but not the obligation, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the "Early Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. The Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer will be determined at Comcel's option, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Comcel. Regardless of whether Comcel exercises its option to have an Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time and that Comcel chooses to accept for purchase, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Comcel, within three business days following the Expiration Time or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the "Final Settlement Date"; the Final Settlement Date and the Early Settlement Date, each being referred to as a "Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would cause Comcel to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Early Tender Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer and if Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date, Comcel will purchase on the Early Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases an aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders of Notes made at or prior to the Early Tender Time and Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase. If Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date and the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would not cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes equal to or in excess of the Maximum Amount, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of such Notes would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. If Comcel elects not to have an Early Settlement Date and the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount; provided, however, that Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time will have priority in acceptance over Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders of Notes made at or prior to the Early Tender Time, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase. Tendered Notes may be withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter. The Early Tender Time or Expiration Time can be extended independently of the Withdrawal Deadline. Comcel's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain customary conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. The Notes were issued pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, dated as of February 3, 2022, among the Cayman Trustee, the Company, as guarantor, and certain other guarantors party thereto and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the "Trustee"). The Cayman Trustee as trustee of the Trust holds a 100% participation interest, and certain related rights, in a U.S.$900 million senior unsecured loan (the "Loan") made to Comcel pursuant to a Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the "Credit and Guaranty Agreement") among Comcel, the lender and certain guarantors party thereto. Pursuant to the terms of the Credit and Guaranty Agreement, upon cancellation of any Notes purchased pursuant to the Tender Offer by Comcel and delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, the amount outstanding under the Loan will be reduced such that the principal and interest amounts outstanding of the Loan will be equal to the principal and interest amounts outstanding under the Notes. The Company intends to, promptly after the applicable Settlement Date, deliver any Notes purchased in the Tender Offer to the Trustee for cancellation. In addition, the extent legally permitted to do so, Comcel reserves the right, in its sole discretion, at any time (i) to waive any condition to the Tender Offer, (ii) to amend any of the terms of the Tender Offer, (iii) to terminate the Tender Offer; (iv) to increase or modify the Maximum Amount, (v) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline, (vi) to extend or amend the Early Tender Time or the Expiration Time, or (vii) to modify the Tender Offer Consideration or the Early Tender Payment, in each case (other than clause (v)) without extending the Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal rights of holders. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. are acting as dealer managers for the Tender Offer and can be contacted with questions regarding the Tender Offer at the following telephone numbers and email addresses: BNP Paribas Securities Corp. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. Toll-Free: (888) 210-4358 Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279 Toll Free: +1 (800) 372-3930 dl.us.liability.management@us.bn pparibas.com LM@scotiabank.com Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co, Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King & Co, Inc. at 8 Wall St., 22nd Floor New York, New York 10005 or (800) 431-9645 (toll free), (212) 269-5550 (collect) or comcel@dfking.com. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer have been filed with or reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any federal or state securities commission or any other regulatory authority of any country, nor has any such commission or authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful and may be a criminal offense. The Tender Offer is being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any securities of Comcel or any of its affiliates. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will Comcel accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made by the Trustee, Comcel, the dealer manager or the information agent and the tender agent as to whether holders should tender their Notes with respect to the Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Comcel undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, including, without limitation, changes in our business or acquisition strategy or planned capital expenditures, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. -END- For further information, please contact Press: Sofia Corral, Director Corporate Communications press@millicom.com (mailto:press@millicom.com) Investors: Michel Morin, VP Investor Relations Sarah Inmon, Director Investor Relations investors@millicom.com (mailto:investors@millicom.com) About Millicom Millicom. Connect with Millicom on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook, and LinkedIn . Attachment MILLICOM (TIGO) ANNOUNCES DEBT TENDER OFFER BY TIGO PARAGUAY Millicom announces a Tender Offer by Tigo Paraguay to purchase up to U.S. $55,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Telecel's 5.875% senior notes due 2027 LUXEMBOURG, Nov 4, 10.40p ET / Nov 5, 3.40a CET - Millicom announced today that its Paraguayan operation, Telefonica Celular del Paraguay S.A.E. ("Telecel"), has commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") up to U.S. $55 million in aggregate principal amount of its 5.875% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "Notes") (such amount, as may be modified by Telecel in its sole discretion, the "Maximum Amount"). The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated November 4, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"), and is subject to certain conditions described therein. Timetable for the Tender Offer Commencement of the Tender Offer: November 4, 2022 Early Tender Time: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Withdrawal Deadline: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Expiration Time: 11:59 p.m. NYT on December 5, 2022 Final Payment Date: Expected on December 6, 2022 Purpose of the Tender Offer The purpose of the Tender Offer is to purchase outstanding debt issued or assumed by Millicom or issued by a subsidiary issuer and to reduce Millicom's consolidated debt consistent with the company's previously announced plans. Title of Securities Outstanding Principal Amount Tender Offer Consideration(1) Early Tender Payment(1)(2) Total Consideration(1)(3) 5.875% Senior Notes due 2027 (CUSIP/ISIN: 87936V AB3 / US87936VAB36 (Rule 144A); P90475 AB3 / USP90475AB31 (Reg S)) U.S.$550,000,000.00 U.S.$897.50 U.S.$30.00 U.S.$927.50 (1) Consideration in the form of cash per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn). Excludes Accrued Interest, if any, which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or Total Consideration, as applicable. (2) The Early Tender Payment will be payable to Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Time. (3) Includes the Early Tender Payment for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) on or prior to the Early Tender Time Details of the Tender Offer The Tender Offer expires at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 5, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by Telecel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). In order for holders of Notes to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below) for their Notes, such holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) such Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Telecel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Time"). Holders that tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below), which does not include the Early Tender Payment (as defined below). The consideration for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer (the "Total Consideration") will be U.S.$927.50. The Total Consideration includes an early tender payment (the "Early Tender Payment") equal to U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes, which is payable in respect of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer. Holders who tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive (i) the Total Consideration minus (ii) the Early Tender Payment (the "Tender Offer Consideration"). In addition, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below) for the Notes accepted for purchase (the "Accrued Interest"). Telecel will only accept for purchase Notes up to the Maximum Amount. On any business day following the Early Tender Time and before the Expiration Time, Telecel will have the right, but not the obligation, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time (the "Early Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. The Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer will be determined at Telecel's option, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Telecel. Regardless of whether Telecel exercises its option to have an Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer, Telecel will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time and that Telecel chooses to accept for purchase, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Telecel, within three business days following the Expiration Time or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the "Final Settlement Date"; the Final Settlement Date and the Early Settlement Date, each being referred to as a "Settlement Date"), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would cause Telecel to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Early Tender Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Telecel will purchase Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Telecel purchases an aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders of Notes made at or prior to the Early Tender Time, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase. If all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would not cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes equal to or in excess of the Maximum Amount, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Tender Offer, Telecel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of such Notes would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Telecel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Telecel purchases the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. Tendered Notes may be withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Telecel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter. The Early Tender Time or Expiration Time can be extended independently of the Withdrawal Deadline. Telecel's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain customary conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. In addition, to the extent legally permitted to do so, Telecel reserves the right, in its sole discretion, at any time (i) to waive any condition to the Tender Offer, (ii) to amend any of the terms of the Tender Offer, (iii) to terminate the Tender Offer; (iv) to increase or modify the Maximum Amount, (v) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline, (vi) to extend or amend the Early Tender Time or the Expiration Time, or (vii) to modify the Tender Offer Consideration or the Early Tender Payment, in each case (other than clause (v)) without extending the Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal rights of holders. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. are acting as the dealer managers for the Tender Offer and can be contacted with questions regarding the Tender Offer at the following telephone numbers and email addresses: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Collect: +1 (212) 723 6106 Toll Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 Email: ny.liabilitymanagement@citi.com Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. Collect: +1 (212) 225-5501 Toll Free: +1 (800) 372-3930 Email: LM@scotiabank.com Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at 8 Wall St., 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10005 or (800) 431-9645 (toll free), (212) 269-5550 (collect) or telefonica@dfking.com. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer have been filed with or reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any federal or state securities commission or any other regulatory authority of any country, nor has any such commission or authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful and may be a criminal offense. The Tender Offer is being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of Telecel or any of its affiliates. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will Telecel accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made by the Trustee, Telecel, the dealer managers or the information agent and the tender agent as to whether holders should tender their Notes with respect to the Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Telecel undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, including, without limitation, changes in our business or acquisition strategy or planned capital expenditures, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. -END- For further information, please contact Press: Sofia Corral, Director Corporate Communications press@millicom.com (mailto:press@millicom.com) Investors: Michel Morin, VP Investor Relations Sarah Inmon, Director Investor Relations investors@millicom.com (mailto:investors@millicom.com) About Millicom Millicom. Connect with Millicom on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook, and LinkedIn . Attachment BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China and Tanzania have enjoyed a long-lasting friendship and comprehensive cooperation, and the development of the relations is being promoted at a higher level with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's arrival in Beijing for a three-day visit. The two countries on Thursday announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with Hassan, the first African head of state China received after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. A 'true and reliable' China-Tanzania friendship Noting that the two countries should take the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as a guide to advance cooperation in various fields in the next stage, Xi said China will continue to import more Tanzanian products, support Chinese companies in investing and doing business in Tanzania and provide assistance for Tanzania's economic and social development. He said China has always viewed its relations with Tanzania from a strategic perspective and has always been a reliable friend. The bilateral trade between China and Tanzania has developed rapidly. The trade volume reached $6.74 billion, up 47.1 percent year on year. Among them, Tanzania's exports to China amounted to $606 million, up 47.3 percent year on year, and the growth rate was faster than the average level in Africa, according to Chinese statistics. Hassan said Tanzania regards China as a "true and most important friend" and is willing to be a trusted partner of China forever. She said Tanzania will continue to firmly support China on issues concerning China's core interests, such as the issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on trade, investment, development cooperation, digital economy and green development. The two sides also issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, covering issues such as leveraging the guiding political role of head-of-state diplomacy, elevating two-way trade, and strengthening coordination and cooperation in international affairs, among others. Building a China-Africa community with a shared future In 2013, during his visit to Tanzania, Xi put forth the guiding principles of China's policy toward Africa, namely sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, which have since become China's basic policy on pursuing solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries. Xi told Hassan that under the new circumstances, the sound development of China-Tanzania relations not only serves the common and long-term interests of the two countries but also is of great significance to building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. China is ready to create new opportunities for Africa with its new development, take infrastructure as the guide, strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and financing, and foster new drivers of China-Africa cooperation, he said. Hassan said her country will join China in taking the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields and build bilateral relations into a model of Africa-China relations in the new era. Highlighting the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in promoting the development of African countries, she said Tanzania will continue to actively participate in and support the development of FOCAC. FOCAC is an effective platform and multilateral mechanism for China and African countries to conduct collective consultations and carry out pragmatic cooperation. Since the establishment of FOCAC, Chinese enterprises have built more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports and a large number of hospitals and schools in Africa, said Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian during a conference on China-Africa cooperation through FOCAC in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam in October. In 2021, China-Africa trade volume was $254.2 billion, and China's stock of direct investment in Africa exceeded $56 billion, 25 times and 100 times that of 2000, when the forum was established, respectively, according to the Chinese envoy. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-03/President-Xi-meets-Tanzanian-counterpart-in-Beijing-1eF2emfkt20/index.html View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cgtn-china-tanzania-upgrade-ties-to-comprehensive-strategic-cooperative-partnership-301669513.html GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Chinese President Xi Jinping during his inaugural visit to China on November 4, which is the first state visit to the country by a G7 leader since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I believe the decision of Scholz to visit China is a right one," said Gu Xuewu, director of Center for Global Studies at the University of Bonn in Germany and non-resident senior research fellow of Center for China and Globalization in a recent interview with GDToday. "Germany needs cooperation with China to reduce the negative effects of the sanctions against Russia, and most importantly, to assure the 'Wohlstand' (wealth) of German people reached during the last decades," he said. "China-Germany cooperation has proven to be win-win" In their meeting, Xi highlighted revitalizing cooperation in new areas such as new energy, artificial intelligence and digitalization to make the "pie" of common interests bigger, while Scholz stressed Germany's firm support to trade liberalization and economic globalization, and that his country is ready to deepen economic and trade cooperation with China. Scholz's visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Germany. "Even in changed circumstances, China remains an important business and trading partner for Germany and Europe," Scholz wrote in his op-ed for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Politico. "China, Germany and Europe benefit equally." China has become Germany's largest trade partner for six consecutive years. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral trade has maintained momentum. Goods worth $235.1 billion were traded between the two sides in 2021, according to Chinese ambassador to Germany Wu Ken. To further economic cooperation with China, Scholz brought 12 German industry titans with him during the visit, including the CEOs of Europe's biggest carmaker Volkswagen, engineering behemoth Siemens, and drug company Merck, according to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt. "The result of the cooperation has proven a win-win situation," Gu furthered, "Germany has been a strong supporter of the modernization process of China for more than 40 years." He took the car industry for example and believes German enterprises have been a facilitator to China's modernization of the industry through technological and ideational collaboration. Gu expects China's modernization would keep the spirit of "open to the world" and embrace globalization that connects China and Germany deeply and sustainably. "Scholz's visit to China is a clear message of the two big economic powers that they don't want to decouple economically and technologically with each other, and they are prepared to defend globalization against other powers who are trying to decouple," Gu elaborated. "Scholz's support to COSCO deal, a fresh air in EU's political climate" Before Scholz's visit to China, severe criticism pervaded Western media questioning whether Germany is growing its dependence on China. The deal of Chinese ship firm Cosco buying a stake in one of the four terminals at the port of Hamburg has been a target of the critics. In Gu's opinion, the Hamburg COSCO deal was "too much hyped up" by media and by the forces that are extremely skeptical about the role of Chinese state-owned companies in Europe. "I would not go so far to exaggerate the meanings of the deal, but the decisive support of Scholz to it can help to inject a new fresh air into the political climate on the Continent." "In the future, the idea of practical cooperation will certainly dominate Scholz's dealing with China even when his ruling coalition partners remain reluctant and skeptical," Gu added. Gu appreciated the efforts Scholz has made to promote bilateral relations right after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He hopes the visit will be a springboard for a deeper China-Germany collaboration in tackling climate change and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "I'm expecting that Scholz's visit to China could create some pressure to other Western countries to intensify their talks to the country, against the background that even Biden is passionately to try to meet Chinese leader in the framework of G20 in Indonesia," Gu said. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1939003/Gu_Xuewu_director_Center_Global_Studies_University_Bonn_Germany.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nanfang-media-report-scholzs-china-trip-to-assure-the-wealth-of-german-people-301669540.html SANYA, China, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 3-4, the Symposium on Global Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance 2022 was successfully held in Sanya, Hainan. The symposium was co-sponsored by the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, China Ocean Development Foundation and National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered a video message. Liu Zhenmin, former UN Under-Secretary-Genera, Wang Hong, Vice Minister of China's Ministry of Natural Resources, Deng Xijun, Ambassador of China's Mission to ASEAN, and Michael Lodge, Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority delivered video speeches. Wang Yi said that China stands ready to work with other countries to uphold the spirit of a maritime community of a shared future proposed by President Xi, balance maritime development with security, and promote maritime cooperation and ocean governance. Firstly, we need to jointly protect maritime security. We must settle maritime conflicts in a peaceful manner. Secondly, we need to jointly promote maritime development. We need to promote maritime connectivity and ensure the smooth flow of maritime transport and industrial chains. Thirdly, we need to discuss ocean governance together. We must adhere to genuine multilateralism and keep improving the governance system centered on the United Nations. Liu Zhenmin, introduced the 2022 UN Ocean Conference and its outcome documents, stressing that ocean is the key to global sustainable development and prosperity, as it generates 50% of the oxygen needed by humans and is vital to mitigating the effects of climate change. All countries need to take more concerted actions to protect and peacefully use ocean and marine resources, in order to promote sustainable ocean development and build an equitable blue ocean. Wang Hong said that global ocean governance is facing profound adjustments and changes. In the face of these crises, no country or region can do it alone. China stands ready to further deepen cooperation with other countries around the world, enhance mutual trust, jointly address challenges, bridge gaps in maritime development, promote high-quality Belt and Road development, and provide more marine public services and products for the region and the international community, thus contributing Chinese wisdom to global ocean governance. Michael Lodge said that the number of deep seabed exploration projects has increased from 6 in 2001 to 31 in 2022, involving 22 different countries, 12 of which are developing countries. Growing demand for mineral resources has prompted countries and multinational corporations to accelerate the development of mining technology and assessment on project implementation options. He called for greater cooperation among countries to develop and implement a comprehensive set of rules and standards governing deep seabed mining and related activities, and to build a global governance regime that represents all countries, including landlocked countries and small island developing states. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1939001/Photo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-symposium-on-global-maritime-cooperation-and-ocean-governance-2022-successfully-concluded-in-sanya-301669545.html Shanghai, China--(Newsfile Corp. - November 5, 2022) - Frost & Sullivan has conducted extensive investigation across the global graphite and graphene industry chain, and released the White Paper for Global Graphite and Graphene Markets, which focuses on the recent development of global graphite and graphene industry as well as new growth opportunities. Graphene is seen as the wonder material of the 21st century due to its extraordinary properties as well as the wide applications in various downstream areas such as energy, electronics and bioengineering. However, extremely high cost and potential pollution during the production process are the major restraints of graphene's large-scale commercialization, thus finding a cost effective and sustainable way to produce synthetic graphite and graphene has become more urgent. Based on Frost & Sullivan's investigation and calculation, the global market size of graphite was USD22.0 billion in 2021, of which the Asia-Pacific region, North America and Europe accounted for 44.1%, 27.3%, and 18.6%, respectively. The global graphene market size was USD12.6 billion in 2021, with Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe accounting for 54.4%, 21.2%, and 20.0% respectively. The global graphite and graphene market is expected to reach USD30.4 billion and USD71.9 billion, respectively in 2026. Electronics and energy are the main sectors for graphene applications. Now graphene is commonly used as a heat-dissipation material in the electronics field and a conductive material in the energy field. The graphene market size in the electronics and energy industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.2% and 32.6% from 2022 to 2026. In the future, the automotive industry is the most promising segment of graphene, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 42.1% from 2022 to 2026, according to Frost & Sullivan. Major economies globally including the EU, the U.S., and China have all issued a series of graphite and graphene related favorable policies, creating a good policy environment for graphite and graphene's development. Favorable policies are the fundamental preconditions for the development of the industry with strategic importance or emerging industries such as graphite and graphene, which can attract abundant resources from both the financial side and the industrial side. Except for the policy support, the diversified downstream applications, especially the disruptive applications demonstrate the enormous commercialization potential of graphene and drive. However, the White Paper also indicates that the graphite industry is facing the pain points of uneven distribution of natural graphite resources and high pollution in the production process, while the graphene industry has pain points such as high production costs, high energy consumption, and high pollution. Hence the commercialization process of graphene is relatively slow, and the high-end applications of graphene such as biology, semiconductors, and other fields are still waiting for substantial technology breakthroughs to increase production efficiency and lower the cost or pollution. Under such circumstances, developing a cost effective and sustainable way to produce synthetic graphite and graphene is becoming even more attractive. For example, biomass waste is among attractive carbon sources that have been widely investigated as raw material for graphite production. The synthesis and application of biomass as carbon source have drawn attention due to its availability, sustainability and cost effectiveness, according to Frost & Sullivan. The global graphene market competition is relatively concentrated due to its high barrier to realize commercialization. Among graphene companies that have realized commercialization or substantial technology breakthrough, NanoXplore, Global Graphene Group, Talga Resources, Versarien PLC, and Graphjet are the major leading players in the industry, according to Frost & Sullivan. Source: Frost & Sullivan Graphjet Technology Sdn Bhd was incorporated in 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, and it has the world's first patented technology to recycle the palm kernel shells generated in the production of palm seed oil to produce single-layer graphene and artificial graphite. Malaysia is the second largest palm kernel shell waste producer, which has provided the rich raw material for Graphjet. With palm kernel-based technology, Graphjet can manufacture graphene that is of higher quality than currently available and at a price that is 80% lower than the current market price. In terms of environmental protection, the resources supply of palm kernel shell guarantee sustainable green and recyclable regeneration for the production of graphite and graphene. Due to using palm kernel shell as the raw material, the CO2 emission during the whole graphite production of Graphjet is only 2.95 kg CO2 eq which is much lower than the industry average level. At present, Graphjet has cooperated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and various local universities in Malaysia, and it has become a member of the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP). For the production capacity, Graphjet expects to open its first manufacturing plant in the Kuantan district of Pahang State with an annual output of 10,000 tons of graphite and 60 tons of graphene. Frost & Sullivan's White Paper for Global Graphite and Graphene Markets 2017-2026 highlights the following: Graphite (classification, development course, industry chain, etc.); Graphene (classification, technology, development course, industry chain, etc.); Global graphite industry (market size, etc.); Global graphene industry (status quo, market size, cost, patents, industrialization, development trends, etc.); Graphene downstream sectors (market size, segments, application, etc.); Introduction of Major Companies Key Topics Covered: Introduction of Graphite and Graphene Overview of Global Development of Graphite and Graphene Graphite and Graphene Definition Graphite and Graphene development history Graphite and Graphene properties and characteristics Development status of graphene industry Graphite and Graphene Industry Chain Analysis Upstream: Raw materials and supply Midstream: Graphite and Graphene Production Analysis of Graphene Preparation Technology Technology Advancement Analysis Downstream of Graphite and Graphene: Industrial Applications Regional Development of Graphite and Graphene Graphite and Graphene development in North America Graphite and Graphene development in Asia-Pacific Graphite and Graphene development in Europe Graphite and Graphene Global Market Size Graphite and Graphene global market size and forecast by applications Graphite and Graphene global market size and forecast by regions Graphene Industry Policies, Development Drivers, Trends, Restraints, Operational Risks, Entry Barriers, Investment Highlights, and Investment Advices Competitive Landscape Prominent Companies Recommended About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 60 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Media contact Contact: Rachel Zhang Company Name: Frost & Sullivan Website: http://www.frostchina.com Email: rachel.zhang@frostchina.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/143076 On November 3, 2022, Ambassador for China-Arab States Cooperation Forum Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Li Chen visited Algeria, and met with Noureddine Khandoudi, Director-General of Arab Countries at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad. They exchanged views on bilateral relations, the building of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and international and regional issues of common interest and concern. On the morning of 2 November, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People. President Xi welcomed Prime Minister Sharif and thanked him for his congratulatory letter right after the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). President Xi noted that China and Pakistan are good friends, good partners and good brothers. Amid global changes and instability in recent years, the two countries have supported each other and forged ahead, demonstrating an iron-clad friendship. China views its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective, and Pakistan has always been a high priority in Chinas neighborhood diplomacy. China is ready to work with Pakistan to elevate the level of all-round strategic cooperation, speed up efforts to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and inject new impetus into their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. President Xi stressed that China commends Pakistans firm commitment to advancing friendship and cooperation with China, and expressed appreciation for Pakistans support on issues vital to Chinas core and major concerns. China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, development interests and dignity, and in achieving unity, stability, development and prosperity. China expressed deep sympathies to the Pakistani people over the devastating floods that have hit the country, and will provide additional emergency relief to help with post-flood reconstruction. China supports Pakistans efforts to revive agricultural production, and will strengthen cooperation with Pakistan on disaster prevention and relief and climate change. After presenting the key outcomes of the 20th CPC National Congress, President Xi underscored that China will continue its fundamental policy of opening-up and provide new opportunities to Pakistan and the rest of the world through continuous development. China will further deepen synergy between its development strategies and those of Pakistan. The two sides will make full use of the Joint Cooperation Committee of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), advance CPEC with greater efficiency, and make CPEC an exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. It is important to accelerate the construction of auxiliary infrastructure for Gwadar Port to unleash its role in driving interconnected development in the region. The two sides will work together to create conditions for the early implementation of the upgradation of ML-1 and the Karachi Circular Railway project. Pakistan is welcome to export more quality agri-products to China. China will work with Pakistan to expand cooperation in digital economy, e-commerce, photovoltaic and other new-energy technologies, and take solid steps to advance cooperation concerning agriculture, science, technology and peoples livelihood. China will continue to do its best to support Pakistan in stabilizing its financial situation. China supports its provinces with a strong industry in pairing up with Pakistani partners to advance industrial cooperation, and hopes the Pakistani side will provide a sound business environment. President Xi expressed his great concern about the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, and conveyed his hope that Pakistan will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese institutions and personnel working on cooperation projects there. President Xi pointed out that the world, our times and history are changing in ways like never before. Facing a highly uncertain world, both sides should stand on the right side of history, keep up their strong cooperation in multilateral mechanisms, and work closely on major international and regional issues so as to uphold true multilateralism, international fairness and justice and the shared interests of developing countries, and inject certainty and positives into the world. China will work with Pakistan to advance the operationalization of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, make the global economic governance system more fair, equitable and inclusive that benefits all, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. These collaborative efforts will provide a strong underpinning for the development of the two countries, and contribute more to global peace, stability and prosperity. Prime Minister Sharif noted that it is a great honor for him to be among the first foreign leaders to visit China after the successful 20th CPC National Congress, which marked a new milestone. The visit is a testament to the profound, iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China. On behalf of the Pakistani government and people, Prime Minister Sharif once again expressed hearty congratulations to President Xi on his re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. He said that over the past decade, under the dynamic leadership of President Xi, China has created a miracle of great development achievements. China has upheld multilateralism, promoted global solidarity and cooperation, and made important contributions to safeguarding world peace and development. In doing so, China has lived up to its responsibility as a major country. The world cannot operate without China, and Chinas development cannot be isolated or contained by any force. Prime Minister Sharif expressed his confidence that President Xi, with his extraordinary vision, will continue to lead China toward even more remarkable achievements and create an even brighter future for the world. Prime Minister Sharif stressed that deepening Pakistans all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China is a cornerstone of Pakistans foreign policy and the national consensus of Pakistan. He expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Chinese government and people for the valuable anti-COVID support, and for the generous assistance in the wake of the devastating floods. No country has ever helped Pakistan or other developing countries with such wholehearted sincerity, he said. He reiterated Pakistans firm commitment to the one-China policy and its firm support for Chinas position on issues concerning Chinas core interests including Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Even as Pakistan learns from Chinas successful experience and tries to rely on its own efforts, Pakistan will deepen all-round cooperation with China to better develop itself. This is the only way forward for Pakistan. CPEC has had a profound impact on Pakistans economic and social development. Pakistan is ready to work with China to continue promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and hopes to have Chinas strong support in the upgradation of ML-1, the Karachi Circular Railway and other important infrastructure projects. Pakistan will further step up security measures and do all it can to protect the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel. Pakistan fully supports the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative put forth by President Xi. It will strengthen communication and collaboration with China in international and regional affairs to make a positive contribution to world peace and development. The Pakistan-China friendship is unbreakable. Pakistan will always stand firmly with China. After the meeting, President Xi held a welcoming banquet for Prime Minister Sharif at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister, and He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, were present at the events. On September 24, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono Angue of Equatorial Guinea on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. Wang Yi said that under the joint guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, China-Equatorial Guinea relations have witnessed sound and smooth development, setting a good example of relations between countries of different sizes characterized by equality, solidarity, mutual help and sincere friendship. The Chinese side stands ready to work with the Equatorial Guinean side to jointly carry forward the traditional friendship, and better synergize development strategies to the benefit of the two peoples. Wang Yi said that China and Equatorial Guinea have maintained close communication and sound cooperation in the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. The Chinese side will continue to firmly support the Equatorial Guinean side in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests on the international arena, and in playing a bigger role in regional and multilateral affairs to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, uphold solidarity and cooperation on the African continent, and jointly safeguard the "golden rule" of non-interference in others' internal affairs in international relations which also underpins the very survival of developing countries. Oyono said that China is a reliable friend and a strong partner of Equatorial Guinea. Under the care and guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, Equatorial Guinea-China relations have progressed smoothly. Oyono thanked the Chinese side for providing valuable support to Equatorial Guinea in economic and social development, which has brought real benefits to the Equatorial Guinean people. Equatorial Guinea is firmly committed to the one-China policy, supports the policy of "one country, two systems", highly appreciates and supports the Global Development Initiative and other important visions put forward by President Xi Jinping, and looks forward to strengthening synergy between the two countries development strategies and deepening cooperation with China in various fields. On October 27, 2022, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosted the fourth meeting of the Political and Diplomatic Sub-committee of China-Saudi Arabia High-level Joint Committee with Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Wang Yi briefed Faisal on the great significance of the 20th CPC National Congress, noting that the most important outcome of the Congress is that a new central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has been elected, which reflects the high degree of consensus of the whole Party and the people across the country. Under the continued guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the giant vessel of China will continue to sail steadfastly forward in the right direction, riding the wind and cleaving the waves, to deliver the development strategies and goals set out at the 20th National Congress. Wang Yi said that the Chinese side attaches great importance to developing relations with Saudi Arabia, taking Saudi Arabia as a priority in its overall diplomacy, its Middle East diplomacy in particular. China appreciates Saudi Arabias commitment to the one-China principle, and is grateful for Saudi Arabias long-standing and staunch support to China on issues related to China's core interests, including Xinjiang, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and human rights. China appreciates Saudi Arabias support for the Global Development Initiative (GDI) put forward by China, and welcomes Saudi Arabias actively participation in the implementation of the GDI. China also appreciates Saudi Arabias pursuit of an independent energy policy and its active efforts to maintain stability in the international energy market. China supports Saudi Arabia in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, and stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on hot-spot issues in the Middle East, so as to jointly uphold regional peace and stability. China is also ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia at the United Nations, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, G20 and other multilateral platforms to practice multilateralism and uphold international fairness and justice. Faisal expressed congratulations on the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress. Faisal said that Saudi Arabia and China have established high-level political mutual trust, achieved fruitful outcomes in cooperation, carried out close coordination and communication, and safeguarded common interests. Saudi Arabia-China High-level Joint Committee has played an important role in promoting the development of Saudi Arabia-China relations. In developing relations with other countries, Saudi Arabia always puts its China relations high on the agenda. His country is committed to the one-China policy, firmly opposes interference in China's internal affairs, and firmly rejects politicization of the human rights issue. Saudi Arabia is grateful for Chinas support for the just cause of the Arab people and its support for the establishment of a Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia appreciates Chinas initiative for building a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia stands ready to work with China to further enhance practical cooperation in the political, economic, investment, and other fields. On November 3, 2022, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Great Hall of the People during her state visit to China. Premier Li noted that the friendship between China and Tanzania has a long history, bilateral relations have developed in a sound manner in recent years, and practical cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes. President Xi Jinping held talks with President Hassan, and exchanged in-depth views on the development of bilateral relations. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has made strategic plans for the development of the country in the coming period, and China will continue to advance high-level opening-up. China stands ready to work with Tanzania to enhance the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in key areas such as economy and trade, energy, health, agriculture and fishery, and maintain close cultural and people-to-people exchanges, so as to push forward sound and steady development of China-Tanzania relations. China is willing to expand its import of marketable products from Tanzania, and encourage Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Tanzania, and hopes Tanzania will provide the necessary support. Premier Li noted that China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries, and the two sides have always rendered each other mutual respect, mutual support and mutual assistance, and enjoyed profound traditional friendship. China is ready to work with African countries to adhere to treating each other as equals with sincerity, enhance solidarity and mutual trust, jointly pursue inclusive and sustainable development, earnestly advance the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and expand practical cooperation in an open and transparent manner, to realize mutual benefit and win-win results. President Hassan said that the 20th CPC National Congress has sent the world a clear message of continuing international communication. The Tanzanian side is grateful for Chinas support and assistance to Tanzania over the years. Tanzania is firmly committed to the one-China policy and carrying forward Tanzania-China traditional friendship. Tanzania will implement the outcomes of the FOCAC, and works towards new progress in exchanges and cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and fishery, infrastructure, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and other fields. The Tanzanian side welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Tanzania. Wang Yi and He Lifeng, among others, were present at the events. On the afternoon of November 5, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held in Wuhan via video link and delivered a speech titled Protecting Wetlands for Our Future and Scaling up Wetlands Action Across the World. President Xi Jinping noted that since ancient times, human beings have always preferred to live close to water bodies, and civilizations have taken shape near water bodies. There has been a close link between wetlands and how humans live and work. This meeting gives us an opportunity to raise awareness, strengthen cooperation, and scale up wetlands action across the world. It is important that we build global consensus on prizing wetlands, show our respect for nature, minimize disruption and damage caused by human activities, and protect the ecological security of wetlands, in order to leave the beautiful wetlands to our future generations. It is important that we advance the global process on wetlands conservation, redouble efforts to preserve authenticity and integrity, include more important wetlands in nature reserves, improve cooperation mechanisms and platforms, and increase the coverage of wetlands of international importance. It is important that we enhance peoples well-being globally by leveraging the role of wetlands in promoting sustainable development, tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, and delivering more benefits to people around the world. President Xi Jinping noted that historic achievements have been made in wetlands conservation in China. China has put in place a protection system, and enacted a Wetlands Conservation Law. China will pursue a modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and promote high-quality development in the wetlands conservation cause. China has recently drawn up a layout plan of national parks. Under the plan, China will designate a number of national parks, and about 11 million hectares of wetlands will be incorporated in the national park system. A national wetlands conservation plan and major conservation projects will be implemented. China will promote international exchanges and cooperation and build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen. China supports the convening of a conference of the World Coastal Forum. Let us join hands to write a new chapter in global wetlands conservation. On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the third donation from the LDS church since the start of the pandemic in 2020, totaling five full semi truckloads. Since 2020, the church has donated more than 176,000 pounds of high-quality food to Linn Benton Food Share. The pallets include a mix of shelf-stable products, vegetables, fruit, pasta, beans, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, flour, household cleaning supplies and more. Each truckload of goods represents approximately $55,000 in value and equates to a full weeks worth of food distribution to Food Shares network of food pantries and meal sites. Since the start of the pandemic, the Church of Latter-day Saints has been tremendously helpful in providing food relief to our region, Food Share Director Ryan McCambridge said in a news release. This latest donation of two truckloads of food and household items comes at just the right time. Increased costs for food, housing and transportation are driving more folks to seek emergency food help. In fact, emergency food box distribution in September 2022 was up 49.6% over the same period last year. This substantial donation is a welcome addition to our supplies and will help thousands of our neighbors. To donate and learn more about Linn Benton Food Share and its parent organization, Community Services Consortium, visit communityservices.us. MILLICOM (TIGO) ANNOUNCES DEBT TENDER OFFER BY TIGO GUATEMALA Millicom announces a Tender Offer by Tigo Guatemala to purchase up to US $90,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Comcel 5.125% senior notes due 2032. LUXEMBOURG, Nov 4, 10.40p ET / Nov 5, 3.40a CET Millicom, announced today that its Guatemalan operation, Comunicaciones Celulares, S.A. (Comcel), has commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash (the Tender Offer) up to U.S.$90,000,000 in aggregate principal amount (such amount, as may be modified by Comcel in its sole discretion, the Maximum Amount) of the outstanding 5.125% senior notes due 2032 (the Notes) issued by Walkers Fiduciary Limited (the Cayman Trustee) acting as trustee of CT Trust (the Trust) and guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Comcel and certain other guarantors. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms of an Offer to Purchase dated November 4, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the Offer to Purchase), and is subject to certain conditions described therein. Timetable for the Tender Offer Commencement of the Tender Offer: November 4, 2022 Early Tender Time: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Withdrawal Deadline: 5:00 p.m. NYT on November 18, 2022 Expiration Time: 11:59 p.m. NYT on December 5, 2022 Final Payment Date: Expected on December 6, 2022 Purpose of the Tender Offer The purpose of the Tender Offer is to purchase debt guaranteed by Tigo Guatemala consistent with Millicoms previously announced plans to purchase outstanding debt issued or assumed by Millicom or its subsidiaries to reduce Millicoms debt. Details of the Tender Offer The Tender Offer expires at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 5, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the Expiration Time). In order for holders of Notes to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below) for their Notes, such holders must validly tender (and not validly withdraw) such Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the Early Tender Time). Holders that tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below), which does not include the Early Tender Payment (as defined below). The consideration for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer (the Total Consideration) will be U.S.$822.50. The Total Consideration includes an early tender payment (the Early Tender Payment) equal to U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes (which is payable in respect of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer. Holders who tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive on the Final Settlement Date (as defined below) a consideration (the Tender Offer Consideration), equal to (i) the Total Consideration minus (ii) the Early Tender Payment. The Total Consideration and the Tender Offer Consideration will be payable in cash in U.S. dollars. In addition, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest under such Notes from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below) (the Accrued Interest). Comcel will only accept for purchase Notes up to the Maximum Amount. The following table describes certain terms of the Tender Offer: Title of Securities Outstanding Principal Amount Tender Offer Consideration(1) Early Tender Payment(1)(2) Total Consideration(1)(3) 5.125% Senior Notes due 2032 (CUSIP/ISIN: 12659B AA2 / US12659BAA26 (Rule 144A); G2588B AA2 / USG2588BAA29 (Reg S)) U.S.$900,000,000.00 U.S.$792.50 U.S.$30.00 U.S.$822.50 (1) Consideration in the form of cash per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn). Excludes Accrued Interest, if any, which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or Total Consideration, as applicable. (2) The Early Tender Payment will be payable to Holders who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Time. (3) Includes the Early Tender Payment for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) on or prior to the Early Tender Time. (4) The Notes were issued by the Cayman Trustee acting as trustee of the Trust and guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Comcel and certain other guarantors. On any business day following the Early Tender Time and before the Expiration Time, Comcel will have the right, but not the obligation, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the Early Settlement Date), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. The Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer will be determined at Comcels option, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Comcel. Regardless of whether Comcel exercises its option to have an Early Settlement Date with respect to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time and that Comcel chooses to accept for purchase, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Comcel, within three business days following the Expiration Time or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the settlement date of such purchase being referred to as the Final Settlement Date; the Final Settlement Date and the Early Settlement Date, each being referred to as a Settlement Date), subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would cause Comcel to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Early Tender Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer and if Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date, Comcel will purchase on the Early Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases an aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders of Notes made at or prior to the Early Tender Time and Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase. If Comcel elects to have an Early Settlement Date and the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time would not cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes equal to or in excess of the Maximum Amount, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, subject to the Maximum Amount and proration. If the purchase of such Notes would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount. If Comcel elects not to have an Early Settlement Date and the purchase of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time would cause us to accept for purchase an aggregate principal amount of Notes in excess of the Maximum Amount, then the Tender Offer will be oversubscribed at the Expiration Time and, assuming satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer, Comcel will purchase on the Final Settlement Date, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase on a prorated basis according to the principal amount of such Notes, such that Comcel purchases the maximum aggregate principal amount of Notes that does not exceed the Maximum Amount; provided, however, that Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time will have priority in acceptance over Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time. Accordingly, if the Maximum Amount is reached in respect of tenders of Notes made at or prior to the Early Tender Time, no Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase. Tendered Notes may be withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on November 18, 2022, unless extended by Comcel in its sole discretion (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the Withdrawal Deadline), but not thereafter. The Early Tender Time or Expiration Time can be extended independently of the Withdrawal Deadline. Comcels obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain customary conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. The Notes were issued pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture, dated as of February 3, 2022, among the Cayman Trustee, the Company, as guarantor, and certain other guarantors party thereto and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (the Trustee). The Cayman Trustee as trustee of the Trust holds a 100% participation interest, and certain related rights, in a U.S.$900 million senior unsecured loan (the Loan) made to Comcel pursuant to a Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the Credit and Guaranty Agreement) among Comcel, the lender and certain guarantors party thereto. Pursuant to the terms of the Credit and Guaranty Agreement, upon cancellation of any Notes purchased pursuant to the Tender Offer by Comcel and delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, the amount outstanding under the Loan will be reduced such that the principal and interest amounts outstanding of the Loan will be equal to the principal and interest amounts outstanding under the Notes. The Company intends to, promptly after the applicable Settlement Date, deliver any Notes purchased in the Tender Offer to the Trustee for cancellation. In addition, the extent legally permitted to do so, Comcel reserves the right, in its sole discretion, at any time (i) to waive any condition to the Tender Offer, (ii) to amend any of the terms of the Tender Offer, (iii) to terminate the Tender Offer; (iv) to increase or modify the Maximum Amount, (v) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline, (vi) to extend or amend the Early Tender Time or the Expiration Time, or (vii) to modify the Tender Offer Consideration or the Early Tender Payment, in each case (other than clause (v)) without extending the Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal rights of holders. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. are acting as dealer managers for the Tender Offer and can be contacted with questions regarding the Tender Offer at the following telephone numbers and email addresses: BNP Paribas Securities Corp. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. Toll-Free: (888) 210-4358 Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279 Toll Free: +1 (800) 372-3930 dl.us.liability.management@us.bn pparibas.com LM@scotiabank.com Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co, Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offer. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King & Co, Inc. at 8 Wall St., 22nd Floor New York, New York 10005 or (800) 431-9645 (toll free), (212) 269-5550 (collect) or comcel@dfking.com. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer have been filed with or reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any federal or state securities commission or any other regulatory authority of any country, nor has any such commission or authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any of the other documents related to the Tender Offer. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful and may be a criminal offense. The Tender Offer is being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any securities of Comcel or any of its affiliates. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will Comcel accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No recommendation is made by the Trustee, Comcel, the dealer manager or the information agent and the tender agent as to whether holders should tender their Notes with respect to the Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Comcel undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements which may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, including, without limitation, changes in our business or acquisition strategy or planned capital expenditures, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. -END- For further information, please contact Press: Sofia Corral, Director Corporate Communications press@millicom.com Investors: Michel Morin, VP Investor Relations Sarah Inmon, Director Investor Relations investors@millicom.com About Millicom Millicom (NASDAQ U.S.: TIGO, Nasdaq Stockholm: TIGO_SDB) is a leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Latin America. Through our TIGO and Tigo Business brands, we provide a wide range of digital services and products, including TIGO Money for mobile financial services, TIGO Sports for local entertainment, TIGO ONEtv for pay TV, high-speed data, voice, and business-to-business solutions such as cloud and security. As of September 30, 2022, Millicom employed approximately 20,000 people and provided mobile and fiber-cable services through its digital highways to more than 45 million customers, with a fiber-cable footprint over 13 million homes passed. Founded in 1990, Millicom International Cellular S.A. is headquartered in Luxembourg. For more information, visit millicom.com . Connect with Millicom on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook, and LinkedIn . Attachment NEW YORK, Nov. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP) between October 31, 2017 and November 18, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important December 20, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Compass Minerals 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 Compass Minerals class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8924 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 December 20, 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants repeatedly assured investors that the continuous mining and continuous haulage (CMCH) upgrade at the Goderich mine, the largest underground rock salt mine in the world located in Ontario, Canada, was on track to materially reduce costs and boost Compass Minerals operating results starting in 2018. However, defendants statements were misleading because they failed to tell investors that costs at the Goderich mine were increasing rather than decreasing. The Compass Materials class action lawsuit further alleges that defendants also misrepresented the amount of salt Compass Minerals was able to produce at Goderich using the new CMCH equipment and failed to disclose how the known and ongoing production shortfalls it was experiencing were reasonably expected to reduce its future operating income. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Compass Minerals class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8924 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 investors 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 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com We're sorry, you encountered a page that doesn't exist. A J-10 arrives at the exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, November 3, 2022. /CFP An array of cutting-edge aircraft are gathering in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province as the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China is slated to be held from November 8-13, showcasing the technology trends in aerospace. The show is expected to exhibit more aerobatic flying displays and ground static displays compared to the previous airshows. Some of the world's top equipment, including military drones, missiles, airplane engines and even spacecraft, will be at the show. Xi'an JH-7 arrives for the upcoming Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangzhou Province, November 3, 2022. /CFP The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force will display its active service aircraft, especially the 20-series including J-20, Y-20 and Yunyou-20. PLA's active service helicopters will fly at the airshow for the first time and over 20 types of land equipment will be operated for the show. AG600M amphibious aircraft arrives in Zhuhai for the upcoming Airshow China, November 1, 2022. /CFP For commercial aircraft, China's first homegrown large passenger plane, the C919, and domestically developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft are among the planes to make demonstration. Taihang turbofan engine series, developed and produced in China, will also be at display. The 1:1 model of the China's space station combination is in preparation for the Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. /CFP And, a full-size model of China's space station combination will make its debut at the airshow, offering an immersive experience for the visitors. The new generation rockets, including Long March-9, Long March-5B, Long March-6A will be displayed, demonstrating the country's advance in launch vehicles. Multiple types of new engines and satellites including China's solar observation satellite Xihe will be at the show as well. The Government of Canada has ordered the divestiture of the following investments by three Chinese companies in Canadian critical mineral companies: Sinomine (Hong Kong) Rare Metals Resources Co., Limited is required to divest itself of its investment in Power Metals Corp. Power Metals Corp is a Canadaian mining company exploring and developing cesium, lithium and tantalum assets in Canada. Chengze Lithium International LimitedChinas second-largest lithium processoris required to divest itself of its investment in Lithium Chile. Calgary-based Lithium Chile has ownership in the largest high-grade lithium reserves in the world comprising 79,900 hectares in Chile and 23,300 hectares in Argentina. Lithium Chile also owns 5 properties, totaling 22,429 hectares, that are prospective for gold, silver and copper. Zangge Mining Investment (Chengdu) Co., Ltd. is required to divest itself of its investment in Ultra Lithium. Ultra Lithium is a Canadian publicly traded acquisition and resource development company holding all three major types of lithium projects and 16 gold projects in Argentina and Canada. The governments decisions are based on facts and evidence and on the advice of critical minerals subject matter experts, Canadas security and intelligence community, and other government partners. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Chinese companies have invested more than $4 billion in overseas lithium projects since 2021, with more than $1 billion of this for Canadian companies, according to Benchmark Minerals Intelligence. The action brings Canada more closely in line with the US, which wont give electric vehicle tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act to automakers if any material is sourced from Chinese companies . Genesis held the North American debut of the Electrified GV70 during a special media event in Los Angeles. The Electrified GV70 is the third electric vehicle added to the Genesis lineup; its global premier was at Auto Guangzhou 2021. (Earlier post.) Production of the Electrified GV70 is expected to start this December at the brands Montgomery, Alabama manufacturing facility. This is the first Genesis model to be built in the United States and the first Genesis production to take place outside of South Korea. The first public showing of the Electrified GV70 in the US market will take place during the LA Auto Show from 18-27 November at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Children play on a tire obstacle during the Guam Fiesta Tour at Lencho Park in Dededo on Oct. 23, 2022. The theme and spirit of unity brought together residents from the Federated States of Micronesia and other community members Saturday at Ypao Beach Park to celebrate FSMs 36th Independence Day. Under the tents, which shaded attendees from the blazing sun, were organizations and vendors representing the countrys four states: Chuuk, Yap, Pohnpei and Kosrae. I want to welcome all of you today not to talk about independence, because no one nation, state or country can be solely independent of one another. We need collaboration, we need unity, said Teresa Filepin, FSM consul general for Guam. She said the actual independence day is on Nov. 3, but since it was a weekday, the celebration was held early and free to the public. This means a lot Jacqueline Thinom-pong at the Yapese community tent said she looked forward to the event since the COVID-19 pandemic halted a celebration for the past two years. This means a lot, especially to show our youth about all the different islands other than their own, particularly for our children who have grown up here on Guam away from home to see and experience our culture and be a part of it, she said. Thinom-pong said she, her bother, children and other family members were participating in a traditional dance performance from Yap. Robson Romolow, FSM Congress chairman, gave the keynote address at the celebration and said Guam is his second home. He also shared that before being elected, he worked at the consulate on island. He continued to spread the message of unity between all peoples of Micronesia and Guam. Our community is built on trust, caring for others and sharing, said Romolow. Despite the FSM being a young country, Romolow mentioned how its people are enjoying the legacy set down by their founding fathers. The celebration included a Micronesians for Unity Concert featuring Kids from Chuuk, Mountain Boyz, MicroNation, Play 2, Loyal Migrants, KiiChuuk and Ocean 5. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and members of the 36th Guam Legislature attended to acknowledge FSMs independence and celebrate with the community. Haiti - FLASH : Chancellor of Canada Melanie Joly announces sanctions against J. Lambert and Y. Latortue Friday, November 4, 2022, in a note from Global Affairs Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Melanie Joly, announced in coordination with the United States https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38056-haiti-flash-j-lambert-and-y-latortue-sanctioned-by-the-usa-all-the-details.html that Canada is imposing targeted sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Haiti) Regulations "in response to the egregious conduct of Haitian political elites who provide illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs. These sanctions target two individuals, President of the Senate Joseph Lambert and former President of the Senate Youri Latortue. The new measures will impose a dealings prohibition on these individuals, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada. Canada has reason to believe these individuals are using their status as previous or current public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption. These gangs and their supporters terrorize vulnerable populations in Haiti with impunity, and are precipitating a humanitarian crisis in Haiti that includes the resurgence of cholera on the island. They are committing unspeakable violence, including widespread sexual violence, against affected populations and impeding the delivery of critical services. The sanctions against these individuals are intended to stop the flow of illicit funds and weapons to weaken and disable criminal gangs. The Government of Canada will consider further sanctions against additional individuals and entities, as well as other measures to pressure those responsible for the violence and insecurity in Haiti." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38056-haiti-flash-j-lambert-and-y-latortue-sanctioned-by-the-usa-all-the-details.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37944-haiti-crisis-at-the-un-haiti-welcomes-the-adoption-of-sanctions-and-recalls-the-urgency-of-armed-intervention.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... The Government denies having negotiated with the "G9" The Haitian government has denied having negotiated with the "G9" gang coalition to reopen the Varreux oil terminal "We do not deal with gangs and we do not negotiate with gangs [...]", affirmed the special adviser Jean Junior Joseph. US revokes Volcy Assad's visa On Friday, November 4, 2022, political activist and journalist, Volcy Assad, was deported to Haiti from the United States, his visa having been revoked by American immigration. More than 13,000 unemployed workers Factories in the subcontracting sector that cannot receive the necessary inputs or export their products have already placed more than 13,000 workers on temporary layoff without pay, indicates George Sassine, former President of the Association Des Industrie d'Haiti (ADIH). Obituaries : Death of Mgr. Frantz Colimon Friday, November 4th, 2022 in the morning, the former Bishop emeritus of the diocese of Port-de-Paix Monsignor Frantz Colimon, died at the age of 88, at Saint-Francois de Sales hospital (Port-au-Prince) where he had been taken following an illness. Retired since 2008, Msgr. Frantz Colimon was appointed principal bishop on February 22, 1982, replacing Mgr. Remy Augustin. UN Young Professionals Programme Haiti is one of the countries participating in the United Nations Young Professionals program. To become an international civil servant, find out more and register at the link below today https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=NCE&lang=en-US A notary and a lawyer kidnapped The Notary Marie Alice Belizaire was kidnapped in Musseau (Delmas 60) Thursday, November 3rd, by armed individuals. In addition, the same day in Bourdon, the lawyer James Brown was also kidnapped. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Published on 2022/11/05 | Source Korean movie "South of Eden" added to HanCinema database Advertisement "South of Eden" (2021) Directed by Lee Chang-yeol With Kim Woo-hyuk, Jang Gwang, Choi Soo-im, Jin Jae-hee, Lim Su-jeong, Sung Bin-woo,... Synopsis One day, Seok-jin, who had been struggling to collect bonds at a private loan office, faced a once-in-a-lifetime crisis when his client Han Gyoo-tae disappeared without paying back tens of millions of won in debt. Dae-kwang, the president who has no blood or tears, even wrote an organ trading contract and threatened to collect bonds. Eventually, Seok-jin visits Han Gyoo-tae's house, but Han Gyoo-tae has already moved away. Seok-jin, who found out Han Gyoo-tae's hometown address, visits his house located in the village at the end of the West Sea, but is shocked to learn of Han Gyoo-tae's death... No release date in Korea yet Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Friday called for stronger political commitment and action to improve the lives of the roughly 4 If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here By Zhao Zhouxian, Liu Ke Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, pointed out in his report to the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress that "our people's armed forces are a heroic fighting force that enjoys the full trust of the Party and the people. They have the confidence and the ability to safeguard China's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; the confidence and the ability to provide strategic support for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; and the confidence and the ability to make yet greater contributions to world peace and development." Since the 18th CPC National Congress held in 2012, China has entered a new era of development. The country's historic achievements in economic and social development have attracted worldwide attention. Concurrently, China has also made historic achievements in strengthening national defense and modernizing its armed forces. Over the past decade, the people's army in China has been pursuing the goal of building a strong military for the new era, and China has carried out bold reforms of its national defense and armed forces. With new systems, a new structure, a new configuration, and a new look, the people's armed forces have become much more capable of defending national sovereignty and security. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has taken efficient command over its emergency responses and is making overall plans to advance preparations for military struggles, to effectively safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests; to resolutely defend territorial sovereignty; to effectively respond to infringements and provocations; and to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. A strong positive energy in maintaining world peace China is a great eastern civilization with a long peace-loving culture, and unswervingly follows a path of peaceful development. A strong Chinese military is a staunch force in maintaining world peace and development and an active contributor to addressing global challenges. Since 1990, when China sent, for the first time, five military observers to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the Chinese military has participated in 25 UN peacekeeping operations over those 32 years, sending nearly 50,000 peacekeepers. 16 of them sacrificed their precious lives in the process. Chinese peacekeepers have left their footprints in over 20 countries and regions including Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, South Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, and so on. They have made important contributions in promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes, maintaining regional security and stability, and promoting the economic and social development of the countries where they are deployed. In the past 10 years, China has dispatched 41 naval fleets to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to carry out escort and anti-piracy missions. The Chinese military has also actively participated in international disaster relief and provided timely humanitarian assistance. It successively participated in the search and rescue of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, the rescue mission in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the fight against Ebola in Africa, the mission of tackling water shortages in the Maldives, the earthquake relief in Nepal, and the rescue operations in the flooded areas after a dam collapse in Laos, to name but a few. The Chinese military hospital ship "Peace Ark" has gone abroad nine times to 43 countries and regions in three oceans and six continents, sailing more than 240,000 nautical miles and providing medical services to more than 230,000 people. To date, the Chinese military has established stable joint training mechanisms with the armed forces of more than 10 countries, and has carried out more than 80 joint exercises and training sessions with the armed forces of more than 30 countries. From bilateral to multilateral cooperation, from taking exercises in the surrounding areas to carrying out training sessions in distant seas, from going abroad to join exercises to bringing foreign peers to exercises in China's territory, the Chinese military has continuously expanded the depth and breadth of military exchanges and cooperation. For example, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established at China's initiative, has deepened the cooperation among member states in the field of defense and security. The "Peace Mission" counter-terrorism military drills, organized under its auspices, play an important role in maintaining regional security and stability. Fulfilling the responsibilities of a major country requires military capabilities that complements economic strength For any major country to achieve modernization, it must develop all aspects of its comprehensive national power including its military capabilities that complements its economic strength. That is necessary to effectively safeguard national security and development interests, and is an inevitable precondition for fulfilling the responsibilities of a major country in maintaining world peace and stability. For a long time, China's defense spending as a share of GDP has been much lower than the world average; and its share in national fiscal spending and China's per capita defense spending have been far lower than the world average. But since 2010, China's military expenditure as a share of GDP has been decreasing, and its defense spending has never exceeded 1.9 percent of GDP. Compared with military powers such as the U.S., China's defense spending remains at a low level. In 2020, the U.S. spent 3.7 percent of its GDP on defense, while the world average was 2.6 percent. China's total defense spending is only slightly more than a quarter of the annual defense spending of the U.S., and China's per capita defense spending is much less compared to that of the U.S. Building a strong country requires a strong military that is fundamental to national security. Development and security are two sides of the same coin, and a prosperous country and a strong army are a dialectical unity. In recent years, the Chinese government has maintained a reasonable and stable growth in defense spending, while maintaining a sustained and healthy economic and social development, with national defense capability and economic strength improving in tandem. The increase in China's defense spending is necessary not only in meeting complex security challenges, but also in fulfilling its responsibilities as a major country. Achieving the goals for PLA's centenary in 2027 that entails the development of a world-class modern armed force are crucial tasks towards building a modern socialist country in all respects. In face of the changes unseen in a century, to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is imperative that China gives due priorities to comprehensive national development, with national security as a key component, as it charts out plans for strengthening national defense and armed forces. This is an inevitable requirement for China in building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, and it is also an important guarantee to effectively curb and deter hegemony and maintain world peace and stability. (Contributed by Zhao Zhouxian and Liu Ke, research fellows of the Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at People's Liberation Army National Defence University. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. remaining of Thank you for using HudsonValley360! On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading. Hudson, NY (12534) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 43F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 32F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Authorities were at the scene until late Thursday investigating the death of Doris Cote. North Adams Woman Arrested in Grandmother's Murder NORTH ADAMS, Mass. A 26-year-old city woman has been arrested in the murder of grandmother. Police arrested Kelsie Cote on Friday evening in the death of 74-year-old Doris Cote of Church Street. Authorities had initially described the incident as an "unattended death" but had declined to provide further information. Police had been at Cote's home Wednesday and Thursday, finally leaving late Thursday afternoon. It had been rumored Cote's body had been found by a granddaughter. Kelsie Cote is expected to be arraigned on Monday in Northern Berkshire District Court on charges of murder, assault with intent to murder, and destruction of evidence. According to the District Attorney's Office, North Adams Police responded to a 911 call on Tuesday from a relative of Doris Cote reporting finding her deceased inside her Church Street home, where Cote had lived with her late husband for nearly 50 years. Her husband, Ray, died in February. The State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney's Office and the North Adams Police established probable cause that Kelsie Cote murdered her grandmother on the evening of Oct. 31 and attempted to destroy evidence of the crime. "I send my heartfelt condolences to Doris Cote's family and friends for their tragic loss, and I thank the North Adams Police and the Massachusetts State Police for their work on this investigation," District Attorney Andrea Harrington said. Additionally, the State Police Crime Scene Services, State Police chemists, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to the scene. Kim Driscoll, candidate for lieutenant governor, speaks with David Bissaillon, Adams Selectwoman Christine Hoyt, Adams Town Administrator Jay Green and Jennifer Civello at Mingo's on Friday. PreviousNext Lt. Gov. Candidate Driscoll Makes Campaign Swing Through Berkshires Kim Driscoll mayor of Salem, was hosted by Mayor Jennifer Macksey. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Lieutenant governor candidate Kim Driscoll was talking about addressing housing issues and public infrastructure as she made a last swing through far Western Mass on Friday. The mayor of Salem stopped in Pittsfield before appearing at a campaign gathering hosted by Mayor Jennifer Macksey at Mingo's. She headed to Greenfield later before returning to Salem. A number of current and former local officials were in attendance, including state Rep. John Barrett III, state Rep. Paul Mark, who is running for state Senate, Adams Selectwoman Christine Hoyt and City Council President Lisa Blackmer. "We're four days till the election and we're working really hard to try and make sure people know what's at stake," the Democratic candidate said. "And we appreciate all of your consideration in this race and excited about the work ahead and I'm really thankful to have you here." Driscoll and gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey are poised to become the first all-woman ticket to win the state's top executive posts. She was in North Adams in June for a formal endorsement by Macksey. She said housing, cost of living education and public safety are among top issues she's heard from voters. "We're hearing a lot of concerns about housing and just growing unaffordability. People are really plugged into some of the challenges. I think people are a little nervous, frankly, about the future," Driscoll said. "Maura and I are both feeling you know, optimistic about the election, but also recognizing that there probably won't be much of a honeymoon. "We got a lot of work to do." One of those big challenges is the lack of affordable housing across the state. "What is available is very expensive, and we're finding that people are really struggling because of the high cost of housing," said Driscoll. "So we're hoping to be in a position to appoint a housing secretary that can help us work on innovation, thinking about how we can leverage public land and be in a position to help bring down the cost of housing by growing more housing throughout our communities." Voters have also raised concerns about challenges children and young adults are facing coming out of the pandemic, particularly tied to behavior and anxiety, she said. "And frankly, just costs it costs more to go to the grocery, it costs more to put a roof over your head, and we're real concerned about rising heat costs." She also said she and Healey were "fully aware" of the city's need for a new public safety building an issue raised by more than one voter. North Adams isn't the only community in need of public infrastructure, Driscoll said. "These are things that a number of local leaders brought to our attention and there is some legislation pending to help create sort of a statewide fund like we have for schools, but for public safety and public facility buildings," she said. "We want to make sure we're investing in public safety. You've got to keep neighborhoods safe." Driscoll reaffirmed her support of east-west rail, noting she'd been in Springfield the day after her primary win talking about passenger rail that goes all the way to Pittsfield. It was about more than getting people into Boston, she said, it's critical to also invest in this region as well. "We can make sure that we have more ways to get around, to get people into Boston, but that doesn't mean we don't want to invest in this region. I think it's really critical," she said. As mayor of Salem, Driscoll has a pretty good idea of the potentials and perils of tourism. Upwards of a million people from around the world packed into the 400-year-old town during October. "It's not just good for Salem in terms of the economics the whole region really benefits, hotels from Gloucester to Cambridge are full because of what's happening in October in our community," she said, joking, "we're happy when it comes and we're happy when it goes." Driscoll envisions partnering with the state's regions to "support the influx of tourism and visitor promotion and marketing." "We know when people come to our region, they stay longer. They tend to spend money that's good for the local economy and jobs. We could be more strategic as we think about marketing Massachusetts," she said. "I know that as the mayor of a community that's now the third most visited destination in Massachusetts. It puts food on the table. It's good local jobs, and we need to be in a position to help support it." Driscoll faces Republican candidate Leah Cole Allen and Libertarian Peter Everett in Tuesday's general election. Punjab Shiv Sena The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take over the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, who was shot dead outside a temple in Amritsar during an agitation, as the accused in the case had alleged links with Khalistani terrorist groups, sources said on Saturday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take over the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri, who was shot dead outside a temple in Amritsar during an agitation, as the accused in the case had alleged links with Khalistani terrorist groups, sources said on Saturday. They added that an NIA team has been sent to Punjab in connection with the case. The probe agency is however, yet to make an official statement. In broad daylight on Friday, local shopkeeper, Sandeep Singh Sunny, shot and killed the Shiv Sena leader with a .32 bore pistol outside the Gopal Mandir. He was arrested, while three associates managed to flee from the crime scene. Suri was protesting against the temple management. He had earlier challenged Khalistani groups a number of times and was on their radar, the sources said. Punjab Police had provided him 15 security personnel and a gypsy. Shiv Sena has also called for a protest against the murder. Suri did a Facebook Live hours before he was attacked. The police had said that they were taking the matter very seriously and appealed to the people to maintain law and order. For the many times we've been to Oregon, we've never actually ventured out to Bend. Well, on our way back up to Vancouver, we decided to bypass I-5 and head through Central Oregon instead. It was also a good opportunity to check out Painted Hills and to drive along I-84 hugging the Columbia River. Arriving in Bend, it resembled Kelowna, BC. A centrally located medium-sized community with lots of character and of course, places to eat. We had existing reservations at 900 Wall, which is incidentally their address as well. To get our greens for the meal, we began with the Kale Salad that was more than just greens. It featured bits of salami, pickled onions, olives, tomatoes and pecorino atop charred bread with ricotta. As you can imagine, this was one hearty salad. Whenever you add meat, it suddenly has extra body and umaminess. But it didn't end there, the bread offered up crunch and nuttiness while cooled down with creamy ricotta. Add in the tangy tomatoes and acidic onions, this was one impactful salad. In the background, you'll noticed we got a couple orders of the Deviled Eggs in both mild and spicy. I love how these are making a comeback. These featured tender egg whites with creamy egg yolks. I preferred the spicy as it did offer a kick that made them very appetizing. Next, we had the Roaring Springs Ranch Beef Carpaccio with truffle oil, parmesan, fried capers, grainy mustard and arugula. With paper-thin slices of beef, the carpaccio essentially melted-in-our-mouths. Absolutely no chewing necessary. Flavors were restrained where it allowed the beef to be the star. Only a background hint of truffle oil and the salty nuttiness of the parm provided some compliment to the beef. Loved the crispy toasts that were placed on top. Since the kids love charcuterie, we went for the Oregon Board featuring chicken liver pate, Olympic Provisions salami, Jack cheese, quince, figs, mustard, apples and pickles. Good mix of items where the salami did its best impression of saucisson. Pate was very rustic in texture where it was chunky rather than smooth. Love the accompaniments where the sweetness of the quince and fig balanced off the saltiness of the salami. To get something from each menu category, we ordered the stone oven Italian Sausage pizza. The hand-stretched sourdough crust was really good with chewy tang and nuttiness. With a bit of leoparding, the crust was universally crispy, even at the center. I wished there was a bit more tangy tomato sauce though. There wasn't a shortage of cheese though. Loved the meaty sausage that wasn't too fatty. This was a good pizza. After all these appies, we decided to go for only 2 larger dishes including the Duck Confit with farro, cherry mostarda and pistchio butter. This was a well-composed dish with classic complimentary flavors. The duck leg was moist and tender with enough saltiness while the skin was properly rendered. Of course the tangy cherries went well with the duck. Pistachio butter added a creamy nuttiness. Our other large dish was the Double R Ranch Teres Major prepared medium-rare. This lean cut was actually really juicy and super tender. Lots of good meat flavor as well. It was complimented by black pepper parmesan butter as well as a small amount of red wine mushroom sauce. Plenty of luxurious texture and aroma going on here. The considerable amount of fries were fresh cut and crispy. We really enjoyed this dish. We even got the Grilled Corn because it was in another section of the menu (had to get one item from each!). Although the corn could've used more uniform charring, it was still supremely delicious. Each niblet had a sweet pop and it didn't hurt that there was ricotta salata and pickled jalapeno aioli either. These added creaminess as well as a tangy spiciness. Reminded me of street corn. I actually ate the whole thing myself. Onto dessert, we shared the Powdered Sugar Beignets with 3 sauces including bittersweet chocolate, raspberry and vanilla mousse. Normally, I'm not a fan of beignets outside of New Orleans, but these were pretty good. They were crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside with air pockets. I loved dunking them into the raspberry sauce because it was tangy and sweet. As you can tell, we enjoyed our meal at 900 Wall and can see why Bend is such a dining destination. I hope to be back sometime soon since there are many more places to check out. Maybe when I visit Crater Lake in the future... The Good: - Well-prepared eats - Excellent service - Relatively reasonable prices The Bad: - Parking is a real challenge in that part of town Indonesias continued interest in acquiring Indias BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was visible once again as the countrys top defence officials visited the Indian pavilion at the Indo Defence 2022 Expo and Forum which concluded in Jakarta today. On Friday, Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto held discussions on future collaborations with the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) Atul Dinkar Rane at the companys stall. Earlier, BrahMos officials explained the weapon system to the delegates from the Thai Armed Forces and also Air Chief Marshal Tanasak Metananta. General Siravuth Wongkantee, the Deputy Commander of the Thai Armed Forces, also familiarised himself with the BrahMos systems. The Indo Defence 2022 Expo kicked off at three locations in the Indonesian capital simultaneously as the indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Sumedha made a port call at Sabang on Thursday as part of its regional deployment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The southeast Asian country has long been interested in equipping its forces with the worlds best and fastest precision-guided weapon developed through a joint venture between India (Defence Research and Development Organisation-DRDO) and Russia (Military Industrial Consortium Mashinostroyenia-NPOM). As reported by IndiaNarrative.com earlier, starting 2023, India will begin equipping the Philippines with medium-range ramjet supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles making it the first foreign nation to acquire the missile weapon system. As they signed the contract worth $375 million, both India and the Philippines realised the critical role the Brahmos deal will play to safeguard the Indo-Pacific region. Considerable progress has been made in enhancing the level of cooperation in defence and security between New Delhi and Jakarta since Indonesian President Joko Widodo meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India in December 2016. Two years later, Widodo expressed willingness to support Indias proposal to partner in the Malacca Straits Patrol as he met PM Modi at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during Indian PMs first visit to Indonesia. As part of the annual bilateral army exercise Garuda Shakti and naval exercise Samudra Shakti, India has conducted specialised training for Indonesian army, navy and air force personnel. The maritime interaction between both countries has expanded substantially with frequent port visits, participation in bilateral/ multilateral exercises and training exchanges. In June this year, the 38th edition of IndiaIndonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy was held with the aim of keeping the IOR safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade. At the same time, efforts to augment defence industry cooperation have also witnessed an upswing since Tata Motors signed an agreement with Indonesian state-owned defence enterprise PT Pindad in 2016 for exploring areas for cooperation in joint design, production and marketing of military vehicles. Various Indian companies such as L&T Defence, Ashok Leyland Limited, Bharat Forge, Tata Aerospace and Defence, MKU, Goa Shipyard Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited have interacted with Indonesian PSUs PT Pindad, PT Pal, PT LEN, PT Dahana and PT Dirgantara for collaborations. Carrying the baton forward, Indian Ambassador to Jakarta Manoj Bharti also held discussions on Friday with Indonesias defence industry representatives and potential partners during the defence expo. Also Read: After Brahmos deal, India ready to train Philippines armed forces A piece of history hidden in plain sight for decades was accidentally discovered in Mumbai's JJ Hospital. An underground tunnel, believed to be constructed in 1890, was discovered from under a building of the government-run hospital. ANI Foundation stone laid in 1890 The tunnel, measuring around 200 metres long, has a date mentioned on the foundation stone '1890' and was accidentally found by a resident medical officer on Wednesday, said the hospital Dean Dr Pallavi Saple. She said that the building under which the tunnel with brick walls has been discovered was the erstwhile Sir DM Petit Hospital for Women and Children, which was opened in March 1892, on the sprawling hospital campus at Byculla. The building is now being converted into a nursing college, and though there was speculation of a tunnel on the campus, there were no official records or maps to locate it, added Dr Saple. ANI Accidental discovery According to the hospital authorities, one of its doctors Dr Arun Rathod chanced upon a hole near the nursing college wall, while on a routine round and his curiosity led to the discovery of the structure. The purpose of the tunnel is still unclear the hospital authorities plan to provide all details of the discovery to the Collectorate and the Archaeological departments in Mumbai for further investigations. It is believed that the tunnel may have been built to connect the former women and children wards. However, it is not as old as the Sir JJ Hospital, for which the foundation stone was on January 3, 1843. ANI Other British-era discoveries This is not the first time such discoveries have been made in British-era buildings. In August 2016, the then Maharashtra Governor CV Rao discovered a huge underground bunker and tunnel spread across 15,000 sq. feet under the Raj Bhavan compound. The bunker, said to be around over 110-years-old or in the pre-World War era, had 13 rooms, and could be accessed by a 20-feet-high gate, with proper ventilation and other basic facilities. In November 2018, he also found two gigantic British-era war cannons weighing 22 tonnes each, from the rugged hillocks of the Arabian Sea-facing Raj Bhavan premises. Tunnel inside Delhi Assembly In September 2021, a secret, tunnel-like structure was discovered inside the Delhi Legislative Assembly. ANI According to Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, the tunnel connected the legislative assembly to Red Fort, and it was used by the Britishers to avoid reprisal while moving freedom fighters. The building which went on to become the Delhi Legislative Assembly was constructed by the British in 1912 for the Imperial Legislative Council. It was later turned into a court in 1926 and Britishers used this tunnel to bring freedom fighters to the court. For more on news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, the 15 students who had just arrived at the University of Missouri-Columbia found themselves stranded. It was a situation repeated on many campuses across the globe for Afghan students studying abroad. Now, they have a student in their midst telling their stories . Voice of America freelance journalist Zabihullah Ghazi, currently a fellow at the Universitys School of Journalism, covered his fellow students in their efforts to enhance greater understanding of Afghanistan and its culture with local residents. Ghazi shares his own harrowing story of flight from the Taliban, related through video and a first-person account in the VOA documentary, Journalists on the Run. Hosted by the journalism school, the film was screened at a nearby art-house cinema on October 12. The movie follows the journeys of three VOA journalists who each found their way to the U.S. in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover. Ghazi, Maryam [Khamosh] and [Zafar] Bamyani are representative of the hundreds of journalists in Afghanistan who faced down threats for doing journalism, Acting VOA Director Yolanda Lopez told the audience that nearly filled the auditorium at Columbias Rag Tag Cinema. You cant sleep at night with these things happening, said Lopez, who had worked around the clock with VOA teams in Washington and South Asia in August 2021 to bring many VOA journalists to safety after the Afghan governments fall. At the screening, Lopez was part of a panel discussion that included Ghazi, VOA Afghan Service Chief Hasib Alikozai and VOA documentary commissioning editor Lauren Kawana, who joined virtually. The University of Missouris Press Freedom Chair, Kathy Kiely, and Stacey Woelfel, director of the schools documentary program, moderated the discussion. Ghazi expressed the hope that someday he could bring his journalism skills home to Afghanistan. Because my country is my love, he said. I see hope in the little girls who want to go back to school, Alikozai said in the far ranging discussion of the Talibans targeting of girls education and press freedom. He noted the youths continuing presence on social media in the country, That gives me hope that they will continue to hold those in power accountable through citizen journalism. Alikozai said since the Taliban took power, the number of press outlets in Afghanistan has fallen from 540 to 320, with women journalists being the most affected. And still, Alikozai said VOA is reaching more than 80% of the audience in the country through FM and medium wave (AM) radio, satellite TV and on digital platforms. Some journalists, like Ghazi, who left Afghanistan now work for VOA as freelancers, covering the ever-widening Afghan diaspora. Its a world war for free speech, Prof. Kiely said, with many news organizations enabling refugee journalists to work, as more regions of the world experience crackdowns on journalism. And so, at VOA, well continue to tell the stories in countries where there is no freedom of the press yes, Afghanistan, and China, Russia, Iran, Somalia, and too many others, Lopez told the crowd at the screening. In telling these stories, we provide voice to the voiceless. And we hope our journalism will encourage everybody to pitch in to protect journalism and democracy. One of Ghazis next stories in the central Missouri city is to relate the struggle of Afghan families who have landed in the area, even as the local non-profit organization, City of Refuge, works to bring more uprooted Afghans to town. Michelle ONeill has accused Jeffrey Donaldson of scaremongering over his claims that the Northern Ireland Protocol delayed some heart surgeries from taking place. The Sinn Fein Stormont leader said that the DUP leader needs a reality check after he claimed that access to medicines has been impaired by the protocol. In her address to the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Dublin, Ms ONeill told assembled party members that Mr Donaldson is incapable of accepting that the protocol is working. The DUP has prevented an assembly and executive from being formed in protest over the protocol, which places additional post-Brexit checks on some goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill speaks at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis (Damien Storan/PA) You see, it is an irrefutable fact that the protocol is working, and that Jeffrey Donaldson is incapable of accepting that is the case, Ms ONeill said. He has now been rebuffed on numerous occasions in the past week about his misleading claims. Including scaremongering about vital medical care. Jeffrey doesnt just need a fact-check, he needs a reality check. Most working people, businesses and key sectors I meet want the British government to urgently reach a negotiated settlement with the EU around the protocol. They want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future taking full advantage of our access to the EU single market and the benefits this brings to our economy. We welcome the unstinting support of the White House and Congress. This was reaffirmed in a call between President Biden and the British prime minister last week. We must defend and protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and the need to reach a negotiated agreement with the European Union. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill speaks (Damien Storan/PA) We welcome the new British prime minister Rishi Sunak meeting with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen. What we all want to see is a deal done to make the protocol work better. But for the avoidance of doubt. Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these negotiations. So holding back powersharing in the meantime is simply to punish the public. This is reckless and it needlessly polarises our society and politics. She called for London and Brussels to propel the talks to resolve the outstanding issues around the protocol. Earlier this week, when asked about people on long waiting lists, Mr Donaldson said work is done every day to help those who require medical care, but the matter isnt helped when access to medicines is impaired and inhibited by the protocol. It is not acceptable when people who are waiting on vital cardiac surgery in the Southern Trust are told they cant have their treatment because parts for an angiogram machine are not available in Great Britain and have to be ordered from Germany, Mr Donaldson said. And three weeks later, those people are waiting on their surgery and then have to be referred to the Belfast Trust for their treatment. How does that help people on waiting lists? In a statement to the PA news agency, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said replacement parts were sought for some of its cardiac equipment in August from both the UK and Ireland. It said equipment had to be sourced from Germany due to its size. Mary Lou McDonald has made a direct appeal to the Irish abroad to come home. The Sinn Fein president has also asked Irish voters watching her Ard Fheis televised address to give her party a "chance" to lead the next Government, and to deliver for families, communities and Ireland. "Give us that chance that chance to lead and we will get the work done." She told the event in Dublin's RDS: "The Ireland we shape today is our legacy for future generations. "This is our moment to write our chapter in our nations story." Ms McDonald, who has travelled to both the US and Australia this year, also used her speech to send a message to the "very large global family" who have built their lives in Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond. "We are very proud of them. They have kept faith with home. "To our young people who once again depart our shores. You have been badly let down, particularly by a failed housing system. I want you to know that we are working hard to change things for you. We will make Ireland the home you deserve. "So, enjoy your experience, work hard, but come home and be part of the new Ireland that we must build. We need you," she said. Outlining the main priorities for her party, she said the "three big opportunities" of this decade will be the reunification of our country, and the power of our young people. She also highlighted the "achievement of energy independence" as a key issue for Sinn Fein. However, Ms McDonald did not use the televised address to unveil any new policies and instead focused on the need for change. Ms McDonald told supporters that she is now ready to provide a new leadership with fresh ideas, which is "ready to lead government, north and south." "This change is no longer on some distant horizon," she said, adding that it cannot be stopped by the DUP or the Government parties on this side of the border. "Change cant be stopped by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, now so joined at the hip that it doesnt matter to them which leader is Taoiseach. "Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have had their time, had their chance. Its time for a new government. She added: "We have the team, the policies, the energy to build that better future. "We will get basics right in the here and now and drive ambitious plans for the future," Ms McDonald told her party's Ard Fheis. In a few days time, leaders of almost 200 countries will meet in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh to review progress on international efforts to halt further climate chaos. Every country attending the summit will report on its actions so far, and its plans to help stop our global climate from further warming. The Cop27 summit itself has raised many questions, and observers hope that countries will show they now recognise that global warming should be treated as an emergency, not as a minor inconvenience. All the evidence to date shows that even the most ambitious plans announced to date are not going to suffice to stop climate change turning into climate chaos. Another question that will be on the mind of summit watchers is whether world leaders are ready to increase the impact of their policies by learning from behavioural science. Impact of household choices Roughly two-thirds of all our greenhouse gas emissions are related to household consumption. In other words, the everyday choices we make at home have a huge impact on our national carbon footprint. Yet, policy makers remain focused on setting sectoral ceilings or hoping for a magic fix from unproven future technologies. The latest news reports say this year may become one of the warmest years on record. Too little time and effort has been invested in communicating the scale of social change that is needed or in trying to understand the contribution households can make to our national and international climate policies. The Sharm El-Sheikh meeting is taking place just months after the scientific evidence showed that the warming of our planets atmosphere is accelerating, while news reports indicate that 2022 may well become one of the 10 warmest years on record. Seven of the other warmest years have all fallen in the past 15 years. The world is struggling to come to grips with the scale and the urgency of the changes we need to make. When faced with such large-scale challenges, the psychology of change processes becomes critical. Breaking the spiral of inaction One of the barriers we are experiencing in addressing climate change is the spiral of inaction that results from the fact that people do not see enough other people take action. Research has shown that many people feel that the majority of the population does not share their concerns about global warming. Known as the values-perception gap, this impression is detrimental to peoples well-being and their willingness to try and influence the world around them. We know that most people want to do the right thing, but that they worry about the financial costs and practical inconveniences of transitioning to a more low-carbon lifestyle. In addition, many people are unsure which actions will have the greatest impact on their carbon footprint. As a result of this values-perception gap, and because they cannot see the many ways in which other people are already making significant lifestyle changes, many people will be reluctant to consider taking climate action in their own lives. What that means is that the misperception that others dont care about climate change reinforces itself. Behavioural change Scientists have shown that this spiral of inaction can be reversed. When people see that others care about the environment, and when they hear their friends and peers talk about climate change, they will understand that their own concerns are more widespread than they assumed, and they will be more likely to feel that their own efforts do matter. And as more people share knowledge on climate action, more people will demand sustainable practices and products, and the prices of alternatives to our current carbon-intensive products will begin to come down. The spiral of inaction will then have turned into a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle of informed and effective climate action. To unleash the power of this virtuous cycle, policy makers would do well to improve their communications on what needs to change, who needs to change, and the extent to which change is already happening. There are many encouraging examples being set by businesses, citizens groups and local authorities all over Ireland, but too little is being done to ensure their templates are being showcased. A coherent public engagement strategy is needed, offering people genuine opportunities to get involved in the process of creating a shared vision for the future, and actively removing the real and perceived obstacles that people encounter in trying to make the necessary low-carbon choices. Hans Zomer is CEO of Global Action Plan, an environmental NGO focused on behaviour change Analysis Why Myanmar's Dry Months Will See More Fighting and Regime Atrocities Cobra Column fighters allied to the Karen National Liberation Army in Karen State. / Cobra Column Fighting in Myanmar is expected to intensify as the dry season starts and operations become easier, although it will also enable the easier deployment of junta airpower, according to defectors. The civilian National Unity Government (NUG) on October 7 urged all resistance forces to make the next 12 months decisive in the war against the regime. However, regime atrocities are set to increase. Regime forces repeatedly commit arson attacks, massacres, airstrikes and bombardments on resistance forces and civilian targets, including an airstrike on an outdoor concert in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, last month. Junta arson attacks constitute a crime against humanity. In October more than 1,550 houses and other civilian structures were burned down, said the NUGs Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday. Meanwhile, heavy battles were initiated by residents forces across the country. A heavy clash broke out in Karen State on October 21 when the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and its resistance allies raided junta bases and police stations in Kawkareik town. The junta responded with shelling and airstrikes. Around 10 days of fighting took place between the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) with allied resistance groups in Momauk Township in late October when the regime used troops and airpower to attempt an occupation of Lung Ja Bum hill held by the KIA. The junta suffered at least 80 casualties. Padoh Saw Taw Nee, head of Karen National Unions external affairs, said the dry season would favor anti-regime forces. Many separate groups are operating, seeing the regime as the common enemy. Our revolution will definitely develop during the dry season but it is too early to say when it will achieve victory, he told The Irrawaddy. In September, the NUG claimed that anti-regime forces have effective control over more than half the country. The junta will use airpower during the dry season as its ground forces suffer heavy losses, former army captain Lin Htet Aung, who defected after last years coup, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. He advised resistance forces not to use large bases and try to keep the location of their fighters secret to minimize the effect of junta airstrikes. Another ex-captain Zay Thu Aung, an air force pilot who defected after the coup, said resistance bases will be the main target for airstrikes. As ground offensives have failed, they are now dependent on airpower, he added. In Kayah State, the regime conducted 171 airstrikes between February and October compared with two airstrikes last year, according to the Progressive Karenni Peoples Force that monitors regime atrocities. The group said battles between anti-regime forces and the junta nearly doubled. In 2021 132 firefights were reported with 375 this year. Ko Nway Oo, a founder of the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung in Sagaing, said junta air raids had increased as attacks by ground troops had decreased since the rainy season ended. He added that resistance forces have no anti-aircraft weapons. On what to expect in the coming months, Capt Lin Htet Aung said: The junta will suffer more losses and the atrocities will increase. The peoples suffering will increase. Junta Watch Junta Watch: Big-Spending Chief Demands Frugality; Police Too Busy to Fight Crime; and More Min Aung Hlaing and his wife at the 75th Union Day celebration in February 2022. / Cincds Spendthrift boss tells subordinates to tighten belts Min Aung Hlaing has again urged his regimes ministries to tighten their belts while he himself spends recklessly. Instead of investing in things that would deliver practical benefits to the countryand which might even win him some popular supportthe junta boss has been busy squandering public funds on vanity projects. He is having a giant Buddha statuetouted as the worlds biggest sitting Buddha imagebuilt in Naypyitaw, not to mention holding lavish feasts for and presenting offertories to Buddhist monks, in a bid to portray himself as the great promoter of Buddhism. The junta chief has also spent billions to confer hollow titles on individuals, including military supporters, after showering athletes who won medals at the SEA Games with large cash awards. At his regimes cabinet meeting on Tuesday however, Min Aung Hlaing repeated his call for an economy drive and a healthy balance sheet, and demanded that state-owned enterprises stay in the black. Min Aung Hlaing has also urged the public to consume less fuel, cooking oil, rice, electricity and water. Well, it shouldnt be too hard for Myanmar people to save energy, at least, as the regime is helping them with frequent blackouts. Junta soldiers havent been spared Min Aung Hlaings economic lectures, either. Whenever he visits battalions, he always urges personnel to spend within their means. Meanwhile, he is preparing to celebrate Myanmars 75th Independence Day, which falls on Jan. 4, on a scale even grander than the 75th annual Union Day celebration, for which he squandered billions of kyats. Min Aung Hlaing is saying one thing and doing another. And what a pity he thinks those vanity projects will make him the true head of state of Myanmar! Lawlessness on the rise If there is no security, well-off people will have to do the night watch bearing their belongings, was what Min Aung Hlaing told his junta ministers at the same cabinet meeting on Tuesday as he highlighted the importance of law and order, and rule of law. Apparently, he is not aware of just how lawless Myanmar has become since the coup. High unemployment and the rising cost of living have led to a crime wave ranging from bank heists and fatal robberies to thefts and muggings committed blatantly in broad daylight in cities including the commercial capital, Yangon. Arent there police to handle those crimes? Yes, there are. But they have been busy working together with junta soldiers to mount crackdowns on opponents of the regimein other words, helping to strengthen the military dictatorshipso they have no time for law enforcement. The rising crime wave bears testimony to the fact that the people cant fill in for the police and do their job for them. One day after Min Aung Hlaing stressed the importance of rule of law, a building materials shop in downtown Yangon was robbed, and the owner had to be hospitalized. Earlier this week, an 80-year-old physicist and his wife were killed at their house in an armed robbery in Mingalar Taungnyunt, in Yangons downtown. Ministry goes all out to spare generals blushes The juntas Electricity Ministry doesnt seem particularly concerned about Myanmar people living in the dark, but it dreads causing Min Aung Hlaing to lose face should he himself be hit by a power outage in public. Therefore, the ministry mounted a special operation to ensure a constant power supply as Min Aung Hlaing offered Kathina robes to Buddhist monks in Naypyitaw on Wednesday. On Oct. 30, a team led by Deputy Electricity Minister Dr. Aung Zeya drove to Uppatasanti Pagoda, the venue for the regimes Kathina robe-offering ceremony. He instructed ministry staff to monitor the electricity supply to the venue continuously, and to report to him immediately in case of any problem. He also instructed them to make sure the transformer, control panel, backup power lines and diesel generators were working properly, and to have backup generators and other equipment ready. Going to extremes, the deputy minister even ordered his staff to make sure USPs and power banks were in good condition and ready to be used on the occasion. The fact that ministerial-level officials have to personally get involved to ensure that a ceremony attended by their boss can be held without a blackout indicates how bad the situation has become. Myanmar has been plagued by blackouts since late last year, in the wake of the coup. The regime promised that the electricity supply would return to normal in May, but blackouts are still common. As hydropower is the main source of electricity in Myanmar, and November marks the end of the rainy season, Myanmar people are bound to face further serious blackouts in the months to come. Rules tightened on civil society organizations Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Oct. 28 signed a new Organization Registration Law into effect, targeting the popular resistance movement. The new law replaces a similar law enacted in 2014 under President U Thein Seins administration, making it compulsory for organizations to register, while approval is subject to relevant ministries. The law prohibits organizations from supporting or otherwise having direct or indirect links with groups and individuals that the regime has labeled terrorists or that actively oppose the regime, as well as with unlawful associations and their members. Whats worse, the broadly defined Article 39 carries jail sentences of up to five years for any act deemed to harm, either directly or indirectly, the sovereignty of the country, rule of law, national security and national solidarity. The law will govern the operations of civil society organizations and international non-governmental organizations operating in Myanmar. It also increases registration fees, at a time when many charities are being forced to limit their operations due to high fuel prices. Since the coup, the regime has tightened its restrictions on media, printing and publishing, and films, and is now targeting civil society organizations. NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS November 4, 2022: Since August, when it became obvious that the six-month-old Russian invasion of Ukraine was a failure, and Ukrainian forces have been successfully counterattacking, Russia has issued a lot of threats. Thats because nothing else worked. Increased weapons production to replace enormous losses failed because of massive economic sanctions. Raising more troops ran into widespread resistance, with many men eligible to conscription or mobilization leaving the country, going into hiding or simply refusing to respond. Those who were now in uniform quickly discovered that there was no equipment for them or much training either before they were sent to die in Ukraine. This soon led to open protests by new recruits, who often documented their protests with cellphone videos that ended up on the Internet. Russian leader Vladimir Putin started the war as part of a scheme to rebuild the Russian empire that peacefully dissolved in 1991. No good deed goes unpunished and Putin is the punishment. The empire is not going to be rebuilt for the same reason it was dissolved; too many Russians and neighbors of Russia opposed the empire. Russian rulers like Putin are the reason why. Putin realizes that if the Ukrainians succeed in regaining control of all the territory Russia has occupied since 2014, he will probably be an ex-leader or worse. All he has left is increasingly scary threats and attacks on those who cant fight back. That means using his dwindling supply of guided and unguided long-range weapons to attack Ukrainian civilians and the Ukrainian economy. Putin continues to lose support inside Russia. The attacks on Ukrainian civilians are counter-productive as those make him a war criminal plus, they arent sustainable. Which brings us to the nuclear threats. No national leaders have so vigorously and continuously threatened to use nukes. When direct threats failed to work, Putin switched to accusations that Ukraine was preparing to carry out a nuclear accident and/or set off a dirty bomb (explosives surrounded by radioactive material) and blame Russia. The Ukrainians accuse Russia of considering this and blaming it on Russia The Americans are the only ones to use nukes, in 1945 to end World War II and avoid a planned invasion of Japan that would have left millions of dead, most of them Japanese civilians and soldiers. The American nukes were top secret and used by surprise instead as threats. The first was used on August 6 1945 over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Japan had been run by the military since the 1930s and anyone who opposed that risked severe punishment. Long before that the emperor had been a figurehead, without any real power. It was a matter of convincing enough civilian and military officials to back the emperor and convincing him to risk another military coup by announcing surrender. The Americans were dismayed by the Japanese refusal to immediately surrender. Only a few Americans knew that there was only one more atomic bomb available and it would be weeks before more were ready. Initially on August 6th Japanese military leaders only knew that communications with anyone, civil or military, in Hiroshima had suddenly ceased. People more than 16 kilometers outside Hiroshima could still communicate with Tokyo but could only report there had been a huge explosion in Hiroshima, accompanied by a bright light, a huge ascending cloud and, eventually, much noise. It was known that there was no air raid over Hiroshima because these involved hundreds of bombers. The nuclear bomb was delivered by a single B-29 and these aircraft often came over alone on reconnaissance missions. The Japanese military responded by ordering an officer to fly immediately to Hiroshima, see what was going on and report back. That officer found the city destroyed, with some fires still burning and a huge cloud rising above the city. He landed at an airport and drove around parts of the city that were accessible and found only dazed survivors wandering around who uncertain of what exactly happened. He found some military personnel and ordered them to organize help for the survivors while he flew back to Tokyo to report that it was unclear what destroyed most of the city. Japan become aware of what the mysterious weapon was 16 hours after the bomb detonated when the American president made a public announcement about what happened. This went out over shortwave stations that reached Japan and did not sufficiently impress the military leaders that surrender was their only option. On August 8th the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Allies told Japan there would be more. This convinced enough senior civil and military officials, along with the emperor, to accept surrender. The emperor made an unprecedented public announcement on the radio. Diehard officers tried to stage a coup and capture or kill the emperor. That failed and the surrender took hold. These two bombs had a traumatic effect on Japanese and many others around the world. Attitudes towards warfare changed. This led to an unprecedented nuclear peace after 1945. The fear of seeing nukes used again created the longest period of peace between major powers in modern history. The second-longest such period was the 43 years between the armistice that ended the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, to the outbreak of the First World War in 2014; a total of forty-three years, five months, and twenty-eight days. In effect, since November 5, 1988, every day that the Great Powers have not been at war with each other has set a new world record for the duration of a peace. The nuclear peace did not end wars involving major powers, but led to the nuclear powers backing proxies (smaller non-nuclear nations) in several major, but non-nuclear, conflicts. After assessing the destruction caused by World War II, several nations collected data, did the math and agreed that a major nuclear war would destroy civilization as we know it and cause unpredictable risks of even greater changes similar to those caused by major natural catastrophes over the last hundred million years. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, there were suddenly fewer of these proxy wars the Soviets had kept going. Since 1991 there have been fewer wars of any size and less death and destruction. There was still the threat of a war as more nations obtained nukes, especially erratic and hostile states like North Korea. After 1991 Russia was still a major nuclear power and this led Putin to threaten the use of nukes if Ukraine did not surrender. The possibility of a new nuclear threat led the United States to consider countermeasures. One of the more recent ones, that is not top secrets, was developed over two decades ago when the U.S. Air Force proposed "simultaneous strategic bombing strike" (or SSBS). This involved using lots of aerial and satellite surveillance as well as some Special Forces or commando troops on the ground, accompanied by air force controllers (to call in air strikes) and lots of air power overhead. Afghanistan proved that this approach can work. The air force has become very fond of these guys on the ground, using the latest technology (laser ranger finders, computers, GPS and satellite radios) to precisely locate lots of targets for the smart bombs to hit. This has made possible a new, and as yet untried, tactic; large scale simultaneous bombing. JDAM smart bombs are the key to this unique air attack tactic. Because JDAMs use GPS (global positioning satellites) navigation, you can load the location of bomb targets into the smart bombs navigation system ahead of time. You don't have to worry about fog or stormy weather (that can interfere with laser guided and other types of smart bombs) and there is a jam-proof, but slightly less accurate INS chip in GPS guided weapons. A larger SSBS was now possible using hundreds of fighter bombers and heavy bombers carrying several thousand of pre-programmed smart bombs. Many targets don't require a 2000-pound (909 kg) bomb, and smaller aircraft (like F-16s, F-18s and F-15s) can carry six to a dozen 500-pound JDAMs. This makes it possible for, say, 200 bombers (from F-16s to B-52s) to carry nearly 2,000 JDAMs for a single simultaneous strike. Several hundred cruise missiles launched from ships and subs can be added to this attack. At a prearranged time, all the bombs are released so that they all hit their targets at about the same time. Suddenly, everyone in the target area is under attack. It's long been known that firepower, be it artillery or bombs, is a lot more effective if the target doesn't know it's coming. Once the first bomb hits, and the word gets around, the other enemy troops head for cover and the damage done is much less. If there is one big attack, there won't be time to move anything. And after the attack, not much will be capable of moving. If you could drop thousands of bombs, precisely, all at once, the effect of surprise would greatly increase the damage done. This is called strategic surprise, and it's never been done like SSBS. The effect would be paralysis and the collapse of morale and the ability to fight back. Depending on what shape enemy anti-aircraft defenses, the attack might be preceded by cruise missiles destroying anti-aircraft radars and missile launchers. This would take place at night, as would the bombers flying in with the JDAMs. A lot depends on precisely identifying all the targets. This can be done from the air or by satellite. In the case of well-hidden targets, you need people on the ground, like Special Forces troops, using laser range finders to collect the coordinates for the JDAMS. All of this is another, faster, version of the classic blitzkrieg, as first practiced between 1939 and 41. Back then, the Germans had the technological and tactical advantage and used it. Since then, there have been other cases of such large-scale surprise attacks as in the Israelis against Egypt in 1967, the Egyptians against the Israelis in 1973, Russians in Afghanistan in 1979 and so on. If you have a new weapon and are bold enough to use it, you can win a quick victory. As the British SAS commandos like to put it, "Who dares, wins. The existence of the SSBS plan and the technology of make it happen is something of a deterrent and the U.S. has openly warned Russia of something similar if they seriously consider using nukes. The U.S. and South Korea have developed a similar plan to use against North Korea. This may have played a role in Putin now insisting he never really considered using nukes but he feared the U.S. would assist Ukraine in carrying out a false flag nuclear detonation that could be blamed on Russia. All this talk of using nukes was openly mocked inside Russia and that soon became known in the West. Israel may now be able to change some of its policies towards, Russia, Iran and Ukraine because of the current elections. This is the fifth time in less than four years that there have been national elections. These closely spaced elections are the result of popular Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu being prosecuted for corruption in 2019. The corruption charges mobilized support among opposition political parties that ousted Netanyahu as prime minister but could not find anyone of equivalent stature and ability to replace him as prime minister. Netanyahu still had a lot of political support, enough to force four more elections. He has apparently won the current elections and, if he can form a new government, that might lead to changes in policies towards Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine revealed that Israel had agreed to provide Ukraine with military communications systems and other support equipment but still refuses to supply weapons. Ukraine downplays the role Russia is playing in Syria to keep Iranian forces away from the Israeli border. While most Israelis support Ukraine, they also support keeping Israel safe from Iranian attacks. Many Israeli and Arabs throughout the region were hoping that two months of protests in Iran would topple the current religious dictatorship but that has not happened. At the same time, despite increasing violence against the protestors and the use of lethal force, the protests continue. Over 200 protestors have been killed so far and the use of more lethal force against protestors has not stopped the demonstrators, who are appealing to the police to side with them against the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), the heavily armed and fanatic force created to protect the religious dictatorship that has ruled Iran since the 1980s. Anti-government demonstrations have become more frequent in the last twenty years and that means most Iranians are not only demanding an end to the dictatorship, but are increasingly willing to die trying. Thats what overthrew the monarchy in 1979. That revolution was hijacked by the Iranian political parties. In effect, the 1979 revolution isnt over yet. If the rebels succeed it would mean a change on Iranian policies towards, Israel, other Arab states and the West. Ukraine again called for Western nations to supply Ukraine with modern combat aircraft, longer-range missiles and modern air defense systems, like Patriot. With modern American or European fighters and Patriot systems, Ukraine could quickly eliminate Russian warplanes from Ukrainian air space. Ukraine points out that Russia is seeking to destroy civilian infrastructure to the point where many Ukrainians face months of cold weather with little heat or even fresh water. The objective is to demoralize Ukrainians and reduce their willingness to resist. Russia is using the same tactics against European nations by cutting off all Russian supplies of natural gas. Ukraine is also angry at Iranian supplying Russia with cruise missiles (UAVs configured for one-way missions) and that Russia has agreed to supply Iran with modern combat aircraft, like the Su-35s being used against Ukraine. Russia used to observe the weapons sanctions against Iran but no longer does. Russia has a limited supply of Su-35s and Ukraine could, with Western fighters, destroy a lot of them. Even before the invasion, Ukraine was seeking American warplanes and set up unofficial simulation training centers so Ukrainian pilots to learn the fundamentals of operating F-16s and A-10s. The Ukrainians have demonstrated an ability quickly learn how to effectively operate new Western weapons and military systems. This helps Israel, which has an informal arrangement in Syria in which Israel doesnt attack and destroy Russian warplanes and air defense systems in return for Russian cooperation in keeping Iranian forces from operating near the Israeli border. Russia still honors that arrangement, even though Iran has become a major supplier of UAVs, cruise missiles and even tactical ballistic missiles for Russian use in Ukraine. Russia recently removed some of its S300 antiaircraft systems in Syria and sent them back to Russia. The Palestinian Plan Western efforts to obtain a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians keep failing because Palestinians refuse to give up demands that Israel cannot accept, as in Israel no longer being a Jewish state. What caused this mess was a mistake made by the Arab world over sixty years ago when the UN was persuaded to grant generations-long hereditary status to Palestinian refugees. Initially this was because the Arab nations were certain that they would eventually be able to crush Israel and allow Palestinians back to homes and property they had fled at the urging of other Arabs, or to steal their land for themselves after conquering Israel, depending on which side you believe. As part of this policy no Arab nation would permit Palestinians to become citizens but instead always treated them as refugees and confined them to camps, which were usually special towns and neighborhoods just for Palestinians. By the 1970s it was pretty clear that the Israelis had become too powerful militarily and now had nuclear weapons, for any Arab state or coalition to defeat. Instead, the Arab nations got behind various proposals for a peace deal. Some progress was made by the 1990s but Palestinian radicals refused to allow any peace agreement and threatened civil war if Palestinian leaders did not renounce peace proposals and work towards the destruction of Israel. The major obstacle to any peace deal was Palestinians insisting on Israel recognizing "right of return without discrimination." That means that the Palestinians who fled the newly formed Israel in the late 1940s, and their millions of descendants, can return to Israel and get all their abandoned property back. Israel would also have to pay compensation. While most of those original refugees are now dead, many Palestinians would not return, but enough could do so and change the demographic composition of Israel, turning it into a country with an Arab majority. This, for both the Palestinians and Israel, is the equivalent of destroying Israel." Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza refuse to consider compromise on the Arab Return issue and now demand that the only solution is to kill or expel all Jews from Israel so that Arab refugees can return. November 3, 2022: The election results were certified and the current prime minister resigned and Benjamin Netanyahu now has to take over as prime minister and form a government (selection ministers for all departments. In Gaza, Islamic Jihad fired four rockets into Israel. One had to be intercepted by Iron Dome because it was headed for a populated area. Israel retaliated with an airstrike against an underground Islamic Jihad explosives workshop where bombs were assembled and stored. Islamic Jihad announced that the rockets were fired in response to Israel force killing an Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank who was wanted for killing an Israeli policeman earlier in the year. The dead man was accompanied by five followers, who were arrested. Earlier in the day three policemen were wounded by a Palestinian man armed with a knife. The suspect was being questioned at a checkpoint when he pulled out his knife and attacked the soldiers, who shot and killed him. November 1, 2022: Azerbaijan finally decided to open an embassy in Israel. This comes after three decades of economic and military cooperation, mainly against Iran. Azerbaijan is an oil-rich Moslem majority nation that was, until 1991, part of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has purchased several billion dollars worth of weapons from Israel since independence. October 31, 2022: Fourteen European NATO nations are spending over three billion dollars to buy Israeli Arrow 3 BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) systems. The Arrow 3 missiles and radars will be a key component of this European Sky Shield Initiative. Increasing instability and aggression from Russia made this sale possible. Israel, with U.S. support, developed the Arrow system to defend Israel against attacks by Iranian ballistics with chemical or, eventually, nuclear warheads. October 29, 2022: Commercial satellite photos confirmed that Israel has sold and delivered at least two Barak-8 anti-aircraft systems to the UAE (United Arab Emirates). This system had been sold to Azerbaijan, where they were responsible for shooting down several Iskander Russian missiles fired at Azerbaijan during a 2020 war between the Armenians and Azeris. The UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 and Israeli firms soon had sales offices in the UAE, to handle the sale and service of military and non-military items sold to Persian Gulf customers. October 28, 2022: In the West Bank Palestinians fired on Israeli soldiers and the Israelis returned fire, killing two Palestinians. A joint Greek-Israeli pilot training center was opened in southern Greece. Israel and Greece invested $1.65 billion in the center, which will train Greek pilots as well as (for a fee) those from other nations. This sort of service has become quite common, and lucrative. This joint venture is part of a Greek effort to modernize its armed forces and strengthen its long-standing defense relationships with Israel. Both these efforts are crucial because of escalating tensions with traditional rival and fellow NATO member Turkey. Meanwhile, Israeli defense officials are visiting Turkey, as part of an effort to restore economic, diplomatic and military ties that were severed by the Islamic government that has run Turkey for the last twenty years. President Erdogan is trying to keep is Islamic political coalition in power by repairing what most voter see as mistakes. Cutting ties with Israel was always unpopular with most Turks and was done to improve relationships with Arab states. The Arabs werent interested but Israel still is. To that end Israel is asking Turkey to end sanctuary for Islamic terror groups like Hamas, which rules Gaza and regularly attacks Israel. Senior Hamas leadership operate from Turkey. Greece is also critical of Turkish support for Islamic terrorist groups. Continuing tensions with Greece are popular with most Turks. Erdogan is very worried about Turkeys shaky economy and national elections are scheduled for June 2023. He is seeking reelection. Israel can help the Turkish economy and sees maintaining close ties with Greece and Turkey as an asset and opportunity to reduce the tensions between these two NATO members. October 27, 2022: In southern Syria (Damascus) another Israeli airstrike damaged a weapons storage site near the airport outside the city that contained Iranian missiles delivered by air. Large explosions of these missiles took place right after the airstrike. Four Hezbollah gunmen dead. Was the third attack against targets near Damascus in the last week. It was also the 30th Israeli airstrike on Syrian targets this year. Most of the attacks were against Iranian assets. October 25, 2022: Israel has quietly provided Ukraine with details of how it defeated Shahed 136s launched from Lebanon. This includes details of AUDs Israel has developed. Iran has used these UAVs against Israel, which has developed optical and radar sensors that can detect them quickly so they can be shot down at the border (usually of Lebanon). While Israel is criticized by Ukraine, and many Israelis, for not supplying Ukraine with weapons to fight the Russians, the two countries maintain diplomatic relations and Israel has quietly shared information with Ukraine about Russian weapons and cooperation with Iran in Syria. Ukraine apparently does the same for Israel about what Iran is up to in Ukraine. Israel is increasingly open about support for Ukraine and the covert aid now includes help with defeating the Iranian cruise missiles Russia has obtained. Iran also sent Iranian trainers to who the Russians how to use the Iranian guided missiles. Iran is at war with Israel and suffers Israeli airstrikes and an occasional commando attack. Then there are the battles between Turkey and Islamic terrorists, Syrian Kurds and the Assad forces. Russia sometimes bombs Turkish forces (Syrians working for the Turks). Russia only has a few warplanes left in Syria, and these use unguided bombs. Russia considers Syria a place to give some of its pilots realistic practice carrying out airstrikes the old-fashioned way, without missiles or guided bombs. Theres no real threat to the Russian warplanes, unlike Ukraine where Russia continues to lose warplanes and pilots. Russia is also on the defensive with Israel because Russia can no longer do much to halt Iranian efforts to get forces close to the Israeli border. That means Israel is free to sell or donate some weapons to Ukraine. Currently what Ukraine wants most is Israeli tech developed to disable to destroy UAVs like the Iranian Shahed 136 cruise missile, which is basically a cheap UAV equipped to his stationary targets. Iran did a barter deal with Russia, providing over a thousand of these cruise missiles in exchange for dozens of the latest Russian fighter-bomber and air craft spare parts. Iran expects Russia to be more helpful in Syria, where Russia already has an understanding with Israel that involves Russia not interfering with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets. In return Israel does not supply Ukraine with weapons. Most Israelis support the Ukrainians but they also recognize the threat from Iranians in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. Russia and Iran are still negotiating on this issue because Russia does not want to lose all its economic, military and diplomatic links with Israel. Since August Russia and Iran have been expanding their economic and political cooperation. These discussions ignore sanctions currently imposed on Russia and Iran and formalize cooperation between them to evade Western sanctions, notably on their oil exports. This includes finding ways to support each other militarily. Iran has supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine while Russia backs Iranian threats to other Middle Eastern oil producers. This does not include unofficial Russian agreements in Syria that keep Israel and Russia from going to war because of continued Israeli attacks on Iranian forces in Syria. Russia continues to support Iranian efforts to expand its influence over the Iraqi government. October 24, 2022: Israel and Lebanon have settled their offshore border dispute. A side effect of this was Hezbollah reducing its threats to attack Israel. October 15, 2022: In southern Syria (Damascus) another Israeli airstrike damaged a weapons storage site near the airport outside the city. This warehouse contained Iranian missiles delivered by air. Large explosions of these missiles took place right after the airstrike. Five Syrian soldiers and two members of Iran-backed militias were killed. There were also a lot of wounded. Most of the casualties were the result of munitions in the storage area detonating. October 11, 2022: A recent international survey found that Saudi Arabia, Israel and Iran were three most religious nations in the world. The United States ranks 66th while most of the least religious nations are in Europe. October 10, 2022: In the south (Gaza) Iran backed Hamas, which runs Gaza, announced that it had resumed diplomatic relations with Syria. These diplomatic links had been severed in 2012, as the Syrian civil war got underway. Syria had long provided sanctuary for Hamas leaders but that ended when many of the Palestinian refugees living in Syria sided with the rebels trying to overthrow the Assad government. The rebels lost, in part because of massive aid from Iran. Hamas has also become a recipient of Iranian aid. The G7 foreign ministers on Friday vowed to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia and urged caution towards China after two days of talks in Germany. The Group of Seven club of rich countries has agreed a new structure to funnel aid to Ukraine to help rebuild infrastructure targeted by Russia, the foreign ministers said in a statement. "Today we establish a G7 coordination mechanism to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its critical energy and water infrastructure," they said in the western city of Muenster. The ministers said Russia was trying to "terrorise the civilian population" of Ukraine with attacks against people and infrastructure, in particular energy and water facilities. "Indiscriminate attacks against civilian population and infrastructure constitute war crimes and we reiterate our determination to ensure full accountability for these and crimes against humanity," the ministers said. The G7 also expressed concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent comments on nuclear weapons and said any use of such arms would be met with "severe consequences". - 'Irresponsible rhetoric' - "Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable," they said, also rejecting Russia's "false claims that Ukraine is preparing a radiological 'dirty bomb'". "We reiterate our unwavering commitment to continue providing the financial, humanitarian, defense, political, technical, and legal support Ukraine needs to alleviate the suffering of its people and to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ministers said. Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the talks, British foreign minister James Cleverly said the allies would help Ukraine "bring this conflict to a successful conclusion for however long that takes". China was also high on the agenda at the summit, which took place just as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was on a controversial visit to Beijing. Scholz told Chinese leaders on Friday that Berlin expected equal treatment on trade as he tried to drum up greater economic cooperation despite growing distrust of the Asian superpower in the West. The G7 countries said they were ready for "constructive cooperation with China, where possible and in our interest". But at the same time, they called on Beijing to "act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations" and to "abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force". "We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion," they said, in an allusion to Taiwan. A senior US State Department official told reporters there had been a "remarkable alignment on views and approaches on China" at the summit. Iran also figured at the gathering, with the ministers condemning Tehran's "brutal and disproportionate" response to a wave of protests sparked by the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. - Iran rebuke - The diplomats criticised Tehran's "destabilising activities in and around the Middle East", such as the transfer of weapons, including drones, "to state and non-state actors". "Such proliferation is destabilising for the region and escalates already high tensions," they said. The closing statement also criticised a record-breaking series of North Korean missile launches earlier this week that included a failed intercontinental ballistic missile test. "We, the G7 members, strongly condemn the unprecedented series of unlawful ballistic missile launches," it said. And in another nod to the fallout from the war in Ukraine, the ministers called on oil-producing states to increase production to help bring down prices, a month after OPEC+ decided to drastically reduce its output. Increasing production should help "decrease volatility in energy markets" caused by the war in Ukraine, the ministers said. The G7 intends to finalise "in the coming weeks" the implementation of a Russian oil price cap mechanism, they said. To round off the meeting, the ministers held talks with their Kenyan and Ghanaian counterparts, as well as representatives from the African Union. Ten Greenpeace activists were cleared of aggravated trespass on Friday after they prevented a tanker carrying Russian diesel from unloading on the River Thames near London. The environmental campaigners occupied a jetty in Grays, eastern Essex, in May, stopping the delivery of 33,000 tonnes of fuel from a Greek-flagged vessel. They claimed they were stopping the funding of Russian state terrorism in Ukraine but were charged with trespass and obstructing a "lawful activity, namely fuel distribution". Judge Christopher Williams cleared all 10 after a trial at Chelmsford Magistrates Court, northeast of the British capital, prompting cheers and applause from the defendants. "I take the view it's more than likely the Russian war could be described as terrorism," he said. Greenpeace UK claimed in a statement that it was the first time a British court had agreed with the argument that the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine was "terrorism". The defendants produced several witnesses to testify that revenues from oil and gas exports were being used by Russia to fund the conflict. One of the protesters who was cleared called the verdict "seismic" and said it vindicated their actions in full. "The judge has recognised that we are just ordinary people whose conscience compelled us to stop the oil funding Putin's campaign of state terrorism in Ukraine," said Zoe Pontida, a 32-year-old teacher from Oxford. "With every new town flattened by bombs and every new war crime being uncovered, the reason for stopping the flow of money to the Kremlin's death machine has grown stronger." She argued that the UK government should have taken similar action "months ago" and urged ministers to bring forward a proposed ban on all Russian fossil fuels. The protesters reached the jetty at the Navigator Terminals site by dinghy late on May 15, then attached themselves to the structure, unfurling a banner reading "oil fuels war". The tanker Andromeda was unable to dock and was turned around in the early hours the following day. Crouching on his hidden vantage point at the edge of the forest, a Ukrainian border guard watches the horizon as far as the border with Russia and Belarus, just a few kilometers to the north. In pouring rain and low clouds, no Russian drones will fly over its remote outpost in northern Ukraine, the last ones before the border. With a monocular in hand and a balaclava showing only his eyes, the guard proudly displays his NLAW anti-tank missile launcher. Our main goal is to prevent a (new) invasion. But if this happens again, well be ready to stop the enemy at the border and prevent them from getting in, says the 33-year-old, who doesnt give his name. The Senkivka border crossing is very close. A three-way junction in the shape of a Y pointing northwest to Belarus and northeast to Russia, with Ukraine to the south. This is where Russias 90th Armored Division stormed in when the war began on February 24, cutting through Ukrainian territory like a knife through butter. From there, the Russian army reached the gates of the capital of the Chernihiv region, some 90 kilometers to the south. But they could never take the city, although it was regularly bombed, despite being repulsed by fierce Ukrainian resistance. In early April, the Russians withdrew from the north, only to refocus on the campaign in eastern and southern Ukraine. Growing Threat Since then, Ukraine has been watching Senkivka and the almost 900-kilometer-long border with Belarus, whose territory served as a retreat for the Moscow armed forces, with eagle eyes. On October 20, Ukraines military said the threat of another offensive from the north was growing, citing increased aggressive rhetoric from its northern neighbors, who are close allies. A few days earlier, Minsk had announced that up to 9,000 Russian soldiers and about 170 tanks would be deployed to Belarus as part of a joint task force to secure its borders. If you want peace, you must prepare for war, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on October 10, accusing Ukraine of planning strike strikes against his country. So far, Minsk has not taken part in the fighting in Ukraine. In the well-fortified dugout set up after the Russian withdrawal in April, a border guard in his 30s, nicknamed Lynx, says he believes theres a 50-50 chance for a new Russian offensive are. Here on the border, the probability of an attack is always high with a neighbor like that, he says, a machine gun slung over his shoulder. You can hear (Russian) artillery fire all the time here sometimes its quiet, but since the beginning of autumn the enemy has become more active, he says. But now there are more (Ukrainian) positions and more fortifications, everything is more serious now we thought through all possible options to avoid repeating what happened before, he points out. Friendly Nations About 30 kilometers to the south is Gorodnia, the first town to be occupied by the Russians on the first morning of the invasion. Mayor Andriy Bogdan told AFP he hopes the February 24 events do not repeat themselves even if such a threat exists, citing Russian troops in Belarus. But now the situation is completely different than it was when his town of 21,000 inhabitants was almost completely defenseless before the war. We rely on our border guards and all of our defense forces. Today they are here and ready to fight, says Bogdan. When the Russians showed up, local residents resisted peacefully, he says, proudly showing a video of locals with Ukrainian flags standing in front of the armored vehicles to stop them from advancing. In the end, the Russians stayed outside the city as they occupied the area. Grocery store owner Svetlana, a woman in her 50s, dismisses the idea that Belarus could attack us. We live on the border, we are friendly nations. I have a brother in Belarus and a sister in Moscow, she told AFP. In the beginning, even my sister couldnt believe it happened. But they understand and support us, she said. Ryu Seung Ryong spoke about Cha Eun Woo and how he wants the idol actor to play his younger version. As obtained by a media outlet, the award-winning star lauded the South Korean heartthrob during his guesting in the radio program "Women's Generation." During the interview, Ryu Seung Ryong mentioned his new movie "Life is Beautiful" where he took the role of a devoted father and husband Kang Jin Bong. The actor headlined the musical drama movie along with Yeom Jung Ah as the wife Oh Se Yeon and Park Se Wan as her younger version. In one of the scenes, the veteran actor portrayed a high school role as the story featured a flashback from his life. In his appearance with "Women's Generation" Ryu Seung Ryong was asked to name an actor with whom he would like to play his younger version. Here's Why Ryu Seung Ryong Wanted Cha Eun Woo to Play His Younger Version Without batting an eyelash, the veteran star named Cha Eun Woo as his top choice. Moreover, Ryu Seung Ryong said that he can portray a high school character. It would look different if he portrayed a character in elementary school adding "to play those versions of myself, the only possible choice is Cha Eun Woo." His statement only means that the ATRSO member's visual is undeniable that even award-winning stars like him wanted to work with the idol actor. Ryu Seung Ryong Stars With Cha Eun Woo in a Drama by 'Extreme Job' Director Back in August, Ryu Seung Ryong is courted to join the cast of the comedy K-drama "Dak Gang Jeong." At the time, the veteran star's agency Prain Global clarified with Dispatch saying that he has received a casting offer but "is currently only at the stage of reviewing the offer." The same goes for ASTRO's Cha Eun Woo who is yet to confirm if he will accept the offer. The upcoming comedy series is directed by Lee Byung Hun, the screenwriter, and director of "Be Melodramatic." Interestingly, if Ryu Seung Ryong officially accepts the offer, "Dak Gang Jeong" will be their reunion project after the 2019 movie "Extreme Job." What's Next for Ryu Seung Ryong and Cha Eun Woo? Besides their possible team-up, the actors are booked and busy in the coming year. Best known for his role as the doting father in "Miracle Cell No. 7," Ryu Seung Ryong recently made a cameo in "20th Century Girl" and took the role of Byeon Woo Seok's father. In addition, he will also headline his K-drama comeback for the series "Moving" with Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung. As for Cha Eun Woo, he will also return to the small screen with a highly anticipated thriller K-drama "Island Season 1" and is in talks to join the webtoon-based drama "A Good Day to be a Dog." IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' Cast Update 2021: Here's What Park Shin Hye, Ryu Seung Ryong, Gal So Won and More Are Up to Now 8 Years Later KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills The Puppet Manchu Palace Museum in northeast China's Changchun City has held an exhibition, presenting evidence of Japanese war crimes committed at a secret bio-weapon research facility during World War Two. Our reporter Yu Li has the details. Founded at the same time as the notorious Unit 731 that conducted lethal human experiments, Unit 100 had a similar mission, but was less known to the public. PENG CHAO Puppet Manchu Palace Museum "Unit 100 of Japanese invaders was a bacteriological warfare unit established by the Japanese emperor's decree in August 1936. It used animals and plants to study and make anthrax and glanders, and conducted human experiments and field experiments to test the efficacy of the bacteria." Under the name of Kwantung Army Military Horse Epidemic Prevention Workshop, Unit 100 was a biological warfare force. In a recently-released recording of the Khabarovsk war crimes trial held in December 1949 in the Soviet Union, former Unit 100 officer Kazuo Mitomo admits that the unit conducted experiments on living humans. KAZUO MITOMO Non-commissioned Officer Unit 100, Imperial Japanese Army "Human trials were conducted between August and September of 1944. I think the purpose of the trial was to numb them without knowing it. I remember using seven or eight Chinese and Russians in the experiment. The drugs used in the experiment were mandala, heroin, barbiturates, castor beans, etc., which I can't fully remember now. Two weeks into the experiment, the subjects were too thin to continue." The troops also produced anthrax and glanders and spread the germs into the river as part of what they called field exercises. ZENSAKU HIRAZAKURA Lieutenant Unit 100, Imperial Japanese Army "There was a river near the border. Yamaguchi and Ida's teams were tasked with checking pollution levels and survival time every 100 meters in an area about a kilometer long in the polluted river. They did this by riding in a rubber boat. But I'm not sure how they spread the germs because I did not see it." Historian Qin Shiqiang says there is still disagreement among Japanese scholars over whether the Imperial Japanese Army conducted human experiments during the second World War. QIN SHIQIANG Department of Chinese history Jilin University "Some left-wing scholars in Japanese academia have admitted that Unit 100 conducted human experiments and have referred to them as war crimes. But some right-wing academics deny such experiments. Therefore, Japanese academic circles are divided over the issue." But evidence of the crimes is irrefutable. QIN SHIQIANG Department of Chinese history Jilin University "Besides the Khabarovsk trial, there are also Report-A and Report-G in the U.S. Library of Congress and interviews with former members of Unit 100 in the U.S. National Archives that are strong evidence that the human experiments were indeed conducted. This is a fact." Researchers from Puppet Manchu Palace Museum in Changchun obtained copies of the two reports Qin mentioned from the United States. "A" represents Anthrax and "G" represents Glanders. The reports document the experiments in detail. Part of the report said: Nine cases were infected perorally with some food stuffs, which contain some quantity of anthrax bacillus and all patients died definitively after several days by acute abdominal symptoms and severe hemorrhagic ascites. PENG CHAO Puppet Manchu Palace Museum "According to the recording of Khabarovsk trial, Unit 100's annual bacteria production capacity reached 1,000 kg of anthrax and 500 kg of glanders at its peak." Peng says when the Unit 100 army was established in 1936, there were only a few dozen people, and by 1945 it had expanded to nearly 1,000. The increase in numbers is actually consistent with the Japanese biological warfare strategy that Japan has insisted on despite the 1925 Geneva Protocol. YU LI, CGTN, CHANGCHUN, JILIN PROVINCE. There is no cure for your disease 22 Shares Share I shall translate. This is her big day! She is meeting with her specialist for the first time, excited to finally hear that she will be cured from her annoying disease. I am there to interpret back and forth between her and her doctor to eliminate the language barrier. She has been suffering from this terrible disease affecting multiple organ systems in her frail body for a long time. Today, she is done! With her family, she fled from her war-torn hometown to a famous refugee camp in the neighboring country and then to the place of her dreams, America. She lost her older sister to this monster disease while refuging in the camp. She was told they have a definite cure for her disease in America. Here I am, introducing her and her father to the specialist, her first doctor ever in America. She is shy yet excited to say goodbye to her disease. I translate many questions about her history, which she answers impatiently. She wants to speed up the encounter to the ultimate cure, she is done! After evaluating her, her doctor begins to explain the management of particular aspects of her disease and the eventual involvement of other health care disciplines. I translate. But what about the cure? I dont want to hear the in-between. I came here for the end. I translate. We still have a long way to improve your nutrition and your overall health condition first. There are many other doctors who will be involved in your care. They will decide when to send you to the ongoing clinical trials. I translate. As of this moment, there is no cure to your disease, concludes the doctor. Silence. I shall translate. I am gathering my words, and this is taking me time. My feelings are overwhelming me. My cheeks are burning, my pupils are dilating, and my ears are in denial. But I shall translate. I am about to start translating, but her words are stopping me. Her excitement that is shouting the end, her bright look that is shining the hope, her smile that is fighting the pain, everything in her is stopping me. But I shall translate. Her future plans for her new life without the disease are stopping me. But I shall translate. Her journey with her parents and her other siblings is stopping me. But I shall translate. I close my eyes. I turn off my heart. I shut down my brain. I hold my breath. I translate. There is no cure for your disease. The end. Houda Bouhmam is a radiology resident. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 6 Shares Share The finality of death is a powerful teacher. For some patients, being diagnosed with a terminal illness is an experience that lends a tremendous shift in perspective and newfound authenticity. This can be instructive to them and the people around them. As psychologist Charles Garfield says, The living have much to learn from the dying. This applies not only to the experience of a terminal illness but also to its treatment. We might say that the health care of the living has much to learn from the health care of the dying. After providing volunteer services to hospice care patients, I have come to recognize this as true. Here are some lessons I learned about treating the living that came from treating the dying. *** My first meeting with Margret was an unusual one. When I entered her room, I found her lying back in her bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She didnt respond when I walked up and introduced myself, and I began to doubt whether she was even aware of my presence. In one of those odd curveballs of life, this was my very first hospice care visit. I decided against leaving and resolved to simply look around the room and comment on the decor. For example, gesturing to a piece of Catholic iconography, I shared a story about visiting the shrine of a prominent Syrian saint. Every once in a while, I would glance back at Margret, hoping to detect some kind of reaction. Thankfully, I started noticing occasional smiles, which confirmed that she could hear me and that she was comfortable. After about ten minutes of these one-sided pleasantries, I said goodbye, convinced that I had made the most out of the situation. Jeanne Benoliel, an influential palliative care nurse, wrote about the distinction between cure and care. While cure refers to the diagnosis and treatment of disease, care refers to the assessment of the patients subjective well-being particularly how the patient experiences their health care provider. As a hospice volunteer, I had to be attuned to how Margret was experiencing me. After all, my service towards her was one of care, not cure: my treatment consisted only of companionship. My first visit with her was a crash course about the level of attunement necessary for the hospice care provider, who attends primarily to the patients subjective experience and not their physical disease processes. *** Benjamin had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. A friendly and talkative man, he loved to share stories from his rich and well-traveled life. I became a regular audience member to a variety of anecdotes, which had no doubt been polished and perfected by frequent retellings. But it soon became clear that this particular telling was different from the rest. Benjamins illness had cast a new light on his life. Regrets and unresolved conflicts came up to the surface, punctuated by the finality of his diagnosis. We began not just to laugh but to cry; not just to celebrate the past but to ponder and reflect on it. The psychiatrist Murray Parkes speaks of the experience of loss as a psychosocial transition: a process that causes the patient to reconsider past values, experiences, and attitudes. In no case is this clearer than in the encounter with death, which represents the ultimate experience of loss. Benjamins diagnosis was not only an illness but also a psychosocial transition. It resulted in a tumultuous shift in his life narrative, self-concept, and spiritual views. We addressed these with every subsequent visit, and although there were no clear resolutions or aha moments, it was clear that he valued having the space for these kinds of discussions. Hospice care amplifies the dimension of illness as a psychosocial transition. Every disease is an experience of loss, whether it be a loss of capability, independence, or physical security. In the hospice care field, health care providers learn to listen for and attend to the psychosocial side-effects of illnesses, which is a crucial part of the healing process. *** Disdaining his bed, Charles sat upright on his leather couch for most of the day. Unfortunately, this led to back pain, which he often complained about during my visits with him. But I soon learned that his physical agony was supplemented by another kind: the discomfort of having to rely on his wife for support. Charles knew himself as a self-made man, having worked for decades to rescue himself from abject poverty. His back pain, which limited him almost to the point of debilitation, was completely at odds with his self-identity. Many of my visits with Charles involved supporting him through this crisis. I struck a balance between validating his feelings and challenging his negative evaluation of his new dependency. We made some good progress although I never did convince him to give up the leather couch. Cecily Saunders, widely regarded as the conceptual originator of hospice care, introduced the concept of total pain. By this term, she meant a holistic view of pain, which included not only its physical aspects but its effects on the emotional and spiritual states of the patient. By discussing the non-physical discomforts of his pain, Charles was expressing to me the reality of his total pain. And attending to this reality was just as important as attending to the physical pain itself. Hospice care amplifies the dimension of total pain and allows the practitioner to identify and attend to the non-physical aspects of the patients suffering. *** The living have much to learn from the dying. This is true in health care as much as it is in general. The field of hospice care, which removes the need to cure disease, amplifies certain dimensions of health care that are just as important as traditional life-preserving interventions. Therefore, it offers rich insights and skills to its health care providers, and it was certainly a valuable stepping stone in my professional development. Farid Alsabeh is a medical scribe. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The Butler Gallery Kilkenny has invited interested parties to join them for a four week Smartphone Photography Course by Claire Dunne Photography in their Learning Centre. Photography is a powerful medium of expression and communication. This workshop hosted by the Butler Gallery, will allow participants to share their experiences of motherhood through visual journaling via smartphone photography. During this 4 week course, Claire will encourage individuals to capture what they see in daily life, their reflection, their child or their surroundings. With guided knowledge and composition, participants will be able to create photographs that document their experiences and unique perspectives. Claire will share professional skills such as getting the best angles and lighting without a studio and seeing how different lighting can change a portrait. Once a portfolio of images has been created, Claire will instruct her students how to enhance their selected images using smart phone apps. About Claire Dunne: Claire Dunne is a photographer and member of the Irish Professional Photographer Association. She has been working professionally for 17 years specialising in weddings, portraits and events. Claire has also worked on numerous commercial projects for magazines and websites. Claires real passion is photographing people. From an early age she has been looking at the world through a lens and used photography as a powerful medium to communicate with people. For Claire photography captures that one moment in time, to treasure forever. Cost is 5 per class: this programme is subsidised by the gallery, to keep costs low for participants. Photography is a powerful medium of expression and communication. This workshop will allow participants to share their experiences of motherhood through visual journaling with photography. Starts November 9, 2022 Wednesdays 9, 16, 23 and 30 November from 10:30am-12:30pm 5 per class See more at www.butlergallery.ie/whats-on/what-we-see-a-smartphone-photography-course MBABANE Mob justice manifested in an unusual way when a spiritual healer was forced to eat all his medicinal concoctions (muti) at Sihhoye in the northern Hhohho Region. The mob accused him of alleged witchcraft. This was one of the many atrocities that *Mdabula has been subjected to by members of the community at Sihhoye, where he has his homestead. The angry mob wanted Mdabula to prove to them that his muti was not lethal, following certain complaints linking him with unfortunate incidents that befall some community members. These included people with strange illnesses and those with ill luck, while others who are failing to succeed in life all blamed Mdabula and his charms. Most of the aggrieved people were close family members who felt he had a case to answer on the problems that befell them. Fateful On the fateful day of September this year, Mdabula said he was walking towards the local grocery store, about a kilometre from his home, when he was confronted by a group of people, who started demanding answers about his spiritual calling. I told them that I was not a traditional healer, contrary to what they were made to believe, but a faith-based healer, because I am a Christian who is a member of the Jericho Church. He said the angry mob refused to listen to him but started calling him all sort of names, including that he was a witch. He said they had also named certain people and insisted that he had bewitched them. They assaulted me with fists and kicks until one of them said I must admit that I practised witchcraft, but I kept on stating my case that I am a prayerful person with the gift to assist people who are sick or in problems, he said. Mdabula said after taking a beating from the mob, he was then carried shoulder-high to his home, where his assailants entered his healing hut and made serious threats of violence against him. Consume Batsi angikhume yonkhe lemitsi, he said meaning the order was for him to consume all the muti and concoctions in his hut. In fear of the worst I ate everything and then they observed me intently to see if I would fall sick because they thought the muti was poisonous. He said the muti consisted of crushed tree barks, ashes mixed concoctions and other things he used during healing sessions. He said he was relieved when the mob did not kill him because he had feared that the attack would end in his death. Mdabula said hours later he had fallen sick with stomach cramps because some of the muti he had been forced to eat was not mean to be eaten but to be used externally. He said he had not even gone to the hospital because the muti was not harmful. This was not the first time that Mdabula was attacked by the same people, who accused him of witchcraft as last year his house was burnt in an arson attack. He said he was asleep when someone came warning him that the door to his house was on fire. I quickly jumped outside and luckily, the fire was just starting, so I managed to extinguish it with the help of my neighbours. Burn He later spent the night in another house, but the arsonists returned to completely burn the one he was initially sleeping in. Member of the community police Jabulile Magagula confirmed the attack on Mdabula and said she had played a hand in saving him when someone wanted to burn the house he was sleeping in. I saw flames and quickly ran to inquire. I found that the flames were just starting and I shouted to him to get out quickly. That is how he survived. She said she had seen the person responsible for the fire running away from the scene. Magagula said she had also learnt about the incident in which Mdabula was forced to eat his muti. Warned I warned the people responsible that if they want to challenge him, they must report him at the royal kraal and not to resort to violence, she said. She said the issue had been discussed at the royal kraal, where the people responsible for attacking Mdabula were also warned to desist from doing so. #Not his real name. MBABANE The Embassies of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as well as that of the European Union (EU), have been engaged to save Eswatini from an imminent civil war. Members of the mass democratic movement, who called themselves the Concerned Citizens of Eswatini delivered petitions to the two embassies and asked foreign envoys of either countries not to supply the Eswatini Government with ammunition. In the petition, the Taiwanese Embassy was criticised for allegedly supplying the government with helicopters that were then allegedly used to hunt down emaSwati, who are calling for political change. What is appalling is that military aid continues to be sent by President Tsai (of Taiwan) to an authoritarian regime here in our motherland. Taiwans taxes paid for helicopters that were used to kill and maim fellow emaSwati. Those helicopters continue to hover above our communities and our people live in perpetual fear and trauma, alleged the petitioners. The petition was received by Minister Ching-Lin Tsuei of the embassy, who was in the company of other embassy staff members. The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) was also visible inside and outside the embassy premises. The petition was read by Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO) (SG) Secretary General Mciniseli Vilakati. Embassy PUDEMO Stalwart Mphandlana Shongwe, also spoke at the petition delivery event, saying he was not happy that the embassy had not taken a strong position about the killing of people last year. Even as people continue to die, we have not heard your voice. One of the duties of the embassy is to stand up for the defenceless people. We are those people, he said. SWALIMO Spokesperson Thantaza Silolo said he was aware that Taiwan had played a major role in fighting against poverty, but said its silent position on the political situation was not welcome. Tsuei said Thanks for your petition. Your voice has been heard. I will present this petition to Taiwan and the Eswatini government. On a similar note, the petitioners told the EU Embassy: State resources, and to a larger extent Europe Taxpayers money, is used to buy arms and pay personnel that killed and maimed our people. Some of these resources continue, to be used on the arson of political parties leaders and members property. As we march, our people live in fear and uncertainties about an imminent civil war. Killed They alleged that Europe Taxpayers money was being used to buy arms and pay personnel that killed and maimed our people. Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo said it was a lie that the helicopters were used against citizens of the country. We have a long standing diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) which dates as far back as the Era of His Majesty King Sobhuza II. His Majesty King Mswati III, has taken the diplomatic relations between these two States to another level of mutual respect and benefits. It is naive and dangerous to think that helicopters are used against citizens of this country. Show me one example wherein, the helicopters were used against citizens and I will show you 10 examples of where the helicopters were used for the safety and protection of the countrys population, he said. Chennai, November 5: The death toll in the building collapse on Chennai's Mint Street on Friday has gone up to two after a man succumbed to his injuries at a city hospital, police said on Saturday. "The death toll in Chennai building collapse rises to two," the Chennai Police officials said. The deceased was identified as Shankar who passed away at Chennai Rajiv Gandhi Hospital. Chennai Building Collapse: Two Dead, Three Injured After 100-Year-Old Building Collapses Amid Heavy Rains. Death toll in Chennai building collapse rises to two: Tamil Nadu | 1 died and 3 others were injured when a portion of a building collapsed in NSC Bose road, Chennai. Fire Service persons rescued the wounded persons and were involved in clearing the debris: Chennai Police (04.11) pic.twitter.com/2bg8IZHrno ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2022 A portion of a 100-year-old building collapsed on the NSC Bose Road in the city last night and fell on pedestrians. The building had reportedly become weak due to days of rain that prompted it collapse. Odisha Consumer Court Orders Shopping Mall To Pay Rs 25,000 for Charging Rs 6 for Carry Bag. One person was initially reported to be dead while three others were reportedly injured. Soon after the incident, fire service persons rescued the injured persons and were involved in clearing the debris. Further details into the matter are awaited. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nova Rajpura (HP), Nov 5 (PTI) BJP chief J P Nadda alleged that the Congress has contributed a lot in halting the nation's development and has focussed only on how to remain in power by confusing voters. He also claimed that the people of Himachal Pradesh have made up their minds to "break the tradition and re-elect a double-engine government of the BJP to ensure speedy development" of the hill state. Also Read | Terror Funding Case: NIA Chargesheets Dawood Ibrahim, His Aide Chhota Shakeel. Nadda addressed three poll meetings in Behna Jattan, Nova Rajpura and Potwarkhana Kotla in Bilaspur, his home district, and in Charughat Chhakoh in favour of BJP candidates. "The Congress has contributed a lot in halting the country's development. It never tried to do politics on the real issues and managed to confuse people and win elections by any means to continue being in power," he told the voters. Also Read | Delhi HC Dismisses Plea Seeking Summoning of Vivek and His Father Suresh Oberoi in Alleged Cheating Complaint. The BJP national president claimed that Congress is again trying to confuse the voters. "I have not come here to make the BJP win but to ensure that you protect your rights in this election," he said, urging people to vote for the BJP to protect their rights. "People have made up their mind to change the tradition this time and re-elect a double-engine government," Nadda said, alleging the Congress made false promises and showed lofty dreams to people. It is the BJP which does what it promises, its national president said The BJP works for the welfare of all sections of society whereas the Congress works only for the benefit of one family, he alleged. "Our fundamental rule is 'sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas' and the Congress' mantra is corruption and commission," Nadda told a gathering. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the tradition of politics in the country which no one has ever done, he said, adding Modi has stood with Himachal Pradesh whenever it was required. Prime ministers of Congress governments have not visited Himachal in 60 years as much as PM Modi has visited in eight years, the BJP chief claimed. "Have you ever seen the prime minister go on a holiday? He says he is the 'pradhan sevak' and never said he is prime minister," Nadda said. Nadda claimed the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government did not acquire land for the proposed rail line till Leh even though it was crucial for national security. This work has started under Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, he said. Highlighting the developmental works initiated in the last five years in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP president said Modi-led Centre restored the special category status of Himachal Pradesh. Bilaspur has got AIIMS, six medical colleges and a hydro-engineering college. Una has got a bulk-drug park. A medical devices park is coming up in Nalagarh and the Vande Bharat train has also come to Himachal Pradesh, Nadda said. Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on November 12 and the results will be out on December 8. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram, November 5: Handloom industry should diversify to attract more youth to its products, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. The Minister, while inaugurating the Balaramapuram Handloom Producer Company Limited (BHPCL) Common Facility Training Centre here, said every weaver should benefit from the profit of the company. "The handloom industry should diversify the products for boosting profitability as well as attracting more youth to handloom products," she said. She said the Balaramapuram handloom products are of high quality and added that she herself was wearing a Balaramapuram saree. Sitharaman said Balaramapuram should make use of the developmental market as it is environment-friendly. India Offers Policy Stability, Transparency, Says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Weavers should utilise e-marketing and the government e-marketplace portal for marketing their products. Nabard will provide support in this regard. The Central government is ready to consider any proposal from the State for the development of Balaramapuram," she added. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, who delivered the keynote address, said the Centre was taking various steps to ensure timely changes in the industry. India Seems Like an Island of a Certain Level of Calm: FM Nirmala Sitharaman. Sitharaman honoured veteran handloom weavers from Balaramapuram. M Vincent, MLA, presided over the function. BHPCL chairman Gopakumar S, and NABARD deputy managing director M Shaji, among others, were present. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu and Kashmir [India], November 5 (ANI): The Bandipora Police, 45 BN CRPF and 13 RR Army in a joint operation on Monday apprehended a hybrid terrorist of LeT and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, said a press release from the Jammu and Kashmir police. According to the official statement, 1 hand grenade and 3 AK 47 live rounds were recovered from the accused. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Congress Promises 1 Lakh Jobs, Old Pension Scheme, 300 Units Free Power. The hybrid terrorist has been identified as Mehraj U Din Rather alias Abu Hanzla. As per the release, Bandipora Police received specific information regarding the movement of terrorists of LeT in the Check Chandergeer area of Hajin. Acting on this information Bandipora police,45 BN CRPF and 13 RR Army laid a joint Naka at Check Chandergeer Hajin. Also Read | Atal Tunnel Accident: Woman Dies in Bike Mishap on Manali-Leh Highway. "During the preliminary enquiry, he disclosed that he is an active member of the LeT terrorist outfit and is working on the directions of Pak handler alias Babar Bhai for one year and was assigned the task of reviving local militancy in Bandipora District, particularly in Hajin Area," read the official statement. As per the press release, "He was also assigned the task of attacking security forces, non-local labourers and PRIs. Moreover, he was also directed by his handlers to manage and paste anti-national posters in different areas of Bandipora District to instil fear in the minds of the general public." It is pertinent to mention that Pak handler alias Babar Bhai also motivated the accused to recruit local youth in militant ranks in order to disturb peace and tranquillity in the area. The police informed that in this connection Case FIR No. 79/2022 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Hajin and further investigation has been taken up. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) MBABANE The childrens future hangs in the balance. Concerned Moyeni High School committee representatives engaged the Ministry of Education and Training on possible solutions to the absence of a maths and science teacher since the beginning of the year. The teacher, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) President Mbongwa Dlamini had allegedly not reported for duty for some days, resulting in a panic by some parents who failed to understand why their childrens exercise books maintained a clean sheet for many days. Dlamini stands accused by his employer, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), of having absented himself from school for 109 days. However, Dlamini has always shrugged away the allegations of absenteeism, saying he always reported to his supervisor when going away to attend SNAT activities. Eswatini News reliably gathered that officials from the Ministry of Education had visited the school to get first-hand information on the progress made by pupils in the classes taught by Dlamini. It was after this visit that the TSC established the exact number of days on which Dlamini was allegedly absent. Two representatives of the school committee - Chairperson Nomcebo Khoza and Chiefs Runner Jabulani Thwala - had a meeting with officials from the ministry to ask for a solution to the matter, saying that the future of their children hung in the balance. Bitter Thwala revealed to Eswatini News this week that parents were bitter upon realising that their children had not made any meaningful progress in the classes that Dlamini taught. The parents said they were worried that pupils did not learn their subject at all because he was busy. This then prompted us to start investigating what SNAT is all about and why it was keeping the teacher away from class. When we went to Mbabane we wanted to find out what the law says about such a teacher and to get advice on how this issue could be resolved. This was very painful to us, he said. Thwala said to him it was appalling that parents paid money for their pupils to learn, only to get news that learning did not take place for many days. Parents came to us saying they were worried that learning was stalling for their children, he said. Asked if the employer did not suggest a remedy to save the academic loss to pupils, the ministry told them they did not know what to do because government had already employed a teacher. They told us that if they were to employ another teacher, what would happen to the one who was already employed for the class, he said. Examinations Thwala could not respond to questions on possible emergency interventions ahead of the final examinations, saying such a question could best be dealt with by the school. The school Head teacher, Sabelo Manyatsi, referred all questions to the regional education officer (REO). Whenever I am confronted by such questions, I refer people to the REO. Speak to him, he said. The REO, Sizwe Kunene, also said the issue could best be responded to by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Bheki Gama. When asked why the pupils were made to sit in class without a teacher, Gama said he believed that the school had made plans to keep the pupils learning in the absence of Dlamini. I think the REO is better placed on the issue of remedies. I would like to believe that the school had a plan in place, he said. Asked if Dlamini was now back at school, he responded: Mbongwa is a teacher based there and he has a duty to report at his workplace. Gama said the school committee representatives may have had a meeting with the TSC which was dealing with the matter and not his office. If they did, then it was within their rights because it is their children who are affected, he said. Dlaminis first day at Moyeni High School was in early October last year after a two-year suspension by the TSC for alleged absenteeism. He had been transferred from Mhubhe High School, also in the Manzini Region. Before his transfer to Moyeni, he had challenged it at the Industrial Court, saying he had not been consulted, as a matter of principle. Two weeks ago government said it would effect a no-work-no-pay rule on Dlamini which implied that he would not receive his salary for the 109 days in which he allegedly absented himself. This triggered a series of protest marches by sympathetic teachers who want government to reinstate Dlaminis salary. In June Dlamini was also called to answer why he had warned teachers not to go to work to be safe from possible violence after a commander of the solidarity forces had issued a statement saying June 28 would be a public holiday. Sheopur (MP), Nov 5 (PTI) Two of the eight cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) were on Saturday released into an acclimatisation enclosure from the quarantine area where they were kept since translocated from Namibia in mid-September, an official said. Also Read | Sudhir Suri Shot Dead: Amritpal-Led Khalistani Outfit Behind Shiv Sena Leader's Killing, Red Alert in Punjab. "Two cheetahs were released in the larger enclosure from the quarantine zones on Saturday. The remaining six cheetahs will also be released in the (acclimatisation enclosure) in a phased manner," KNP Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar Verma confirmed to PTI. Also Read | UP Shocker: Youth Rapes 50-Year-Old Deaf and Dumb Woman in Sultanpur. The larger enclosure is an area of more than five square km, officials had earlier said. Eventually, the eight cheetahs will be released into the wild as per plans. The eight cheetahs - five females and three males in the 30-66 month age group- were released in the dedicated quarantine zones at KNP on September 17 at a function by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heralding the return of the big cats to India 70 years after they were declared extinct in the country. According to initial plans, the cheetahs- named Freddy, Alton, Savannah, Sasha, Obaan, Asha, Cibili and Saisa - were to be kept in quarantine for a month. As per international norms, wild animals must be kept in quarantine for a month to check the spread of any infection before and after their translocation to another country, experts had said. Since their release on September 17, the eight cheetahs were housed in six 'bomas' (enclosures), two of which are 50 metres x 30 metres while the rest four measured 25 square metres in area. They were provided buffalo meat, the officials had said. The last cheetah died in India in Koriya district in present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947, and the species was declared extinct in 1952. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Aizawl (Mizoram) [India], November 5 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the Himalayas, its fragile ecology and flora and fauna are "our priceless heritage and we must conserve them for generations to come". While addressing the members of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly in Aizawl, the President said, "The topography of the hilly region poses special challenges for development; yet Mizoram has done remarkably well on all parameters, especially when it comes to human development. Taking education and healthcare as twin pillars of good governance, policymakers and administrators have rightly stressed on improving facilities for the two sectors." Also Read | Karnataka High Court Says if Minor Girl in Brothel Complains of Forceful Sex, Customer Can't Be Let Off. She said that connectivity is bound to be the biggest factor in realising the potential of such a region and the development of village roads, highways and bridges not only helps in meeting the education and healthcare goals but also unleashes economic opportunities. The President said that this is the era of new technology which has been put to use to serve people more effectively. Also Read | Odisha Consumer Court Orders Shopping Mall To Pay Rs 25,000 for Charging Rs 6 for Carry Bag. She advised that while embracing the modern ways, we should also remain in touch with our roots. President Murmu said that as a tribal majority state, Mizoram can explore its past and find best governance practices from pre-modern days that can be revived within contemporary systems. Noting that the Mizoram Legislative Assembly celebrated its Golden Jubilee in May this year, the President said that over the years, this house has evolved a model of debate, healthy discussion and mutual respect as an effective instrument in finding solutions to people's problems. She was happy to note that the Mizoram Assembly has played a pioneer role in going digital by adopting NeVA (National e Vidhan Application). "In Mizoram, women are an empowered lot in every sphere of life, be it sports, culture or business," she said. She highlighted that there should be an increased representation of women in public life particularly, among lawmakers in the state. President Murmu said that the development of Mizoram and the rest of the Northeast is also significant for the nation to scale greater heights. "India's stature on the global stage has been rising. Our ties with our neighbours, especially in South-East Asia, are of high value to us. Our 'Act East Policy' places emphasis on the Northeast for improving our ties with the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region. Once an economic initiative, the policy has now gained strategic and cultural dimensions too. Mizoram benefits from, and also contributes to, the nation's endeavour to engage with the neighbours in the region," she further said. The President said that with our rising influence on the world stage, come more responsibilities. "In climate action, for example, we have taken a lead, showing the world the best way to counter the effects of environmental degradation. Our multiple initiatives in promoting renewable sources of energy have won admiration around the world. Meanwhile, we - as individual citizens, policymakers, lawmakers or administrators - must strive at our level to help heal the planet. Mizoram has the highest forest cover among all Indian states, providing an ideal home for extraordinary and rich biodiversity. The Himalayas, its fragile ecology and flora and fauna are our priceless heritage. We must conserve them for generations to come," she added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nottingham [UK], November 5 (ANI): The safety of aspirin when used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and possibly some cancer may be improved, according to a recent study, which indicated that the risk of stomach bleeding caused by long-term aspirin use can be decreased with a brief course of antibiotics. The results of the HEAT (Helicobacter pylori Eradication Aspirin) trial, which was led by Professor Chris Hawkey from the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine and Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment programme, are published in The Lancet. Also Read | IND vs ZIM Dream11 Team Prediction, T20 World Cup 2022, Super 12: Tips To Pick Best Fantasy Playing XI for India vs Zimbabwe Cricket Match in MCG. Aspirin in low doses is a very useful preventative drug in people at high risk of strokes or heart attacks. However, on rare occasions, it can provoke internal ulcer bleeding. By thinning the blood, aspirin makes ulcers in the stomach bleed. These ulcers may be caused by a particular type of bacteria, helicobacter pylori. Also Read | Barcelona vs Almeria, La Liga 2022-23 Free Live Streaming Online & Match Time in India: How To Watch Spanish League Match Live Telecast on TV & Football Score Updates in IST?. The STAR (Simple Trials for Academic Research) team from the University of Nottingham investigated whether a short course of antibiotics to remove these bacteria would reduce the risk of bleeding in aspirin users. The HEAT (Helicobacter pylori Eradication Aspirin) Trial was a very large trial conducted in 1,208 UK general practices. It was a real-life study that used clinical data routinely stored in GP and hospital records, instead of bringing patients back for follow-up trial visits. The team wrote to 188,875 patients who were taking aspirin and 30,166 volunteered and took part in the study. Those who tested positive for H. pylori were randomised to receive antibiotics or placebos (dummy tablets) and were followed for up to 7 years. Over the first two and a half years, those who had antibiotic treatment were less likely to be admitted to hospital because of ulcer bleeding than those who had dummy tablets (6 versus 17). Protection occurred rapidly: with those who received placebos (dummy treatment), the first hospitalisation for ulcer bleeding occurred after 6 days, compared to 525 days following antibiotic treatment. Over a longer time period, protection appeared to wane. However, the overall rate of hospitalisation for ulcer bleeding was lower than expected and this in line with other evidence that ulcer disease is on the decline. Risks for people already on aspirin are low. Risks are higher when people first start aspirin, when searching for H. pylori and treating it is probably worthwhile. Professor Chris Hawkey said: "Aspirin has many benefits in terms of reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people at increased risk. There is also evidence that it is able to slow down certain cancers. The HEAT trial is the largest UK-based study of its kind, and we are pleased that the findings have shown that ulcer bleeding can be significantly reduced following a one-week course of antibiotics. The long-term implications of the results are encouraging in terms of safe prescribing" (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], November 5 (ANI): A 23-tonne debris from a Chinese rocket has fallen back to Earth into the Pacific Ocean, according to a tweet from the United States Space Command. "#USSPACECOM can confirm the People's Republic of China Long March 5B #CZ5B rocket re-entered the atmosphere over the south-central Pacific Ocean at 4:01 am MDT/10:01 UTC on 11/4. For details on the uncontrolled re-entry's impact location, we once again refer you to the #PRC," US Space Command tweeted. Also Read | Russia President Vladimir Putin Praises India, Says 'Country Will Achieve Outstanding Development'. Soon after confirming, the 11th Combatant Command in the Department of Defense of the US posted another tweet where it confirmed that there was second atmospheric re-entry correlated with the Chinese Long March 5B rocket as it "exited the #USSPACECOM Area of Responsibility over the Northeast Pacific Ocean region at 4:06 am MDT/10:06 UTC on Nov. 4." According to The New York Times, this is China's latest round of celestial roulette involving a deliberate uncontrolled atmospheric re-entry. Also Read | Twitter Layoffs: Elon Musk-Run Microblogging Site Sued in US Over Mass Layoffs Without Notice. The rocket stage, by design, did not include a system to guide it into a specific spot on Earth, far away from people. This is the fourth time when a Chinese rocket hit back on Earth. Earlier, in 2020, 2021 and in 2022, three times China's rocket trembled back into the earth. Earlier this year, China launched a Long March 5B rocket, one of the most powerful rockets in operation today, on Monday to transport a third and final module of its Tiangong space station, the centrepiece of a space program that is second only to NASA's in technological sophistication, reported The New York Times. Each time, China has successfully gambled that the rocket's parts would not cause injury to people on the ground. But while there were no immediate reports of damage, Friday's re-entry did cause disruption, including a closure of Spanish airspace that delayed hundreds of flights in the morning. A rocket of the same design is expected to be used again at least once more, in 2023. Other space agencies and experts have been critical of the four rocket launches. Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA, issued a statement criticizing the Chinese for not taking more precautions, as he had for similar launches in April 2021 and July this year. "It is critical that all spacefaring nations are responsible and transparent in their space activities," The New York Times quoted Nelson saying, "and follow established best practices, especially, for the uncontrolled re-entry of a large rocket body debris -- debris that could very well result in major damage or loss of life." China launched the 23-ton Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian on July 24 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan at 2:22 pm (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Within a few days of launch, US Space Command said that debris from a large Chinese rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean at 12:45 pm Eastern time. "USSPACECOM can confirm the People's Republic of China (PRC) Long March 5B (CZ-5B) re-entered over the Indian Ocean at approx 10:45 am MDT on 7/30. We refer you to the PRC for further details on the reentry's technical aspects such as potential debris dispersal+ impact location," the tweet read. The rocket had since been in an uncontrolled descent toward Earth's atmosphere -- marking the third time that China has been accused of not properly handling space debris from its rocket stage, CNN reported. Since then space watchers were tracking the stage path of the rocket in Earth's orbit because of the slight possibility that it could come down over a populated area. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Powderly (Texas), Nov 5 (AP) Storms ripped through parts of Texas on Friday, flattening homes and toppling trees, with local officials in one county reporting at least two dozen people injured. One community hit hard was Powderly, Texas, near the border with Oklahoma and about 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. Also Read | Russia President Vladimir Putin Praises India, Says 'Country Will Achieve Outstanding Development'. Randi Johnson, chief of the Powderly Volunteer Fire Department, told The Paris News newspaper that she wasn't aware anyone had been killed but knew of injuries. It's going to take a long time to get this cleaned up, but the community came together, Johnson said. It's really heartbreaking to see. Also Read | Twitter Layoffs: Elon Musk-Run Microblogging Site Sued in US Over Mass Layoffs Without Notice. Lamar County Judge Brandon Bell -- the highest elected official in the county that includes Powderly -- declared a disaster in the area, a step in getting federal assistance and funding. Bell's declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], November 5 (ANI): US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday to 'underscore' the US support while announcing a new USD 400 million military assistance package amid the Russian invasion. "National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Minister of Defense Reznikov, and others in Kyiv today to underscore the United States' steadfast support to Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a press release. Also Read | Russia President Vladimir Putin Praises India, Says 'Country Will Achieve Outstanding Development'. The spokesperson further said that Sullivan had announced an additional USD 400 million security assistance package, which includes refurbished T-72 tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles, and the refurbishment of 250 HAWK surface-to-air missiles for eventual transfer to Ukraine, the press statement reads. US Security Advisor also affirmed that they will continue economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression. Also Read | Twitter Layoffs: Elon Musk-Run Microblogging Site Sued in US Over Mass Layoffs Without Notice. Earlier, the US launched a demining training project in Ukraine by awarding USD 47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of California, amid the Russia- Ukraine war, the State Department said. "On September 30, the Department awarded $47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of Pasadena, California to provide urgent humanitarian demining assistance to Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression," as per the statement released by the US Department of State. Since 1993, the United States has invested over USD 4.7 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war as well as the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons and munitions in more than 100 countries and territories. According to the statement, the United States is the world's largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction. In total, the United States has now committed more than USD 18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than USD 21 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than USD 18.2 billion since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on February 24. "Through both PDA and USAI, DoD continues to work with Ukraine to meet both its immediate and longer-term security assistance needs," the Department of Defense said. With Russia's unrelenting and brutal air attacks on Ukrainian civilian critical infrastructure, additional air defense capabilities are critical, it added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington [US], November 5 (ANI): Former US President Donald Trump's advisor Kash Patel on Thursday testified before the federal jury investigating the classified documents found in the Mar-a-Lago home and resort, CNN reported. Earlier, a federal Judge granted him immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to the investigation. Also Read | Russia President Vladimir Putin Praises India, Says 'Country Will Achieve Outstanding Development'. A Patel spokesman said, "Patel categorically denies reaching any immunity 'deal' with the government. Rather, his testimony was compelled over his objection through the only legal means available to the government - a grant of limited immunity," according to CNN. Patel, one of the loyal aides to Trump, was subpoenaed to the secret grand jury last month but declined to answer questions by asserting his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination. Also Read | Twitter Layoffs: Elon Musk-Run Microblogging Site Sued in US Over Mass Layoffs Without Notice. Earlier, in August, the US government recovered over 300 documents marked as classified from former President Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, including material from the CIA, the National Security Agency and the FBI. Previously, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified records during the raid at Trump's residence. Apparently, Trump filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Monday seeking an order that appoints a special master and requires federal authorities to provide a more detailed receipt of seized property. The motion also requested an order requiring the return of any item seized that was not within the scope of the government's search warrant and as per the court filings, the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago are "presumptively privileged" as presidential materials and must be evaluated by a neutral Special Master reviewer, according to The Hill. Reinhart recently sided with the government in allowing redactions in the released version of the affidavit, with much of the 38-page document blacked out over concerns about future witness participation and the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Notably, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month using a search warrant that listed potential violations of the Espionage Act involving mishandling of classified materials as a reason for the raid. A federal judge is currently determining whether to release parts of an affidavit that backed the search warrant. The judge authorized the FBI to search what the bureau called the "45 Office" as well as "all other rooms or areas" at Mar-a-Lago that were available to former President Trump and his staff for storing boxes and documents. The search warrant identified three possible federal crimes as the reasoning behind the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home which is a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, and 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida on August 8. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Miami police are investigating an abduction attempt that was caught on camera, with the woman heard screaming before she was seen running down the street. Police noted that it happened on a Wednesday night before 9 p.m. in the area of the 2200 block of S.W. 24 street. Miami police said that while walking home, the woman was "grabbed from behind by an unknown man who she encountered earlier while leaving the store." The victim told police that she screamed for help, which caused the man to release her so that the suspect could "immediately escape from the area." The police described the man as being around 5'6" to 5'8" tall, with a medium built and a wide stomach. He was also described as wearing a dark-colored hat, blue disposable surgical mask, dark-colored shirt, and khaki shorts. The suspect was also further described as Hispanic, according to a Local 10 News report. Detectives called the incident an attempted abduction. READ NEXT: Treasury Department Is Investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Use of Relief Funds in Transporting Migrants Miami Abduction Attempt Concerned neighbors seemed to have responded to the woman's screams and can be heard asking the woman what happened. The victim was an adult female and noted that she believed she encountered the suspect earlier at the store. She added that the suspect followed her as she was walking home, as reported by Fox News. Miami police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them to shed light on the incident. Anyone with knowledge of the incident can contact 305-603-6370 or 305-579-6111. In addition, Miami Crime Stoppers also accept information anonymously from tipsters. Attempted Abduction in Florida A week ago, Fort Lauderdale authorities encountered the same incident involving a 10-year-old girl. Police have released surveillance footage showing that child appears to be running quickly down a residential street, eventually slowing once she has gotten far from the street corner. The girl has walked out of the video frame and a man, who police believe is the suspect, runs to the corner, then stopped abruptly. The suspect then continues down the street in the direction of the girl before turning around and walking the opposite direction. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department noted that it was the second encounter between the suspect and the child. The man allegedly attempted to lure the girl with items, which included candy and money. The first attempted abduction happened on Wednesday as the child was on her way to school. The man approached her and started to offer her items, according to police. The police department noted that the suspect attempted to grab her, but the girl was able to run away. On Thursday morning, it happened again. The girl was approached by the same man on her way to school. The girl immediately ran towards the school and away from the male. Fort Lauderdale police believe that the suspect was between the ages of 30 and 40 and appears to be around 5'10" to six feet tall with a medium build. Police said that the suspect has brown hair and may have a gray mustache or scar on the left side of his face. He might be also driving a black cargo van with sliding doors. READ MORE: Texas, Arizona Keep Sending Buses of Migrants to Washington; DC Mayor Devotes $10 Million to Help This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Surveillance Video Catches Alleged Abduction Attempt in Miami - from Law&Crime Network Leaders of the far-right extremist group Oath Keepers were on trial for seditious conspiracy based on their actions during the January 6 Capitol insurrection. On Friday, its founder and leader, Stewart Rhodes, finally took the stand. Prosecutors spent weeks laying out evidence to prove Rhodes and other Oath Keepers' leaders were behind a plot to prevent President-elect Joe Biden from taking office by keeping Donald Trump, who lost in the elections. The Associated Press reported that as he testified, Rhodes appeared to be relaxed but choked up a few times while delivering his testimony. Wearing a dark suit and tie, the far-right extremist leader first told the jurors about his military career and why he started the Oath Keepers in 2009. He said he considers himself a patriot and loves his country. Rhodes tried to portray his group as peaceful, despite all the evidence previously presented that says otherwise. Evidence shows him rallying members of the Oath Keepers to prepare for violence and discuss the prospect of a "bloody" civil war ahead of January 6. According to ABC News, Rhodes said that his organization allowed veterans to "continue their public service interests and feel like they still had a purpose." As he talked about the high suicide rate among veterans, he became emotional and said, "I don't think the military does enough to let them transfer from military life to civilian life." Rhodes further noted that he had an "interest in protecting free speech regardless of political view," claiming that his group even "protected" a Black Lives Matter rally. Rhodes is expected to face an intense cross-examination from prosecutors when the trial resumes next week. READ NEXT: Oath Keepers Trial: 'Civil War' Discussed by Members Ahead of January 6 Insurrection Stewart Rhodes Denies Election Results in Court While he tried presenting himself and his group as peaceful, Stewart Rhodes went on to deny the election results. When asked if he believed the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, Rhodes answered with debunked claims that Joe Biden's victory was "unconstitutional" and "invalid." "You really can't have a winner of an unconstitutional election," said Rhodes in front of the jury. On trial alongside Rhodes are Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, Kenneth Harrelson, another Florida Oath Keeper, Virginia Oath Keeper Thomas Caldwell, and Ohio Oath Keeper Jessica Watkins. Oath Keepers Leader Wanted to Warn Donald Trump of 'Combat on U.S. Soil' Despite his claims that Oath Keepers is a peaceful organization, a new recording has surfaced. It recorded a meeting that took place just a few days after the Capitol insurrection. In that recording, Stewart Rhodes allegedly tried to warn then-President Donald Trump that there would be "combat here on U.S. soil." He urged the former president to invoke the Insurrection Act. According to CNN, the recording was made by Jason Alpers, a U.S. military veteran who testified against the Oath Keepers leaders on Wednesday. The meeting took place on January 10, and Alpers told the court that he had an "indirect" line to the former president's "inner circle," without elaborating. Alpers said he recorded the meeting to "provide information" to Trump accurately. Rhodes was heard in the recording saying, "If he's not going to do the right thing, and he's just going to let himself be removed illegally, then we should have brought rifles." The recording was played in court on Wednesday as Alpers testified. Rhodes can also be heard saying, "I'd hang f**king Pelosi from the lamppost." This revelation comes after another man radicalized by right-wing propaganda attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband inside his San Francisco home with a hammer as he planned to break the California representative's kneecaps. READ MORE: January 6: Dominican Republic-born Immigrant Capitol Police Officer Dealing With Pain After Capitol Insurrection This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Evidence Suggest Oath Keepers' Leader Tried to Get Message to Trump - From WFAA A week after it was acquired by billionaire Elon Musk, Twitter terminated thousands of its employees in various departments. It was a severe round of cost-cutting that happened on Friday, and it could change how one of the most influential social media platforms runs in the coming days. According to CNN, many Twitter employees started posting Thursday night that their company email accounts had already been locked out ahead of the planned layoff notice. Some also posted blue heart and salute emojis to show they were out at the company. Employees from different Twitter departments, such as marketing and communication, ethical AI, search, public policy, wellness, and other teams, had tweeted about being let go by Friday morning. According to employee posts, members of the curation team who helped promote reliable information on the platform, including regarding elections, were also let go. "Just got remotely logged out of my work laptop and removed from Slack," a Twitter employee wrote on the platform. "So sad it had to end this way." READ NEXT: Elon Musk Buys New $78 Million Gulfstream G700 Jet as Another Addition to His Growing Fleet of Private Planes Elon Musk Says Twitter Has Too Many Employees According to Elon Musk, Twitter has too many employees and excessively emphasizes content moderation, platform safety, marketing, and product development. While Twitter lost $221 million in revenue over the previous fiscal year, Musk paid $44 billion to buy out its shareholders. Josh White, an assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University, noted that Twitter must boost its profit margins to pay back the debt necessary for the transaction. Some of the best options are to cut labor or the infrastructure cost to do it. The Washington Post reported that managers asked workers this week to suggest ways for the company to save at least $500 million a year. Cuts would be made to data centers and other software infrastructure the site needs to run, as well as to the contract workers who moderate Twitter content. Musk tweeted early Friday that the company's primary revenue source, advertising, has seen a dramatic fall since his takeover. Insiders familiar with Musk's plans told The Washington Post that nearly half of the workforce would be dismissed. According to CNN, Twitter had around 7,500 workers before Musk's takeover, which means some 3,700 employees were laid off. In one of his first moves as majority shareholder of Twitter, Elon Musk fired some of the firm's top executives, including the CEO, general counsel, and chief financial officer. Twitter Employees Sue Elon Musk On behalf of Twitter employees, a small group of employees moved fast to file a class action lawsuit in a federal court in San Francisco on Thursday. The case's lead attorney, Shannon Liss-Riordan, claimed that the action was filed ahead of time so that Twitter employees would not be taken advantage of and compelled to sign away their rights, the NPR reported. "There's a lot of concern going on around Twitter employees about what would happen today when reportedly half the workforce would be let go," she noted. According to the lawsuit, Twitter is firing employees without giving them enough notice, violating Californian and federal employment laws. Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN, significant layoffs must be announced at least 60 days in advance. READ MORE: Minnesota Dad Shot Daughter's Boyfriend in Head, Killed Him Inside Storage Unit After He Suspected of Abuse This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Elon Musk Notifies Twitter Employees of Mass Layoffs - From Good Morning America NGWEMPISI Incarcerated Member of Parliament (MP) Mthandeni Dube instructed his constituency not to elect his wife into Parliament next year, despite their request for her to stand. The instruction, according to Bucopho member Sibusiso Mazomba Dludlu, was conveyed by Dube through a phone call in August while the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) was at the helm of conducting by-elections to replace ousted MP Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane at Siphofaneni. Replaced Simelane was eventually replaced by his wife LaZwide, which prompted the people of Ngwempisi to offer their 2023 seat to Dubes wife, Hazer Baxter. Baxter, known as LaBaxter in the area, was approached by representatives of close to 10 chiefdoms under the constituency who requested her to stand for the 2023 National Election. According to Dludlu, the community members made the request based on the fact that they were still not sure if their MP would be released from jail by the time the elections start. Dube was arrested alongside Hosea MP Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza over a year ago on charges under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008. Their co-accused, Simelane, subsequently skipped the country after a warrant of his arrest was issued. It was at this time when MP Simelanes wife, LaZwide, was elected to replace her husband in Parliament when residents also made known of their desire to canvas for the election of our MPs wife in the coming national elections in 2023. Imposed It was then that we, as members of bucopho, tried to engage our MP based on the intended move or plan by the constituency, but he basically made it clear that candidates shouldnt be imposed based on sympathy, said Dludlu. Dludlu said the people of Ngwempisi relayed their intentions to members of bucopho in the various communities under the constituency. He said they made it clear that they wanted to have the wife of their incarcerated MP represent them in the upcoming elections. He added that upon receiving the mandate from the people, they then relayed the message to their MP in jail and he vehemently opposed the idea. Our MP called us and instructed us that his wife shouldnt be imposed as the next MP candidate but the opportunity must be given to other individuals. He pointed out that imposing candidates beats the very same course him and Mabuza were advocating for in Parliament before their incarceration. Sympathy He told us that if they were calling for a democratically elected PM and not appointed one, it would then be hypocritical of them to impose their own candidates for personal gain or sympathy. He made it clear that imposing a candidate was not different from appointing one, further said Dludlu. He emphasized that as members of bucopho they eventually conveyed the message to the people. However, Dludlu could not elaborate whether the people, accepted the MPs instruction but said they were humbled by the level of leadership displayed by Dube in addressing the matter. He added that Dube showed his selflessness as a leader and said they should elect a person who was capable of meeting their needs as compared to imposing someone for reasons of sympathy. Dludlu further stated that Dube impressed to them that although he did not doubt the capabilities of his wife, he wanted the people to make a genuine decision than one that was influenced by emotions. The bucopho member further highlighted that their MP was very active in the running and decision-making within the constituency even though he was behind bars at the Matsapha Correctional Institution. Dludlu disclosed that their MP constantly calls and assists them in development projects undertaken in the constituency which were set to improve the lives of the people of Ngwempisi. Neglected He said their MP never neglected his responsibilities and duties as an MP despite that he was physically not available due to his imprisonment. He said if it was not for their MP, most of the projects in the constituency would have stalled. In an earlier interview, HMCS Departments Public Relations Officer Superintendent Gugulethu Dlamini confirmed that incarcerated inmates were allowed to communicate with their relatives and communities through telephones made available by the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Company (EPTC) at all Correctional facilities. A Florida man killed his girlfriend and three of her family members, including a 4-year-old girl, before shooting himself in the head to commit suicide early Friday morning. According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, another family member survived the attack of shooter Shavell Jordan Jones, 23, and fled to a neighbor's house, where police officers were called, New York Post reported. In a press conference Friday afternoon, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said a 49-year-old woman, her two daughters, ages 28 and 29, and her 4-year-old grandchild were found dead inside a home on Myers Drive at around 4 a.m. They all had fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Mina noted that Jones was in a relationship with the 29-year-old woman. He said the Florida man also shot himself in the head to commit suicide but survived. Jones had surgery to remove gun fragments from his skull on Friday afternoon. According to Mina, two other little kids were in the house when the shooting started. They hid under their blankets as soon as they heard the gunfire, and both were safe. Police said the woman, who was shot but was able to run to the neighbor's house for help, was the daughter of the 49-year-old. She was said to be in her twenties, but her medical status was not disclosed. READ NEXT: Florida Man Accidentally Shot and Killed Girlfriend Thinking She Was Her Ex-Boyfriend Florida Man Shavell Jordan Jones and Girlfriend Had an Argument the Night Before the Shooting John Mina said Shavell Jordan Jones had a fight with his girlfriend at the house the previous night and then left. The sheriff noted that he returned early in the morning and started shooting everyone at the house before he tried to commit suicide. Mina said the Florida man has never been in trouble with the law before, except for a misdemeanor failure to appear a few years ago. He noted that the sheriff's office has also never dealt with a case of domestic violence involving Jones and his girlfriend. Mina said the 4-year-old who died and that child's twin, and the 6-year-old were all children of the woman who survived, NBC News reported. He noted that the Florida man had already packed up his things to leave but shot his girlfriend's family instead. Mina said Jones will be facing multiple murder charges. He noted that the investigators "are going to work very, very hard to find some answers and put the pieces together so we can find out why this happened." Florida Man Sister Says She Prays for the Family "I understand he was drunk and whatever, but still, a kid?" said Shavell Jordan Jones' sister, who asked to remain anonymous. "He's not this type of kid. He's not. He's always smiling. He's always at the house with family. He's always chillin', playing games with us. I just don't understand," she added. The suspect's sister told FOX 35 that she wished she could redo what happened and was sorry for the family. "I feel bad for the family. I pray for the family," she noted, adding that their family had already met the woman. She said Jones' girlfriend used to come over to their house and play "game nights" with them. "She was a sweet girl. They seemed like they had the perfect relationship. That's why we're so in shock. I can't believe this," his sister told the outlet. Neighbor Sharon Green told FOX 35 that since gunshots are so common in their neighborhood, she either did not hear or did not process the sound of the shooting overnight. "Emotionally, it's scary, and it's hard knowing it happened right next door... Pretty much the whole family is gone in the blink of an eye," she added. READ MORE: Elon Musk Fires Thousands of Twitter Employees After Acquisition | Here's Why This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Sheriff: Man Shoots and Kills 3 Women, Child at Orlando Home - From 10 Tampa Bay Laurel, MS (39440) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rob Kearney and Childrens Health Foundation are asking families, communities, schools, creches, clubs and companies across Ireland to host a Christmas Jumper Day fundraiser, to tote their tinsel and sport their sparkliest Christmas fashions, all while raising funds that will be put to work where they are needed most to help sick children and their families. Irish rugby star and Childrens Health Foundation Ambassador Rob Kearney joined little friends Shay and Chloe to launch the charitys Christmas Jumper Day 2022 campaign, taking place on Friday, 9th December. This year, the Christmas campaign will help more children than ever, by raising vital funds to support Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals and urgent care centres across Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. Commenting at the launch Rob Kearney said, Im thrilled to be involved once again this year to support Childrens Health Foundations Christmas Jumper Day campaign. Its such a fun and easy way to get into the festive spirit while doing something really important to support sick children and their families when they need it most. Christmas should be magical for all children, and this year, you can help young people from across Ireland by raising vital funds that will be put to work where they are needed most in Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly." Denise Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Childrens Health Foundation said, On behalf of all us here in the Foundation and in the hospitals, I want to thank our dear friend Rob and our wonderful families for helping us to launch our Christmas Jumper Day campaign. With your support, we can continue to support Childrens Health Ireland hospitals and urgent care centres to fund vital equipment, patient and parental supports, make innovative new services possible and invest in ground-breaking paediatric research. We hope that you will join us on 9th December, put on your festive finery and be part of our extraordinary community of care that helps transform young lives. A former civilian employee of An Garda Siochana has been handed a prison sentence for forwarding photos of information on the Pulse system to an individual known to gardai. Lauryn McCann (23) sent around 70 photos using WhatsApp over a seven-day period to an individual referred to as R, who is known to gardai. McCann of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pleaded guilty to a count of corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access garda intelligence and a count of obtaining and disclosing garda intelligence files to a third party on dates in May 2020. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Friday, October 4 that McCann has no previous convictions and was sent forward from the District Court on signed pleas. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said people working for institutions such as An Garda Siochana have to be discreet and respect the rules. Judge Nolan said this included not sharing information or knowledge they gain of in the course of their work. McCann's behaviour was far worse as she had searched the Pulse system for information that was useful to a third party, he said, handing the accused a sentence of two and a half years. The investigating garda told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that McCann was working as a civilian call taker for An Garda Siochana with access to the Pulse system at the time of this incident. Gardai received a tip-off on May 15, 2020, that McCann was providing information to a third party. McCann was not working the following day and gardai launched an investigation, which included a search of the Pulse system. McCann's search history showed she had accessed a large number of files that she would have had no reason to search in the course of her work. When McCann arrived to work on May 17, 2020, she was confronted by investigating gardai and was fully cooperative, admitting that she had taken photos of information from the Pulse system. She said that she had forwarded these photos to third parties using Snapchat and WhatsApp. McCann was suspended and later resigned. Gardai also obtained warrants to search McCann's workstation and other locations. A number of exhibits were handed to the court including copies of the photos taken by McCann, and her messages with a third party, listed in her phone as R. These messages were sent over a time span of one week between May 10 and May 17. Around 70 photos were forwarded by McCann to R. McCann took photos of a conviction record which relates to R and of another individual's custody photo. She also sent photos containing information about a confidential garda source. Images were also taken of a file relating to R's brother. The prosecuting garda told the court that it appears McCann was directed by third parties to search for certain individuals. While the Pulse system shows the user's log-in details onscreen, this information was edited out of some of the images sent via WhatsApp by McCann. Messages sent by McCann via Snapchat could not be retrieved by gardai. When interviewed, McCann told gardai that word of mouth got around that she was working for the gardai and people took advantage. McCann did not name any individuals due to concerns that it would cause trouble for herself or her family. The investigating garda told the court that messages between R and McCann appear to suggest that she was offered 500 to provide information about R's brother. McCann told gardai she was experiencing financial difficulties and was offered 3,000 which she never received. Over 400 photos of information from the Pulse system were found on McCann's phone, but gardai could not say that all of these photos were forwarded to third parties. Mr Berry told the court that gardai carried out a number of searches after this incident came to light. These searches included a property relating to R, where an individual attempted to flush a phone down a toilet. While no information could be retrieved from the phone, gardai were able to confirm that the number matched that listed for R in McCann's phone. The investigating garda agreed with Seamus Clarke SC, defending, that his client had worked for the gardai for 11 months, in what was her first full-time job after completing her Leaving Certificate. McCann had been living with her boyfriend, who shared where she worked with others. The investigating garda also agreed with Mr Clarke that his clients signed pleas were of value given the sensitive nature of the garda information involved. Mr Clarke said his client's resignation also meant that an internal disciplinary process was not required. She secured alternative work. Outlining the mitigating factors, Mr Clarke noted that his client had entered an early guilty plea and fully co-operated with gardai. McCann was living with her boyfriend at the time, following family difficulties and began taking drugs. She was somewhat naive and made no great effort to cover up her actions, which were easily detected by gardai, Mr Clarke added. A psychological report was also handed to the court, which outlined that McCann has depression and is considered psychologically vulnerable and at low risk of re-offending. Mr Clarke said his client is remorseful and ashamed of her actions. He asked Judge Nolan to consider suspending part of any sentence imposed as his client was very young at the time of her offending. Judge Nolan said this was a serious crime. McCann must have been aware why garda information would have been of interest to third parties and that it could be highly dangerous to give this information. Judge Nolan said a breach of garda systems affects the reputation of An Garda Siochana. People in Laois are being urged to get the new better Covid-19 booster vaccines as the the county has the second highest incidence of the virus in Ireland. Latest figures for the seven days up to October 29 show that there were 66 new infections in Laois in the previous seven days. The lowest incidence in Ireland was in another Midlands county Longford which had just seven new cases in seven days. The HSE says Covid-19 vaccines are available to eligible groups at vaccination clinics in Portlaoise Community Vaccination Centre for the week starting Monday, November 7. The centre is located in the St Fintan's Health Campus which is accessible from both the Dublin Rd and Stradbally Rd in the Laois town. Eircode R32XEN0. There is free parking on site. MORE BELOW TIMETABLE. The HSE says you can get dose 1, dose 2 or a booster dose at a walk-in clinic. You must be aged 12 or older to get a booster. People under 16 must attend with a parent or legal guardian. You will not be vaccinated if you have not waited the recommended time: since your last vaccine if you had COVID-19 recently The HSE says the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are now being offered as booster doses. It says these adapted vaccines are expected to give you better protection against COVID-19, including the Omicron variant. A former civilian employee of An Garda Siochana has been handed a prison sentence for forwarding photos of information on the Pulse system to an individual known to gardai. Lauryn McCann (23) sent around 70 photos using WhatsApp over a seven-day period to an individual referred to as R, who is known to gardai. McCann of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pleaded guilty to a count of corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access garda intelligence and a count of obtaining and disclosing garda intelligence files to a third party on dates in May 2020. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Friday that McCann has no previous convictions and was sent forward from the District Court on signed pleas. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said people working for institutions such as An Garda Siochana have to be discreet and respect the rules. Judge Nolan said this included not sharing information or knowledge they gain of in the course of their work. McCann's behaviour was far worse as she had searched the Pulse system for information that was useful to a third party, he said, handing the accused a sentence of two and a half years. The investigating garda told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that McCann was working as a civilian call taker for An Garda Siochana with access to the Pulse system at the time of this incident. Gardai received a tip-off on May 15, 2020, that McCann was providing information to a third party. McCann was not working the following day and gardai launched an investigation, which included a search of the Pulse system. McCann's search history showed she had accessed a large number of files that she would have had no reason to search in the course of her work. When McCann arrived to work on May 17, 2020, she was confronted by investigating gardai and was fully cooperative, admitting that she had taken photos of information from the Pulse system. She said that she had forwarded these photos to third parties using Snapchat and WhatsApp. McCann was suspended and later resigned. Gardai also obtained warrants to search McCann's workstation and other locations. A number of exhibits were handed to the court including copies of the photos taken by McCann, and her messages with a third party, listed in her phone as R. These messages were sent over a time span of one week between May 10 and May 17. Around 70 photos were forwarded by McCann to R. McCann took photos of a conviction record which relates to R and of another individual's custody photo. She also sent photos containing information about a confidential garda source. Images were also taken of a file relating to R's brother. The prosecuting garda told the court that it appears McCann was directed by third parties to search for certain individuals. While the Pulse system shows the user's log-in details onscreen, this information was edited out of some of the images sent via WhatsApp by McCann. Messages sent by McCann via Snapchat could not be retrieved by gardai. When interviewed, McCann told gardai that word of mouth got around that she was working for the gardai and people took advantage. McCann did not name any individuals due to concerns that it would cause trouble for herself or her family. The investigating garda told the court that messages between R and McCann appear to suggest that she was offered 500 to provide information about R's brother. McCann told gardai she was experiencing financial difficulties and was offered 3,000 which she never received. Over 400 photos of information from the Pulse system were found on McCann's phone, but gardai could not say that all of these photos were forwarded to third parties. Mr Berry told the court that gardai carried out a number of searches after this incident came to light. These searches included a property relating to R, where an individual attempted to flush a phone down a toilet. While no information could be retrieved from the phone, gardai were able to confirm that the number matched that listed for R in McCann's phone. The investigating garda agreed with Seamus Clarke SC, defending, that his client had worked for the gardai for 11 months, in what was her first full-time job after completing her Leaving Certificate. McCann had been living with her boyfriend, who shared where she worked with others. The investigating garda also agreed with Mr Clarke that his clients signed pleas were of value given the sensitive nature of the garda information involved. Mr Clarke said his client's resignation also meant that an internal disciplinary process was not required. She secured alternative work. Outlining the mitigating factors, Mr Clarke noted that his client had entered an early guilty plea and fully co-operated with gardai. McCann was living with her boyfriend at the time, following family difficulties and began taking drugs. She was somewhat naive and made no great effort to cover up her actions, which were easily detected by gardai, Mr Clarke added. A psychological report was also handed to the court, which outlined that McCann has depression and is considered psychologically vulnerable and at low risk of re-offending. Mr Clarke said his client is remorseful and ashamed of her actions. He asked Judge Nolan to consider suspending part of any sentence imposed as his client was very young at the time of her offending. Judge Nolan said this was a serious crime. McCann must have been aware why garda information would have been of interest to third parties and that it could be highly dangerous to give this information. Judge Nolan said a breach of garda systems affects the reputation of An Garda Siochana. He imposed a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence on the corruption count, with the second charge taken into consideration. MATSAPHA - Police officers, who were on duty at Matsapha Police Station on Thursday at 10pm, ran helter-skelter as a hail of bullets were fired at their workstation. The incident left two cars, which were parked in front of the police station, damaged by the hail of bullets. The police station is located at Sigodvweni at the edge of Matsapha Industrial Site. One of the cars belonged to the police service, while the other is a private vehicle owned by one of the police officers. Some of the bullets, which were fired by a group of about eight unknown men, landed inside the police stations service centre, but no one was injured. It was also gathered that judging from the bullet shells, which were found at the scene, the gunmen were armed with different types of guns, ranging from pistols to assault rifles. According to a source close to the matter, the group of unknown gunmen emerged from the cluster of one-room flats (titimela), which are located a stone throw away from the police station. He said they stationed themselves behind the one-room flats, which are located across the road, adjacent to the police station. Without warning, the source said the gunmen fired a hail of bullets at the police station, which was occupied by an undisclosed number of unsuspecting members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). Automatic Judging from the sounds of the gunfire, the source said it was believed that some of the unknown gunmen were armed with Automatic R4 assault rifles or AK47 and as such, the law enforcers, who were taken by surprise inside the police station ran for safety. He said some of them bent down as they ran for cover, with their hands covering their heads to avoid being hit by the hail of bullets. He said most of them ran and sought refuge in some of the offices, which are a bit far from the service centre, which appeared to be the main target as a majority of the bullets were fired there. He said these offices included that of the criminal investigation department (CID), which was occupied by a handful of officers. After firing an unconfirmed number of gunshots at the police station, the source said the gunmen, who were on foot, ran away towards KaHlobile and Mathangeni direction. He said while running along the Matsapha Police Academy/Ndlunganye Public Road, one of the senior officers at Matsapha Police Station, who was driving towards the police station, came across them, but he allegedly did not suspect anything. He said the senior police officer only realised that the young men he came across, running along the road, had just attacked the police station, when he found law enforcers trying to regroup at their work station. They tried to follow them, but could not locate them, the source said. Panic On another note, some of the people who stay in Matsapha Police Camp and surrounding arears, said the moment they heard the gunshots, they hit the panic button. They said they could not tell where exactly the gunshots were fired. Others said they assumed that armed robbers were attacking Pick n Pay Supermarket at Mashayitafula as it was operating 24 hours and as such they feared that the police at Matsapha Police Station, which is located a stone throw away from the supermarket, would attend to the matter. I assure you, no one from the surrounding homes or houses peeped through the window. We all remain quite at the corners of our houses, said one of the people who reside closer to the police station. Meanwhile, Deputy Police Information and Communications officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that Matsapha Police Station was attacked by a group of unknown people on Thursday at around 10pm. She said two vehicles were shot; one belonging to a police officer, while the other one is a government car, under police service. She said at the service centre nothing was damaged despite the fact that most of the gunshots were fired there. On another note, the deputy police mouthpiece said the police tried to hunt the gunmen down after the incident, but in vain. She said investigations were ongoing and no arrests had been made yet. When she was asked if the police service would consider beefing up security at police stations, Mnguni said security issues were not for public consumption. However, following the continuous attacks on members of the State security organs, mainly police officers, the police service has been given E15 million to buy equipment. The money was released to the REPS in the second quarter of this financial year (July 1 September 30, 2022). This is according to the REPS Second Quarter Report. It says the institution has already obtained authority to commit the funds from the Ministry of Finance. As such, the REPS reported that procurement logistics have commenced. They reported that during the second quarter some state security equipment like police protective equipment (PPE) had been delivered. The HSEs interim chief executive has warned of pressures on hospitals ahead of the busy winter period, with attendances to emergency departments up 5% compared with 2019. The health services chief operations officer admitted that he was concerned for patient safety amid a shortage of staff as healthcare services experience high demand. The pressure on services is significant, Stephen Mulvany said speaking at Dr Steevens Hospital in Dublin. A key challenge right now for the health service is the consistent and sustained increase of emergency attendance admissions to our acute hospitals, and the congestion that is causing in our emergency departments. More than a million people have attended emergency departments (EDs) so far this year, many of them frail, elderly people with very complex healthcare needs, he said. There has been a 13% increase in ED admissions of people aged over 75 years, which was of particular concern and will be a focus of the HSEs winter plan. The HSEs chief clinical officer Colm Henry said he was of course worried about patient safety in hospitals during busy periods and staff shortages. Of course Im worried about patient safety and of the impact of congested emergency departments primarily because of the discomfort it causes to patients but also to their welfare and to their outcomes. So, of course, its not safe to have to have the kind of staffing levels that are below what they should be and thats why were working to bring more healthcare professionals into the system into emergency departments. Id love to give reassurance that everything is going to get better overnight, but its not. This is tough, and were competing in an international market for very good, highly-qualified graduates in medicine and nursing and social-care professions that can travel, and do travel. And after two or three years of Covid where people werent able to travel and work abroad, and many are making the choice to go abroad now. We want to keep them here, we want them to work safely. Mr Mulvany encouraged people to consider all urgent care options as the pressure on the health service grows, and suggested people use the 12 injury units across the country, out-of-hour GPs and pharmacists. He also advised citizens to take certain actions, asking that those eligible for a vaccine against Covid-19 or the flu to avail of it; to stay at home if they have symptoms; and to practise good coughing and hand hygiene etiquette as well as wearing a mask in some settings. Damien McCallion, chief operations officer at the HSE, said that the 30,120 attendances to EDs last week was the highest on record for the year. The number of people waiting on trollies in hospitals, a common gauge of how busy hospitals are, is lower than in 2019, with 408 people on trolleys on Thursday morning compared with 448 in 2019. Mr McCallion said they are looking at ways to enhance community care, as well as emphasise injury units and out-of-hour GPs. Some of our sites are under sustained pressure, (with) a lot of improvement work going on to try and make sure were working as optimally as we can, with a particular focus on length of stay and patient experience, he said. Giving an update on Covid-19, Dr Henry said that there was no indication that Omicron, the current dominant Covid-19 variant, poses a greater threat than previous variants of concern. Dr Henry said that the impact of Covid on the health service in the past two years is slightly unclear, as it coincided with the advent of a new variant, Delta and Omicron. Underlying seasonality of SARS-CoV-2 is not yet clear, but may well in time and because we only have the two years of experience, during winters, it may well resemble other respiratory viruses during winter. But it remains to be seen, he said. Eileen Whelan, the national lead of the HSEs test, trace and vaccination programme, said Ireland had moved from a test and trace strategy to a surveillance strategy. She said that the number of people self-referring for a PCR test is currently 2.2% of the number of people doing so last January. The recommendation is that if you have symptoms, if youre over 55 and youre fully boosted, you dont need a PCR test. Youre advised to self isolate and to stay at home. If youre under 55 and youre fit and healthy, you also dont need a PCR test. Ireland has a vaccination rate of 97%, and a first booster dose rate of 80% of the eligible population. Ms Whelan said that 74% of over 65s had received their second booster, with just 13% of healthcare workers receiving their second booster to date. This handout picture released by Extinction Rebellion environmental movement on November 5, 2022 shows two activists glued by a hand to the frames of two paintings by Spanish master Francisco Goya at the Prado museum in Madrid. The protesters scrawled "+1,5C" on the wall between the two artworks in reference to the Paris Agreement target of capping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Both activists were detained, police said. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Extinction Rebellion" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by EXTINCTION REBELLION / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Extinction Rebellion" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - / AFP Two climate activists on Saturday each glued a hand to the frames of two paintings by Spanish master Francisco Goya at the Prado museum in Madrid, police said. The protest did not damage either painting, but the protesters scrawled "+1.5C" on the wall between the two artworks in reference to the Paris Agreement target of capping warming at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Both activists were detained, police said. Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion posted a video online showing the two activists each with a hand fixed on a painting before the museum's security officials move in. The group said the two artworks in question were "The Naked Maja" and "The Clothed Maja". The action was a protest in the face of rising world temperatures which will "provoke an unstable climate with serious consequences for all the planet", the group said in a statement in Spanish. It is the latest in a number of similar protests by climate activists targeting famous artworks in European cities. Dos jovenes se pegan a los marcos de Las Majas de Goya en el Museo del Prado y hacen una pintada para protestar c https://t.co/QhMX3EAhCr JesusCintora (@Jesus Cintora) On Friday, a group splashed pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece in Rome. "The Sower", an 1888 painting by the Dutch artist depicting a farmer sowing his land under a dominating sun, was exhibited behind glass and undamaged. Four activists were arrested, according to news reports. The climate activists from Last Generation called their protest "a desperate and scientifically grounded cry that cannot be understood as mere vandalism". They warned the protest would continue until more attention was paid to climate change. Other actions have seen cake or mashed potatoes used in recent weeks. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback They have targeted masterpieces such as the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre in Paris or "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer at The Hague's Mauritshuis museum. In October, the group Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup over Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" at London's National Gallery. All of those paintings were covered by glass and were undamaged. Le Monde with AFP Chinese president Xi Jinping receives German chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on November 4, 2022. KAY NIETFELD / AP German chancellor Olaf Scholz took advantage of his first visit to Beijing on Friday, November 4, to pass on several messages to his two Chinese hosts, president Xi Jinping and prime minister Li Keqiang, notably on the war in Ukraine, Taiwan, and human rights. Controversial in Europe, and within the German government, this whirlwind trip to China was the first visit to the country by a leader of the European Union and the G7 since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly three years ago. Read more Subscribers only Bad timing? Germany's Scholz heads to China amid debate over future relations On Ukraine, the German leader said he told Mr. Xi Jinping that China, as "a geopolitical actor and permanent member of the UN Security Council, is responsible for peace in the world," and should "assert its influence on Russia." "Everyone here in China knows that an escalation of the war would have consequences for us all," Mr. Scholz told reporters. "That is why it was very important for me to make it clear that any escalation in the form of the use of nuclear-threatening gestures is irresponsible and extremely dangerous, and I am very pleased that agreement was reached on this issue at least." In fact, the statement issued by China following the talks indicates that Mr. Xi feels that "the international community would be "crossing a line" by resorting to nuclear force." In the meantime, Beijing does not seem to show any intention of putting pressure on Moscow. "China supports the efforts of Germany and Europe to play an important role in promoting peace talks," the official Chinese statement reads. Not quite indicating that China wants to get involved in the resolution of the conflict... 'Growing concern' about Taiwan We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback Other contentious issues, such as the fate of Taiwan, also show no sign of any reconciliation between the two parties. "I have spoken today about our growing concern for stability and peace in the region. China has a special responsibility in this regard," the chancellor said. In his view, any change in the status of the island could happen only "peacefully and by mutual consent." Accused by several European countries to only defend German interests, Mr. Scholz indirectly supported Lithuania, which has been boycotted by Beijing for its support for Taiwan. "Economic measures against individual EU member states are directed against the entire EU single market, and sanctions against EU lawmakers are not acceptable for us," he added, referring to measures taken by China against European MPs in March 2021 the day after Brussels decided to impose sanctions on Chinese's repression on the Uighur minority. You have 43.73% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. People walk through floodwaters and flooded farmland after heavy rains in Hadeja, Nigeria, on September 19, 2022. AP PHOTO / AP Should the development of Africa be put on hold until the climate is saved? Thanks to broken promises and double talk, conversation around the transition to a carbon-neutral world has become increasingly difficult for African governments to accept. The continent suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, and governments are aware another crisis could be around the corner. "We must agree on what a just transition for Africa is, and the discussion must take place in Sharm el-Sheikh," Senegalese President Macky Sall warned on behalf of the African Union, of which he is the rotating president. Accounting for less than 3% of the world's total cumulative greenhouse gas emissions since the beginning of the industrial era, the continent is on the front line of a climate crisis for which it is footing the bill at the expense of other priorities. "Our countries are already forced to spend between 2% and 5% of their gross domestic product each year to deal with a problem they did not create. This is one of the most shocking injustices against the continent," Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union Commission, said at a summit on Africa's adaptation held in Rotterdam in September, which the heads of state of industrialized countries had not deemed fit to attend. For hundreds of millions of Africans, the cost of the climate crisis is pushing away hopes of being able to live in dignity and benefit from quality healthcare and education services to an ever more distant horizon. Despite the progress made in recent decades, 33 countries out of 54 still belong to the category of least developed countries, and the region accounts for 60% of extreme poverty globally. More than one in three people lived below the international threshold of $2.15 a day in 2019, according to statistics released in October by the World Bank. And these do not take into account the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Rain-fed agriculture On the climate front, the worst is yet to come for a population that depends mostly on rain-fed agriculture and which is expected to double in numbers by 2050. The conclusions of the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on "impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change" justify the concern of African leaders. The IPCC warns that under the effect of intense heat waves, prolonged droughts and increasingly erratic rainfall, agricultural yields of maize and wheat have begun to decline. Tens of millions of people have been forced to leave their homes to escape rising sea levels. Read more Subscribers only Fossil fuel dependence is putting global health at risk, warn scientists Across the continent, the stories of deaths linked to the proliferation of extreme climatic events show no respite. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has been facing unusually intense floods since the summer. More than 600 people have died, 1.3 million have been displaced and 110,000 hectares of land remain underwater. In Somalia, after more than two years of drought, nearly 8 million people half the population are in need of emergency food aid and the government is preparing to officially declare a famine. These are just two examples in a list too long to count. "The climate emergency is a reality. The continent is suffering and it will get worse" - Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Senegalese philosopher According to IPCC scientists, most African countries will experience climatic conditions of unprecedented temperatures earlier in the century than rich countries located in northern latitudes. The upheaval will be reflected in an increase in the number of days in the year when the average temperature exceeds a threshold considered lethal for humans: between 50 and 100 days in West Africa for a warming of 1.6C, between 100 and 150 days in Central Africa in a scenario of a 2.5C increase and 200 to 300 days in the tropical belt if temperatures soar by more than 4C. "The climate emergency is a reality. The continent is suffering and it will get worse. We are back to the great line of injustice between the North and the South that [the writer and former Senegalese president] Leopold Sedar Senghor described," observed the Senegalese philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne. "But inequality should not be added to inequality, and the North should not assume the right to dictate to the South what it should do under a new definition of development compatible with the preservation of the planet. The time has come to put an end to this." Africa has been asking for many years to be granted a special status to take its history and the resulting development gap into account. "The industrialization of Western countries was made possible by the exploitation of the continent's natural resources. Colonization manufactured this model based on exports. That remains true today. The model has not been transformed. Natural resources still account for 80% of our foreign trade. The only compensation for this misfortune is that it has not caused pollution," said economist Carlos Lopes, a professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. An estimated $4.642 trillion in credit The Paris Agreement on climate signed in 2015, which, for the first time, united all countries in the fight against global warming regardless of their level of development, laid out the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities" among states. In addition to the objective of limiting the rise in temperature to 2C and "if possible 1.5C," it calls for a just transition that will allow for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction. But it does not propose any equation for determining the respective responsibilities of governments and is careful not to mention the notion of reparation. In the run-up to COP27, however, economists at the African Development Bank (AfDB) have done the math. Developed and emerging countries have already consumed 85% of the "carbon budget," the quota of greenhouse gas emissions that would limit the rise in temperatures to below 1.5C, according to climate scientists. The AfDB concludes that Africa has an estimated "credit" of $4.642 trillion when converted to the price of a ton of carbon in 2020. "Paid annually over 202250 [the target horizon for achieving carbon neutrality] this comes to about $165.8 billion a year. The amount of carbon credit that the continent is owed is, therefore, almost 10 times as much as the global climate finance that it received, which was around $18.3 billion annually in 201619," they write in the Climate Resilience and Just Energy Transition in Africa report. The gap between the already-identified needs and funds received also helps explain the frustration expressed by African countries: They would need $280 billion per year by 2030 to be able to implement their adaptation strategies and their emission reduction targets, which are set through what are known as "nationally determined contributions." In 2020, only $30 billion has been mustered, more than half of which is in the form of loans. And eight countries (Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana) have acquired more than half of this amount, according to the non-profit American research center Climate Policy Initiative. Why should Africa give up exploiting its fossil fuels when almost all other countries are stalling or reneging on their commitments? "We are realistic. The industrialized countries will not honor their historic debt, but a turning point would come with the creation of a loss and damage measure to compensate for the already irreparable damage caused by global warming," said Faten Aggad of the African Climate Foundation, who also finds it unacceptable that poor countries should have to go into debt to access financing: "It's a double penalty." The planned introduction in 2026 of a carbon tax at the European Union's borders on steel, aluminum and cement imports is also considered unfair to countries seeking to enter the industrialization process. "African countries have understood that the decarbonization of economies and the return of discourse on industrial sovereignty with the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine are not favorable to them. They are afraid of being confined to the role of producers of raw materials, even if they are strategic minerals for the environmental transition," observed Sebastien Treyer, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). The energy crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine has raised another debate: Why should Africa give up exploiting its fossil fuels when almost all other countries are delaying or reneging on their commitments? In July, the European Union included gas on its list of sustainable energies that will benefit from community investment. The United Kingdom is relaunching exploration in the North Sea. Germany and Italy are turning to African producers to secure their supplies. At Africa's expense "It is right that Africa can exploit its resources to improve the competitiveness of its economy and give access to electricity to some 600 million people who are still deprived of it," as Mr. Sall has been hammering home for several months. On a continent of 1.2 billion people, energy production today barely exceeds that of Germany. But for almost every state, projects to develop production capacities are impossible without external capital and technology. Yet a year ago, at COP26, a coalition of development banks and bilateral donors, including France, the United States and the United Kingdom, pledged to stop financing any new investment in fossil fuels by the end of 2022. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback The decision is perceived by Africans as a certificate of virtue acquired a little too easily at their expense. But the Just Energy Transition Partnership signed with South Africa, with $8.5 billion in funding to help it move away from its dependence on coal, is seen as a promising initiative. "There are no big and small countries in this unparalleled crisis. Africa should not let itself have choices imposed upon it, but it should not shirk the responsibility of concern about the future of the planet. Climate change gives us the opportunity to become human together to save our common home," said Mr. Diagne, the philosopher. "For this, the world must overcome its tribal divisions." Laurence Caramel Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version. UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick (UHL) will be hosting its annual remembrance service for the first time in person since the start of the pandemic. The service is being held in the memory of all patients who have died in University Hospital Limerick in the past 12 months. Organisers are reaching out to bereaved relatives and loved ones to come together to find solace, strength and comfort in their loss. The service will consist of readings and poems which have been chosen for the occasion and appropriate musical accompaniment will be provided by the voices of the all-female Gunas Choir from Killaloe, directed by Rhoda Cleary. Celebrants are Fr Sean Harmon, Rev Niall J Sloane, and Rev Dr Leonard Madden. For those unable to attend in person, the Remembrance Service will be live-streamed on the Mungret-Crecora-Raheen parish website here. Rebecca Lloyd, End of Life Care Coordinator at UHL, encouraged all loved ones of patients who have died in the hospital during the past year to come together and remember their loved ones along with others who have been bereaved. No-one has to grieve alone, Ms Lloyd said. We are glad to be able to invite people to attend this special service in person for the first time since 2019. The loss of a loved one can be very lonely, and the in-person service allows people to connect with one another and share their grief. We also take this opportunity to remind people that our bereavement support line, run in partnership with Irish Hospice Foundation, is there to provide connection, comfort and support. Very much a shoulder for you to lean on, this national freephone service is available at 1800-80-70-77 from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday, Ms Lloyd stated. The remembrance service will take place at St Nessan's Church, Church Road, Raheen, on Saturday November 12 at 2pm. A SUBSTANTIAL grant from the Heritage Council has helped Croom farmer Hannah Quinn-Mulligan save one of the roofs on an 18th century farm building from caving in. The Traditional Farm Buildings grant is available only to farmers who were part of the GLAS scheme and allowed them to get up to a maximum of 25,000 in funding to restore old farm buildings, including arches and walls. Some 1.25 million was set aside in funding for the scheme this year. This grant covers 75% of the costs, including the farmers own labour, with the remaining 25% of costs covered by the farmer. In Hannahs case, she applied for 23,59 to cover the shed roof and adjoining arch and wall. She was awarded the grant and work got underway. The roof was in an awful way, and all it would have taken was one bad storm for it to cave in. The shed is a valuable part of the farm infrastructure and is still used for calving cows in spring. You can tell its been used for generations and we wanted to restore it to its original glory, said Hannah. Unfortunately, there were some stumbling blocks as the cost of authentic slates and more than expected weather damage to the arch pushed the budget slightly higher than had been expected. However, the quality of the work has made all the hardship worthwhile. This building isnt just a farm shed, its part of the agriculture history and way of life for generations in Limerick. While the work was slightly more costly than expected and exceeded 30,000, I believe we have guaranteed the life of the building for future generations. Im deeply grateful to the Department of Agriculture and the Heritage Council for the Traditional Farm Buildings grant. We would not have been able to save this building without it, said Hannah. A CAR used in the burglary of a shop in Kildimo was later driven at a garda vehicle before a very serious chase in the city, Limerick Circuit Court heard. Eddie Carey, aged 27, of Byrne Avenue, Prospect, Limerick city pleaded guilty to a number of charges including endangerment, unlawful use of a vehicle, burglary, dangerous driving and no insurance. Prosecuting barrister, John O'Sullivan, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Sergeant Brian Grogan. Mr OSullivan said on May 21, 2019, a woman parked a Nissan Qashqai outside her home in the South Circular Road area of the city. She left the car keys on a hall table two metres from her front door. When she got up in the morning she saw the car was gone, said Mr OSullivan. The barrister said at 5.05am on May 22, 2019, the same Nissan Qashqai pulled up outside a shop in Kildimo which encompasses a post office. Two males got out, broke a window in the shop and entered through the window. They took 150, which was the float, from the till and 30 in coins. Fortunately, the accused could not gain access to the post office, said Mr OSullivan. Sgt Grogan confirmed that a still image of Mr Carey was taken from CCTV. On the following morning at around 4.50am Sgt Grogan was on plain clothes duty in an unmarked patrol car. The garda observed the Nissan Qashqai park up at Fitzhaven Place. There were two males wearing gloves. The gardai activated the blue lights to stop their escape. The Nissan Qashqai was driven at the passenger side of the garda vehicle to avoid being boxed in, said Mr OSullivan. Sgt Grogan agreed with the barrister. Mr OSullivan said the Nissan Qashqai was driven onto the South Circular Road with no concern for oncoming traffic. The court heard the Nissan Qashqai was driven the wrong way down South Circular Road, turned right at Naughtons Place, went down an alley at high speed, ran a red light at Bobby Byrnes pub and continued onto Wolfe Tone Street. Mr OSullivan said the vehicle being driven by Mr Carey narrowly missed hitting parked cars. The chase continued on through Roden Street, on the wrong side of the road on OConnell Avenue, Quinn Street, South Circular Road, St Alphonsus Street and onto the Dock Road. The vehicle was pulled up near a Circle K petrol station and the two in the car attempted to run off. After a foot chase the two males were arrested. A Mr X has absconded and may be in England, said Mr OSullivan. The Nissan Qashqai which was not damaged was returned to its owner. The whole experience was very upsetting for the owners of the small country shop and post office and for the owner of the car due to the intrusion into her property and being deprived of her car, said Mr OSullivan, who also spoke of the manner of driving in a highly populated area. The prosecuting barrister described Mr Carey as a recidivist offender with multiple offences dating back to 2011. Kenneth Kerins BL, who represented Mr Carey, said his client hasnt come to garda attention in the last two and a half years. Answering questions from Mr Kerins, Sgt Grogan said Mr Carey has held down a job for the last two and a half years, believes he and his partner had a second child and bought a house. He is the most stable Ive ever seen him, said Sgt Grogan. Mr Kerins said Mr Carey was living a chaotic lifestyle at the time. There was substance misuse. He has since detached himself from his peers and stayed out of trouble. He is a technician in Regeneron and is on the third stage of advancement. He is a mortgage holder. He is 27 albeit an immature 27. His eldest son has autism. He comes to court with 500 as a gesture of remorse. There is a vulnerability to Mr Carey. He shows great promise. He asks the court to extend a helping hand instead of an iron fist, said Mr Kerins. Judge Tom ODonnell described it as an outrageous performance by Mr Carey. It was a very serious chase in Limerick city, running red lights, down narrow lanes. Im surprised there wasnt an accident. The driving was outrageous, said Judge ODonell. Other aggravating factors the judge spoke of were Mr Carey being on bail at the time and his appalling list of previous convictions. The mitigation factors were his plea of guilty, a very positive probation report and the changes in his life outlined by Mr Kerins including having a steady job and obtaining a mortgage. An immediate custodial sentence would upend matters, said Judge ODonnell, who adjourned the case until next February for a short probation update. Let me make myself abundantly clear. If you are convicted of any other offence, in particular road traffic, all bets are off. I am taking an enormous risk in light of the evidence. I am very grateful to Sgt Grogan. I am keeping my options open. I am taking a huge leap of faith on you, said Judge ODonnell. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shahs Srinagar house in a case related to fuelling terrorist activities in the union territory. Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached an immovable property situated at Botshah Colony, Sanat Nagar, Police Station Barzulla, Srinagar of value of 21.80 lakhs in the name of Shabir Ahmad Shah under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)," the ED said in a statement. The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR dated 30 May, 2017 filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed and others under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Shabir Ahmad Shah was actively involved in the activities of fuelling unrest in Kashmir valley by way of stone pelting, processions, protests, bandhs, hartals and other subversive activities," the ED stated. Shabir Ahmad Shah was involved in receiving funds from terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and other terrorist outfits based in Pakistan through hawala and various other means and channels." It further said that Shah also received funds from the Pakistani government. These funds were used for fuelling and supporting militant activities in the Kashmir valley," it added. During the course of the investigation, an immovable property worth 21.80 lakhs owned in the name of Shabir Ahmad Shah was identified and the same has been provisionally attached under the provisions of Indias stringent anti-money laundering law, the financial probe agency said. Further investigation in the case is under progress, it added. In 1998, Shah formed the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) which advocates self determination" of Kashmiri people. Shah was arrested by the ED in 2017 from Srinagar and is currently lodged in a Delhi prison. NEW DELHI: Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal has called for boosting bilateral trade and deepening cultural relations between India and Kyrgyz Republic. He was addressing the 10th Session of the India-Kyrgyz Republic Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation (IKIGC), the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a statement. The 10th session of IKIGC was held in a virtual format. It was co-chaired by Piyush Goyal and Imanov Talantbek Oruskulovich, Minister of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic. Goyal noted that India and Kyrgyz Republic share warm and friendly ties. He said that India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relationship with Kyrgyz Republic in March 1992 and observed that 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The minister said that the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Kyrgyz Republic in June 2019 had elevated the relationship between two nations to the level of strategic partnership. He pointed out that there was immense potential for expansion of bilateral trade between India and Kyrgyzstan. Goyal said that India was very enthusiastic about participating in trade shows and exhibitions in Kyrgyztan and invited Kyrgyztan to take part in trade expos in India. Both sides discussed mutual cooperation and steps to further enhance them in the fields of Trade & Economy, Development Partnership, Investment, Digitalization, Intellectual Property, Agriculture, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Textiles, Education, Environment, Standardization & Metrology, Banking, Transport, Labour, Mining and Power sectors," the ministry said. Emphasis was given to increase the bilateral trade and investment opportunities. The sides agreed to take necessary measures to increase the interaction of exporters and importers of the two countries and expand the trading basket," it added. A protocol of the 10th session of the IKIGC was signed between India and the Kyrgyz Republic. Both the sides agreed to hold the 11th session of the IKIGC on a mutually convenient date. Minister of State (MoS) for external affairs V. Muraleedharan will visit Brazil from 7 to 8 November. This will be the first visit by a senior Indian politician to the country since the conclusion of the countrys presidential election last week. According to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs, Minister Muraleedharan will attend the Solemn Session on 75 years of Indias Independence on 8 November 2022, to be held in the Brazilian Parliament (Congresso Nacional). He will address the congregation of Brazilian Parliamentarians, both from the upper and lower house; representatives of the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations; representatives of the Brazilian Government and Friends of India." During the visit, MoS will call on the Vice President of Brazil and have interactions at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will also meet the Indian community at Sao Paulo and participate in a reception in Brasilia with members of the Congress and Senate, Diplomats, members of Brazilian Government and the Indian community.", the release goes on to say. Minister Muraleedharans visit is a continuation of a long-standing interaction with Brazil at the highest level. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the country three times during his tenure, while PM Narendra Modi has visited in 2014 and 2019. President Jair Bolsonaro visited India in 2020 when he was Indias Chief Guest on Republic Day. Both sides have also seen regular meetings at the foreign ministers level as well as at the cabinet ministers level. EDGE Groups Lahab, a specialist in manufacturing of a wide range of ammunition and provider of cutting edge technologies, services, and training, today (November 5) signed a MoU with Indonesias state-owned PT Dahana (Dahana), that will see both companies co-operate in the development of high energy materials. A key player in the Asian region, Dahana is engaged in high energy materials and provides integrated explosives services for the general mining, quarry and construction, oil and gas, and defence sectors. As per the deal, Lahab and Dahana will establish a joint technical team which will be responsible for defining a complete roadmap and execution phase of the co-investment and the development of existing facilities in Indonesia. Both companies are also exploring cooperation for production of propellant and RDX, energetic materials that play a strategic role in the growth of sovereign defence capabilities. A UAE leader in the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, EDGE said the agreement was the result of the support and guidance of the leadership of both countries, and Defend ID, the holding company under which Dahana sits. Edge and Defenc ID had signed a Confidentiality Agreement in August last year and a Master Agreement in January this year, for cooperation and evaluation of potential strategic partnerships in joint ventures, joint investments, and other joint opportunities, said the company in a statement. The agreement was signed on the third day of the Indo Defence Expo & Forum 2022, being held at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta, Indonesia. The MoU, which was signed by Lahab CEO Arafat Al Yafei, and the Director of Technology and Development of Dahana, Suhendra Yusuf RPN, will pave the way for cooperation in the field of manufacturing, and the production of several types of explosives, capitalising on the existing capabilities of both companies, and allowing them to explore joint investment in the construction of a TNT plant at the Dahana Energetic Material Center (EMC) area in Subang. Speaking on the occasion, Al Yafei said: "Lahabs agreement with Dahana is a perfect example of two highly specialised companies coming together to explore joint synergies and opportunities which will allow us to grow our individual and sovereign capabilities through partnership." "By utilising these unique strengths, we are able to play a strategic role in strengthening the economic and security relationships between our countries, while pushing the boundaries of technology, and ultimately the superior services and solutions we offer our customers in both the defence and commercial sectors, while minimising potential disruption," he added. Yusuf said: "As part of Defend ID, which serves to realise the independence of the national defence and security equipment tool, Alpalhankam, and to be a player in the global defence industry supply chain, Dahana seeks to establish strategic cooperation with Lahab and the wider EDGE Group. We hope that this MoU can be followed up and realised in order to increase the capability and capacity of each company." Currently, Indonesias domestic requirements for these materials are covered by imports, which are vulnerable to foreign embargoes. In addition to being raw materials for the manufacture of explosives in the defence sector, TNT, Propellant, and RDX can also be used as raw materials for the manufacture of explosives in the commercial sector, such as mining.-TradeArabia News Service Barack Obama warned anxious Democrats on Saturday that abortion rights, Social Security and even democracy itself is at risk should Republicans seize congressional majorities next week. "Sulking and moping is not an option," the former president said in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, lets make sure our country doesnt get set back 50 years," Obama told hundreds of voters on a blustery day in Pittsburgh. "The only way to save democracy is if we, together, fight for it." He was the opening speaker in a clash of presidents past and present in the battleground state as each partys biggest stars worked to energize voters on the final weekend of campaigning before Election Day on Tuesday. Obama was accompanying Senate nominee John Fetterman, the lieutenant governor who represents his party's best chance to flip a Republican-held seat. Later Saturday, they were to appear in Philadelphia with President Joe Biden and Josh Shapiro, the nominee for governor. Democrats are deeply concerned about their narrow majorities in the House and Senate as voters sour on Bidens leadership amid surging inflation, crime concerns and widespread pessimism about the direction of the country. History suggests that Democrats, as the party in power, will suffer significant losses in the midterms. Even before arriving in Pennsylvania, Biden was dealing with a fresh political mess after upsetting some in his party for promoting plans to shut down fossil fuel plants in favor of green energy. While he made the comments in California the day before, the fossil fuel industry is a major employer in Pennsylvania. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the president owed coal workers across the country an apology. Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting," Manchin said. The White House said Biden's words were twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense" and that he was commenting on a fact of economics and technology." Former President Donald Trump will finish the day courting voters in a working-class region in the southwestern corner of the state Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Senate nominee, and Doug Mastriano, who running for governor. The attention on Pennsylvania underscores the stakes in 2022 and beyond for the tightly contested state. The Oz-Fetterman race could decide the Senate majority and with it, Biden's agenda and judicial appointments for the next two years. The governor's contest will determine the direction of state policy and control of the state's election infrastructure heading into the 2024 presidential contest. Polls show a close contest to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Shapiro, the state attorney general, leads in polls over Mastriano, a state senator and retired Army colonel who some Republicans believe is too extreme to win a general election in a state Biden narrowly carried two years ago. Obama acknowledged that voters are anxious after suffering through some tough times" in recent years, citing the pandemic, rising crime and surging inflation. The Republican like to talk about it, but whats their answer, whats their economic policy?" Obama asked. They want to gut Social Security. They want to gut Medicare. They want to give rich folks and big corporations more tax cuts." Obama and Fetterman hugged on stage after the speeches were over. Today, Dr. Oz is going to be standing with Donald Trump," Fetterman quipped. Saturday marked Obama's first time campaigning in Pennsylvania this year, though he has been the party's top surrogate in the final sprint to Election Day. Obama campaigned in recent days in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona. As Biden's approval numbers sag, the current president has been a far less visible presence in battleground states. He's spending more time in Democratic-leaning states where he's more welcome. Biden opened his day in Democratic-leaning Illinois campaigning with Rep. Lauren Underwood, a two-term suburban Chicago lawmaker who is in a close race. In a speech, Biden ticked through several of his administrations achievements, including the Inflation Reduction Action, passed in August by the Democratic-led Congress. It includes several health care provisions popular among elderly people and the less well-off, including a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket medical expenses and a $35 monthly cap per prescription of insulin. The new law also requires companies that raise prices faster than overall inflation to pay Medicare a rebate. I wish I could say Republicans in Congress helped make it happen," Biden said of the legislation that passed along party lines. Yet his comments from the day before about the energy industry may have been getting more attention. Its also now cheaper to generate electricity from wind and solar than it is from coal and oil," Biden said Friday in Southern California. Were going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar." Pennsylvania has largely transitioned away from coal, but fossil fuel companies remain a major employer in the state. The White House has worried privately for weeks that concerns about Fetterman's health might undermine his candidacy. Fetterman is still recovering from a stroke he suffered in May. He jumbled words and struggled to complete sentences in his lone debate against Oz last month, although medical experts say he's recovering well from the health scare. Obama addressed Fettermans stroke directly. Johns stroke did not change who he is. It didnt change what he cares about," he said. Despite his lingering health challenges, Fetterman railed against Oz and castigated the former New Jersey resident as an ultrawealthy carpetbagger who will say or do anything to get elected. Ill be the 51st vote to eliminate the filibuster, to raise the minimum wage," Fetterman said. Please send Dr. Oz back to New Jersey." Oz has worked to craft a moderate image in the general election and focused his attacks on Fetterman's progressive positions on criminal justice and drug decriminalization. Still, Oz has struggled to connect with some voters, including Republican voters who think hes too close to Trump, too liberal or inauthentic. Trump's late rally in Latrobe is part of a late blitz that will also take him to Florida and Ohio. He's hoping a strong GOP showing will generate momentum for the 2024 run that he's expected to launch in the days or weeks after polls close. Trump has been increasingly explicit about his plans. At a rally Thursday night in Iowa, traditionally home of the first contest on the presidential nominating calendar, Trump repeatedly referenced his 2024 White House ambitions. After talking up his first two presidential runs, he told the crowd: Now, in order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again, OK? Very, very, very probably. Very, very, very probably." Get ready, thats all Im telling you. Very soon," he said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Following a recent meeting of IFA National Council, IFA President Tim Cullinan said that IFA will not sign up to the Food Vision Dairy and Beef/Sheep Group reports as they stand. Hes seeking a meeting with Minister McConalogue to resolve outstanding issues. While a lot of good work has gone into these reports, the reality is that a lot has changed since these sub groups were established. We have had the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, which has raised real concerns about food security, he said. In addition, the Minister has agreed with the EU Commission to a review of the Nitrates Action Programme in 2023. As part of this, he has conceded that the upper limit on the derogation may be reduced to 220kgs of organic nitrogen from its current limit of 250kgs. He conceded this without any consultation whatsoever with IFA, he said. This, along with other aspects of the Nitrates Action Programme, could have a significant impact on cattle numbers and farmers incomes. It will also have unintended consequences in the land market and impact every sector including tillage, he said. Ross Bennett-Cooks first summer job was at the age of 18 when he spent the summer season working as a holiday rep in Magalluf. More recently, the Visiting Lecturer, PhD, University of Westminster has written a fascinating paper about what it means to be an expat and investigates what the terminology means, if anything. The paper examines the Turkish resort town of Fethiye, which has the largest British population of permanent residents and who have added to the physical and cultural character of the town. To understand why these individuals decided to relocate to Fethiye, and what their lives are like in the town, 17 semi-structured interviews with British residential tourists were conducted. The paper reveals a complex identity paradox, by which many feel that the stigma surrounding the term expat, and what it means to be a Brit abroad, has impacted their identity, relationships and judgment of fellow residential tourists. The study also uncovers the motivational characteristics for their relocation, from which a strong financial element towards the choice of Turkey was revealed. Hostguest relationships are also explored, revealing largely positive attitudes towards the Turkish community. Ross explained that while he spent three years living in the resort known as Little Britain in Turkey, he began to investigate what being an expat really means. An estimated 5.5 million Britons live overseas, with more than 300,000 people joining this growing trend annually. The destinations that Britons choose overseas have been faced with criticism, stereotyping and ridicule for the type or style of tourism or migration they represent, he says. These places often align with the Mediterranean resort development of the 1960s and 1970s, similar to Benidorm or Magalluf for example, where resorts were built to cater to the needs of mass-market and typically working-class holidaymakers. This connection between mass tourism and the working class has resulted in these destinations being stigmatised with working-class stereotypes of classlessness or unsophistication. These stereotypes continue to prevail today, with British overseas residents often being associated with a Brits abroad stereotype, often centred around ideas of culturally homogenous resort communities, Little Englands by the sea, and perceived lack of hostguest integration. Since the UKs 2016 Brexit referendum, as well as the 2015 European migrant crisis, migration seems to have increased in media, political and personal discussions. These discussions quite commonly include Turkey. As a country on the periphery of Europe, it is often framed as the gateway to Europe, rhetoric that was used as partial justification for Britains exit from the European Union. However, British migrants overseas, commonly referred to as expats, seem to receive significantly less attention than other migrant communities. All of the British residents I spoke to admitted to referring to themselves as expats, but they did not really know what it meant when I asked them. In fact, as the conversations developed, many admitted that they did not like the term because of the stereotype which comes with it, particularly in the British media. The image of Britons lying in the sun drinking gin and tonics all day. Well, that is quite far from the modern-day truth. The reality is that 74% of Brits living in the EU are there for employment purposes but this is very rarely mentioned in the media. The press would rather focus on retirees or British tourists getting into trouble. During my research, I didnt find people happily embracing the expat identity, but the opposite. I was met with Brits desperate to distance themselves from the stereotypes of holiday complexes (resorts that have no relationship with local life). These stereotypes participating minimally in local life or culture, refusing to learn the language of their hosts and generally recreating a little England in the sun have become synonymous with idea of British expats. I also found that the desire to dissociate from the expat stereotype also seemed to be actively encouraging Britons to steer clear of one another, avoiding the perception that expats only mix with fellow foreigners. That said, it is natural and normal when moving to another country for people to tend to stick together, move to an area popular with people from their own country and speak the same language; it provides a sense of safety and security. The same can be said for immigrants who have migrated to the UK, for example; many tend to stick together, but that can be expected. But what I found was that while those who have retired overseas and have no intention of returning to UK dont like the connotations which come with being referred to an expat, the new, younger generations of professionals who are moving abroad for employment reasons certainly do not like being referred to as an expat. I think, to be honest, the terminology has become outdated and will eventually die away. After all, and many Britons I spoke to, agreed with the fact they are migrants or immigrants and had no objection to being referred to as such. Had they not been British and from another creed or culture, they would be referred to as migrants because, that is what Britons living and working overseas are, especially post-Brexit now that the UK is a third country as far as the European Union is concerned. Ok, Turkey is not a member of the EU yet, but it desperately wants to be. Another factor which has to be taken into account is that numerous resorts in the Mediterranean, such as Benidorm and Magalluf, were built by the governments for tourists, to attract tourists to boost the economy. So the authorities cannot really complain too much about how Britons behave. On the whole, the vast majority are well behaved and an increasing number do integrate, learn the language and embrace the culture and lifestyle of their new home. But this does not appear to filter through to the mainstream media which continues to have and transmit a rather derogatory image of British expats, which a growing number resent and want to move away from. The British-dominated resorts, and the same can be said for the Germans for example, which have been created by governments. provide the local residents with a clear indication of where all the expats are; so if they chose to, they know where to avoid. That said, any misgivings towards foreigners are not the fault of the tourists or the expats. Countries like Spain did their best to encourage people to come on holiday, buy a second home or relocate full time. So its not fair to point the finger at the British all the time. Ironically, quite a few of the Britons I spoke to voted in favour of Brexit with little awareness of the full implications of not being part of the EU. My gran parents, for example, have had a home in Minorca for many years, but now they are subject to the 90-day rule, and for new arrivals in Spain and elsewhere in the EU it is much more complicated than it was pre-Brexit. Why expats voted for Brexit, I find it hard to understand, especially those who have no intention of returning to the UK, Ross explained to the Bulletin. Elon Musk's mass layoffs today at various Twitter offices, not only in the United States, but in other countries, have sparked a labor controversy that has even reached the highest levels of government. US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wrote on her Twitter account a message addressed to all US workers, particularly those of that social network. In it, she points out that these layoffs violate WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) in New York. Calls for action under the law AOC's statement notes: "If you are a Twitter (or any other) employee subject to mass layoffs, New York also has a WARNS law. New York's WARNS law requires 90 days notice for mass layoffs by large companies. Employers who fail to comply with this rule may be forced to pay your wages and benefits," and posts the link where you can see the law that Elon Musk is not complying with. In a second message, he retweeted a post by New York Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, in which she gives more information for anyone who has been fired today by the new administration presided over by Musk. California also has a WARN law that protects the worker AOC also reposted the tweet from attorney Lisa Bloom, who since Thursday has been keeping an eye on cases that have come to her regarding these mass layoffs. On Thursday night, Bloom posted: "To Twitter employees being laid off tomorrow: important information from a CA employment attorney (me): California's WARN law requires Twitter to give you 60 days notice of a mass layoff. A layoff of more than 50 employees in a 30-day period qualifies. I know you haven't received that notice." And on his account he has posted testimonials from people who suffered layoffs at the company Musk bought and took control of just a week ago. A website for Native American veterans to participate in traditional talking circles and storytelling with trusted elders. An app that locks a gun safe for a preset amount of time or requires a second person to approve opening it. A virtual reality headset for veterans on both sides of the justice system -- guards and inmates -- to use when they're stressed or depressed. Those are just a few of the 30 proposals for veteran suicide prevention that were on display in an office building in Washington, D.C., on Friday as the finalists in the Department of Veterans Affairs' Mission Daybreak competition made their case to judges in hopes of winning up to $3 million and having their idea turned into reality. "There are none that have not impressed me, and there are several that really come at issues from a unique perspective," Matthew Miller, director of VA suicide prevention, said in an interview with Military.com at the Mission Daybreak Demo Day. "I've seen unique perspectives to lethal means safety and firearms. I've seen unique perspectives and plans applied to Navajo Nation and native veterans, unique applications of risk prediction and integration of biometrics. So exactly what this was intended to do, lots of ideas put together into plans that could be applicable to the VA." Read Next: National Guard Leaders Warn More Cyber Security Spending Needed to Help Protect Elections The VA launched Mission Daybreak earlier this year with the goal of seeking fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to combat the epidemic of suicide, which despite decreases in the rate in recent years still kills thousands of veterans annually. The competition has a total of $20 million up for grabs. The 30 finalists have already earned $250,000 each, and another 10 entries that didn't move onto the finals earned "Promise Awards" of $100,000 each. Of the finalists, two will win the top prize of $3 million, three second-place finishers will earn $1 million, and five third-place finishers will get $500,000. The department announced the finalists last month, after which the proposals entered an "accelerator" phase for fine-tuning ahead of Demo Day. Demo Day is not the only factor in determining the winner, but it gave the finalists the chance to make their pitch to judges in person, as well as meet each other and showcase their ideas to other interested VA and Pentagon officials and congressional staffers, among others. In a setup similar to a school science fair, each finalist Friday had a table complete with videos and posters or other props as judges with clipboards walked around to each and heard the pitches. One of the finalists is Televeda, a proposal for a web-based application where Native Americans can participate in a support group that incorporates their traditions and rituals. Their table was sparse, with just a small woven table runner and an arrowhead, but they appeared to elicit great interest from those who stopped by. In addition to having few mental health resources that recognize their culture, Native Americans have unique difficulties that contribute to a higher suicide rate than the general veterans population, including historical trauma, said Mayank Mishra, co-founder and chief technology officer of Televeda. "Any other professional ... who studies this population has always come to the exact same conclusion: Please incorporate their traditional practices and their culture," Mishra said. "However, that sort of ends as a sentiment or a white paper, so we're hoping here to present the first operational plan, which is scalable that includes a web interface that is culturally appropriate and a method that can be applied tribe-by-tribe by using agnostic symbols like storytelling and talking circles." Several proposals also dealt with firearm safety, including Vara Safety, which started as a gun safe company that relied on biometrics to access the safe and has now developed an app where users who know they are in distress can keep the safe locked for a set amount of time. The app also allows users to turn on two-party approval for opening the safe, as well as a feature that will send happy pictures and videos of loved ones to display on the safe when it's opened. There was also Overwatch Project, which seeks to train veterans to talk to their veteran friends about firearm safety. They attracted Demo Day attendees to their table with a unique hashtag: "JustFKNAsk." "It's basically the 'Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk' model except, instead of alcohol and cars, we're talking about guns and suicide," said Casey Woods, executive director of Overwatch Project. "So if you got a buddy who's struggling, while you're there supporting them, helping them, [you can ask] what's up with their firearms, can you hold on to them, can you secure them?" Other projects on display Friday included BioMojo, which is developing a virtual reality program for both prison guards and inmates who are veterans that can provide them with an AI therapist or friendly face to talk to or soothing situations; Same Grain, which works like a social networking site or dating app to match veterans with things in common to support each other or veterans to therapists and other professionals; and Team DSS, which uses AI to help responders on the Veterans Crisis Line interpret callers' emotions and intent. Judges will now digest what they saw on Demo Day, and the winners are expected to be announced by the end of the month. Whether and how soon any of the winners then become integrated into the VA will depend on contracting processes, Miller said. "In the last two years of available data, [which] did not include Mission Daybreak sort of interventions, we've seen an approximate 10% reduction in veteran suicide," Miller said. "What I would love is to see another 10% in another two years, if not more, from creative and innovative ideas." All 30 finalists that were on display can be found here. -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: VA Selects 30 Programs for Suicide Prevention Competition Read the original article on Business Insider. Russian President Vladimir Putin has the world on edge. He's waging the first major war in Europe since 1945 that's sparked a global energy crisis and fears of a nuclear conflict. As Western intelligence agencies vie to stay two steps ahead of the Russian leader and get inside his head, peering into Putin's KGB past can offer clues on what he may do next. Long before he was a world leader, Putin was a mid-level KGB officer stationed in Dresden, East Germany towards the end of the Cold War. The official narrative on this period of Putin's life suggests it was an uneventful stint in a backwater, a long way from the action in Berlin. But ex-spies and Russia experts told Insider that Putin's time in the KGB the Soviet Union's primary and much-feared security agency played an instrumental role in shaping his mindset. "Putin's KGB background tells us a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the war. He is a creation of the KGB, and the KGB was a terrorist organization," John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served in Russia, told Insider. "It was all about keeping the leadership in power at all costs. It killed any domestic opposition to the [Communist] Party and used subversion abroad." Under Putin's leadership, the Russian military has routinely targeted civilian areas in Ukraine and been widely accused of committing numerous war crimes including torture, rape, and mass killings. Russian forces have engaged in sabotage and damaged crucial infrastructure as part of an effort make life miserable for Ukrainians, break their resolve, and squeeze Kyiv into capitulating to Putin's demands. From Chechnya to Syria and now Ukraine, the Russian leader has shown a willingness to devastate cities and kill scores of civilians with indiscriminate strikes. Sipher, who worked for the CIA's clandestine service for nearly three decades, said Russia's indiscriminate warfare against Ukraine is part of a "KGB/terrorist mindset." "The Russian services have long spent far more of their time on things like disinformation, sabotage, deception, agitation, and assassination," Sipher said, adding, "What we have seen from Putin over the past 20 years are these same asymmetric attacks. Like a terrorist group that can't take on enemies directly, he looks for weaknesses to exploit, and soft targets to attack." 'How to lie' The KGB's recruits were imbued with a deep sense of patriotism. Jack Barsky, an ex-KGB spy who was a sleeper agent in the US during the Cold War, told Insider that being a KGB agent meant being a servant. "You were not in charge. You executed based on what people told you. I did too. [Putin] rose above that," Barsky said. "The mindset when you become a member of the KGB it wasn't just a career thing, it was also a patriotic thing. Vladimir Putin thinks of himself as a super patriot of Russia," said Barsky, who remained in the US after the collapse of the Soviet Union and eventually consulted the FBI and NSA after being exposed in the 1990s as a former undercover agent, operating without diplomatic cover. "I was driven by high motives. I thought I would be able to use my skills to the best for society," Putin once said of his decision to join the KGB. Few concrete details are known about Putin's work in Dresden, where he was stationed from 1985 to 1990, but the Russian leader and those close to him have often presented it as inconsequential. "East Germany wasn't where you do a lot of espionage," Barsky said, underscoring that Putin was operating in a country friendly to the Soviet Union at the time. Work in East Germany largely involved collaborating with the Stasi, the ruthless secret police for the German Democratic Republic, and recruiting assets, he said. What Putin did in the KGB was "very similar" to the work of "the fellow who recruited me while I was a student at university," Barsky said. Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy's book, "Mr. Putin," suggests that he was most likely involved in an array of recruitment operations while in Dresden, and may have even traveled to West Germany undercover at times. Putin was a "really good networker," Barsky said, adding, "When the Soviet Union fell apart, he had a great network amongst ex-KGB agents." "Those were the ones that rose to power mostly economically, but also politically because they knew how the capitalist-type world functions," Barsky went on to say, "And so that's how [Putin] rose to power." To be in the KGB meant to live a life of deception on some level. Toward the end of his service in Dresden, which coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin famously confronted a crowd of angry protestors outside of his office building. The crowd was seemingly looking for members of the Stasi, and Putin's German made him a potential target. "When they aggressively asked who he really was, Putin responded that he was 'a translator,'" Hill and Gaddy wrote. "Putin lied his way out of trouble." Barsky's mission involved far more extreme acts of deception living under false identity and attempting to blend into American society to make contact with high-level decisionmakers in the US. Born Albert Dittrich in East Germany in 1949, Barsky spied in the US for a decade and built an entirely new life in the process. "I was a well-kept state secret as an illegal undercover agent," Barsky said, "They picked me because they had reason to believe I'm very adaptable and I can make good decisions on my own and I'm not afraid to make decisions. There's a list of character traits that they were looking for in candidates for this kind of a job." In 1988, the KGB ordered Barsky to come home. But he defied the Soviet spy agency and risked a potentially deadly retaliation to stay in the US. Barsky exploited Soviet fears of AIDS, falsely telling his handlers that he'd contracted it. The lie worked and Barsky was able to remain in the US, living a relatively normal American live until his cover was blown in the 1990s and the FBI approached him. The "biggest thing" that Putin learned during his time in the KGB is "how to lie," Barsky said, "Well, I did too." The Ukraine war has seen Putin and his propagandists make a series of assertions ranging from plausible to preposterous to justify Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. This includes baselessly claiming that Ukraine is ruled by neo-Nazis, despite the fact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost family during the Holocaust. The Russian government has pushed conspiracy theories since the war began, making groundless claims about staged atrocities and dirty bombs, among other bogus assertions. In many cases, these outlandish claims have been parroted by far-right US politicians and media figures like Tucker Carlson of Fox News. Indeed, Putin's career has been typified by spreading disinformation aimed at sowing discord and confusion among Moscow's enemies. When Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014, it initially sent in masked troops in unmarked uniforms. Putin at first denied that the mysterious soldiers dubbed the "little green men" were Russian military, claiming they were "local self-defense forces." The Russian leader later admitted that the masked men were Russian troops. 'Scare and manipulate' While most intelligence services focus on collecting information and sharing their findings with policymakers, for the KGB "intelligence collection was always a distant second to active covert measures designed to weaken an opponent from within (think the 2016 elections)," Sipher said. In the early days of the Ukraine invasion, Russia sought to topple Ukraine's elected leaders with a combination of covert operations and a massive show of force. Nearly nine months later, with the war in Ukraine going poorly for Russia, its approach to the conflict continues to follow this track. Putin's KGB past plays into his preference for hybrid warfare blending conventional and unconventional tactics, said Angela Stent, a top Russia expert who served in the Office of Policy Planning at the State Department and later as a national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council. "[Putin] was a case officer in Dresden, so he wasn't involved directly in military operations," but "deception" taking actions that you can never quite pin on one single actor is part of his and Russia's playbook, Stent told Insider in an interview. Russia is suspected of being behind attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in late September, as Moscow vies to weaponize energy supplies and drive up costs for its Western adversaries. Putin has simultaneously leveled nuclear threats, reminding the world he controls thousands of warheads the largest arsenal on the planet. Though these threats are largely believed to be part of an effort to dissuade the West from continued support for Kyiv, Western officials including CIA Director William Burns have expressed concern that Putin could use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine if he feels pushed into a corner. Russian forces have suffered staggering losses in Ukraine, with casualties estimated to be as high as 90,000, and Putin has taken a series of escalatory steps in a desperate effort to turn the tide. He declared a partial military mobilization to address Russia's manpower problems, sending poorly trained conscripts to the frontline. The Russian leader also illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions, even though Russian forces do not fully occupy these territories. Ukraine's forces have pushed back the Russians in key areas in the east and south as part of a counteroffensive, which includes parts of the territories Putin now claims as part of Russia. But Putin is seemingly determined to continue the war no matter the costs. Hill, who also served as the top Russia expert on the National Security Council under the Trump administration, recently told Politico that Putin's KGB experience is central to his refusal to back down in Ukraine despite major losses. "Whenever he has a setback, Putin figures he can get out of it, that he can turn things around. That's partly because of his training as a KGB operative," Hill said, adding, "He says there are always problems in an operation, there are always setbacks. Sometimes they're absolute disasters. The key is adaptation." "Putin still thinks he's got more game to play," Hill said. Facing an increasingly grim situation and with winter around the corner, the Russian military in recent weeks has taken to raining down missiles on crucial infrastructure across Ukraine. Kyiv in recent days has faced blackouts and much of the city temporarily lost access to water. "[Putin] knows he can't win on the battlefield and he is in a weak position," Sipher said, "He has a number of escalatory actions he can take short of using a nuclear weapon. We can expect more cyber attacks, threats, support for violent groups in the West, and actions like bombing the underwater pipeline. He is seeking to send a signal to Western leaders to remind them he can cause economic and political pain." "Rather than having a sensible military and diplomatic strategy, [Putin] is killing civilians and threatening nuclear war as an effort to scare and manipulate Western leaders," Sipher said. The fallout from the September escape of Leonard Francis from house arrest in San Diego continued this week, when the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the administrator of the federal courts demanding information on the circumstances of his home detention and flight. In a three-page letter sent Tuesday, Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley sought information on Francis' escape as well as the conduct of both the U.S. District Court in San Diego and the Pretrial Services agency that was tasked with monitoring him. It was addressed to Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts who is also a judge in the Eastern District of New York. Francis, the Malaysian businessman known as "Fat Leonard," was awaiting sentencing for his role as the mastermind of a wide-ranging Navy bribery and corruption scandal. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to conspiracy and bribery charges, admitting he plied numerous uniform and civilian Navy personnel with luxury gifts, travel, meals and the services of prostitutes over decades. Federal prosecutors in San Diego said the officials in return helped Francis in his massive defrauding of the government as he overcharged for services to Navy ships in Asian ports. After pleading guilty, he cooperated with the government on cases involving more than 30 defendants. Since early 2018, Francis has been allowed to live outside jail, under home arrest on a medical furlough because of a variety of health problems. It was while living in a multimillion-dollar rented home in the Torrey Highlands neighborhood that Francis sliced off this GPS monitoring device the morning of Sept. 4 and fled, first to Mexico and then to Venezuela. It was there that Interpol agents arrested him on Sept. 20 as he was about to board a plane to Russia. Extradition proceedings to get him back to the U.S. have not yet been started. In his letter, Grassley said Francis' escape "raises many concerns about the conditions under which he was supervised." While Pretrial Services, an agency of the court, was overseeing his release, Francis was paying for his own security guards, as ordered by U. S District Court Judge Janis Sammartino. Two guards have said the security arrangements were not very tight. Grassley wants more information on those arrangements, as well as eight other areas. They include the exact timeline of his escape, what the security cost, and how Pretrial Services monitored Francis. He also wants information on how many defendants were released on medical furlough in the past five years, how many had private security and how those arrangements worked. Finally, Grassley said he wants to know, in light of Francis' escape, if Pretrial Services was undertaking a review of how it supervises defendants. He gave the agency until Nov. 23 to respond. The letter comes just a three weeks after Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland also seeking information on the escape, calling it a "collective failure" by the courts and Department of Justice. Answers will likely not be forthcoming soon. After that letter was sent, lawyers for four former Navy officers convicted over the summer of accepting bribes filed a motion seeking the same information. In a response on Oct. 28, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Chu cited long-standing DOJ policy not to respond to congressional inquiries for information or records "during the pendency of criminal matters." Because of that policy, no documents have been provided to Congress, he wrote. The case against the four officers is still ongoing with post-trial motions and potential sentencings, which likely will not occur until next year. This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune. 2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 05.11.2022 LISTEN One of Ghanas best exports in gospel music, Empress Gifty, will on November 13, storm Hallelujah Dubai 2022. The programme is scheduled to take place at the Church of Pentecost auditorium opposite Zulekha Hospital in Dubai at 4pm. The theme for this years event is "Possessing the Nations through Heavenly Praise and Worship." Empress Gifty would be in her element on the night with her wonderful and power-filled ministration. Speaking to this reporter she said, it would be an awesome encounter with God on November 13, as it would be her first event outside the country after the loss of her elder sister and grandmother. She called on Ghanaians and Africans in Dubai to endeavour to be at the event for an unforgettable experience, adding that she was more than excited to impact lives. Other ministers include Nana Addo, T-Baiden, Ceci Bee, Isaac Atuahene, COP Choir, DCN Felix, and Minister Boadi Acheampong. Ramon Abbas, a popular Nigerian socialite and internet sensation, who is popularly known as Hushpuppi, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for fraud and money laundering. Hushpuppi was jailed by the United States Central District Court in California, Nigerian Tribune reported on Friday. He will however spend 9 years in prison because he had already spent 2 years in the US prison battling his case. In June 2020, the Nigerian socialite was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, for an extensive fraud scheme where he allegedly robbed many nationals of the US, Qatar, the United Kingdom and many others using the internet. Dubai authority extradited him to the United States, where he was docked for money laundering and fraud. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering with many people within and outside the US. He was then sentenced to 11years imprisonment after appealing to US Judge Otis Wright to tamper justice with mercy as he scored high in cleaning activities while in prison. Scores of mourners have touted the late musical legend, Alfred Benjamin Crentsil, known in showbiz as A. B. Crentsil, as an innovative and creative songwriter. The mourners, in their tribute at the final funeral ceremony of the musical legend, described him as a musician with a revolutionary characteristic, who challenged Ghana and the world through music, set the pace and moved outside the box to produce songs which people love to hate. The funeral rights for the late A. B. Crentsil was held at Tema Community Eight, Number Two School Park on Saturday. The Right Reverend Samuel Ofori Akyea of the Bethel Methodist Church, Tema Community Eight, in a sermon, described A. B. Crentsil as a ground-breaking and imaginative songwriter and musician who needed to be celebrated. Taking the scripture from Psalm 90, Rev. Akyea said the Bible compared life on earth to temporarily living in a foreign country and noted that one's homeland is heaven and urged humans to yearn toward building mansions in heaven. He said there was more to life than just a few years of living on the planet and acquiring things on the earth and said it was only ones relationship with God that would last. Some other dignitaries that graced the ceremony were former President John Dramani Mahama, Mr. Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, some MUSIGA members, and a large contingent of family members and a cross-section of the public. A. B. Crentsil died on July 13th, 2022, leaving behind nine children and 28 grandchildren. and a spouse Mrs Elizabeth Crentsil. He was born on January 15, 1943, at Prestea in the then Western Region, and had his formal elementary school education at the Bedu Addo Methodist Primary and Rev. Cleveland Middle Schools. After his middle school education, he was apprenticed as an electrician, following in the footsteps of his father. He, however, abandoned the training and channeled all his energies toward his interest in music and pursued it as a career. He mastered the rudiments of guitar playing and readied himself to play in live bands, with a profound gift of music composition and vocals. A.B. Crenstil joined his first band, 'Strollers Dance Band,' which was based in Takoradi, in 1968 and subsequently played in other bands such as 'Lantics' and 'El Dorados' at Aboso. He was a founding member of the 'Sweet Talks Band' which was based at the 'Talk Of The Town Hotel' in Tema Community Two, alongside seasoned musicians such as Mr. Smart Nkansah, the late Jewel Ackah, and Pope Flynn. He formed his own band, the 'Ahenfo Band' in 1982 and has 25 albums to his credit, with some of his hit songs being 'Papa Samo', 'Landlord Abodwese', 'Devil', and 'Osokoo'. The late musician worshiped with the Bethel Methodist Church at Tema Community Right. GNA Former Mayor of Kumasi and aspiring NDC presidential candidate, Mr. Kojo Bonsu has explained why he is fit to contest his former boss, former President John Dramani Mahama, in the flagbearer race. He said the party will easily win the 2024 general elections if he is given the nod to lead the party. Mr. Bonus explained in an interview on the Accra-based Joy News Upfront show on Thursday, November 3, that his tribe as an Ashanti is what will do the magic for the NDC. We will win [2024 elections] easily with me as a flag bearer, his answer to a question by the host of the show whether the NDC can win the next elections When further asked if the NDC will lose without him, he responded, we may win but it will be easier with me because I will pull more votes from the Ashanti region, about 30% and if it happens, then we have won. On why he sees himself as the best person to lead the NDC, the former Kumasi Mayor said, No Ashanti has led the NDC before and that should be the no one thing. The data suggests that we get a lot of votes from the Ashanti Region so a flagbearer from that region will get us more votes." The opposition party plans to hold elections in 2023 to select a new flagbearer to lead the party as it seeks to kick out the incumbent NPP. Mr. Kojo Bonsu, Former Mayor of Kumasi 04.11.2022 LISTEN Former Mayor of Kumasi and aspiring NDC presidential candidate, Mr. Kojo Bonsu, has promised to offer a fair opportunity to NDC grassroot supporters if elected President. He promised to recruit two people from each of the various constituencies to the Flagstaff House as presidential staffers under his government. I am telling the electorates that when I come to power, It'll be a bottom-up approach. I will bring two people from the constituencies to the Flagstaff House as staffers, he said in an interview with Accra-based Joy News Upfront on Thursday, November 3. Speaking further, he intimated that the party will easily win the 2024 general elections when given the nod to lead the NDC as flagbearer. According to him, his tribe as an Ashanti is what will do the magic for the NDC. We will win [2024 elections] easily with me as a flag bearer, his answer as to whether the NDC can win the next elections. When asked if NDC will lose without him, he responded, we may win but it will be easier with me because I will pull more votes from the Ashanti region, about 30% and if it happens, then we have won. On why he sees himself as the best person to lead the NDC, the former Kumasi Mayor said, No Ashanti has led the NDC before and that should be the no one thing. The data suggests that we get a lot of votes from the Ashanti Region so a flagbearer from that region will get us more votes." The opposition party plans to hold elections in 2023 to select a new flagbearer to lead the party as it seeks to kick out the incumbent NPP. Cameroon's 89-year-old president, Paul Biya, on Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of his rise to power amid splashy ceremonies where the word on everyone's mind -- succession -- will almost certainly be absent. The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), which Biya founded in 1985, says it will hold "a big party" up and down the country to mark the anniversary. The festivities will celebrate "political stability and peace -- the biggest successes of these last four decades in Cameroon," said Herve Emmanuel Nkom, a member of the party's central committee. At the RDPC's headquarters in Messa district, a couple of dozen party members were busy selling caps, scarves, shirts and multi-coloured garments emblazoned with Biya's face. "Lots of people come by and look -- we get a lot of orders," said Sylvie Beyala, 42, a party member for 20 years, next to a photo of a beaming Biya and the slogan "Unity, Progress, Democracy." The crowning event on Sunday will be a "regional mega-rally" in front of city hall in Yaounde, the capital, but no word has emerged as to whether Biya himself will attend. The anniversary bash aims to divert attention away from "the crucial question," said Stephane Akoa, a professor and researcher in political science. Cameroon. By Valentina BRESCHI (AFP) "It's not whether Cameroon is doing well or could be doing better, but how the president is," he said. Biya rose to the top job on November 6 1982 after seven years as prime minister. He is only the second president in Cameroon's history since the central African nation gained independence from France. He is also the continent's longest-serving leader after Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who seized power in 1979. Wily leader Commentators ascribe Biya's extraordinary political longevity to a mixture of astuteness and ruthlessness -- he has a constellation of loyalists in key positions and crushes or sidelines opponents and rivals. But his public outings, except for a few choreographed TV appearances, have become rarer and rarer in recent years, stoking speculation about his health. Any official talk of succession is taboo, and none of the most visible figures around Biya has publicly uttered a word about entertaining any wish to succeed him. "Ministers have fallen into disgrace just for thinking about a theoretical departure of the president," said Aimee Raoul Sumo Tayo, a defence and security specialist on Cameroon. "Mr. Biya has put the saying 'divide and rule' into practice... forces which could have challenged him for power have been unable to get organised and, even less so, unify," said Akoa. Even so, conversations about a successor are rife. Biya's businessman son Franck is among the touted names of possible successors. By Ludovic MARIN (AFP) Those most commonly named are Biya's son, Franck Biya, and Finance Minister Louis-Paul Motaze. The younger Biya already has a discreet following among supporters called "Franckists." Another name in the mix is that of Biya's right-hand man, the presidency's chief of staff, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. Reputed to have the backing of Biya's influential wife, Chantal Biya, Ngoh Ngoh has been the longest-serving chief of staff in the presidency's tenure. He wields extensive de-facto authority through executive powers that have been delegated by Biya and, like his boss, also has his supporters in senior jobs, said Akoa. All-eclipsing debate "No (potential) candidate enjoys unanimity," said Akoa, adding that the succession debate "eclipses all other concerns, such as strategies for health, education and infrastructure." Among Cameroon's problems is a security crisis in two western regions where an armed campaign by anglophone separatists is raging. By MARCO LONGARI (AFP) The jockeying for power has been intensified by Cameroon's weak mechanisms for handing on presidential power in an emergency, said Sumo Tayo. If the president becomes unable to continue in office, presidential authority is handed down in the interim to the speaker of the Senate -- currently 88-year-old Marcel Nial Njifenji, whose health is at least as much a concern as that of Biya. The scenario stokes "the probability that certain parts of the army may intervene," said Sumo Tayo. Military leaders appointed by Biya may fear their privileges will be at threat once he exits the scene, which increases the risk of turbulence, he suggested. Because men's salaries are an average of 16 percent higher than women's, France's female workforce effectively started working for nothing on the morning of 4 November. Friday 4 November marks the moment when French women symbolically stop getting paid compared to their male colleagues, with 16 percent of the working year remaining. The date on which women begin working for free known as Equal Pay Day is calculated according to the most recent gender pay gap figures from the EU statistics agency, Eurostat. The date varies from country to country. Women in Luxembourg will reach their last payday in late December, just hours behind the year ends. Their Latvian sisters have been working for nothing since early October. The tendency is repeated worldwide. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde says the best way to reduce economic inequality around the world is to close the gender gap between men and women in opportunity and pay. The World Economic Forum issues a Global Gender Gap Report each year, ranking 144 countries according to the disparity between women and men in sectors such as education, health, the economy and political life. Its most recent report found that overall inequality is narrowing but that progress has slowed. At current rates it will take 100 years to close the gender gap, compared to the 83 years estimated in 2016. The economic gender gap remains the most persistent and is unlikely to be closed for another 217 years. Nurses, midwives and teachers According to economist Rebecca Amsellem of the feminist group Les Glorieuses, who calculated the French pay cut-off point: "Concrete measures must be put in place from today to avoid having to wait until 2234 to see the start of salary equality." Les Glorieuses also insist that an economic revaluation of all the professions principally carried out by women is vital if women are to be paid as much as men. Women represent 90 percent of nurses, 88 percent of midwives and 66 percent of teachers in France. Les Glorieuses say they will not let up until women have an equal place in French society. The fight against wage inequality is not a frivolous struggle aimed at robbing men of their privilege," the group says on its website. "It represents the determination of feminists to demand equality. Without economic equality, there can be no social equality, no political equality. And we will not stop until that is achieved. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Friday reiterated his refusal to impose a nationwide Covid-like lockdown to contain the spread of Ebola despite a worrying increase in cases. Since the health ministry first declared an Ebola outbreak in the central district of Mubende, the disease has spread across the East African nation, including to the capital Kampala. But Museveni ruled out any plans for a nationwide lockdown, instead urging citizens to "be more vigilant" and observe measures put in place to control the spread of Ebola. "There will be NO LOCKDOWN. Therefore, people should go ahead and concentrate on their work without any worry," he said on Twitter. The death toll from the highly contagious disease currently stands at 49, according to the Ugandan government. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said the country had registered over 150 confirmed and probable cases, including 64 fatalities. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids, with common symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea. Outbreaks are difficult to contain, especially in urban environments. People who are infected do not become contagious until symptoms appear, which is after an incubation period of between two and 21 days. The outbreak was declared on September 20, and eight days later Museveni declared any nationwide lockdown was "not necessary." In October, however, he imposed a lockdown on two districts, Mubende and Kassanda, setting a dusk-to-dawn curfew, banning travel and closing markets, bars and churches for 21 days. He also ordered the police to arrest anyone infected with Ebola who refused to isolate. WHO on Wednesday warned that there was a high risk of Ebola spreading further and called on neighbouring countries to boost their preparedness. Uganda's last recorded fatality from a previous Ebola outbreak was in 2019. The particular strain now circulating in Uganda is known as the Sudan Ebola virus, for which there is currently no vaccine, although there are several candidate vaccines heading towards clinical trials. The worst Ebola epidemic in West Africa between 2013 and 2016 killed more than 11,300 people. France's National Assembly voted Friday to sanction a far-right MP with a rare 15-day suspension and pay cut after he yelled "back to Africa" at a black colleague, a clash that drew outrage across the political spectrum. Gregoire de Fournas, a newly elected member of the National Rally, has denied any personal racist attack in the outburst, saying he was referring to a ship carrying rescued migrants in the Mediterranean. The penalty urged by the council of the lower-house National Assembly is the harshest possible under its rules, which broadly uphold free speech for MPs while in session. It was only the second time in the history of France's Fifth Republic, established by Charles de Gaulle in 1958, that an MP had received such a rebuke. The incident came as tensions over immigration are running high, with President Emmanuel Macron's government promising a new crackdown amid accusations of failing to stem new arrivals or deport those whose residency requests are denied. Carlos Martens Bilongo of the leftist France Unbowed party (LFI) was questioning the government Thursday on the request by the SOS Mediterranee NGO for Paris's help in finding a port for the ship that rescued 234 migrants at sea in recent days. "It should go back to Africa!" interrupted de Fournas, a winegrower from the southwestern Gironde department, drawing gasps of shock from many in parliament. In French, pronunciation is the same for the pronouns "it" and "he", which suggested to some that de Fournas was targeting Bilongo directly. "Racism, no matter its target, is a negation of the republican values that unite us in this assembly," its president Yael Braun-Pivet said after the vote. 'Totally innocent' The punishment comes as the RN prepares to vote Saturday on a successor to its leader Marine Le Pen, who backed her MP on Twitter by saying "the controversy created by our political opponents is obvious and will not fool the French people". Le Pen has been working for years to shed her party's extremist views and prove it can unite voters and govern as a mainstream party. Le Pen challenged President Emmanuel Macron in this year's presidential vote and then led her party to its best-ever performance in subsequent legislative elections, with 89 MPs. While acknowledging a "gaffe" by de Fournas, she told journalists Friday that "if a comment that lacks finesse justifies a suspension from parliament, there's room for plenty of others" in the assembly. De Fournas, who left the chamber immediately after the vote, reacted on Twitter saying "I am totally innocent... but respectful of the institution, and I accept" its decision. Bilongo responded by telling BFM television that "I have always been deeply convinced the RN is racist, and this only proves it once again." The 27-year-old Jordan Bardella is the overwhelming favourite to win the party leadership Saturday over his only rival Louis Aliot, a party veteran and former partner of Le Pen. By stepping down as party chief, Le Pen will focus on presiding the RN group in parliament, where she will could have a powerful platform for a potential fourth run at the presidency in 2027. parl-js/sjw/bp South Africa needs much more money to green its economy than what rich nations have promised so far, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday, ahead of a key global climate summit. Ramaphosa is due to travel to Egypt in the coming days to attend the COP27 meeting, where funding for Africa's green transition is likely to be a flashpoint. Last year, South Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, secured $8.5 billion in loans and grants from a group of rich countries. But Ramaphosa said the money was not enough, with a just transition investment plan released on Friday suggesting Pretoria will need about 1.5 trillion rand ($83 billion) over the next five years. His comments come after the World Bank earlier this week said South Africa would need around $500 billion by 2050 to achieve carbon neutrality. "We need much greater funding than what has been put on the table," Ramaphosa told an online sitting of the Presidential Climate Commission. "And in going to COP27, that's precisely the message that we will be taking forward." Ramaphosa said South Africa was working with international partners to find additional funding, adding that some already said they are willing to make new proposals. The president said he has stressed the need to increase the share of grants to avoid adding to the country's already heavy debt burden in talks with other leaders. "The key challenge for South Africa and our sister countries on the continent is access to new, at scale and predictable funding that does not further exacerbate our debt crises," he said. Key areas in need of investment included the electricity and the green hydrogen sectors, as well as initiatives to ensure a just transition, Ramaphosa said. 'Hold developed economies accountable' South Africa, one of the world's top 12 largest polluters, generates about 80 percent of its electricity through coal. The World Bank on Friday said the country has been granted financing of $497 million to decommission one of its largest coal-fired power plants and convert it to renewable energy. Leaders of a divided world meet in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh this month tasked with taming the terrifying juggernaut of global warming as they face gale-force geopolitical crosswinds, including the war in Ukraine and economic turmoil. UN chief Antonio Guterres said Thursday it was time for a "historic pact" between developed and emerging countries, with richer nations providing financial and technical assistance to help poorer ones speed up their renewable energy transitions. On Friday, Ramaphosa criticised Western nations, saying some were re-opening old coal-fired plants and tilting back towards fossil fuels in the wake of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, having told the world to move away from such sources. Meanwhile, commitments to make $100 billion per year available to help developing countries decarbonise and adapt to climate change have not been fulfilled, Ramaphosa added. "We have an obligation to hold developed economies accountable by making sure that they do honour the financial commitments that they undertook," he said. National Rally MP Gregoire de Fournas was suspended from the French parliament on Friday night for 15 days after he made a racist remark during a legislative session. De Fournas, 37, was heard shouting the words "return to Africa as Carlos Martens Bilongo was challenging the French government on Thursday about migrants stranded at sea. Bilongo, who is Black, said he was deeply hurt by the interjection. Other politicians, including France's president, Emmanuel Macron, said they were shocked by de Fournas's remark. The comments prompted pandemonium in the National Assembly, leading the legislative chamber's president to suspend the session. Members of the National Assembly's managing body said on Friday they decided unanimously to give de Fournas the maximum penalty of 15 days. Due to acoustic issues in the chamber, it was unclear whether de Fournas said Bilongo or the migrants should return to Africa. De Fournas said he was referring to Europe-bound migrants rescued at sea and not to his fellow lawmaker. I fully stand by my comments about the anarchic migratory policies of our country, he tweeted on Friday. "I feel this sanction of incredible harshness with great injustice," he added. "But respectful of the institution, I submit to it." Bilongo, a member of the far-left France Unbowed party, took part in a gathering on Friday near the National Assembly called by his party in a show of support. I'm torn between joy and sadness, added the 31-year-old. Because I received many messages of support overnight ... because I see all these faces here showing solidarity with me. Bilongo said he received thousands of messages following the incident from people telling him that they hear similar comments in their daily lives. French anti-racism groups on Friday stressed that de Fournas's outburst echoed the familiar invective of Black people being told to go to Africa, regardless of where they were born or held citizenship. SOS Racisme denounced de Fournas's comments as the true face of the far-right that of racism. The group's president, Dominique Sopo, said: "No matter what de Fournas said exactly, obviously, they are extremely violent comments. The Movement against Racism and for Friendship between People described de Fournas's remark as revolting. Shock The National Rally remains, despite some efforts to normalise this far-right party, deeply racist and xenophobic, it added. A spokesman for Macron's office said the president was shocked by words he considered unacceptable in or outside the assembly. National Rally boss Marine Le Pen tweeted that de Fournas was speaking about the migrants transported in ships by NGOs. The controversy created by our political adversaries is gross and won't deceive the French, she added. In the past decade, Le Pen has rebranded the party in an attempt to distance it from the overt racist and antisemitic rhetoric of her father Jean-Marie Le Pen who set up the Front National in 1972. The National Rally's members are due to gather on Saturday in Paris to choose a new party head. Le Pen, 54, says she plans to focus on leading the party's 89 MPs in the 577-seat National Assembly. The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the unfair and unequitable distribution of medical doctors in the country, describing it as a discrimination against Northern Ghana. Speaking at the 64th Annual General Conference of the GMA in Bolgatanga, Dr Frank Serebour, the National President, GMA, said the situation was having dire health consequences on the already deprived and underserved regions and posed threats to quality of healthcare delivery in those areas. He stated for instance that the Upper East Region had a total of 89 medical doctors, out of which only 30 were currently at post due to further studies, depriving many vulnerable communities of quality healthcare. This number is equivalent to a single department in our teaching hospitals in Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye, and the numbers are not different from other deprived regions in the country. According to Dr Serebour, many healthcare facilities in Northern Ghana in particular, were being served by one doctor while some doctors had spent all their working lives in the South particularly in Accra and Kumasi. He described the situation as an indictment on the management of the healthcare system in Ghana and underscored the need for an open and honest discussion to resolve the skewed distribution of doctors. Until there is a total transparency and fair play in transfers based on the needs of institutions, there will always be brave people who would refuse postings to deprived areas, he lamented. Apart from urging the government to design incentive package to attract and retain doctors in rural and deprived areas, Dr Serebour urged the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, particularly the District Assemblies to provide basic structures for doctors and other health workers. This, he said, coupled with improved condition of service, would not only motivate doctors and other health workers to work in deprived communities but would help prevent the brain drain of doctors which was on the ascendancy. These packages may include well-furnished accommodation, top up salaries up to the tune of 50 per cent of their total salaries, full scholarships for further training, either within or outside the country after three years of continuous and dedicated service, he added. Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister, indicated that shortage of doctors especially in the Upper East Region was worrying to stakeholders and needed collective approach to resolving the issue. He said over the years, doctors had refused postings to the region and the Regional Coordinating Council had tasked the Municipal and District Assemblies to identify and sponsor students to pursue medicine and bond them to work in the region. He said the region was benefitting eight district hospitals under the government's agenda 111 project and there was the need to attract and retain more doctors. Mr Mahama Sei Seini, the Deputy Minister of Health, lauded the efforts of the GMA for the continuous contribution towards ensuring quality healthcare in the country. He said as part of the government's to achieve Universal Health Coverage, the Ministry had set up a committee on rural incentive package to attract health workers to rural areas and added that the committee had finished and submitted its report. The conference was on the theme, Doctor distribution dilemma: the case of Ghana and its underserved areas. GNA The progress of work on the Volta Barracks through Kpenoe, Takla and Hodzo Tokokoe feeder road in the Ho Municipality is at 71 per cent completion, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Roads and Highways Minister, has disclosed. The Minister made the disclosure on Friday on the floor of Parliament in response to a question by Mr Benjamin Komla Kpodo, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho Central. The MP asked the Minister when the road from Volta Barracks through Kpenoe, Takla and Hodzo to Tokokoe would be completed. Mr Amoako-Atta said 20.1km Volta Barracks through Kpenoe, Takla and Hodzo to Tokokoe road was in fair condition. He noted that contract for the bituminous surfacing of the road was awarded under the contract titled, Butimen Surfacing of Ho Barracks Hodzoga-Tokokoe Feeder Roads on October 20, 2016. He said works commenced on January 06, 2017, with an expected completion date of July 06, 2018; declaring that the completion date was revised to March 11, 2020, due to additional works issued. He said works executed to date were 10/No of 1/900mm pipe culverts, 10,649m of concrete u-drains and 9.00km of primer seal works. He reiterated that the progress of work had been very slow mainly due to delayed payment of certified work done. The contractor is currently not on site due to delay payment for certified works, Mr Amoako-Attah said. Efforts are being made to get the contractor back to site to complete the outstanding works. GNA Kenya's defeated deputy presidential candidate Martha Karua said Friday that she had filed a case challenging the Supreme Court's decision in September which upheld the election victory of President William Ruto. Ruto won a narrow victory in the bitterly fought August 9 poll against veteran politician Raila Odinga, who contested the results in an ultimately unsuccessful case lodged at Kenya's top court. On Friday, Odinga's former running mate Karua said in a statement that she had filed a petition at the East African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania, accusing the Kenyan court of undermining "the rule of law by violating the right to a fair trial". In the petition filed on Thursday, Karua, who is one of Kenya's best-known lawyers, urged the regional court to order Kenyan authorities to conduct "transparent, independent, and professional investigations into all (the) violations" allegedly committed by the election commission and the country's top court. No Kenyan presidential election result has ever gone uncontested, with Odinga alleging fraud and hacking of the election commission's servers. But the Supreme Court delivered a unanimous verdict in favour of Ruto, saying there was no evidence to back Odinga's claims. Observers had feared that the disputed outcome could fuel violence in a country with a history of post-poll unrest, but voting day passed off peacefully. The East African Court of Justice came into force in 2001 to ensure adherence to the laws establishing the seven-nation East African Community bloc, made up of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Ghanaian media personality Bridget Otoo has challenged the claim by Miss Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, daughter of President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, that she sponsored the painting of some parts of Accra. This follows report by Loud Silence Media owned by US-based Ghanaian social media commentator Kevin Ekow Taylor that Miss Gyankroma has been awarded $25 million to paint some parts of Accra. Ghanaians bashed the President for giving out such a huge contract to his daughter just to paint while the country amidst the current worsening economic crisis. The President's daughter Miss Gyankroma, in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 2, refuted the claim, explaining that the project was sponsored by herself, Ben Asante CEO of Ghana Gas, the Creative Arts Agency and some other benevolent private institutions. For the avoidance of any doubt, it is important to state that these projects were solely conceived, managed, and financially undertaken by The Creative Arts Agency, through its own fundraising activities. Site 1, Ako Adjei, was funded by the private sector. Site 2, Tetteh Quarshie, was paid for by myself, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, she clarified. She stressed, The absurdity of $25 million, or any amount for that matter, being awarded to myself to undertake this project is a disgusting narrative. It is a complete fabrication being propagated by some shameless persons, and which, unfortunately, has been published by sections of the media. This project was not embarked upon to make profit, and there have been no lucrative contracts awarded for it. According to her, All efforts to undermine my credibility through the publication of these falsehoods and baseless lies will not wash. I have instructed my lawyer to seek redress in the law courts against persons and media houses that published these falsehoods with the sole intention of destroying my reputation. In reaction, the TV personality Mrs. Otoo said the fact that someone who does not have a job can get money to sponsor a project is baffling. In trying to figure out the sense in Miss Gyankromas explanation in a tweet, the vocal broadcaster wrote, I was driving through town and I noticed the under bridges in the capital lacked colour so I dipped my hand in my $25 million dollar account and decided to paint it Yes. Im generous like that. I dont work, I just have money and I want to splash on the city. According to her, the President's daughter's explanation is an Ananse story! 05.11.2022 LISTEN A 16-year-old girl who was involved in elopement after her BECE final examination has been rescued by Norsaac in Kayoro. Blessing (not her real name) was rescued from elopement by Norsaac in Kayoro in her native Upper East Region. On the 21st of August,2022, the innocent girl had written her final BECE paper and was returning home from the examination center, which was located outside her community, and was forcefully whisked away to be married by a man in her community. All efforts by the parents of the girl to rescue the adolescent girl prove futile. The case was then reported to the Paramount Chief of the traditional area of which the man still refused to release the girl to her family even after he was invited to the Chiefs palace. Blessing's situation is common among adolescent girls in the Upper East Region's Kassena Nankana District. The Rescue After several unsuccessful attempts to retrieve the girl from the man's home, the chief advised the family to report the situation to the appropriate legal authorities. With the work and visibility of Norsaac trained Legal Literacy Volunteers (LLVs) on the Power to Youth Programme, the parents sort their intervention to assist the family in reporting the case to the appropriate legal institutions in the district. The LLVs advised the girl's family and supported them to report the incident to the Chana Police Station. The said man was arrested along with his colleagues who accompanied him to forcefully carry the adolescent girl to his abode. After the man was arrested by the police, the adolescent girl was rescued and returned to her family, receiving some psychological and counselling support from the department of social welfare and Norsaac. Social welfare is the first point of call to assist the needs of children/adolescents in this situation. The perpetrator was later transferred to the District Police Command in Navrongo for further action by the appropriate department (DOVVSU). Mr. Issah Abukari, Project Officer at Norsaac, indicated, "We are very interested in this case, and we will closely monitor it to ensure that the culprit is dealt with by the appropriate laws to serve as a deterrent to others in the various communities." The Program Manager of the PtY program at Norsaac, Ms Yeri Nancy indicated These are moments of joy for us on the project, the PtY program seeks to put an end to harmful practices such as Child marriage in all forms, and in this case elopement. It is a criminal act, per the constitution of Ghana and progressive chiefs and community members like the case of Kayoro will continue to set strides that will send a strong signal to future preparators. The story of Blessing (Not real name) is a victory to many adolescent girls in Northern Ghana." Role of Norsaacs Legal Literacy Volunteers (LLVs) Norsaac has trained LLVs in communities at the district level to engage households, adolescent girls/boys and community leaders on progressive social norms, SGBV and Unintended pregnancy. They are also to report and support victims of SGBV to appropriate authorities for legal action. The Power to Youth Program in Ghana uses Gender transformative approaches to engage, youth, state and societal actors as well as adolescent girls to tackle its three key issues: Teenage pregnancy, SGBV and Harmful Practices. Source: Norsaac Not prepared to rest on its oars until youth entrepreneurship features prominently across the broad spectrum of the Ghanaian entrepreneurship eco-system, The Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, with support from the GIZ AgriBiz project, has launched a special-purpose help desk to provide business development services to young entrepreneurs. Speaking at the launch, the CEO of the Chamber, Mr. Sherif Ghali, indicated that The Help Desk is designed to offer and provide essential business development support services to its members. Services the desk will provide include Business Plan Development, Business Proposals, and Basic Business Advisory services. It will also facilitate Business Registration, Product Registration and Certification, GRA Registration, and Tax filing. Lastly, the help desk will help the members digitalize their businesses by providing Digital Solution services such as website development, graphic designing, video ad creation, and social media marketing. The online portal of the help desk will allow young entrepreneurs to connect to certified experts for further support. To benefit from the desk, a member must go to the GCYE website (www.gcyegh.org), locate any button labeled "Help Me," and send their request. The Back office will get in touch with the needed support. On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of PEF and host of the help desk commended the Chamber for such an initiative. They encouraged all young entrepreneurs to make good use of the desk by reaching out to get their problems solved. "The desk will be physical and comes with an online portal where entrepreneurs can log on and send a help request. I edge young entrepreneurs to maximize this help desk. Even if you are not looking for help, call on the desk for information. Whether you are a member of the Ghana Chamber of young entrepreneurs, the help desk is here for all," he said. The German Development Corporation (GIZ) representative, Miss Von Schlieben Marie-Kristin, also commended the Chamber for outdooring the help desk. She indicated that their partnership with Chamber is part of the support system to help the section strengthen its business development services for its members. She said "Sustainable Employment through AgriBusiness (AgriBiz) in Ghana" is part of the BMZ core theme "Training and sustainable growth for good jobs." The program, approved by the German Ministry BMZ in February 2021, considers the Ghanaian-German portfolio's greater focus on employment effects. Therefore, the focus of AgriBiz is on promoting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and Member-Based Business Organizations (MBBOs). The impact hypothesis is that strengthening of capacities of MSMEs and their associations in an inclusive approach will enable the private sector to create productive employment in the agribusiness sector. The measures of the project are explicitly geared to strengthen the service provision and revenue generation as well as towards the advocacy work of MBBOs. Source: Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs 05.11.2022 LISTEN A Senior Lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University (KuTU) Dr Collins Kankam Kwarteng has suggested the establishment of a special court to deal with offenders of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey in the country. According to the lecturer who is also Marketing Expert, government must be aggressive enough and establish a special court to ensure expeditious trial of persons involved in galamsey practices. He said this would avoid unnecessary delays in prosecuting galamsey offenders as a means of fighting the menace. Speaking on OTEC FM breakfast show dubbed Nyansapo on Friday November 4, 2022, Dr Kankam Kawrteng said there should be a separate court to exclusively deal with illegal mining activities, to speed up the cases. I heard in the news that if the task force, deployed to fight against illegal mining, takes about 1000 cases to court, the court can hear 100 of the cases only and the punishment is not draconian to deter others not to do same. I suggest there should be a separate court to deal with cases, and the punishment associated for the offenders should be strong enough to deter others from engaging in galamsey, he said. Dr Kwarteng has therefore appealed to the Government to severely punish anyone caught engaging in illegal mining. This when done he noted, would deter the people from engaging in the act to save the water bodies and the environment. Extreme behaviour must be met with an extreme response. We are dealing with people who are determined at every point to make money without regard to human life and the environment. "Sometimes we need to be strong on wrongdoers. We have been pampering illegal miners for far too long and this is the time for Ghana to apply harsh measures to deter them from the act, he said. 05.11.2022 LISTEN ON 10 November 2022, a journalist called Erastus Asare Donkor, will be exactly 46 years old. He is extremely lucky to have reached that age. For his life has been seriously threatened more than once. As a television journalist for one of the most powerful electronic news platforms in Ghana, Multi-media, owners of JOY NEWS, he has specialised in producing on-the-spot TV reports on the worst scandal facing Ghana today illegal mining of gold. Or galamsey. One day, while Erastus and his team were accompanying an official galamsey monitoring team, le3d by a senior police officer, to a site where galamsey was taking place, a military man they encountered at the site didnt like to see them there. He spoke into a phone. Within 30 minutes, a group of well-armed military men, numbering about 30, had appeared at the site. They were accompanies by some civilian macho men. The group alighted from their vehicles and surrounded the site. They stopped the TV crew from filming, took possession of their equipment, and ordered them to delete everything they had photographed. They also seized their phones and deleted what was on them including the numbers of their personal contacts. The windscreen of their vehicle was smashed. As were the vehicles driving mirrors. In other words, this was a full-scale military assault on a team that included Government officials on duty. That was not all. One of the military men, on hearing the complaints of Erastus, told him, QUOTE: I have told you to stop filming. But you dont want to stop. Now, if my gun were to go off, you would die. And you would die for nothing. No-one would celebrate you! UNQUOTE Now, the military are trained not to make threats they cannot, or do not want, to carry out. So, the cold words of the military man were almost a death sentence on Erastus. But in the mean time, the team that Erastus came with, were also making telephone calls. And after about five hours of being under the orders of the invading force, they were allowed to leave. But this was not before the invading force had threatened to strip them naked to be searched for smart cards they suspected might have been hidden on their person! What? This in Ghana? At this point, the leader of the monitoring team from the Ministry of the Environment, a senior police officer, said, You can kill us, if you like, but youre not going to strip anyone naked. They were eventually allowed to leave, and later on, when they had reported the incident to the Ministry of the Environment, military intelligence officials came to take a statement from some of them, including Erastus. But I havent heard anything from them since. Nor have I heard that anyone had been punished for subjecting us to such an ordeal, Erasmus states. The most important questions raised by the encounter is this: Are there two governments in Ghana, each challenging the authority of the other? If not, how can a monitoring team sent to a galamsey site by the Ministry of the Environment, Science and Technology, be forcibly evicted (with menaces) from a galamsey site by a detachment of troops ostensibly under the control of the Ghana Armed Forces? A second question raised is this: Is there a Parliamentin Ghana at all? Erastus Asare Donkor has broadcast a full video of the encounter on JOY NEWS, and the footage is also freely available on Youtube. Yet not a single Parliamentary question has been asked on the issue by our MPs (as far as I know.) If Erastus Asare Donkor were your typical Ghanaian journalist, he would have long ago shut up shop and forgotten about how galamsey is destroying Ghanas water-bodies and food farms. But he has helped Multi-Media to compile a number of videos, under the title DESTRUCTION FOR GOLD, on both JoyNews and Adom TV and others, which are currently being screened. The publicity on screening times is erratic, but if you persist, you will find the videos. Any Ghanaian who watches these videos and does not cry is not worthy of the land of his birth. Can you imagine cocoa trees repeat, cocoa trees with deep holes dug around them, ready to be felled so that the ground can be excavated for galamsey? Can you imagine rivers deliberately diverted from their natural causeways, so that the riverbeds can be mined with excavators and bulldozers? Can you imagine hundreds of changfan machines lined up on a river, carrying out galamsey in 2022? It is all there on your telephone or TV screen. Please watch the films and dont just sit around moping. You have an MP; you may know a Minister. They are all in their jobs representing YOU. Let them know they have betrayed YOJU Meanwhile, please join me in congratulating Erastus Asare Donkor and his teams, as well as the teams from other TV stations, who have been showing us, filifili, the pocked marks on our landscape; the craters filled with stinking water; the jars with coloured water in them, comparing what our rivers have become with what the water ought to be like; the holes dig around peoples houses; the warnings about cancerous diseases and genetic malformations that affect humans and other creatures when they involuntarily imbibe absorb mercury, cyanide and other poisonous chemicals, that are ruthlessly emptied into our rivers and our food farms by galamsey operations PLEASE LET US THANK THEM ALL. Truly, these journalists are risking their lives to save ours. The recent statement by General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah that the military is more trustworthy than the politicians deserves some scrutiny here because it signifies the perorations of a person detached from the realities of history. This is because the Armed Forces of Ghana have displayed the penchant and particular propensity to violate both the constitution and the Armed Forces Act in all respects. By this indictment alone, this entity remains the least trustworthy in the whole country. On passing out, a soldier swears to defend and protect the constitution of Ghana against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to same. He must protect the citizens of the country by air, sea or land, and obey the orders of the President who is also the Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The soldier is expected to stay out of politics, to be loyal to the civilian administration and to be disciplined and ready to die for the country. This is the general duty of a good and disciplined soldier, and this is the only litmus test by which we can measure the discipline and the trustworthiness of a soldier. Under none of the military code is a soldier supposed to elevate himself as a supervisor of the civilian administration or to form any political judgment about its efficiency or competence. But since independence, the typical Ghanaian soldier has never been trustworthy regarding his oath. To the extent that Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966, we can be magnanimous and tolerant because Nkrumah himself went against the constitution he had sworn to protect by making himself President for life and the country one-party state. He also put the people in bondage by enacting the Preventive Detention Act and imprisoning them without trial. He muzzled press freedom and dismissed judges In this narrow sense, the soldiers were right in overthrowing Kwame Nkrumah in order to protect the people from his authoritarianism. The soldiers stayed briefly and returned power to the people. So in that narrow context of the 1966 coup, the military justifiably extended its role into the political domain to restore power to the people, and to guarantee the sovereignty of the citizens as per the letter and the spirit of the constitution. Beyond this coup, all the rest were a violation of the solemn oath and sworn duty of the military. The coup that overthrew Busia was a treasonable adventurism and a betrayal of the constitution by the soldiers who turned themselves into politicians and usurped the very constitution they had sworn to protect. Acheampongs shenanigans to introduce the so-called Union Government resulted in a palace coup by his own cronies who deposed him and thereby weakened the national security. That military promised to return the country back to civilian rule and made genuine arrangements to do so. But three months to the handing over, and in the midst of the general melee engendered by the military itself, there appeared Rawlings who caused an abortive insurrection and was arrested and jailed. In the ensuing indiscipline, his fellow soldiers rescued him and randomly albeit cynically chose him to lead the country. During the pogrom that followed, three former heads of state were killed together with other generals. At that time, the military appeared to have cannibalized itself, since many of the mutineers later fell on their own swords and were killed or purged. Thousands of civilians who the military had a duty to protect were also killed, tortured or maimed. Until after the three months of chaos when Rawlings purported to have handed over to a civilian government. Rawlings who had never led in anything in life, later handed over power to the civilian administration of Hilla Limann. But his intention was never to really hand over at all. And within two years of handing over, and without any discernible reason, he staged a coup and supervised another pogrom. The loss of the dignity of the people through this adventurism cannot be recounted here for want of space. It suffices to say therefore that if we want the most untrustworthy institution in this country, it is the armed forces of Ghana. Those military people always want to use the military as a conduit to enter politics. And so the oaths they swear have no meaning to them. The constitution they swear to protect is suspended whenever they have another chance. Whenever the chance occurs, they forget the constitution, their loyalty and their duty to the people and overthrow the government, to terrorize the people or torture and kill them willy-nilly. So exactly what does General Nunoo- Mensah mean by the statement that the military is more trustworthy than the politicians? The military are not disciplined. They dont seem to know their functions or the meaning of their oath. There is no history where they have spilled their blood to defend the country through warfare or any war. They have not quelled any rebellion or mutiny that has occurred in this country. We all know that at the sound of war, they will all escape into the bush or go and hide under the beds of their wives and girlfriends. Cowardice is the trademark of the military and disloyalty characterizes their history and conduct. So exactly what does this traitorous general mean when he says that our soldiers are more trustworthy than the politicians? Havent we had more of these soldiers turning into politicians and goofing than any other group of people in Ghana? As soon as a soldier enters the political arena to hold a position of Head of State or minister or director or whatever, the person has already become a politician and cannot differentiate himself from any other politician. He is no longer a soldier as such but a politician. So how do we trust these chameleonic politicians disguised as soldiers? This old soldier should educate us! His sole explanation for trusting the military appears to be that Rawlings, a chief coupist, visited him soon after he overthrew a government and offered him a position. Under this persons aura, this old general felt safe although he carried a gun and had previously killed many people. He cared not for his own superiority as a general and was always seen saluting his junior officer at functions and on parade grounds. All these showed the inferiority complex of this stupid general and puts into question mark his understanding of his responsibility as Chief of Defense Staff. He is what we call Opanin bonee, meaning a very useless old man. The military has no function in the political life of this country. And they have nothing to do with the administration of this country. If anything at all, they have historically continued to threaten the security of the state either by their actions or by their posture. People who suggest that they are trustworthy or even useful in any sense neglect the realities of our political history and betray their palpable ignorance. Ghanas present stability is not the result of any loyalty by the military. If the opportunity occurs, the military will stage a coup to destabilize the country. Luckily the military has no stomach to stage a coup because they are aware of the futility and danger to them in the instance of any coup detat. Given what has happened to the institution before on account of their own adventurism, the soldiers wisely prefer to stay put because they fear for their lives and future. The military has nothing to do with the present stability in the country. They know the mood of the country and dare not do anything foolish against the will of the people. People like the cowardly Nunoo-Mensah are the relics of the old order who have been properly forgiven and forgotten. His dementic hallucinations can only be taken as the hollow albeit stubborn perorations of a dying cockroach. As a semi-literate, he never understood his functions within the military, its hierarchy of superiority and its duties to the country. More probably, he will die believing in his own delusion that the military is more trustworthy than the politicians. Dr. Samuel Adjei Sarfo, Esq. November 04, 2022. A digital innovation and entrepreneurship firm, Node Eight, located in the Volta regional capital, Ho is celebrating 5 years of empowering young people in various enterprise skills and development programmes. The anniversary is on the theme, "Celebrating Five Years of Impact through Innovation and Entrepreneurship." Speaking at the media launch on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 in Ho, the Managing Director of Node Eight, Mr. Courage Komla Asase, called on the media, and ecosystem members to help mark and reflect on a period of impact and progress in the digital and innovation space. He said the firm's primary focus is to build the talent of young people through digital skills training, enterprise support, and the influence of culture through community projects and innovation programmes for budding talents to meet the requirements of various industries they find themselves in. We are a digital innovation hub, our focus is to provide opportunities for young people, what we do is a convergent between academia and industry. Academia responsible for training the skills and industry responsible for absorbing these skilled young people. We are in a trajectory trying to make balance the scale so that our young people who are from school can be trained to meet the requirement of the industry. We are focused on building talents in digital skill training, Enterprise Support, (market access), and influencing culture through our Community Projects, Mr. Asase said. He noted further that the firm has embarked on over eighty (80) projects that have impacted thousands of young people. It's been so many years of tiptoeing and now we are on a trajectory, from 2017 till date we can say we have run over 80 single-individual projects that have impacted over 1000 young people. Touching on how it all started, the Digital and Business Consultant reflected on the five-year journey adding that there are big plans for the future. In 5 years we wanted to bring a revolution to town which was not visible to us from where we were and where we are now. "We have had some innovative projects we can look back and be proud of, he stated. From the journey to where we are currently, weve got to a trajectory where we've been able to work so hard with different institutions and other relevant and vital stakeholders over the years that have come to our region through our impact and efforts. In May this year, the firm rebranded from Ho Node Hub to Node Eight to reflect its new vision and growth strategy. The new brand name included the identity and reflections of the firm which focuses on investing in digital startups, empowering young African talents, and building communities on and offline. Node Eight has worked with key local and international partners such as GIZ, MEST Africa, Ho Technical University, and UNICEF among others. The anniversary climax will take place on 4th December, 2022 at a dinner ball. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region Hon Kennedy Osei Nyarko is calling on government and the private sector to expand investment in mechanisation services for farmers if the country want to become selfsufficient in rice production. He indicated that the only way to ensure Ghana rice becomes widely available to all Ghanaians is to ensure mechanisation tools are available to smallholder farmers who dont have the capital to afford it. "For Ghana to be able to meet its annual rice consumption we need to cultivate about 300,000 hectares that will be equivalent of (1,500,000 metric tons of paddy rice) of rice farms to be to meet our annual consumption of 1.2 million metric tons. We just need 300 commercial farmers that can do 1,000 hectares annually," Hon Kennedy Osei Nyarko exclusively told Accra-based Original FM 91.9. He added, "We dont need 300,000 smallholder farmers to produce to meet our demands. We can deliberately give all the support these 300 large-scale farmers will need and we will never import rice into the country again. All thats needed is support from government for these farmers. Rice is not like any other crop Rice needs very even land that has been well prepared where the lumps are all broken down, and it is relatively flat. And thats why rice is special and requires quite a bit of mechanisation, and it also needs water. The MP continued, You need the tractors, threshers, and irrigation facilities. Its very easy to buy a tractor. But what takes time is putting in place irrigation infrastructure and preparing the land so you can plant on it. He observed that land development for rice is expensive, and irrigation is expensive. According to him, "the private sector can be empowered to acquire mechanisation equipment like combine harvesters, tractors, tillers. But the government needs to pay attention to irrigation infrastructure. And there are issues with land development that government needs to take the lead on. Then the private sector can help with the milling, storage, and marketing. At the 18th Biennial Delegates Conference of the Accra Diocesan Council of AYPA on 24th September 2022, Hon. Adjiri Blankson, a former Mayor of Accra, expressed how happy he was that his son Hon. Joe Ghartey has confirmed to him his intention to run for the NPP's Flagbearship position. Hon. Blankson stated that "we must be assured that Hon. Joe Ghartey has a solid background." Hon Adjiri Blankson commented that "If you want to play top-grade politics, stand infront of your mirror and ask yourself do I deserve to be who I want to be". Hon. Ghartey is one of Ghanas longest-serving Members of Parliament. He has served Essikado-Ketan Constituency in the Western Region for over a decade. Hon. Ghartey was Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice under the erstwhile former President John Agyekum Kufuor's government, moving on to become Ghanas youngest Minister of Justice and Attorney General in 2006. He also served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament, a former Minister of Railways Development. Hon. Ghartey is an astute lawyer and has lectured at the Ghana School of Law. He is a Patron of NPP Germany branch, among others. Hon Blankson also commented that Hon. Joe Ghartey has all the required qualities with clean hands in government. "With his proven track record and work done in government, his bid for the flagbearship is backed with good standing," Hon Blankson concluded wishing Joe Ghartey well. Hon. Adjiri Blankson also congratulated Hon. Joe Ghartey and his wife for their unconventional dowry of accepting just a Bible and rings for the hand of their eldest daughter in marriage. Hon. Blankson acknowledged that as well-established lawyers themselves, Hon. Joe Ghartey and his wife did not have to make any exorbitant demands. He emphasised that their act was commendable. Tamale Central lawmaker, Murtala Mohammed has said it is clear that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not want the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to step down. In his view, the only way forward is to kick out the government from office through the ballot. Clearly the President doesn't want to sack , the only way to deal with this is to vote them out of office, he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday November 5. He further expressed optimism that the opposition MPs will get the required number to vote against the Finance Minister following the motion they filed. we are convinced we will get the number, the vote will be secret ballot. But Former Deputy Attorney General Joseph Kpempak Dindiok said it is not automatic that when the vote of censure is passed on the Finance Minister, will leave office on the basis of the results from the vote in Parliament. The vote is not the end of the process, he said. After the vote is passed, the decision will remain with the Minister to say that, based on the action taken by Parliament he feels the need to resign, or the President also saying that, based on the decision of Parliament, he feels the need to let the Finance Minister go. The former Lawmker for Tempane also stated on the Key Points on TV3 that the erroneous impression is being created that as soon as the vote is passed, that automatically gets the Finance Minister out. That is not the case, he stressed. He said The impression is being created that as soon as parliament votes by two thirds, the Minister will go, it is not, the vote is just one step. Earlier, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin said that the Mr Ken Ofori-Atta ought to be heard following the motion filed by the Minority to get him removed from office. He stated that the Minister has not be served, neither have the applicants served the basis on which they mounted their application. His comments were after the Speaker ruled that the motion filed by the Minority was properly laid after overruling an objection from the Majority. Mr Afenyo-Markin said The Minister is entitled to be heard. You cannot take away the right to fair hearing from a respondent. So Mr. Speaker, my view is that, we have a serious matter as censure and the applicants have not served the Minister neither have they served the basis on which they mounted their application. The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu for is part said The Speaker has ruled, and we must show respect to the Speaker. If there are any disagreements with the ruling, they know what to do. Ordinarily, any civilized democracy in the world, you don't even need a motion for the Minister of Finance to go home. He, upon self-appraisal of where he has led the country and economy to, in all conscience, will bow out and save the nation. So, we have brought a competent motion. The motion was filed by Asawase Member of Parliament Muntaka Mubarak and dated October 24, 2022. The opposition lawmakers believe the Finance Minister has failed in managing the economy. In tweet, North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said In compliance with Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the NDC Caucus in Parliament has successfully filed a motion for his immediate removal. We're glad there's positive indication some of our NPP colleagues will support us. 3news.com President Nana Akufo-Addo has always admitted that Ghana is going through economic challenges due to global factors, Former Member of Parliament for Tempane, Joseph Kpemka Dindiok, has said. In his view, creating an impression that Mr Akufo-Addo only admitted the economic crisis in his public address last Sunday October 30, will be misleading. The President has always admitted that Ghana is facing challenges, he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday November 30. I am not aware of any tape of the president saying milk and honey are flowing in Ghana, if you have that tape play it, he stressed. He further indicated that it is fact that the Covid as well as the Russia-Ukraine conflict negatively impacted Ghanas economy. It will be an act of pretense to say Covid crisis, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis have not impacted the economy, he said. President Akufo-Addo, after admitting the economic crisis, outlined measures to deal with the problems. He said The following actions have been taken thus far: 1) enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector, he said. The other measures are Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand. The Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in; Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana The Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme. Mr Akufo-Addo further assured Ghanaians that his government cares about them hence, is working hard to ameliorate the hardships they are going through presently. He says the government is determined to restore economic stability. He said It is obvious, fellow Ghanaians, that you have a government that cares. We are determined to restore stability to the economy, and provide relief. We are all in this together, and I am asking for your support to rescue Ghana from the throes of this economic crisis. He further referred to a number of initiatives the government introduced to support Ghanaians He said No guarantor is now required to obtain student loans. The Ghanacard is sufficient; and we have implemented free TVET as well as free senior high school education. We expanded School Feeding from 1.6 million children to 2.1 million children; we restored teacher and nursing training allowances; we absorbed the cost of BECE and WASSCE exam registrations for parents; It is for this reason that over the first five (5) years in office government reduced electricity tariffs cumulatively by 10.9%, we provided free water and electricity as well as reduced tariffs for the entire population during a whole year of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed My government has always been cognisant of the importance of implementing policies and social interventions to relieve Ghanaians of hardships. 3news.com Some Ghanaians have massed up at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra to take part in the protest dubbed Ku me preko to force President Akufo-Addo to resign. The protest is to demand better conditions from the Akufo-Addo-led government and also call on the President to resign over what they described as bad governance. Ahead of the demonstration, one of the organisers, Mr. Martin Kpebu, said the only way to get the country back on track is to have the President and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vacate their posts. The speech the President gave [last week] is basically President Akufo-Addo talking in 2016. The main thing that will get us out of trouble, is changing the structure of the economy, in such a way that we are no longer import-dependent. That we will do local production, was the mantra of President Akufo-Addo in 2016 He has over lived his welcome, he has to go, he fumed. Security Analyst and member of the organising team for the protest, Adib Saani implored participants to be law-abiding during the demonstration. By Citi Newsroom Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has asked Ghanaians to turn out in their numbers for the Kume Preko reloaded demonstration today, Saturday November 5. He says research shows that 54 per cent of Ghanaians want the President and the Vice President to resign hence, these citizens must come out to join the protest. Ghanaians come out, come out in your numbers, there has been a research which shows that 54 per cent of the citizens ask that the President and Vice President should resign so please come out for the President to see the numbers, he said at Obra sport where the demonstrators had gathered. The protest will start at the Obra Spot in Accra and end at the Independence Square. This comes at a time pressure is being mounted on the President to sack his Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta . Some Members of Parliament from the Majority side held a press conference to call for his sacking. Mr Kpebu described those MPs as heroes. Speaking on the Community Connect on 3FM Friday November 5, with Johnnie Hughes, he said Have you seen the 80 MPs, turned to 95, they have broken ranks with the president. So like I have always been saying, for the President, he has lot legitimacy because he can't even negotiate with his own MPs, he is not a leader. So now you see how he is not just an embarrassment but he has been dealt with a mortal blow. 3news.com Dr. Kwabena Duffuor 05.11.2022 LISTEN Former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has backed calls for the removal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. Due to the economic crisis in the country which has resulted in unprecedented hardships, the Minority in Parliament, various finance and economic experts, as well as Civil Society Organisations have called for the removal of the Finance Minister. Surprisingly, the Majority Caucus in Parliament is in support and has called on President Akufo-Addo to remove Ken Ofori-Atta. Speaking to Starr FM in an interview, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor says the calls for the sacking of the Finance Minister are the right one. Parliament has taken a decision that he should go, they are the peoples representative. If the people are saying that he should go, why not. That is what they are saying. They represent you in Parliament and they say they dont want him to be there, the aspiring flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) argued. He continued, As a nation, have we found out why we are here now with our economy? Why are we in this crisis and how did it come about? Did it start a year ago, two or three years ago? You as human beings if you dont know where you come from and who you are and your identity you cant achieve anything as a human-being. Meanwhile, Dr. Duffuor also wants the President to overhaul the Economic Management Team. In his view, the EMT has failed to deliver. Demonstrators at the Ku me preko protest on Saturday chanted and called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to resign over current economic woes. The protestors who massed up at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange were clad in red and black attires holding placards with inscriptions such as: Adinkra Symbol of failure, Boo the President, Sika mp mismanagement, Protect Journalists, impeach the President, the battle over the Lord sef, among others. Speaking with citinewsroom.com, one of the organisers of the demonstration and a social activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor explained that the protest is to kick against the Akufo-Addo governments abysmal performance. He claimed that government appointees have enriched themselves with state funds at the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaians, adding that the government has failed to deliver on its mandate hence the need for Ghanaians to sack him from office. Democratic culture is built on accountability, and demand of citizens for their lot. It is written into the fabric of democracy that, if the leadership, those who have sought the mandate of the people fail to deliver that mandate, people have the right to take back that mandate from them. We say sovereignty belongs to us as the people. So from time to time, we must demand it be returned to the people. This is what this demonstration is all about. The willingness to stand up against brutality, against a regime that is continuously being oppressive, this is what we are here to do, this is what the people have come here to speak against, he fumed. Though the turn-out was not what they expected, Mr. Baker-Vormawor said he was happy about the number of people who gathered to support the demonstration. He said the gathered protestors are witnesses to the governments terrible ruling of the country. Im not disappointed at the numbers, l thought l was coming to walk alone, but l came and met people more than l thought. People have showed up, so we are ok with it, he said. A number of police personnel with horses, armoured vehicles were spotted at the demonstration grounds. citinewsroom On Friday, voters in Georgia had their last chance to cast their 'early voting' ballot for the midterm elections. Next Tuesday, 8 November, is the official voting day for US Mid-terms. It will become clear if the former confederate state will remain blue, or if it will flip back to Republican Red. Grassroots activists have four days left to convince voters to go and let their voice be known - with a vengeance. "I became involved in politics when I was ten years old," remembers Aunna Dennis, currently executive director of Common Cause Georgia, the local chapter of an NGO which tries to motivate citizens to vote. "I had classmates who I didn't feel had fair access to proper food, or they were having to pay for lunch and they couldn't afford it. Things as simple as the need for a traffic stop at our busy intersection so we could cross the street to get to our school bus in a safe way." Supported by her parents, she started petitioning her Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) "to talk about changes that need to happen in our community." That was 26 years ago. Today, in the run-up to the November 8 Mid-terms, Dennis works 18-hour days with her small, but enthusiastic staff. They canvass neighbourhoods, trying to talk and motivate people into going to vote, helping them with registration issues and trying to explain how one vote can make a difference. "Georgia used to be the cradle of the confederacy," according to Dennis, pointing out that ending of policies of racial segregation were still happening "when I was a child" only 30 years ago. "We still have relics of certain laws that really still permeate into our democracy." Before the national Voting Rights Act in became law in 1965, several southern and western states demanded literacy tests in an attempt to prevent Black, Latino, and Native American citizens from voting. But even after the literacy requirement was lifted, much confusion and uncertainty remained over registration procedures. They were made more opaque by complex re-districting, where the boundaries of constituencies could change. This made it difficult for many voters to understand where they have to go to the polls - leading to rejected ballot papers, bureaucratic hassles and voter apathy. Relentless activism by groups such as Dennis' Common Cause Georgia turned the tide - at least in 2020. "It took only 11,000 votes to change the tie in our federal election," says Dennis. "We've seen the shockwaves of people being so surprised that over seven million people came out for a general election and then they came back in January for a runoff election to elect our senators." Dennis' Common Cause Georgia is not alone. A "multitude of different organizations" focuses on things like environmental rights, LGBTQ rights, people of color, immigrant rights. "So we're talking about all those things collectively, about what is democracy and why this election matters." Even if it's only Mid-terms. "Historically, the numbers always show that there's less participation of voters in these midterm elections," says Roula AbiSamra, who is with the Amplify Georgia Collaborative, a pro-choice group consisting of seven organisations that became especially vocal after the overturing by the US Supreme Court of the Roe vs Wade legislation. AbiSamra and Amplify lobby for better reproductive health rights, look for a strategy to counter the tide set by the Supreme Court and allowing states to decide on when abortion can be forbidden, and help women to find alternatives. But she's optimistic that the mid-terms may bring some change, with pro-choice candidates such as Democrat Stacey Adams, who is running for the position of governor against the incumbent - and pro-life - Brian Kemp. "There is quite a lot of new awareness about how important the non-presidential vote is on what happens directly in our states now," she says. As abortion law has been returned to the domain of every state, it has been added to other, nation-wide concerns that became campaign issues such as gun control and affirmative action. "These issues are on people's minds and they're all connected," she says. Some Ghanaians have hit the streets today, Saturday, November 5 to demand the resignation of President Akufo-Addo. The 'Kumepreko reloaded' demonstrators converged on Kwame Nkrumah Circle where the march started and proceeded through some major streets of the national capital amidst chants of anti-Akufo-Addo slogans. Some of the placards they held read 'impeach the president', 'boo the president', 'we voted for service not opulence', 'greedy bofrot', 'cedi devaluation = Agyapa deal', 'fly out on a luxury jet, as usual, and never return; go into exile', 'enough of the lies and deception', among others. The demonstration is organised by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu. It comes as Ghana goes through a biting economic crisis which the president recently admitted to in his national address to the nation on Sunday, 30 October 2022. Source: classfmonline.com Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed says he is confident MPs will vote to get rid of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. On October 25, the Majority MPs in a surprise turn of events held a press conference to demand the removal of the Finance Minister. The Majority MPs threatened that if President Akufo-Addo refused to remove Ken Ofori-Atta, they would boycott all businesses of the government including the hearing of the 2023 Budget Statement. Although the Majority MPs will back down on their demand subsequently after a meeting with President Akufo-Addo, the Minority in Parliament filed a vote of censure to begin the process to get rid of the Finance Minister. After the admission of the application by the Speaker of Parliament, the Minority is waiting for it to mature for a vote to be passed. Speaking to TV3 in an interview, Tamale Central MP Murtala Mohammed says he is confident the needed votes will be secured to remove Ken Ofori-Atta. Clearly the President doesnt want to sack. The only way to deal with this is to vote them out of office. We are convinced we will get the number, the vote will be secret ballot, the Tamale Central MP said on Saturday on the Key Points programme. Meanwhile, the Majority in Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has confirmed that all MPs are now in agreement that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta should be replaced. President Akufo-Addo wants to matter to be revisited only after talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are completed and the 2023 Budget statement is presented by Ofori-Atta in Parliament. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says it was time for Ghana to formally abolish the death penalty and remove it from its statute books. Thus, relevant actors must speed up work towards the complete repeal of capital punishment from the penal code, as it violated the right to life and undermined human dignity. The President made the call when Amnesty International, Ghana called on him at the Jubilee House to bring him up to speed on the progress made so far towards the outlaw of the death penalty. The rights group in February 2020, petitioned the President on the need to abolish the death penalty after it briefed him on its assessment of the human rights situation in the country including prison conditions. President Akufo-Addo noted that the continued stay of the death penalty on the statute books went against moral values, and devalued lives, rights and dignity of persons. He observed that since Ghana had made a conscious effort not to invoke the death penalty on persons who had been sentenced to death, the state must do the logical thing by obliterating it from her statute books. Though no official moratorium has been imposed on executions, Ghana carried out its last execution in 1993. The Criminal Code and Other Offences Act, (Act 29), 1960, still provides for the use of capital punishment for crimes of treason under the Constitution and a series of other crimes including murder and genocide. The Armed Forces Act also allows for the use of the death penalty in case of treason and mutiny by military personnel in times of war. Even though Ghana ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2000, it has yet to sign and ratify its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty President Akufo-Addo said though the global community was moving away from the use of the death penalty for all crimes, the process for its abolition must however consider terrorism-related offences. A lot of people have come to me who in principle support the abolition of the death penalty. But whenever the issue of terrorism is raised and the mindless manner in which some of these terrorist groups operate to destroy human life, operations which do not involve the killing of one person, but involves the annihilation of villages, of communities, people hesitate about supporting the abolition of the death penalty for such actors. I think it is important that education and sensitization is sufficiently well laid to address issues like thatNevertheless, I think that the principle is one that we should move towards in Ghana, he stated. The President emphasized that since Ghana had made a conscious decision not to invoke the death penalty, then we should do the logical thing and remove it from our statute books. It is a different matter if we were using it selectively; we are not using it at all. Everybody who is sentenced to death by the courts is automatically commuted to life imprisonment even though their treatment is still somewhat differentiated, he said. Mr Francis Nyantakyi, Board Chairman of Amnesty International, Ghana stated that the country could adopt a less costly route to abolish the death penalty by amending the Armed Forces Act, 1960 (Act 105) and the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). He informed the President that progress had been made since the rights group petitioned him in 2020, relating that a private member bill had since been introduced in Parliament by the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu. Mr Nyantakyi appealed to the President to lend support to the process to completely scrape the death penalty for all crimes. With your support, we hope that Ghana joins our neighbouring countries Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo and a host of other African countries including Sierra Leone, and Liberia, that have abolished the death penalty, he said. GNA 05.11.2022 LISTEN Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, says all her kids would have attended the Achimota School if not for a promise made by her late husband, former president Jerry John Rawlings. Although Nana Konadu and Rawlings both attended Achimota school, she said her husband promised the then headmistress of Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast, Central Region, that their kids would attend that school. According to the outspoken former First Lady, she became helpless when her late husband insisted on enrolling their female kids at Wesley Girls High School. The three females of the Rawlings family include Zanetor Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, and Amina Rawlings. Eulogising her alma mater, Achimota School, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings described her former school as a disciplined school where students are well-trained to survive on their own. In an exclusive interview on Foot Prints on Citi TV, Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings said: my husband and I would have put all of them [our kids] in Achimota School, but when a father goes and promises a headmistress that Im bringing my daughters here, what can you do? End of the story. I Ieft Achimota [school] with lots of memories, discipline number 1, cleanliness, orderliness, law and order working, and generally giving you an all-round activity which makes you feel that you can survive anywhere. Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings who is able to dance to contemporary music over the decades, said, I do feel old but young enough to go dancing and all that. Her husband, former President Rawlings, died on November 12, 2020, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. citinewsroom About 30,000 flag-waving worshippers attended an open-air mass held by Pope Francis in mainly Muslim Bahrain on Saturday, marked by a small protest by relatives of death row prisoners. Police briefly detained around 10 people who had protested outside a school where he was due to speak and asked to meet with the pontiff, according to a London-based rights group. Hajer Mansoor, mother of jailed activist Sayed Nizar Al-wadaei, held a placard reading "Tolerance does not exist for us here in Bahrain!" The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) said police had detained about 10 people and released them around an hour later. The pope, who did not stop to talk to the protesters, was met with dances and flowers inside the Sacred Heart school, where he urged children to "embrace the culture of care". Francis blesses a child at the stadium. By Marco BERTORELLO (AFP) The pontiff, leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, is on his second visit to the resource-rich and Muslim-dominated Gulf, home to millions of migrant workers including a sizeable Catholic community. Matricia, a Filipina living in Dammam in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, said she felt "lucky" to be at Saturday morning's mass. "I am feeling blessed because we are really lucky to be at this holy event, where the pope will be giving the mass to all of us," she said. At the service, some congregants had tears in their eyes as they waited to see the 85-year-old at Bahrain National Stadium, the kingdom's biggest venue. Francis, who uses a wheelchair and walking stick due to knee problems, smiled and waved to the crowds and kissed children from his popemobile as it drove towards a white stage backdropped by a giant gold cross. "This very land is a living image of coexistence in diversity and indeed an image of our world, increasingly marked by the constant migration of peoples and by a pluralism of ideas, customs and traditions," he said in an address. 'Right to life' But while his trip has focused on dialogue with Islam, it has been marked by accusations of rights abuses in the Gulf nation. About two million Catholics, mainly foreign workers from South Asia and the Philippines, reside in the Gulf. By Marco BERTORELLO (AFP) Rights groups have long cited discrimination, repression and harassment by Bahrain's ruling Sunnis against Shiite opposition figures and activists. Human Rights Watch has accused Bahraini courts of issuing death sentences based on "manifestly unfair trials". In a speech after his arrival on Thursday, the pontiff had spoken of the "right to life" and the "need to guarantee that right always, including for those being punished, whose lives should not be taken". A government spokesperson said Tuesday in a statement that Bahrain "does not tolerate discrimination" and "prides itself on its values of tolerance". The statement said that "no individual" is prosecuted "because of their religious or political beliefs", but pointed to "a duty to investigate" people who "incite, promote or glorify violence or hatred". Pope Francis's 39th international visit is largely aimed at building ties with Muslim officials. On Friday, he met the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar mosque, one of the leading authorities of Sunni Islam, and members of the Muslim Council of Elders. He also attended a service at Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, the biggest in the Arabian peninsula that seats more than 2,000. Hundreds of migrant workers were among the congregation welcoming him. The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson has added to calls for the resignation of the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. According to him, the President must go after showing insensitivity to the plight of the citizenry in the midst of the economic crisis. The President does not care about the plight of the people. He has shown gross insensitivity to the plight of the people. The president has acted in a manner that is inimical to the defense and economy of this country. He must resign in accordance with the direct principle of State policy, Mensah Thompson said in an interview with GHOne TV. Speaking on the sidelines of the Kume Preko reloaded demonstration, the ASEPA boss disclosed that if the President does not resign by November 17, there will be a massive three-day demonstration in the country. He will have to resign because he doesnt have a choice. On the 15th 16TH and 17th we have another three days of demonstrations coming on. Arise Ghana, we are putting over a million people on the street of Accra. We will see if the President will resign or not, Mensah Thomas said. Thousands of Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra today, Saturday, November 5, to protest against the hardships in the country and call for the resignation of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The demonstration today was organised by Private Legal Practitioner, Lawyer Martin Kpebu. H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, is currently underfire to resign due to worsening economic hardships in the country. Lawyer Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, has today, Saturday, November 5, led some Ghanaians to hit the streets of Accra in a demonstration dubbed "Kume Preko reloaded." The protesters called on the President and his Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to resign by next Wednesday. They believe the current hardships are the doing of the President since he has refused to sack his cousin Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta despite the calls by the NPP MPs. They have also tagged the President as a dictator who has bluntly refused to take advice leading Ghana into a ditch. The protesters held placards that read "impeach the president," "boo the president," "we voted for service, not opulence," "greedy bofrot," "Cedi devaluation = Agyapa deal," "fly out on a luxury jet, as usual, and never return; go into exile," "enough of the lies and deception," and several others. However, what seems to have provoked another backlash on social media is the President's old social media post during the 2016 electioneering campaign. In the said post, the President, then in opposition appealed to Ghanaians to try him for the presidency and kick him out should he fail to deliver on the promises when elected. "This year, try me too. Give me the chance to show you what I can do. Four years is not so far away. If I come and I don't succeed, kick me out. God knows my heart and I can assure you that I won't disappoint you. Progress and prosperity are what I am offering the people of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addos 2016 Facebook post reads. The phrase, "Greedy bofrot" first introduced by Efia Odo, a popular Ghanaian female socialite, as a response to President Akufo-Addos social media post, has been trending on social media. It was it one of the inscriptions on placards held by demonstrators at the just-ended Kume Preko Reloaded demonstration. It is being used on Twitter users and other social media platforms to describe the President. SD @Taykiwaa wrote: No cus Nana is truly a Greedy Bofrot. Joe Funds wrote: We tried Nana Addo the first term, and he use takashi won the second term all by himself. Greedy bofrot Yaa Abrefi Kt wrote: I don't care what party you belong to. We can all agree that someone calling the president a "greedy bofrot".... Napari stated: Resigning de3 we for forget that thing. That greedy bofrot didn't chase the presidency for a very long time just to resign with two years to go. Kumasi Mr Ex-President tweeted: Greedy bofrot #Nana Must Go. Lawyer Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, has today, Saturday, November 5, led some Ghanaians to hit the streets of Accra in a demonstration dubbed "Kume Preko reloaded." The protesters called on the President and his Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to resign by next Wednesday. They believe the current hardships are the doing of the President since he has refused to sack his cousin Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta despite the calls by the NPP MPs. They have also tagged the President as a dictator who has bluntly refused to take advice leading Ghana into a ditch. Aside from the popular greedy bofrot, the protesters held placards that read "impeach the president," "boo the president," "we voted for service, not opulence," "Cedi devaluation = Agyapa deal," "fly out on a luxury jet, as usual, and never return; go into exile," "enough of the lies and deception," and several others. The National Communications Authority (NCA) has refuted claims that the Voter ID Card will be accepted for the re-registration of SIM cards. In a statement, the NCA said it has not issued any such directives to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) providers. There is currently no medium for registration with Voters ID in the current SIM registration exercise; Ghana Card remains the only ID. The NCA was responding to posts on social media by Sam George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram and a member of the select committee on Communications. The authority clarified further that there had been talks concerning the updating of the SIM registration App to allow a temporary use of Voters ID. It added that that development effort will take several weeks, if not months, to complete and the deep dive technical discussions on the integration effort with the MNOs/BWAs have not even been held. The NCA noted further that similar efforts with Passport integration have taken more than three months and counting and are still not complete. If necessary, the general public will be duly informed when both integration efforts are complete as well as the modalities and conditions of use, it added. ---citinewsroom Leaders of Kume Preko demonstration have asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to resign from office by Wednesday, November 9. They said the President's administration had failed to salvage the country from the current economic distress, thus, they must leave office. Addressing hundreds of protesters at the Black Star Square on Saturday, Mr Martin Kpebu, Lead Organiser of the demonstration, said mismanagement by government was to blame for the escalation of prices of goods and services. We are calling on President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and Mr Ken Ofori Atta to resign immediately or latest by Wednesday 9, he said. Mr Kpebu said Ghanaians could no longer withstand the heat and were suffocating and that the only way out was for the leadership of the government to step down for the Speaker of Parliament to take over. He said: When the Speaker takes over, he must roll out plans to cushion Ghanaians; he must reduce some of the taxes, find innovative ways to ensure prices of commodities and fuel come down and find ways to strengthen the cedi. Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Convener of #FixTheCountry Movement, a pressure group, said Ghanaians needed to be careful of superficial truth in handling the economic hardship. We are in a deep economic and systemic crisis; it is bigger than the pandemic and the responses to avert this must not be superficial. The problem we are in now is as the result of a political class that do not listen, he said. Mr Barker-Vormawor said in restructuring and reforming the country, there was the need to have a discussion on the 1992 Constitution to avoid a recurrence of the economic hardships taking Ghana to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 17 times. Mr Nii Ayi Opare, Spokesperson, Economic Fighters League, called on the youth and the citizenry to speak up because The country is on the verge of economic collapse. He said they economic fighters would resist any attempt to plunge Ghana into civil unrest and called on Parliament to pass a vote of censure on Ken Ofori Atta, the Finance Minister. The 'KumePreko' demonstration saw hundreds of Ghanaians, in red attire, marched through some principal streets of Accra for over three hours demanding the resignation of the President, his Vice and the Finance Minister over the country's economic hardship. Prices of goods and services have tripped in days, with petrol selling around GHS27 per litre and diesel, GHS 23 per litre at the pumps. Last week, President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation and admitted that the country was in deep crisis and gave assurance that efforts were being made by Government to restore confidence in the economy. The Agric Ministry later said it would cart foodstuff from farm gates to Accra next week for direct sales to reduce food prices in the capital. GNA In September 2000, leaders of 189 countries gathered at the United Nations headquarters and signed the historic Millennium Declaration, in which they committed to achieving a set of eight measurable goals that range from halving extreme poverty and hunger to promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases by the year 2015. The 8 goals were realistic and easy to communicate, with a clear measurement/monitoring mechanism. Though substantial progress has been made regarding the MDGs in the developed countries with the world already realizing the first MDG of halving the extreme poverty rate as of 2015, the achievements have been uneven with goals number 4, 5, and 6 which has to do with health, yet to be achieved especially in Africa and in particular Ghana, thanks to the managers of our health systems. It is a fact that Ghanas maternal mortality ratio declined from 760 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 319 per 100,000 live births in 2015, however the pace of decline in maternal mortality has been slow, leading to Ghanas inability to achieve the millennium development goal target of 190 per 100,000 live births in 2015. The maternal mortality ratio remains high and requires strenuous efforts if Ghana has to achieve the sustainable development goal target of 70 per 100,000 live births in 2030. Most maternal deaths occur in rural areas as compared to urban areas. This has largely been attributed to the high prevalence of skilled birth attendance of 74% in urban areas as compared to 43% in rural areas. Several other factors have been implicated as major contributory factors to maternal deaths in Ghana. Low antenatal coverage, sociocultural factors, lack of logistics, equipment, and blood at healthcare facilities have been largely blamed as reasons for high maternal mortality in Ghana. It was observed that maternal deaths are usually directly related to causes, such as haemorrhage (bleeding ), unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorders, infections, and obstructed labor while indirect causes, include malaria, HIV/AIDS, and anemia. Other factors, including poverty, lack of skilled health personnel, and poor transport system have contributed to the high maternal mortality ratio in Ghana. This argument seems to be supported by Thaddeus and Maines framework which posit that factors of this nature often result into one of the three delays; Delay in making a decision to go to hospital, delay in arriving at the hospital, and A delay in getting treatment at a health facility which often lead to maternal mortality The healthcare system in Ghana is structured in five levels. The tertiary hospitals which are also teaching hospitals are at the apex of the healthcare delivery ladder. This is followed by the regional hospitals which provide specialist care for patients and also serve as referral points for district hospitals. The district hospital provides care at the district level and also serves as referral point for the sub-district facilities (facilities at the community level). The lowest facilities in the healthcare delivery ladder are the community clinics or community-based health planning and services (CHPS) Doctors and Physician Assistants are the managers of these health facilities. The Doctors are mainly at the District, Regional and Teaching Hospitals. Physician Assistants on the other hand attend to patients at the Sub District health facilities ( they are also the administrative heads at this level) as well as OPDs of most of the District and Regional Hospitals across the country. The difference between these two cadres of health workers is the number of years spent in school, the level of training and practice. Whiles the Doctor is trained in accredited medical schools for a minimum of 6 years (formerly 8 years) plus a 2year house job at accredited health facilities, the Physician Assistants are currently being trained in universities across the country for a minimum of 4 years plus additional 1year internship at the regional and teaching hospitals with some currently holding Phd. and Masters. Both are currently licensed and regulated by the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana. Contrary to the notion held by many in Ghana, Physician Assistants do not Assist Doctors in the management of patients, they practice medicine based on their levels of training and competence just as Doctors. However failure on the part of the Medical And Dental Council to take steps to improve curriculum for their training coupled with accreditation of mushroom schools some of which have no laboratories and teaching hospitals. Some of the schools continue to use of part time lectures (some of which uses one or two weekends to complete a semesters syllabus), teaching of subjects without practical coupled with unregulated intake of students (with some schools admitting almost 100 students in a class) for the program. Other schools are currently running the program on weekend bases. These are happening whiles the regulator sits unconcern. These negatively impacted the training and practice of the physician Assistants. The Medical And Dental Council has taken steps to remove important subjects like Pharmacology (which teaches the students on the use of medicines) and Pathology from the curriculum of schools currently training Physician Assistants. This is an attempt to widen the knowledge gap between the Doctors and the PAs to the Advantage of the Doctors. The council has refused over the years to mount specialist programs for Physician Assistants though other countries like USA do allow Physician Assistants to specialise in any field of medicine. It is rumoured that the Medical and Dental Council is currently controlled by the Ghana Medical Association having the board dominated by Doctors with only one Physician Assistant on the board. The council recently came out with a scope of practice document for Physician Assistants. The said document among other things is asking a Physician Assistant who spent 5 years in University training, to refer urinary tract infections in pregnancy to a midwife because they are not competent to manage such cases. This directive exposes the council further as it has failed the taxpayer once again. Entry requirement into the Physician Assistant program in UCC, University of Allied health, Central University and many other universities Across the country is not much different from that for medical schools. So one may wonder how the Physician Assistants were trained that, the council thinks they cant manage urinary tract infections and malaria in pregnant women. Readers would wonder why the Medical And Dental Council takes so much interest in the training of doctors in and outside the country but seems to be unconcerned about the training of the Physician Assistants. Was the council set up to champion the interest of Ghana Medical Association or the taxpayer. Physician Assistants in Kenya are called clinical officers, the Kenyan Government in attempt to reduce maternal mortality in that country decided to introduce the program just as the USA did after the second world war to meet the high demand for doctors. Clinical officers in Kenya are trained for 3 years to do caesarean sections, removal of womb and other forms of surgery aside management of other medical conditions. They work in COLLABORATION with Doctors (not as ASSISTANTS) in that country in order to provide healthcare to the taxpayer just as its done in the USA, Canada, Australia, and many other countries across the world why is the story in Ghana different. Ghana News Agency on the 25th February 2022 reported an ever widening patient to Doctor ratio in the Northern Region of the country with the ratio being 1:10,901 in 2021 and 1:8,859 in 2020 (from Ghana Health Service Statistics). As usual the data failed to tell how many Physician Assistants are out there working to save lives where the Doctors over the years have refused postings to. However the statistics revealed that the country still doesnt have adequate number of doctors to see every patient that needs medical care. Nor can the country train enough doctors soonest to fill the gap. So why are the policy makers failing the country, could it be because the Doctors have taken over every leadership position in the health sector hence are manipulating the system to their advantage so they can always hold all of us to ransom anytime they wish. I wish to use this medium to appeal to our beloved Doctors to; Not see the Physician Assistants as enemies but rather collaborate with them to give the taxpayer the best of care Stop competing with Physician Assistants on who can manage malaria, Diabetes and Hypertension better and focus on how they can go into the heart and take blood clots out within few minutes of patient arrival at the hospital to save lives of the taxpayer who pays them over GHC8,000 every month. They should focus on how to permanently treat that poor kid born with HIV or sickle cell instead of them having to take drugs for the rest of their lives all in the name of managing the disease They should focus on how to remove that fibroid which is making our ladies infertile without having to cut them open instead of fighting PAs over who can be called a medical practitioner or not Our Doctors should try and focus on how to go into the brain and take out that blood clot if the patient arrived at the hospital within 20 minutes of developing symptoms of stroke so he or she doesnt become jobless and totally dependent on the family instead of battling with the PA of who can better manage diarrhoea The District Health Directors should stop collaborating with their accountants to steal monies from accounts of the health centres using flimsy reasons. The situation has made most of the Physician Assistants who man these facilities to incur the rough of these Directors most of whom are Doctors. Monies stolen from the health centres could be used to improve service delivery at these facilities so the patient would not have to be referred to higher facilities where they sometimes dont even have beds to sleep on In fact, most health centres where these Physician Assistants work have no well-equipped laboratories or pharmacies with most of the facilities highly indebted to regional medical stores across the country. They work mostly using their clinical judgment yet we turn around to call them incompetent And to our policy makers, kindly move out of your comfort zones, pay a visit to countries with best practice like our Kenyan Brothers who are making good use of their Physician Assistants and find out how they did it so you can formulate good policies that will improve training and practice of the Ghanaian Physician Assistants all for the benefit of the taxpayer Government should take the necessary steps to establish a separate regulatory council for the Physician Assistants just like the USA did so they can regulate their training and practice instead of them sharing same council of Doctors who see them as a threat to their continued relevance in Ghana. Lastly, leadership positions in the healthcare system should not be the preserve of only doctors but any healthcare worker with the requisite qualification and brain power be allowed to compete and lead the health system. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong, may we continue to be citizens and not spectators. The Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, participated in the Outreach Session of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting held from 3rd to 4th November, 2022 in Munster,Germany. The Meeting, which was hosted by Germany under its tenure as President of the G7, had in attendance, all foreign ministers from the G7 Group, namely, USA, Italy, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, France and the European Union. Discussions during the outreach segment of the meeting centred on current geopolitical challenges, with particular reference to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on world trade, supply chains, energy, and resilience of democratic institutions in the face the emerging threats to the rule based global order among other pertinent issues of mutual interest. The Hon. Minister was invited together with her counterpart from Kenya and the Chair of the African Union (AU) to engage with the G7 Ministers on existential threats posed by the restive Sahel region and the wider security implications it presents. Also on the agenda was the security situation in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa as well as the recent peace accord brokered over the conflict between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Rebels and, how to practically implement the terms of the ceasefire so as to avoid a relapse to the status quo ante. The stakeholders also deliberated on efforts to tackle the climate crisis, as well as food and energy security as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and proffered suggestions on how these pertinent issues may be resolved with a concerted effort. The Hon. Minister took the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from Japan, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada on the margins of the meeting. During the said meetings, the Hon. Minister discussed among others, matters of mutual interest, bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the light of Ghanas tenure as Chair of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the month of November 2022. The Hon. Minister also availed herself of the opportunity to brief her counterparts on the progress of the Accra Initiative and efforts to employ its collaborative security mechanism to prevent infiltration and a spill-over of the activities of terrorist elements from the Sahel into coastal states on the Gulf of Guinea. Hong Kong: Throat swab collection from Nov 8 The Government announced today that throat swab samples will be collected for free nucleic acid tests starting November 8, replacing the current practice of collecting nasal and throat swab samples. The switch will apply to free nucleic tests conducted at community testing centres/stations, ad-hoc specimen collection stations as well as inbound testing stations at the airport. Adjustment will also be made to the compulsory testing notices correspondingly, such that a throat swab will be accepted for testing. The Government said that switching to using a throat swab to collect an upper respiratory tract specimen for nucleic acid test can also achieve high sensitivity. A throat swab sample is one of the recommended upper respiratory tract specimens listed in the ninth edition of the Protocol for Prevention & Control of COVID-19 published by the National Health Commission. It is also frequently used in the Mainland for large-scale nucleic acid testing, including centralised isolation and border control. Trained personnel assigned by the service providers will observe the relevant guidelines issued by the Centre for Health Protection during sample collection so as to ensure the specimen quality. The collection of throat swab samples by trained personnel can attain reliable sensitivity, reduce the duration taken for sample collection and at the same time streamline the specimen collection procedures. The adjustment is conducive to enhancing the overall efficiency and boosting the capacity of testing services, while not affecting nucleic acid tests accuracy. The self-paid testing arrangement at community testing centres/stations will remain unchanged. Unless otherwise requested, combined nasal and throat swabs will continue to be used for self-paid testing services. Members of the public may also opt for other specimen collection methods, including taking nasal swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs or a throat swab that suits their needs, such as meeting the entry requirement of their travel destinations. The charge of self-paid testing services will remain the same. This story has been published on: 2022-11-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. November 05, 2022 The Twitter Massacre I am amusing myself with watching the panic some people express over Elon Musk's cleanup of Twitter. Yesterday 3,700 of its 7,500 workers were fired. That is not good, but the company was losing money and making money is at the core of the capitalist game. Of interest is what functions were eliminated. The Guardian provides this list: From news reports and terminated employees announcements, heres what we know so far about the teams that have been hit by the layoffs of thousands of Twitter employees: The human rights team has been laid off, according to a now former employee, Shannon Raj Singh, who said the team worked to protect those at risk in global conflicts, including in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. The ML (machine learning) Ethics, Transparency and Accountability team is gone, according to a tweet of a laid-off manager. The internet technology team, which helps keep the site running, has been cut to a skeleton crew, two sources told the Times. An accessibly experience engineering team has been cut, according to a laid-off engineering manager. The curation team, responsible for the Moments feature on Twitter, has also been cut, former employees reported. Twitters communications department is almost entirely gone, according to the Verge. Other areas that have been heavily impacted, the Verge reported, include product trust and safety, policy, research and social good. What were these teams actually doing? The human rights team leader gave some hints: Shannon Raj Singh @ShannonRSingh - 17:58 UTC Nov 4, 2022 Yesterday was my last day at Twitter: the entire Human Rights team has been cut from the company. I am enormously proud of the work we did to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, to protect those at-risk in global conflicts & crises including Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, and to defend the needs of those particularly at risk of human rights abuse by virtue of their social media presence, such as journalists & human rights defenders. The human rights team was the 'regime change' force on Twitter. It intervened in conflicts where the U.S. preferred a certain side. So you are the one that was censoring pro-Ethiopian and Eritrean voices in order to help the rebel group from Tigray. May Karma pay you back for thousands of lives perished in US/West proxy war. Shannon Raj Singh had previously meddled in Afghan and other countries' cultures: Shannon Raj Singh is a Legal Counsel for SAHR, advising a Kabul-based team on sexual violence litigation in Afghanistan, which aims to end the invasive and discriminatory practice of female virginity testing. She is an international criminal law attorney focused on victim-centered responses to mass atrocities. Currently based in The Hague, she has experience working with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and a number of human rights NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa. She has also practiced as a litigator in the United States, appearing in both state and federal courts and assisting with overseas corruption investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The machine learning ethics, transparency and accountability team was also fired. Machine learning, also glorified as 'artificial intelligence', is essentially an (often lousy) pattern recognition system. It can be trained with categorized data and, after that, can categorized other data it gets presented. All one needs to know about its ethics, transparency and accountability is is the old IT wisdom 'garbage in garbage out'. If one trains the system with faulty categorized data it will fail to correctly categorize data. It does not need an extra team to learn that. I do not know what the 'Internet technology team' was doing but the function obviously still exists. It was merely downsized. The accessibly experience engineering team included at least five members. There task was to modify the Twitter app so it could be used better by people with disabilities. I find it weird that Twitter had a whole team for that. To teach designers to use colors that can be differentiated by color blind people takes about 90 minutes max. All other accessibility issues I can think of (fontsize, button size etc.) are an issue for the device and operation system, not for an application like Twitter that runs on top of those. Besides that, how big is the market of people with disabilities for a company like Twitter? The 'curation team' ran the Twitter moments feature. It allows for blog posts about specific tweets. The feature never took off. I know of no one who has ever used it. Many journalists are hostile to Musk's takeover of their favorite hang out. The communications department was there to talk to the press. Why bother? And the other functions? Product trust and safety, policy, research and social good? What were they actually doing? How has the 'social good' team helped the company to be successful? The Washington Post laments that Twitter fired some people who were doing 'election information': The mass layoffs Friday gutted teams devoted to combating election misinformation, adding context to misleading tweets and communicating with journalists, public officials and campaign staff. The layoffs included a number of people who were scheduled to be on call this weekend and early next week to monitor for signs of foreign disinformation, spam and other problematic content around the election, one former employee told The Washington Post. 'Foreign meddling' is certainly an issue in U.S. elections as foreign money funneled through lobbyists can influence the votes. But 'foreign meddling' on social media is simply a myth promoted by Democrats as part of their great 'Russiagate' fake. Twitter's downfall into a 'regime change' outlet came in 2009 when it moved a maintenance window to help U.S. 'regime change' efforts in Iran: The Obama administration says it has tried to avoid words or deeds that could be portrayed as American meddling in Irans presidential election and its tumultuous aftermath. Yet on Monday afternoon, a 27-year-old State Department official, Jared Cohen, e-mailed the social-networking site Twitter with an unusual request: delay scheduled maintenance of its global network, which would have cut off service while Iranians were using Twitter to swap information and inform the outside world about the mushrooming protests around Tehran. The request, made to a Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey, is yet another new-media milestone: the recognition by the United States government that an Internet blogging service that did not exist four years ago has the potential to change history in an ancient Islamic country. ... Twitter complied with the request, saying in a blog post on Monday that it put off the upgrade until late Tuesday afternoon 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Tehran because its partners recognized the role Twitter is currently playing as an important communication tool in Iran. That was an expensive mistake. Shortly thereafter Twitter lost access to the Iranian market. Back to 'regime change' assistant Shannon Raj Singh: Somebody should publish the pre Elon org chart. Judging by this twitter walked talked and quacked like an NGO which made it subject to banning in half the world Twitter had become a 'woke' company that was mostly in the hands of the Democratic Party. By being 'woke' and by supporting 'regime change' efforts Twitter killed its own access to at least half of its potential market. It Musk manages to make it a more neutral service, nationally and internationally, while keeping its original function alive, I am all for it. Unfortunately that is unlikely to happen. Posted by b on November 5, 2022 at 17:05 UTC | Permalink Comments next page November 05, 2022 Ukraine Open Thread 2022-190 Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict. Please stick to the topic. The current open thread for other issues is here. Posted by b on November 5, 2022 at 14:13 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Making daylight saving permanent could drastically reduce deer collisions, study finds NBC. Resilc: Im all for more dead deer. They kill all kinds of new forest growth by over population. Death to Bambi. CATCHING TIGERS IN RED WEATHER AND THE FALLING HUMAN Circus Bazaar (David L) #COVID-19 Science/Medicine Climate/Environment China? India Pakistan New Not-So-Cold War Syraqistan Imperial Collapse Watch Trump Trump ally Tom Barrack acquitted of foreign agent charges Associated Press (resilc) 2022 Our No Longer Free Press The Bezzle The Crypto Art Crash: What Remains of the NFT Hype Der Spiegel A History of Economic Whac-A-Mole Brad DeLong Project Syndicate (David L) Wells Fargo Faces US Demand for Record Fine Exceeding $1 Billion Bloomberg Class Warfare Antidote du jour. Chet G: This past Friday, I was photographing some Centre Wildlife Care animals for its annual adoption/sponsorship, and I thought you might enjoy a few of those photos. Opal is an opossum (North Americas only marsupial). And a bonus (guurst): African Servals pic.twitter.com/ohwaey45rF Nature Is Lit (@NatureIs_Lit) November 2, 2022 See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Yves here. You cannot make this stuff up. The West thinks it has spared itself much pain from its Russian oil price cap scheme by allowing third parties to buy Russian oil at the capped price, then mark it up for G7 buyers. Permitting on-selling allows traders to store oil (as in combine it from several sources). And this regime will allow Indias practice of refining Russian oil and selling the resulting gas and other end-products. In the meantime, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had said pretty much everyone in the world would have to participate, yet uptake has been pretty poor. As we indicated, even G7 member Japan has said it needs Russian oil. Thats a warning that Japan will only at most pretend to participate in the regime if Russia lives up to its promise of not selling oil at the Western cap. By Michael Kern. Originally published at OilPrice The United States and its Western allies have agreed that a cargo of Russian oil will only be subject to the price cap mechanism at the first sale of the oil to a buyer on land, sources familiar with the ongoing discussions told The Wall Street Journal on Friday. This means that the upcoming price cap will not apply to the resale of the same Russian cargo. The price cap will not apply to a cargo of Russian crude processed into gasoline when the gasoline is sold, either. However, intermediary sales and trades of Russian oil happening at sea should be subject to the price cap, according to the Journals sources. The U.S. and the G7 allies and Australia are working on setting the details of the price cap before the December 5 deadline, after which the EU embargo on imports of Russian crude oil by sea enters into force. The G7 group of the most industrialized nations and the EU are looking to introduce a price cap on Russian oil, aiming to reduce Vladimir Putins oil revenues for his war chest. The allies will ban maritime transportation services for Russian oil unless the products are purchased at or below a certain price cap. Reports emerged this week that the G7 members had agreed to set a fixed price for Russian oil exports as a cap rather than a price set as a discount to a benchmark, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed source familiar with the discussions. The price itself has yet to be determined, the source said, adding that, according to the G7, This will increase market stability and simplify compliance to minimize the burden on market participants. Earlier, a price range in the mid-$60s was mentioned as a possible target for the cap as it represented the range in which Russian oil has traded before the last rally. While considering all the parameters of a price cap, the U.S. Treasury issued this week guidance that says Russian crude oil loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading for maritime transport prior to December 5 will not be subject to the price cap if the oil is unloaded at the port of destination before January 19, 2023. KateLynn White graduated from Tennessee State University, where she was an editor of the student newspaper. She interned for The Tennessean and The Tennessee Tribune before joining the Nashville Post in 2022. She also contributes to the Nashville Scene. Follow KateLynn White Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today (Natural News) New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that between the years of 2016 and 2019, medically unnecessary chest surgeries on minors, also known as transgender mutilation, increased by nearly 400 percent. A total of 1,130 gender-affirming chest surgeries were performed on children in the United States during that three-year period. Of this, 1,114, or 98.6 percent, involved bilateral mastectomies conducted on adolescent females trying to become males. The remaining 16 cases, or 1.4 percent, involved augmentation mammoplasties or breast implants on males who decided to try to become females. (Related: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health wants children as young as 14 to be allowed to transition with surgery and pharmaceutical drugs.) To our knowledge, this study is the largest investigation to date of gender-affirming chest reconstruction in a pediatric population, the study noted. The results demonstrate substantial increases in gender-affirming chest reconstruction for adolescents. Most of the time, younger people who decide to go trans do undergo lower genital mutilation, the study further reveals, stating that: reconstructive genital surgery is typically not performed in adolescents, but masculinizing chest reconstruction (e.g., mastectomy) and feminizing chest reconstruction (e.g., augmentation mammaplasty) may be performed in outpatient and ambulatory surgery settings. Many trans children are severely mentally ill According to the data, a large number of children who decide they want to mutilate their bodies to join the Cult of LGBT suffer from psychiatric conditions such as anxiety or depression. About 20 percent of these children take gender-affirming hormone therapies, which are really just gender-bending pharmaceutical drugs that destroy their endocrine systems so they will appear as the opposite gender. So-called chest reconstruction surgeries are the most popular surgeries for trans children, and the medical system loves them because they are huge money makers, costing around $40,000 a pop. Female-to-male bottom surgeries, meaning the vagina is removed and replaced with a fake penis, can cost $100,000 a pop. These are an even bigger money maker, and are expected to become increasingly more popular among children as the trans industry has its sights set on all those dollar signs. Medical workers at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville were caught on tape discussing these big money maker transgender surgeries, and warning against doctors who might object to them on moral grounds. At Vanderbilt, there are reportedly consequences in place for doctors who refuse to comply with these procedures because the hospital does not want to lose that lucrative profit stream. Its a lot of money, said VUMC Clinic for Transgender Healths Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor at one Medicine Grand Rounds lecture series that was captured on tape. These surgeries make a lot of money. Because of all the publicity these leaked videos have gotten, Vanderbilt says it has temporarily paused all gender transition surgeries on minors. However, those are expected to resume once all the opposition dust settles. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican politician in Tennessee, recently sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for an investigation into drug companies that perform clinical trials using puberty blockers on children. She also wants a full investigation into Vanderbilt Hospital. It is just very sad that we would hear from medical professionals as they were putting profit in front of children, Blackburn is quoted as saying. Grand View Research estimates that last year alone, the transgender surgery industry had a $1.9 billion valuation. Cutting off childrens genitals and destroying their lives, in other words, is big money and as we all know, money is the god of America. The latest news about Americas obsession with transgenderism can be found at Transhumanism.news. Sources for this article include: ThePostMillennial.com NaturalNews.com DailyWire.com (Natural News) The supply of diesel in the United States is still in a precarious position, and an insider in the auto industry warned if the crisis continues for longer it could permanently damage the already-weakened supply chain by Thanksgiving. Automobile industry expert Eric Peters noted in an interview with radio host Kate Dalley that there will likely be a massive shortfall in diesel in the coming weeks and thats going to be felt economy-wide. (Related: America is running out of gas: Surging demand leaves US with LESS THAN A MONTHS supply of diesel.) Most people dont appreciate the importance of diesel macro in the economy because most people drive a gas-powered car, he said. They dont understand that everything that they buy pretty much is shipped from where it was made or where it was grown via a diesel-powered heavy truck and involved diesel-powered machinery to produce it. If the supply of [diesel] goes down even 10, 20 percent, that is going to result in significant ramifications, generally speaking, across the entire economy, Peters added. Unless the numbers are completely inaccurate, and they may well be, I do think its inevitable that were going to see some of these dislocations right around Thanksgiving. Peters is referring to a report released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in October suggesting that the U.S. has just around 25 days of diesel supply remaining, which would put the country at zero diesel supply around the fourth week of November, right before Thanksgiving. Diesel inventories running on fumes Americas diesel inventories are at their lowest level since the massive economic downturn caused by the 2008 Great Recession. Elaine Levin, president of Powerhouse, an energy risk management consultancy firm, noted that the diesel industry is running on fumes. That is a problem for everybody who needs to put it in the truck and burn it, Levin said. She noted that if the supply of diesel decreases further, or does not improve beyond the EIAs latest warning, prices will likely remain elevated throughout the winter. The total distillate inventory figure for the U.S., which makes up roughly 85 to 90 percent of all diesel inventories, including other distillates such as heating oil, showed that the country has 106.78 million barrels left, up very slightly from the EIAs report that showed 106.35 million barrels. Levin noted that the figure for distillate inventories is uncomfortably close to the 100 million barrel mark. Once supplies hit this mark, it will start to create what Peters called dislocations in the fuel distribution system, as there wont be enough to go around. It could lead to some places being prioritized for diesel deliveries over others. As of Thursday, Nov. 3, the national average price per gallon of diesel was $5.311, or $1.672 higher than a year ago. Texas had the lowest average price at $4.715 per gallon, or $1.394 higher than a year ago, and California had the highest average state-level price at $6.3 per gallon, or $1.543 higher than a year ago. Learn more about the diesel supply crisis at FuelSupply.news. Watch Kate Dalley and Eric Peters discuss how the diesel fuel shortage is worsening Americas supply chain crisis. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Weakening dollar leading to more oil exports and price hikes. Diesel fuel supplier issues code red alert for Southeast U.S. as diesel supplies plummet, threatening transportation. Energy executives tell Sec. Granholm: Shuttered oil refineries are NOT restarting soon. Americas diesel inventory now stands at LESS THAN ONE MONTH thanks to Bidens disastrous policies. US oil reserves fall to 37-year low as Biden continues to export Americas oil to China. Sources include: Brighteon.com Bloomberg.com FreightWaves.com GasPrices.AAA.com (Natural News) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus C-11 bill, titled An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts is found to be an authoritarian law that will tell Canadians what they can or cannot watch on the internet. Bill C-11 regulates user content and hides those it does not like on YouTube, Rumble and other media platforms. Moreover, it forces streaming services to serve up content that the government likes while it shadow-bans services that it doesnt. This means that every service will now be like the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). Trudeaus bill was presented as a way to protect content creators, but it is pretty obvious that the prime minister is actually silencing speech. (Related: PRE-CRIME IS HERE: Proposed Canadian bill criminalizes merely THINKING about posting hate speech.) Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, the governments point person on C-11, claimed that the legislation will help make sure that our cultural sector works for Canadians and supports the next generation of artists and creators. Winnipeg Free Press said Trudeau does not care about Canadian content creators. It warned that the bill invades Canadians privacy and lessens their compatibility to hold the government accountable by influencing what they can see or say online. Moreover, the rationale behind the bill had already been thoroughly debunked. C-11 force-feeds domestic viewers content from YouTube and TikTok, which they may have no interest in and lower click rates. This could prompt these platforms to deprioritize Canadian content beyond Canada. Foreigners enjoy more than 80 percent of Canadian content on platforms like YouTube. While content may fare better in Canada, it might fail around the world, the Free Press reported. Creators and companies alike oppose Bill C-11 Meanwhile, the Toronto Sun noted that Canadians from all walks of life are calling on the Senate to junk the bill. Canadian content creators also urged senators to reject the bill in its current form as they see it as a very dangerous piece of legislation. Digital First Canada, which represents tens of thousands of small-time Canadian content creators, sent a letter to every senator, warning Bill C-11 could kill the careers of the very artists the Trudeau government claims it wants to help. Right now, our livelihoods are at risk, the group said in the letter, noting that the government rammed Bill C-11 through the House of Commons without any room for debate or amendments. Earlier this year, over 40,000 creators and users raised our voices in the House and through letters to defend our digital businesses against these changes. We were ignored. (Related: Musk wastes no time, fires top Twitter execs most responsible for banning conservatives.) Major companies like Google and YouTube were also against Bill C-11, warning that Canadian consumers will be force-fed with government-approved content. Google, which partners with Open Media, noted that Canadians favorite content could be systematically downranked in favor of content that the CRTC [Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission] deems Canadian enough.' YouTube issued a similar statement, saying that if Bill C-11 is put into practice, viewers will be served content that a Canadian government regulator has prioritized, rather than something that they may be interested in. Other groups claiming to represent creators, like the Canadian Independent Music Association, have come out in favor of the legislation. But they need to think through the implications of the new bill. If government bureaucrats get to choose what content they can show to Canadians, there is also a genuine risk that the government will use its filtering powers to silence critics. Visit BigGovernment.news for more updates about the laws that governments are trying to push forward. Watch the video below to learn more about government censorship and moderation policies. This video is from the Three Spoons channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Canadian bill to regulate online content will punish news and media organizations critical of woke govt. initiatives, policies. Klaus Schwab and his WEF minions are now recruiting information warriors to stamp out free speech on the internet. Canadas govt is run by modern-day fascists creating corporate communism Here are the facts. Sources include: Expose-News.com BusinessExaminer.ca Brighteon.com (Natural News) The thousands of people from around the world who will descend upon Egypt for the annual climate change conference hosted by the United Nations (UN) will be staying at luxury hotels and resorts. The UN Climate Change Conference in 2022, also known as COP27, will begin on Sunday, Nov. 6, at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, near the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The conference will continue for nearly two weeks and will feature more than 30,000 delegates, including representatives from almost every country in the world. The UN chose to host the conference in Egypt because of the claim that Africa is one of the worlds regions that is most vulnerable to so-called climate change. A report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change even blamed the fact that nearly 17 million people in the continent particularly in Ethiopia and Somalia are facing acute food insecurity due to climate change. This years summit will focus on three main issues: Reducing emissions, securing technical support for developing countries and helping countries most vulnerable to climate change prepare for and deal with its effects. (Related: How dare you! Climate fanatic Greta Thunberg says she wants to overthrow the whole capitalist system.) Conference attendees to live in luxury during climate conference As Steve Bonta of The New American pointed out, unlike major Egyptian cities like Cairo and Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh was built up in recent decades by the Egyptian government to become a luxury tourist destination for the worlds richest. Like many such resorts in otherwise impoverished, despotic countries in the global south, Sharm El Sheikh is swathed in the sort of swanky luxuries that any reasonable elitist would expect to a gathering to address the plight of the poor, wrote Bonta. Glistening beaches, five-star hotels, shimmering tropical seas, first-class bars and restaurants and swarms of military and police to guarantee a sanitized experience, safe from the unwashed masses of the local poor and radical street protesters alike. Even prominent left-wing climate activist Grea Thunberg will not be attending due to what she claims is the hypocrisy of holding such an event in a military dictatorship. Activists like Thunberg who initially wanted to attend COP27 noted that they have faced massive hurdles getting accreditation and finding accommodation. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has even begun rounding up and detaining domestic climate protesters looking to exert pressure on conference delegates from the very far left. The few domestic and international activists who have received authorization to attend the conference have been given a tiny area far away from the conference area itself where they can protest. Its theatrics, said Hussein Baoumi, Egypt and Libya researcher for Amnesty International. They dont want to allow the right to protest or freedom of assembly, but they want to seem as though they are. Its Sisis vision of a protest you go to a place and register and protest for an hour where no one can see you, and then they have you on camera where the authorities can see if you say something they dont like. As Bonta noted, this is all part of the UNs latest attempt to carefully choreograph propaganda events to pressure nations into accepting the extremist, anti-progress and anti-development creed of radical environmentalism. Read more stories like this at GreenTyranny.news. Watch this clip discussing COP27s plans to seize billions of dollars to hand over to Third World dictatorships under the guise of climate reparations. This video is from the channel The New American on Brighteon.com. More related stories: UK flips back to green cult as new prime minister cancels fracking order, setting country up for energy collapse. US, Canada, Australia and many other nations controlled by green globalists all claim to be warming at a faster rate than everyone else. Australias largest bank is now tracking the carbon emissions of its clients through their financial transactions. Dutch governments new climate agenda will force thousands of farmers out of business and destroy Europes food supply chain. WARMING NOW GOOD: Left-wing environmentalists in Germany now pray for warm winter amid coming energy shortage, skyrocketing prices. Sources include: TheNewAmerican.com iNews.co.uk Bloomberg.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Conspiracy author David Icke has been banned from entering the EU and designated as a level three terrorist, according to his son Gareth Icke. (Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Summit.news) The public speaker and former BBC television host was due to attend an event in Amsterdam this weekend, but will now reportedly be prevented from entering any country in the European Union for a period of two years. Received an email from the Dutch. My dad, David Icke, has been banned from entering the EU for two years, tweeted Gareth Icke. They claim he is a level three terrorist, he added. Received an email from the Dutch. My dad, David Icke, has been banned from entering the EU for two years. They claim he is a level three terrorist. Gareth Icke (@garethicke) November 3, 2022 The old man is banned from entering the Netherlands, wrote Icke in another tweet. Zero convictions, zero crimes committed. Banned by the government. Wow. The old man is banned from entering the Netherlands. Zero convictions, zero crimes committed. Banned by the government Wow. Gareth Icke (@garethicke) November 3, 2022 Icke had been set to feature at an event called Together for the Netherlands, but far-left activist groups complained to the government and demanded he be barred from entering the country. The municipality of Amsterdam also asked the Dutch IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service) to investigate whether Icke can be refused entry to the country, an appeal that was apparently successful. The municipality complained that Icke had made anti-Semitic statements in the past that are unacceptable and deeply hurtful, although it didnt cite any specific examples. The same authority even asked that if Icke had been allowed into the country, his speech at the event be closely monitored by the Public Prosecutor to assess whether criminal statements are being made. Questions about the event were also asked in the Dutch parliament. It remains to be seen what justification Dutch authorities actually used to ban Icke from speaking in the country, and why the ban also reportedly applies across the entire European Union. Icke was previously deplatformed by multiple Big Tech platforms for opposing lockdown and vaccine mandates. Some respondents to the news asserted that Icke had been banned for being outspoken against former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his role within the World Economic Forum. This is why the Netherlands has banned David Icke from entering the country deeming him a level 3 terrorist because he exposed Mark Rutte and the WEF plans pic.twitter.com/lXx3iXpJ3a Pelham (@Resist_05) November 4, 2022 Read more at: Summit.news (Natural News) CVS Health Corp, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and Walmart Inc. agreed to pay a combined $13.8 billion to resolve lawsuits accusing the companies of funneling billions of pills of dangerous opioid pharmaceuticals into nearly every community across the country. Reuters reported that CVS on Wednesday said it will pay about $5 billion over 10 years while Walgreens said it had agreed to pay about $5.7 billion over 15 years. However, both pharma chains did not admit to having contributed to the opioid crisis. Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion, mostly upfront. We know that reckless, profit-driven dispensing practices fueled the crisis. But we know just as surely that with better systems in place and proper heeding of red flag warnings, pharmacies can play a direct role in reducing opioid abuse and in saving lives, Paul Geller, one of the lawyers who negotiated for the governments, said, pointing out that this will bring billions of additional funding to affected communities to combat the epidemic of opioid addiction. In over 3,300 lawsuits since 2017, state, local and Native American tribal governments accused Big Pharma companies of downplaying the risks of their opioid pain medicines, while pharmacies ignored the warnings that prescriptions were being diverted into illegal trafficking. Thomas Moriarty, CVS general counsel, said the firm was pleased to resolve the claims and the deal was in the best interest of all parties, as well as our customers, colleagues and shareholders. In a release, Walgreens said being one of the largest pharmacy chains in the U.S., they remain committed to being a part of the solution and the settlement framework will allow them to focus on the health and wellbeing of their customers, while making positive contributions to address the opioid crisis. Both chains said their agreements would not be final until certain non-monetary terms were worked out and that the total amount could be reduced if not enough government plaintiffs sign on. Walmart, meanwhile, did not respond to a request for comment. In August, a $650.6 million judgment was made in favor of two Ohio counties against the three pharmaceutical operators. The order came after a jury last November concluded that the three helped create a public nuisance in Lake and Trumbull counties by over-supplying the pain pills. Many of these drugs even landed on the black market. (Related: Walgreens substantially contributed to opioid crisis, judge rules.) According to authorities, the money from the settlements will be used to fight the opioid pandemic, which has caused nearly 650,000 overdose deaths since 1999. Congressional report: Economic toll of opioid crisis estimated at $1.5 trillion in 2020 alone The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said much of the recent rise in the cases is attributed to the illegally manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. The agency also noted that opioid overdose cases have surged mainly due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A recent congressional report revealed that the economic toll of the opioid crisis in 2020 alone has been estimated at $1.5 trillion. As per the CDC, opioid-related deaths soared during the pandemic, including from the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, which accounted for 75 percent of the 107,000 drug overdose fatalities in 2021. Its equivalent to one 737 jet every day going down, no survivors. Its a mind-boggling number of deaths, said Rep. David Trone, who sits on the Congressional Joint Economic Committee (JEC) that issued the report. Trone added that JEC is valuing all the various losses that happens with addiction. Theres loss of productivity, folks in the job force, all the medical health costs, just a huge number of costs, he said, adding that the surge in fatal opioid overdose cases in 2021 shows that the total cost is likely to continue to increase. On September 24, President Joe Biden announced awarding the $1.5 billion fund to access medications for overdoses, sanctions against traffickers and increased funding for law enforcement. Visit Opioids.news for more news related to the damage caused by the opioids epidemic across the United States. Watch the below video that talks about the opioid crisis, its effects and the toxicity treatment. This video is from the Finding Genius Podcast channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Big Pharma to pay hundreds of millions in settlement with Native American tribes over opioid epidemic. Ohio jury finds Walmart, Walgreens and CVS all guilty of fueling opioid epidemic. Walgreens, CVS, Walmart all complicit in the nationwide opioid epidemic and growing fatalities. Kentucky sues WALGREENS for promoting opioid epidemic. Sources include: Reuters.com 1 CNBC.com Science.org Reuters.com 2 WhiteHouse.gov Brighteon.com (Natural News) Partially-censored meeting minutes of the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee advising the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security, have been obtained by The Intercept. (Article republished from RT.com) The documents reveal attempts to conflate the need to protect American critical infrastructure from what the committee repeatedly describes as threats of disinformation or rather, mis-, dis-, and mal-information (MDM). The meeting notes describe telecommunications infrastructure (which would include the internet) and public healthcare infrastructure as in need of protection from wrong-speak. In essence, it keeps up the work of the short-lived and controversial Disinformation Governance Board, which earned the unenviable nickname of the Ministry of Truth. The papers focus on countering non-establishment narratives related to Covid-19 origins and vaccines, racial justice, the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and the US involvement in the Ukraine conflict. It also reveals the existence of a back channel for Homeland Security to communicate its desire to boost or censor certain messages on Facebook and Instagram. The nature of these online narratives being targeted for government protection from disinformation just happen to coincide with those that evoke a ton of legitimate criticism. When the government gets directly involved in narrative policing under the guise of infrastructure protection, its a dodgy pretext that should raise serious concerns about government overreach to the detriment of free expression and flow of information. No ones blowing up the internet with mere words. No ones causing the public health system to fail by debating Covid-related science propagated by the government, even if it later does indeed turn out to be misinformed or questionable. Remember, for example, when Western officials, including US President Joe Biden, were saying that the jab would prevent infection and transmission and that anyone saying otherwise was full of it? Or when the US government spent the better part of two decades repeating that the US was winning in Afghanistan right up until the US withdrawal and the Taliban retaking the country? Or how about the claim that the US wasnt directly involved in the conflict with Russia in Ukraine right up until the Pentagon confirmed the deployment of US troops to Ukraine, albeit not in frontline combat operations. Weve been very clear there are no combat forces in Ukraine, no US forces conducting combat operations in Ukraine, these are personnel that are assigned to conduct security cooperation and assistance as part of the defense attache office, Pentagon Press Secretary Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said. But based on the rules laid out by this online disinformation policing agency, anyone who dared to reveal evidence, information, or observations that run contrary to what the US government was willing to admit as part of the official narrative could feasibly be considered a peddler of fake info. History has shown, however, that theyre often proved correct. Across the pond, French President Emmanuel Macron was asked recently in an interview with French state media about Russian media outlets remaining accessible in France through online platforms despite state censorship. In evoking the bans, Macron said, Were using the informational weapon. Like in the US, it sounds like Macron is admitting that the state is using censorship as a weapon against narratives and information that runs counter to their own. Apparently, the publics right to be fully informed and make up their own minds about whats going on in the world can just be shrugged off as collateral damage. Its now becoming commonplace for Western democracy to use the law enforcement apparatus of the state to ensure that its propaganda goes unchallenged online and offline. It will be interesting to see how well that goes down with new Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who has been waging a war on censorship on various fronts. Musk was asked back in March to block Russian news sources on his Starlink satellite network. We will not do so unless at gunpoint. Sorry to be a free speech absolutist, he replied. Musk has also been openly reminded by European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, in the wake of his recent talk of restoring free speech, that the platform would be forced to abide by the blocs rules governing public expression. And clearly those arent very free. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy is now demanding a US government investigation into the financial participation of Saudi Arabia, Musk-owned Twitters second largest investor, in the platform. Interesting that no one seemed to care that the Saudis had invested in Twitter long before Musk came along. Or that governments Murphy calls repressive have cash flowing into Hollywood and American media outlets as advertisers. And that cash conveniently didnt have any particular color or citizenship until Musk took over vowing to claw back free speech. Now suddenly this US official is dragging out the old foreign interference hammer to use against Musk. If Musk was standing up against censorship perpetrated by a regime the West didnt like, hed be invited to sit next to First Lady Jill at Bidens next State of the Union address. Instead, US government agencies are increasingly guilty of the same sort of repression for which theyre so quick to criticize others. Read more at: RT.com (Natural News) A former Democratic state representative from Connecticut pleaded guilty to stealing funds allocated for Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic relief during his term. Former State Rep. Michael DiMassa entered a guilty plea before a federal court Nov. 1, in connection with the theft of federal COVID-19 relief funds amounting to more $1.2 million. As per court documents and prosecutors, the embezzled amount was used to gamble at a casino. Government lawyers alleged that DiMassa used his position as an aide to the city council of West Haven, Connecticut which had authority to approve the reimbursement of COVID-19 expenditures to steal the money. Back in October 2021, the Democratic state congressman resigned from the Connecticut House of Representatives and the West Haven council following his arrest. He managed to secure his temporary freedom through a $250,000 bond. DiMassa was later charged with three counts of wire fraud conspiracy, which he pleaded guilty to on Nov. 1. His wife Lauren DiMassa and former business partner John Bernardo also entered guilty pleas earlier in 2022. Meanwhile a fourth person charged in the scheme business owner John Trasacco awaits trial. No sentencing date was set for DiMassa, though he agreed to pay restitution amounting to more than $1.2 million. While the sentencing guideline range for the charges the pleaded guilty to is 41 to 51 months, they carry a maximum prison time of 30 years for each count possibly putting the former state congressman behind bars for 90 years. According to a press release by the Department of Justice (DOJ), DiMassa and Bernardo colluded to defraud the city of COVID-19 relief funds. The two formed Compass Investment Group in January 2021, billing the city for consulting services that were never performed. Between February and September 2021, the city paid Compass more than $630,000. DiMassa made several large cash withdrawals from the Compass Investment Group bank account, some of which were made shortly before or after he was recorded as having made a large cash buy-in of gaming chips at the Mohegan Sun Casino, the press release stated. (Related: Former head of USAIDs pandemic threat assessment program seems to have stolen taxpayer money.) DiMassa also conspired with his wife to embezzle pandemic relief funds The DOJ press release also mentioned that the former state representative conspired with his wife to defraud West Haven of pandemic relief money. Lauren DiMassa reportedly received under $148,000 for services she never provided. West Haven made at least 16 payments totaling approximately $144,776.10 to Lauren, with the backing of her husband. The DiMassa couple submitted fraudulent invoices to the city for services such as a youth violence prevention program and for youth violence COVID-19 associated expenses. These invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, Wi-Fi assistance for low/moderate income families, counseling services, license fees, a fall youth clinic, meals, support group supplies, equipment rental and youth clinic support group, the press release stated. It was eventually revealed that the amounts in the invoices billed to the city were used by the DiMassas for their own benefit, prosecutors said. Laurens lawyer said their client turned over most of the money she received from the city to her husband. The issue involving the DiMassas came amid West Haven officials being subject to criticism for how they spent the citys $1 million federal COVID-19 money allocation. According to an audit released in April, about 80 percent of the expenditures for the $1 million allocation should not have been allowed. The next month, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont approved a recommendation by a state board to place the citys finances under greater state oversight. This was the second instance that the state government at Hartford oversaw West Havens finances, as it had previously been placed under state oversight because of budget deficit problems. Corruption.news has more stories about the embezzlement of COVID-19 relief funds. Watch this Fox News report that talks about five agents of the Internal Revenue Service being charged with COVID-19 relief fraud. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Jobless claims fraud on the rise as coronavirus boosts unemployment. Government lost as much as $100 billion to stimulus money fraud during COVID-19 pandemic. Government report reveals criminals stole BILLIONS from unemployment benefits during pandemic. Sources include: En-Volve.com Connecticut.News12.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Ohio attorney Tom Renz has denounced globalists for concealing their true agenda that of full control for pushing digital currencies and payment systems.. During the Nov. 1 episode of his Brighteon.TV program Lawfare with Tom Renz, the lawyer explained that the purported comfort and convenience for users actually has a sinister purpose. Digital payment systems, he said, makes it easier for the globalists to track everything from peoples purchases and preferences to their activities. If someone doesnt like you having your money, theyll just take it because they can just click a computer switch and it goes away, he warned. An article published by Reclaim The Net appeared to back up Renzs warning about digital currency, citing comments made by two central bank heads during an event sponsored by Banque De France, the French central bank. Despite privacy being one of the main concerns citizens have about central bank digital currencies (CBDC), the heads of the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have confirmed that their respective CBDCs will not be anonymous, said the piece. (Related: New digital currencies being pushed by global elite will destroy privacy, allow total surveillance of purchases.) We would be looking to balance privacy protection with identity verification which has to be done, of course, in todays traditional banking system as well, said Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, meanwhile, confirmed that there would not be complete anonymity as there is with bank notes when using the digital euro. There would be a limited level of disclosure and certainly not at the central bank level, she said. The Reclaim The Net article also mentioned that the U.K. and Canada have also started exploring CBDCs. Even without the never before seen level of financial control that CBDCs would give to governments, some countries have already demonstrated that theyre willing to use their financial systems to target protesters, it stated, citing the Canadian governments actions against the Freedom Convoy that protested against Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates. Some convoy participants and their family members saw their bank accounts being frozen and given permanent records. Renz: Digital currency only accelerates globalist takeover Renz commented that many business owners ought to share his stance on digital currency. Aside from being an obvious invasion of privacy, he said digital currency is a quicker and more powerful control mechanism for globalists to take control of every aspect of our life. Its followed closely by some of the stuff that they want to do with bio-tracking or biosurveillance and things like that, he warned. According to the Lawfare host, the globalists would need to collapse the economy to pave the way toward transitioning to a cashless world. The Ohio attorney also pointed out that the people responsible for engineering the COVID-19 plandemic are the same ones behind the push for digital currency. COVID-19 was about control. Kill people, take control, make money, take control. Its always about that and its remarkable how there are absolute parallels in banking, digital currency and climate change. Theyre attacking our freedoms and nation from lots of different angles, he said. There seems to be a number of complicit actors in our federal government, and lets not overlook our Department of Defense. Renz also discussed how the mainstream media (MSM) is covering up the globalist agenda. He lamented how the MSM has turned into a state- and billionaire-controlled marketing mouthpiece over the years. There is no news anymore. The news is owned by the same people who are controlling other industries and theyre using the news to promote them. Its called vertical monopolies. Ultimately, Renz remarked that hed never participate in this mode of financial transactions. I dont care if I got barter. I will always have some sort of actual hard physical currency that I will use. Visit Globalism.news for more about the globalists plans to put humanity under their control. Watch the full Nov. 1 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz below. Catch new episodes of the program every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Israel, Norway and Sweden to test central bank digital currencies for cross-border transactions. Austrians reject digital currencies, demand right to cash payments. US governments new Central Bank Digital Currency is a fast track to digital concentration camps. Central Bank Digital Currencies are the bullet train to digital concentration camps. Sources include: Brighteon.com ReclaimTheNet.org (Natural News) On October 18th, Republican Pat Harrigan, who is fighting for an open seat in the famously liberal 14th Congressional District in Hickory, North Carolina, had a home filled with his relatives shot at by a gunman. (Article by Bo Banks republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) According to the Daily Mail, the FBI have launched an investigation into the case after a bullet landed just feet away from where the candidates children had been sleeping. The congressional candidates daughters, aged 3 and 5, were asleep in the bedroom directly above the room where the shooting occurred, the outlet added. With the bullet coming from a densely wooded area behind the house, piercing a window but not waking the girls. Harrigan was not at the residence during the incident. Critics are questioning where the public outrage is from Democrats, especially because many on the left have demonized Republicans for not calling out political violence in the wake of the Paul Pelosi assault last week. Harrigans Democrat opponent Jeff Jackson had run an ad meant to fault the Republicans gun manufacturing business. Not to mention score some cheap political points just ahead of midterms. In the ad Jackson ran, the Democrat criticized Harrigans ownership of a ritzy home in a neighborhood outside the confines of the 14th Congressional District. That ad has since been pulled due to public blowback and an angry open letter from Harrigan over its breach of privacy. More from the Daily Mail: The ad shows a man on a jet ski as a narrator tells listeners Harrigan made a fortune off tragedies such as the Sandy Hook Shooting, and bought a lake house. It then shows an image of Harrigans home, which is not far from that of his parents. It was released on the day of the shooting and spurred an angry open letter from Harrigan to Jackson just a week later. An investigation has been underway since, but cops and federal agents have failed to make an arrest. The shooting comes amid heightened concerns for the security of politicians ahead of next weeks Midterms, following Fridays attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosis 82-year-old husband at their San Francisco home. Kind of seems like major news, no? Or would that be too much of a contradiction to the Democrats Ultra-Mega MAGA extremists narrative? ? pic.twitter.com/dAiw6vTVmT Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) November 4, 2022 So while the left continues to demonize MAGA Republicans for not being vocal enough about the assault of Paul Pelosi, stories like this give prudence to the double standard Democrats hold for themselves when it comes to political violence just ahead of the 2022 midterms. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) A renowned molecular biologist recently exposed and denounced top-ranking university researchers for creating hybrid strains of SARS-COV-2, the virus behind the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in their experiment earlier this year. Dr. Richard Ebright, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University and laboratory director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, slammed the reportedly Bill Gates-funded Imperial Colleges research. Daily Mail reported that scientists in the university recently conducted risky experiments where they mutated COVID-19 strains. This is insanity, both in terms of the redundancy and waste, Ebright said. He argued such research presents a risk of triggering a new pandemic wave upon accidental or deliberate release of the laboratory-generated viruses. Ebright, who earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University, pointed out that this research would not benefit anyone or anything as there are no foreseeable practical applications, and the study brings greater risk than gain if there is even any. The trial, which included 20 researchers and a member of the British governments advisory panel, was partially funded by taxpayers. In the study conducted in a biosafety level 3 lab, they infected hamsters with two chimera COVID hybrids, combining aspects of the original coronavirus strain with parts of the omicron and delta variants. As per the preprint studys abstract, the experiment raised the concerning possibility that future variants of COVID-19 could have more severe effects than those seen during omicron infection. Ebright was firm that the research is hazardous, despite a university spokesperson claiming that the procedure was safe and adhered to appropriate regulations. If the world wishes to avoid new pandemic waves and pandemics caused by lab-generated enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, then it is urgently necessary to restrict senseless high-risk, low-benefit research that creates enhanced potential pandemic pathogens and to implement effective national oversight, with the force of law, on such research, Ebright said. Professor Shmuel Shapira, former head of the Israeli governments Institute for Biological Research, agreed with Ebright and called for an outright stop of research such as Imperials, adding that this is like playing with fire due to the risk of a laboratory leak. Chinese documents prove COVID-19 leaked from Wuhan lab Strong pieces of evidence are coming out recently proving that the original SARS-CoV-2 virus have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a Chinese laboratory known to have been conducting research on bat coronaviruses with the partial funding of the U.S. government via nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance. Toy Reid, an expert in official speak used in Chinese government reports, worked on a Senate report supporting the lab-leak theory. He was able to uncover documents that contain hidden warning messages about the WIV incidents in November 2019. The coded messages within reports from the Chinese lab included cryptic references to a grave situation, hidden dangers and severe consequences and are believed to possibly provide new evidence that the virus leaked from a lab. Reid based the findings on weekly reports sent to Beijing by the WIV. The same documents described how Dr. Ji Changzheng, technology safety and security director for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, visited the lab bearing important oral remarks and written instructions from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Nonprofit newsroom Pro Publica and Vanity Fair magazine acquired a copy of the full report, interviewed Reid and submitted his analysis to three independent experts. They fact-checked his work and arrived at the same conclusion. (Related: Enzymatic fingerprint proves synthetic origin of covid: STUDY.) Head over to Outbreak.news for more stories like this. Watch this video that talks about U.S. Senate Committee report supporting the lab-leak theory. This video is from the Midwest Information Network channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Faucis agency funded EcoHealths $1 million grant to help create new 80% kill rate covid strain, in violation of US law. Senate committee report: COVID-19 pandemic the result of research-related incident in high-level Wuhan lab. Emails show efforts by Fauci to suppress lab leak theory of COVID-19 origins. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com DailyMail.co.uk 1 DailyMail.co.uk 2 ProPublica.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) An employee at a hospital in Fresno, Calif., leaked an email to the media showing that stillbirth rates have been spiking ever since the introduction of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines. In August of this year, there were 22 stillbirths at the facility, the email revealed. And the trend is only expected to continue, it went on to state. (Related: Some of Canadas most-vaccinated areas saw a 28-fold increase in stillbirths due to covid injections.) So far in September, there have been seven stillbirths, though at the time of reporting only eight days had passed in the month. Extrapolated to October, we would expect the total number of stillbirths at the hospital in September to be around 40, or more than twice that of August. Prior to Operation Warp Speed, the average number of stillbirths per month at the hospital in question was less than one. Only about two deaths every three months were reported at the facility prior to the rollout of Fauci Flu shots. The Epoch Times, which was among the first to obtain the email in question, reached out to the head nurse who sent the email for clarification. No response was received as of this writing. As many as 28 out of 29 pregnant women who get vaccinated lose their babies According to Dr. James Thorpe, a Florida physician who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine, the contents of the leaked email are consistent with the findings of more than 1,300 peer-reviewed papers that have been published in the last 15 months. Severe complications and death are both common outcomes post-injection for the Chinese Flu. Only a fraction of these cases appears in the governments Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), however. This shot was designed to cross into the ovary; this shot was designed to cross into the brain barrier. This shot was designed to go everywhere, revealed Dr. Chris Alan Shoemaker in a powerful speech on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. And thats why people are dying in such strange circumstances, unexplained circumstances, and the numbers are horrific. Sixty-seven percent of people who get the vaccine while pregnant lose the pregnancy. It turns out that Pfizers own internal documentation shows that the figure is even higher, with 28 out of 29 pregnant women losing their babies after getting jabbed for the Wuhan Flu. This is why Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi has repeatedly warned pregnant women against taking the vaccine(s). To do so is to basically have a death wish for the baby since the chances of stillbirth are exceptionally high. The vaccine package insert from Biotech even says that pregnant women arent allowed to be vaccinated because vaccine injury cannot be ruled out, Bhakdi says. And if a young woman decides to get vaccinated, she should avoid becoming pregnant for two months. Despite the warnings, many pregnant women have gone ahead and gotten injected anyway, resulting in many additional stillbirths and the needless suffering associated with this tragic loss of unborn human life. They knew and they did nothing about it, wrote a commenter. They knew the clot shot didnt stop transmission and they lied. Biden lied and millions died or will die. All the grandstanding and ostracization of those who were skeptical and smart. All the relatives who mocked and shamed their children into getting it. They have no shame. They think well forget. I for one will never forget. Another pointed out that these revelations are why some, including Emily Oster of The Atlantic, are now calling for covid amnesty because they know We the People want not just answers but justice for these crimes against humanity. The latest news about Chinese Virus shots can be found at Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: RAIRFoundation.com NaturalNews.com Major glaciers in World Heritage sites will disappear by 2050 due to global warming, according to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The imminent temperature rise sets the stage for the melting of some World Heritage glaciers, including those in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, Yosemite and Yellow Stone in the US, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. World Heritage Glaciers Report The UNESCO report suggests some of the world's most famous glaciers or one-third of World Heritage glacierized sties will completely melt less than three decades from now, regardless of any temperature rise scenario based on climate models. However, other World Heritage glaciers can still survive if the global temperature is pushed down to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is relative to pre-industrial levels. The report entitled World Heritage Glaciers: Sentinels of Climate Change emphasizes that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could save glaciers in two-thirds of World Heritage sites if temperatures do not further skyrocket. In recent months and years, climate scientists have warned world leaders and individuals in the various industries that climate change will take its toll by the years 2050 and 2100. By 2100, the UNESCO assessment shows glaciers in approximately half of all sites could almost entirely disappear under climate model where businesses continue to emit greenhouse gases and engage in burning fossil fuels. Also Read: Landslides Can Influence Glacier Melting and Glacier Movement: New Study Glacier Retreat Since 2000 UNESCO has identified around 18,600 glaciers in 50 World Heritage sites, and these natural structures have a total span area of approximately 66,000 square kilometers, comprising of 10% of Earth's glacierized area. Satellite data-based research studies have shown these glaciers have been retreating at an alarming rate since 2000. In addition, UNESCO adds World Heritage glaciers lose an average of around 58 billion tons of ice every year; which is equivalent to the total annual water volume consumed in France and Spain combined and contribute to nearly 5% of the global observed sea-level rise. In a separate report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlined the following predictions in the US should humans continue with the ongoing climate crisis: Up to $106 billion worth of coastal property will be submerged below sea level by 2050. The US coastline is expected to rise by 10 to 12 inches in the next three decades. About 2 feet of sea level rise along the US coastline is likely between 2020 and 2100. Paris Agreement Some of the UNESCSO report's objective is still in line with the UN-led Paris Agreement, a legal binding international treaty to fight against climate change. Also called as the Paris Accords or Paris Treaty, the Paris Climate Agreement's goal is to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius but preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Adopted by 196 Parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris, France, in December 2015 and enforced in November 2016, the agreement urges member countries and their leaders to decrease industrial activities that will contribute to the greenhouse effect. Related Article: Collapse of Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' Could Trigger Deadly Tsunamis and Swallow Islands Clouds that look like the ocean or a stormy sea was captured on photo by a Reddit user and went viral this week after uploading it on the social media platform. Now, the authenticity of content is being scrutinized by experts yet scientists explain why such phenomenon occurs. Existing evidence points toward the event is caused by the extremely rare phenomenon called Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud. However, other theories regarding the post suggest it could be a new cloud formation never seen before. The period when the incident was taken remains unclear. Minnesota, like other areas in the United States, received a combination of adverse weather conditions in recent weeks as part of the ongoing fall season, which is about to before December. Ocean Cloud Photo Reddit user "u/Harvickfan4Life" uploaded the photo, which was captured by Minnesota local Theresa Birgin Lucas, on a Reddit post that amassed more than 88,000 upvotes. The post has a caption saying the Minnesota woman captured the cloud formation which looked like an ocean in the sky. Despite the uniqueness of the photo, it is still uncertain if whether or not it was edited. The viral Reddit post garnered hundreds of comments, with one user saying it is a new cloud formation called Asperitas (formerly known as Undulatus asperatus); which was first popularized and proposed in 2009 by Gavin Pretor-Pinney from the Cloud Appreciation Society. The term was then added to the International Cloud Atlas as a supplementary feature in March 2017. Other commentators of the post showed a combination of confusion, shock, and disbelief since the appearance of the photo looks like there was an ocean floating above the Minnesota ground. While the Reddit photo garnered attention in social media. According to Katja Friedrich, an atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor at the University of Colorado, told Newsweek that the picture looks fake to her, scrutinizing there was a light source on the lower left and upper left. Second, the professor said it was the first time encountering a light source. Also Read: Clouds Turning Green in South Dakota Means High Water Content, Experts Say Potential Theories The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued a report about its International Cloud Atlas, mentioning that Asperitas is characterized by long waves within the cloud base. The illumination and thickness of the cloud can lead to dramatic visual effects. Meanwhile, a separate report by the UK's Met Office says it could be a Kevin-Helmholtz cloud, which can produce a billowing wave pattern. The extremely rare phenomenon transpired when there is a strong vertical shear ranging between two air streams, causing winds to blow faster at the upper level than those at the lower levels. The said cloud type mimics the world's rolling ocean waves, wherein the Kevin-Helmholtz clouds bring a glimpse of terror and excitement at the same time. Scientists have also supported the notion that the said clouds look like breaking waves, which is caused after the air continues to flow through the atmosphere like a wavelike pattern. Related Article: Strange 'Cylindrical Cloud' Found in the Skies of Japan Bolivia's "water people" now have no vital lifeline, which leaves their future uncertain. The Uru people relied on the lake and believed it would always be "a source of life," but after it abruptly vanished, the community is now left trying to figure out how to live and adjust to their new situation. Source of Life Bolivia's Lake Poopo used to be a source of life for the locals, but today, as a result of several things coming together, it is a desert with abandoned boats standing idly on eroded land. Life has been entirely turned upside down for Indigenous tribes who had been farming along its banks and fishing from the waters for more than a century. Lake Poopo was 12,000 feet above sea level in the high-altitude altiplano region of southwest Bolivia. When the lake was at its largest in 1986, it covered over 1,350 square miles, more than the whole state of Rhode Island. However, according to data from the European Space Agency, satellite photos have monitored the lake's depletion and reveal that, in 2015, Lake Poopo had "completely evaporated" due to climate change and water withdrawal for local mining and farming. Also Read: As River Continues to Dry Up, Thousands of Salmons Found Dead in Canada Suffering Water People Felix Mauricio, a former fisherman from the Uru Indigenous tribe, told AFP while kneeling in a now-dry bed, "Here was the lake." It is now dried up. Mauricio, now 82 years old, has resided in Punaca Tinta Maria, a community in Oruro's southwest. He told AFP that when Lake Poopo's water levels were at their highest, his grandparents moved there more than a century ago. The Uru, who still refer to themselves as "water people," once fished for fish, hunted waterfowl, and existed off the lake's lush surrounding land. However, the Uru Indigenous community's people, who formerly lived off of the lake's natural resources, are departing now that it has dried up. Our parents believed in Lake Poopo because it contained fish, birds, eggs, and everything else, according to Luis Valero, the spiritual head of the Lake Poopo Uru Indigenous group, who spoke to the AFP. Our wellspring of life was there. There are just around 600 members of the Uru Indigenous population in Punaca Tinta Maria, according to a 2013 study. The surviving Uru have had to develop their ability to adapt to their new surroundings. According to Valero, many "water people" were compelled to work as bricklayers, miners, or day laborers. According to the Ag Marketing Resource Center, some individuals continue cultivating tiny crops like quinoa, a "drought resilient" plant (AGMRC). Lake Poopo's final gift to the Uru is an extensive salt bed that has evaporated. The survivors have pooled their resources to purchase the machinery needed for a remote operation to mine and purify the salt that was left behind. However, the project failed when they could not come up with $500 to purchase the bags needed to package the salt. Global Problem Not only the Uru people are struggling with a lack of water. Water levels have drastically decreased in South America, the United States, and Europe during the past year. Water scarcity affects roughly one-fifth of the world's population, according to the United Nations (UN). Additionally, the UN predicts that by 2030, nearly half of the world's population will reside in regions with "high water stress" due to climate change. Related Article: New Pandemic in Slow Motion: UN Reports Severe Drought Might be the Next Global Crisis For more environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Champaign, IL (61820) Today Windy with rain showers. High 59F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Windy with rain early. Becoming partly cloudy overnight. Low 23F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible. Champaign County Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons has agreed to tweak a procedure concerning pre-election printer testing at polling places, bringing to an end to an emergency lawsuit and partisan skirmish that stretched into this past weekend. Night owls may be looking forward to falling back into autumn standard time but a new study from the University of Ottawa has found Daylight Saving Time may also suit morning types just fine. Research from Dr. Stuart Fogel, a cognitive neuroscientist, professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Psychology, and researcher at the Royal's Institute for Mental Health Research, is shedding light into how the impact of a person's daily rhythm and activity levels during both wake and sleep relate to human intelligence. Contrary to the adage "the early bird gets the worm," previous work suggests that evening types, or "owls," have superior verbal intelligence. Yet, "once you account for key factors including bedtime and age, we found the opposite to be true, that morning types tend to have superior verbal ability," says Stuart Fogel, Director of the University of Ottawa Sleep Research Laboratory. "This outcome was surprising to us and signals this is much more complicated that anyone thought before." Fogel's team identified individual's chronotype their evening or morning tendencies by monitoring biological rhythms and daily preferences. A person's chronotype is related to when in the day they prefer to do demanding things, from intellectual pursuits to exercise. Young individuals are typically "evening types" while older individuals and those more regularly entrenched in their daily/nightly activities are likely "morning types". The juxtaposition here is that morning is critical for young people, especially school aged children and adolescents, who have their schedules set by their morning-type parents and their routines. This might be doing youngsters a disservice. A lot of school start times are not determined by our chronotypes but by parents and work-schedules, so school-aged kids pay the price of that because they are evening types forced to work on a morning type schedule." Dr. Stuart Fogel, cognitive neuroscientist, professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Psychology "For example, math and science classes are normally scheduled early in the day because whatever morning tendencies they have will serve them well. But the AM is not when they are at their best due to their evening type tendencies. Ultimately, they are disadvantaged because the type of schedule imposed on them is basically fighting against their biological clock every day." The study enlisted volunteers from a wide age range, who were rigorously screened to rule out sleep disorders and other confounding factors. They outfitted volunteers with a monitoring device to measure activity levels. Establishing the strength of a person's rhythm, which drives intelligence, is key to understanding the results of this nuanced study, says Fogel, with a person's age and actual bedtime proving important factors. "Our brain really craves regularity and for us to be optimal in our own rhythms is to stick to that schedule and not be constantly trying to catch up," adds Fogel. When life should have been ripe with possibilities, Mandy Murry instead faced a devastating diagnosis. Murry was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was 22. She had her cervix and uterus removed to treat it. Her doctor believes the cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). "I was expected to have that 'happily ever after' story of having my own kids," says Murry, age 41, who grew up in Utah and now lives in North Carolina. "I was not prepared for the depth of healing I needed after the surgery. Without a uterus, I felt 'less than.' I did not feel worthy of happiness. I did not choose HPV. It was given to me due to unforeseen circumstances. The vaccine did not exist when I was young so this could have been prevented." HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses, of which 40 are spread through direct sexual contact. It is the most common sexually transmitted infection and causes nearly all cervical cancers, in addition to five other kinds of cancer: vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and oropharyngeal (cancers of the throat and mouth). HPV vaccines, given as a series of shots, protect against HPV infection and cancer. Typically ranked among the lowest in the United States for adolescents adequately immunized against HPV, Utah saw a 16.4% increase in this vaccine for young men and women ages 13-17 since 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state jumped in rank from 44th to 20th in the nation among first-dose HPV vaccinations. "It's the highest increase I've ever seen in our state," says Deanna Kepka, PhD, MPH, researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah and director of the Intermountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition, a group of health care specialists and community members who have been working since 2012 to improve HPV vaccination rates. Kepka suggests this shows a shift in attitude about the HPV vaccine, including acknowledgment that people may have more than one sexual partner. "We're moving in the right direction. The truth is, life happens. A large portion of marriages end in divorce, no matter what a person's religious affiliation. It's best to protect kids from the unexpected." More young men are getting the HPV vaccine in Utah, with a 19.7% increase since 2021, according to the CDC. The agency also found throat cancer has surpassed cervical cancer as the most common HPV-related cancer, underscoring the importance of both young men and young women getting vaccinated. The CDC recommends all children and adults ages 9 through 26 years be vaccinated against HPV; though the HPV vaccine is most effective in early adolescence between ages 9-12, according to the American Cancer Society. Kids mount a stronger immune response. They're likely to have better protection if they've had the vaccine at a young age." Kaila Christini, MsPH, MS, Program Manager, Kepka Group Murry recommends all parents get their teens vaccinated for HPV. "You never know what will happen in life. The vaccine is not a license to have sexual activity. It can literally keep you from getting cancer," she says. Shay Bilinski, senior director of cancer support strategic partnerships with the American Cancer Society, says, "There is still more work to do. Getting your child vaccinated for HPV is the gift of cancer prevention. Don't hesitate to give that gift." HPV vaccination is covered by most private insurance plans. The Utah Vaccines for Children Program provides vaccines at no cost or low-cost for children through 18 years of age who are enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, uninsured, or underinsured. Kepka and her team's cancer prevention work to serve underserved, rural, and frontier communities through community collaboration is an essential part of this effort. Her research and community outreach are supported by Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Several reports have described a relapse of certain autoimmune kidney diseases in patients after they've received COVID-19 vaccines, but it's unclear if this association is real or a coincidence. In a recent population-level study published in JASN, investigators found that a second or third dose of COVID-19 vaccine was associated with higher relative risk but low absolute increased risk of disease relapse. People with glomerular diseases-;a group of autoimmune kidney disease that often require long-term treatment with medications that suppress the immune system-;face a high risk of developing serious infections, and are more likely to experience complications of infections such as from COVID-19. As vaccination programs were rolled out, individual case reports began to emerge describing flares of glomerular disease that occurred within days to weeks of COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting the vaccine itself may have induced a flare of the autoimmune kidney disease. These reports were very limited and, in the absence of a control population, were unable to provide accurate estimates of the true risk of disease flare that may be associated with COVID-19 vaccines. To provide clarity, a team led by Sean Barbour, MD, MSc (University of British Columbia) and Mark Canney, MD, PhD (University of Ottawa) studied information on all patients in British Columbia, Canada who had the following glomerular diseases: minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodyrelated glomerulonephritis, and C3 glomerulonephritis. By capturing all patients with biopsy- confirmed glomerular disease in a centralized provincial database with linkage to both laboratory data and vaccination status over time, the researchers quantified the absolute and relative risk of glomerular disease relapse following COVID-19 vaccination. The analysis identified 1,105 adults with glomerular disease that was stable when COVID-19 vaccines first became available. During 281 days of follow-up, 134 patients (12.1%) experienced a relapse. Although a first vaccine dose was not associated with relapse risk, exposure to a second or third dose was associated with a 2-fold higher relative risk of relapse; however, the absolute increase in risk of disease flare after these doses was still small, ranging from 15% depending on the type of glomerular disease. Most vaccine-associated disease flares were mild, with approximately 1 in 5 people needing any change in treatment. "These results indicate that although COVID-19 vaccines may be associated with a small increase in risk of causing a flare of glomerular disease, this risk is very small, and the well-established benefits of vaccination more that outweigh these risks," said Dr. Barbour. "This should encourage people with glomerular disease to continue to get regular COVID-19 vaccinations. Our findings also suggest that people with glomerular disease should have careful monitoring after COVID-19 vaccinations to capture any early flare of their disease." Dr. Barbour added that the study demonstrates how individual reports of vaccine side effects can result in unnecessary angst and worry amongst people deciding about whether to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, proper studies need to be conducted to provide estimations of actual risk, so that people can be properly informed. "In this study, we confirmed initial reports of a potential complication of COVID-19 vaccines, however we also demonstrate that this risk is very small and the severity of the complication was quite mild," Dr. Barbour said. An accompanying editorial notes that the findings provide important information when discussing the pros and cons of COVID-19 vaccination with patients with glomerular disease. Additional co-authors include Mohammad Atiquzzaman, PhD, Amanda M. Cunningham, MD, Yuyan Zheng, MSc, Lee Er, MSc, Steven Hawken, PhD, and Yinshan Zhao, PhD. What To Know In Alaska Politics To convention or not convention; the election goes gay; and what to expect on election night Stephen McAlpine of Anchorage served as lieutenant governor under two governors, from 1982-1990. Luke Hopkins of Fairbanks was mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough from 2009 to 2015. Mike Navarre of Kenai was a representative from 1984 to 1996 and he has served three terms as mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Beth Kerttula of Juneau was a representative from 1999 to 2014, including four terms as Democratic Minority leader. Mike Szymanski of Big Lake was a representative from 1982 to 1986 and a senator from 1987 to 1991. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain yesterday categorically rejected the reports published by the Qatari Al Jazeera channel on the humanitarian situation in the Kingdom in connection with the Popes visit to Bahrain. The National Communication Centre, in a statement, said the reports are misleading and inaccurate and lacked professionalism and media objectivity. Al Jazeera reportedly claimed that the Pope, in his speech, urged the Bahraini authorities to ensure respect for basic human rights. The broadcast, the statement said, was misleading and grossly inaccurate about the humanitarian impact of the historic visit, respect for the principles of human rights, religious and labour freedoms, and Bahrains successful efforts to consolidate the value of coexistence, peace and brotherhood. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Staff Reporter The Kingdom of Bahrain will always strive for resolving various challenges and crises faced by societies across the world with an aim to establish greater peace and stability, HM King Hamad said yesterday. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa made this remark while speaking at the conclusion of The Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and The West for Human Coexistence at Sakhir Palace in the presence of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Pope Francis, Professor Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Royal Family members, senior government officials, high-ranking military officials, prominent citizens and members of the media. His Majesty said the forum has set a new chapter in the Kingdoms efforts to ensure peace, harmony and stability across the world. This is an historic day of a landmark event, the noble objectives of which act in accordance with what our country seeks for the good and advancement of mankind, so that every human being may enjoy a dignified and fulfilling life in a more stable and secure world. We are pleased to express to all our great pleasure in the patronage of this important global gathering, based on our belief in the influential role of religious leaders, intellectuals and experts in resolving the various challenges and crises faced by our societies for greater peace and stability, His Majesty highlighted. His Majesty said that valuable outcomes have emerged out of the forum, which will create a roadmap for a peaceful and stable world. We have all followed with interest the discussions and deliberations of this forum, and we look on its valuable outcomes and recommendations with optimism and great hope, as a welcome strengthening of the path of human fraternity. The path of human fraternity is in need of a renewal of the means of rapprochement and understanding among all people of religions and beliefs as a fundamental starting point to replace disagreement with consensus, and establish unity in place of division. His Majesty pointed out that consensus remains the only solution to end conflicts across the world including the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. As we proceed together, hand in hand, in realising the hope of a prosperous future, we must all come to a consensus on ending the Russian- Ukrainian war and starting serious negotiations for the good of all mankind. The Kingdom of Bahrain strongly supports all endeavours to contribute to the spread of peace, and the consolidation of the values of tolerance and coexistence between our nations and peoples. His Majesty appreciated the participants of The Bahrain Dialogue Forum for their commendable and valued efforts in the performance of their noble tasks. The King thanked the organisers who worked hard to make the forum a grand success. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain International Airport (BIA) stands ready to welcome an influx of visitors to the Kingdom this month to attend a range of leading international events, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) said. The projected surge in passengers is a further indicator of a recovery in air traffic following the sharp decline caused by the pandemic. Alongside aviation events like the upcoming Bahrain International Airshow 2022 taking place between the 9th and 11th of November and the Middle East and African Duty-Free Association (MEADFA) Conference taking place during the end of November, Bahrain is set to welcome scores of visitors for events such as Jewellery Arabia, CityScape, and the Manama Dialogue. BAC Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said: With its vibrant culture, world-class attractions, and reputation for hosting leading international events, the Kingdom of Bahrain continues to attract tourists from around the world. Although global passenger traffic has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, growth remains steady. He added: BIA expects to serve approximately 6.5 million passengers by the end of the year, and we hope to return to serving around 9 million by the end of 2023. The pandemic reaffirmed civil aviation as a worldwide enabler of support and recovery in times of crisis. With those challenges behind us, the sector is back to business as usual, supporting the growth of tourism, trade, and national development. BIAs facilities and services are geared towards meeting passengers needs. Hala Bahrain, the airports premium hospitality service provider, offers meet and assist, lounge, porterage, valet parking, baggage wrapping services, and more, helping to ensure all visitors enjoy a comfortable and seamless travel experience. Launched in 2021, the new terminal is four times larger than the legacy airport. It increases Bahrains connectivity, supporting the Kingdoms long-term economic and tourism goals and catalyzing growth within the travel industry. BIAs capacity is more than 14 million passengers and 130,000 air traffic movements per year, ensuring it can meet the Kingdoms present and future needs. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has expressed concern over the possibility of the ... The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has expressed concern over the possibility of the 2023 election holding. Pastor Adeboye said God had not told him if the 2023 general election would hold. Speaking during the RCCGs 2022 Holy Ghost Service, Adeboye said: God must be merciful unto us. We will have to hold on to Him and say, Please help. Do you know that up till now, and this is November, Daddy hasnt told me yet that theres going to be an election next year. We continue of course, as if theres going to be; I am saying that Adeboye, I am not talking of other people; God has not told me yet. He may tell me tomorrow, I dont know, but as of this moment that I am sitting before you, He hasnt told me whether or not there will be an election next year. Of course, as usual, anybody who comes to me and he says, pray for me, I will pray for them. Thats my duty, but it is up to God to answer. I am not trying to frighten you; I am not telling you that I know something secret that you dont know; I am not a prophet I am just a pastor; but I am your Pastor. We need to pray. So I expect to see all of you on Friday the 2nd of December; come ready to pray. Some ward chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have dumped the party. The ward chairmen who are from Saki West Local ... Some ward chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have dumped the party. The ward chairmen who are from Saki West Local Government Area in Oke Ogun geo-political, announced their defection from PDP to Accord on Friday. The ward chairmen announced that they and thousands of other members of PDP have joined Accord ahead of 2023 elections. The former PDP chairmen led by their leader, Hon. Abdulsalam Rafiu Arikewusope publicly announced their defection from PDP to Accord in the presence of the Oyo North Senatorial candidate of Accord, Hon. Shina Abiola Peller. Arikewusope, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, explained that their decision to join Accord was informed by the yearning, aspiration and interest of the majority in Oke-Ogun indigenes. He added that the people of Oke Ogun which has ten local government areas have unanimously identified with Pellers liberation mission in the zone. Chairman of Accord in the state, Prince Felix Kolade Ojo, while welcoming the new members, insisted that the party is on liberation mission in the state. He added that the party embraced internal democracy in all its dealings. Peller, in his response, assured the new members that they have made the right decision. He expressed confidence that the party will be victorious in the 2023 general elections. As the 2023 general elections draw nearer, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Toyin Amuzu, has urged Nigerians... As the 2023 general elections draw nearer, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Toyin Amuzu, has urged Nigerians to save themselves from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Amuzu said Nigerians should vote against the APC in the next general elections, considering the fact that living conditions in the country continue to get worse by day. Amuzu, who is aspiring to represent Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in Ogun, gave this advice while donating a water borehole to the people of Elite, in Idi-Aba area of Abeokuta. Amuzu, while lamenting the prevailing economic doldrums, insecurity and other challenges working against the nation, said the ruling party has no solution to the myriad of problems confronting the nation. According to him, the high cost of living, especially as it concerns staple foods, is quite worrisome and getting unbearable, saying people now find it hard to make ends meet. Amuzu described as unfortunate that, despite the dismal performance of the APC, the party has not seen any reason to ameliorate or cushion the effects of its failures by supporting the suffering masses, even as prices of various goods continue to soar. He advised the people to note their friends and enemies, stating that we in the PDP are committed to a better society where the overall wellbeing of our people and the development of our communities are top priorities. He spoke further: No doubt, the PDP has great experience in governance and we have learnt our lessons. But today, they have destroyed our economy and a whole lot. Realities on ground have proved that governance is not a childs play and the PDP really tried in its tenure, despite all their concocted lies, vile propaganda and deceits. Please, Nigerians should openly reject the APC in the 2023 elections if they want a vibrant change that would move them from hardship. Former Arsenal star, Kevin Campbell, has claimed that no Chelsea player is good enough to get into Arsenals team at the moment. Campbell sa... Former Arsenal star, Kevin Campbell, has claimed that no Chelsea player is good enough to get into Arsenals team at the moment. Campbell said this ahead of Chelseas Premier League derby with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea currently sits in the sixth position on the Premier League table, while Arsenal is on top of the table. None at the moment, Campbell told talkSPORT when asked how many Chelsea players would get into Arsenals team. I have got to say that. Its harsh, but the only one who you can say has played up to standard, up to scratch or maybe above is Kepa [Arrizabalaga]. Kepa has been outstanding, but I think when you look at what Arsenal have done this season, the numbers are where they are in the table, I dont think any Chelsea player gets into that [team]. I am not saying Chelsea players are not top, when they are on fire, probably more Chelsea players would get into this squad than Arsenal players, but they have just not been performing. Tottenham boss, Antonio Conte has mocked his Liverpool counterpart, Jurgen Klopp ahead of their Premier League meeting this weekend. The Ita... Tottenham boss, Antonio Conte has mocked his Liverpool counterpart, Jurgen Klopp ahead of their Premier League meeting this weekend. The Italian reminded the German that it was Tottenham that stopped the Reds from winning the Premier League title. Last season, the German boss had slammed Tottenham for their performance in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool. The draw was frustrating for Liverpool and ultimately handed Manchester City the title. Tottenhams clash with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon and Conte told reporters, Yeah, but if you remember, he lost the Premier League for this result. I understood his frustration. They lost the title for these two points [dropped]. But you know, instead we reached the Champions League with that draw. Conte said it was normal for managers to speak angrily about other teams, especially when such teams have prevented them from achieving something like winning the Premier League title. The Italian said, however, he was not bothered since the German boss had apologised for his ranting, insisting he understood how he (Klopp) felt. No problem for me. When you are angry, its very difficult sometimes to control your emotion, he said. Music superstar, Wizkid, has asked the old guard in Nigerian politics to leave the scene. Real name Ayo Balogun, the artist stated that the ... Music superstar, Wizkid, has asked the old guard in Nigerian politics to leave the scene. Real name Ayo Balogun, the artist stated that the old men should be in old peoples homes. Wizkid commented on Nigerias 2023 elections in an interview with The Guardian. Im about to go crazy on their asses this election, said the songwriter and label owner. All these old men are going out of power this time. They need to go to an old peoples home and chill out. President Muhammadu Buhari will leave office next May after 8 years in power. Although there are more than 15 candidates in the race to succeed him, four are prominent. They are Bola Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Rabiu Kwankwaso, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peter Obi, Labour Party (LP). Ex-Lagos governor Tinubu, of the ruling APC, is 70 years old; Atiku, former vice president, is 75. Kwankwaso, former Kano governor, is 66; Obi, former Anambra governor, 61 years old. Wizkids new album More Love, Less Ego will be released on November 11. The release, earlier scheduled for the 4th, was postponed in honour of the death of Davido and Chiomas late son, Ifeanyi. Wizkid did the same in 2020 when he moved the release of Made in Lagos album by two weeks due to the End SARS protests against police brutality. The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) has disclosed that his agency seized ... The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) has disclosed that his agency seized over N420 billion worth of illicit drugs since 2021. Marwa, during a budget defence session on Thursday, November 3, 2022, said the agency arrested over 19,000 persons and has secured the conviction of 3,111 persons for different drug-related charges. He also informed the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Narcotics that the total drug seized is over five million kilograms. While lamenting the high prevalence of drug consumption in Nigeria, he disclosed: 14.3 million Nigerians are abusing drugs. This is equal to the population of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Gambia and Liberia combined. The House Committee backed the plan by NDLEA to splash N13 billion on the construction of barracks to accommodate its officers. Dr Francis Otta-Agbo, the Chairman of the Committee, said the dangers of their work require that narcotic officers live in barracks to ensure their safety. The Progressive Coalition of Entertainers (PCE) has declared support for Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Con... The Progressive Coalition of Entertainers (PCE) has declared support for Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election. The group, which is said to include over 60 celebrities, met with Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the Lagos house of assembly on Friday. NAN reports that PCE, led by Saheed Balogun, paid a courtesy visit to the speaker at the assembly complex. Obasa urged Nollywood actors, producers, and entertainers of like minds not to relent in their effort to ensure victory for the APC presidential candidate in the election. The speaker thanked the group for their efforts to ensure a successful presidential election victory for Tinubu. Obasa further tasked them to sustain the relationship that exists between them and the state government. Our task is to involve people, enlighten them and make them see reasons why they should continue to support APC. We know the group has always supported the party and we want them to continue, he said. To us, every vote is an investment because every single vote counts. Balogun, while speaking, said the group of over 60 celebrities decided to come together to endorse Tinubu to the people of the state because he had turned Lagos into a smart city. He said Tinubu laid the foundation that successive governments latched on to, putting Lagos in an enviable position among other states. Outlining some of the groups activities, the actor said they hope to influence thoughts on social media and also embark on door-to-door engagements. Since the campaign has commenced, the artistes, having large followers on social media, see it as an opportunity to reach out and engage prospective voters, Balogun added. This is because we see Tinubu as one who had done a lot to qualify as the next president of Nigeria and our hope is to continue to release the presidential candidates achievements. Asiwaju has done well and it is time to pay back. Every successive government continues to build on his foundation. The wife of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday made a cash donation of N50million and... The wife of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday made a cash donation of N50million and relief materials to victims of flood disaster in Bayelsa State. This was contained in a statement issued by her media handlers on Saturday. The three-term senator made the donation when she led a delegation of the APC women campaign team to the various camps of internally displaced persons in Yenagoa to commiserate with the victims. Bayelsa is one of the states most hit by the flood, with seven of its eight local government areas affected. The flood had also forced many residents into IDP camps as hundreds of their buildings and farmlands are submerged by flood. The development is coming barely three days after the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, allegedly exempted Bayelsa from the list of 10 worst-hit states ravaged by floods. The minister had hinged her conviction on a number of factors which she said included the number of displaced persons and deaths recorded per state, injuries, partially damaged or totally damaged houses as well as ravaged farmlands. Her statement generated condemnation from the Bayelsa State Government and stakeholders who described her as insensitive to the plight of their people. A livid Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, said considering Bayelsas contribution to the nations economy, the ministers response to the flood situation in the state was not commensurate and fair. But standing before the internally displaced persons at the Ox Bowlake Pavilion and Igbogene camps in Bayelsa, Tinubu announced a donation of N50,000 each to 1,000 individuals to help their small-scale businesses rise again. She said, Our visit here today is not political. But rather it is to identify with you in the moment of need and pray that the state will not witness such natural disasters again. In her entourage were Nana Shettima, wife of the partys vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima; wife of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mrs. Alanyingi Sylva and National Coordinator of APC Women Campaign team, Dr. Asabe Bashir. While paying homage to the traditional ruler of the community in his palace, Tinubu also briefed the Obenibe of Epie Kingdom, Malla Sasime, on the purpose of their visit to the state. While expressing appreciation on behalf of the victims, the acting paramount ruler of Igbogene, Emperor Osage, informed the delegation that the donation was the first of its kind they would receive. The traditional ruler appreciated the APC womens campaign team for taking out time to visit the victims of flood in the state and wished them safe return to their various destination. Former President of the United States, Donald Trump has hinted that he may contest for the office of the president in 2024 and stage a com... Former President of the United States, Donald Trump has hinted that he may contest for the office of the president in 2024 and stage a comeback to the White House. Trump disclosed this where a crowd gathered in Iowa on Thursday while speaking at the first of four rallies in five days in his campaigns for Republican candidates in next weeks midterm elections. The former Republican President has been subpoenaed by the January 6th Committee for not calling to order his alleged mob of supporters over the invasion of the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, when he lost to President Joe Biden in the 2020 elections. He reiterated his baseless claim that he lost in 2020 because of widespread election fraud, as per Reuters. I ran twice, he said. I won twice and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions more votes in 2020 than I got in 2016. And likewise, getting more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country by far. And now in order to make our country successful, and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again. Very soon. Get ready, Trump said to the cheering crowd. Reports revealed that Trump won the most votes ever 72 million for a sitting president in 2020, but still lost to his challenger then and now president, Biden, a Democrat, who polled 81 million. A socio-political activist, Reno Omokri, has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to include the image of former president, Olusegun... A socio-political activist, Reno Omokri, has appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to include the image of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on the expected redesigned Naira note. According to him, Obasanjo who has been receiving accolades for his role in restoring peace to Ethiopia, remains the greatest Nigerian both living or dead. Explaining why Obasanjo deserves such honour, Omorki said in a post on his verified Twitter handle that the elder statesman and the current presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar paid off our entire foreign debt during their administration. He wrote, I appeal to the Central Bank of Nigeria to consider putting President Olusegun Obasanjos image on the redesigned Naira. In my opinion, he is the greatest Nigerian living or dead. He and Atiku paid off our entire foreign debt. He entrenched democracy by being the first military leader to have VOLUNTARILY surrendered power to an elected government in Africa. And he returned 20 years later to become the first civilian President to democratically transfer power to another elected President. General Obasanjo also led the African anti apartheid effort, and spent billions of dollars to bring freedom to South Africa. And after leaving office on October 1, 1979, he became a leader of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group that successfully fought for the release of Nelson Mandela. Upon his return as a democratically elected President, he militarily crushed a coup in Sao Tome and Principe, and personally took the deposed democratically elected leader, Fradique de Menezes, on his Presidential jet, and restored him to power in Sao Tome city, the capital. Chief Obasanjo also handled the Sharia crisis tactically and peacefully. On the economic front, it was under him that Nigeria had her best ever GDP growth rate in 2002, and he was able to pay off Nigerias foreign debt at a time when crude oil sold for $22 per barrel. Finally, he governed without any bias to any religion or region, including his own. And to cap it all, he has now brought peace to Ethiopia. Locally reported news and sports Stay Current with What's Happening Get the most of NNY360, register today! By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com The fate of chef Emeril Lagasses French Quarter restaurant NOLA has been one of the lingering question marks in New Orleans dining through the pandemic. The restaurant, in business for nearly 30 years, has been closed since March 2020, when all restaurants were ordered to suspend indoor dining. Now a different local restaurant company has leased NOLAs building, at 534 St. Louis St., and plans to quickly develop a new restaurant in its place. Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, owner of more than 20 different restaurants and bars around the area, will turn the former NOLA into a new location of Boulevard American Bistro. It will be the fourth location for the upscale casual Boulevard brand, which has locations in Metairie, Elmwood and Covington. Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts CEO Marv Ammari said he expects a swift renovation to convert the restaurant, with this new Boulevard slated to open by January, and perhaps sooner. With a midrange approach and broadly American menu, Ammari believes Boulevard will fill a niche between high-end Creole restaurants and the more casual spots in the French Quarter. We want to bring something fresh to the French Quarter, something needed in the selection of restaurants here, he said. Its going to be an All-American, polished casual restaurant. The move means the end for NOLA, which opened in 1992 as the second restaurant for Lagasse when his celebrity status was just rising nationally and beyond. A bold sequel It was the sequel to his original Emerils Restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street, which had opened just two years prior, and it was designed to be more freewheeling and bold, with an industrial chic design, an open foyer connecting the floors and a glass-enclosed elevator rising through the center of the dining room. NOLA made a splash. Shortly after NOLA opened, Times-Picayune critic Gene Bourg wrote about its no-holds-barred approach to modern New Orleans cooking and its up-to-the-minute look. Over the years, it was known for its use of a wood-burning oven, turning out gourmet pizzas and roasted meats, and for dishes like its double-cut pork chop, slow-roasted duck and Vietnamese-style stuffed chicken wings. The restaurant underwent a major overhaul in 2017, reopening with a larger bar and a new look, particularly on its ground floor. After the pandemic hit, Lagasse started reopening his restaurants across different markets one by one. In New Orleans, Meril reopened a few months into the pandemic, and the Tchoupitioulas Street flagship returned in 2021 following a revamp. At the time, Lagasse said he planned to reopen NOLA next, followed by his St. Charles Avenue restaurant, Emerils Delmonico. However, by February, the chef confirmed Emerils Delmonico would not reopen and put its real estate up for sale. Same bones, new approach On Friday, Ammari walked through the restaurant space, still adorned with NOLAs signs and 2020 menus. He said a renovation would focus mainly on the restaurants decor and furnishings, with its bones remaining in place. That includes the wood-burning oven, open kitchen and elevator. Early plans call for enlarging the bar on the first floor. Over the past several years, Creole Cuisine has been known for near-constant expansion, opening new concepts and buying established restaurants. The New Orleans-based company got its start with bars and eventually began buying longtime local restaurants. That portfolio now includes Broussards, Cafe Maspero and the Bombay Club, all in the French Quarter, and Tommys and Ernst Cafe in the Warehouse District. Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts has been expanding outside of New Orleans through the pandemic. Ammari hopes the new French Quarter project will signal faith in the city too. At the end of the day, we owe it to New Orleans, and we need to be part of building the city, he said. Boulevard first came about in 2015 after Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts took over the longtime home of Houstons in Metairie, after that popular restaurant closed. The new restaurant kept some of the touchstones of its predecessor. All locations share a menu that reads as a contemporary American roster with dishes like prime rib, seared tuna salads and barbecue ribs. Crab cakes, spinach and artichoke dip and cedar plank salmon are some of the bestsellers. Ammari said the new French Quarter restaurant would start with a similar menu, with some modifications. There will likely be more steaks and a larger wine list, for instance. It will also carry on a number of popular specials from the other Boulevard locations, including half-price bottles of wine on Wednesdays and a $5 martini special on Thursdays. He's confident the new restaurant can open on a swift timeline. Were working with a menu we know and execute very well. Its a matter of getting the right team together, Ammari said. +10 Historic Cajun restaurant Bon Ton closed just before the pandemic, now its coming back Long before Cajun cooking became a global phenomenon, the Bon Ton restaurant was a beloved destination for these flavors in downtown New Orlea +20 See inside Addis NOLA's new home, an exuberant embrace of Ethiopian food, culture Visiting Addis NOLA, it often felt like the spirit of the place just couldnt be contained by its four walls. That is the palpable energy that +7 Latest step for Hubigs Pies a good sign for those missing the beloved New Orleans treat Among those yearning for the return of Hubig's Pies, any sign of progress on the journey back to their hungry hands is significant. Recibi a los obreros de la Confederacion General de Trabajadores del Peru (CGTP) en Palacio de Gobierno por el Dia del obrero municipal. En las proximas reuniones que tenga con los alcaldes electos, planteare trato laboral digno para los trabajadores municipales". It appears that Qualcomm has confirmed the death of Exynos chipsets in flagship Samsung Galaxy S smartphones. In an earnings call, Qualcomm's Chief Financial Officer outlined that it will supply chipsets globally for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus and the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with Europe finally moving on from the likes of the Exynos 2200. 4 Reviews @UniverseIce has highlighted an intriguing hint about what is to come with the Galaxy S23 series, courtesy of Qualcomm's Chief Financial Officer. Speaking during Qualcomm's Q4 2022 earnings call, Akash Palkhiwala highlighted that the chip supplier should benefit from the Galaxy S23's launch 'in kind of the second half of the March quarter'. Hence, Samsung should start shipping Galaxy S23 units by the middle of March, which tallies with a rumoured release date that surfaced yesterday. Surprisingly, Palkhiwala also explained that Qualcomm will reach 'global share' in the Galaxy S23 series. In other words, Qualcomm expects to supply chipsets for all Galaxy S23 models. As such, European consumers should receive Snapdragon-powered versions of Galaxy S smartphones for the first time, with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 set to serve all markets. Moreover, Palkhiwala has all but confirmed that Samsung has not created a direct successor to the Exynos 2200. Currently, it remains to be seen what happens to AMD and Samsung's Exynos collaboration, which has only born the Exynos 2200 to date. Samsung has returned to roasting Apple for the speed with which it adopts emerging technologies. While Samsung has now released four generations of Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip smartphones, Apple has maintained its candy bar form factor. In fact, Apple has only recently started moving away from its infamous notch that it debuted in 2017. If Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) is correct, Apple will abandon the notch in its flagship smartphones from the iPhone 15 series onwards, which will arrive next year. Meanwhile, Samsung executives expect Apple to 'wait' until 2024 before it releases a foldable iPhone. Incidentally, Young recently discussed the state of Apple foldables in an interview with MacMagazine . According to Young, there are several factors for why we are yet to see an Apple device with a foldable display. Some are out of Apple's control too, such as supply chains only having enough capacity to produce ultra-thin glass (UTG) for Samsung products. Also, Young highlights that Samsung Display dominates the foldable display market, a fact that prevents Apple from its preferred method of working with multiple suppliers. Ultimately, while Samsung's advert pokes fun at Apple for being one of the only major smartphone manufacturers that has not released a foldable smartphone, it seems that the market is not yet ready to match the volumes in which Apple would want to sell a foldable iPhone. A new state rule change will make it easier for accounting students to become accountants in the hopes of addressing a statewide shortage. The Indiana CPA Society lobbied for the rule change that allows students to sit for a CPA exam at 120 credit hours while still requiring 150 credit hours for licensure. That's how 46 other states and jurisdictions across the country do it. It also would remove CPA exam section names and windows to allow for continuous testing and the retaking of sections the test-taker failed. It also will incorporate changes aligning with the new new CPA Evolution Model Curriculum that debuts in 2024, putting more of a focus on core skills and forward-looking disciplines. "Most states have already adopted this rule, so this removes a competitive challenge," said INCPAS Government Relations Advisory Council member Tom Bayer. "Now more Indiana students will be able to come out of college with the CPA Exam partially or fully completed, which will be a win for our profession statewide." Gov. Eric Holcomb just signed the rule change into law. It's meant to improve the CPA pipeline during a talent crunch. The 2021 AICPA Trends Report blames the lack of qualified accountants on the job market on "declining college enrollments, rising tuition costs and student loan debt, logistical hurdles of studying for the CPA Exam and constraints of sitting for the CPA Exam in limited time frames." "The cost and time spent on higher education is increasingly in the spotlight," INCPAS President and CEO Courtney Kincaid said. "As employers have been adapting to employees' needs and work preferences, so, too, must the CPA profession offer students the Exam flexibility that works with their academic, work and personal lives." College students who reach 120 credit hours can now submit their Notice to Sit for the CPA Exam. Students who finish at least part of the exam before they graduate have proven to be more likely to complete the exam cycle and ultimately get licensed as CPAs in Indiana. "Taking sections of the Exam just after studying the material intensely during their college coursework will be a huge help for students," said Diane Sturek, INCPAS Board Chair and senior lecturer at Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. "Further, it will be easier to make studying for the exam a part of their schedule before they start working full time." VALPARAISO Democrat Erik Wagner hopes to unseat Republican Chuck Harris as Porter County recorder. Wagner, a former Porter Town Board member, replaced the late Bob Poparad on the Porter County Council early this year but lost the primary election to Becky Mateja Lombardini. Harris served two terms as coroner the maximum under state law before being elected recorder in 2018. Harris said his first goal when he took office was to digitize all of the records held by his office, dating back to the countys founding. This allows them to be available for viewing in the comfort of your own home or office, he said. His second goal was to restore and preserve old record books. As you can imagine, pages of books that date back to 1836 can become unreadable and brittle. According to Indiana Code, the Recorder's Office must preserve and store all records for perpetuity. We have just begun this new project, and it will take at least two years to complete, Harris said. The Honor Rewards program invites veterans to bring in their military discharge papers to be recorded for free. Once the discharge paperwork is recorded, the program gives the veteran discounts at participating businesses throughout the county. Wagner said his first priority is to make sure the publics most vital records are preserved. There are thousands and thousands of records that go back a couple hundred years, he said. They are an important part of our history and need to be restored and protected. That is not a small project, and something like that will take years to get done. I have the longevity to get it done. Harris stressed the need to make records accessible. It is imperative that the county recorder provides the general public, Realtors, title companies and lending institutions with the most updated recording and searching programs, be it in the office or online, he said. We can make a critical leap forward in the delivery and expediency of the services we render to the people of Porter County. Our public is always investing in our county and in our communities, Harris said. We owe it to them to make sure their recorded documents are secure, and that the information we preserve makes their title closings efficient, effortless and welcoming. Wagner said his background sets him apart. Im a historian my education is in history and I understand the value of preserving the history of the county, he said. I bring a fresh perspective to the office, as although I have been working on the County Council for the past year, Im still fresh in county government. Harris stressed his community involvement and his proven history of being a budget hawk, and the ability to streamline and provide better service with less funding. VALPARAISO Republican Porter County Commissioner candidate Barb Regnitz contributed $206,459 to her own campaign, accounting for most of a war chest that is nearly nine times that of her Democratic opponent Julie Giorgi, according to recently filed finance reports. Regnitz, who has worked as a teacher, software engineer, project implementation manager and certified financial planner, reportedly posted total contributions of about $240,459 for the year up to Oct. 14. Giorgi, a former pharmaceutical sales representative, head of Promise Indiana Porter County and current member of the Union Township School Board, reported total contributions of $27,653 for the same period. The total includes a loan from her husband of $2,500. A seat on the Porter County Board of Commissioners pays $45,966 ($50,337 for president) annually, and members have the option to enroll in the county's health and life insurance programs, according to Porter County Human Resources Director Rhonda Young. Another top-funded race for Tuesday's midterm election is the battle for Porter County sheriff where Republican candidate Jeff Balon posted $180,749 in contributions as compared to his Democratic challenger David Reynolds II at $119,765. The county sheriff's job pays $164,950 annually with the option of county health and life insurance benefits, Young said. A complete list of candidate campaign finance disclosure forms is available for public viewing on the Porter County Elections and Voter Registration website. "The notion of spending a quarter of a million dollars to secure a political office for four years is something I could not envision as the prudent path to government service, and will severely limit the pool of available candidates wanting to make a viable run for any county office in the future," Giorgi said when contacted Friday for comment. "I am confident that our voters will see that I accomplished a successful campaign by being fiscally responsible with my campaign finances, and maximized every dollar that we received to accomplish all that was necessary," she said. Regnitz said she had recently sold a successful financial advisory practice and with the help of a professional campaign strategist, looked at past local campaign expenditures, including the Valparaiso mayor's race that resulted in spending of more than $300,000. "As a political newcomer, I knew I would have to spend some of my own money if I wanted to have any chance in the election," she said. "I couldnt expect others to believe in my candidacy until I showed I believed in my candidacy and was willing to invest my own time and money." "It was important that I stayed independent and didnt accept donations from special interests," Regnitz said. "I did not want to owe any person or organization any favors." Porter County Republican Party Executive Director Kenard Taylor, who as a consultant to the county reviews all local campaign finance reports he does not prepare, said these candidate contributions are in the forms of loans, which can be paid back to candidates as the campaign takes in funding from other individuals or sources. "It's really because our county is so large," Porter County Republican Party Chairman Mike Simpson said of the large sum reported in this and earlier county-wide races. Technological advances have given candidates a wide array of platform options to get their names and issues in front of voters, but they are not cheap, he said. "It adds up faster than people realize," Simpson said. Simpson likened the job of the three county commissioners to a mayor of a city. "Their job is to run all the departments," he said. The Indiana Association of County Commissioners says this about the structure of county government: "As a rule, the council has jurisdiction over fiscal matters and the commissioners have jurisdiction over matters concerning either the exercise of regulatory or administrative powers." EAST CHICAGO During each graduation ceremony for East Chicago Police Department's Citizen's Police Academy, an officer is honored for their brave efforts. This year, police honored two different community members who demonstrated courage to protect the lives of their fellow students. Police Chief Jose Rivera recognized Benjamin Flores and Portia Jones, fifth-grade students at St. Stanislaus Catholic School who reported a threat that a teacher had made toward her students and herself. Police presented Flores and Jones with a "Heroism Award" for their actions Friday. "At a young age, these two kids recognized something dangerous," Rivera said. "In my heart, I believe they stopped a potential tragedy from occurring at a school." The teacher was charged with felony intimidation Oct. 14 after telling students she had a "kill list," according to court documents. Angelica C. Carrasquillo-Torres, 25, made her first court appearance Oct. 21 and was booked into the Lake County Jail on Oct. 20 after a 72-hour emergency detention order expired, according to Rivera. Flores and Jones accepted the awards with their parents and received loud applause. "We preach at the East Chicago Police Department, if you see something, say something," Rivera said. "Very rarely does somebody do that. It's very rare to have a child do that, let alone not one but two. What they did was very heroic." After both students were recognized, Cmdr. George Cossey introduced the 14 Citizens Police Academy cadets as Rivera and Dep. Chief Justin Orange awarded them certificates as "Citizens Academy Ambassadors." The cadets participated in five weeks of sessions designed to teach them about the history, structure and operations of the department and to encourage them to be a "beacon of morality" in their neighborhoods, according to Rivera. "A lot of times what you see in policing is an officer in a squad car," Cossey said. "You don't really understand what they're doing and why they're doing it." The class included sessions on departmental history, divisions, investigations, evidence, records, firearm instruction and more. Cadets participated in a ridealong during their last week of training, according to the program schedule. "The Citizens Police Academy is a way to reach out to our community." Rivera said. "To inform and educate the public." Two Portage High School graduates have jettisoned themselves toward the stars by landing positions at SpaceX in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Zachary Smith and Dylan Sherman graduated from high school in 2016 with ambitions of joining the military after being involved with the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Smith took the U.S. Army route while Sherman enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Zach and Dylan both knew they wanted to go into the military early on. They both knew theyd be doing something in relation to helicopters, too, said Christi Smith, Zachary Smiths mother. They went their separate ways after graduation and now work in the same department at SpaceX. After their separation from the military in 2021, Sherman began working for SpaceX in September of that year. He encouraged Smith to apply for a position within the company after completing his combat tour to Syria in November 2021. Smith began his SpaceX career as an integration technician almost immediately. Its extremely cool, Smith said. I never pictured myself working on a spacecraft and being a part of the space mission. I have the opportunity to say Im working on something the entire world is watching. Lt. Col. Thomas Gualandi and Master Sgt. Ed Bowers are two of Smith and Shermans former mentors from the JROTC program offered at Portage High School. Bowers said he recalls them maturing from freshman year, both progressing in the same manner. Were both very proud of them, Gualandi said. Even now they continue to represent our program. Smith said hes an integration technician for the Dragon capsule and has specifically been involved with one cargo mission and one civilian mission. The Dragon can carry up to seven passengers, with a total of 36 launches to date. More than 100 SpaceX members work together to launch the capsule into space with either cargo or crew, docking at the International Space Station. Smith said that once the capsule comes back down, team members essentially have to tear it down for processing to ensure it will be sufficient for its next flight. We do a lot of exterior work to the capsule and interior work so we know when we send up the next crew of astronauts or the next set of cargo to the ISS, its going to get there safely and come back safely as well, said Smith, who formerly worked on Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters in the Army. Sherman, a SpaceX quality inspector, said he didnt expect to receive a call back from the company after applying for the position, mainly due to the stigma of how difficult it is to land a position there. However, his experience as an F-35 fixed-wing aircraft mechanic in the Marines boosted his resume credentials. Shermans mechanical and aerospace experience has given him the opportunity now to perform flight inspections and verifications to ensure build and fly reliability on spacecraft including rockets, capsules and satellites. We launched a rocket on Wednesday, and before that, one on Monday, Sherman said Thursday afternoon. I get to do something not a lot of people get to say they do. I get to put rockets into space and work toward SpaceXs goal of going to Mars. SpaceX rocket launches are scheduled throughout the year and dont occur on a daily basis, Sherman said. Launch dates are determined depending on when a customer schedules a launch and when theres availability to proceed. Sherman said that he has no idea when, but SpaceX founder Elon Musk has goals to get to Mars eventually. Mars would take nearly six months to travel to due to the distance of 140 million miles from Earth. The Polaris Dawn mission is currently in the works to take an all-civilian crew to explore space, Smith said. He said this will be the first civilian crew to participate in extravehicular activities including leaving the capsule, walking around in space and conducting research experiments. SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket has set a record by having the most launches, 48, by the same vehicle type in one year, Smith said. SpaceX is really a great company to work with. I feel like its made myself a better person in terms of knowledge and mechanical aspects, Smith said. SpaceX is starting to do a lot more with space flight. It gives me a chance to become a part of history and putting my name onto human spaceflight. Russia would have inevitably got into confrontation with the Ukrainian Neo-Nazi regime but later it would have had to do that from worse positions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. November 5, 2022, 09:51 Clash with Neo-Nazis in Ukraine was inevitable, says Putin STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Russias confrontation with the Neo-Nazi regime that emerged on the territory of Ukraine was inevitable. Had we not taken the corresponding actions in February, this would have been all the same but only from worse positions for us," the head of state said. As Putin pointed out, some Western friends of Ukraine had driven the situation in that country to a state when it turned to be suicidal for the Ukrainian people and fatal for Russia. "We see this just from the nature of combat operations. It is simply surprising what is happening. It generally seems that Ukrainians do not exist. They are thrown into the burner and thats all," the Russian leader said, describing the situation. It is Ukraine, the Ukrainian people that are "the first and primary victim of the deliberate instigation of hatred for the Russians and for Russia," he said. "In Russia, it is the other way round. You know well about that. We have always treated and treat the Ukrainian people respectfully and warmly. This has been and this is the case now, despite todays tragic confrontation," the Russian leader said. Russia assumed responsibility for what was happening "in order to prevent a far more serious situation," Putin explained. "We remembered and remember what happened in 1941 when, despite the intelligence data on the inevitable attack on the Soviet Union, the decisions on taking necessary defense measures were delayed. And the victory over Nazism was achieved at such a heavy price," the head of state said. John LoTurco, Mr. Valvas lawyer, conceded to the jury that his client was guilty of all four counts of child endangerment. But he asked jurors to consider lesser homicide and manslaughter charges that carry significantly less prison time. He argued that for prosecutors to prove Mr. Valva had committed second-degree murder, they would have to show that he exhibited depraved indifference toward his son. Prosecutors, he said, wanted to paint Mr. Valva as a coldblooded monster, a werewolf with no love in his heart, who did not shed a tear over the death of his son. Youd have to believe that he had utter disregard for Thomass life, that he simply did not care whether Thomas would die. And thats absolutely not true, Mr. LoTurco added. But Mr. Valvas treatment of his children had been a longtime concern. Teachers filed reports that the brothers arrived to school with bruises and abrasions on their bodies. Instructors saw Thomas and Anthony eat crumbs on the floor and food out of the trash. The children were constantly cold, according to the testimony, and they wore Pull-Ups because they were incontinent due to stress and to long bouts of not using a bathroom while at home. On Jan. 17, 2020, Thomas, who was in the garage, had urinated and defecated on himself just after 8 a.m., according to an audio recording from a security camera in the home. Mr. Valva told Ms. Pollina that he should make the boy eat the feces. He berated his son, using expletives as he screamed at Thomas for soiling his pants before school. He then ordered Thomas to strip down, according to the recording. The boy went to the backyard so that Mr. Valva could douse him with cold water. Thomas fell as he walked, striking his head on the concrete, video footage from a neighbors security camera shows. You cant throw an 8-year-old out into 19-degree weather naked after having him sleep on a cold garage floor and not expect that the child is going to be hypothermic, said Kerriann Kelly, a Suffolk County prosecutor. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, wants $8. After buying Twitter in a $44 billion deal just last week, he now wants users to pay up if they want their account emblazoned with the platforms signature blue check mark. (Currently, the check mark denotes a verified account.) Many users who are verified at present met the development with a laugh. The web comic artist Alex Cohen thinks a rat emoji makes for a fine, and free, alternative instead. In a tweet on Tuesday, Mr. Musk derided what he called Twitters current lords & peasants system for who has or doesnt have a blue checkmark. Twitter Blue, he added, would come with perks like limited ads, the ability to bypass some publisher paywalls and priority in replies, mentions & search, which is essential to defeat spam/scam. The blue check mark would come along with membership. (There is debate over whether the Twitter check mark is blue or white among some Twitter users, since the check mark itself is, technically, typically white.) Power to the people! Blue for $8/month, he wrote. In response, Mr. Cohen, a 26-year-old political science graduate student at the University of California, Davis, tweeted his idea for an alternative to paying for Twitter verification. Why would i pay $8 to get a blue check if i could put a rat next to my name for free??? im calling on everyone to join me in becoming #RatVerified, Mr. Cohen wrote on Tuesday. He added a rat emoji to his display name on Twitter and encouraged other users to do the same. The tweet has since been liked 138,000 times and counting, and retweeted more than 17,000 times. Im not a big fan of Elon Musk and I dont think its good someone can buy one of the most important websites for political and journalism purposes and then just change it and make it function completely differently without oversight, Mr. Cohen said in a phone interview on Friday. In the final stretch of the midterm campaigns, Democrats are straining to defend themselves against a barrage of crime-focused attacks from Republicans, forcefully highlighting their public safety credentials amid signs that G.O.P. messaging on the issue may be more potent than usual in some critical races this year. Democrats have enlisted sheriffs to vouch for them, have outspent Republicans on ads that use the word police in the month of October, and have been using the kind of tough-on-crime language that many on the left seemed to reject not long ago even as some Democrats worry that efforts to inoculate the party on a complex and emotional issue are falling short. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, who is being criticized over a 2018 video in which he called ending cash bail a top priority, aired an ad in which an officer declared him a tough-on-crime lawmaker who confronted those who wanted to defund the police. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada has long highlighted her pro-law enforcement credentials, including with an ad featuring a police chief praising her record of being tough on crime. ATLANTA Georgias last day of early voting was arguably the busiest of the states entire election season, marked not only by a high volume of voters at the polls but also by a surprise endorsement and a major retirement. The endorsement was for Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and the surprise was that it came from a Democrat: Kwanza Hall, a well-known former congressman in the state who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor earlier this year. The announcement alarmed and frustrated many Georgia Democrats who saw the move as a swipe at Stacey Abrams, the partys nominee for governor who endorsed Mr. Halls opponent Charlie Bailey during the Democratic primary. Mr. Bailey later defeated Mr. Hall in a runoff election. While we dont agree on every issue, its abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is a man of character, a strong leader and someone who Georgians can trust to put them and their interests first, Mr. Hall said in a statement. Governor Kemps door has always been open to those who have Georgias best interests at heart, regardless of politics, and thats why Im proud to support him in his bid for re-election. WASHINGTON In her first publicly broadcast comments since her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by an intruder at the couples San Francisco home, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said his recovery was going to be a long haul, but he will be well. Its just so tragic how it happened, Ms. Pelosi said in a video her team posted online on Friday, adding, We have to be optimistic. Ms. Pelosis brief remarks on her husband appeared to be part of a virtual call to discuss organizing for the midterm elections next week. In the video, Ms. Pelosi appeared seated before a bookshelf decorated with family photos and said she was at her home with her husband, who was surrounded by family. She thanked well-wishers for your kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul. WASHINGTON The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol said Friday it was in discussions with former President Donald J. Trump and his lawyers about his compliance with the panels subpoena, giving him additional time to respond. Mr. Trump had a Friday morning deadline to comply with the subpoenas demand for documents and communication records, but the committee did not indicate that he had provided any. The former presidents committee interview is scheduled for Nov. 14. We have received correspondence from the former president and his counsel in connection with the select committees subpoena, Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi, and Representative Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming, said in a joint statement. We have informed the former presidents counsel that he must begin producing records no later than next week, and he remains under subpoena for deposition testimony. The committee issued a subpoena to Mr. Trump last month, one of the most aggressive steps it has taken in what was already one of the most consequential congressional investigations in decades. The subpoena directs Mr. Trump to produce an extensive list of records including phone calls, texts, encrypted messages and email related to nearly every aspect of his effort to invalidate the 2020 election between the dates of Nov. 3, 2020, and Jan. 6, 2021. Tweeting alone Part of whats going on here is declining levels of trust in the pillars of American civic life a decades-long trend captured vividly in Bowling Alone, Robert Putnams famous book from 2000. The numbers are even worse now. Jeffrey Jones, an analyst at Gallup, noted in July that Americans had reached record-low confidence across all institutions. News organizations polled near the bottom of Gallups list. Just 16 percent of the public said they had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in newspapers, and only 11 percent said the same for TV news. The differences by party were stark. Just 5 percent of Republicans and 12 percent of independents said they had high confidence in newspapers, and only 35 percent of Democrats said the same. All of these numbers had declined from a year earlier. Coming in the middle of a midterm election in which journalists are trying to inform millions of voters about whats happening and to help them assess the ideas and personal characteristics of the candidates, Gallups finding was alarming. And thats just one data point. A recent poll by Bright Line Watch, a project run by a group of political scientists, found that 91 percent of Democrats were confident that their vote would be counted, versus just 68 percent of Republicans. That lack of trust is the starter fuel of election denialism. Organized groups on the right have been going after the press for decades, and conservative politicians often take up the chorus. Richard Nixons ill-fated vice president, Spiro Agnew, called journalists nattering nabobs of negativism; Donald Trump attacked the news media as the fake news and the enemy of the people; Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida ripped the corporate media despite being a frequent guest on Fox News which, yes, is a corporation. If Walter Cronkite walked among us today, hed be pilloried as a liberal shill. Claire Keegan didnt read much as a child. In her home in southeast Ireland, where her family ran a sheep, pig and cattle farm, there were just a couple of books around the house an illustrated edition of the Bible, and a cookbook, she recalls. Im not sure that growing up without books was a bad thing, because I had to use my imagination, she said. Otherwise I might have just stuck my head in a book. As it turned out, Keegan made a career out of her imagination. Despite her sparse output shes released just four books over two decades Keegan has gained a towering reputation as one of Irelands canonical writers. Her work is a staple on school curriculums, and has won a slew of prizes and a passionate following among independent booksellers. Prominent novelists like Colm Toibin, Lily King, David Mitchell and Richard Ford have lauded her work with an admiration that borders on reverence. Shes so utterly in control, said Douglas Stuart, the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Shuggie Bain. She can say so much, and be so loud, with very little. Its also that, at least since 2008, when the gay marriage fight spurred a number of chief executives to speak out, companies have been taking stands on issues that are usually associated with Democrats. Just in the past few years, many large corporations have publicly opposed voting laws passed by Republicans, supported Black Lives Matter, criticized the Supreme Court abortion ruling and embraced the environmental, social and governance movement known as E.S.G. Combine that with the kind of MAGA-oriented Republicans who have been winning recent elections lawmakers who dont rely on corporate donations and consider big companies to be part of the woke universe and you can just picture the brutal hearings the next two years could bring. It will be a much more aggressive Republican majority, said Dan Clifton, the policy director of Strategas, a big asset management and institutional research firm. But its more complicated than MAGA congressmen beating up woke corporations. Kevin McCarthy, who is in line to be the new speaker of the House if the Republicans are in the majority, has been openly dismissive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ever since the chamber backed 23 House Democrats in the 2020 election. Just this week, Axios reported that Mr. McCarthy told the chambers board members that he would not work with the business lobby unless it fired its C.E.O., Suzanne Clark, and replaced the leadership team. (The chamber told Axios that Ms. Clark has the executive committees complete support.) Even so, the chambers activity seems very much aligned with certain longstanding G.O.P. positions. In the last four months, the chamber has sued the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The lawsuits essentially argue that with the Democrats in charge, the agencies have been overzealous. As the minority party these past two years, Republicans have often made this complaint about the regulatory agencies. If they become the majority, they will be able to drive this home much more forcefully with investigations and hearings. So what will big business be facing if the Republicans take the House? Republican strategists say that hearings attacking woke corporations are inevitable, and have pointed to a handful of companies that are likely to be asked to testify at such hearings. Disney, for instance. When the companys C.E.O., Bob Chapek, criticized the Florida law that limits what teachers can say to young students about gender and sexuality and when Gov. Ron DeSantis responded by stripping the company of a special tax district the publicity put Disney squarely in the sights of Republican House members. Dr. Samuel L. Katz, a virologist who was part of the research team at Harvard Medical School that developed the measles vaccine, an advance more than half a century ago that has saved countless lives, died on Monday at his home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was 95. His son David confirmed the death. Dr. Katz later enhanced the reputation of the pediatrics department at the Duke University School of Medicine as its chairman. Dr. Katz took up the fight against measles in 1956, when he joined a laboratory at Childrens Hospital Medical Center (now Boston Childrens Hospital) run by Dr. John Enders. Two years earlier, Dr. Enders had shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how to grow the polio virus in cultures, a breakthrough that was critical to Jonas Salks development of a polio vaccine, which led to widespread successful immunizations. Dr. Enderss lab had already isolated the measles virus from a 13-year-old boy when Dr. Katz arrived there as a research fellow. Measles was a major medical threat at the time: In the decade before the vaccine was made available in 1963, nearly every child in the United States had measles by age 15, with three to four million people infected by it every year, leading to an estimated 400 to 500 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Map of Ethiopia Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country and its second largest in terms of population. Apart from a five-year occupation by Mussolini's Italy, it has never been colonised. It has a unique cultural heritage, being the home of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church - one of the oldest Christian denominations - and a monarchy that ended only in the coup of 1974. It served as a symbol of African independence throughout the continent's colonial period, and was a founder member of the United Nations and the African base for many international organisations. Drought and civil conflict left Ethiopia in a state of turmoil under a Marxist dictatorship from the fall of the monarchy until 1991, when the long authoritarian rule of Meles Zenawi brought a degree of stability. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched a campaign of political liberalisation at home, and sought to end disputes with Ethiopia's neighbours, in particular Eritrea, after 2018. But these efforts were overshadowed by a dispute with the leaders of Tigray region that began in 2020 and swiftly escalated into armed conflict. See more country profiles - Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring FACTS LEADERS President: Sahle-Work Zewde Ms Sahle-Work is the first female head of state since Empress Zawditu (1928-1930) Parliament elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the Ethiopia's first woman president in October 2018. Ms Sahle-Work, an experienced diplomat, promised to work to make gender equality a reality at her swearing-in to the largely ceremonial post. She took office a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken by women. Prime minister: Abiy Ahmed Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed was chosen to lead the ruling Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition after the unexpected resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in 2018. He pledged to try to end longstanding tensions with neighbouring Eritrea, and within months the two countries declared that the state of war between them was over. Mr Abiy also pledged to bring more transparency to government and reconciliation to a country that had been torn by protests since 2015. Story continues But tensions with Tigray region in 2020 led the federal government to send in troops after an unsanctioned regional election, triggering armed conflict. MEDIA Man reads a newspaper in Addis Ababa The change of government in 2018 ushered in a new era for the media, which for many years had operated in one of the region's most restrictive environments. But Reporters Without Borders says there have been no significant improvements to harsh media laws. The state controls most broadcasting outlets, including national broadcasters ETV and Radio Ethiopia. Internet and mobile services have been restricted during periods of social unrest. Read full media profile TIMELINE The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are thought to have been built in the 11th and 12th century Some key dates in Ethiopia's history: 4th Century - Christianity becomes the state religion. 1855-1868 - Reign of Emperor Tewodros II, who lays the foundation for the modern Ethiopian state. 1896 - Invading Italian forces are defeated by Ethiopians at Adwa. 1935-1941 - Italy deposes Emperor Haile Selassie and annexes Ethiopia, before being driven out by British, Commonwealth and Ethiopian forces. 1962 - Haile Selassie annexes Eritrea, which becomes an Ethiopian province. 1974 - Haile Selassie overthrown in military coup after government fails to deal with famine. 1977-79 - Thousands are killed in "Red Terror" orchestrated by Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. 1984-85 - Another serious famine devastates much of the country. 1991 - Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front deposes Mengistu. Meles Zenawi establishes stability and achieves considerable economic progress in his 19-year authoritarian rule. 1993 - Eritrea becomes independent. 1999-2000 - Ethiopian-Eritrean border war. 2018 - Abiy Ahmed becomes prime minister and launches reform programme at home and abroad. 2020 - Tension with Tigray region leads to conflict. Eritrean troops intervene in the war with Tigrayan rebels on the side of Ethiopia's central government. Firefighters, using ropes and dangling off a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan, rescued a woman who was trapped in a fire that injured at least 38 people on Saturday, officials said. The fire at 429 East 52nd Street was caused by a lithium-ion battery in an electric bicycle, the authorities said. The unit where the fire started had at least five e-bikes, Chief Fire Marshal Daniel E. Flynn said. Officials said they believe that a resident of the apartment repaired bikes and were investigating whether unauthorized business activity had taken place. About 200 fires in New York City this year have been caused by lithium-ion batteries, resulting in six deaths, he said. Who wants to look at something like that? she asked. The towers are not the only 5G antennas being installed in New York City. Others are going up on city property, like traffic lights and streetlamps. At the end of September, jackhammering could be heard outside of the six-story brick building on the Upper East Side where Chelsea Formica, 32, lives with her husband, Joe, and their infant son. Ms. Formica was in New Jersey visiting her mother when Joe called. He was like, Hey, you know, they put something up outside of our window. Im just laying here on the couch and its pretty big. Then Ms. Formica got home. I was like, Oh, my God, freaking out. Its huge. Its so big. Workers for the telecommunications company ExteNet had installed a cylindrical object roughly the size of a human being: a 5G antenna that is 63 inches tall and 21 inches in diameter, according to the company. It is accompanied by a box that is 38 inches high, 16 inches wide and 14 inches deep about the size of a filing cabinet or a night stand. The imposing antenna is mounted on top of a slender pole, three stories high more than 30 feet in the air and right in front of Ms. Formicas living-room window. Its also just steps away from where their 5-month-old baby sleeps, which makes Ms. Formica uncomfortable. People say that it is safe; the F.C.C. says its safe and everything, she said. Were just worried that its so close to my sons bedroom. Alex Wyglinski, the associate dean of graduate studies and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said residents need not worry. He noted that 5G is non-ionizing radiation, on the opposite end of the spectrum from ionizing rays that people need protection from, like UV rays and X-rays. It isnt just obstetricians and fertility doctors who fear prosecution, but many types of physicians. At an annual meeting of pulmonologists, a special session was held on how to avoid breaking the law while caring for lung disease patients they may have to advise on ending dangerous pregnancies. Instead of being able to singularly focus on helping sick people get well, these doctors have to worry that doing their job could get them arrested. The impact of abortion bans goes far beyond horrific individual stories; theyve had a cascading effect into countless areas of Americans lives. I spoke to a young woman struggling with infertility in Tennessee, for example, whose state representative told her that I.V.F. doctors could be prosecuted under the abortion ban there for discarding unused embryos (a common part of the I.V.F. process). We just want to be parents, she told me. Abortion bans have also put birth control access in danger. For years, conservative legislators and organizations laid the groundwork to falsely characterize some forms of contraception as abortifacients. This distortion has already started to hurt women in states with abortion bans: Because of the laws ambiguity in Missouri, a chain of hospitals there briefly stopped providing emergency contraception, with a spokesperson explaining, We simply cannot put our clinicians in a position that might result in criminal prosecution. At the University of Idaho, the legal counsel advised it against providing students with birth control in light of the states abortion ban. Staff members could give out condoms, the guidance said, but only to prevent sexually transmitted infections, not for purposes of birth control. Employees were told that even speaking in support of abortion could put them in danger of being arrested and banned from future state employment. Republicans abortion laws have even led to a crisis in care in states where abortion is legal. Doctors are so overwhelmed with patients from other states that some clinics have weekslong waiting lists, which, along with the logistical hurdles out-of-state patients face, has led to later abortions which Republicans claim to oppose. Writing about abortion every day feels like drowning, but what keeps me up at night is knowing that, by and large, we are hearing only from the women who felt comfortable enough going to the media. For every one story shared, there are hundreds or thousands more that we will never know about. Doctors who might otherwise speak up are also being silenced, warned by their employers PR and legal teams not to share stories of how abortion bans have affected their work and are hurting women. The response by the Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated postwar Japan, is blamed for worsening things with policies focused on sustaining corporate profits. In the process, the full-time work force was trimmed, and short-term jobs with reduced or no benefits have increased. A period of job market paralysis known as the employment ice age ensued. Middle-class incomes fell, marriage and birthrates declined, and the percentage of single-person households rose. The isolated Japanese often have nowhere to turn. Despite recent improvements, mental health services in Japan remain inadequate and often expensive. Psychological counseling remains unpopular in a country where cultural principles like gaman Japans version of Britains stiff upper lip stigmatize seeking help as shameful. Domestic media typically frame those of the lost generation not as victims but as self-absorbed ingrates. Resentment over this labeling was clear in the support group I attended, which met in a basement lounge in Tokyos red-light district of Kabukicho. (I attended several meetings as a journalist with the support of all involved.) None of the roughly 40 participants, dressed casually but neatly, looked out of the ordinary. They were calm and articulate and arrestingly candid about their insecurities, joblessness, loneliness and, especially, their anger directed at an older generation whose response to their problems was often expressed as ganbaru. (Work harder!) Some lived with their parents but rarely spoke to them. In 2019 an unemployed 51-year-old recluse went on a stabbing rampage, killing two people and injuring 17, most of them schoolgirls, fueling public concerns about violence by the economically and socially marginalized. A week later, the government drew up plans to create up to 300,000 jobs for those stranded by the employment ice age. But little came of the plan, and Mr. Abes trickle-down economic policies are blamed for exacerbating the pressure on job seekers. To many in Japan, Mr. Yamagami is a prime example of the lost generations marginalization and distance from unsympathetic parents and, for some, a focus of sympathy. Yet no policy relief appears on the horizon. Mr. Abes successor, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, took office last year with plans for a new capitalism that will include wealth redistribution, wage increases and benefits for part-time or short-term workers. But Mr. Kishidas administration is on the defensive over Liberal Democratic connections to the Unification Church, which has been accused of aggressively soliciting donations from members. Mr. Kishidas unpopular decision to hold a taxpayer-funded state funeral to honor Mr. Abe, rising inflation and a falling yen have sent his cabinets approval numbers tumbling, weakening his ability to push anything through. He no longer mentions new capitalism, instead echoing Mr. Abe in prioritizing economic growth. Co-founded by Bill Doherty, a Minneapolis-based marriage counselor, Braver Angels is an organization with grass-roots chapters across the country that teach conservatives and liberals to debunk lazy stereotypes and clarify disagreements without yelling. In the workshop I attended, reds and blues wrestled with how they typecast the other side. Nearly all the participants were white and looked to be over the age of 40. And they were, by definition, open to reaching across the partisan divide. In other words, they were low-hanging fruit. I came away feeling more hopeful about the country nonetheless. I realized then that there was a whole ecosystem of groups, created during the Trump years, that is dedicated to bridging divides: the Peoples Supper, which helps communities host potluck dinners and other events that promote racial and political reconciliation; the One Small Step project at StoryCorps, which brings together strangers for recorded conversations about their lives; More in Common, which surveys public opinion and put out an influential paper about the countrys exhausted majority. The New Pluralists help fund them all. The idea for the New Pluralists came about in the wake of Donald Trumps election. Jennifer Hoos Rothberg, the New York-based executive director of the Einhorn Collaborative, a foundation started by a Wisconsin-bred hedge fund manager, said it kept getting calls from people who were alarmed by the level of polarization and thought they could help fix it. One call came from Melissa Weintraub, a longtime conflict resolution practitioner who had worked with Israelis and Palestinians. You know that tool kit I use in the Middle East? I want to bring that to Wisconsin and Iowa, Ms. Rothberg recalled Ms. Weintraub saying. Right then and there, Ms. Rothberg told me, we set up a rapid response organizing around bridging divides. The Einhorn Collaborative gave away $6 million in one-off funds but wanted to do something bigger. In 2019, Ms. Rothberg invited other donors involved in similar work to a meeting in New York to see if they could pool their money to fund these projects on a larger scale. She purposefully invited donors from across the political spectrum. Stand Together Trust, formerly the Charles Koch Institute, which funds social ventures to solve common problems, agreed to join. But that made some social justice funders on the left balk because they didnt want to be in the same room, Fay Twersky, who attended that meeting as a representative of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, told me. In the end, about a dozen donors stuck with it. They landed on the name the New Pluralists, partly because pluralism felt neutral in an era when so many words have taken on a partisan flavor. This past summer, they brought together a group of grantees for a retreat in Atlanta in an attempt to foster relationships among them. They included the civil rights thinker john powell of the Othering & Belonging Institute and Rachel Peric of Welcoming America. They are called field builders in the New Pluralists overly cerebral parlance. The big idea here is to turn pluralism into a coherent field like public health with clearly defined norms and practices that can be replicated, measured and improved. Lennon Flowers, a co-founder of the Peoples Supper, told me that the gathering felt like a salve. She said the money and credibility her organization gets from the New Pluralists filter down to the local partners, showing that this work matters and this proves were not alone. People renovate either because they want to make their living space more pleasant, or because they want to sell the property for more money. Sure, theres some overlap, but if you plan to fix up the property and flip it, then you should be making design choices that are as neutral as possible, choosing finishes that will appeal to the widest number of tastes. And most people like bathtubs. Ive had clients that have turned down really, really nice houses because there is no bathtub, said Kevin McWilliams, an associate broker with Living New York. Its really going to limit the buyer pool if they do not have a bathtub. A 2021 report by the National Association of Home Builders found that 74 percent of buyers wanted both a tub and a shower in the primary bathroom. If you plan to sell the house anytime soon, youll be facing another challenge: The sales market is slow right now, so a house without a tub will be at a disadvantage. But if you plan to stay for a while, the housing market may not matter eventually, your house will accrue value regardless of what finishes you add. Ten years from now, a house in Ridgewood is going to be worth a lot of money, whether it has a soaker tub or a walk-in shower, said Jonna Stark, an associate broker with Brown Harris Stevens in Long Island City, Queens. Almost but not quite in time for Halloween, astronomers announced on Friday that they had discovered the closest known black hole. It is a biggie, a shell of yawning emptiness 10 times as massive as the sun, orbiting as far from its own star as the Earth is from ours. Not to worry, however: This black hole is 1,600 light-years away, in the constellation Ophiuchus; the next nearest known black hole is about 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. What sets this new black hole apart from the 20 or so others already identified in our Milky Way galaxy, besides its proximity, is that it isnt doing anything not drawing the nearby star to its doom, not gravitationally consuming everything nearby. Rather, the black hole is dormant, a silent killer waiting for the currents of space to feed it. Black holes are objects so dense that, according to Einsteins theory of general relativity, not even light can escape them. This makes them the most intriguing and violent phenomena in nature; when they feed, they can become the most brilliant objects in the universe, as gas, dust and even smaller stars are ripped and heated to incandescence, spewing energy as they approach the gates of eternity. Most every galaxy has a supermassive black hole millions or billions times more massive than the sun; scientists arent sure where they come from. Smaller black holes are thought to form from massive stars that have reached the ends of their thermonuclear lives and collapsed. There are probably millions of black holes in the Milky Way. They typically make themselves known by the X-rays they spit out as they strip gas from their companions in double-star systems. Argonauta Argo is not a typical octopus. When a female mates, first she keeps her partners detachable, sperm-filled limb inside of her. Then she begins making something like a handbag. She uses the tips of two of her blue-sheened arms to secrete a mineral formula, crafting it into a paper-thin basket shaped like a shell. The construction can grow to nearly a foot in length, becoming the home of more than 40,000 embryos. The argonaut octopus crawls inside its shell-like purse, traps some air bubbles inside, then uses its buoyancy to bob just beneath the surface of water in warm oceans around the world. This egg holder has such an uncanny resemblance to the hard shells of the Nautiloids, the octopuss distant relatives, that scientists nicknamed the argonaut the Paper Nautilus. But now, genetic sequencing data reveals the octopus independently evolved the genes to make its intricate embryo armor, instead of repurposing DNA it inherited from its shelled-ancestors. These findings upend some misconceptions among scientists about how cephalopods evolved, said Davin Setiamarga, a researcher at the National Institute of Technology, Wakayama College in Japan, who detailed the new data last month with colleagues in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution. Other rules, enforced by the F.C.C., require campaigns that use auto-dialers robocalling technology that can automatically call random or sequential phone numbers to obtain consent before calling or texting consumers. But those rules are based on a 30-year-old law: the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. They do not apply to political campaigns today that use apps to send text messages to hundreds of thousands of people. In fact, the torrent of texts only increased this year after the Supreme Court sided with Facebook in a lawsuit in 2021 over unsolicited mobile messages. In that case, Facebook v. Duguid, the court ruled that Facebooks texting method did not meet a narrow definition of auto-dialing a decision that has emboldened some campaigns to freely bombard voters with unsolicited texts. The Supreme Court decision has created a loophole that I think lots of actors, good and bad, are using and exploiting, Jessica Rosenworcel, the chairwoman of the F.C.C., said in an interview. Thats why youre seeing this incredible increase in the number of these texts. Even politically engaged voters who generally welcome campaign texts said they would like to see reforms. Joan Condon, a frequent donor to Democratic campaigns who lives in Orleans, Mass., said she liked receiving texts that kept her updated on issues like climate change and gun control. But she objected to the apocalyptic tone and artificial urgency DEADLINE TONIGHT! said one fund-raising message she received of many political texts. I dont like scare tactics, Ms. Condon said. You know, please dont insult my intelligence. She also took issue with survey text messages that solicit voters opinions only to later ask them for campaign donations. Its like a bait and switch, she said. Unlike email, many people still view texting as a sacrosanct channel for communicating with friends, family or co-workers. That is why some Americans regard unsolicited political texts as privacy invasions. A YouTube spokeswoman said the company disagreed with some of the criticism of its work fighting misinformation. Weve heavily invested in our policies and systems to make sure were successfully combating election-related misinformation with a multilayered approach, the spokeswoman, Ivy Choi, said in a statement. YouTube said that it removed a number of videos that The New York Times flagged for violating its policies on spam and election integrity and that it determined that other content did not violate its policies. The company also said that from April to June it took down 122,000 videos that contained misinformation. Our community guidelines prohibit misleading voters on how to vote, encouraging interference in the democratic process and falsely claiming that the 2020 U.S. election was rigged or stolen, Ms. Choi said. These policies apply globally, regardless of language. YouTube intensified its stance against political disinformation after the 2020 presidential election. Some YouTube creators took to the platform and livestreamed the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Within 24 hours, the company began punishing people who spread the lie that the 2020 election was stolen and revoked President Donald J. Trumps uploading privileges. YouTube committed $15 million to hire more than 100 additional content moderators to help with the midterm elections and the presidential election in Brazil, and the company has more than 10,000 moderators stationed around the world, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss staffing decisions. The company has finessed its recommendation algorithm so that the platform does not suggest political videos from unverified sources to other viewers, according to another person familiar with the matter. YouTube also created an election war room involving dozens of officials, and has been preparing to quickly remove videos and livestreams that violate its policies on Election Day, the person said. Still, researchers argued that YouTube could have been even more proactive in clamping down on false narratives that might continue to reverberate after the election. Cayuga Milk Ingredients, a farmer-owned dairy processing company launched eight years ago in Aurelius, is moving forward on a massive expansion plan that will include a new bottling plant and add more than 70 jobs. The company recently reached an agreement to buy several parcels from the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency in the industrial park it owns off Routes 5 and 20. CMI will use the additional land for a nearly $150 million expansion that will include a 130,000-square-foot aseptic processing and bottling facility, along with enhancements to existing facilities to accommodate increased production. Those enhancements include two new raw milk receiving bays, upgrades to its wastewater infrastructure to allow for an extra 350,000 gallons to be treated per day and a larger staging area for trucks delivering the raw milk, according to project documents filed with the IDA. In a press release, CMI said it plans to break ground on the project in the spring. "Cayuga is strong and profitable, with a long history of growth and transition, said Neil Rejman, CMI board chairman, in a press release. Were looking forward to the future with ambitious projects, like aseptic, that let us build on the dependable people and progress we have developed over the last eight years. CMI currently employs 91 people and exports its products to more than 75 countries. Its main product line has been milk and protein powders, with some refrigerated liquid products. But with room for growth, the company is adding aseptic beverages that use sterilization equipment to provide increased shelf life. The new facility will have capacity for producing 150,000 gallons of aseptic drinks each day. It will include a warehouse for those products that will use automated storage and retrieval system technology. According to project documents filed with the Cayuga County IDA, the project will add an estimated 74 jobs at the industrial park, with average annual pay of $70,000. The project would also support more than 400 construction jobs. The IDA board last month approved two land development agreements with the company. For the new bottling facility, the company will pay $720,000 to acquire vacant land from the IDA. It will also pay $258,000 for empty parcels that will be used for the other aspects of the expansion. Total investment for the project, the project documents show, would be an estimated $149.1 million, including $132.2 million on the bottling plant and $16.9 million on the receiving bays and wastewater infrastructure. Finalization of the land purchase agreements will include financial assistance packages that would include property and sales tax exemptions. The IDA and CMI are still negotiating terms of those deals. "CMI has worked closely with the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency since its first land purchase in 2012 and looks forward to the 130,000 square foot addition," the company said in its press release. The IDA also issued a statement, which included praise for the work of the nonprofit Cayuga Economic Development Agency, which provides economic development administrative services. CMI and the IDA have been discussing the project for several years, but a key development allowing it to move forward happened earlier this year when the federal government awarded the county a significant infrastructure grant. Schumer: Cayuga County gets $1.1M for sewer upgrades to help companies expand A federal grant to upgrade the wastewater system at Cayuga County's industrial will help two local businesses expand in Aurelius. The $1.1 million grant through Economic Development Administration's American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance Program is the major source for funding a new wastewater pumping station at the industrial park. "The new wastewater pumping station will be critical in supporting CMIs expansion project in addition to supporting the parks other tenant, Denkavit, an animal feed producer," the IDA said. A number of Republican candidates around the country have stated that they may not accept election results if they lose, heightening concerns among many elections experts. But election officials say that they, too, are far better organized this time around. That high level of organization and the scrutiny from election denial activists was evident on a recent visit here. Many of the observers are people like Ms. Tunison, who believes the 2020 election was stolen and who said she was encouraged in her newfound activism by her pastor. She repeated a conspiracy theory, which circulated on social media after the 2020 election, that several swing states simultaneously halted counting to thwart Donald Trump. Who was able to call all the counties and get them to stop counting all at once? she asked. I just think the whole system is kind of messed up, she added in an interview as she was leaving. We could do much better. I think the whole system should be scrapped and started over with something thats actually secure. And what would it be replaced with? Im not exactly sure, but I know that it should be mechanical, she said, with no internet access to any machine. But she also said maybe tabulation could be done with something like the blockchain, referring to the same technology that is at the heart of Bitcoin. Baseless theories about foreign plots to hack voting machines have ricocheted around the right-wing media for two years and have been pushed by well-funded Trump allies, including Mike Lindell, the MyPillow chief executive. In fact, there is no evidence of widespread fraud or malfeasance in elections. And while there is a criminal investigation underway of election tampering in Georgia, it is examining the conduct of Mr. Trump and his circle of advisers. PHILADELPHIA President Biden came under fire from a crucial member of his own party, Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, on Saturday after making comments that suggested coal plants in the United States would be shuttered as the nation shifts to solar and wind power. The backlash came as Mr. Biden was on a final campaign swing before Tuesdays midterm elections, and it reflected cracks in the Democratic Partys coalition ahead of votes that will determine which party controls Congress next year. The response also led the administration to apologize and clarify the presidents remarks, which it said were being misconstrued. The presidents remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said in a statement on Saturday. At a speech in California on Friday, Mr. Biden was discussing Americas energy transition and was lamenting the cost of using coal. Making things even more difficult for Mr. Biden will be the expected return as Israels prime minister of Benjamin Netanyahu, who had close relations with congressional Republican leaders. The Obama White House was infuriated in 2015 when Mr. Netanyahu accepted an invitation to address Congress from the Republican speaker, John Boehner, and criticized Mr. Obamas efforts to strike a nuclear deal with Iran. Like many Republicans in Congress, Mr. Netanyahu has been sharply critical of Mr. Bidens efforts to negotiate with Iran and may once again work in a de facto alliance with them. A Republican Senate could also further slow the confirmation of Mr. Bidens nominees to national security positions throughout the government. In particular, the administration is still waiting for the Senate to confirm more than three dozen ambassadorial nominees, as well as other picks for mid- and high-level State Department posts. They include ambassadors to Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. Senate Democrats hope to confirm many of them before the end of the year. If they cannot, the nominations expire and the candidates must be nominated again at the start of the next Congress. In the Broe family household, even the mail is divided. There are separate stacks of political mailers on their kitchen table in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale one for the pro-Trump Republican, one for the Libertarian, one for the two Bernie-style Democrats. They all live under the same red-tile roof, but with different worldviews, not all of them tethered to reality. Carolyn Broe, 65, is a Republican and a music teacher who believes a Democratic cabal stole the 2020 election and has been leading the country into collapse. She declares the president a treasonous hack running a disaster of an administration. Her husband is a Libertarian who considers Ronald Reagan the last admirable elected politician. He questions the integrity of the last election but thinks voters should move on. Their two adult children are to the left of the Democratic Party and are open to supporting socialism. They fear that Republicans are destroying democracy. Tensions were so high on the eve of the 2016 election that Ms. Broe temporarily moved into a hotel. Her daughter changes the channel from Fox News before leaving the house and Ms. Broe changes it back. She received a text meant for her son, offering him $250 a week to help turn out progressive voters, and she wrote back: I am worried this money is coming from Zuckerberg! He is courting communist China! Her children Jasmine, 26, and JeanRene, 35 wince when she speaks her views. Her husband Steve Broe, 67, a practicing Buddhist who teaches management and leadership calls their political differences significant, but not tragic. The only thing they seem to agree on is that talk of politics has become what they describe as triggering, and the only solution on many days is to avoid talking about it at all. Audrey Vera, 33, Oakland, Calif. I finally told them my girlfriend was a cop I played bass in a death-rock band for almost five years. We would say that we were like family. I could go to a show and either know someone playing or know people there and feel welcomed. I am a nonbinary lesbian, and my band mates are also queer and trans, so having chosen family is huge. I started dating my partner in June 2020, around the time of the George Floyd murder. She works as a cop. I knew that was going to be contentious, so I kept her profession a secret. Throughout that year, they met my girlfriend and never had an issue with her. Around the time the Floyd cop had his trial, my band decided they wanted to write an ACAB [All Cops Are Bastards] song, and I finally told them my girlfriend was a cop. They didnt talk to me for a week and then called to say I wasnt a fit for the band. I find it all very disheartening, but mostly so because she became a cop to have an influence on changing the police work force culture and create a safer environment for women, queer and trans people. Before I met her, I never would have thought I would be romantically involved with a cop. But if I hadnt been open to unpacking my own snap judgments about people who become cops, then I wouldnt have won the lesbian lottery. It really just speaks to how much your life can get unlocked when your gut goes by what you experience of a person instead of social narratives youve been told. E.R. Wallerstein, 74, Prairie Village, Kan. I naively thought our friendship could outlast this I lost a good friend of nearly 40 years because he couldnt stop making every text, every email, every phone call about my being a hater for leaning liberal. He even sent me a birthday card with Trumps photo because he knew it would upset me. Finally, I gave him an ultimatum: I never once asked that you reform your political opinions, only that you stop sharing them with me. His response? I cant. Im having too much fun. We havent communicated since. He was always kind and considerate until Trump was elected. His responses to remarks by high-ranking Democrats quickly became dismissive, cruel and even crude. I naively thought our friendship could outlast this, but after years of responding with please stop, I realized that getting out of what had become an abusive relationship was my only option. Romano L. Mazzoli, the son of an Italian immigrant who as a Democratic representative from Kentucky teamed up with a conservative senator from Wyoming to champion the last major attempt at comprehensive immigration reform, died on Tuesday at his home in Louisville, Ky. He was 89. Charlie Mattingly, his former chief of staff, confirmed the death. Mr. Mazzoli was a five-term backbencher in the House of Representatives in 1980 when he took over as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law after his predecessor, Elizabeth Holtzman of New York, left the House for a Senate run that proved unsuccessful. He then reached across the Capitol and across the aisle to his counterpart in the Senate, Alan K. Simpson, about making fundamental changes to the creaking U.S. immigration system. More than three million undocumented immigrants lived in the country at the time, thanks in part to poor enforcement. Both politicians had personal motivations. Mr. Mazzolis father, also named Romano, had moved to Louisville from a small town in northern Italy. And Mr. Simpson, as a child, had seen the animus aimed at the children of nonwhite immigrants when he befriended a Japanese American boy and a future congressional colleague named Norman Y. Mineta, who had been sent to a Wyoming internment camp during World War II. Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma wrote on Twitter that the state had sent search-and-rescue teams and generators to the county. He said storms had also hit Bryan, Choctaw and Le Flore Counties. Carly Atchison, a spokeswoman for Mr. Stitt, said in an email that the governor was assessing the damage on Saturday in Idabel, the McCurtain County seat, which has a population of about 7,000 people. Over 100 homes and businesses have been damaged, Ms. Atchison said. The governor will issue an executive order today to declare a state of emergency in the affected counties to ensure those communities have the resources and support they need from the state. On Friday evening, Don Myer was at home, a few miles away from Trinity Baptist Church of Idabel, the congregation he has led for the past four years, when he began receiving calls from residents that the church had been hit. He drove there a little before 9 p.m., only to realize, he said, Oh, thats not hit; thats demolished. The churchs roof and walls were largely gone, the structure reduced to rubble. Only its multipurpose gym building remained, Mr. Myer said. No one had been in the church when the tornado tore through town, though at least one family in the congregation lost its home, he said. The tornado just ran a path all the way from the southwest part of town through the northeast where were at, he said. Theres been a lot of damage. BRASILIA The run-ups to the most recent presidential elections in the Western Hemispheres two largest democracies were remarkably similar. Down in the polls, the right-wing president claimed, without evidence, that the election could be rigged. He suggested that he might not accept a loss. And millions of his followers vowed to take to the streets at his command. But the outcomes, at least so far, have been drastically different. In Brazil, when the tallies showed that the incumbent had been voted out after just one term, the government responded jointly, swiftly and decisively. The Senate President, the Attorney General, Supreme Court justices and the heads of the electoral agency went on television together and announced the winner. The House Speaker, perhaps the presidents most important ally, then read a statement reiterating that the voters had spoken. Other right-wing politicians quickly followed suit. President Jair Bolsonaro, politically isolated, stayed silent for two days. Then, under pressure from his top advisers, he agreed to transfer power. SEOUL North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles off its west coast on Saturday morning, and hours later two American B-1B supersonic strategic bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula in the first deployment of its kind since 2017. North Korea has launched as many as 85 missiles this year, more than in any previous year, including 23 fired on Wednesday alone. It not only tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile under development, but also fired a flurry of short-range missiles to counter the United States and South Korea as the allies stepped up joint military drills. One such drill, code-named Vigilant Storm, which involved about 240 warplanes from both allies, ended on Saturday after a six-day run. The drill was scheduled to end on Friday, but was extended a day after North Korea launched an ICBM on Thursday. The four short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday flew 81 miles, according to the South Korean military. SEOUL Seo Hyuk-jun, 36, knelt before the white chrysanthemums as he placed a lit cigarette, incense and a paper cup filled with Jack Daniels on the ground. He stood, knelt and bowed twice, performing a traditional Korean ritual for the dead. Day after day, such tributes arrived at the makeshift memorial in Itaewon, one of Seouls most popular districts. Young South Koreans used to go there for its diversity and vibrant nightlife. They called it Itaewon freedom. Now, the neighborhood has become a sobering monument of grief and soul-searching after more than 150 young people were killed during a crowd crush while celebrating Halloween last Saturday. Bars that were throbbing with K-pop music just a week ago are now silent, their doors covered with condolence messages and a notice from the local government asking people to refrain from loud music and dancing. A Republican super PAC that's closely aligned with GOP candidate Brandon Williams in the 22nd Congressional District race has escalated attacks on Democratic candidate Francis Conole, calling him "racist" and falsely claiming that his grandfather, a former Onondaga County sheriff, ordered the shooting of protesters during riots in Syracuse 55 years ago. DOME PAC paid for the text message that was sent to 22nd district voters after the NewsChannel 9 debate on Thursday. In the text message provided to The Citizen, the PAC claims Conole "distracted voters from seeing how PROUD he is of his racist grandfather who gunned down peaceful Civil Rights protectors fighting for the right side of history." There is no source listed for the claim, but the text messages includes a photo of Onondaga County sheriff's deputies responding to rioting that occurred in August 1967. The photo is from the Syracuse Post-Standard's archives and was featured in a 2020 story about the riots. According to the newspaper's report, the rioting began after police officers were accused of beating a 20-year-old Black man. There were riots over a three-day period, from Aug. 16-18, 1967. Conole's grandfather, Patrick Corbett, was the Onondaga County sheriff at the time. Sheriff's deputies were deployed to assist with the response to rioting in Syracuse. But there is no record of any shootings that involved police officers targeting protesters. The basis for the claim that Conole is racist appears to be the Syracuse Democrat's support for his late grandfather, who served as Onondaga County sheriff from 1964 to 1978. He died in 1987. Nicole Tardif, a spokesperson for DOME PAC, did not respond to questions from The Citizen about the text message. In a statement, she said Conole "is on the wrong side of history and unfit to serve central New York in Congress." Graham Nolen, Conole's campaign manager, blasted Williams and accused the campaign and PAC of violating federal election law. "It's disappointing that Brandon Williams is so desperate he has resorted to attacking our police with distortions and outright lies," he said. "And it's concerning that this false, smear campaign is likely against the law with clear indications of illegal coordination between the Williams campaign and a super PAC financed by Williams' brother. "We are calling on Brandon Williams to do the right thing stop this desperate smear campaign that disrespects local law enforcement and come clean about any illegal campaign activity." DOME PAC was created on Sept. 6, according to Federal Election Commission records. As a super PAC, it cannot legally coordinate spending with the Williams' campaign. Tardif is the senior vice president of Winning Republican Strategies, a Virginia-based political consulting firm. FEC records show that the firm has been paid $128,709 by Williams' campaign for "campaign and communication strategies" and "mail, texting and digital advertising." Aaron Evans, the president of Winning Republican Strategies, is Williams' campaign spokesperson. He told The Citizen that his firm "always follows the highest standards to exceed all FEC requirements for internal and external firewalls in any race of project we're involved in." He added that "neither the Williams campaign nor (Winning Republican Strategies) team members working with the campaign have had any coordination with any independent PACs or groups." Erin Chlopak, senior director of campaign finance at the Campaign Legal Center, explained that super PACs are supposed to be independent of campaigns and candidates. But, she added, campaigns and committees flout those rules and get away with it. While there are FEC regulations regarding coordinated communications, Chlopak said the current rules "are not designed to account for this sort of new world of super PAC spending." "Certainly the fact that a person or entity is involved in the strategic decision-making of both a campaign and a super PAC would suggest to me that there is concern about coordination there," Chlopak said. "But when the FEC looks at these things they often take an overly rigid and narrow approach to the circumstances, which sometimes leads to a failure to enforce the law." She acknowledged that firms, like Winning Republican Strategies, may have measures in place so that there is a separation between the employees working for certain clients. DOME PAC's most recent campaign finance filings show that, until now, it has not been active in the 22nd district race. It has received one donation $25,000 from Bryce Williams, Brandon Williams' brother and the PAC's lone expenditure is $1,000 for a credit card merchant fee. The text message campaign is the latest development in what's become a heated race for Congress. The candidates engaged in two fiery debates and both have been upset by attack ads that aired in the Syracuse and Utica markets. The 22nd district is one of the most competitive House races in the country. More than $14 million has been spent by the candidates and outside groups. A new Spectrum News/Siena College poll released on Friday shows Conole leads by four points, 46 to 42%, over Williams. Williams had a five-point lead in the same poll one month ago. Nova Scotia and British Columbia are not alone. The recently re-elected Coalition Avenir Quebec government dropped its promise to ensure that everyone has a family doctor. More than 800,000 Quebecers are without one. In Ontario, the provincial advocacy group for family physicians estimates that 1.8 million residents do not have a family doctor and another 1.7 million people are under the care of physicians older than 65 who are nearing retirement. The desperation to secure a physician pushed Janet Mort in British Columbia to drastic measures. She took out an ad in a local newspaper in search of a physician to fill her 82-year-old husbands prescriptions after his physician retired, as reported by Global News. Her strategy was successful. For others, the process to find a family doctor has meant working the phones to call individual clinics or to join growing provincial wait lists. Those who turn to the services of walk-in family doctors find longer wait room times and no continuity of care. And some people add to the congestion in overburdened hospital emergency departments. While British Columbias new plan would increase the income of family physicians, its not a simple raise. Rather than just increase payments, the province is completely changing how family doctors bill the government. Under the current fee-for-service model, physicians in British Columbia and most provinces are paid about 30 to 40 Canadian dollars each time they see a patient, regardless of how much time they spend or how complex the patients medical issues. The system was first set up to end a strike by doctors in 1962 after Saskatchewan became the first province to introduce public health care. But critics say it encourages medical students to seek out other specialties where the governments fees better reflect the time and skill needed for treatments and that bring higher earnings generally. KYIV, Ukraine As they struggle to maintain an electricity grid heavily damaged by Russian missiles, officials in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, say they have begun planning for a once unthinkable possibility: a complete blackout that would require the evacuation of the citys approximately three million remaining residents. The situation is already so dire, with 40 percent of Ukraines energy infrastructure damaged or destroyed, that municipal workers are setting up 1,000 heating shelters that can double as bunkers while engineers try to fix bombed-out power stations without the needed equipment. To try to keep the grid from failing altogether, Ukraines national energy utility said on Saturday that it would continue to impose rolling blackouts in seven regions. The tremendous strain on Ukraines ability to provide power is the result of the widespread bombardment by Russian forces of critical energy infrastructure across the country, a tactic that analysts say President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has resorted to as his troops have suffered repeated setbacks on the battlefield. LONDON In a small church hall this spring in East London, some two dozen people who had fled the war in Ukraine drank tea and shared lunch as they tried to meet members of their new community. Among them were two young men, Abdul Safwa and Muhsen Hamed, who smiled and chatted away with the group in Russian and snippets of Ukrainian as they shared their harrowing experiences. But unlike the others gathered for the lunch, this was the second time the men had been displaced: first from their home country, Syria, and then from Ukraine, where they had spent the past decade living in limbo. I still dont know if I can stay here or not, said Mr. Safwa, detailing how they had both applied for asylum in Britain. How will they act with us? Will they treat us like Ukrainians or Syrians? LOD, Israel The sectarian unrest between Arabs and Jews that swept across Israeli cities in May 2021 helped end Benjamin Netanyahus last term in office. Seventeen months later, fallout from that same unrest has helped put him back in power at the head of one of the most right-wing coalitions Israel has ever known. Last years riots, in places like Lod, a central city with a mixed Arab and Jewish population, helped nudge Naftali Bennett a onetime ally of Mr. Netanyahu toward breaking ranks. Mr. Bennett promised to try to heal Israels sectarian divides, and he formed a rival coalition with centrist, leftist and Arab lawmakers that ousted Mr. Netanyahu from office last June. Right-wing Jewish voters this past week punished Mr. Bennetts party for that decision, which they grew to see as a betrayal of Israels Jewish identity. His party suffered a wipeout in the general election on Monday, while support for a more extreme alliance doubled. And it is that far-right alliance, Religious Zionism, that has given back to Mr. Netanyahu his parliamentary majority. Nobody who voted for Bennett looked at what happened over the last year and thought, Lets do that again, said Noam Dreyfuss, a community organizer in Lod who voted for Mr. Bennett in 2021. How Putin and Friends Stalled Climate Progress A handful of powerful world leaders rallied around Russia and undercut global cooperation. Vladimir V. Putin has long used Russias oil and gas as instruments of power at home and abroad. With the invasion of Ukraine in February, he has made them a weapon of war. But he has not acted alone. He has been abetted by powerful world leaders who share his nationalist or authoritarian leanings and who, together, have swept in to buy his coal, oil and gas and enabled him to finance his war. While their motivations for backing Mr. Putin vary widely driven largely by pressures they face at home collectively they have bedeviled global climate cooperation at a time when the warming planet is wreaking havoc on Earths eight billion people. The war on Ukraine will cast a dark shadow over the global climate summit starting this week in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Those talks are predicated on a willingness among nations to work together to slow climate change. The resurgence of nationalism far and wide of which Mr. Putins invasion of a neighbor represents an apex clashes with that ideal. The war in Ukraine is putting climate action on the back burner while our planet itself is burning, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, said recently. Sayed Sheasha/Reuters Mr. Putins supporters hail from some of the most powerful and polluting nations. Xi Jinping of China and Indias Narendra Modi stepped up after the attack on Ukraine to buy immense volumes of Russian coal and oil at bargain prices, cushioning their own economies from a global energy crisis while allowing Mr. Putin to keep profiting from energy exports, despite Western sanctions. Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, who has denuded swaths of the Amazon rainforest for gold and beef, flew to the Kremlin just days before the invasion and, sitting side by side with Mr. Putin, offered solidarity to Russia. Afterward he announced Russia would send new supplies of desperately needed fertilizer and diesel. Even Saudi Arabia the worlds biggest oil exporter bought more Russian fuel oil this year, taking advantage of exceptionally low prices. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, also joined Mr. Putin in cutting production by the oil producers cartel, OPEC Plus, hiking up global oil prices and replenishing Mr. Putins coffers. Myanmars junta chief, General Min Aung Hliang, met with Mr. Putin nine months into the war and scored an oil deal. Setting the stage for the unraveling of global climate cooperation was one of Mr. Putins greatest admirers: former President Donald J. Trump. He pulled the United States, historys largest polluter, out of the 2015 Paris climate accord, the agreement among nations to work together to slow climate change a global moment of unity led by the United States and China. Since then, however, China-U.S. ties have crumbled. Tensions are so high with the United States, over everything from trade to Taiwan, that the two countries the largest emitters of greenhouse gases are now barely on speaking terms. Mr. Putin has gained from this as the increasingly autocratic Mr. Xi finds common cause with the Kremlin. China has also softened its stance on global climate engagement as Mr. Xi is under pressure to shore up economic growth and ensure energy security. We are entering into a tougher time period with respect to our climate agenda, said Li Shuo, the Beijing-based head of Greenpeace East Asia. The world has made considerable progress in the past decade to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and by no means are authoritarian leaders alone to blame for the worlds failure to slow warming further. In the aftermath of Russias war on Ukraine, even many liberal democracies have backtracked on efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in order to avert politically destabilizing energy crises at home. The forces of failure are many. The rise of authoritarian and nationalist leaders, though, has complicated matters. Nationalist authoritarian leaders undoubtedly pose a threat to tackling global problems because they may be willing to flout a system that rests on each country doing its fair share, said Kelly Sims Gallagher, a professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a former U.S. climate diplomat. But, she pointed out, the degree to which each of them addresses climate change or undermines it rests on how it serves them. Much depends on whether authoritarian leaders perceive climate action to be in their self-interest. Though their actions help Mr. Putin, their track records on climate are mixed. As the president of Russia, Mr. Putin heads a petrostate and has never welcomed a pivot away from fossil fuels. Mr. Trump and Mr. Bolsonaro eschewed international cooperation. And while Mr. Xi and Mr. Modi have both promoted renewable energy, their cooperation with Mr. Putin and their expansion of coal in the name of energy security has kept their emissions growing. As for Mr. Putin, his invasion of Ukraine could ultimately unravel his grand strategy. It could encourage countries to get off oil and gas more quickly. The International Energy Agency last week forecast that gas demand would peak by the end of this decade, following coal and oil. Mr. Putin has denied that he leverages his energy resources for geopolitical power and accused the energy-guzzling West of hypocrisy. He blames instead what he called the aggressive promotion of the green agenda for an underinvestment in oil and gas. Other countries are constantly trying to blame others for their own mistakes, in this case, Russia, he said. The Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., didn't respond to a request for comment. Igor Sechin, a close confidant of Mr. Putin and head of the Russian state oil giant, Rosneft, told an energy conference that a new drilling project in the Arctic would bring relief to rising global energy prices. It is the only project in the world that can bring a stabilizing effect on the oil market, Mr. Sechin said. He went on to compare it with Noahs Ark. Oil would save the world. Oil and empire On the first day of the new millennium, Mr. Putin, a former intelligence officer with the K.G.B., took over Russia and set upon a path of restoring the grandeur of the Soviet empire, built upon the riches of Russias oil and gas. He swiftly imposed control over the countrys energy companies and put his trusted allies in charge of them. In October 2003 he ordered the arrest of the countrys richest man, the oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky, broke up his company, Yukos, and turned over most of its assets to state-owned Rosneft. By 2007, Mr. Putin had struck a deal to build a pipeline sending natural gas to Germany. A few years later, he traveled to Vyborg, the town where the pipeline began, to press the button to start the gas flowing. With that simple gesture, he gained a powerful economic lever over the daily lives of Europeans, and the politicians they elect. Within a decade, 40 percent of the gas that Europeans used to heat their homes and make electricity came from Russia. When Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine, Europe scrambled to get off Russian energy which only encouraged new gas projects in other parts of the world. And Mr. Putin derided pledges by governments on the continent to reduce or end their dependence on Russian energy. There is no rational replacement in Europe now, he said. Chapter photo credit: Associated Press A pipeline to China What are friends for if not to lift each other in times of difficulty? Such has been the deft calculus of Mr. Putins friendship with Mr. Xi. The first glimpse of this came in 2014, less than two years after Mr. Xi rose to power atop the Communist Party of China. That same year and in violation of international law Mr. Putin reclaimed Crimea, a part of Ukraine, as Russian territory. Soon, Russian energy companies faced sanctions intended to slash the countrys revenues. Enter Mr. Xi. He played host to the Russian leader in Shanghai. They announced a 30-year, $400 billion deal to build a 1,864-mile gas pipeline from the Russian Arctic to China. For Mr. Putin, it widened access to the worlds biggest energy consumer. For Mr. Xi, it meant reducing his countrys dependency on coal, which was poisoning the countrys air and stirring public discontent. Mr. Xi pursued this relationship even as he met with President Barack Obama, announcing later that same year a landmark climate cooperation deal that laid the groundwork for the Paris accord. He also set China on a course to develop more wind and solar power than any country in the world. He secured the worlds cobalt and lithium supplies key minerals for the renewable energy economy. He turned China into the leading exporter of everything from solar photovoltaic cells to electric buses. His call for an ecological civilization became enshrined by Chinese officials as part of Xi Jinping Thought. Solar panels in Shanxi Province, China. Sam Mcneil/Associated Press He sees climate as an area for staking Chinas global leadership, said Cecilia Han Springer, who tracks Chinas energy and climate policy at Boston University. China's Foreign Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Putin. And yet, the two men have carefully cultivated a relationship of mutual need. They have met nearly 40 times, sometimes celebrating birthdays together. In 2018, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Mr. Xi draped a golden medal around Mr. Putins neck, Chinas first ever friendship medal. Mr. Xi called Mr. Putin his best friend. He was returning the favor from a year earlier, when Mr. Putin hosted Mr. Xi at the Grand Kremlin Palace and awarded him one of Russias highest medals for foreign dignitaries. Their personal and political trajectories are similar. Both have consolidated power at home. Both harbor a deep seated distrust of the West. Today Mr. Xis green economy goals face significant challenges, many of his own making. Mr. Xis zero Covid policy battered the economy. Last fall, a coal shortage prompted widespread electricity blackouts. Few things sow doubts about the strength of a leader like power cuts. And so, economic growth and energy security took priority over greening the Chinese economy. Over the past year, China, which accounts for little more than half the worlds coal consumption, has doubled down on coal, building three times more electricity-generating coal capacity in 2021 33 gigawatts than the rest of the world combined. Coal emissions have risen significantly. The deepening strains between the United States and China now pose grave risks to the worlds ability to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. That widening fault line only helps Mr. Putin. To the extent that a Russia-China partnership is designed to cut out the United States, it is bad for climate action, said David Sandalow, a former White House aide who wrote a book on Chinas climate policies. Chapter photo credit: Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Pool via Reuters Buy low, sell high Mr. Putins bet on Asia is impossible without India. Its energy demand is projected to grow faster than any other country over the next 20 years. Mr. Modi has played that role to his advantage. India needs energy at low prices. India is also home to some very big refineries. The war in Ukraine has given India new opportunities. Mr. Modi has what he calls a special chemistry with Mr. Putin. He sees him as trustworthy, he said, and shares with him an affinity for wildlife and physical fitness. I know that physically he is a very well-built person, he leads an active lifestyle, keeps himself in shape. I love it, Mr. Modi said in an interview with Tass, the Russian news agency. He is also interested in the environment, wildlife, the underwater world, especially in the conservation of tigers, and so on. Im the same by nature. Mr. Modi can be a figure of contradictions. A charismatic pro-business, Hindu-nationalist politician, he won landslide elections in 2014 and 2019. His critics note that at home, his government has cracked down on dissent, consolidated his power and made religious minorities second-class citizens. In 2021, the government charged a young climate activist, Disha Ravi, with sedition. Mr. Modi's government did not respond to a comment. In the past, the government has responded to criticism by saying the country is a vibrant democracy where laws are applied equally to all citizens. On the world stage Mr. Modi has cast himself as a climate statesman. He has put India on a path to meet an ambitious target to have half of its electricity come from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. He created regulations requiring utilities to get a significant chunk of their electricity from renewables. At the same time, his administration has approved coal mines, including in an ecologically sensitive old-growth forest. A government agency projects that India might need 28 gigawatts of coal power capacity over the next decade. And under Mr. Modis tenure as prime minister, a coal baron with whom he has long had close ties, Gautam Adani, has become Asias richest man. Mr. Modis special chemistry with Mr. Putin has delivered a boon to both countries. The Jamnagar Refinery, owned by Reliance Industries Limited, in Gujarat. Reliance Industries Limited in Jamnagar, via Associated Press Indian refineries are bringing in vastly higher volumes of low-cost Russian crude oil than before, and turning it into diesel, which now sells at high prices, thanks to the war. Imports of Russian crude went from an anemic 30,000 barrels last year to 1 million barrels a day in April, and are now hovering around 800,000 barrels a day, according to figures from Kpler, a commodities analyst. At the moment, much of it appears to be sold inside India. But analysts expect exports to grow as European sanctions against the import of Russian oil toughen in December and diesel demand is set to soar. Its pure refinery economics, said Homayoun Falakshahi, an analyst at Kpler. Once refined into diesel, its no longer considered Russian oil. On paper it would be Indian diesel, he said. In addition, Indias import of Russian coal are set to double this year, compared with 2021, according to Kpler. Indias oil ministry didnt respond to a request for comment. Mr. Modis oil minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, has said India faces no moral conflict in buying Russian oil. Modis government doesnt feel the pressure. We are the fifth largest economy in the world, he said in a recent CNN interview. India will respond according to its supreme national interest. Chapter photo credit: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Legacy of damage On the other side of the planet, in Brazil, voters in 2018 elected a right-wing nationalist, Jair Bolsonaro, as president. He dismissed the need to address climate change. He set out to convert much of the Amazon into farmland to elevate Brazil as an agricultural powerhouse. One of the first things Mr. Bolsonaro did when he took office in 2019 was to dismantle the $1.2 billion Amazon Fund, backed by Norway and Germany to fight environmental crime. He gutted environmental protection agencies and stripped their budgets, making it all but impossible to collect fines for illegal deforestation. Mr. Bolsonaros office didnt reply to a request for comment. In the past he has frequently denied his policies have been harmful to the Amazon. On Feb. 14 this year, as Russia amassed troops on the Ukraine border, Mr. Bolsonaro traveled to Moscow for the first time. At a news conference with Mr. Putin, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his dear friend, saying that Mr. Putin had offered him support when other world leaders were criticizing his Amazon policy. I want to thank your intervention, which was always on our side, in defense of our sovereignty. Mr. Putin, in turn, called Brazil his most important partner in Latin America. Deforestation of the Amazon for cattle farming in Brazil. Andre Penner/Associated Press And he gave Mr. Bolsonaro what he badly needed, a promise of unlimited supplies of Russian-made fertilizer at low prices, at a time when global fertilizer prices were soaring, punishing Brazils farmers. Russian fertilizer imports, which were falling sharply, grew by over 20 percent over the next five months compared with the year-earlier period. In addition, for the first time since 2018, Brazil began importing Russian diesel. It wasnt enough to save Mr. Bolsonaros political future. He lost the election last week. But he leaves a legacy of damage that could take decades to repair, if at all. Chief among them: In his first three years as president alone, Brazil recorded more than 13,000 square miles of deforestation in the Amazon. As with Mr. Bolsonaro, Donald Trumps actions will far outlast his presidency. Consider one of his earliest decisions, to pull the United States out of the Paris agreement an agreement his predecessor had just negotiated. It played directly into Putins vision of the future. When the nations of the world agreed in Paris to work together to fight climate change back in 2015, Mr. Putin didnt object to the pact. Mr. Trump appointed Texas oil executive, Rex Tillerson, formerly of Exxon, as secretary of state. Nicholas Kamm/Agence France-Presse Getty Images But he didnt need to because the very next year, the newly elected Mr. Trump took a wrecking ball to it when he not only pulled out of the Paris accord but also commenced a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations. Mr. Trumps actions continue to shape the world. His rollbacks are projected to add at least 1.8 billion tons of extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by 2035 and lead to thousands of extra deaths annually from poor air quality. On Friday a spokesman for Mr. Trump, Taylor Budowich, said: Climate radicals are not just attempting to destroy American energy, but the very pursuit of the American Dream. President Trump led Americas energy renaissance that ensured safe and reliable energy production, and low prices for every American. Chapter photo credit: Pavel Golovkin/EPA, via Shutterstock War to shape the future Earlier this year, on the fourth of February, Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin met at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. They signed a $117 billion oil deal. Twenty days later, Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine. In October, Mr. Xi secured a third term as president. His grip on power became nearly absolute. And in his remarks at the historic moment, he made clear that he wouldnt be rushed on getting rid of coal. We will advance initiatives to reach peak carbon emissions in a well-planned and phased way in line with the principle of building the new before discarding the old, he said. Mr. Putins fossil fuel riches have been hard for the world to discard. The value of his exports have grown since the war. Chinas oil imports from Russia have doubled, Turkeys more than tripled, and Indias quintupled. Last month, speaking at an energy forum in Moscow, he said that while it was fine to explore renewable energy sources, ditching oil and gas anytime soon would be a fools errand. Jumping the gun for political reasons, especially populist domestic policies come on, who does that? Mr. Putin said. Chapter photo credit: Sputnik/Reuters WASHINGTON Within hours of the brutal attack last month on Paul Pelosi, the husband of the speaker of the House, activists and media outlets on the right began circulating groundless claims nearly all of them sinister, and many homophobic casting doubt on what had happened. Some Republican officials quickly joined in, rushing to suggest that the bludgeoning of an octogenarian by a suspect obsessed with right-wing conspiracy theories was something else altogether, dismissing it as an inside job, a lovers quarrel or worse. The misinformation came from all levels of Republican politics. A U.S. senator circulated the view that none of us will ever know what really happened at the Pelosis San Francisco home. A senior Republican congressman referred to the attacker as a nudist hippie male prostitute, baselessly asserting that the suspect had a personal relationship with Mr. Pelosi. Former President Donald J. Trump questioned whether the attack might have been staged. The worlds richest man helped amplify the stories. But none of it was true. Here are 21 of the elected officials, candidates and other prominent figures who spread misinformation or cast doubt on the attack. In tweets, podcasts and TV appearances, these figures questioned whether the public was being told the full story of what happened and in some cases spread theories that were unfounded. Elected officials and candidates Senator Ted Cruz Republican of Texas Amplified doubts that all facts were being disclosed. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene Republican of Georgia Suggested Mr. Pelosi knew his attacker. Representative Clay Higgins Republican of Louisiana Suggested the attack involved male prostitution. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson Republican of North Carolina Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Mary Williams Benefield Republican statehouse candidate of Georgia Suggested the attack might have been staged. State Senator Wendy Rogers Republican of Arizona Suggested the attack might have been staged. State Representative Anthony Sabatini Republican of Florida Suggested that the Pelosis are hiding vital information. Representative Claudia Tenney Republican of New York Amplified a conspiracy theory about an extramarital gay affair. Prominent figures Glenn Beck Conservative commentator Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Tucker Carlson Fox News host Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Dinesh DSouza Conservative commentator Claimed the attack involved an extramarital gay affair. Ryan Fournier Founder, Students for Trump Claimed details about the attacker were fabricated. Sebastian Gorka Former Trump adviser and podcast host Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Pete Hegseth Fox News host Raised doubts that all facts were being disclosed. Megyn Kelly Talk show host Raised doubts that all facts were being disclosed. Elon Musk Chief executive of Twitter and Tesla Amplified a conspiracy theory about male prostitution. Devin Nunes Former representative of California Repeated a false report that the attacker was in his underwear. Michael Savage Talk show host Raised doubts that all facts were being disclosed. Roger Stone Trump associate Suggested the attack was staged. Donald J. Trump Former president Suggested the attack was staged. Royce White House candidate of Minnesota Claimed the attack involved an extramarital gay affair. The flood of falsehoods showed how ingrained misinformation has become inside the G.O.P., where the reflexive response of the rank and file and even a few prominent figures to anything that might cast a negative light on the right is to deflect with more fictional claims, creating a vicious cycle that muddies facts, shifts blame and minimizes violence. It happened after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which was inspired by Mr. Trumps lie of a stolen election, and in turn gave rise to more falsehoods, as Republicans and their right-wing allies tried to play down, deny or invent a different story for what happened, including groundlessly blaming the F.B.I. and antifa. Mr. Pelosis attacker is said to have believed some of those tales. This is the dynamic as it plays out, said Brian Hughes, a professor at American University who studies radicalism and extremism. The conspiracy theory prompts an act of violence; that act of violence needs to be disavowed, and it can only be disavowed by more conspiracy theories, which prompts more violence. The Justice Department moved swiftly to bring criminal charges against the suspect in the attack, David DePape, 42, who prosecutors said broke into the Pelosi home intending to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and shatter her kneecaps, and assaulted her husband with a hammer, leaving him with a cracked skull. The San Francisco district attorney said it was imperative for prosecutors to present the facts to the public, given the misinformation circulating widely about the case. But by then, it was far too late. In a pattern that has become commonplace, a parade of Republicans helped along by right-wing media personalities including the Fox New host Tucker Carlson, and prominent people including the newly installed Twitter owner Elon Musk, the worlds wealthiest man had already abetted the viral spread of lies about the attack, distorting the account of what happened before facts could get in the way. Finding life on far-right websites and the so-called dark web, conspiracy theories and falsehoods leaped from the fringes to the mainstream. Fringe Websites and Mainstream Figures Thousands of posts containing conspiracy theories about the attack were shared on message boards, social media and in comments sections of popular far-right sites, according to data from Pyrra, a company that tracks fringe social media. As the chatter picked up, several elected officials and mainstream right-wing influencers also shared their doubts about the attack. Comments from fringe websites mentioning ... Prostitute or similar terms Other sex-related conspiracy theories Doubts about the official account 12:23 p.m. A Fox affiliate in San Francisco reports that the attacker was found in his underwear. The error was later corrected. Each comment Friday, Oct. 28 6 p.m. A conspiracy theory circulates widely that the attack was the result of a sexual affair. 9 p.m. saturday 3 a.m. 6 a.m. 9 a.m. noon 3 p.m. 6 p.m. 9 p.m. sunday 3 a.m. 8:15 a.m. Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, tweets a link to a conspiracy website that baselessly claims that Mr. Pelosi was attacked by a male prostitute. 9 a.m. Comments mentioning prostitute and similar terms flood sites, reigniting interest in the false theory. noon 5:06 p.m. On The Big Sunday Show, a Fox News program, hosts raise doubts about the official account. 6 p.m. 9 p.m. monday 3 a.m. 10:04 a.m. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, repeats the conspiracy theory circulated by Mr. Musk and calls the media the source of misinformation. 7:06 p.m. Jesse Watters, the Fox News host, raises doubts about the official account of the attack, saying that glass appears to be broken from inside the house. 9 p.m. tuesday, nov. 1 3 a.m. 6 a.m. 9 a.m. noon 8:43 p.m. Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host, repeats the conspiracy theory shared by Mr. Musk, joking that a prominent liberal influencer would claim that Paul Pelosi couldn't be gay, not that it is a bad thing. 9 p.m. wednesday 3 a.m. 6 a.m. 9 a.m. noon 3 p.m. Comments from fringe websites mentioning ... Prostitute or similar terms Other sex-related conspiracy theories Doubts about the official account Each comment 12:23 p.m. A Fox affiliate in San Francisco reports that the attacker was found in his underwear. The error was corrected a few hours later. saturday, oct. 29 at 9 p.m. A conspiracy theory circulates widely that the attack was the result of a sexual affair. 6 a.m. 9 a.m. 12 noon 3 p.m. 6 p.m. 9 p.m. 8:15 AM Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, tweets a link to a conspiracy website that baselessly claims that Mr. Pelosi was attacked by a male prostitute. sunday, oct. 30 at noon 5:06 p.m. On The Big Sunday Show, a Fox News program, hosts raise doubts about the official account. 10:04 a.m. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia, repeats the conspiracy theory circulated by Mr. Musk and calls the media the source of misinformation. 7:06 p.m. Jesse Waters,the Fox News host, raises doubts about the official account of the attack, saying that glass appears to be broken from inside the house. tuesday, nov. 1 AT 6 A.M. 9 a.m. noon 8:43 p.m. Tucker Carlson, the Fox News host, repeats the conspiracy theory shared by Mr. Musk, joking that a prominent liberal influencer would claim that Paul Pelosi couldnt be gay, not that it is a bad thing. wednesday AT 9 A.M. noon 3 p.m. Note: Roughly 9,500 comments that mentioned Paul Pelosi were analyzed from 16 websites and a service that provides commenting technology for online platforms. Key terms, such as prostitute, were grouped into the categories shown. While many Republican leaders denounced the violence and some, including former Vice President Mike Pence, expressed sympathy for the Pelosis, none of them publicly condemned the falsehoods their colleagues were elevating or did anything to push back on the false narrative. That left others to fill the void. Just produce the police body cam, why is that so hard? Mr. Carlson demanded on his show on Wednesday night. Addressing those criticizing the conspiracy theorizing, he added: Were not the crazy people; youre the liars. Theres nothing wrong with asking questions, period. The disinformation surrounding the attack on Mr. Pelosi presented many of the standard elements of alt-right conspiracy theories, which relish a culture of do your own research, casting skepticism on official accounts, and tend to focus on lurid sexual activities or issues related to children, often driven by a fear of society becoming immoral. Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation expert, said no amount of evidence be it police body camera footage or anything else could get in the way of such falsehoods in the eyes of those who do not want to believe facts. It doesnt matter when there are documents or sworn testimony claiming something is, in fact, not the case, Ms. Jankowicz said. There will be an elaborate reframing effort. If the footage was released, people would claim it was fabricated. Theres no bottom. Many of the Republicans who amplified the fiction couched their comments as jokes, effectively pre-empting any criticism by suggesting they might not be serious. Hours after the attack, Donald Trump Jr., the former presidents son, shared online a viral image of a costume that included an oversized pair of mens briefs and a hammer, remarking the internet remains undefeated. A spokesman for Mr. Trump said he simply posted a joke meme and has always rejected political violence in all forms. Representative Claudia Tenney, Republican of New York, circulated a photograph on Twitter that showed a group of young, white men holding oversized hammers beside a gay Pride flag, commenting simply: LOL. Ms. Tenney did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear whether the elected officials and media personalities who have trafficked in falsehoods believe the conspiracy theories they are elevating, or simply want to be rewarded by their right-wing base. According to public polling, as many as 70 percent of Republicans still believe that Mr. Trump was the true winner of the 2020 election. Mary Williams Benefield, a Republican running for a seat in Georgias statehouse, said she had responded online to a tweet suggesting the attack was staged because the official narrative is unwilling to present all the facts. Maybe their daughter has a film crew shooting a documentary on this too, wrote the mother of three and former music teacher at a church school, making a reference to newly surfaced footage from a documentary Ms. Pelosis daughter Alexandra was filming that showed the speaker in a secure location during the Jan. 6 riot. In an interview, Ms. Benefield brought up a report that the police have debunked, which wrongly asserted that the intruder was dressed only in his underwear. The Fox News affiliate that originally reported the detail issued a correction saying the article had previously misstated what clothing the suspect was wearing. That did nothing to change Ms. Benefields mind. Theres a lot of questions that need to be asked before theres any legitimacy, she said. According to federal charging documents, Mr. DePape was enthralled by the conspiracy theories that have portrayed Ms. Pelosi as an enemy of the country. His online activities show him ranting about the 2020 election being stolen, seeming to deny the gassing of Jews at Auschwitz and claiming that schoolteachers were grooming children to be transgender. His attorney has said he planned to argue that Mr. DePape was so influenced by disinformation that it should be considered a mitigating circumstance. Two young men caught in the eye of a storm as a result of a feud between families were handed down suspended sentences at Longford Circuit Court. Daniel Lawrence (31), 13 Ardagh Lodge, Prospect Woods, Longford, and David Lawrence (26), 13 The Quays, Market Square, Longford pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder during an incident in which they produced a hammer and hatchet respectively. Co-defendants Joe Lawrence, 38 Lana Aoibheann, Longford, and Patrick Lawrence, 39 Great Water Street, Longford, are both serving prison terms having been convicted of a violent hit and run on April 30, 2019, which left Kevin Stokes Snr confined to a wheelchair. State witness Detective Sergeant Keelan Brennan outlined details of the vehicular attack on members of the Stokes family. Sgt Brennan explained that at 4.15pm Kevin Stokes Snr, Kevin Stokes Jnr, Chantelle, Dylan and Margaret Stokes, and Jane Ward were walking across the Annaly car park following an appearance at Longford Court. The investigating officer said witnesses saw David Lawrence get out of a car and run at Dylan Stokes. The defendant was dressed in black and had a hammer in his hand. He directed a blow at Dylan but did not connect. David Lawrence got out of another vehicle with a small black and white hatchet and ran at Chantelle Stokes. The witnesses heard one of the car occupants shout: You give it to her, because she gave it to you, and although David Lawrence swung the weapon he did not make contact. After the failed weapons attacks the drivers turned the cars on the group. A VW Passat and a red Chevrolet, driven by Joe and Patrick Lawrence, were driven at high speed into the Stokes family. The cars hit both Kevin Stokes Snr and Kevin Stokes Jnr, with the father being hit more than once. Sgt Brennan read from the Victim Impact Statements (VIS) made by the Stokes family. Wife of Kevin Stokes, Margaret Stokes, described the real life horror film that left her feeling helpless as she witnessed the cars hit her husband and son. I never thought something like this would happen to my family. I could not do anything to prevent it, she wrote. She described watching her husband and child get run over, and the blood gushing from her husband as he lay on the ground after the attack. She said when she was told her husband may not make it her first thought was what am I going to tell my children? Ms Stokes said: The simple things that he used to do to help out with the children are no longer possible, now he has to be helped. Kevin Stokes Snr, in his victim impact statement, spoke of his life in a wheelchair after the attack. Mr Stokes said the profound injuries he sustained have caused depression. He said plans he made with his wife to take holidays when the children were grown up are no longer possible. Referring to the attack, Mr Stokes said: No parent should have to choose whether they should get hit or I should. I had to make that choice. I begged God to leave my life and save my children. I will never get Joe Lawrence's face out of my head, grinding his teeth as he drove at me, Mr Stokes recalled. He spoke of calling at his children to jump out of the way, being hit a second and third time. My life flashed before my eyes. I could see my children playing, he said. Mr Stokes said he was miserable every day because of his pain adding, I'm not living, just existing. The victim spoke of losing his independence and masculinity. He said: I will never get to have the first dance with the five daughters yet to marry. That's an opportunity stolen from me. To me I am just a cripple. Mr Stokes Snr concluded: I saw Sergeant James Rowan as an angel. I knew I wasn't going to be hit by any more cars when I saw him. Kevin Stokes Jnr observed the proceedings by video link. Sgt Brennan read from his victim impact statement which described the incident in which the victim's life changed forever. Mr Stokes Jnr sustained injuries that resulted in scarring on his face, and nerve damage to knee and forehead: I can no longer bend my knee, I am no longer a hands-on father. The victim continues to suffer pain from his injuries: I no longer know what a proper night's sleep is. Mr Stokes Jnr said he has taken tablets to address depression since the attack: Everyday it plays on my mind, the victim impact statement said, adding that his disfigurement meant that his daughter did not recognise him on his release from hospital. Chantell Stokes spoke of the horror of seeing her father run over by a car: I felt powerless, like I had no control over my own body. If I only had one wish in life, it would be that I didnt get so frightened and freeze. For the rest of my life, Ill live with that regret, Ms Stokes also suffers from depression and has regular nightmares. Any sound of a car can trigger a panic attack. She said she thought her life would end in the car park that day and spoke of holding her father cold and breathing lightly after the attack. Ms Stokes said since the incident she has become withdrawn, and no longer feel she can have a child, saying she was robbed of motherhood by the attack. In the course of the investigation both accused were arrested and questioned, but made no admissions. Daniel Lawrence claimed he was in his house all day long, but footage from CCTV proved this to be a false claim. Giving background to the matter counsel for Daniel Lawrence, Dara Foynes SC, explained her client had been in a relationship with Kate Stokes. Ms Foynes said the attack had a huge ripple effect for the Lawrence family, and Daniel feels he is to blame for everything. Counsel said the defendant has expressed remorse for his involvement in the attack. It was also stated the relationship between Daniel Lawrence and Kate Stokes broke down in the wake of the attack. Barrister Kieran Collins, acting for David Lawrence, told Judge Johnson his client has a good work record, no previous conviction, has not come to the attention of Gardai before or since and a probation report indicates he is at low risk of re-offending. Describing David Lawrence as a good man who should not have been there Mr Collins spoke of his client's remorse, asking the judge to consider a non-custodial sentence. Ms Foynes said Daniel Lawrence became reclusive after the attack and didn't leave the house. She said he developed an alcohol problem, but has been sober for the last three months. Counsel said Daniel has the prospect of getting employment if he gets the opportunity. Judge Johnson noted the charge before the court attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years. The judge referred to the life changing injuries and their effects on Kevin Stokes Snr, Kevin Stokes Jnr and Chantelle Stokes, but observed that the dispute between the families was now resolved. Judge Johnson described a 'serious offence' that was 'pre-mediated and actively engaged in'. Neither defendant connected in their attacks, the primary injuries were by the drivers of the cars, the judge observed, but added that the consequences of the offence were extremely serious. Judge Johnson said the fact Mr Stokes Snr was not looking for an immediate custodial sentence was an admirable display of magnanimity: Hopefully this attitude will bring this feuding to an end. Noting the positive probation reports; David Lawrence's good employment records and Daniel Lawrence's efforts to address his alcohol issues, and the Probation Service reports suggesting both defendants were at low risk of offending the judge said he could deal with matters by way of suspended sentence. The judge described both men as being caught in the eye of a storm at the time. He imposed a sentence of three years on the violent disorder charges, but suspended it for a period of 10 years. David Lawrence entered a bond to be of good behaviour for the duration of the suspended sentence, Daniel Lawrence's bond condition included that he engage with probation services for one year, continue with mediation service, and engage with alcohol treatment services. Mary Lou McDonald said that had she known about former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdalls involvement in criminality, he would not have been anywhere near the party. Ms McDonald said she was profoundly shocked to learn of Dowdalls role in gangland crime. Last month, Dowdall was sentenced to four years in prison for facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. Dowdall, who turned state witness in the Regency murder trial, was also convicted of interrogating, threatening and waterboarding a man in January 2015. Dowdall was elected as a Sinn Fein councillor to Dublin City Council in 2014. He left the party a short time later. Ms McDonald said: Had we known that he was involved in any form of criminality, and I have to say I was profoundly shocked, as were many, many others, to discover his criminal activity, he wouldnt have been anywhere near Sinn Fein. He wouldnt have been anywhere near me or anybody else. The courts now are dealing with this matter. Anybody involved in criminality, gangland, they [should] face the full rigour, the full rigour, throw the book at them is what I say. I represent a constituency that has borne the brunt of criminality and gangland violence and thuggery and there can be no truck with it. No room for it and certainly, I am relieved, pleased to see that justice now, the wheels of justice in motion, we leave it to the courts to deal with all of that. Ms McDonald denied that Dowdalls association with the party has been damaging. I think people realise and accept, I hope, that we had no notion nor had others of the fact that this individual was involved in criminology. None at all. None at all, Ms McDonald added. This person, at one point, was a person of very good standing in the north inner city of Dublin so the shock was not just ours but more widely felt but let me just assure you, had we known, he would not have been anywhere near any of us or in the Sinn Fein party. Asked whether parties should carry out garda vetting of those wishing to join, she said: No, no, that would be crazy. Mary Lou McDonald said that comments by party colleague Eoin O Broin, in which he called for the Governments chief economist to be sacked, were out of order. Ms McDonald said that Mr O Broin acknowledged he was in the wrong and that he has since apologised to John McCarthy. The Sinn Fein housing spokesman later withdrew his comments that the chief economist should be sacked, saying they were ill-judged. Look, Ive spoken to Eoin. Eoin is well aware that his comments were out of order, Ms McDonald said at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis in Dublin. They certainly do not represent the Sinn Fein position. We are very well aware that people within the civil and public service have a job to do. Its an essential job to inform government policy, public policy. They bring expertise. They bring a critical eye and our colleagues in the north who have been in government have worked very closely with that system. Its the same in this jurisdiction. So Eoin knows that he was wrong. He has not backtracked, he has in fact apologised to the person in question. Very graciously, John has accepted that apology. But no, we believe firmly and we want to see excellence and expertise in the civil and public service. Thats an essential component to governments getting it right. Mr O Broins comments, made at a music festival in September, have been widely criticised. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is among those who called for the Dublin TD to apologise to Mr McCarthy. Mary Lou McDonald has said that joint authority between Dublin and London should be plan B if an Executive in Northern Ireland is not restored. The Sinn Fein leader said that if the DUP continues to boycott the Northern Ireland Assembly, then the British and Irish governments should form a partnership. Speaking at the partys Ard Fheis in Dublin, Ms McDonald said she spoke to Taoiseach Micheal Martin about the prospect of a joint authority, adding that there needs to be clarity around a plan B. It means not turning back the clock. It means for those sections of political unionism who hanker for yesterday, yesterday is not available, only tomorrow, the only way is forward, Ms McDonald added. The very basis of the peace settlement of the democratic institutions has been partnership between all of us. On this island between two sovereign governments. So, in the event that the DUP continue to sabotage the institutions, continue to refuse to nominate a deputy first minister to work hand in glove with Michelle ONeill, a first minister for all, if that continues, well then, of course the governments have to have a plan B, one of partnership, one of a joint authority, and I raised this matter with the Taoiseach (Micheal Martin) recently. I encouraged him and I would encourage him again, and the British government, to be very sure that they have their ducks in a row, to be very sure that there is clarity around the plan, the partnership plan B. Youll recall during 2006, when things were in difficulties and stalled, the two governments at that time spoke openly at the fact that these partnership arrangements were being discussed and their work was advancing. Both the British and Irish governments have played down the prospect of joint authority in recent weeks, with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris stating that the UK government position is that it will not countenance it. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said during a recent visit to Belfast that joint authority was not the focus of the Irish government. He made the comments as he sought to address recent loyalist anger about the prospect of UK/Irish joint authority if devolution was not restored in Belfast. Sinn Fein calls for an Irish government role in the running of Northern Ireland if the ongoing devolution logjam continues further angered some within the loyalist community. Last week, an umbrella group representing loyalist paramilitary groups wrote a letter to unionist politicians urging them to make clear that Irish government ministers were not welcome in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle ONeill said the UK Government needs to step up to the plate and find a way to make the Northern Ireland Protocol work. On Friday, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said there will not be an Assembly election in December. Ms ONeill called for the British Government to set out its plan next week. What is next? They have said they will not call an election, but what is the purpose to that? Ms ONeill added. They have yet to set out what are the next steps, so I would demand that there is a very clear statement next week from the British Government that actually says what they are going to do next. If they are going to extend the time to call an election, the purpose needs to be find an agreed way forward to make the protocol work and all those talks need to continue in earnest. We need to find an agreed way forward. Westminster needs to step up to the plate and find a way to make the protocol work, and then the public can have an executive that actually helps them through the cost-of-living crisis. It is just madness that in this day and age whenever people are struggling through these winter months that there is no executive in place and no ministers taking decisions. There is no-one at the helm in the north. It is not good enough. Ms McDonald said that good faith engagement is needed between London and Brussels to reach an agreement on how to deal with the protocol. She said that a conclusion to the negotiations is needed. Billy Chastain, Mark Chastain, Alex Stevens, and Mike Spark were reported missing in Oklahoma last week. Okmulgee Police Department/Facebook The families of the four men who went missing in Oklahoma are "distraught" after learning the men were murdered, police said. The four Okmulgee men were murdered, dismembered and dumped into a local river, cops said on Monday. "This is not fair," the devastated fiancee of one of the men told Insider. "I just want all of this to go away." The families of four men who went missing from their small Oklahoma city last week are "distraught" and in "shock" after learning the men were murdered, dismembered, and dumped into a local river, police said on Monday. Mark Chastain, 32; his younger brother Billy Chastain, 30; Mike Sparks, 32; and 29-year-old Alex Stevens who police have described as "close friends" were reported missing from Okmulgee, Oklahoma, roughly a week ago after they vanished following a bicycle ride, cops have said. Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice revealed during a press briefing on Monday that the case is now a murder investigation and that all four men had been shot before their bodies were dismembered and placed into an area river. Their remains were recovered from the water between Friday night and Monday morning. The exact cause and manner of their deaths are still pending. Loved ones of the men three of whom were fathers "were upset" and "very distraught" after police informed them of the gruesome news, Prentice said. "This is not fair," Sparks' devastated fiancee, Chrystal Parker, told Insider on Monday. "I just want all of this to go away." Authorities believe that the men were planning to "commit some type of criminal act" after they left Billy Chastain's house the night of October 9, Prentice said, adding: "We do not know what they planned or where they planned to do it." "That belief is based upon information supplied by a witness who reports they were invited to go with the men to 'hit a lick big enough for all of them,'" Prentice said. The men were reported missing last week to the Okmulgee Police Department overnight Monday into Tuesday by their families, who had not heard from them since Sunday, October 9. Story continues Police said that the owner of a local salvage yard Joe Kennedy has been identified as a "person of interest" in the case. Kennedy, who went missing on Saturday night, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday after he was found in a vehicle that was reported stolen to the Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office on Monday, authorities said. Police have searched Kennedy's salvage yard and its surrounding properties, and Prentice said they discovered "evidence of a violent event at an adjoining property." Prentice said that Kennedy had spoken with investigators from the Okmulgee Police Department on Friday afternoon and denied knowing any of the four men. Authorities were in the process of getting Kennedy back to Okmulgee County from Florida, so that police can talk to him in connection to the murders. Additionally, a warrant was issued for Kennedy's arrest in relation to a shooting he was sentenced for in 2012 in Okmulgee, police said. The bond for that warrant is $500,000. Last week, Mark Chastain's wife of nine years, Jessica Chastain, told Insider that the men would regularly frequent a local scrap yard, but it was unclear whether it was the same salvage yard as Kennedy's. The Okmulgee Police Department is asking anyone with information about the murders, the disposable of the bodies, or Kennedy's whereabouts to contact the department. Read the original article on Insider After a string of attacks on paintings in Berlinand other cities like London and Paris, a debate has flared up about the protest methods of climate activists. To many of us, no matter how well versed in history, in political affairs or in socioeconomic issues, the present conditions in the.. Eurasia Review 10 Nov 2022 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Newcastle are one of six teams who pose a threat to his team's hopes of a third straight Premier League title. A former Mountie and member of prime minister Justin Trudeau's security team has denied an allegation that he leaked the prime minister's schedule in the months leading up to the self-styled Freedom Convoy protest against pandemic measures. Industry and transport were the two sectors most responsible for Germany's sluggish emissions reductions, a government study found. Berlin is also unlikely to meet renewable energy targets. Environment Canada has issued wind warning Friday night as a windstorm pounds southwest B.C. The warnings cover Metro Vancouver, several parts of Vancouver Island including Greater Victoria, the Southern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. Despite diplomatic words about what Germany and China have in common, experts say that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's trip both contravened German government strategy and endangered EU unity. Update: On Nov. 9, Dr. Caitlin Bernard and Dr. Amy Caldwell asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction that would freeze Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's investigation and subpoenas while the lawsuit goes forward. "There is a serious risk that patient identities could be disclosed to the public, which could subject them to harassment based on their most sensitive medical information," attorney Kathleen DeLaney said in a statement. Katlyn Milligan, a spokesperson for Rokita's office, said in a statement Wednesday that "patient privacy is the foundation of medical ethics," and that the office "will proceed to seek the truth no matter the attempts to push (Bernard's) narrative." An Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist thrust into the national spotlight on abortion this year is suing to stop Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita from allegedly relying on "frivolous" consumer complaints to issue subpoenas over confidential medical records. Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who attracted national attention after she told IndyStar she provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim, and her medical partner Dr. Amy Caldwell claim in their lawsuit Rokita's office has sent subpoenas for medical records of patients who never filed complaints to the attorney general's office. They're asking a Marion County court to stop his investigation because his acts violate "numerous Indiana statutes," according to a complaint that was provided to IndyStar. "The Attorney General has completely ignored the requirement to determine that consumer complaints have 'merit' before he can investigate and has instead used facially invalid consumer complaints to justify multiple, duplicative, and overbroad investigations into law-abiding physicians," attorneys for the two doctors wrote. Rokita's office said in a prepared statement Thursday it investigates "thousands of potential licensing, privacy, and other violations a year." Story continues "A majority of the complaints we receive are, in fact, from nonpatients," the statement continues. "Any investigations that arise as a result of potential violations are handled in a uniform manner and narrowly focused. We will discuss this particular matter further through the judicial filings we make. The lawsuit comes months after Bernard's attorney Kathleen DeLaney said they had received a letter about an investigation by Rokita's office into consumer complaints against the doctor. DeLaney said in a past statement the complaints were "riddled with inaccuracies and rely on no first-hand knowledge." IndyStar requested information on the complaints from Rokita's office. Those requests were denied in September, but the lawsuit filed Thursday by Bernard and Caldwell describe what some of them said. Complaints against Bernard came during media storm Seven people filed consumer complaints against Bernard to the Indiana Attorney General's Office between July 8 and July 12, according to the lawsuit. Her attorneys say they were submitted by people who read or saw news stories about Bernard after the IndyStar story describing the 10-year-old patient went viral. No one claimed to have received care by either Bernard or Caldwell. "Most of the complaints were submitted by individuals who did not claim to reside in Indiana," the lawsuit states. One complaint said Bernard "kept knowledge of the rape of a 10 year old from authorities." In July, however, the Indiana Department of Health provided IndyStar a copy of a termination of pregnancy report filled out by Bernard that confirmed she did report the abortion, and alerted the state that the 10-year-old had suffered abuse. The complaint listed Bernard's phone number as "555555555." Another complaint from a resident in Ohio accused Bernard of spreading false information by relating the anecdote of the 10-year-old to media. They pointed to statements by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who questioned the integrity of Bernard's story when he said on Fox News his office had not heard "a whisper" of a report being filed for the 10-year-old victim. "As a citizen of Ohio I feel that this misinformation (aka LIE) harmed my State's image AND is a malicious act intended to harm people such as myself that hold a pro-life position," the complaint read. They said they had "personally experienced hostility against me" in connection with Bernard's comments. "If I am continued to be harrassed (sic) in this manner I will be filing a personal injury case against Dr. Bernard." But in the weeks after IndyStar published the story on Bernard, authorities in Ohio charged a man with rape in connection with the 10-year-old. Columbus police were informed of the girl's pregnancy through a referral by Franklin County Children Services that was made by her mom June 22. In another complaint against Bernard, the individual was asked in the complaint form, "What was the very first contact between you and the Individual/Business?" Their response: "Reported in the US Media and President of the United States." "The consumer complaints that gave rise to the 'investigation' of Dr. Bernard were filed by individuals who patently lacked any personal knowledge of the allegations contained therein, and who therefore could not verify the accuracy of those allegations under penalty of perjury," lawyers wrote in Thursday's lawsuit. A spokesperson for Rokita's office has previously said the attorney general's authority to look into doctors like Bernard is intentionally broad and found throughout state and federal law." It includes but isnt limited to authority to investigate both state and federal privacy violations, consumer complaint issues, and it includes jurisdiction over licensed professionals including physicians," the spokesperson said. Rokita can ask the state's medical licensing board to discipline a doctor if a consumer has made a substantiated complaint against them. Bernard doesn't have any record of disciplinary actions, according to state records. Nor have any legal actions been taken against her in state or federal court. Call IndyStar courts reporter Johnny Magdaleno at 317-273-3188 or email him at jmagdaleno@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @IndyStarJohnny This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Abortion doctor files new request to freeze Indiana AG investigation Vladimir Putin has backed the evacuation of civilians from parts of Kherson region, as Ukrainian forces advancing in the south close in on a key city. Rumble 11 Nov 2022 The U.S. deployed a supersonic bomber to North Korea for the first time in five years, taking part in the final day of a vast.. Biden and Obama will seek to rally Democratic votes in Philadelphia. Trump, meanwhile, will stump for Republican candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano in the southwestern part of state. Some 30,000 people took to the streets in Rome on Saturday calling for peace and disarmament in Ukraine. Hiroshi Fujiwara, 81, reportedly said he was "tired" of taking care of his disabled spouse, 79-year-old Teruko, and admitted to pushing her off a pier. In no way is the Quran anti-Christianity, or anti-Judaism. However, there are people now, and there were people in the past; who.. Eurasia Review 01 Nov 2022 The House Select Committee has extended its deadline for former United States President Donald Trump to hand over subpoenaed documents relating to the investigation of the Capitol Hill riot. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Others from across the UK will also be recognised for their efforts to help others. With sheriffs vouching for them and a flood of ads proclaiming their support for the police, Democrats are shoring up their public safety bona fides. Still, some worry its too late. Candidates for governor, secretary of state and attorney general join forces to get out the vote. Puzzled responses on Twitter to an homage to Mean Joe Greene offered Fetterman supporters a chance to mock Dr. Mehmet Oz, his Republican opponent in the Pennsylvania Senate race. Hundreds of millions of Americans suffer the effects of being forced to move the hands of their clocks back or forth by an hour every year. Daylight saving time ends in the wee hours of Sunday, November 6, except for the residents of Arizona, Hawaii, and the outlying U.S. territories, where people avoid the hassle by remaining on... North Korea launched four ballistic missiles into the sea, as the U.S sent two bombers over South Korea in a dueling display of military might that underscored rising tensions in the region. Eurasia Review 12 Nov 2022 By Jonathan B. Bell* One of our most important duties as professionals is to think clearly about the problem of future.. Thousands of people took to the streets of Rome to call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, peace negotiations, and the dismantling of nuclear arsenals. The Schultz Creek detention basins, a 20-acre flood mitigation project in Flagstaff, were completed and declared fully functional on Thursday. From initial design through to planning, bidding and construction, the basins were completed in less than three months. According to a city press release, the project came together incredibly quickly, especially considering multiple significant rain delays. This has to be one of our fastest-moving projects, said Ed Schenk, stormwater manager for the city. We had the fire in June, and we completed the basins by the end of October. Capable of detaining more than 18 million gallons approximately 28 Olympic swimming pools of water, the detention basins will catch water and debris from the Pipeline Fire burn scar and help mitigate flooding downstream in the City of Flagstaff. Normally, Schenk said, a project of this scale would take two to three years to complete. He said the rate of completion for the basins was unheard of, and would not have been possible without strong state, federal and private partnerships. The city release attributed the projects swift delivery to the dedication and hard work of the Citys Stormwater and Public Works divisions, as well as the expertise of Shephard Wesnitzner, Inc, and the commitment of Fann Contracting. Financially, the detention basins were made possible with $2.4 million in funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) and a match of more than $700,000 from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. It is not the first time the city has benefited from EWPP funds, and Schenk said that the relationship between the city staff and the EWPP offices has become streamlined as of late. We know those people very well, Schenk added. We call them and they call us on a fairly regular basis. But another reason the project was able to meet such an unlikely deadline has to do with pure luck. The city owned that 20-acre parcel, he said. EWPP funds are not available for federal lands. So we had to be on private land and we had the private land right there at the right spot above the city neighborhoods. So just really good luck, to be honest. While fully functional, it is important to note that the basins work by catching stormwater then allowing it to drain over a 24-hour period. The risk of post-wildfire flooding in neighborhoods downstream of the detention basins remains, the city release states. Water draining from the basins will follow its natural path and drain towards the main channel of the Rio de Flag. During a large rain event over the burn scar, the basins could be overwhelmed. Residents in the area are encouraged to keep their temporary mitigations, such as sandbags, in place. In other words, the war with post-fire flooding in Flagstaff is not over. The city and county are both still actively pursuing more robust flood mitigation. The Schultz Creek detention basins will be a huge help for Coconino Estates, Downtown and South Side, Schenk said. But hes not ready to rest. We still need to do some work on the Highway 180 culvert, he said. Thats what were actively pushing for right now. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Paducah, KY (42003) Today Scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 65F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 31F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Photo: (Photo : PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images) A mom from Texas is speaking out about the helpless feeling she is experiencing watching her newborn baby in the hospital with a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Rebecca Lara told ABC News' Whit Johnson that her five-week-old daughter Lily has been given supplemental oxygen for three days now while she is confined at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Lara said it is tough because she feels helpless and does not know how to help them. The mom of five said that all of her kids were recently sick, but Lily's condition deteriorated rapidly. Lara said that at one point, her youngest daughter's breathing became so labored at home that they had to call an ambulance. She added that it was like a choking cough, so her daughter Lily was going in and out of breathing. Lara noted that her child's breathing was so bad that she decided to call the ambulance herself. Children suffering from RSV is rising in the United States She added that she couldn't do anything. Lily is one of the dozens of kids hospitalized with RSV at the Texas Children's Hospital. RSV is a respiratory virus spiking among kids in the United States, leaving some pediatric hospitals filled to capacity across the country. RSV usually causes cold-like symptoms, but the illness can become severe and dangerous, especially for infants. At least ten kids with RSV are being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Texas Children's Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that infections due to RSV have increased by 69 percent over the last four weeks, spiking from 4,667 to 7,917, and they are now appearing earlier than usual. According to an analysis from ABC News, pediatric bed occupancy in the country is the highest it has been in two years, with 75 percent of the estimated 40,000 beds filled with patients as of Monday afternoon. Read Also: DMV Parents Still Struggling to Find Baby Formula Months After Shortage Grabbed Headlines Nightmare scenario for hospitals in the U.S. as RSV, flu, and COVID cases soar To make matters worse for hospitals handling an influx of pediatric patients sick with RSV, doctors are still dealing with the ongoing COVID pandemic and preparing for what could be the most severe flu season seen in the U.S. in years, Reuters reported. Dr. Melanie Kitagawa, the medical director of the pediatric ICU at Texas Children's Hospital, said in an interview that the hospital is already seeing an increase in flu cases converging with the rise in patients suffering from RSV. She said they have many kids admitted right now with RSV, and there are now kids who will end up with the flu. She added that is their main concern. Related Article: Denver Mom Learns Her Newborn Twins Have the Same Names as Their Delivery Nurses Photo: (Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) Nathan Solorio, bullied at school in Pennsylvania for his long hair, is now a mentor for other Indigenous teens in the area. The 15-year-old is a descendant of the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation and Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation. Solorio, a high school student in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, said his long braids represent his culture, ancestors, and inner strength. Nathan told TODAY Parents in an interview that he wears his hair long because his ancestors were not allowed to when they were forced to go to residential schools. He spoke of a movement in the 19th century that ripped Indigenous kids from their homes, enrolling them in boarding schools that destroyed their culture through indoctrination and abuse. Nathan suffered intense bullying in Pennsylvania Nathan said the three strands of his braids represent his spirit, mind, and body. With no federally registered Indian tribes in Pennsylvania, Nathan and his 11-year-old brother Noah are the only Indigenous children at their school. Nathan recalled that his classmates teased him about his hair, pushing him and even calling him a girl. He said they once threw a metal water bottle at him on the bus. Because his dad is Mexican, the kids told Nathan that he is not Native and he is Hispanic. The students even called him slurs, with Nathan forced to cut his hair at one stage to cope with the bullying. He explained that from a young age, that hurts. Nathan confided in his mother, Misty, who was also the victim of bullying while she attended a predominantly white school in central Pennsylvania. Misty said that she was ashamed of her black hair and how she looked many times growing up. She added that she used to wish for blond hair and blue eyes. Misty eventually learned to value her long hair, which she still maintains today, after connecting with her roots. Her biological dad comes from Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, while her biological mom is from Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation. Read Also: Linguistic Scientists Reveal 50 Most Beautiful Baby Names in the US and UK Misty and Nathan proud of their ancestors She said she is so proud of her ancestors, community, and family. She added that she is the spiritual keeper for her sons, and her hair represents her strength, life experience, and knowledge. When her sister died back in 2012, Misty breathed in her culture, as she had always done before. She explained that part of her healing journey was returning to the circle to dance. She started participating in a "Jingle Dress Dance" performance which originated from the Ojibwe people. A family friend recently nominated Nathan for a "25 Under 25 Native Youth Leadership Program" award. The honor is given through the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), an Arizona-based leadership organization for Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native, and American Indian children. Related Article: Baby Formula Shortage Still a Problem in the US As It Stretches Into Eighth Month This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Holy Father, keep [those you have given me] in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. Jesus prayed the above prayer in John 17 on the night he was betrayed and since that first day until now it is a prayer that the Church has struggled to see perfectly fulfilled. On that night, Judas betrayal violated that unity. The New Testament documents other breakdowns in Church unity Paul and Apollos, Jewish believers and Gentile believers, and wealth disparity among members of the church to name a few. The history of the Church has continued to see the faithful suffer breakdowns in unity. Schisms and heresies have emerged from the first days until now. There is arguably no schism quite as tragic as that between the Eastern Orthodox communion and the Catholic Church. For nearly a millennia much of the Eastern lung of the Church, as St. John Paul II referred to it has been separated from the western lung. The mystery of Christ is most richly and powerfully known when both lungs can breathe together and I personally find it heartbreaking that there continues to be this division in the body of Christ. It is my heartfelt prayer that the two lungs would be able to more fully breathe together and that Christs prayer for unity may more perfectly be fulfilled between these communions. There are many obstacles toward unity today and many of them have deepened and evolved in the past 1000 years. However, it is perhaps a good first step to look at some of the root causes of the division. Below are a few of the critical issues. The filioque clause Too often the reason for the split is oversimplified as a disagreement about one word in the Creed. The Western Church had added the word filioque to the creed and the East would not do so. The word means and the son and was placed within the article on the Holy Spirit. It added an affirmation that the spirit processes from both the Father and the son. The original Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed only affirmed the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father. There are many volumes written on the history of when and why and how this happened, what is critical to know is that it was added without the Easts consent or an Ecumenical council. The language that was not used in the liturgy of the East, was Latin. This brings us to another critical reason for the split: language. Language Language is tricky. It is a powerful tool to bring clarity to something when the words and their meanings between individuals or groups are the same. However, differences between words and meanings can cause tremendous conflict when there are differences between the words themselves or their meaning. This played a big role in the split. Latin had become the primary language of theology in the west while Greek remained central in the East. This resulted in a lot of potential areas of miscommunication and conflict. The controversy around the filioque clause gives a good example of how this worked. The word proceeds in the creed was originally the greek word . It had been translated procedit into Latin. Although similar, these words are not identical. The Greek word has more of an emphasis on somethings origin and the Latin word has more of an emphasis on somethings path. Therefore the western church could see a passage like John 20:22, where the spirit clearly procedit through Jesus as he breathes on the disciples, but the East might argue that the example was not . This is one example of many challenges. On top of that, Rome would send delegates who didnt understand Greek to Constantinople. Misunderstanding and frustration, unsurprisingly, could ensue. Authority Perhaps the most important reason for the split was related to the question of authority and who had the final word in a disagreement. Controversies were solved in Ecumenical councils of Bishops, yet Patriarchs were looked to as the most important apostolic voice within these councils. The Pope of Rome was seen as the preeminent leader among the patriarchs and exercised the function as a decisive voice at times, most notably at the Council of Chalcedon. After the conversion of Constantine, the Church had a tenuous alliance with the Empire. Leaders, including the Pope, were confirmed by the Emperor and this was a practice that continued even after the Roman Empire of the West fell. Popes would still receive confirmation from the Eastern Roman emperor for centuries. However, as the East and the West became increasingly separated from one another culturally, linguistically, and politically this tenuous balance began to break down. The Pope no longer looked to Constantinople for confirmation, instead developing an alliance with the Carolingian Empire. Decisions also began to be made without consulting the Bishops of the East, including the addition of the Filioque. As Rome increasingly began to envision itself as having the ability to make decisions on faith, morals, and their own apostolic succession unilaterally the East became uneasy about their own disenfranchisement. Islam The expansion of Islam became a key issue as well. As Christian lands were conquered avenues of communication were disrupted and the belief in a unified Christian World became unraveled. The West became very wary of the influence of Isalm on the Eastern Roman Empire, particularly after the Iconoclastic Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries. One of the reasons the Pope removed himself from the sphere of influence of the Empire of the East was because of pressures exerted by the Emperor to eliminate the veneration of images from worship. Although this iconoclasm was eventually overturned in the seventh ecumenical council, a century of iconoclasm in the East seriously eroded the willingness of the Western Church to give authority to the Eastern Empire. Bad Actors The schism was also caused by the sin, arrogance, pride, and confusion that were caused by humans making mistakes. There are high-profile examples of this like the events leading up to the excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople by Humbert of Silva Candidam, or of Crusaders sacking other Christian cities. However, there are, undoubably, countless other examples of human frailty pushing these communions apart from one another. This simple list is by no means exhaustive, but it gives a sketch of some of the most salient historical reasons for the divide. As we pray that Christs prayer for unity might find greater fulfillment in our own time I pray we might draw wisdom from our past mistakes and seek a more perfect unity for the future. Make us one Lord! The Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the insurance group, Hollard Ghana, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, is the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana's (CIMG) Marketing Practitioner of the Year, 2021. She was honoured at the just-ended 33rd Annual National Marketing Performance Awards ceremony at the Labadi Beach Hotel. This year's event was under the theme "Creative Marketing and Innovation in a Volatile Global Economy." CIMG recognised Cynthia for leading Hollard Ghana's innovative brand-building efforts. In addition, they cited her for excellence in marketing insights, people, corporate and reputation management, CSR, and sound marketing strategies. According to the Institute, this set Cynthia and Hollard apart as corporate achievers for 2021. Cynthia expressed gratitude to the Governing Council of CIMG for the honour. She said, "Thank you! It's fulfilling to be acknowledged by the prestigious CIMG for our quest to create and secure a better future through inventive marketing. Impactful marketing happens at the confluence of visionary leadership, an enabling environment, purpose, hard work, a fantastic team, and a great brand style. It takes a village, so I thank Hollard, my family, and the extended community for their supportive advocacy. "Akpena wo," to Group CEO Patience Akyianu, MDs Daniel Addo and Nashiru Iddrisu, and the larger purple team, especially Elorm Senah and Aviel Benni Derry." "Marketing insurance is no small feat, especially in this volatile global economy. It requires the right expert to drive strategic brand and customer initiatives that are attractive to target audiences. Hollardite Cynthia has been remarkable at promoting our vibrancy and business purpose. Her impactful work with her team has resulted in our group's exceptional brand growth. Also, her collaborative work with our People Team has seen increased staff engagement and company pride. Furthermore, through our unconventional brand engagements, she has undoubtedly spurred a burst of competitive activity in our previously quiet insurance industry. As a result, she has contributed to increasing insurance penetration in Ghana while making us a favourite.We are proud of her CIMG achievement and dedicate the win to our customers, partners, and stakeholders for being receptive audiences. As a marketing-oriented company, we will continue to serve them better through our original products, distinctive distribution channels, and customised policies curated for every need", Patience added. About Cynthia Eyram Ofori-Dwumfuo In 2021, Cynthia was named a top 25 innovator in Europe, the Middle East & Africa in the prestigious SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation, and Engagement) Innovator 25 list by globally respected PRovoke Media. Moreso, she is called one of the Top 10 Women in PR by Women in PR Ghana and listed by Avance Media among the 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians in Leadership and Civil Society. Cynthia is currently the Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Hollard Ghana. Previously, she held senior roles at top advertising and communications agencies and worked in the USA, UK and pan-Africa. Consulting, she coordinated local and international projects, some funded by Rockefeller Foundation and CGAP/World Bank. Cynthia is the Board Chair for the Springboard Roadshow Foundation and serves on several boards, including the executive council of the Institute of Public Relations Ghana. She is an Accredited Public Relations Professional (APR) with an MA in Professional Communication from Clemson University, USA, and a BA in Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. About Hollard Ghana Hollard is the country's favourite insurance group, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market, having operated for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance, with the world-class expertise of an international brand in 18 countries worldwide. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers cutting-edge solutions customised to unique risks. Through its subsidiaries, the group offers different life and general insurance products, including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more, and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life). Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops. Find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh, www.melcom.com/hollard-insurance and www.jumia.com.gh. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video QNET, a leading international direct selling company supports the decision of the Attorney General to dissolve companies that are impersonating QNET International, conducting fraudulent business activities and misrepresenting the company in Ghana. There is a recent media publication on the Attorney Generals efforts at dissolving fraudulent companies, unfortunately, the facts of the matter were not accurately presented by the media organisation that reported the court case. The first significant error in the media report is misconstruing QNET for Quest Net or Q-NET Investment Limited. The name Quest Net does not refer to nor is meant to refer to QNET. They are effective entities which are entirely separate and distinct, and with no relationship or incorporation internationally. The company mentioned in the order given by the Accra High Court references an unauthorized entity set up by individuals who are not in any way connected with QNET Ltd, which is an international direct-selling company headquartered in Hong Kong. It is clearly evident from the Judgment dated 20 July 2022 that the title of the case is IN THE MATTER OF THE CORPORATE INSOLVENCY AND RESTRUCTURING ACT, 2020 (ACT 1015) AND IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR THE OFFICIAL WINDING UP OF Q-NET INVESTMENT LIMITED (A COMPANY LIMITED BY LIABILITY) AND IN THE MATTER BETWEEN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND Q-NET INVESTMENT LIMITED. It is thereby clear, QNET was never a party to the court action. QNET operates its business everywhere, including Ghana, via Independent Representatives (IRs) who are properly trained and accredited individuals, and who undertake the business in compliance with best business ethics and practice. Certain individuals acted in bad faith by registering a company called Quest Net/QNET Investment Limited in Ghana for their unlawful activities. QNET Limited had, via its lawyers in Ghana, written to the relevant authorities and placed Quest Net on notice that there is no relationship, connection or nexus of any nature with this Ghana-registered local entity and QNET Limited. QNET, on a continuing basis, has been in touch with the relevant authorities to clarify its stand. QNET accordingly condemn the actions of these unscrupulous individuals and their bad practices which we wholly dissociate ourselves and our business dealings. Whenever QNETs attention is brought to unethical or illegal actions of IRs, QNET takes punitive actions against them. This includes termination or suspension of the IR. Additionally and as required, QNET lodges complaints with the Police against IRs who commit crimes against innocent individuals. QNET is always available to offer clarification and assistance to all authorities and the media regarding any issue about its business. QNET has also embarked on a sensitization programme called the MAMA Campaign, to educate the general public about QNET, its business model and the need to be wary of fraudsters or impersonators. QNET is a law-abiding and socially-responsible company. QNET, through its social impact arm, RYTHM Foundation, has partnered with many charity projects across the world to empower less-privileged and physically-impaired people. In Ghana, QNET is actively supporting the Anopa Project, providing deaf and blind children with access to education and sporting skills. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Efforts are underway to make the Central Region a rice-producing hub. This, according to the Central Regional Minister, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, will enable the region to unleash its full agricultural potential in rice production. In pursuit of that, she revealed that a strong collaboration was being forged with Korea International Corporation, an expert organisation in upscaling rice production. Mrs Marigold Assan was speaking to the media on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Cape Coast, Central Region during the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyies, working tour in the region. The visit to the Central Region formed part of the ministers second leg working tour in five regions across the country. Already, the tour has seen him visit Western, Western North and Central Regions. According to her, though her region was currently eighth on the log of rice-producing regions, Central Region was poised to move to the 7th position. She noted that talks were already ongoing in that regard. She gave the assurance that with the measures put in place one can only hope for the best from the region. She added that Central Region will institute a local market termed, "Farmers' Market where foodstuffs produced in the region would be assembled and sold to customers. Furthermore, Mrs Marigold Assan indicated that there were ongoing efforts to ensure that Ghanaians eat fresh foods from the farms while guaranteeing the benefits of their nutritional value. In his response, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriye, pledged his support to ensure that the nation rakes in the benefits of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) in the region. He is expected to visit Volta and Oti Regions in the coming days. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Africas oldest president and one of the continents longest-serving rulers President Paul Biya will mark 40 years in power this weekend. Nationwide commemorative activities have been planned and his supporters are celebrating his achievements. But the 89-year-olds opponents are lukewarm, calling on him to step down and hand over power to a younger generation. Mr Biyas long rule has been characterized by great ambition but also with significant failures. Systemic corruption is Cameroons biggest downfall, says the ex-head of Transparency International and former presidential candidate Akere Muna. On the production of mines, who are the miners? What do they produce? What do they pay to the country? Why do the citizens not have access to information about spending of their own countrys riches?, he says. The government is also engaged in a bitter battle against Anglophone separatists in the countrys two English-speaking regions that has forced about two million Cameroonians from their homes and killed thousands of civilians. He changed the name of the country from United Republic to the La Republique du Cameroun, which is the name the French-speaking republic of Cameroon had before we ever joined them in 1961, one man on the street tells me, saying it sums up the Anglophone grievance against the French-speaking majority. It will be good if the regime tries to change, says another woman I speak to. Why not make it a woman, why not make it a young person to take over? Another man says the little he has done, we appreciate, but suggests its now time for Mr Biya to go and rest. But, as President Biya told journalists some years back after returning from one of his lengthy stays abroad, anyone who wants him dead will have to wait another 20 years. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Africa is facing a critical shortfall in funding for climate adaptation according to a new report, State and Trends in Adaptation in Africa 2022, launched by the Global Center on Adaptation today. The report reveals that cumulative adaptation finance to 2030 will come to less than one-quarter of the estimated needs stated by African countries in their National Determined Contributions (NDCs) unless more funding for climate adaptation is secured. In 2019 and 2020 an estimated $11.4 billion was committed to climate adaptation finance in Africa with more than 97% of the funds coming from public actors and less than 3% from private sectors. This is significantly less than the $52.7 billion annually to 2030 it is estimated African countries will need. To increase the volume and efficacy of adaptation finance flows to Africa over the coming decade, the report makes a number of recommendations: Financial institutions must mainstream resilience into investments they are making. Policy makers and other stakeholders must build the enabling environment for adaptation investment. Financial innovation for adaptation must match country-level policy and market conditions. Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, commenting on the report findings said: Adaptation finance is scaling too slowly to close the investment gap in Africa, even as the costs of inaction rise. As we look forward to COP27, we must generate a breakthrough on finance for climate adaptation. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program endorsed by the African Union, is the best vehicle we have to ensure the adaptation investment shortfall in Africa is met with action from all available sources including the private sector. Speaking during the launch event for the report, Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations said: COP27 must be a turning point. Developed countries must put forward credible plans to double adaptation finance to reach 40 billion dollars a year by 2025. The Secretary-General has called for a new business model to deliver adaptation finance by turning adaptation priorities into pipelines of investment for projects. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group said: At the Global Center on Adaptation, they are doing incredible work in mapping out what the needs are, mapping out how to make climate resilient infrastructure. Already the Upstream [Financing] Facility at the Global Center on Adaptation, is doing so much analytical work to support countries to build climate resilience into infrastructure, into agriculture and to mainstream climate financing into national bodies but also into the financing of large multilateral development banks. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture for the African Union Commission said: Africas 1.4 billion people contribute less than 3% of the worlds total greenhouse gas emissions but finds itself on the frontline of this climate emergency with nine out of ten of the most vulnerable countries in Africa. Adaptation to climate change is very crucial to Africa. At COP27 it is adaptation and financing adaptation which is our priority. STA22 provides policy shaping recommendations in key areas such as livestock, agriculture, cities, nature-based solutions, blue economy, and coastal erosion. It is the most comprehensive guide to assess progress on climate adaptation in Africa and provide guidance and recommendations on best practices in adapting to the effects of a changing climate and building resilience to climate shocks. The report highlights successful adaptation initiatives from the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) which have the potential to be scaled up and replicated. It also presents key policies, skills and finance gaps that must be addressed if adaptation is to be effective and reach those who need it the most. Commenting on the reports findings, Dr Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez and Professor Jamal Saghir, Co-Directors of State and Trends in Adaptation in Africa 2022 said: The climate is changing rapidly and Africa needs to Adapt. It must adapt to rising temperatures, more extreme storms and floods, rising sea levels , more intense heatwaves and longer and more severe droughts. Our report maps out not only the impacts of climate change, but also the available adaptation solutions. The report proves that adaptation is an opportunity for jobs and economic recovery . Adaptation pays. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) was developed by African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) to mobilize $25 billion by 2025 to implement, scale and accelerate climate adaptation across the African continent. AAAP works across four bold interconnected pillars to achieve transformational results: Climate-Smart Digital Technologies for Agriculture and Food Security; African Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator; Youth Empowerment for Entrepreneurship and Job Creation in Climate Adaptation and Resilience and Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa. AAAP has already guided over $3.5 billion of upstream investments in 19 countries with every dollar spent influencing $100 downstream. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chiefs and people of Owirenkyiman Traditional Area in the Central Region have celebrated their Kantamanto Festival with a call for all Ghanaians to prioritize good sanitation practices. This will not only help to reduce the disease burden on society but can contribute to environmental sustainability. This practice has earned Kushea the enviable accolade of the neatest community in Ghana. The well-patronized festival was also used to celebrate the 80th birthday, and 40 years of the enstoolment of the Paramount Chief of the Owirenkyiman Traditional Area, Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim. The festival of the chiefs and people of this traditional area is called Kantamanto and is characterized by a week-long of activities in the last week of the month of October. The celebration is heralded with the momentous occasion were royalty in splendour, glamour and glitz usher people from all walks of life into the area. The Owirenkyi is one of the 34 traditional areas of the Central Region. The festival attracted many dignitaries including the First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, Business Mogul, sir Sam Jonah, Members of the diplomatic corps, among a host of others. Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim, who has sanitation and tourism at heart said, Kushea being touted as the neatest community in Ghana is not a fluke. Still, it was achieved by dint of hard work and sacrifice in collaboration with his people. He noted that no effort would be spared to develop and promote the tourism potential of the area to rake in more revenue for development. The Okyehene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin challenged the gathering to emulate Nana Prah Agyensaim and strive to develop their communities. He said many people forget such responsibilities expecting others to do it for them. Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin indicated that such an indictment holds no place in fostering development, therefore it is incumbent on all to lend support to every effort to develop their communities. Kushea, the Capital of Owirenkyiman is not only noted for its neatness but also hosts arguably the biggest palace in Africa. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the attack on the partys National Headquarters at Adabraka in Accra in the early hours of Monday 31st October, 2022. According to the NDC, a group of persons clad in red and fuming with rage gain entry into the premises of the Headquarters and entered the 3rd floor office of the Deputy General Secretary, Hon. Barbara Serwaa Asamoah and removed a prepaid meter. [adrotate group="2"]Soon thereafter, the spokesman of the group, addressed the crowd that accompanied him and threatened to deal with the Deputy General Secretary for allegedly installing a prepaid meter in her office. The Leadership of the NDC wish to condemn in no uncertain terms this blatant act of thuggery and criminality and will take immediate steps to involve the law enforcement agencies to deal with the miscreants and their sponsors, the General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia narrated in a statement. He continued: the party will take additional steps to identify all who entered the premises to carry out this dastardly act and to subject them to the disciplinary measures provided by the partys constitution. The General Secretary indicated that no member of the party has any right whatsoever to attack any leader of the party at any level for whatever reason. Any attack on a national officer is an attack on the entire leadership of the party. And any of those elements who are party members will be dealt with without fear or favour in accordance with the laws of the party. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The former minister of finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, has officially declared his intention to contest in the presidential race of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) when the party opens nominations. Today, I officially announce my intention to contest for the flagbearership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) anytime the party opens nominations, the former governor of the Bank of Ghana told the media in Accra on Thursday (3 November 2022). I will offer myself once again to serve the land of my birth with humility and sacrifice when given the chance to do so, he added. The temporary shifts we have grown used to in this country must give way to a permanent change in attitude and priorities. We must witness the dawn of a new era, where country trumps person and progress trumps power. An era for all, the era of The Ghanaian Dream. Let us rescue our economy to end the hardship, pain, and suffering of our fellow citizens. We are a great nation and we have the capacity to rebuild our economy again as we did during 2009 2012. Lets all remember that even though Sika mp dede nanso km fr dede. Y ani abere, km de yn, he said. Will Mahama contest? Former president John Mahama has said he will keep his opponents guessing about his future political plans as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) goes to the polls next year to elect a presidential candidate. Speaking to VOA (Voice of America) in Washington, DC on Wednesday (12 October 2022), Mahama said he could not confirm or deny whether he will contest again, having lost the last two elections to the present incumbent, Nana Akufo-Addo. I havent, Mahama said in response to a question about whether he has decided to contest. Its good to keep your opponents guessing. He added: Even if I am not running, I am not going to say I am not running. A decision will be taken early next year the first quarter when well hold our partys primary for the presidential candidacy. So, well see. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. NPP Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has denied knowledge of the allegation that a businessman attempted to bribe the Members of Parliament. A businessman, who the MPs have refused to reveal his identity, is alleged to have tried inducing some New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament with money to influence their decision to remove Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen. Leader of the Majority Caucus, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says an investigation will be commissioned into the matter to ascertain its veracity. We will investigate and if it is true, we will establish the motive of that person. What I can say of it (the allegations) as of now is that, we dont know the motive. Not knowing what the motive is, sometimes these things come up, so we will have to establish that. You remember the issue of a minister who was nominated to appear before the Vetting Committee, there were allegations that he attempted to bribe some people or influence some people, eventually, it turned out to be untrue. Even though this one has come before me, not having gone into it, I dont want to make any pronouncements on it. Lets see if indeed it is true and that is not an insult to the intelligence of those people who spoke to it, he said. But Hon. Collins Adomako-Mensah says he knows nothing about any tycoon trying to induce them. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programm, he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi categorically that no businessman has approached him. " . . as I sit here, I can be very frank with you; no businessman has met me. I haven't received a call from no person and I don't think a decision I've taken will be influenced by any other person." He, however, backed the call for investigations into the matter. "Personally, I welcome the investigations that the Majority Leader is requesting. Indeed, if someone has come to influence the decision of Members of Parliament, it's quite unfortunate and I'm happy that the Majority Leader has said that he will wish for an investigation to be conducted to unravel who actually, whether there's any truth to the allegation that a businessman attempted to bribe the Members of Parliament," he said. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called on the Members of Parliament to speed up their investigation into the alleged bribery incident in the House. Leader of the Majority Caucus, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed that a businessman tried to bribe some New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs who have called for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen. Although he cannot establish the motive behind the financial inducement by the unnamed businessman, Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, at a press conference, disclosed that investigations are being commissioned into the matter to ascertain its veracity. We will investigate and if it is true, we will establish the motive of that person. What I can say of it (the allegations) as of now is that, we dont know the motive. Not knowing what the motive is, sometimes these things come up, so we will have to establish that. You remember the issue of a minister who was nominated to appear before the Vetting Committee, there were allegations that he attempted to bribe some people or influence some people, eventually, it turned out to be untrue. Even though this one has come before me, not having gone into it, I dont want to make any pronouncements on it. Lets see if indeed it is true and that is not an insult to the intelligence of those people who spoke to it, he said. Touching on the matter, Mr. Pratt was of a firm opinion that the investigation should be swift to dispel any illusions of people pointing fingers at some notable businessmen in the country. He called on the MPs to take the matter seriously and see to its proper conclusion. Contributing to Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme Friday morning, the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper stressed; "They should speed up the investigation. This shouldn't take too long to investigate." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A video purportedly showing the drowning of the three-year-old son of Afrobeats star Davido is actually CCTV footage of the drowning of a two-year-old boy in China, the BBC Disinformation Unit has confirmed. Police have also dismissed the video - which has gone viral on social media - as fake. We are yet to start looking at the CCTV obtained from Davidos home. Any video you see online is not the real thing. It is fake, police spokesman in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin, told the BBC. Davido's son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, drowned on Monday night in a swimming pool at the music star's home in Lagos, the main city in Nigeria. The incident depicted in the video occurred on 23 August 2019 in China. Davido and his fiancee Chioma Rowland, a popular chef and influencer, have not yet commented on their son's death. On Tuesday eight domestic staff of the celebrity were invited for interrogation - six of them have since been released. The police spokesman confirmed that one of those still being questioned is the late Ifeanyis nanny. We hope to transfer them to the state criminal investigative department today [Wednesday] for further questioning, he said. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Instagram has told the BBC that they deactivated the account of the Nigerian influencer and high-profile international fraudster, Hushpuppi, because he broke their rules on fraud. "We dont want anyone to use our apps to defraud or exploit people, and have clear rules against fraudulent activity - including money laundering," a spokesperson from Meta, which owns Instagram, said in a statement. "We disabled @hushpuppis account for breaking these rules," the statement continued. Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, used to post luxurious images on his Instagram, displaying his expensive lifestyle to his 2.8 million followers. But that luxury lifestyle came to an abrupt end after he was arrested in Dubai, where he lived, in June 2020. Less than a year later, he pleaded guilty to money laundering in a US court and is considered to be one of the world's most high-profile fraudsters, according to the FBI. Unsealed court documents showed that in his last plot, he tried to steal more than $1.1m ($960m) from someone who wanted to build a school in Qatar. He had a network all over the world, with some of his schemes spreading from Malta to Mexico. Documents filed in California say that his' crimes cost nearly $24m, and he now faces a potential 20-year jail sentence. Despite Hushpuppi's guilty plea last year, Instagram had not taken down his account at the time, saying they had investigated and decided not to close it. The current deactivation of his account was first picked up by Nigerian media on Sunday. Meta's rules on fraud says they try to "prevent fraudulent activity that can harm people or businesses". Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Demonstrators wave colours of the flag of Iran as they participate in a worldwide "human chain" along the Alexandra Bridge joining Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., organized by the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims in solidarity with antigovernment protesters in Iran, on October 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang CUPE Ontario members and supporters wave signs and flags as they demonstrate outside of the Queen's Park Legislative Building in Toronto, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. The Ontario Labour Relations board is set to hear another day of testimony on the government's application to deem yesterday's walkout by education workers illegal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston The first mystery you have to solve about Blind Faith is the authors name. The dust jacket for the new novel, a crime thriller set in Billings, lists Alicia Beckman as the author. But a bit of snooping reveals that Beckman is a pen name. The author is actually Leslie Budewitz, a Billings-born, Seattle-educated mystery novelist who now lives in Bigfork. Blind Faith features dual timelines. One is modern, one historic. The historic one involves the murder of Father Michael Leary, a priest at the St. Patricks Co-Cathedral in downtown Billings. St. Pats is one of the many real-life Billings places Budewitz incorporated into her fictional tale about the town she grew up in. The modern timeline in Blind Faith, follows Lindsay Keller, a prosecutor who grew up in Billings, and Brian Donovan, a detective from Boston. The pair work to unravel the long-unsolved murder of the priest, and come across buried secrets and hidden darkness along the way. If that sounds law-heavy, its by design. Budewitz was a lawyer by trade, but she started rethinking that after going through some tribulations in her life. Its been my observation that when a lot of people go through personal challenges, she said, if theyve got any creative urges at all, thats when they come out. Thats true for her. Once Budewitz started writing, she couldnt stop. Her first book, a nonfiction guide for authors to help make sure theyre writing about the law accurately, won an Agatha Award sort of like the Oscars for mystery writers. She just had to keep going after that. I realized I wasnt through, she remembered. I wanted to continue to write my own stories. So she did. Most of Budewitzs output has been in two series thats shes been working on for the past decade. She calls them the Food Lovers Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries. Think Agatha Christie with recipes, she explained. Thats fitting, because shes gone on to win two more Agatha Awards for them. She loves what she calls her lighthearted, cozy mysteries. But there was more in her. Thats where Alicia Beckman came in. The nom de plume, Budewitz explained, was a suggestion from her publisher to help distinguish these more serious, true-crime inspired novels from her pulpier, more cheery works. The name Alicia Beckman has a Billings tie in, as well. Alice was Budewitzs mothers name. Her mother lived in Billings until 2009. And Beckman was the name of Budewitzs great-grandparents. Budewitzs first book under the Beckman name was 2021s Bitterroot Lake, a fictionalized take on the upper northwest corner of Montana. She decided to set this one in Billings after remembering an experience she had here in the 1970s. Budewitz attended Central High School, and one day there was a new girl in class, a rarity since her graduating class had only 75 kids. Budewitz gave the new girl a ride home. She lived in a motel on the eastern edge of downtown, Budewitz remembered. Which was an unusual place for a kid to live. And she lived with her grandmother and sister. Budewitz never saw her again. Every few years I would remember her and wonder who she was, Budewitz said. Where had she gone? What happened? That was the kernel Blind Faith grew out of. Two characters in the book walk home from Billings Central one day, and they never see each other again. There are layers of tragedy there, Budewitz said. There are several mysteries woven together. She didnt base the book on any specific cases or events, but Budewitz admits she did use some real events as triggers for my imagination. She started working on the Blind Faith in 2016, and used a 2018 trip to Billings as an opportunity to reacquaint herself with the place she grew up in. Its really important to me to be able to convey a sense of a place, she said. Other real life Billings locations she worked into the narrative include the Dude Rancher hotel. She also has her main character Lindsay work at a bookstore in the Rimrock Mall, just like Budewitz herself did. One prominent location is the Rainbow Bar, the long-running public house on Montana Avenue. She drew so much inspiration from it that she asked the owners to let her use the real name. A fictional stand-in just couldnt live up to the real deal. The book is available at This House of Books, and Budewitz will give a talk at the Billings Public Library on Saturday. I think local readers will enjoy seeing what Ive done with the city, she said. Its a place I still love. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Bill Maher has been pandering to the Fox News/MAGA crowd for months on his show, but with democracy on the brink, Maher is suddenly worried. Video: Maher said in part: Even if Trump loses it doesnt matter on inauguration day 2025 hes going to show up whether hes on the list or not and this time hes not going to take no for an answer because this time he will have behind him the army of election deniers that is being elected in four days there are almost 300 candidates on the ballot this year who dont believe in ballots and theyll be the ones writing the rules and monitoring how votes are counted in 24. the facts the policies the behavior dont matter anymore Trump could be filmed throwing a baby off a bridge and still win not to give Herschel Walker any ideas. This really is the Crossing the Rubicon moment when the election deniers are elected which is often how countries slide into authoritarianism not with tanks in the streets but by electing the people who then have no intention of ever giving it back. The Republican up for Wisconsin governor just said if hes elected quote Republicans will never lose another election. This is the it cant happen to us moment thats happening to us right now. We just dont feel it yet Were the Titanic right after the iceberg hit and honestly too many Americans just dont care and wont even care after it happens because they never followed politics to begin with and were never taught in school what democratic government was supposed to look like, so how sad can they be about losing something they never knew they had? For months, Bill Maher has gone MAGA. He has courted the Fox News audience with rants against Democrats, liberals, progressives, and especially anything that he considers woke. The biggest outlet giving his comments attention became Fox News, but with days to go before an election, MAGA Maher is worried about democracy. The good news for America is that Bill Mahers predictions are almost always wrong, and the gloom and doom scenario that he offered up in his New Rules is no different. Maher assumes Republicans will win Congress when it is more likely that Democrats will keep the Senate. Bill Maher thinks that election deniers are going to control the 2024 election, but this plan has already pretty much fallen apart. Election deniers have already lost in places like Georgia and are heading for defeat in other states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. While election deniers may be elected in Arizona, and Wisconsin, which Maher mentioned is a toss-up. It is hypocritical of Bill Maher to spend months appealing to the right and then say that democracy is in peril. Democracy is in peril, but the forces of freedom are putting up a great fight, and despite people like Bill Mahers best efforts, will not allow the election deniers to win in 2022. The Salvation Army in Billings with help from the Gianforte Family Foundation will build a couple dozen tiny houses for the homeless in an empty lot on Sixth Street North near downtown Billings. The collection of mini-houses will be known as the William Booth Village and construction on the first phase will begin early next year. William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London in 1865. "I've always admired the village model," said Lt. Colin Pederson, leader of the Billings corps of the Salvation Army. "We're trying to do our part to help the community out." The $1.8 million project has been in the works for a few years and one of its biggest hurdles has been securing the funding, Pederson said. The Gianforte Family Foundation recently donated $150,000 for the project's Phase 1, helping push the project over the starting line. "We're finally at a point where we're ready to move forward," Pederson said. The village will offer housing for those who struggle to access other shelters or programs in the city. The tiny houses will be single dwelling cabins, accessible to wheelchairs. Phase 1 begins with the construction of seven or eight of them. They'll have no running water; instead the occupants will shower and do laundry at the Salvation Army's facilities next door. Some will offer a three-month stay and others will work on a two-year occupancy. The single dwelling feature of the cabins will allow the residents a measure of privacy and dignity, said Denise Czuprynski, communications manager for the foundation. Having them use Salvation Army facilities for showering and laundry will help give the residents opportunities to socialize, she said. Various organizations in Billings offer emergency, low-barrier and long term shelter to both the transient and unhoused populations in the city. But some members of those populations fall through the cracks, Pederson said, and his hope is that the tiny houses village will catch them. "Housing in Billings, and everywhere in the state, is really, really tough right now," said Czuprynski. Currently, Billings has roughly three types of shelters that offer services. First is the Community Crisis Center, which provides immediate crisis care and connects individuals with a case worker and services within a 24-hour stay. Then there's the Montana Rescue Mission, a private, Christian shelter that focuses on providing shelter, training and services for those looking to get off the street, tackle their addictions and find work. Between the two is Billings' low-barrier shelter, a space for those who don't need the immediate help of the Crisis Center but aren't ready for the more structured services offered by the Montana Rescue Mission. In most cases, the issues that drive people to homelessness or transience can't be addressed and solved until they have a stable and secure place to stay. Pederson believes the tiny houses project will be able to give that stability. It's specifically designed to help those who've been unable to find help elsewhere, he said. To illustrate the point, Pederson pointed to one of the better known unhoused residents of downtown Billings. The man was incontinent and carried around a colostomy bag. As a result the congregant living setups at the other downtown shelters were unavailable to him. He wasn't dealing with addiction or abuse, Pederson said. He simply had a health issue that made it impossible for other shelters to help. Pederson sees the village model of tiny houses as the perfect solution for issue like those. "In our opinion it really fills the gap in this community," he said. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Abundant sunshine. High 69F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 55F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Leroy Myrick, at age 74, has come to know Uncle Sam fairly well over the course of the past 55 years, serving in a variety of roles both in Aiken County and halfway around the world. The Aiken native, in his Army years, wound up receiving a Purple Heart in the wake of a mortar attack in Vietnam, where he reached the rank of sergeant en route to a career that included more than 30 years at the Savannah River Site. Longtime friend Audrey Ogletree chose the phrase "really warm and welcoming" to describe him, recalling their initial contact as she came to know Aiken largely through her work at SRS and also involvement at Friendship Baptist Church, where both are members. He completed his work at the nuclear reservation in 2011, having begun as a janitor and moved on to work in accounting and human resources, with help from a bachelor's degree in accounting from the former Augusta College. "I went to school. Then I went into accounting. Then I wound up, the last 15 years ... in human resources," he recalled, noting that one of his co-workers was Lessie Price, largely known for her decades as an Aiken City Council member. "Leroy worked for me ... and did a fantastic job," Price recalled. She noted that "one of the things that stands out with Leroy is his candor and ... the ease you can have in having a conversation with him." She credited him with a strong work ethic, and added, "Our personalities worked out really well, as employee to manager." His upward mobility, once he set his mind on changing careers, was quick. "Leroy has always wanted to expand his reach to help others, and to this very day, he is constantly looking for ways to help people and improve their lifestyle, reduce their financial burden and improve their families' environment," Price said. "He's a very honest man, and if you don't want to know the truth, don't ask Leroy. If you really want to know what the community is thinking, Leroy is the guy that has ... a grassworks network with the community, and he's the go-to guy." Retired educator James Gallman, known to some for his NAACP leadership at the local and state level, made similar comments. "He is a very funny guy to be around. In my opinion, he loves people, and ... I call him, a lot of times, the chairman of the street," Gallman said, acknowledging that Myrick tends to have a good feel for local residents' concerns and priorities. Over the years, Myrick also became a leader of the local NAACP an organization in which he holds a life membership and can now reflect on an upbringing that included a childhood in racially segregated Aiken schools followed by college years in integrated schools. His family roots are local, with his mom (one of nine kids) and dad (an only child) having grown up in Oakwood and Allendale, respectively. Myrick noted that his father had planned to head north in October 1930, for better job opportunities. "He got to Aiken one day and turned 18 the next day ... He was on his way, but then his mother came up here, and he didn't want her to think that he was running off leaving her, so he wound up staying. I told him, 'I'm sorry you didn't make it to New York, but I'm sure glad you left Allendale.'" Myrick's current roles include serving as treasurer of Umoja Village, described on its website as "a South Carolina-based charitable organization, that encompasses a strategic alliance of Blacks and African Americans united with a common goal: To unify underserved populations and the entire community to bring about positive and sustainable change." "I think he is a friend to everyone and a stranger to no one," said Joyie Bradley, who has known Myrick for decades, as a fellow trustee of Friendship Baptist and former co-worker at SRS. "He's very outgoing, friendly and helpful to everybody he meets," Bradley said. "He never meets a stranger." He did, however, get plenty of unwelcome attention as a teenager overseas. Myrick recalled his days as a recent graduate of Schofield High School, with university studies on his mind. "I went to Tennessee State, in Nashville, for a year, and I stayed out a semester, and my daddy told me, 'Uncle Sam's gonna get you,' and sure enough." It happened. Myrick's number came up, and he was Army-bound, by way of southeastern Virginia. Eventually, he would get acquainted with a place known as "Rocket City." "They told me that I took an extra year to try to keep from going to Vietnam, and there was 45 in my class that graduated in Fort Lee, Virginia. There were two of us me and another guy in that class that went to Vietnam." In Myrick's case, that meant the Tay Ninh combat base, in a hilly area near the Cambodian border. "I went in the Army August 26, 1968. I landed in South Vietnam January 24, 1969 two days from being five months from the time I went in the Army, I was in the Army in Vietnam, at 19." His role was primarily in keeping supplies moving in the right direction. "I was like a stock control and accounting specialist ... I was a lead clerk," he said. "I wasn't in the field, but we issued supplies like boots all of that kind of stuff." A highly unwelcome arrival resulted in the end of Myrick's military days. "I was working in the building, and a mortar we had a rocket attack came in the building and hit me in the leg ... That's how I got wounded." It was a familiar concept for Myrick. "They were throwing them in there every night, and what they called it ... was Rocket City, because as soon as the sun went down, they sent them rockets in there." He and his compatriots were "like sitting ducks," dealing with the enemy's system of elaborate tunnels used for everything from hit-and-run attacks to food caches, communication routes and living quarters. He noted that his injuries came 35 days after he arrived in Vietnam. "It's hard to beat a man in his own back yard," Myrick recalled. "He's got all his stuff there." Myrick's injuries were successfully treated in Cambodia, and he was then shipped stateside in 1970, arriving in San Francisco, a center of hippie culture and strong anti-war sentiment. "They basically called us baby-killers and all kinds of stuff." By that point, Myrick was 20 still too young to engage legally in some aspects of nightlife, so he immediately acquired a fake I.D. and then found club doors open to him. Decades later, opening other kinds of doors has become one of Myrick's favorite pursuits. He was hired at SRS known then as the Savannah River Plant in 1973, and came to focus more and more on helping others acquire good jobs. 'That's one of the things I like to do now," he confirmed. "I help people try to get jobs at Savannah River Site, because they're needing so many people out there." "He's close to my family, and I'm close to his family," Price said. "He is a good and decent servant, as is his entire family just really a great example for this community." Myrick confirmed that family activities help him stay active. He and his wife, Theresa, a retired cosmetologist, have a family tree that now includes three sons, two daughters, 15 grandchildren and three great-grands. "I work for Uber, but I'm an unpaid Uber driver," the father of the house noted, with a chuckle. He added that the family's official enterprises also include a pair of Richland Avenue establishments: Bettis Package Shop and (a few steps away) a club known to many as The Ponderosa, and more recently known as Chemistry's Tapas & Tonics. The topic of candor and honesty also came up, with regard to the younger generations of Myricks. "I always tell them the truth, whether they like it or not." He also laughed in recalling a lesson he offered one morning years ago for one of his sons whom he caught in an effort to conceal having been out overnight, instead of sleeping at home. "I went right out the front door and felt the hood of the car. I said, 'You just got here. You can't be pulling them fool games on me.' I told them, 'Most of that stuff that y'all are doing, I invented it.'" A nearly 75-year-old Charleston-area lodging near the "Edge of America" that changed hands last fall for $3.35 million has been renovated and now has a new name. The 16-room, former family-owned Holliday Inn at 116 W. Ashley Ave., one block from the ocean on Folly Beach, is now called Folliday Inn. Matthew Baldino, a restaurant and bar owner from Chicago who often visited the beach with his wife and stayed at the inn, bought the overnight accommodation site in a partnership with two brothers and other investors in September 2021. A top-to-bottom renovation started in February on the building that still maintained a lot of its 1940s-era decor. The building's structural bones were in good shape, but not much else was salvageable, so builders completed a tear-down to the studs leaving as much original paneling as possible, according to Baldino. Contractors also renovated an 8,000-square-foot outdoor space behind the inn, including a 4,000-square-foot open event area and one of the largest inground pools on Folly Beach. Baldino enlisted Christyn Dunning of coastal design firm The Guest House Design, who suggested the hotel have a bohemian flair but still feel modern. She developed nautical themes, using wallpaper with palms, rattan beds and painted paneling to evoke the inn's past. The event facility's brick patio, with palm trees and tropical landscaping, can accommodate up to 250 guests for weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate retreats and parties. Other space is available around the pool. "It was a dream project, but I needed my two brothers to get us to the finish line," Baldino said. "Our vision is to create a place where people bring their families year after year, as we do. The location is ideal, and the inn is an excellent setup for large groups, family reunions and weddings." The inn includes five rooms with king-size beds, six with queens and five with double-queens. Eight pairs of rooms can connect, creating four suites. There is onsite parking, and amenities include in-room kitchenettes, smart TVs, free WiFi and luxury mattresses and linens. New cottages Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! A new cottage development is ready to begin welcoming residents in Summerville. Officials will snip the ribbon at 4 p.m. Nov. 9 on the 282-unit Villas at Nexton at 267 Grand Cypress Road in the large, mixed-use Nexton community in Berkeley County. The new community of one- to three-bedroom cottages by Alabama-based Capstone Communities will offer young professionals, empty nesters and people moving to the Charleston area the option to rent instead of buy. It's located north of the 55-plus Del Webb Nexton development. Capstone also is developing build-for-rent communities in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. The Nexton project is the companys third multifamily deal in South Carolina. Others are in Clemson and Columbia. Two others are currently under development in Myrtle Beach and North Charleston. Storing stuff A Mount Pleasant-based real estate investor recently acquired six storage facilities across the nation. Ziff Real Estate Partners, through its ZRP Storage Opportunity Fund, bought Morristown Self Storage in Morristown, Tenn.; J&S Self Storage in Fountain, Colo.; Mocks Hwy 20 Self Storage in Cumming, Ga.; Atlas Business Center in Gainesville, Ga.; and StoreEase sites in Roanoke, Va., and Waldorf, Md. The StoreEase properties were acquired for adaptive reuse. Financial terms were not disclosed. Upon completion, the acquisitions will total 340,000 net rentable square feet and have 2,750 climate- and non-climate-controlled units, as well as rental spaces for boats and RVs. GREENVILLE A new, upscale cocktail bar is in the works for the Camperdown development in downtown Greenville. The proposed lounge, which is set to go before the city's Board of Zoning Appeals on Nov. 10, would offer craft cocktails, wine and beer, as well as charcuterie boards. The Cocktail Company, as it's called in the application to the board, would specialize in "top shelf bourbon" and other spirits with light fare to compliment the specialty beverages. It would offer a "relaxed place to get a top notch" drink, according to the application, and cater to the after-work and after-dinner crowd, as well as groups before and after events at nearby venues. "The proposed business is a high-end cocktail bar that will contribute to the vibrancy of downtown Greenville's evening food and beverage options," the application states. "The cocktail bar will appeal to both the growing downtown resident population and the visiting tourists staying in nearby hotels." Situated on Camperdown's south side near the Bank of America tower, the bar would have an indoor capacity of 122 people with a covered outdoor patio facing the Reedy River along Japanese Dogwood Lane that could hold up to 38. A layout of the planned business shows a mix of lounge and bar seating. It would not host full bands or DJs, but solo musicians and duos would perform there occasionally. The Cocktail Company would be open from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and from noon to 2 a.m. Saturday. Food would be served from opening to midnight every day. The new business would rely on public parking and the valet service already offered at the Camperdown development, as well as security provided by the development. The Cocktail Company would be the latest from developer Howard Dozier, who recently opened the music venue Cowboy Up Nightlife in the Judson Mill development and the Crazy Mason milkshake shop on the West End near Fluor Field. Carroll College in Helena announced plans for a new graduate-level physician assistant program on Thursday. Once it begins in Fall 2025, it will be the second program of its kind in Montana. The 27-month program will include 12 months of clinical student training on the way towards a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies upon completion. Carrolls new physician assistant program will serve the growing health care needs across Montana and especially rural areas, said Carroll College President John Cech at the announcement. Building on our highly successful undergraduate nursing, pre-med, allied health and health sciences programs, a graduate-level physician assistant program is a natural progression for the college and a strong fit for the mission of Carroll College in serving others. To date, the only other accredited Montana PA program in the U.S. is Rocky Mountain College in Billings. In 2019, Rocky expanded its 26-month program to include 48 slots. The program to date has been successful with 2019 statistics showing students with a 98% first-time pass rate on a national certification exam, and 100% of graduates placed in jobs within six months after graduating. The school continually gets an average of 800 applications internationally per year for the program, according to Rocky Mountain PA Program Director Carrie Hall. Due to class and rotation limitations and a need for more qualified workers, she welcomed the addition of Carrol Colleges program to train more PAs. Providers are passionate in the state, when it comes to bringing in learners, Hall said. [So] If there are more people that want to come in and help, absolutely. In its 2022 October Postsecondary Workforce Report, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry highlighted the need for more PAs across the state. According to the report, Montana has a demand for twice the number of available PAs with 36 graduates from Rocky over the last four years and between 40 to 70 workers needed per year to meet job projections. The department currently projects 67 annual openings for PAs through 2030 with as many as 38 new graduates needed per year. The field is fast becoming a coveted position across the country with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 28% growth for the PA field by 2031. US News and World Report projects the field as the third best occupation overall and the second best in health care fields in 2022. According to the MTDLI report, PA graduates from Rocky Mountain earn $94,610 in median income in their first year with an annual percentage growth rate of 4% annually, reaching over $136,000 in 10 years. Where Montana currently struggles in the field is its retention rate. Only 40% of PA graduates stay for work after graduation, which is less than the average for masters and doctoral programs. Hall said this is the result of insufficient rotational programs in the state and those who go on to earn their doctorate choose to remain in the community where they complete their residency. She added that a lack of physicians also limits the opportunities to fill open PA positions since they require someone in that position who oversees them. If you dont have a supervising position in Scobey, you cant get a PA to come out there and thats the case with a lot of rural areas in Montana, Hall said. The ultimate solution to solving the workforce shortage in the medical field comes in continuing to establish programs like Rocky and Carrolls, Hall said, along with additional clinical rotations and residencies, which becomes tricky due to the years-long accrediting process. Both universities have taken the first steps to address this with Rocky beginning a PA Doctorate program in 2020, which opens up opportunities for promotions into leadership or management positions, and Carrol College partnering with St. Peters Health to construct a clinic on the southwest corner of their campus to house the PA program. The plan comes as part of Carrolls five-year strategic plan to enhance its academic presence that includes a master's of social work and an accelerated nursing track introduced in the last two years. Carroll College has a strong tradition of leading the nation in preparing students for medical school, said Rich Rasmussen, president and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association at the announcement. Now that same commitment to preparing students for medical school will be leveraged to graduate physician assistants ready to deliver high quality care in Montana. Carrolls deep commitment to our state and longstanding relationship with hospitals across the state will help fill the needed gap for physician assistants and help solve a critical workforce shortage. Carrolls inaugural PA class is set to receive 34 students in fall 2025. Carroll will begin searching for a Founding Program Director by summer 2023. Its hard to argue with the legal logic behind the Greenville County Election Commissions decision to drop its prohibition on MAGA and Black Lives Matter hats, shirts and other apparel inside polling places. S.C. law prohibits campaign materials where votes are being cast, and while both of those slogans carry a definite political message, its hard to argue that a policy banning them is narrowly tailored to meet the states legitimate interest in keeping out material that could influence how people vote. A ban on Reelect McMaster or Joe Cunningham for Governor, absolutely. BLM and Make America Great Again, not so much. And truth be told, the main reason we want our polling places free of such apparel isnt to prevent tipping voters to one candidate or the other at the last minute. It is, as Greenville Election Director Conway Belangia tells us, to maintain the peace. With opinions running as strong as they are, I dont need verbal confrontations between the two groups, or any other groups, he said. We want voters to be able to come in and quietly cast their ballot without the risk of being yelled at or screamed at or sneered at or ridiculed in any other way. We want the voting experience to be a pleasant experience. Pleasant might be a bit much to expect even with early voting, there will still be waits in some precincts but we certainly ought to be able to expect that other voters wont make us feel like we don't have any business voting. And vice versa. Indeed, the atmospherics are the main reason were interested in Greenvilles decision under threat of a lawsuit from the ACLU to abandon its position as the last county in South Carolina that banned the MAGA and BLM slogans at the polls. In a Tuesday memo alerting poll workers to the change, Mr. Belangia acknowledged that it could mean poll workers will have to be more diligent to maintain decorum and not allow verbal exchanges between individual supporters of the groups that want to influence voters with the display of these items. Fortunately, South Carolina's early voting scene seems to have been free of the violence, intimidation and disruption weve been seeing in other states, and worrying about here. But election officials are right to be on the lookout for it, particularly on Tuesday, which likely will see greater concentrations of voters than we've seen for the past two weeks. And all of us need to do our part to prevent it, by remembering that Election Day brings us together with people who don't necessarily share our point of view something too few of us encounter regularly any more and by bringing our best manners to the polls. So heres a thought: Until the Legislature bans all slogan-emblazoned apparel in the polling place not a bad idea, that, although it likely would provoke the ACLUs ire as well we would urge voters to leave the BLM T-shirt in the drawer and the MAGA hat in the car. (Everybody knows that gentlemen dont wear hats indoors anyway.) And while youre at it, skip any clothing that advertises the NRA or the ACLU, that declares my body, my choice or lets go Brandon or, unless your only alternative is to show up naked, anything with words or symbols on it. Even if our motivation for displaying political messages on our bodies is to proudly proclaim our values, we all know that such slogans are provocative. There may be appropriate places to be provocative, but polling places aren't among them. If you must wear a political message, save it for political rallies before Election Day or for the victory parties after the polls close. Elon Musk is said to be laying off half of Twitters 7,500 employees. This doesnt come as a surprise: Twitters head count seems absurdly high, and expenses will need to be cut to have any hope of generating a profit commensurate with Musks purchase price. But Elon says there is more to it than that. He says Twitters revenue has dropped dramatically because leftists have pressured companies not to advertise on the platform: Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 That liberal activists are trying to destroy free speech is not in doubt. But this is an extreme case: liberals, not content with controlling virtually the entire press and all other major social media and tech platforms, are trying to destroy the lone possible dissenter by pressuring others to withdraw advertising support. I dont think our history offers even a remote parallel. The advertisers say their concern is brand preservation. They dont want to be associated with a platform where there is a lot of inappropriate content. This guy makes the point: Elon, Great chat yesterday, As you heard overwhelmingly from senior advertisers on the call, the issue concerning us all is content moderation and its impact on BRAND SAFETY/SUITABILITY. You say youre committed to moderation, but you just laid off 75% of the moderation team! Lou Paskalis (@LouPas) November 4, 2022 The problem with this facially-neutral explanation is that Twitter has always been a cesspool. Advertisers apparently had no problem with tens of thousands of #RapeMelania tweets, or severed heads of Donald Trump, or active Twitter accounts run by terrorists, or, as Musk has complained, countless bot accounts, Russian and otherwise. But the old Twitter cesspool, being on the Left, was apparently not a threat to brand safety. Musk has tried to appease advertisers by telling them nothing will change with regard to moderation, with the implicit exception that Twitter wont continue to shut down conservatives. But that doesnt seem to be good enough for advertisers like General Motors, LOreal, Volkswagen, Pfizer, Audi and General Mills, all of whom have publicly declared that they will no longer advertise on Twitter, even though nothing in particular has happened in the few days since Musk took over the company. And who knows how many other companies have quietly made the same move. What to conclude? Hostility toward free speech, especially free speech that leans conservative or is not on board with social fads of the moment, is widespread. Sadly, it doesnt take much pressure from far-left activists to induce major corporations to swear fealty to Leftism uber alles. In fact, I am not sure it takes any pressure at all. NBC News anchor Miguel Almaguer reported that Paul Pelosi reacted in an unusual way to the arrival of police officers after calling 911 in the incident that President Biden led his closing argument with this week. A few hours after the story aired yesterday morning on Today, however, NBC deep-sixed it with this editors statement: The piece should not have aired because it did not meet NBC News reporting standards. NROs Ari Blaff adds this: NBC did not respond when asked why the segment was retracted. Thanks to New Twitter, the story remains available. Is there any doubt that Old Twitter would have killed it? In any event, NewBusters Curtis Houck is one of several who have taken advantage of the Musk Dispensation (below). Here's the Paul Pelosi report from NBC's 'Today' show that's been scrubbed from their Twitter & site. In it, Miguel Almaguer alleged police didn't know what was happening upon arrived & Paul didn't "declare an emergency," instead walked toward the suspect, away from police (1/2) pic.twitter.com/nWUyZdn75x Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 4, 2022 Whats going on here? I think NBC News owes the public an explanation of how the story failed its standards. As matters stand now, this incident reminds me of the classic scene in Dr. Strangelove in which Colonel Bat Guano shoots up a Coke machine at the behest of Group Captain Lionel Mandrake to get change for a long-distance call to the president. If events dont pan out as alleged, Guano warns Mandrake, Youre gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company. In this case some executive at NBC warned someone at NBC News, Youre gonna have to answer to the President of the United States. Our friend Tom Klingenstein is chairman of the Claremont Institute and author of the Minding the Campus column Ban pornography in Maine schools. I believe Tom has had a hand in the creation of the companion video posted here that is to air on Maine television tomorrow. A commenter on Toms MTC column sounds an alarm for parents with kids in public schools around the United States: These books likely are in every school library in the country. In Virginia where I live, the school board, school administrators, and school librarians have pointed to the American Library Association to defend their book selection policies. Many think that the ALA is a neutral organization that uses clear standards of literary merit to select the books that receive awards and that they recommend to readers. But a deeper dive will show that this is not true. The ALA claims 54,000 members. This year less than 10% of the membership elected a Marxist lesbian as its president. The vote was 5410 for her and well over 4622 for her opposition. It is clear that a radical minority has co-opted the ALA much as other institutions have been co-opted. Is it any wonder then that an ALA president who advocates the queering of school libraries would support, with her radical allies, the adoption of library materials that advocate for materials that could not be shown in a movie theater to anyone under 18. I obtained an MLS in 1972 and have many years of experience as a librarian. Steve Hayward linked to Toms column in What are the pollsters missing? Maine voters can let their voices be heard on Tuesday. As Steve noted, former Maine Governor Paul LePage is making the radical and often shockingly graphic gender-denying books in school libraries and curricula a central issue in his comeback race against Mills. Mills is trying to affect a pose of neutrality on the issue, but voters by now know which party supports this kind of radical propaganda as well as the destructive COVID school shutdowns. RCPs rankings place Emerson College 6th out of 23 multi-state pollsters in accuracy over the past three election cycles. (The rankings are the work of RCPs Polling Accountability Project.) Emerson trails Trafalgar, which comes in 5th on RCPs rankings. I have relied on Trafalgars work in reading the tea leaves based on what I believe to be an impressive record. In any event, below is a summary of Emersons final polling in four marquee Senate races. Emerson has more here (Arizona), here (Pennsylvania), here (Nevada), and here (Wisconsin). Not all of the results are outside the margin of error or of cheating, but they appear to be trending in favor of Republicans. FINAL POLLING By Emerson College AZ Sen (R) Blake Masters 48.1% (D) Mark Kelly 47.7% PA Sen (R) Mehmet Oz 48% (D) John Fetterman 47% NV Sen (R) Adam Laxalt 51% (D) Catherine Cortez Masto 46% WI Sen (R) Ron Johnson 51% (D) Mandela Barnes 46%https://t.co/8iuF9vmj0M InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) November 4, 2022 The New Hampshire Senate race has not been advertised as one of this years marquee races. Incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan is nevertheless in a close contest with retired Brigadier General Don Bolduc. The new Daily Wire/Trafalgar poll of the race ran from 10/30-11/1 and included 1242 likely voters. This Trafalgar poll follows on the St. Anselm College Survey Center Poll that I took a look at here earlier this week. Trafalgar has posted the results of its New Hampshire poll here. The Daily Wire reports on the results here. Trafalgars results show Bolduc leading within the polls 2.9 percent margin of error. According to Trafalgar, Bolduc stands at 47 percent and Hassan at 45.7 percent. With Hassan that far under 50 percent, Bolduc might be in position to win this race. However, the libertarian candidate complicates the picture. Trafalgar puts him at 4 percent. Only 3.2 percent of respondents were undecided. The Daily Wire story quotes Trafalgars Robert Cahaly: [T]he undecideds are still very anti-Biden. Just to round out the picture, however, Emersons final survey of the race (10/30-11/1) suggests otherwise: The final Emerson College Polling survey finds 49% of voters support Senator Maggie Hassan for re-election while 45% support Republican Donald Bolduc. Three percent are undecided. With undecided voters support accounted for, Hassan and Bolduc gained one point each, to 50% and 46%. KALISPELL Widespread power outages across the Flathead extended into a third day Friday with high winds and frigid temperatures expected in coming hours and days. Sustained winds up to 40 mph with gusts topping 60 mph forecast for Friday night into Saturday morning threaten to undo the 48 hours of work so far to restore power to customers across the region. The outages peaked with more than 20,000 Flathead Electric Cooperative customers without power on Thursday. Widespread outages began midday Wednesday as 6 inches of wet, heavy snow began overburdening trees, sending many down onto power lines. By 4 p.m. Friday, just over 2,000 customers remained without power. Everything that weve just done is going to be for nothing if the wind event occurs as forecast, said Clovie Dschaak, a field supervisor with Flathead Electric. On Friday afternoon, Dschaak was supervising a Glacier Electric Co-op crew working to repair downed power lines at the northeast end of Charlotte Avenue north of downtown Kalispell. He said it was his fifth outage repair of the day. Some are quick and easy, entailing only branch removal, while others involve time-consuming procedures of repairing and raising fallen cables. Flathead Electric crews have been working in staggered shifts to provide 24-hour coverage. They have been aided by crews from Glacier Electric, Missoula Electric, Bonneville Power Administration and Ravalli County. Dschaak said he would maybe go home at midnight, 2 oclock in the morning, and then go back (to work) at 7 a.m. Winds threaten progress But more outages could be coming as high winds move into the area, threatening to leave residents without power and heat as overnight lows drop to around zero degrees early next week. If those outages extend there, then weve got concerns for homeowners about frozen pipes, said Juanita Nelson, the Flathead County emergency management planner. She said shes also worried about dangerous misuse of space heaters. Concerns include people tripping over cords, outdoor space heaters being used indoors (risking carbon monoxide poisoning), and space heaters igniting flammable materials inside homes. Dschaak had concerns for people outside homes: Many people were venturing close to energized downed power lines, and touching branches that were in contact with energized lines. Sooner or later the bad ones going to happen, he said. Stay away from it. Let us get there. Ed Docter, who owns Montana Tap House in Whitefish, said the restaurant was without power for about 90 minutes during dinner time Wednesday. That was all we had, man, we were lucky, so lucky, he said. We cook with gas with our pizza oven, and our beer is powered by CO2, so we put lanterns up and stayed open. Nobody in town reopened so we got crushed. In downtown Kalispell, near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street, 53-year-old Hans Axelson watched as arborists on the ground and in a bucket truck sliced through what remained of a formerly grand, old tree in his front yard. My front yard was piled 6 feet high with branches, he said of Wednesdays destruction. We kept having to pull them out of the street, I couldnt get into my driveway. It seems like every tree lost 4060% of its branches in a matter of hours. The tree in Axelsons front yard deposited a large branch on the roof of his two-story house. It lost so many branches that it couldnt be saved, he lamented. A 50-foot-tall box elder in his backyard split fully in half and knocked out his power Wednesday. Because my tree was on the power line, he said, they deemed it an emergency situation and dealt with it quick, reenergizing his house. Its been an expensive day, he said. Its just a big, unexpected, out of-pocket expense. A block down Fifth Avenue, Steve Harrison was working to clear downed branches and trees from around a rental home. Harrison, 52, works for a company that manages 156 properties in the area, he said, about 30 of which lost power Wednesday. Most of them had power again Friday, but he had been working almost endlessly for 48 hours clearing trees and branches, and theres still a lot yet to go. One place still without power Friday was Harrisons own home nearby, and there was no sign of when its going to be fixed," he said. Harrison, his wife and their dogs moved into their camper in the driveway. We have a heater going in the camper, pets in there, generator, he said. I know a lot of folks dont have that luxury. The tree-toppling storm is just the latest weather phenomenon to batter the area, he observed: Not too long ago we had that hail storm. Seems like we just cant catch a break. There are trees down in the yard all around Harrisons cold, dark house. By Friday afternoon he hadnt gotten a chance to deal with them yet. Harrison said hed seen posts on social media of people in the region, particularly elderly people, who were struggling to find ways to heat or power their homes. Shelter open For those who need a warm, dry, safe place to stay, Flathead County and the American Red Cross established a shelter in the 4-H Building at the Flathead County Fairground, located at 2635 N. Meridian Road in Kalispell. The shelter is free, and anyone staying there should bring their own personal items, medications, electronics, toiletries, food and water, according to the county's Office of Emergency Services. Dogs and cats are allowed, and owners must also bring their pet's vaccination records, a kennel, pet food for three days and pet waste bags. At the shelter on Friday, longtime Red Cross volunteers Jo Ericksen and Barbara Gumbert said that one elderly couple had come in Thursday night seeking a warm place to stay because their home had no power. The couple had trouble getting up off of the cots at the shelter, Gumbert, 74, said, so the Red Cross arranged for them to stay in a hotel. Ericksen, 73, said that she and other volunteers had the shelter ready within an hour of being contacted by Nelson. Its often the poorest of the poor who need a shelter, but she worried many people in need wouldnt know about it. Scott Fairfield, the Red Cross disaster action team coordinator for Lincoln and Sanders counties, lamented that unfortunately shelter has a bad connotation as a shelter manager, I want people to be comfortable, free, ask any questions, have the most up-to-date information. Its their second home. He encouraged people who may need the shelter to come on down, even if its just for information. Often, he said, the biggest challenge is letting the public know that, hey, its here. Its here, were open. I hate to hear from those people who said, Well I slept in my car with the heater on, he said. For information about the shelter, call 800-272-6668. Forty-five year old Zulai Isa held her second daughters hand and looked on in total confusion, as though she was in a fix. Her husband had joined others in rescuing a neighbour who was almost trapped in a flooded building. Mrs Isa knew she would have to follow other women being led to the Internally Displaced Persons Camp at Ramat Primary School in the central area of Gashua, Bade local government area of Yobe State. But she told PREMIUM TIMES that she was afraid of going to the IDP camp. It is very confusing for me, she said, looking keenly into the eyes of her sick child, Yau Isa, who had been battling malaria. What would be my fate and that of my children if I go to the camp? I hate the experience of living in an IDP camp. I just hate it because its dehumanizing. Mrs Isa said she visited people at IDPs camp at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency and the experience was heart breaking. I was thinking of several things at once, she said. The congestion in the room I went to at the camp in Borno was dehumanizing and I thought diseases would quickly spread here. OVER 2,000 DISPLACED IN ONE ZONE Between August and October, devastating floods ravaged several communities across Nigeria, leading to death, destruction of farmlands and houses. In Yobe State, the worst hits areas are mostly in the northern part of the state. The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mohammed Goje, said the flood was the worst flooding experienced in the state in the last 70 years. PREMIUM TIMES found that the worst affected areas were Jakusko, Bursari, Bade, Karasua local government areas with thousands of displaced persons under government care, camped in several primary schools in Gashua town of Bade local government area. The floods also destroyed hundreds of hectares of rice farmlands, including other crops like maize, millet, and sesame. Mohammed M. Gasma, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency Zone C officer, told PREMIUM TIMES that the level of destruction is heart breaking. He said: Over 2,000 have been displaced due to this flood in zone C. Most of them are being kept in schools, especially in Gashua. Some of them have left back to their homes but those whose houses have been destroyed completely couldnt go back yet. He added that the emergency agency in collaboration with the local government areas and other donors have been providing food to the IDPs. Mr Gasma said the camps are being led by officials from SEMA and local government councils to ensure the well-being of the IDPs. We provide them with food every day. The worst affected area is Jakusko in terms of destruction and weve spent over three million naira just to buy empty sacks to fill it with sand in order to divert the water. But in Gasmu and Jakusko, we have over 400 houses that have been destroyed, Mr Gasma said. Sick, Hungry Children Mrs Isa now resides at Ramat Primary School as an IDP and aside from the trauma of losing almost everything to the flood, she said her children have been showing signs of sickness. One of them, the only son, Yau, is down with malaria, she said. When PREMIUM TIMES visited the camp in October, Yau was seen lying on a mat outside a classroom that serves as their room. Ive headache and I drink a lot of water especially at night, Yau told PREMIUM TIMES. But I dont vomit Please, I want to go home because this place smells, he said as he struggled with a cough. Though they have not gone to the hospital because they had no money, Mrs Isa told this reporter that an official of the camp told her that her son is battling malaria. In the three primary schools PREMIUM TIMES visited, most of the children were coughing. At the Almajiri Comprehensive School on the Yusufari bye-pass road, a lady, who simply identified herself as Indo, ran toward the reporter and shouted: please, help us with the drugs for coughing. They said theyre bringing medicine for our children. The classes in all the schools are mostly with shattered windows and doors, thus exposing the IDPs to mosquitoes and cold in the night. Rukayya Isiyaku, another IDP from the Jakusko area, said two days after they arrived at the camp, her daughter, Aisha Isiyaku, started coughing in the night. Now, she does that even in day time and despite the drugs given to her by the official, the coughing has persisted. The 3-year-old Aisha could barely respond to questions as she coughed incessantly and cried. This is how she does it always, the mother said. She will cough for some time then break into tears. Aside from little Aisha, there were over 14 children with severe coughing in the various camps visited but all the officials said they were doing their best to provide relief and comfort for the IDPs. Death, Tears and Pain At the Ramat Primary School IDP camp, Fatsuma Gambo narrated how she lost her daughter, Fatima, four days before PREMIUM TIMES visited the camp in October. The 16-year-old Fatima was a sickle cell patient that had been managing her health quite well until their house was submerged in waters and she had to relocate to the camp with her mother, Mrs Gambo. Few days after we came here, she started becoming weak but you know how sickle cell patients are. So, we thought it was normal until it became obvious that it was not just the sickle issue and we took her to hospital, Mrs Gambo said. The Yobe Specialist Hospital is located a few metres away from the primary school that serves as the IDP camp and when in the night, Fatima became very weak, the camp officials said they took her to hospital. They (health officials) said she was catching a cold and they asked if she was sleeping on the floor, Mrs Gambo said in a teary voice. They didnt know we were IDPs. We dont have beds or even mattresses. Because of Fatimas condition, I gave her one of my only two wrappers and a Hijab to spread on the mat and cover herself while sleeping. A camp official, Danliti Haruna, said the camps house over 200 IDPs all from the Gashua metropolis while IDPs from other areas especially from Jakusko are camped at the Almajiri school and a comprehensive school being built by the state government. He said they receive complaints about children falling sick from mothers on a daily basis but efforts are being made to provide adequate medical care to them. Mr Haruna said health officials from the local government council have been visiting the camp and the other camps in the area, a claim the Almajiri school camp official, Muhammad Hussaini, confirmed. ALSO READ: Over 50 families displaced as flood sacks Ebonyi community Everyone here is from Gashua metropolis especially Katunzu, Malenjo, Yabila, Buba Agana, Yamai Sale and other areas. We give them food sometimes once. SEMA has tried the local government council because they have so far provided cooked food for us but its mostly once a day, Mr Haruna said. Mr Hussaini added that they administer drugs especially for malaria because there are mosquitoes in the camps. Weve written to the Social department and Im sure theyll respond, he said. In all the camps, PREMIUM TIMES saw only three mosquito nets in the classes that served as room for the IDPs. Each family is given two mats without blankets, including Messrs Gambo and Isa who have four children each. Mr Gasma, the SEMA official, said the IDPs at the state government comprehensive school couldnt go back to their areas because the floods were devastating. He said: I know of all the issues because these are my people. I know they want to go home but the houses are still submerged and some areas are not even accessible not only to them but the government too. There are communities in Bade West that are still flooded and itll take you over six hours to access those communities with canoes. Quest to go home When Mrs Gambos daughter died and her son became ill, Mrs Isa said she made up her mind to go home despite opposition from her husband, who sleeps in a mosque near the IDP camp. One evening after the Asr prayer, Mrs Isa trekked down to their house in Katunzu deep in the ancient city of Gashua. She was on a mission to assess the house because she thought her husband was not ready to take them home. I shed tears, she said. I sat there and cried like a small girl because everything was gone. She returned to the IDP camp but told PREMIUM TIMES that she remains eager to return home because of the rate the children were falling sick at the IDP camp. Another IDP, Mairo Amadu, said lack of shelter and good food has psychologically affected her well-being and mental health.. If youre at your home, no matter what youll get something to eat and live the way you want. Were more than forty in this class. We dont have bed sheets to cover ourselves, especially the children and old people like me, she said. Mrs Amadu, 73, said if she could get someone to build a zinc room for her in what used to be her house, she would be happy to quickly leave the camp. Most of the IDPs spoken to said they would want to go home but life in most of the places they call home is impossible especially for those from Jakusko and Bursari areas. Aside from the houses that have been destroyed, roads leading to villages are still submerged in water. IDPs Sharing Spaces with School Pupils PREMIUM TIMES also found that in two of the schools visited, the IDPs were sharing spaces with school pupils. At the Ramat Primary School that houses IDPs from the Gashua metropolis, a single-storey building and a five classroom block were kept for the IDPs, while the pupils were moved to the remaining classes, now crowded. The school headmaster declined to speak to PREMIUM TIMES, insisting that he needed clearance from the Education Authority in the area. Effort to speak to the Education Secretary was equally futile. A teacher at the school who agreed to conduct this reporter round the school under condition of anonymity said the IDP arrangement has disrupted the school system. Youve seen it for yourself. Look at this classroom. Dont take picture of the students please, he said. PREMIUM TIMES observed that the classroom was filled to the brim with some of the pupils sitting on the floor. Those on the floor were moved out of the classrooms now occupied by the IDPs. Away from the classes, two teachers were seen trying to ward off the pupils from going to the IDPs site. Immediately after the end of school every day, the teacher said the IDPs often spread out to other classes. I understand the situation because these are human beings like us and theyre also from this town, the teacher said. But we were told that the IDPs would be here for a week but it has been four weeks and weve not seen any sign of them leaving. The government needs to act and provide alternative shelter for the IDPs, he said. Mrs Isa told PREMIUM TIMES that her son is sick and she has no money to take him to the hospital while Mrs Gambo is still mourning the death of her daughter. Both women looked forlorn and frail, hoping that someday their sorrows would disappear and they would return to their homes. This investigation was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development and the Centre for Investigative Journalisms Open Climate Reporting Initiative. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A Christian group, the Full Gospel Business Mens Fellowship International (FGBMFI), has called for a permanent solution in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria. The group made the appeal in Abuja on Wednesday at a press conference ahead of its 2022 National Convention between 10 and 12 November in Abuja. With a theme titled Thou Art My Battle Axe, the event would include rallies, teachings, business roundtables and professional seminars. The National President of the FGBMFI, Ifeanyi Odedo, who addressed the conference, commended the federal government for its efforts in tackling insecurity. It urged that it should do everything to end the menace. We want to use this occasion to commend the federal government for its efforts at fighting insecurity and working to bring socio-economic stability in the land. We, however, appeal that no stone should be left unturned to ensure that we bring a permanent solution to the problems of insecurity confronting this nation and the economic hardship that Nigerians are facing today, he said. The group also sympathised with the victims of kidnappings and insurgencies across the nation. It also expressed its condolences to people affected by the ravaging flood in the nation and urged the government at all levels to do everything necessary to mitigate the hardship that victims are facing and to check future occurrences. On the 2023 general elections, the group urged Nigerians to vote good leaders into office. As the nation prepares for the polls, we underscore the critical role of elections as a mechanism for leadership recruitment. A nation rises or falls on the quality of its leadership. You cannot vote for a mediocre and expect a first class performance. We therefore, urge Nigerians to ensure that we vote in the right calibre of people at the coming elections. We exhort our members, in particular, and Nigerians in general, to ensure that they exercise their franchise by voting during the elections. As we pray for the help of God in all our nation-building efforts, we appeal to the government and election umpires to put all the necessary machinery in motion to ensure free, fair and credible elections. Never in the history of our nation have the citizens been more concerned and sensitized with the need to get it right at the polls than the 2023 General Elections. We abhor and warn against money politics and vote-buying this time around, Mr Odedo said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Enugu State said they have arrested six suspects who allegedly stripped and assaulted a woman in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. The incident happened on 27 October in Agunese, Afam-Mmaku, a community in Awgu Local Government Area of the state. The victim, Anthonia Okonkwo, a widow, was accused by some youths in the community of desecrating their shrine by harvesting snails in a forest around the shrine. But she has denied harvesting the snail in the shrine. Mrs Okonkwo, 44, said she harvested and sold snails in the community for a long time to cater for her four children since her husband died 13 years ago. She said that on the day of the incident, she was in her house when she heard noises outside and the youths invaded her home, and dragged her out, without any opportunity to defend herself. According to her, the youths started beating her with weapons and clubs, stripped and tied fresh palm fronds around her waist and neck which symbolised that she had committed a taboo in the community. The police spokesperson, Mr Ndukwe, said six of the persons who allegedly carried out the act had been arrested. He gave the names of the arrested suspects as Maduabuchi Madueke, 34, Obioma Nwangene, 39, and Stan Okoro, 44, who allegedly led others to strip and assault the widow. Others are, Samuel Anikene, 24, Chukwuebuka Agu, 32, and Jonathan Nwangene, 43 all males. Investigative efforts are ongoing to arrest others at large, said Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police. He said investigation showed that the suspects also beat up and injured the victims brother when he attempted to stop them from attacking the victim. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Ammani, has ordered investigation into the incident, Mr Ndukwe said. Mr Ammani said the acts of torture, dehumanisation and degradation of the victim were in contravention of extant laws and fundamental human rights. The police commissioner directed that the investigation be concluded within the shortest possible time and the suspects arraigned. He urged residents of the state, especially traditional rulers, to ensure that caution was exercised when customary norms are being enforced on the people. The enforcement of such customary norms should not be in violation of fundamental human rights of residents, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Two hundred and thirty-seven students have been admitted in the School of Politics, Policy & Governance (SPPG) for the 2023 session in an hybrid matriculation ceremony yesterday in Abuja. It will be recalled that the school recently graduated one hundred and thirty-three (133) students in an event that was attended by important dignitaries such as U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jr, Founder FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola, CEO, School of Politics, Policy and Governance, Alero Ayida-Otobo and Founder SPPG/Convener FixPolitics, Obiageli Oby Ezekwesili. The Class of 2023 consists of 84 female 35.44% and 153 male 64.56%. In 2021, the school received 296 applications but 220 were successful, 74% of the successful applicants gained admission. 28% were female while 72% were male. In the pioneer cohort, the school received 721 applications but 303 was judged successful and 42% of 303 gained admission, 33% were female students and 67% were male. Chief Executive of the school, Ayida-Otobo during the matriculation ceremony stated that the goal of the school is to achieve a 50-50 ratio of female and male students in all its admissions. We shall keep on this until it is achieved, she said. The founder of FixPolitics/SPPG, Ezekwesili, welcomed the newly matriculated students to the School of Politics, Policy, and Governance and reminded them of the mission of the school. Our mission is to educate present and future leaders dedicated to the good of the nation and ready to serve as stewards of the wellbeing of all Nigerians. The SPPG is an unconventional school of the research-anchored #FixPolitics initiative designed to transform politics in Nigeria and the rest of Africa, by building a massive base and pipeline of a new value-based and disruptive thinking political class with the requisite knowledge and skills to solve complex problems of development, she stated. We are guided by accountability, respect and tolerance, stewardship and responsibility, social justice and inclusiveness, which serve as our underlying principles. Ethical leadership, a moral compass based on Integrity and Honesty and respect for the rule of law. These values inform the recruitment of students, the curriculum, our alumni work as well as partnerships with other universities, research centres, and funding bodies, she said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A group of farmers in Jigawa State is blaming the management of the Hadejia Jamare River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) for the flooding in the area that washed away their farmlands. The farmers claimed the flood in the area was caused by the release of the water reservoir from the dam by the management of HJRBDA. The farmers from Ringim Local Government Area of the state led by Habibu Muhammad are demanding an assessment of the damages caused by the flood and the payment of compensation by the agency. In a letter dated 9 August 2022, signed by its managing director, Maamun Dau-Aliu, and addressed to the Jigawa government, HJRBDA said it was going to discharge the water from the dam following torrential rainfall in the area. Due to excessive rainfall experienced in recent days in both its surrounding and its catchment areas, the Tiga Dam reservoir located in Rano Local Government Area, Kano State, has reached its maximum capacity and has started discharging its water into the Kano-Hadejia rivers. Although, this is not expected to cause any direct harm to flow in the river for some time to come. This letter is, therefore, intended to alert the government of Jigawa State on this development and also implore its assistance in sensitising the said communities to be on alert in the likelihood of flood along the river banks and report any abnormal rise in the water levels to the authorities, the letter stated. On Wednesday, speaking on behalf of the farmers, Mr Muhammad, who is also the Special Adviser to Governor Muhammad Badaru on Media Content Development, said the excess water released by the HJRBDA contributed to worsening the flooding around the Hadejia River which led to the unprecedented flooding in the area. He said farmlands and houses were destroyed in 11 local governments in the state. He said the flooding that occurred between August and September was worsened by the release of excess water by the HJRBDA. The damage caused by the flooding was so huge that farmers cannot bear it alone, therefore, there is a need for HJRBDA to pay compensation to the victims, Mr Muhammad said. He said residents of Jigawa State, including civil society and rights organisations, should appeal to HJRBDA to pay compensation for the devastation caused by the flood. Also, he alleged that the management of the dam failed to provide water to the farmers during the dry season only to release excess water when it was not needed. Efforts to get the managing director of the HJRBDA to comment on the development were not successful. This reporter visited his office in Kano on Thursday and Friday morning but he was not available at his place of work. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The newly appointed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun, Mutiu Agboke, has declared that the era of election rigging in the country has gone for good. Mr Agboke made this known on Saturday in Osogbo, the state capital, while addressing staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said manipulation of the election process, through any means, was no longer possible under the present arrangements, especially with the introduction of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) into the system. According to him, the new device had technically murdered all forms of election rigging in the country. The new REC promised to uphold the tenets of the Commission by ensuring that peoples votes count in the 2023 general elections. My responsibility is to uphold the value of INEC, and the value of INEC is to ensure that the peoples vote(s) count in the election that will be conducted. I want to assure the electorate in the state that we will not disallow them from getting the fruit of the votes, and the fruit of their votes is to vote in a direction, and get results in that direction. The era of rigging is gone. Rigging has been technically murdered by our process and procedure, and that is what BVAS has come to achieve, he said. Continuing, the REC said So, in the 2023 election, INEC will ensure that the vote of people of Osun is recognised, and not only recognised, but also reflect the desire of the people of Osun. Nobody will be deprived of his right to cast his or her vote, and the commission will do the needful at all times. Mr Agboke also urged members of staff of the commission to ensure that their attitude to work changed for the better, in line with the rule of engagement. He also urged them to be responsible, dutiful, and avoid truancy. Being responsible this period is very key because we are moving towards 2023 general elections. If you are lackadaisical now, what kind of action will you carry to the election? Our staff must be up and doing, he said. In his remarks, the Administrative Secretary of the Commission in the state, Akanni Oduntan, said members of staff would not disappoint the new REC. We are happy at your coming. We want to assure you that we will not disappoint you, he assured. (NAN Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned an order by Federal High Court in Abuja permitting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to temporarily seize 40 properties traced to Ike Ekweremadu. The court granted the permission to the EFCC on Friday after hearing an ex-parte application filed by the anti-graft agency. The order comes as Mr Ekweremadu, a former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, is being held in the United Kingdom for allegedly trying to harvest David Nwaminis kidney for his ailing daughter. The landed properties traced to the senator are located at different places across Nigeria and three other countries, according to the EFCC. The EFCC claimed the assets were allegedly acquired with proceeds of fraud. In his ruling, the judge, Inyang Ekwo, ordered the EFCC to, within seven days from the date of the order, publish the interim forfeiture order of the assets in a national daily. This is to enable whoever has interest in the assets to approach and convince the court not to issue an order of permanent forfeiture of the properties to the federal government. In a statement on Saturday by its spokesperson, Chiedozie Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the ex-parte application by the EFCC and the court order as hasty. The group said the ex-parte application against Mr Ekweremadu falls short of ethical standards and natural justice given that the former deputy president of the Senate is still undergoing some travails in the United Kingdom, over allegation of organ harvesting. We maintain that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu should be given the opportunity to defend himself on his properties; and if found wanting should surely face the consequences. We are aware that there are several allegations of corruption cases pending in the EFCC, but the urgency and selective judgment in the case of Ekweremadu is not only curious but indeed true to type, the group said. Ohanaeze called on all the Nigerian legal luminaries of goodwill to intervene in what it termed gradual steps towards totalitarianism. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced a fresh strike to protest the half salaries paid its members for the month of October. The union is also protesting the governments refusal to pay the withheld eight months salaries over the prolonged strike by the union. The union has, however, said it has not declared strike but that its members should stay away from work until the alleged injustice is remedied. The National Vice President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, who had earlier described the governments action as humiliating, insulting and embarrassing, is a member of the chapter. The chapter is the first to react to what Nigerian lecturers have described as mutilated salaries paid by the government for the month of October. It is the first pay they have received since the suspension of the industrial action on 14 October, and they have said the governments action does not reflect the understanding reached before the strike was suspended. They have fingered the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, for being allegedly responsible for the embarrassing treatment. Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES has confirmed that the National Executive Council of ASUU is set to meet on Monday to deliberate on the matter and take appropriate action. Stay at home order After its congress on Friday, ASUU-UNIJOS directed its members to continue staying at home until the salaries are paid. It, however, said it was not on strike. In view of the bottleneck placed by Ngige towards paying our members the backlog of our salaries, the congress of ASUU University of Jos met today 4th November, 2022 and resolved to stay at home, though not on strike, until the backlog of the withheld salaries are paid, a statement signed by the chairman of ASUU-UNIJOS chapter, Lazarus Maigoro, reads in part. Mr Maigoro said the lecturers have resumed and are ready to work but couldnt as a result of lack of payment. According to him, payment of the withheld salaries is part of the agreements the union had with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila before the strike was suspended. For the avoidance of doubt, our members are back to work, willing and ready to work but are unable to work. Based on the revised academic calendar for the 2020/2021 session approved by the senate of the university, lectures should have started already but the challenge of lack of payment of salaries has constrained our members from going to the classroom to teach. What this implies is that the students who have resumed already will have to wait indefinitly while we wait for our withheld salaries to be paid to us, unfortunately, the statement added. The union accused Mr Ngige of personalising the dispute between ASUU and the government. It has become crystal clear now that he (Mr Ngige) wasnt happy that the House of Representatives brokered a truce on some of the issues we went on strike for and has gone behind to undermine it. It is also very clear to us now why he shamelessly walked out on the leadership of the House of Representatives at one of the meetings with all stakeholders to the glare of all Nigerians because he never wanted any form of resolution to be reached on the issues being discussed and is leaving no stone unturned to frustrate it, even though he piously prides himself as the chief conciliator of the nation, the statement further added. Background ASUU suspended its eight month old strike on 14 October, to obey the order of the National Industrial Court even though it said its demands were not satisfactorily met. The union also expressed optimism that their eight months salaries would be paid, following the intervention by Mr Gbajabiamila. However, the government had insisted it would not back down on its resolve to implement the No Work No Pay policy against the striking lecturers. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Chaos erupted Saturday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja as some passengers protested the cancellation of Air Peace flights to Warri for three days. Angry passengers blocked the boarding gate of the domestic wing, preventing passengers scheduled to travel to Lagos from boarding an 8:30 am flight. The incident caused delay for over 25 minutes for the Lagos passengers, causing a long queue. Affected passengers lamented that their flights to Warri had been delayed for three days consecutively without any communication from the airline. Officials of the airline tried to calm the situation at the time of filing this report. More Details Later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Sulaiman Abubakar, has said the reason State Houses of Assembly across the country are insisting on the creation of state police is that it will help minimise insecurity. Mr Abubakar, who spoke in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES in Bauchi, said the residents from troubled areas across the country and especially in the North-west region should be involved in the fight against banditry, like the joint security task force in North East. The Chairman of the Conference of State House of Assembly Speakers in Nigeria, Mr Abubakar said the conference was convinced of the importance of having state police, hence its inclusion in the proposed constitutional review. Like I always say, we the State Assembly members are the closest to the people at the grassroots and we know what the people want. These four items that we submitted to the Constitutional Review Committee are product of extensive deliberations. Take the issue of state police, for instance, we are supporting it because we believe it can help minimise the activities of terrorists. Take for instance in Zamfara State, dont you think it would complement the efforts being made by the existing security agencies like the policemen and the army? Look at the successes being recorded by the Civilian Joint Taskforce in the Borno State. They collaborate with and support the conventional security agencies. That is what we are saying; have something to support the existing ones. States like Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna and all the states in that axis, if they have state police, the issue of banditry will be minimised, at least. Mr Abubakar argued that locals would be recruited into state polices because they know the criminals in their areas. He said he was surprised that the National Assembly committees deleted four of the items the state assemblies proposed. The deleted items, he said, are state policing, institutionalisation of state assembly service commission, process for removal of state assembly presiding officers and state judicial council. This issue of removal of state assemblys presiding officers, we are not doing it for ourselves. We are not saying we should not be impeached after all our tenures are coming to an end. But we want the process to be fair to presiding officers. When a member or two have problem with a presiding officer, they will just go and mobilise our colleagues and once they get the number which is two third of the members, they just go ahead and announce impeachment. We say it is okay, but give those presiding officers a free hearing. If you think you have a reason to remove the Speaker for instance it is okay, bring those allegations and give him the opportunity to response to the allegations. Set a committee to look at the response to the allegations, he said. The Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly has been enmeshed in crisis with the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review after the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, accused members of the assembly of delaying the review process. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Montanas top game warden will retire later this month and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will advertise for a new enforcement chief. Dave Loewen, who was placed on administrative leave from FWP in July, will retire on Nov. 22, according to an email obtained by the Montana State News Bureau. A spokesperson for FWP confirmed the authenticity of the email but declined to comment further. The email was sent earlier this week by FWP Director Hank Worsech to agency staff. In addition to announcing Loewens retirement, the director wrote that the agency will be recruiting a new chief with the announcement posted to the states website Friday. The email also states that Lee Anderson, FWPs Region 1 supervisor, will be acting chief as of Friday and working remotely. While the agency would only confirm he was out of the office but still employed, Loewen told the Montana State News Bureau in late August that he was placed on administrative leave after bringing forth to the Director's Office my concerns of false rumors being spread, defamatory comments being made, and inappropriate communication being held between management-level staff and field staff, I in turn was placed on administrative leave for allegedly creating a hostile work environment for suggesting those responsible be held accountable. Loewen said in August he was confident he would be exonerated and return to lead FWPs law enforcement division. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Assistant Chief J.D. Douglas was named acting chief in July, but was then also listed as out of the office in August, the agency confirmed, for unspecified reasons. Douglas' status has not changed as of Friday, a spokesperson said. Douglas declined to comment in August when contacted by the Montana State News Bureau. Ron Howell, former assistant chief and legislative liaison for FWP, has served as acting chief since August. He has returned to his role as the liaison, a spokesperson said. Loewen became chief in 2017 following 17 years in the field including serving as sergeant for the Helena area. His hiring to FWPs top warden position came after an unusual labor settlement. He successfully challenged the hiring of Thomas Flowers for the chief job, with the Board of Personnel Appeals finding that Loewen had scored higher during the hiring process and should not have been passed over. Loewens and Douglas absence from their senior positions came during a structural change in the enforcement division. Each of FWPs seven administrative regions houses an investigator who investigates major wildlife-related crimes. Investigators had traditionally reported to each regional captain, but FWP centralized the regional investigators into the Special Investigative Unit under oversight from headquarters in Helena about two years ago. Douglas was the captain in charge of the unit until he was named assistant chief earlier this year. This summer, Worsech decided to move oversight of the investigators back to captains in the region. Paucity of funds is stalling investigation into the alleged murder of five persons in Ndong Nwong community in Odukpani Local Government Area of the state over allegations of witchcraft. Police in the state need money to conduct autopsy on the corpses. Police spokesperson in the state, Irene Ugbo, said in Calabar on Saturday that though investigation was ongoing, there was an urgent need to conduct autopsies on the corpses of those murdered. She also dispelled the rumour doing the round that some vested interests were working to compromise the investigation. Youths allegedly accused 15 persons in the community of possessing witchcraft and they took the suspects into a forest where five of them were killed. The youths also held three police officers sent to investigate the matter hostage for hours before they were rescued by an anti-cultism and kidnapping squad, led by Awodi Abdulhameed. The team made several arrests in the community after rescuing the three police officers. Since the arrest and subsequent interrogation of the suspects by the police, however, there had been concerns over the handling of the matter. Mrs Ugbo said the current state of the investigation required inputs of medical professionals, but that the command did not have money to engage their services. The job requires a lot of hands, especially health workers that will dig up the graves and fumigate the location and a pathologist that will carry out a post-mortem. We know that there are organisations who can assist the police in making the process easier and faster; we urgently need a pathologist to carry out autopsies before we can proceed on the investigation, she said. Mrs Ugbo said there was nothing like a compromise in the investigation as the police would ensure the conclusion of the case. There wont be any form of compromise on the part of the police. The SP Awodi-led unit has professionals and would handle the matter in accordance with international best practices; there wont be any form of interference, she assured. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As the 2023 general elections draw nearer, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has advised the media not to overheat the polity. The minister gave the advice on Saturday in Ilorin at the wedding reception of his grand-daughter, Toyosi who is married to an Engineer, Gbolahan Sambo. In an interview with reporters at the event, Mr Mohammed said the media should see the current season in the country as the most trying season As a megaphone to what the politicians say and do, the media should be moderate in discharging their duty. Dont allow yourself to be used by anybody to further aggravate the challenges in the country. Dont just see your duty as reporting hook, line and sinker what politicians tell you, but be circumspect of the import and impact of what you release to the public to read. You should also understand that the kind of headlines you cast are what inform and educate Nigerians and non -Nigerians in and outside the country, he said. The minister also urged the media to project positive image of Nigeria. According to him, it is the responsibility of the media to let the world know that the challenges the country is facing are surmountable and are not more than what other countries are facing. The minister also underscored the need for the media to promote peace and cohesion. He contended that it is because we have a country called Nigeria that journalists can practice their profession in peace Wedding On the wedding proper, the minister gave gratitude to God for a successful and peaceful event. He wished the couple a happy home and thanked those who came to attend the ceremony. The ministers wife who also spoke advised the couple never to sleep with grudges but ensure they settle their differences before sunset. She described the bride as a very down-to-earth, intelligent and decent person and wished her the very best in her marriage. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, says tax dialogue is a tool for engendering tax compliance as well as means of strengthening tax systems. Mr Nami said this at the 2022 Kaduna State Tax Dialogue, held in Kaduna on Saturday. In a statement issued by Johannes Wojuola, the Special Assistant, Media and Communication to Nami, the FIRS boss said that tax dialogues provided a platform for exchange of diverse ideas on taxation. According to him, dialoguing on tax is very necessary for inclusivity, fairness and pooling expert ideas to aid tax policy formulation, which ultimately strengthens tax administration. Dialoguing on tax is very important for many reasons. Tax dialogue is a multi-sided communication channel that enables every view to taxation be aired and considered. By so doing, it lends itself to inclusiveness in the design and implementation of the tax system, thereby, engendering the spirit of collective ownership which, ultimately promotes voluntary tax compliance, Nami said. He also emphasised that dialoguing on tax prevents destructive conflicts as no one feels cheated or unfairly treated. Examples from history are rife on the importance of engagements on tax issues. For instance, the then British Parliament passed the Tea Act which constrained Americans to buy tea on which duty had been paid without dialoguing with the people. Consequently, the Act was rejected. According to Richard Murphy in his book the Joy of Tax, one of the complaints cited by those who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 was The King which was imposing taxes on us without our consent, he said. Mr Nami further explained that when governments do not dialogue with the people on the taxes they wish to impose, they create room for conflict and even rebuff. Crucially, tax dialogue provides the platform for pooling expert ideas to aid tax policy formulation, review of tax laws and ultimately the strengthening of tax administration, he said. On the concept of social contract that exists between the government and the citizens, Mr Nami explained that for the government to provide public goods, citizens have the duty to provide government with the needed resources to do so by paying their taxes. As much as individuals running the apparatus of government are liable to satisfy the yearnings of citizens for public goods, it is the duty of the citizens to supply the resources required and this is the social contract. The social contract is two-sided, it involves the duty of government to provide public goods for the enjoyment of citizens and on the one hand the duty of citizens to provide government with the resources needed to provide those public goods. Citizens fulfil their side of the social contract by paying taxes with minimal prompting, Nami said. Communication, trust He further said that the two key drivers of voluntary tax compliance were effective communication and trust. Tax authorities must develop effective tax communications strategies while governments at all levels must ensure taxpayers receive value for taxes paid, Mr Nami said. The FIRS boss urged tax authorities to implement data-driven tax administrations, noting that modern and efficient tax administration is run with data. The time is ripe for Nigerian tax authorities to start using data to identify all taxable persons, track all economic activities and determine tax payable. Nigeria needs appropriate statutory framework for a centralised data sourcing, warehousing, analysis and retrieval system that every tax authority can plug into. He said Mr Nami also called for the harmonisation at all levels of government, of all revenue generating functions into a single platform under the administration of one revenue authority. The aim he said was to reduce cases of uncertainty and instability in the economy. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Members of Nigerias Civil Society Organisations, family and friends on Saturday, gathered to bid farewell to the late human rights activist, Ariyo Dare-Atoye. Mr Atoye died on 27 October, in an Abuja hospital. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was married to Abiola and the union produced three children. He was a major voice in the civil society space for electoral reforms which culminated in President Muhammadu Buharis assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022. Tributes A night of tributes was held at the Yaradua Center where friends, family members and colleagues later gathered to mourn the late activist. Earlier, a service of songs was held in his honour at the Everlasting Arms Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Abuja on Friday. At the service, the Zonal Pastor, Evaristus Azodo, admonished all to remain faithful to God knowing that no one will live forever. Ariyo Mr Atoye was generally described as a saintly activist who sought accountability from the Nigerian government. At the tribute night, there was the lighting of candles and prayers for the family of the deceased. Mrs Dare-Atoye described her husband as an angel in human form who lived a life of love and humility. You had a great relationship with your Lord, that He made you an apple in His eyes. He took you so that you may not see corruption and evil. The more I like to write, the more the pain of your death I feel, she said I bless God that we met and I was able to stand by you till you left this world smiling and winking at me. The former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, said Nigerians are proud of his push for electoral reforms particularly the introduction of BVAS and electronic transfer of result from polling units. Also, a former governor of Ekiti, Olusegun Oni, added that the late Ariyo took on the electoral system and worked hard for reforms. A human right activist, Deji Adeyanju, said even at the point of death, Mr Ariyo was a considerate person. But for those who did not know him very well, activism was only just a part of Ariyos life. Before being an activist, Ariyo was and remained, until his death, a philanthropist, Mr Adeyanju said. The former NERC Chairman, Sam Amadi, said the deceased matched the right ideas with the right actions. He was a mature and coherent thinker. He was an effective actor. I found him a trusted advisor. The craft of human rights advocacy is usually populated by many charlatans who hide their baseness with the fig leaves of social activism, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Progressive Coalition of Entertainers has met the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to declare support for the APC 2023 Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group, led by actor, Saheed Balogun, paid a courtesy visit to the speaker on Friday at the assemblys complex in Lagos. Actress Bimbo Akintola was also present at the occasion. Mr Obasa urged Nollywood actors, producers and entertainers of like minds not to relent in their effort to ensure victory for the APC presidential candidate in the election. The speaker thanked the group of social influencers for their efforts to ensure a successful presidential election victory for Tinubu. Mr Obasa further tasked them to sustain the relationship that exists between them and the state government. Our task is to involve people, enlighten them and make them see reasons why they should continue to support APC. We know the group has always supported the party and we want them to continue. To us, every vote is an investment because every single vote counts, Mr Obasa said while commending the group for assisting in mobilising and enlightening the electorate. Motive Speaking earlier, Balogun said the group of over 60 celebrities decided to come together to endorse Tinubu to the people of the state because of how he had turned Lagos into a smart city. Saidi noted that Tinubu laid the foundation that successive governments latched on to, putting Lagos in an enviable position among other states. READ ALSO: Outlining some of the groups activities, the actor said they hope to influence thoughts on social media and also embark on door-to-door engagements. Since the campaign has commenced, the artistes, having large followers on social media, see it as an opportunity to reach out and engage prospective voters. This is because we see Tinubu as one who had done a lot to qualify as the next president of Nigeria and our hope is to continue to release the presidential candidates achievements. Asiwaju has done well and it is time to pay back. Every successive government continues to build on his foundation, he said. Saidi also described the state House of Assembly as the best in the country, both in structure and legislative activities. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The midterm elections Tuesday have motivated various faith communities and leaders to become more active in the political process -- not to tell people how to vote but to help encourage them to do their civic duty and to maintain the peace while they're doing it. As this RNS story reports, "Two years of disinformation and agitation over the 2020 election results have heightened fears of violence and mischief at voting sites this year. Poll watchers from both ends of the political spectrum have vowed to be out in force. . . "The rising tension has prompted clergy groups to mobilize for the midterms with new approaches and broader coalitions. They are supplementing long-standing initiatives for voter registration, education and mobilization with voter protection and expanding efforts such as Sojourners 'Lawyers and Collars' program, which teamed poll chaplains with lawyers and advisers who could be called to answer questions and defuse tempers." Many houses of worship, of course, open their doors and become polling places on election day. That's been true of my church over the years. And because my wife and I sold our house and moved a couple of miles north last year, we now vote at a church that's next-door to our apartment building. Of course, there's no one from that church inside the building telling us how to vote, nor should there be. But using houses of worship as polling places is a reminder of how faith communities are part of the social fabric. I'm not aware of Kansas City area faith groups organizing in the way described in the RNS story, though that may be just because I've missed that news. (And also because local media outlets tend not to cover much religion news. Sigh.) But each person of faith certainly can be an advocate for full participation in our electoral system, remembering that voting itself is the very end of the process. If you aren't happy with the candidates, you need to ask yourself what you did ahead of the election date to make sure good candidates you could support were in the race. If the answer is nothing, you're looking at the problem in the mirror. I was glad to read this in the RNS story: "Christian clergy who have long worked to get their congregants to polling places are also expanding their reach by including more non-Christian clergy in get-out-the-vote efforts." Christians may make up a majority of American citizens, but the percentage has been shrinking for decades. That, in turn, means coalition building among other faith traditions is vital to help people be good citizens. So vote on Tuesday if you haven't already voted early. And if you vote in a house of worship, you might take time to thank the leaders of that congregation for participating in our electoral process. (Well, thank them unless they're blatantly violating Internal Revenue Service rules about endorsing specific candidates or issues from the pulpit, as this story describes happening in various places.) (Finally, here's a disturbing story about how Christian nationalism in politics is spreading around the world. Sigh.) * * * STOP IT. JUST STOP IT. The reaction of some Christians to the recent brutal attack on the husband of Speaker of the House Nany Pelosi has been both astonishing and putrid. Russell Moore, public theologian at Christianity Today, calls out such people and rebukes them strongly in this article. "This," Moore writes of one such response, "is not an isolated incident from one sad, angry, and 'extremely online' guy. It reflects an increasing trend among some Christians." One of the answers to the question "What would Jesus do?" in response to the attack would never be "praise it." Can we at least agree on that much? * * * P.S.: You may be interested in a virtual interfaith panel on the death penalty taking place at 2 p.m. (Central) on Monday. It will be hosted by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder of Uri L Tzedek, an Orthodox Jewish social justice organization. The Zoom link to register for it is here. BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China and Tanzania have enjoyed a long-lasting friendship and comprehensive cooperation, and the development of the relations is being promoted at a higher level with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan's arrival in Beijing for a three-day visit. The two countries on Thursday announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership during Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with Hassan, the first African head of state China received after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. A 'true and reliable' China-Tanzania friendship Noting that the two countries should take the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as a guide to advance cooperation in various fields in the next stage, Xi said China will continue to import more Tanzanian products, support Chinese companies in investing and doing business in Tanzania and provide assistance for Tanzania's economic and social development. He said China has always viewed its relations with Tanzania from a strategic perspective and has always been a reliable friend. The bilateral trade between China and Tanzania has developed rapidly. The trade volume reached $6.74 billion, up 47.1 percent year on year. Among them, Tanzania's exports to China amounted to $606 million, up 47.3 percent year on year, and the growth rate was faster than the average level in Africa, according to Chinese statistics. Hassan said Tanzania regards China as a "true and most important friend" and is willing to be a trusted partner of China forever. She said Tanzania will continue to firmly support China on issues concerning China's core interests, such as the issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong. The two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on trade, investment, development cooperation, digital economy and green development. The two sides also issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, covering issues such as leveraging the guiding political role of head-of-state diplomacy, elevating two-way trade, and strengthening coordination and cooperation in international affairs, among others. Building a China-Africa community with a shared future In 2013, during his visit to Tanzania, Xi put forth the guiding principles of China's policy toward Africa, namely sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, which have since become China's basic policy on pursuing solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries. Xi told Hassan that under the new circumstances, the sound development of China-Tanzania relations not only serves the common and long-term interests of the two countries but also is of great significance to building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. China is ready to create new opportunities for Africa with its new development, take infrastructure as the guide, strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and financing, and foster new drivers of China-Africa cooperation, he said. Hassan said her country will join China in taking the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields and build bilateral relations into a model of Africa-China relations in the new era. Highlighting the role of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in promoting the development of African countries, she said Tanzania will continue to actively participate in and support the development of FOCAC. FOCAC is an effective platform and multilateral mechanism for China and African countries to conduct collective consultations and carry out pragmatic cooperation. Since the establishment of FOCAC, Chinese enterprises have built more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports and a large number of hospitals and schools in Africa, said Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian during a conference on China-Africa cooperation through FOCAC in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam in October. In 2021, China-Africa trade volume was $254.2 billion, and China's stock of direct investment in Africa exceeded $56 billion, 25 times and 100 times that of 2000, when the forum was established, respectively, according to the Chinese envoy. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-03/President-Xi-meets-Tanzanian-counterpart-in-Beijing-1eF2emfkt20/index.html SOURCE CGTN BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than a billion people across the world depend on wetlands for their livelihoods that's about one in eight people on Earth. However, these lands are Earth's most threatened ecosystem. According to the United Nations, 35 percent of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1970. CGTN: How to protect wetland and build a shared future for all life on Earth? Themed "Wetlands Action for People and Nature," the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is being held from November 5 to 13, with its main venue in China's Wuhan, and a parallel session in Geneva, Switzerland, in both in person and online formats. This meeting gives us an opportunity to raise awareness, strengthen cooperation, and scale up wetlands action across the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed on Saturday when delivering his speech via video at the opening ceremony of the events. Xi vowed China will pursue modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, promote high-quality development in the wetlands conservation cause and promote international exchanges and cooperation. What China has done? With four percent of the world's wetlands, China has met the diverse needs of one-fifth of the world's population for wetland production, living, ecology and culture. In his speech, Xi noted that historic achievements have been made in wetlands conservation in China. The country has increased the area of wetlands to 56.35 million hectares, put in place a protection system and enacted a Wetlands Conservation Law, according to Xi. Since it acceded to the Ramsar Convention in 1992, China has established and improved its legal framework for wetland protection as well as systems for protection management, project planning, and investigation and monitoring. It has also fulfilled its obligations under the convention and continued to expand international cooperation in this regard. The central government has spent 19.8 billion yuan (about $2.73 billion) on over 4,100 projects to advance wetland protection and restoration across the country since 2003. China now has 64 wetlands of international importance and 29 wetlands of national importance, as well as 901 national wetland parks. Last month, China released a plan for wetland protection for the 2022-2030 period, aiming to increase its wetland protection rate to 55 percent by 2025, while increasing the number of wetlands of international importance and national importance by 20 and 50, respectively. The Chinese president also introduced China's further plan of incorporating 11 million hectares of its wetlands into the country's national park system, adding a national wetlands conservation plan and major conservation projects will be implemented. Path to global ecological conservation The Chinese president Saturday urged efforts to build global consensus on prizing wetlands, advance the global process of wetlands conservation and enhance people's well-being globally by leveraging the role of wetlands. China will build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen and supports the convening of a conference of the World Coastal Forum, Xi announced. According to China's white paper on biodiversity conservation, the country has provided support for more than 80 developing countries in biodiversity conservation under the framework of South-South cooperation. China has also made ecological cooperation a key part of Belt and Road cooperation. In 2021, China launched "the Belt and Road" Green Development Partnership Initiative with 31 partner countries, calling for international cooperation to achieve a green and sustainable economic recovery and promote low-carbon, resilient and inclusive economic growth post-epidemic. Moreover, China has taken an active part in international conferences and activities, including the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity and the Leaders' Summit on Climate, giving impetus to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. These cases are a microcosm of China's concrete steps to promote global ecological cooperation, with the notion of building a shared future for all life on Earth as the underpinning. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-05/Xi-addresses-COP14-on-wetlands-conservation-1eIkUeITohW/index.html SOURCE CGTN SHANGHAI, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from chinadaily.com.cn: Shanghai retains status as an ideal business destination for the long run. Deloitte witnessed many innovation breakthroughs in Shanghai. CHINA DAILY DuPont's Shanghai Innovation center. CHINA DAILY CBRE's professional real estate consulting services have maintained high-quality development. CHINA DAILY CHINA DAILY Representatives attend the 2022 Investment Promotion and Matchmaking Conference for the fifth China International Import Expo on Oct 20. CHINA DAILY Global investors continue to see Shanghai, a city known for innovation, diversity, inclusiveness and modernity, as an ideal business destination for the long run and are keen to expand investment in the city because of its bright future. DuPont, a science and technology company based in the United States, which has its largest research and development site outside the US in Shanghai, said it would continue to invest in R&D and open innovation facilities and capabilities, further enhancing its engagement in the innovation ecosystem of the city. Yi Zhang, regional president of DuPont Asia Pacific, who attends the 2022 Shanghai City Promotion Convention, said the city is not only open and inclusive, but also a fertile ground for innovation. Over the years, DuPont has made great strides in Shanghai, benefiting from the city's quality and ever-improving business environment. "DuPont strives to become a global innovation leader and a premier multi-industrial company and has always seen China as a very important market. Shanghai is home to DuPont China's headquarters," he said. "We believe that investing in Shanghai is investing in the future." Global professional service provider Deloitte, which partnered with the Shanghai government to publish the Shanghai Foreign Investment Guidance and White Paper for Foreign Investment Environment, also has a positive attitude toward Shanghai's future because of the city's strong spirit of innovation. Lu Ying, managing partner of Deloitte Eastern Region, said Shanghai and Deloitte, which has been in the city for more than 100 years, are witnesses of each others' development and innovation. "Deloitte witnessed many innovation breakthroughs in Shanghai, for instance, the launch of the Shanghai Stock Exchange's sci-tech innovation board, or the STAR Market, the establishment of the Lingang Special Area, the construction of the Hongqiao International Opening-up Hub and efforts made by the Pudong New Area in developing into a leading force for China's socialist modernization. "The city also witnessed Deloitte, as part of the city, promote product and service innovation and be a companion for our clients for bigger goals," said Lu. Lu also noted that innovation is just one of many reasons for her to recommend Shanghai as an ideal business destination. "Shanghai has the most complete industrial chains and the least limitations on market access. It boasts strong fundamental industries but also mapped into new frontiers like the metaverse. Its well-established infrastructure, strong supportive policies and professional industrial parks, inclusive and supportive business environment and premium living environment are all key factors needed by businesses," Lu said. "For me, Shanghai is one of the few cities in the world which could satisfy needs and serve the imagination of global investors to the greatest extent possible." Deloitte has expanded operation to 30 cities in China to serve the demand for auditing, taxation and advisory services. It also tapped into emerging industries including digitalization, sustainable development and green, low-carbon development. A prosperous city Shanghai, at the forefront of China's reform and opening-up in the new era, has been committed to enhancing its business environment and service standards to support global investors. Over the last 10 years, the city achieved outstanding results in promoting quality development with total industrial output exceeding 4 trillion yuan ($547.6 billion) in 2021. This year, it identified metaverse, smart terminals and digitalization as well as green transformation as three new engines for its future development. Action plans released by the municipal government in early July predicted Shanghai would see the total value of its green industry exceed 500 billion yuan, the metaverse industry surpass 350 billion yuan and smart terminal and digitalization industry go over 700 billion yuan in the years to come. Shanghai released a plan in January 2021 to build five new towns in its suburban areas, known as Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui, to optimize its development layout and to create new engines for future growth. Those new towns each have an industrial development direction. For example, Fengxian will develop its healthcare and cosmetics sector and is set to better integrate urban life with industrial growth. Shanghai is aiming to be an international innovation hub, and has been increasing capital and introducing supportive policies to bolster the R&D sector. Between 2012 and 2021, Shanghai's R&D investment soared from 67.95 billion yuan to 181.98 billion yuan, and the ratio of expenditure on R&D in gross domestic product rose from 3.31 percent to 4.21 percent during the same period. Shanghai also strives to improve urban life quality in fields such as healthcare and education. The average life expectancy of the population in Shanghai is 84.11 years, an increase of 1.7 years since 2012, said Shen Wei, Party secretary of the Education and Public Health Work Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. Shanghai's long-term commitment became the most powerful engine to maintain development in a time of complex challenges and dynamic change. In the first three quarters of the year, Shanghai certified 46 regional headquarters established by multinational companies and 17 foreign-funded research and development centers. By the end of September, the city was home to the regional headquarters of 877 multinational corporations, as well as 523 foreign-funded R&D centers. Recovery in progress Shanghai experienced an economic slowdown in the first half of 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties in the global market. The city recorded better-than-expected economic results though in the first nine months of 2022. The city government said Shanghai's economy is on track for a V-shaped recovery in its major economic indicators in the third quarter, reflecting its strong resilience and vitality. In the first nine months, Shanghai's GDP stood at 3.1 trillion yuan, a 1.4 percent decline year-on-year. While that was down from the same period a year ago, that figure represented an improvement of 4.3 percentage points over the year-to-year percentage change of the first six months. Its industrial added value of enterprises with annual revenue of 20 million yuan or above grew 14.9 percent year-on-year. The city also recorded recovery signals in areas such as consumption. The new energy vehicle industry reported a 65.4 percent year-on-year increase in the third quarter. From January to September, the new-generation of information technology industry and the biomedicine industry recorded a year-on-year growth of 13.8 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively. Foreign trade maintained a two-digit growth rate for three consecutive months since July. The total volume of foreign trade increased 16.6 percent year-on-year. In an effort to better manage market uncertainties and bolster business recovery, especially of hard-hit industries, Shanghai is setting more policies to boost the business environment and unleash its market potential. Shanghai's government announced on Sept 28 some 22 new measures, on top of the 50 measures released at the end of May and 21 measures in March, to bolster economic recovery in the city. Companies in Shanghai have seen signs of recovery in the last few months. CBRE, a worldwide real estate services and investment company, said Shanghai's economy has been steadily revived, new momentum has been accumulated, and the level of opening-up has further improved. "Positive trends can be seen in the commercial real estate sector where our company is located. Our latest data shows that office leasing demand in Shanghai in the third quarter rose more than 270 percent quarter-on-quarter, and was the largest in China," the company said. Benefiting from Shanghai's sound service system and investment environment for foreign-funded enterprises, CBRE's professional real estate consulting services have maintained high-quality development. CBRE established its China headquarters in Shanghai in 2018 for the city's openness, innovation and inclusive environment. Promoting Shanghai at CIIE The 2022 Shanghai City Promotion Convention, an annual investment event during the China International Import Expo, opens on Sunday to showcase the charms of the city. The 2022 session features welcome speeches, keynote speeches, release of policies, and a new projects signing ceremony. Government officials of Shanghai, executives of global companies, representatives of international organizations and research institutes are attending the event. Before the convention, promotional activities were organized around the world in the cities of Los Angeles, the US; Frankfurt, Germany; Osaka, Japan; and London, the United Kingdom. "The Shanghai City Promotion Convention, held at the same period with the CIIE for three consecutive years, fully demonstrates Shanghai's confidence and determination in opening up to the outside world," said Zhang from DuPont. Over the last few years, the annual CIIE has played a vital role in attracting foreign investors to Shanghai. The trade fair not only offered a platform for global exhibitors to sell their products, but also allowed enterprises to look into the Chinese market and observe the latest market trends. "The annual CIIE is an international event that brings together the world's most high-quality and dynamic trade investors to China and Shanghai. It is a major measure taken by China to promote a new round of high-level opening-up and economic globalization," Zhu Yi, deputy director of the Shanghai Commission of Commerce, said while attending a promotional event on Oct 20. Italian healthcare equipment developer DiaSorin decided to construct a production plant in Baoshan district of Shanghai after taking part at the 2020 CIIE. Its new plant will begin operations next year. The company also plans to move its R&D center to Shanghai in 2023 to better serve the local market. Looking ahead, Shanghai will amplify the spillover effects of the CIIE to attract more quality foreign investment projects to the area. SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn Taste the tea and sample the food delicacies in Ya'an, home of the giant panda, and you'll fall in love with Chinese cuisine YA'AN, China, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ya'an, China is the homeland of the giant panda. It is where the giant panda was first sighted and from where most of the giant pandas given to other countries in friendship exchanges originated from.The 5th World Sichuan Cuisine Conference was held in Ya'an on November 2-4, bringing together more than 1,000 culinary experts, chefs and foodies from around the world. It was also the beginning of a world-class culinary journey for the world's food connoisseurs who love Sichuan cuisine. During the conference, in addition to renowned chefs from all over the world preparing food for visitors and participating in the cuisine skills competition, the region's signature dish wuyameiwei ("the five delicacies of Ya'an"), known for the savory and wondrous blend of local ingredients, was sampled by visitors who had come to the conference from near and far. Ya'an tea mountain. Water being taken from the heart of the Yangtze River. Tea growing on the top of Mengshan Mountain. Ya'an bamboo, the giant panda's favorite food. Ya'an's farms, a fruit-growing paradise. Ya'an medicine, the secret of longevity. Ya'an fish, a gift from the Qingyi River. These are just a small part of Ya'an's charm. Ya'an is also the home of the Hanyuan pepper, a condiment that in ancient times was only available to the royal family. And world-famous Mengding tea. And the Phoebe zhennan tree, whose wood was so valuable that only royal families could afford it. And, the giant pandas loved by people all over the world. Ya'an has many more specialties waiting for you to discover and experience! Ya'an, a gateway to China; Ya'an, a window to showcase China; Ya'an, the place to experience Chinese delicacies. Welcome, dear friends, the World Sichuan Cuisine Conference and giant pandas are waiting for you in Ya'an. SOURCE World Sichuan Cuisine Conference NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until December 19, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 13, 2018 and August 9, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help Argo Group investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-argo/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit Argo Group and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On August 8, 2022, the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Loss Portfolio Transfer agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Enstar Group Limited covering a majority of the company's U.S. casualty insurance reserves and that it anticipated recognizing an after-tax charge of approximately $100 million in connection with the transaction in the third quarter of 2022. On this news, shares of Argo stock plummeted approximately 28%, from a closing price of $32.22 per share on August 8, 2022 to a closing price of $23.10 per share on August 10, 2022. The case is The Police & Fire Retirement System City of Detroit v. Argo Group International Holdings, Inc., Thomas A. Bradley, Scott Kirk, Kevin J. Rehnberg, Mark E. Watson, III and Jay S. Bullock, 1:22-cv-08971. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler Effective November 14, Bermuda will end the travel authorisation process offering a simpler travel experience for Bermuda's visitors. In its place, visitors will complete a free, digital arrival form to capture visitor data for Bermuda. HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Bermuda government announced the elimination of the travel authorisation (TA) process some (3) three weeks earlier than originally scheduled a move which will streamline the overall travel experience for visitors. Bermuda Tourism Authority The requirement for an approved TA, the associated forty-dollar fee, and proof of vaccination or medical insurance will no longer be a condition of travel from November 14, 2022. In its place, the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) will reinstate the Bermuda Arrival Card, a digital form for visitors only, which was in place prior to the onset of the pandemic. The form captures visitor data, generating critical tourism statistics for the country and provides visitors, who opt-in, with relevant, timely communications to enhance their stay. The Bermuda Arrival Card is a simple online form that can be completed in mere minutes, prior to travel to the island. Previously, the Bermuda Government announced that the legislation brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, including the use of the TA, would come to an end on November 30, 2022. The Minister of Tourism, the Hon Vance Campbell said, "Our Government has delivered on our pledge to protect the health and safety of our residents and visitors and now with the earlier end date for the TA, travel to Bermuda will be simpler for our visitors." Tracy Berkeley, interim Chief Executive Officer at BTA said, "Bermuda's tourism industry fully supports the decision to eliminate the travel authorisation and bring the island's public health emergency orders to an end. We are especially appreciative of our partners in the Ministry of Health for the collaborative approach to solving our shared challenges. This is exciting news that will help to restore a frictionless travel experience for our visitors." Stephen Todd, Chief Executive Officer at the Bermuda Hotel Association said, "Bermuda's hoteliers are thrilled with the decision to end the travel authorization three weeks early. This move comes at a crucial time before the US Thanksgiving travel period. This is a time when we anticipate welcoming visitors looking to take advantage of the current Fall into Winter promotions. It should also support demand in time for the return of three additional direct flights from Miami, JFK, and Toronto." Currently, visitors to Bermuda no longer require pre-travel or on-island COVID testing. The online visitor arrivals process can be completed in three easy steps. Go to www.BermudaArrivalCard.com Complete the form accurately and completely with visitor details Download the form and present it to immigration officials for inspection There is no approval process, no fee, and once the required fields have been completed the form is available as a downloadable link or by email. All non-residents who travel to Bermuda as of November 14 must complete the Bermuda Arrival Card even if they have previously completed a travel authorisation form. Hard copy 'Pink Forms' will be available for non-resident travellers who have not completed the digital Bermuda Arrival Card. There is no need to accept a 'Pink Form' if you have completed the digital form A preliminary version of the form can be found at www.BermudaArrivalCard.com and testing and optimisation will be complete in the next few days. About the Bermuda Tourism Authority The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is an independent, non-government, entity and the official destination marketing organization for the island country. The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) promotes Bermuda globally as a world-class destination for leisure and group travel and tourism investment. For more information visit: www.gotobermuda.com/bermudatourism. Media Contact: Kiwan Michael Anderson Director of Global Communications, PR & Content Development [email protected] SOURCE Bermuda Tourism Authority BEIJING, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: The 5th China International Import Expo has started as scheduled at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) (NECC) on November 5th. The previous four sessions of the trade fair reported remarkable performance - a cumulative intended turnover of more than $270 billion and over 1,500 launches of new products, technologies and services. The trade fair, as a "wind indicator" for industries, is a carnival for global enterprises. Over the past four years, it has been consecutively joined by over 120 Fortune Global 500 companies and industrial leaders. This year, the world's top 10 electrical engineering companies, top four grain producers, top 10 manufacturers of medical apparatus and instruments, top 15 pharmaceutical enterprises and the 10 most valuable automakers have confirmed their participation in the six-day event. The success of the CIIE vividly mirrors China's firm determination to expand opening up, promote win-win cooperation and share development opportunities. China is home to more than 1.4 billion people, including over 400 million middle-income earners. It imports around $2.5 trillion of commodities and services each year. Enjoying such a huge market, the CIIE comes with an intrinsic appeal. It is a "golden key" that opens the door of Chinese opportunities for those who want to follow the general trend of economic globalization. In the first three quarters this year, China's total foreign trade of goods jumped 9.9 percent to 31.11 trillion yuan ($4.28 trillion). As the country removes all impediments to smooth production, distribution, circulation, and consumption, and accelerates the establishment of a "dual circulation" development pattern in which domestic economic cycle plays a leading role while international economic cycle remains its extension and supplement, it will become a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all. The fundamentals of the Chinese economy - its strong resilience, enormous potential, vast room for maneuvering and long-term sustainability - remain unchanged. According to statistics recently issued by the National Bureau of Statistics, China's GDP increased 3 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2022, 0.5 percentage points faster than that in the first half. The Chinese economy, on a track of high-quality development, will give a sustained and strong boost to the stability and growth of the global economy. Over the past 10 years, China has fulfilled its commitment to further opening up with concrete actions. By implementing the management systems of pre-establishment national treatment and negative lists for foreign investment, it constantly expanded the utilization of foreign capital. With an aim to build a globally oriented network of high-standard free trade zones, the country has inked 19 free trade agreements with foreign countries, up from 10. It has established 21 pilot free trade zones and the Hainan free trade port, working toward new heights in reform and opening up. Besides, it has hosted high-level expos such as the CIIE, the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Consumer Products Expo. Its efforts have led to tangible and fruitful results of the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. China has not only benefited from economic globalization, but also contributed to it. It has signed over 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 140 countries and more than 30 international organizations, to enable more people across the world to benefit from development and promote a new model of economic globalization. It pushed for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP) and is advancing its accession into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement(DEPA). Embracing economic globalization in the new era, China is working to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all and bringing hopes to improving global economic governance. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said in a report to the 20th CPC National Congress that: "China is committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world and pursues a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. It strives to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to building an open global economy that delivers greater benefits to all peoples." As the first major international exhibition hosted after the 20th CPC National Congress, the 5th CIIE will once again prove to the world that China will only open its door wider to the world. Profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly in the world. Changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. China will join hands with its partners to write more stories of open cooperation and win-win results at the 5th CIIE, and make new contributions to promoting world recovery, advancing common development and building a community with a shared future for mankind. SOURCE People's Daily BALTIMORE, Md., Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In August 2022 Dr. Griffin announced her candidacy for the US Senate in the attached video, scottiegriffin7.net , and disseminated it extensively to the public via a variety of organizations and social media platforms including Face Book, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and WhatsApp. The announcement specifically referenced that as a US Senator she would continually utilize her executive leadership skills and expertise in policy development and execution, which were acquired as an educational executive serving at national and international levels, to improve the quality of life for all Americans in the following areas: Ensuring voting rights for all Americans by passing the Freedom to Vote John Lewis Act (H. R. 5746) developed by Congress in January 2021 . . Retraining police law enforcement patrol to deter violent conduct procedures and respect the rights of all American citizens. Reducing the payroll tax rate for households with incomes below the poverty level irrespective of their status as parents of minor children. In support of Dr. Griffin's decision "to run for the Senate" the United Democratic Women endorsed and described her as "a viable candidate of the Democratic Party." For interview requests or additional information please contact: 301-589-5390 [email protected] SOURCE Assistants For Scottie Griffin NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 3, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against FIGS, Inc. (NYSE: FIGS), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 27, 2021 and May 12, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or shares pursuant to the Company's June 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Get Help FIGS investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-figs/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit FIGS and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period and/or in the Registration Statement and Prospectus issued in conjunction with the initial public offering, violating federal securities laws. On May 12, 2022, the Company released disappointing 1Q2022 financial results and full year outlook for 2022, disclosing declines in expected 2022 net revenues, adjusted gross EBITDA margin, and expected gross margin, due to a "significant increase in the Company's use of air freight to help mitigate supply chain challenges," and that "[f]or the rest of the year, we plan to significantly increase our use of airfreight to reduce our exposure to these unpredictable transit times," despite the Company's prior reassurances regarding its ability to maintain an efficient and steady supply chain. On this news, the price of FIGS' shares plummeted, falling approximately 25% to close at $9.64 per share. The case is Ryan v Figs, Inc., et al., No. 22-cv-7939. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler Leading Swim School Franchise Brand Celebrates Franchisees for Outstanding Performance in Different Categories TROY, Mich., Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, the premier learn-to-swim franchise concept, recently recognized extraordinary Goldfish Swim School performers across North America at its highly anticipated conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The 2022 Goldfish Owners Celebration recognized seven franchisee award winners, celebrated this year's accomplishments, and reconnected and energized the system after being remote in 2020 and 2021. PICTURED: Chris McCuiston, CEO/Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School & 2022 School of the Year Winner Owner Jake Atchoo of Goldfish Swim School Gaithersburg, MD. Atchoo and GM Zachary Healy won this award for exemplifying every one of the Goldfish Core Values to provide members a Golden Experience, and piloted and adopted the Golden Learners program locally to make swimming more accessible to their community and regularly advocate for diversity and inclusion within the school and community. With five core values Going Above and Beyond to Create a Golden Experience, Providing Wow! Customer Service, Treating People with Integrity, Compassion & Trust, Meeting & Exceeding Expectations so you see Extraordinary Results, and Making a Big Deal out of Life's Accomplishments by Remembering to Celebrate solidifying the foundation of the Goldfish Swim School franchise, the brand looks to franchisees to incorporate these guiding principles into the daily operations of their swim schools, as well as in their communities. The Franchise Team awarded five Goldfish Swim School teams that best represented and encompassed each individual core value: Awards were also given to "School of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" schools that exemplify all core values: School of the Year Winner Owner Jake Atchoo and General Manager Zachary Healy of Goldfish Swim School Gaithersburg, MD , exemplify every one of the Goldfish Core Values and go above and beyond to provide members a Golden Experience. Zachary is involved with the Marketing Brain Trust and consistently finds ways to provide feedback on marketing projects, programs and initiatives. The Gaithersburg team piloted and adopted the Golden Learners* program locally to make swimming more accessible to their community and regularly advocate for diversity and inclusion within the school and community. and General Manager of Goldfish Swim School , exemplify every one of the Goldfish Core Values and go above and beyond to provide members a Golden Experience. Zachary is involved with the Marketing and consistently finds ways to provide feedback on marketing projects, programs and initiatives. The team piloted and adopted the Golden Learners* program locally to make swimming more accessible to their community and regularly advocate for diversity and inclusion within the school and community. Rookie of the Year Winner Owner Dave Handley and General Manager Melissa Sewick of Goldfish Swim School Eagan, MN have been passionate about Goldfish from day one and were recognized for their determination to executing a successful grand opening, meeting every milestone to exceed member expectations, and being eager to jump into any opportunity to spread awareness of water safety, swim lessons and Goldfish with their community. They have gone out of their way to spread awareness by hosting Water Safety Presentations at local schools and providing a safe encouraging learning environment in their schools. "We were thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate each winner in person this year in Arizona it was apparent our core values and culture continues to unify our franchise system and inspire accountability, creativity and resiliency leading to successful franchisees and remarkable results," said Chris McCuiston, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "This is a testament to our incredible franchisees who work hard to bring our mission and vision to life each and every day. As a result of their hard work, paired with our exceptional Franchise Support Team, we have been able to teach 250,000+ children how to be safer in and around the water, while growing our brand footprint to 135+ schools. These are incredible milestones that push the limit in terms of what's next for our brand as we as we continue to actualize our company purpose." The awards ceremony also recognized Goldfish Swim School's overall accomplishments this year, including now having taught over 1 million swimmers since first opening their doors in 2006. This year Goldfish Swim School ranked No. 271 on the Franchise Times Top 500 Franchises List, and No. 53 on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list achieving the number one spot in their category for the sixth year in a row. Additionally, Goldfish Swim School received two Franchise Innovation Awards for "Best PR Campaign" and "Most Innovative Employee Hiring" from Franchise Update Media and the International Franchise Association recognized four Goldfish Swim School franchisees as Franchisees of the Year. Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main priority is always the same educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/ . *The Golden Learners Program is available at participating, specially-trained locations only. About Goldfish Swim School Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500 ranking, Franchise Times' 2020 Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's 2019 Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 135+ schools open, and an additional 130 in development in more than 30 states and Canada. Media Contact: Maddie LaPorta, Fishman Public Relations (847)945-1300, [email protected] SOURCE Goldfish Swim School The cultural leaders of the Blackfeet tribe are appealing a federal judge's order to reinstate an oil and gas lease in an area adjacent to Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Reservation. Tuesday's appeal continues a four-decade battle over the lease on land sacred to the Blackfeet. It challenges an order by U. S. District Judge Richard Leon. He ruled in September that the Interior Secretary did not have the authority to cancel the lease in 2016. The lease was first sold to a Louisiana company in 1982. The tribe says the Badger-Two Medicine is the site of the creation story of the Blackfoot tribes of southern Canada and Montana's Blackfeet Nation and should be protected. Vegas homebuyers can now lease a solar power system LAS VEGAS, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), parent company to the Richmond American Homes companies, is pleased to announce that solar leasing is now available in the Las Vegas area. Solar leasing is now available at Richmond American communities in Las Vegas. In California, MDC's Richmond American Homes subsidiary has offered solar power systems to customers since 2012, and solar leases since 2021. Now, MDC, a leading national homebuilder, is taking its commitment to sustainability to the next level. Richmond American Homes of Nevada, Inc. is now offering either solar leases or power purchase agreements through a solar provider at communities in the Las Vegas area. Buyers will have the ability to lock in the cost of electricity generated by the solar system for the term of the power purchase agreement below current market rates.* In addition, Richmond American companies offer homebuyers a host of standard and optional features that help reduce energy usage without sacrificing functionality. These include more efficient HVAC solutions (up to 16 SEER air conditioning and variable speed mid- or high-efficiency furnaces), high-efficiency MERV 13 air filters, high-efficiency tankless water heaters, Low-E windows and radiant roof barriers. The Richmond American companies also now offer electric vehicle charging prewiring in all markets. Richmond American homebuyers in Las Vegas seeking solar capability can choose from the following solutions: Purchase and install a solar power system through one of the company's vendors Lease and install a solar power system through one of the company's vendors Install a concealed conduit for a future solar power system As of the end of 2021, the Richmond American Homes companies closed on 6,407 homes with solar panels, saving 89,616 tons in CO2 emissions and producing 36,012,925 kilowatt hours of renewable energy annually. The builder is now ready to help those in Las Vegas reduce their carbon footprints. "We're always exploring more sustainable ways to offer and incorporate more energy efficient features. After seeing great success in California with providing buyers the ability to lock in the cost of electricity generated by the solar system for the term of the lease or power purchase agreement, offering more solar options in other regions where we build was a logical next step," said Andrew Harris, Senior Vice President of Richmond American Homes Corporation. For more information on the leasing program and the many benefits of powering your next home with the sun, call 888.500.7060 or visit a sales center today. About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 230,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com. *Power purchase agreements (PPAs) will be offered in Nevada. Lease or PPA power generated cost is to be five to ten percent minimum below applicable current market pricing and to remain fixed during the term. Any increase in price of electricity by a local utility provider will result in increased spread as the solar provided power price remains fixed. Some builders permit escalators in lease and PPAs. SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 14, 2022 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important December 19, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid 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 Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 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 December 19, 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) despite representations to the contrary, the number of new members (i.e., "lives") that Elixir's (a subsidiary of the Company) pharmacy benefit management ("PBM") services business was adding during the selling season ending on January 1, 2023 was in material decline; (2) Rite Aid was likely to recognize a significant charge for the impairment of goodwill related to Elixir due to a decrease in "lives" covered by Elixir's PBM services business; and (3) 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 Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 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. NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until December 27, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), if they purchased the Company's securities between August 1, 2019 and July 28, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help U.S. Bancorp investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-usb/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit U.S. Bancorp and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On July 28, 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined the Company $37.5 million for a range of unlawful acts and practices including opening unauthorized accounts and unlawfully accessing customers' credit reports and personal data in violation of the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Savings Act, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. On this news, shares of U.S. Bancorp stock fell approximately 4% to a closing price of $46.12 per share. The case is The Buhrke Family Revocable Trust v. U.S. Bancorp, et al., 22-cv-09174. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler Nairobi, Nov 5 : The Horn of Africa has registered a rise in conflicts because of an increase in climate disasters, experts have said. Linda Ogallo, a climate adaptation expert at the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Center (ICPAC), said on Friday that drought and floods are some of the climate events that have accelerated conflicts in the Horn of Africa, Xinhua news agency reported. "A big block of communities in the Horn of Africa are farmers who rely on agriculture and pastoralism. Therefore, their lives are tied to climate. Any negative event leads to disruption of livelihoods and displacement that push people to new areas leading to inter-community or cross-border conflicts," said Ogallo during a virtual forum on climate change, peace and security. She identified South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia as the countries where climate events are causing conflict. She said South Sudan has endured the worst flooding in the past months while drought is ravaging Somalia and Kenya. More than 800,000 people have been affected by floods in South Sudan that have caused displacements and food insecurity challenges increase conflicts between communities, according to the United Nations. In Kenya, the movement of pastoralists in search of pasture in other areas due to drought has led to fights between communities, causing deaths. "In Somalia, it started with drought, then desert locusts, then floods, followed by the pandemic, and now drought. It has been one extreme event after another that communities have had no chance to recover," she said. Ogallo said the frequent climate events are putting financial strain on African governments, which now have to use development money for emergency response activities. She said IGAD is hoping to have a coordinated mechanism for dealing with security challenges arising from climate change. Elizabeth Carabine, the climate security advisor at the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to the Horn of Africa, said climate events force people to move, increasing competition for resources and leading to conflicts. "People displaced by climate events are more prone to conflicts that lead to instabilities. Climate change has become a threat to peace and security, and that is a discussion African governments, African Union, and other regional bodies must be prepared to have and find solutions," she said. Washington, Nov 5 : The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has said that it had identified the source of the threat made against unspecified New Jersey area synagogues. The person "no longer poses a danger to the community," the FBI's Newark field office tweeted on Friday. "We would like to remind the public, to remain vigilant and if they observe suspicious activity to report it to law enforcement immediately," the agency added. The FBI did not publicly identify the suspect, but James E. Dennehy, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark office, said the man was from New Jersey and investigators believed he was acting alone, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media reports. The FBI said on Thursday that it had "received credible information of a broad threat to synagogues" in New Jersey. Ottawa, Nov 5 : Canada has confirmed 1,444 cases of monkeypox, including 42 hospitalisations, the Public Health Agency of Canada has said. Of the confirmed cases, 688 are from Ontario, 525 from Quebec, 179 from British Columbia, 41 from Alberta, six from Saskatchewan, two from the Yukon and one each from Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick, the health agency was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. Monkeypox case increases remain low in Canada and there have been only nine new cases for the past week. Second doses of the monkeypox vaccine are rolling out in the country. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended monkeypox vaccine to be used as a preventative, two-dose vaccine for those at risk of exposure, with the second dose, only for people who do not have symptoms, to be administered 28 days after the first. Monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person, including through hugs, kisses, massages or sexual intercourse, according to experts. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak Washington, Nov 5 : The US will respond quickly to a future nuclear test by North Korea if necessary, a Pentagon spokesperson has said. Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesperson for the defence department, made the remark as she highlighted the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test in the near future, Yonhap news agency reported. "We are in very close touch with our allies and partners in the region, and should there be such a test, we would be able to respond quickly if needed," Singh said when asked about the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test. Seoul and Washington earlier said the North may have completed all preparations for what will be its seventh nuclear test. "So we remain concerned about the prospects of any nuclear test. We know that the North Koreans have made preparations for such a test," the Pentagon spokesperson said in a daily press briefing. "And this assessment, you know, remains consistent with what we have said from the beginning, but we certainly would remain concerned and which is why and you heard the secretary and his ROK counterparts speak to this yesterday," she added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin noted in his meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on Thursday that any nuclear attack by Pyongyang against the US or its allies will result in the "end" of the North Korean regime. Austin also agreed to employ US strategic assets in and around the Korean Peninsula to a level "equivalent to the constant deployment" of such assets to help deter or counter North Korean provocations. Singh declined to comment when asked how the US planned to boost the presence of its strategic assets in the region, but highlighted the importance of joint military drills. "I don't have anything to announce today on any new deployment of strategic assets, but I think Vigilant Storm, the exercise that's ongoing now, speaks for itself," she said, referring to the joint military exercise of South Korea and the US. "These exercises increase confidence in our joint operations, and again this is not the last exercise. We will continue to do exercises with South Korea or Japan when opportunities present itself," she added. John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, also underscored the importance of defense readiness and capabilities amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following a series of North Korean provocations. "Obviously, we remain deeply concerned about the provocations that the Pyongyang regime continues to demonstrate here and it seems like almost on a daily basis. It's all leading to just more insecurity and instability on the peninsula and in the region," he said in a virtual press briefing. Pyongyang has fired more than 50 ballistic missiles this year, including more than a dozen since late September. Kirby reiterated that the US remains committed to engaging with North Korea, but said the Kim Jong-un regime continues to remain unresponsive. "We'd love to be able to solve this issue diplomatically, but short of that and since we have no signs that the Kim regime is interested in that, we've got to make sure we've got the appropriate military capabilities ready to go if needed," he said. Washington, Nov 5 : The US called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to hold North Korea accountable for its recent provocative actions that included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday also stressed the importance of fully implementing the existing UNSC sanctions on the recalcitrant country, Yonhap news agency reported. "Over the last week and a half the DPRK has exacerbated an extremely worrisome trend that we've seen all year; an increasing number of (missile) launches in flagrant violation of the Security Council Resolution, destabilising and threatening rhetoric and continue escalation," the US diplomat said at an emergency meeting of the Security Council held in New York. "The United States condemns, in the strongest possible terms, all 13 recent DPRK ballistic missile launches since October 27, but the DPRK's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the seventh ICBM this year, is particularly concerning," she added. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Friday's UNSC meeting marked the ninth of its kind held this year to specifically discuss possible measures to hold North Korea responsible or stop its continued provocations. The previous eight meetings, however, ended in naught, primarily due to opposition from Russia and China, both veto power-wielding permanent members of the Security Council and close neighbors of North Korea. Thomas-Greenfield argued Beijing and Moscow have made a mockery of the Security Council by bending over backward to justify Pyongyang's repeated violations of UNSC resolutions that they had helped to put in place. "I want to remind this council of our responsibility to protect global peace and security, defend a global nonproliferation regime and uphold the Security Council resolutions," she said. "You don't get to abandon the Security Council responsibilities because the DPRK might sell you weapons to fuel your war of aggression in Ukraine or because you think they make a good regional butter to the United States," added the US ambassador. The US earlier released intelligence information that Pyongyang is trying to "covertly" send a significant number of artillery shells to Russia for use in Ukraine. Thomas-Greenfield said that the North has now launched 59 ballistic missiles in total this year. "For a UN member state to so flagrantly violate the Security Council resolutions and all that the UN Charter stands for is appalling," she said, referring to North Korea's missile launches. "Equally appalling is the council's deafening silence on this issue." China and Russia refused to budge, instead accusing the US and South Korea of provoking North Korea's recent missile launches. "The current events and root causes that have led to the current situation on the peninsula are clear to all. The DPRK's recent launches activities did not happen in isolation and they are directly linked to the words and deeds of relevant parties," China's envoy to the UN Zhang Jun said in the council meeting through an interpreter. "The US and relevant country, after a five year hiatus, have re-launched their large scale joint military exercises with hundreds of warplanes involved," the Chinese ambassador said, referring to joint military exercises of South Korea and the US. Russia's envoy to the UN joined in accusing the US of instigating North Korea's recent missile launches. "We note with regret that recently the situation on the Korean Peninsula has significantly worsened," said Anna Evstigneeva, deputy permanent representative of Russia to the UN "The reason for this is clear; the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure and force," she added, speaking through an interpreter. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Kalaburagi, : Nov 5 (IANS) The recent instance of rape and murder of a minor girl here has given rise to demand for gender equality education on the lines of Kerala. Noted actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa, who paid a visit to the victim's family, told reporters on Saturday that it is possible to prevent such kind of inhuman incidents by including gender equality lessons into the school syllabus. "In Kerala, classes are taken on gender equality and students are being taught and made aware about issues. On the lines of Kerala state, I demand that Karnataka state government too include gender equality lessons in the school syllabus," he asserted. "We will also start a campaign demanding gender equality lessons," he underlined. Ahimsa further stated that there is a shortage of toilets in the rural areas till date forcing women to go out to attend nature's call. The objective of Swachch Bharat is not fulfilled yet," he explained. The 14-year-old girl was raped and murdered. The incident had pained all the people of the state. She was not only a daughter to her family but a daughter of the state, he explained. When incidents like this take place, there will be attempts to paint the case with caste colors. However, in this incident, all have stood with the family of the victim, Chetan stated. Notably, the girl had gone out of the house to attend nature's call on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. When she did not return home for a long time, a search was launched by her and the villagers. Finally, the villagers noticed her sandals and the body was found near a sugarcane farm late in the evening. A special team was formed by the Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Isha Panth which cracked the case in 24 hours and arrested three minors. Investigations revealed that the 16-year-old accused minor committed the crime. The accused boy has been a porn addict and his addiction ledto this gruesome crime. The accused was hooked on to the mobile constantly and watched porn videos through the internet all the time. Ahmedabad, Nov 5 : Jay Narayan Vyas, a former Gujarat Minister, on Saturday announced that he has resigned from the BJP after being associated with the party for almost 30 years. Vyas said that he will be contesting the state Assembly elections next month, but is keeping his options open. Addressing reporters, Vyas said that he had sent his resignation to the party state president on Friday. He further said that he was unhappy with the Patan district BJP committee, its functioning and constant humiliation. Vyas claimed that he had taken up the issues with the state president. He said he would contest the upcoming polls from the Siddhpur constituency of the Patan district, but not as an independent. Vyas also said that will decide on a party only after discussing with his supporters, for which he has called a meeting. A Wisconsin company that cleans hundreds of meatpacking plants nationwide is defending itself against allegations that it employed more than two dozen minors working overnight shifts cleaning massive saws and other dangerous equipment. Labor Department officials said in court documents that they believe Packers Sanitation Services Inc. might be employing underage workers at other plants but investigators have only just starting reviewing thousands of pages of employee records at plants besides the ones in Nebraska and Minnesota where they confirmed teenagers were working. A judge already issued a temporary order prohibiting the company from employing minors and interfering in the investigation. The company says it's cooperating and already prohibits hiring anyone younger than 18. Bhopal, Nov 5 : A year after the Madhya Pradesh government renamed Bhopal's Habibganj railway station as Rani Kamlapati, the process to rechristen other localities in the city has begun. At least three localities, including a hill area - Lal Ghati where Bhopal's central jail is located, will be renamed. Two other areas of the capital city which would go through the same process are Halalpur bus stand and Halal Pur colony. A proposal in this regard has been unanimously approved by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). Notably, the development came after Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur put the proposal before BMC's standing committee during a meeting on Friday. According to the proposal, Lal Ghati should be renamed after Narayan Das, a Hindu religious priest and ex-head of Gufa Mandir in Bhopal, whereas both Halalpur village and Halalpur bus stand to be addressed as Hanumangarhi. "Bhopal is a beautiful place, a city of lakes with green cleanliness. It is our duty to keep it safe," Thakur said after her proposal was approved by MBC. Last year, the state government had renamed the redeveloped Habibganj railway station after Gond Queen 'Rani Kamlapati'. It was renamed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Bhopal to attend a mega event "Janjatiya Divas" in November 2021. Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government has also changed the name of Hoshangabad district last year, which is now known as Narmadapuram. Addressing a gathering on the bank of Narmada river in then Hoshangabad, Chouhan had said that since the district is located on the bank of river Narmada, therefore, Hoshangabad has been renamed as Narmadapuram. The voices for changing the name of Bhopal are being raised on different occasions by the BJP and the right wing groups. They have been demanding that Bhopal be named Bhojpal, the founding ruler of Bhopal Raja Bhojpal. Kiev, Nov 5 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met visiting US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan in Kiev to discuss further American support for the war-torn nation. During their meeting on Friday, Zelensky and Sullivan talked about US assistance for Ukraine in the defence sector, and the ways to increase Kiev's capabilities to protect critical infrastructure, reports Xinhua news agency citing a statement issued by the President's office as saying. They also discussed financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russia in the wake of Moscow's ongoing war against Kiev, the statement said. The President also presented the NSA with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the II degree on "behalf of the entire Ukrainian people for strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". "I'm grateful to the Advisor for supporting our country in a difficult time for us," Zelensky said in a social media post. Earlier in the day, Sullivan met Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president's office, and held a conversation via video call with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny. The NSA was briefed on the operational situation at the front and the key needs of the Ukrainian army, in particular regarding airspace protection. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 : Arya Rajendran, the young Thiruvananthapuram Mayor, seems to be trouble after a letter, allegedly written by her, to CPI-M district secretary Anavoor Nagappan seeking a list of candidates for 295 temporary vacancies in the Corporation, went viral on social media. Rajendran, however, denied writing any such letter (written in her official letterhead) and even Nagappan refused having received it, but agreed to look into the matter. Meanwhile, the opposition parties in the Corporation -- the BJP and the Congress -- have decided to seek the resignation of the Mayor for breach of her oath. This incident has rocked the ruling CPI-M, which is having its high-level meetings of the state party unit here on Saturday and Sunday. The party is reportedly peeved that the letter has now gone viral in the social media after being leaked by one of the party members. The letter from Rajendran to Nagappan begins with the salutation, Comrade, and it goes on to point out that there are 295 vacancies in various posts are coming up in the health department attached to the Corporation and sought a list of prospective candidates. Incidentally, this controversy surfaced at a time when the Mayor was away in Delhi to attend a protest march against the BJP national government by the CPI-M under the hash tag, " Where is my job," . Youth Congress leader and former two time Congress legislator K.S.Sabarinathan slammed the Mayor for this. "We are told that she is away in Delhi to attend a protest asking for jobs, while in her own domain, jobs are given to their own party members and these back door appointments have been going on for a while," said Sabarinathan. State BJP president K.Surendran said the Mayor has to resign for this grave act of corruption. "It's now become very common that jobs in government are there only for CPI-M members and their kith and kin. We will launch protests to see that the present administration of the Corporation under the Mayor quits," said Surendran. BJP councillor and Thiruvananthapuram district president V.V.Rajesh said now that the Mayor has said she has not written such a letter, then she should immediately complain to the Cyber wing and see if the person who did this is brought to book. "The CPI-M is known for placing its stooges in crucial posts and the top leadership of the party runs the show and this is one place where such a thing happens," said Rajesh. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Nov 5 : The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is bringing the International Jazz Festival this year, with Grammy-nominated musicians performing to create some of the finest and highest standard Jazz, Mumbai has ever heard. The festival will begin on November 25 with The Mingus Big Band, followed by Monty Alexander on November 26 and Thilo Wolf Jazz Quartett featuring Johanna Iser on November 27. The Mingus Dynasty performed at NCPA in 2019, and the repertory group The Mingus Big Band will perform on the first day of the festival. The band is a 14-piece ensemble comprised of some of the most technically skilled and creatively expressive musicians, varying from veterans to rising stars. The band has 11 recordings to its name, six of which were nominated for Grammys and won in 2011. The Mingus Big Band will be celebrating music by composer Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Monty Alexander, a Jamaican music legend, will present a musical depiction of his journey from the sounds and rhythms of his native Jamaica to the classic tradition of America's Jazz on the second day. A fateful encounter with Frank Sinatra, the most sought-after performer of the 1960s, will be the subject of this musical story. The Jazz festival will be concluded with the Thilo Wolf Jazz Quartett with Johanna Iser, Johanna Iser is a rising star in the jazz world. Along with pianist Thilo Wolf, the International Jazz Festival will feature Norbert Nagel (reeds), Christian Diener (bass), and Jean-Paul Hochstadter (drums). The Thilo Wolf Quartett provides authentic, intelligent, finely structured swing that is rousingly played and harmoniously built on one another. The ensemble has also worked with some of Germany's most prestigious symphonic orchestras. Khushroo Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, said, "The artists performing this year are The Mingus Big Band, Monty Alexander - Jamaica to Jazz, and The Thilo Wolf Jazz Quartett, have set a high standard of excellence in jazz music being played today. It is an honour for us to have the wonderful Grammy-nominated musicians perform their pieces at NCPA and we look forward." Mumbai-born Multi-talented Artiste Brian Tellis, who has a distinguished background in radio, theatre, and music, will be hosting 'The International Jazz Festival'. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Srinagar, Nov 5 : In the olden days when there was no electricity, one remembers those moments spent in the light of candles. But with the advent of new inventions in the modern age, the daily use of candles is disappearing. However, 26-year-old Mehek Parvez has taken the initiative to revive the candle culture in the Kashmir Valley. Mehek, an engineering student from Elahi Bagh, Srinagar, is not only trying to promote the culture by creating distinct, delightful and charming designs of candles, but is also trying to take it to a commercial level. Although initially Mehek faced many difficulties in gathering the materials required for this work, but with a positive attitude she went ahead with her initiative. Made in different colours and designs, these candles are gaining popularity in the valley and Mehek is receiving an average of two to three orders on a daily basis. Mehek says the price varies according to the type of candle. For example, if she uses imported dyes while making the candle, then it may be a little more expensive than the rest. She imports the required equipment from outside Jammu and Kashmir as such candles of different designs are made from abroad. Seeing the interest of talented people, efforts are being made to expand this business so that more women can connect with it. Mehek currently runs her business from home and promotes it through social media. She was also invited to an exhibition organised by the tourism department for business women recently, in which her unique initiative was highly appreciated. There was a time when girls were probably given less attention than boys in education and development of their skills, but the outstanding performance of girls in every field of life is changing this old thinking. In such a situation, parents now consider girls equal to boys and want to see them advance in every field. The women of Kashmir have proved their mettle in sports, education, health, art, literature, business, art, science and technology. Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 : The Kerala police have registered a case against relatives of a PFI activist, presently lodged in high security Viyuur jail in Thrissur district, for smuggling in a sim card hidden in Quran. According to police, the incident occurred on October 31, when the father of T.N.Sainuddin, who was arrested by the Police after the swoop down on PFI leaders began after it was banned last month, along with Sainuddin's wife and his son arrived to meet him. On detailed examination, the police found a sim card stuck under the bind of the Quran. The local police, based on the complaint from the head of the jail, have registered a case against the three and a detailed probe has now begun. Sainuddin hails from the hilly district of Idukki and the police probe team is now after the sim card and to whom it belongs. Meanwhile, the NIA also has also taken cognisance of the matter. Palanpur : , Nov 5 (IANS) Railway police in Gujarat's Banaskantha have arrested a Pakistani youth from a station while trying to elope with a girl from Kutch. Head constable Ashokbhai Aal and his team were patrolling at the Bhildi railway station when they spotted the couple. Upon inquiring, the police found that the youth, identified as Prabhuram Desai, 24, was holding a Pakistani passport. His visa, valid upto October 2023, was limited for Rajasthan's Jalor district. Aal said according to the Foreign Act 1946's section 3 (2), (d), (e), he is not supposed to move out of the area for which he is granted a visa to travel and has to take permission from the respective police station area or the Immigration Department. Without permission, he entered Gujarat and reached out to the girl from Kutch who is a year older to him. Police officials said the girl was handed over to her parents and the youth will be produced before a court. During questioning, the girl revealed that the youth is a martial arts trainer and she had trained with a few years ago when he visited Kutch, after which they fell in love. Jaipur, Nov 5 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's much-awaited visit to Delhi was cancelled due to his poor health, sources said on Saturday. The last official communication came on Friday when the Lokesh Sharma, Gehlot's Officer on Special Duty (OSD), confirmed that the Chief Minister was due to land in Delhi at 4 p.m. that evening. However, there was no official communication from the Chief Minister's Office since then When IANS tried calling the concerned officials, there was no response. Congress sources have also confirmed that Gehlot's Gujarat programme also remains cancelled in wake of his ailing health. Bengaluru, Nov 5 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Saturday, conducted raids on Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders' residences in Mysuru, Hubballi and Dakshina Kannada districts in connection with the killing of BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettare. Sources confirmed that three persons have been arrested. Residence of the District General Secretary of PFI Mohammad Suleiman located at Mandi Mohalla extension in Mysuru was also raided. Shafi Bellare, Iqbal Bellare and Ibrahim Shah from Sullia have been taken into custody and arrested by the NAI, they said. Iqbal Bellare is the gram panchayat member of Bellare village, while Shafi Bellare is the State Secretary for the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The NIA officials said raids are being carried out in Sullia, Uppinangady, Mysuru and Hubballi. As per the sources, the NIA team recently announced a cash reward in lakhs for clues on the four accused persons who have disappeared. On July 26, bike-borne miscreants attacked BJP activist Praveen in Bellare town of Dakshina Kannada district in front of his chicken shop and hacked him to death. Following the murder, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had cancelled celebration of his one year term in office. He visited Praveen's family and issued a cheque for Rs 25 lakh as compensation from the government. The party had given Rs 25 lakh separately. The incident triggered a chain of protests from BJP workers all over Karnataka against the ruling BJP. The agitators had laid siege to Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's residence causing severe embarrassment to the ruling establishment. The probe had revealed that he was targetted for launching a campaign against halal cut meat. Chennai, Nov 5 : The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has decided to postpone its scheduled November 6 route march. The Vijayadashami route march of the RSS, scheduled for October 2, was postponed to November 6 after the ban on Islamist organisation Popular Front of India and the possibilities of communal violence. RSS Dakshina Kshetreeya Sangachalak (RSS South Zone president) Prof Vanniyarajan, in a statement, said, "RSS has been conducting its route marches for the last 97 years across the nation in an organised manner. The route marches have been held peacefully in all the states of the country including Tamil Nadu." He further said, "The Madras High Court in its ruling yesterday permitted to conduct the route march in 44 locations instead of the 50 that was requested by the RSS, restricted the route march to be conducted only indoors or in an auditorium or within four walls of a compound." The RSS said that it will file an appeal against the ruling party and will not hold the route march of November 6. Justice Iliyantharajan of Madras High Court had given permission for the route march to be conducted at 44 places instead of the 50 places. He had even pulled up the police for not having granted permission to the route march earlier citing communal troubles. Although Kevin Feige and Robert Downey Jr. received the lion's share of the credit for engineering the Marvel cinematic universe, many fans forget how instrumental Jon Favreau was to the creation of the most profitable movie studio in history. Favreau, who directed the first two Iron Man films, helped create a grounded superhero universe that cleverly retained what worked about the comics- while jettisoning the inessential- through his contribution to the fledgling MCU. Even though Kevin Feige held the broader vision of what the MCU would eventually become, prior to 2014, he relied heavily on his directors to inject each film with a unique tone and visual identity. In the early days of the MCU, Fiege would strategically place directors on projects that would best suit their cinematic approach. For Captain America: The First Avenger, Fiege enlisted Joe Johnston- the director of The Rocketeer to create a film that harkened back to WW2 propaganda posters. Looking to lend a Shakespearan edge to the MCU's version of Asgard in Thor, Fiege summoned Kenneth Branagh, who helped bring various Shakespeare classics to the screen. And when it was time to assemble all of the disparate plot threads he'd been weaving since the beginning of the MCU for 2012's Avengers, Fiege recruited Joss Whedon, who practically specialized in crafting sci-fi scripts that centered on a rag-tag crew of bickering heroes. However, once the MCU became too big to fail, and maintenance became more important than ingenuity and creativity, Marvel's films became more formulaic in structure and uniform in appearance. Scott Derickson, the director of 2016's Doctor Strange, might have been hired for his horror credentials, but you'd never know it by watching the film. In a franchise defined by interconnectivity, post-2014 Marvel films became virtually indistinguishable on a visual level. Flash forward to modern Marvel, where Kevin Fiege will hire a director with a pedigree that matches the ethos of the character the MCU is adapting (hoping to entice cinephiles into attending) while simultaneously restricting said director's artistry to enforce the brand's uniformity. Several respected auteurs have levied similar claims at MCU films, including Martin Scorsese and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Well, now you can add Tarantino to the list. Despite being a fan of the comic mediumand Marvel in particularTarantino recently claimed that Marvel directors are no more than hired hands. Quentin Tarantino flirted for a period of time with directing a "Star Trek" movie, but that doesn't mean he'd ever take the leap into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The filmmaker, who's currently making the press rounds in support of his new book, "Cinema Speculation," told the Los Angeles Times that directors in the MCU are simply "hired hands," and he has no time to assume such a role. "You have to be a hired hand to do those things," Tarantino said of Marvel movies. "I'm not a hired hand. I'm not looking for a job." Well, when the man is right, he's right. Shimla, Nov 5 : The main opposition Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday promised to restore the old pension scheme, which will directly benefit nearly 2.5 lakh government employees, to fill one lakh jobs in the first Cabinet meeting, besides 300 units of free electricity, if the party returns to the helm. Eyeing to woo the government employees who have been demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme, the Congress in its manifesto that was released here promised that all arrears of the employees would be cleared and contract employees would be regularised within two years. For the youth, the party has announced to set up a commission for them to look into their issues of education and employment generation. The BJP-ruled hill state will go to the polls for the 68-member Legislative Assembly on November 12 and the results will be announced on December 8. The election manifesto, "Himachal, Himachliyat aur Hum", talked about issues concerning the common man like price rise, unemployment and issues concerning the women, the youth, the government employees and the former servicemen. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel, state party in-charge Rajeev Shukla, state Congress president Pratibha Singh, among other party leaders, were at the manifesto release function. To tackle the drug menace, a major election issue, the Congress announced to set up an anti-drug abuse enforcement authority headed by a sitting high court judge. The other highlights of the manifesto include 10 guarantees announced by the party earlier. They include 300 units free power, Rs 1,500 per month to all women between 18 to 60 years, Rs 10 crore 'StartUp' fund and four English medium schools in each constituency. The party announced to set up a recruitment board to ensure that all posts are filled within six months of the advertisement. The party's poll manifesto committee chairman Dhani Ram Shandil said the BJP has failed to live up to the expectations of people and not fulfilled the promises made five years ago. The BJP had won a majority in the 2017 Assembly polls with 44 seats in the 68-member Assembly. New Delhi, Nov 5 : Incarcerated conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has come down heavily on Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national Convernor, Arvind Kejriwal, asking him a series of questions in an open letter. "If I am country's biggest thug on what basis did you accept Rs 50 crore from me and offered me Rajya Sabha seat," he asked the Delhi Chief Minister in a letter released by him on Friday. Sukesh said that he had also filed a fresh complaint with the Delhi Lieutenant Governor against Kerjwal, AAP leaders Kailash Gehlot and Satyendra Jain. Meanwhile, through his letter he asked Kejriwal a series of questions. "In 2016, Kejriwal ji, why did you force me to bring 20 to 30 more individuals to contribute Rs 500 crores in cash to the party in return for seats and postings in AAP Karnataka and Tamil Nadu?" he asked further in his letter. Sukesh even alleged that Kejriwal, along with AAP jailed leader Satyendra Jain, had attended his dinner party in a five star hotel in 2016. "Why did you attend my dinner party along with Mr Jain in 2016 at Hyatt, Bhikaji Cama Place, where I was staying after delivering Rs 50 crores which I paid at Gehlot farm house at Asola to Mr Satyendra Jain on your instructions?," he asked Kejriwal. "Kejriwal ji, why have you forced me and kept following up to make sure Mr Bhaskar Rao, Ex- Commissioner of Police, Banglore only joins AAP after his service as a super cop?" he further asked. "Kejriwal ji, why did you speak to me on the phone of Mr Jain in 2017 when he came to visit me in Tihar Jail? In black Iphone the name was saved as AK-2," Sukesh said. "Kejriwal Ji why did you keep telling Mr Jain to ask me to convince a few MLAs and actors in Tamil Nadu to join AAP? In 2016 and 2017 why was constant pressure put on me? How come you were 'Ok' when 10 more crores was paid to Mr Jain in 2019 for jail protection money," he asked. "So hence Kejriwal ji, before pointing your finger towards me and trying to make the issue political and diverting the topic in peoplea's mind, now it is time you will be answerable to law as I will submit evidence of every transaction and conversation between you, me and other associates of yours. I don't think I will back up," he further said. Washington, Nov 5 : At least one person was killed and multiple others were injured as tornadoes ripped across parts of the US, causing significant damage, authorities have said. One person was killed in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, according to county emergency manager Cody McDaniel. In southern Oklahoma, a truck driver was hospitalised after his semi was blown over and a woman was hit by a falling tree as she was heading to a storm shelter, reports Xinhua news agency. "Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today's tornadoes," Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt tweeted Friday night, noting that additional flash flooding occurred in some areas. In Lamar County, Texas, "there has been quite a bit of damage and some injuries", Travis Rhodes, the county's Constable, told local media. Fire and rescue officials were investigating reports of multiple people trapped inside their homes amid the rubble left behind. In neighbouring Hopkins County, Texas, at least four houses were damaged by a tornado, the county's sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. More than three inches of rain fell at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, setting a daily rainfall record since 1956 and forcing hundreds of flights cancelled on Friday. Dozens of homes were damaged in the area, local media reported. "Atmospheric conditions are favourable for severe storms," said the National Weather Service for Fort Worth. An early winter blast met record autumn warmth on Friday, creating the biggest tornado threat the country has seen in more than five months. As of Friday midnight, more than 60,000 homes and businesses were without power in Texas. That number stood at roughly 35,000 in Arkansas and 4,000 in Oklahoma at the same time, data from the PowerOutage.us revealed. Nine twisters formed in Texas, four in Arkansas, and one in Oklahoma, according to a preliminary count by the US Storm Prediction Center. Thunderstorms are now moving eastward into Arkansas, Louisiana and southeast Texas and are expected to sweep through overnight with the threat of damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes, said a report from the weather.com. Chennai, Nov 5 : The Coimbatore City police have commenced a programme to de-radicalize youths attracted to Islamic State (IS) ideology. As a first step in this direction, the police have prepared a list of 50 youths in the city who are attracted to the ideology of extremist Islamic organisations like the IS. The move follows death of a 29-year-old youth, Jameesha Mubin, who died in a car explosion on October 23 near the Sangameswarar temple at Kottaimedu, Ukkadam, Coimbatore. Police immediately conducted a search at the residence of Mubin and found that his rented apartment was full of chemicals, including potassium permanganate, sulphur, aluminum powder, and charcoal. The Coimbatore police arrested six youths and foisted UAPA on them after getting information from the residence of Mubin. Coimbatore City police commissioner Balakrishnan, while speaking to mediapersons in Coimbatore, stated that the police would be soon opening a de-radicalization class in Coimbatore. He said that reputed psychology professors would be roped in for the content of the course and classes would commence in a month. Visit by certain Muslim scholars and priests attached to the local Mosques has given the much-needed boost to reduce the mistrust between the communities. Gandhinagar, Nov 5 : The BJP on Saturday launched 'Agresar Gujarat ' (leading Gujarat) campaign aimed to strike a chord will people of the state and seek their opinion on points to be included in the party manifesto for the state assembly polls. People of Gujarat can share their views either by leaving notes in suggestion boxes to be put up in public places, or by messaging on cell number 78 78 182 182 or by visiting www.agresargujarat.com and sharing their views on the website. On veteran leader Jay Narayan Vyas quitting the saffron party, BJP state unit president C R Patil said the party has accepted his resignation. Vyas, 75, resigned from the party on Friday, saying that he was unhappy with the Patan district BJP committee, its functioning and constant humiliation. Talking to mediapersons, Patil reminded that the BJP will not nominate candidates who are 75 year old or above. It will also not nominate family members of BJP leaders, MLAs, and MPs. In another development, Khodal dham trustee Naresh Patel and other trustee Ramesh Tilawala had a one-on-one meeting with Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah earlier in the day. Ramesh Tilawala is interested in contesting elections on BJP symbol from Rajkot South Constituency. Congress party's national secretary Himanshu Vyas has resigned from the party and is likely to join the BJP. He claims that the party was constantly ignoring his service and contribution to the party. San Francisco, Nov 5 : Samsung has rolled out a new firmware update for Galaxy S10 series which will provide improvements to Bluetooth, stability, and camera. According to SamMobile, new update is available for Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ across Europe. The update is also available for Galaxy S10 5G in Switzerland. The official changelog mentions stability improvements in the Camera app, improved connectivity and stability over Bluetooth, and better overall stability. Galaxy S10 users should be able to download the update upon receiving a notification. Users can also download the update by opening the Settings app, selecting "Software update," and then "Download and install" on their devices, according to the report. The update also has October security patch and is 1 GB in size. Meanwhile, Samsung recently rolled out the updates for its other Galaxy devices. Last month, Samsung released stable Android 13 update for unlocked Galaxy S22 devices in the US. According to SamMobile, the latest Android update was limited to Asian and European countries. In the US, the stable update was also rolled out a few days later to the carrier-locked Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Jaipur, Nov 5 : In a counter to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, the BJP in Rajasthan will launch a mega Rath Yatra in an effort to expose the alleged failures of the incumbent state government. Two-hundred individual 'raths' or air-conditioned buses converted as chariots, will deputed to all of the state's 200 constituencies from November 17 to December 17. These raths will be taken out for seven to 10 days. During this, the BJP will cover all its 1,100 mandals and 52,000 polling booths. Every Assembly constituency will include party district presidents, sitting MLAs, former BJP candidates, office bearers, members of various fronts, among others. BJP workers have said that the mega initiative would prove to be a strong force for the party as there will be an infusion of enthusiasm and confidence amongst the members. "We have started preparations for it. Any MLA, former candidate or district president can call any senior politician in a particular area if he wants to be called in the Rath Yatra," they added. There will also be arrangements for seating, mike, decoration for about 10 people. All the chariots will have the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posters of the schemes of the Central government and policies of the BJP. Wherever a chariot will pass through, people will be told about the policies and achievements of the BJP. The chariots will stop at many places during which small meetings will be conducted to tell the people about the failures of the Congress government in the state, deteriorating law and order and unemployment. A fixed route chart is also being prepared. Meanwhile on December 6, the Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Rajasthan from Jhalawar district and travel towards Haryana via Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar. Washington, Nov 5 : US President Joe Biden has slammed Elon Musk for acquiring Twitter, saying the micro-blogging platform spews "lies all across the world", Biden made these comments during a fundraising event for Illinois Democratic Representatives Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten, reports Fox Business. "Elon Musk goes out and buys an outlet that sends a" that spews lies all across the world. There are no editors anymore in America. There are no editors," he told the gathering. "How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake? What is at stake? So there's a lot going on, a lot going on. But we have an enormous opportunity, enormous opportunity," Biden added. Meanwhile, a group of more than 40 organisations has sent an open letter calling on Twitter's top 20 largest advertisers to stop financing the company, claiming the platform is "inundated with hate and disinformation". Amid calls to bring back on Twitter former US President Donald Trump, Musk has announced plans to create a content moderation council. The Tesla CEO said that Twitter will not allow anyone who was de-platformed for violating its rules "back on platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks". "Twitter will not censor accurate information about anything," he tweeted on Friday. Twitter, which has fired about half of its workforce under Musk along with axing key content moderation teams right before the November 8 midterm elections, said that its "core moderation capabilities" are still in place. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Davanagere, Nov 5 : Karnataka BJP MLA M.P. Renukacharya on Saturday expressed displeasure over "negligence" by the police department in handling the death case of his nephew Chandrashekar. "If the son (Renukacharya calls his nephew as his son) of MLA can't be given protection, what will be common men's plight?" Renukacharya said. His nephew Chandrashekar's decomposed body was recovered from a canal on Thursday. The police department maintained that the incident had happened due to over speeding of the car. While, suspicions were raised on Chandrashekar being kidnapped and murdered. Talking to mediapersons, Renukacharya said: "It is a pre-planned murder. My son has been brutally tortured and killed. The negligence of the police department is clearly visible." "My party workers and supporters had used drone cameras. They have detected the car. All this is being done by people of my constituency. Police did not do any of it. I am not saying it, people are talking about it," he added. If the deceased Chandrashekar's soul has to rest in peace, the investigation of the case has to be conducted appropriately. Chandrashekar was growing as my successor in Honnali assembly constituency, he stated. Renukacharya maintained that "One Kiran was with Chandrashekar, our supporters. The truth has to come out. I am maintaining calm. Don't try to provoke me." "I got life threats one year ago. I had spoken about it with local police. They should have investigated the matter. Security should have been tightened. No security was given," he charged the police department. Renukacharya maintained that the miscreants had killed his nephew at a different place and dumped his body with the car into the canal. Renukacharya also stated that the hands of his nephew were tied. BJP workers have also expressed their displeasure over the handling of the case by the police department. The police have taken up further investigation. Chandrashekar, 24, had gone missing on Sunday. It was suspected that he was kidnapped. Acting on information provided by Renukacharya's supporters, the police had found Chandrashekar's car inside the canal on November 3. After lifting the car with the crane, the decomposed body of the young man was found. Kolkata, Nov 5 : Bimal Gurung, the founder president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), on Friday night said that the political outfit floated by him would back the party which will support GJM's call for a permanent political settlement (PPA) in the hills of Darjeeling, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "A meeting on the Gorkhaland issue is supposed to take place in New Delhi in December. Our stand is clear. We will support that political party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which would back our demand for a political solution in the hills," Gurung said. However, he maintained silence on the question whether the political solution will include GJM's old demand for separate Gorkhaland state. He also did not specify whether he was hinting towards a fresh understanding with BJP snapping his ties with Trinamool Congress. Gurung was absconding from the hills after a major agitation started in 2017 over the separate Gorkhaland state. Finally, in October 2020, he emerged in the scene again when at a press conference at a hotel in Kolkata, he announced GJM's withdrawal of support to BJP who the party backed even in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In that press conference, Gurung expressed his solidarity towards Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Thereafter for a long time, he went for a virtual political sabbatical, though officially GJM backed Trinamool Congress in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls. Before the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) polls this year, Gurung started a fasting agitation in the hills demanding boycott of GTA polls unless a permanent political solution in the hills is achieved. However, that agitation did not evoke much impact. Now with his latest statement about the political solution in the hills, he has further hinted about his next move. Political observers feel that although he had not made anything clear about his move, but his insistence on a permanent political solution is a clandestine hint of ending ties with Trinamool Congress. Observers feel that for GJM, the concept of permanent political solution is incomplete without separate Gorkhaland state, which can never be acceptable to Trinamool Congress. Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a two-day celebration and remembrance of family and friends who have passed on to their ancestors. Convening in cemeteries and homes, altars are made with pictures, favorite foods and libations, candles, copal, and other incense, and flowers, specifically bright yellow cempasuchil, or flowers of the deadmarigolds in English. A celebration and a convening, November 1st is dedicated to children, while the 2nd is for adults. Contrary to the puritanical approach to death, which is to ignore death or monetize it through a market purchasing insurance policies, Dia de Muertos reminds us that those who have passed are always with us. Death is not some long, faraway possibility, but the other side of life is always present. With origins in indigenous communities in Central Mexico, how did the ceremonies honoring the dead come to be on November 1st and 2nd? The answer. The Catholic Church: All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Much ink has been lettered about the use of Catholicism for control and domination, particularly the assimilation of indigenous spiritual practices. Check out the research of Mary J. Andrade, who has written extensively about Dia de Muertos. I want to take this opportunity of Dia de Muertos to introduce the book Where do they go? by Julia Alvarez and illustrated by Sabra Field. An accessible and tender book about death, written for children and to perhaps guide a conversation with adults, the book asks, "When somebody dies, where do they go? / Do they go where the wind goes when it blows? Do they wink back at me when I wish on a star? Do they whisper, 'You're perfect, just as you are'? " You can listen to the book on MsKingsHomeroom Youtube Channel. "Born in New York City, Julia Alvarez moved to the Dominican Republic with her Dominican American parents when she was an infant. In 1960, though, the political situation forced the family to return to New York. Alvarez has explained that the experience of being forced to refine her English upon returning to the United States made her very aware of languagegood training for a writer. In 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Alvarez's poetry often explores her identity as a Dominican American. Alvarez has also written many novels, including Afterlife (2020), Saving the World (2007), A Cafecito Story (2002), and In the Time of Butterflies (1994), which was set during the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and adapted into a motion picture released in 2001." Here is a link to the trailer for the film. Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 : With the battle lines firmly drawn between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the former showing no signs of backing down, Vijayan has now approached the best legal brains in the country including Fali S. Nariman for advice on if there is a legal solution to their tussle. Even as the state is passing through one of its worst-ever financial crisis, a sum of Rs 46.90 lakh has been sanctioned for Nariman and his team. The Government Order, that has now found its way to the public domain, says this is the professional fee for providing written legal opinion with regards to Kerala legislative bills. Vijayan appears to be in the corner after veiled threats launched by him and his CPI-M leaders that "this is Kerala" and Khan should "behave", the Governor appears firm on his stand. The reason why Vijayan decided to approach Nariman is to see if there is a legal way out to see Khan signs on the dotted line on a few Bills he is sitting upon. These include the tweaked Lok Ayukta Bill and also a Bill which amends the powers of the Chancellor - a post held by the Kerala Governor for a while. Vijayan is seeking to find if there is any way in which the state can approach the judiciary to see Khan provides assent to these Bills, which are crucial for the chief Minister. Khan, for a while, has not been quiet and recently was in threatening mode when he warned that if the Chief Minister's Office is involved in gold smuggling, he will intervene and it's after this that Vijayan seemed to have started to think on taking on Khan in the legal way. Khan was travelling for the past 10 days and has returned to the state on Saturday. Meanwhile, the last date for the 10 state varsity Vice Chancellors, whom he had ordered to quit, to reply to his show cause notice or in case, any of them wishes to meet him, is Monday, after which he is expected to take a position, as he is now armed with an apex court order which asked the Vice Chancellor of the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University of Kerala to quit as appointment norms were not followed. New Delhi, Nov 5 : The Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted permission to the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for conducting photography and videography using drones at its new Terminal 2. Earlier, on October 31, the airport authority had sought permission for use of drones for the said purposes. Whereas the applicant shall seek permission from Ministry of Home Affairs and Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) regarding drone operations in the red zone and from the concerned air traffic control authority regarding airspace clearance for the afore-mentioned purpose, said the Ministry in its order issued on November 4. The Civil Aviation Ministry said that the permission shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the said permission from the MHA, CISF and the concerned ATC authority. The permission shall be valid for a period of one month from the date of issue or until further orders whichever is earlier, said the Ministry. Drones offer many benefits in various sectors of the economy and also public welfare. These include -- agriculture, vaccine delivery, rural property mapping, search and rescue, surveillance, transportation, defence and law enforcement etc. Drones have been used for various governmental services, particularly in the remote and inaccessible areas in India. Government agencies have used drones for crowd surveillance during Covid-19; anti-locust operations; mapping of rural residential properties under the SVAMITVA Scheme; test flights of medical supplies in hill states of north India and northeastern region, to name a few. Mumbai, Nov 5 : Actress Nimrat Kaur, who has impressed the audience with her work in films like 'The Lunchbox', 'Airlift' and 'Dasvi', was hit by a wave of nostalgia while she was shooting for her upcoming project in Pune. The actress, who is currently working on the film 'Happy Teachers' Day', finished the first schedule of the shoot in Pune on Saturday. The film's unit also arranged for a special cake on the occasion of the first schedule wrap up. Elaborating on the same, Nimrat said: "Being in Pune for the shoot felt like a hit of nostalgia. I have spent the first year of my school studying here and being back in the education environment took me back to my childhood." 'Happy Teachers' Day' is a social thriller directed by National Award winning director Mikhil Musale and presented by Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Production. Talking about her experience of working on the project, she further mentioned: "The shoot was quite an enthralling experience in itself and I'm really looking forward to completing filming and presenting the film to the audience." New Delhi, Nov 5 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also claims to be the largest political party in the world, has resorted to using a 'thug' to attain political mileage, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference here, Bhardwaj launched a scathing attack on BJP, saying that a 'thug' by the name of Sukesh Chandrasekhar has become the brand ambassador of the saffron party ahead the Assembly elections in Gujarat and the municipal polls in Delhi. "Elections in Gujarat and Delhi are pushing the BJP into a fear zone; they're piggybacking on a conman like Sukesh Chandrasekhar for political mileage. Chandrasekhar has become BJP's star campaigner ahead of the elections," he said. "Ever since the Assembly elections in Gujarat and the civic polls in Delhi were announced, the BJP has become very nervous. This can be gauged by listening to the speeches of its national spokespersons and senior leaders. "It is absolutely shameful that to falsely defame the Aam Aadmi Party in this election season, the BJP is taking the support of a thug called Sukesh Chandrasekhar," Bhardwaj said. Jailed conman Chandrasekhar recently alleged that he is being threatened by AAP leader Satyendar Jain and ex-DG (Prisons) of Tihar jail after his complaint to the Delhi L-G went public. In the letter, Chandrasekhar had claimed that Rs 50 crore was paid to AAP as he was promised an important party position in south India. "Mr Kejriwal, I am the country's 'biggest thug' according to you. Then why did you receive Rs 50 crore from me and offer me Rajya Sabha seat? What does that make you - 'maha thug'?" he had written in the letter. Chandrasekhar is presently lodged in Delhi's Mandoli jail for allegedly extorting money from high-profile people and celebrities. Chandigarh, Nov 5 : Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday questioned the "criminal and conniving silence" of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab and its leaders over the brutal killing of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar. "This silence over such a gruesome act amounts to connivance," he remarked, while pointing out how AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, maintained a "criminal silence" over this incident which should otherwise have shaken them. Condemning the barbaric murder of Suri on Friday, Shekhawat said it was an act of terror aimed at creating sense of fear among people. "This has actually caused panic and fear among people making them recall the dark days of terror in Punjab in 1980-90," he said. Shekhawat remarked, "worst was feared and worst has happened as the Aam Aadmi Party government has completely abdicated its authority and responsibility to safeguard the life of people in Punjab". The Union minister said this was a clear case of "targeted killing" aimed at not only "sabotaging peace" in the state but also instilling a sense of fear among people, for which the AAP government is responsible. He observed that Suri's killing is clearly part of the greater design when viewed in context of growing activities of anti-national forces in the state and AAP government's silence about it. "Your silence amounts to your connivance and we have valid reasons to suspect that," he said in a statement here. Moreover, he added, the rising anti-India activities in Canada also need to be viewed in the same context. He said the government of Canada also must take note of such killings and stop encouraging anti-India activities and propaganda in that country which has ramifications in India. New Delhi, Nov 5 : A 40-year-old man -- involved in a murder, and evading arrest since 2017, has been arrested by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch, said an official on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Abid a.k.a. Kala, a resident of Pooja Colony near Loni in Ghaziabad. According to Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (crime), in March 2017, one Vineet Jain, a resident of Krishna Nagar was brought dead at Dr. Hedgewar Hospital with a gunshot wound near his neck. A murder case was registered at Gandhi Nagar police station in Shahdara. "During investigation, one accused Shahid, a resident of Khiwai near Meerut was arrested but the other accused Abid was absconding. Further, Abid a.k.a. Kala was declared as 'Proclaimed Offender' by the Court," said Yadav. "Specific inputs were received regarding Abid and he was apprehended after a prolonged surveillance," said Yadav. "On interrogation, it was revealed that he works as a property deal er in the Loni area. He was known to the accused Shahid. He also disclosed that the deceased belonged to village Khiwai," said the Special CP. "Shahid had personal enmity with the deceased and wanted protection money from him. Abid was actively involved with Shahid (main accused) in hatching the conspiracy to commit murder of Vineet Jain," the Special CP added. Islamabad, Nov 5 : Former Pakistan President and Co-chairman of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, on Saturday accused PTI Chairperson Imran Khan of 'spewing venom' against state institutions, according to a media report. Zardari strongly condemned Khan for "crossing every line" to spread chaos in the country, according to a statement posted on the official PPP Twitter account, Express Tribune reported. "This person cares neither about the wellbeing of the country, nor of its institutions," said the PPP leader, adding that Khan "sees nothing but power". Zardari added that the survival of the country depends on the survival of its institutions and any attack on them "will not be tolerated". The former President noted that the country and its institutions have fought the 'common enemy' since 1947, and will continue to do so, Express Tribune reported. "This time, the enemy has attacked us from within," he said, making a veiled reference to Khan. He added that the martyrs and sacrifices of the Pakistan Army will never be forgotten and such ploys made by the 'enemy' will be defeated. Zardari's statement came following the assassination attempt on Khan on November 3, in which he sustained bullet injuries in the leg. In a video message on Friday, Khan had alleged that three persons -- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a senior military officer -- were behind the attack. The former Prime Minister also asked his party workers and supporters to continue protesting against the assassination attempt until the three "accused" persons resign. He said the resignations of the three, who "control all agencies", was necessary for an impartial probe. "Never compromise on your independence. Protest is your right," Khan said, as he urged his supporters to "fully participate" in the protest to demand the resignation of the three "suspects". "I will take to the streets immediately after recovering and will give a call for [march towards] Islamabad," the PTI Chairman said. He also asked the Army chief to make the 'senior military official' concerned resign, Express Tribune reported. Mumbai, Nov 5 : Entrepreneur and columnist Shweta Bachchan Nanda, the daughter of veteran megastar Amitabh Bachchan, recently revealed that she worked at a salary of Rs 3,000 per month as an assistant teacher. Her daughter Navya Naveli Nanda spoke to her and mother and actress Jaya Bachchan about their relationship with money and topic of financial independence for women in recent episode of Navya's podcast 'What The Hell Navya'. Going down the memory lane, Shweta spoke about working as an assistant teacher at a kindergarten school when she moved to Delhi after marriage with businessman Nikhil Nanda. She admitted, "My relationship with money is really bad." She also recollected borrowing money from her brother Abhishek Bachchan, "I was borrowing money (from Abhishek Bachchan) not just in college but in school also... for buying food, and food. When you are in boarding school, it (food) is the number one commodity you can't live without. I was never educated on all this (managing finances)." She further mentioned, "Then when I got married, and I was in Delhi, I had a job as an assistant teacher in a kindergarten, Learning Tree. There I got a salary, I think it was Rs 3,000 a month. I put it in a bank..." Shweta also credited Navya Naveli Nanda for managing the daily expenses by maintaining a Microsoft Excel sheet of their finances. Gurugram, Nov 5 : Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav on Saturday gave an order to demolish Tower-D having 50 flats of Chintels Paradiso condominium in Sector 109 of Gurugram, after a report by IIT-Delhi found structural deficiencies in the building. On February 10, 2022, two persons lost their lives after a slab of sixth-floor apartment in Tower D collapsed partially during repair work. Following the incident, the state government formed a committee to probe the matter, and a structural audit of the building was also ordered. A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Vishram Kumar Meena who was probing the matter. "The team from IIT-Delhi has found structural deficiencies in the construction of this tower, whose repair is not possible on technical and economic grounds, Therefore, this tower should be completely demolished," Yadav told reporters. "An attempt was made to cover up the structural deficiencies found in Tower-D by painting the rusted bars due to low-quality construction material and chlorine in the water," Yadav said. Apart from this, he said, reports of structural safety complaints from 16 different housing societies in the district will also come by November 15, after which a decision will be taken about them." "The investigation report of IIT-Delhi has come in which it has been found that there were structural defects in the D Tower of Chintels Paradiso. Low-level concrete was used in the construction of the building, which is not possible to be repaired on technical and economic grounds. The committee found that the steelwork and reinforcement work in the building had been painted to hide the rust," he stated. "Along with this, the work of retrofitting a flat on the sixth floor of D-Tower was also not being done without monitoring and as per the prescribed norms. For this, the responsibility of Chintels Paradiso Company and Manish Switch Gear Pvt Ltd has been fixed," he added. He also informed that the team of IIT-Delhi has also recommended that the process of demolition should be started by closing Tower-D. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner said that the detailed report of the Administrative Committee constituted under the chairmanship of ADC Meena is also expected to come by Monday. After that, the district administration will take further action in this matter. He said that based on the investigation report of IIT-Delhi, orders will be given to the developer to settle the claim with the allottees of D-Tower. There will be three options before the allottees. The builder or the developer, in coordination with the allottees of D-Tower at their level, will settle the claim within the stipulated period and will give this information in writing to the district administration. Under another option, for the convenience of the allottees, two independent evaluators would be engaged, who would assess the current prices of flats etc. and give their reports. Thereafter, it will be mandatory for the developer to accept the price decided by the evaluator and that amount will be given to the allottee. If the allottees are not satisfied even after this, then they can go to court and seek relief. Similarly, the process of structural audit is going on in Tower 'E' and 'F' of the same society and its report will come soon. Till then, by vacating these two towers, the builder has to enter into a rent agreement with their flat owners. Construction samples of both these towers have been collected. There are 28 flats in Tower E and 22 in Tower-F. The cost of shifting flat owners to rent to another location will be borne by the builder. Apart from this, the Deputy Commissioner said that complaints were received from 70 different societies related to structural audit in the district, out of which 16 societies were selected for structural audit in the first phase. Apart from the agency, builder's representatives and members of RWAs have also been included for structural audit, so that fair investigation can be done. "The reports of these 16 societies will come by November 15. In these societies, the responsibility was entrusted to two agencies for structural audit, which will tell in their report whether this society is safe to live in or not," he said. New Delhi, Nov 5 : Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday questioned the silence of the Aam Aadmi Party government and its leaders over the brutal killing of Shiv Sena Taksali leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar on Friday. "This silence over such a gruesome act amounts to connivance," he remarked, while pointing out how AAP leaders including Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann maintained a silence over this incident which should otherwise have shaken them. Condemning the brutal and barbaric murder of Suri in Amritsar, Shekhawat said, it was an act of terror aimed at creating a sense of fear among people. "The incident has actually caused panic and fear among people making them recall the dark days of terror in Punjab in 1980-90," he said. Reacting to the killing, Shekhawat remarked: "The worst was feared and worst has happened as the Aam Aadmi Party government has completely abdicated its authority and responsibility to safeguard the life of people in Punjab." The union minister said, this was a clear case of targeted killing aimed at not only sabotaging peace in the state, but also instilling a sense of fear among people, for which the AAP government is responsible. He observed that Suri's killing is clearly a part of the greater design when viewed in the context of growing activities of anti-national forces in the state and AAP government's silence on it. "Your silence amounts to your connivance and we have valid reasons to suspect that," he told the AAP leadership. Moreover, he added, the rising anti-India activities in Canada also need to be viewed in the same context. He said, the government of Canada also must take note of such killings and stop encouraging anti-India activities and propaganda in that country which has ramifications in India. A Buffalo man accused of recklessly causing the death of a 17-year-old girl in a motorcycle crash Friday has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, according to Batavia police. Police said 27-year-old Christopher Scinta twice attempted to flee after officers arrived at the crash scene at the roundabout on the Oak Street extension and found 17-year-old Jasmyne Rubel, Scinta's passenger, injured on the ground. Police said Scinta attempted to interfere with medics treating Rubel and was taken into custody. Scinta allegedly attempted to escape again by jumping from a window at Batavia Police Headquarters, but was quickly apprehended. Rubel was pronounced dead at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia. Police said Scinta was operating the motorcycle in a reckless manner and at a high rate of speed on Pearl Street with Rubel as his passenger when he struck the curb near the roundabout and lost control. Scinta was also charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration, fourth-degree criminal mischief, leaving scene of an injury accident resulting in death, reckless driving, driving at an imprudent speed, and other vehicle and traffic charges, police said. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court before City Court Judge Thomas Burns and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $25,000 cash bail. Scinta is scheduled to reappear in Batavia City Court on Thursday, Nov. 10. Vadodara, Nov 5 : The Vadodara city cyber crime police have arrested a 19-year-old civil engineering student on charges of blackmailing and extorting money from another youth. Cyber crime inspector B.N. Patel told the media that on Friday, a 20-year-old engineering student had lodged a complaint, claiming that a woman with the instagram ID 'Drishti2809' had sent her a request for friendship, which he had accepted last month. After this, she shared some nude photos and insisted that the complainant too share similar photos of himself. The complainant was initially reluctant, but later he shared the photos, and that's where the problem started. Soon the complainant started receiving threats of making the photos public if he didn't pay money to the girl. Till the time he lodged the complaint, the complainant reportedly paid Rs 1,28,000 to the person with the Instagram ID 'Drishti2809'. During probe, the police found that a college student named Aakash Soni was operating the account in the guise of a girl, and arrested him. New Delhi, Nov 5 : The apex leadership of the Indian Army will brainstorm on current and emerging security and administrative aspects to chart the future course for the force in the Army Commanders' Conference (ACC), which will be held here from November 7 to 11. ACC is an apex-level biannual event which is an institutional platform for conceptual-level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army. The event, which will be attended by senior officers of the Indian Army, including the COAS, VCOAS, all Army Commanders and other senior officers, is also a formal forum for the senior leadership of the Army to interact with the senior officials of the Department of Military Affairs and Department of Defence. Discussions pertaining to transformational imperatives for a future ready force, progress on capability development and modernisation, framework for enhanced operational effectiveness of the Army, changes being incorporated to promote sel-reliance, implementation of the new human resource management policy and future challenges to progressive military training will form part of the deliberations. Other activities planned during the conference include talks by eminent subject experts on 'Contemporary India - China relations' as well as 'Technological Challenges for National Security'. During the conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address and interact with the Army Commanders on November 10. The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force are also scheduled to address the senior leadership of the Indian Army on avenues for promoting tri-service synergy. New York, Nov 5 : Monkeypox mutations have enabled the virus to grow stronger and smarter, evading antiviral drugs and vaccines in its mission to infect more people, a team of Indian-American scientists have found. The virus has infected more than 77,000 people in more than 100 countries, and in recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3-6 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings of the study, published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, can help in modifying the existing drugs used to treat monkeypox or developing new medicines that can counter the mutations thus reducing symptoms of the disease and curbing the spread of the virus. A team of researchers at the University of Missouri, led by professor Kamlendra Singh, identified the specific mutations in the monkeypox virus that contribute to its continued infectiousness. "By doing a temporal analysis, we were able to see how the virus has evolved over time. A key finding was that the virus is now accumulating mutations specifically where drugs and antibodies from vaccines are supposed to bind," researcher Shrikesh Sachdev said. "So, the virus is getting smarter, it is able to avoid being targeted by drugs or antibodies from our body's immune response and continue to spread to more people," he added. Kamlendra Singh, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator, collaborated with Shrikesh Sachdev, Athreya Reddy, Shree Lekha Kandasamy, Siddappa Byrareddy and Saathvik Kannan for the research. The team analysed DNA sequences of more than 200 strains of monkeypox virus -- from 1965, when the virus first started spreading, to outbreaks in the early 2000s and again in 2022. "Our focus is on looking at the specific genes involved in copying the virus genome. Monkeypox is a huge virus with approximately 200,000 DNA bases in the genome," lead researcher Kamlendra Singh said. He explained that the DNA genome for monkeypox is converted into nearly 200 proteins, so it comes with all the 'armor' it needs to replicate, divide and continue to infect others. "Viruses will make billions of copies of itself and only the fittest will survive, as the mutations help them adapt and continue to spread," he said. Kannan and Kandasamy examined five specific proteins while analyzing the monkeypox virus strains -- DNA polymerase, DNA helicase, bridging protein A22R, DNA glycosylase and G9R. Researchers continue to question how the monkeypox virus has evolved over time. The efficacy of current Centres for Disease Control and Prevention-approved drugs to treat monkeypox have been suboptimal, likely because they were originally developed to treat HIV and herpes but have since received emergency use authorization in an attempt to control the recent monkeypox outbreak. Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak New Delhi, Nov 5 : Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has left for Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur to meet the bereaved family of independent India's first voter Shyam Saran Negi, who had passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 106. The CEC will also attend the last rites in person at his native village. "Not just first voter of Independent India,but a man with exceptional faith inA#democracy. ECI mourns the demise of Shri Shyam Saran Negi. We are eternally grateful for his service to the Nation," said the Election Commission on Saturday. "He inspired millions to vote, even before his demise, he voted for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 through postal ballot on November 2,2022," it added. "Such was his commitment to democratic process that he voted till the last breath of his life on 2nd Nov, at his home in Kalpa. We salute him for his contribution to Indian democracy. He will be cremated with state honours today," Himachal Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer said. Srinagar, Nov 5 : Ummar Jamal, a 22-year-old Kashmiri youth, hailing from Quil Muqam hamlet of north Kashmir's Bandipora district, some 70 km away from Srinagar, was passionate about poetry since his childhood days. Initially, he would write in Kashmiri; but since 2019, he switched to English, because it gave him wider audience. He is currently a 3rd year law student at the University of Kashmir. His poems are continually published in Greater Kashmir's weekly magazine The Kashmir Ink and Rising Kashmir newspaper -- two largest circulated daily and magazine of Kashmir. So far, he already published about two dozens of poems in them. He finds poetry a medium to articulate his ideas and express his experiences with the world. He writes on different social issues ranging from drug addiction to smartphone addition. Besides, he writes on ultimate reality of death, solidarity and pain and much more. He says "when I see something wrong happening around me, I get intrinsically tempted to write". "One day when I left coming to university, in my way I saw a girl poverty-stricken girl who was begging. Her poverty suddenly made me lachrymose. She exhorted everyone for some pennies. When I asked her why she was begging, she replied 'I am starving from days' "When people doubted her that she is masquerading, she willy-nilly continued persuading them for some pennies. This hit me hard and once I reached my home, I took my pen the poem titled 'poverty', which was later published by Rising Kashmir, he recollects. "I write on day to days issues which are basic directly connected to human beings. I don't believe in imaginary and apocryphal poetry. He said his father has played great role in his life. He reminds that in his childhood he would always encourage him and assigned him responsibilities from childhood, which helped him a lot father later in his life. Parents and teachers should appreciate their children even for small accomplishments. Intrinsically, these achievements over time would snowball into great ones. One should never speak discouraging language for it relegates brilliance to just average. "He has a firm command on Kashmiri poetry. He has put whole Kalama Sheik (RA) to his memory and would exhort me in childhood to read him. I think it is because of him I initially started writing in Kashmiri," he said. "I like to read William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth and Sheik ul Alam Sheik Noor ul din Norani (RA) and many others," he said. Beating the odds: Apart from the society's indifference to poets, Ummar had to face lot of other challenges. He believes challenges are inexorable in every field, same is true with when one has zeal and zest to bring about a change through his poetry. Initially he when used to write poems, he would conceal them rather than showing them to others. But as time passed and his poems got published in newspaper and magazine, his family and friends became aware that he writes poetry. "In Kashmir, being poet means invitation to mixed response; some people would appreciate it, some would take you for granted, while as some would make you butt of their satire. I believe poetry is a tool to bring about a change in society. Poets should be appreciated," he said. He had read in government schools throughout his educational career. He was brought up in such an environment where we would desire to get someone whom with he would speak in English. It was only because of his infinite enthusiasm, he mastered over the language. He started from scratch and over time established himself as a poet, whose poetry has potential to bring some positive change. "I remember when I wrote my first poem in English tiled as, 'modern day friends'. After writing it I sent it to Rising Kashmir newspaper, one of the largest circulated daily in Kashmir, for publication. I didn't think they would publish it because of limited space. But when I bought the newspaper next day I saw my poem had got published. This boosted my confidence in my poetic flair. Since then I never stopped writing," he said On being asked why didn't have published your work in form of a book? "Naval Ravikant says to write a great book, you must first become the book," he replied. He doesn't want to be in rush to publish a book, as most of contemporary young authors and poets do. "Yes of course, I have intention of publishing all my poems in form of a book in future. I have written myriad poems, myriad yet to be written in order to publish them in form of a book," he said. His activism: Today is rather a busy day for Ummar, because he had to meet students from across different departments of Kashmir university to know their issue so that he can take up them with vice chancellor, as he was planning call on vice chancellor Kashmir university to discuss with him the various issues of student studying in Kashmir university. "A delegation of students association is going to meet Kashmir university vice chancellor. Tell us the issues which you are facing so that we can take up those issues with VC. This meeting is in furtherance of the meeting held with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha whereby we discussed with him the wide array of issues which the student community of J&K is facing," said Ummar to a group of students. Ummar Jamal is though poet at heart and activist in spirit. He is presently national spokesperson of J&K students Association. He has been tirelessly working for safety, security and welfare for students of J&K studying across India. He was merely 21-years old when he first time appeared on national TV channel, to represent his student organization. His cogent arguments in TV debates are astounding and makes him was way ahead of his age. So far, he has written in dozens of articles in national and local newspapers and magazines. He writes on various legal and student, tribal, political and social issues. New Delhi, Nov 5: The daylight killing of Shiv Sena Taksali president on Thursday in Amritsar is being seen as linked to Waris Punjab De (WPD), a two-year-old hardline outfit, now headed by a Dubai-returned controversial leader Amritpal Singh. The state has been put on red alert after the incident while Hindu organisations have given a call for a Punjab bandh today. WPD was founded by Pollywood actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, a supporter of Simranjit Singh Mann, who died in a road accident in Haryana early this year while driving to Punjab from Delhi along with his Indian-origin American girlfriend Reena Rai. The arrested shooter Sandeep Singh Sunny, a resident of Kashmir Avenue, Sultanwind, Amritsar was a member of the WPD. He was running a garment shop near the place of the incident. The Suzuki Swift car in which he reached the site of the incident in front of Gopala mandir carried a sticker of WPD displayed prominently on the windscreen of the vehicle. Some pictures of politicians of the BJP and AAP were found in a file recovered from his car. A .32-bore licensed pistol has been found on the person of the assailant. The assailant's shop was set on fire by Shiv Sainiks, and his car was damaged as violence spread in many parts of Amritsar and some other districts. He tried to escape after firing but was encircled by Shiv Sainiks and police personnel guarding Suri and had rushed into a house. He was forced to come out by the police. Some shots in the air were also fired by Shiv Sainiks who were carrying pistols but none hit Sandeep Singh. DGP Gaurav Yadav reached Amritsar late evening yesterday and told the media persons in an impromptu press conference that all angles of the crime were being investigated. The possibility of involvement of cross-border Khalistanis, the ISI, or the role of gangsters if any, was being looked into. "We will crack the case soon with the cooperation of people and will not allow the communal harmony in the state to be disturbed, at any cost," DGP said. He warned those media houses of strict legal action who were stocking the internet by spreading all kinds of rumours. To a specific question, the DGP replied that the police were open to taking action against anybody (read Amritpal Singh) as per law, who was found to be involved, directly or indirectly, in the killing of the Hindu leader. The police have recovered five empty cartridges from the site of the incident and called in the forensic team to collect evidence related to the murder. An injured Suri was rushed to the Fortis hospital by Shiv Sainiks where he was declared dead. Suri was sitting in a dharna with his supporters in front of the Gopala mandir after some idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses beside a picture of Guru Nanak Dev was found strewn on a garbage dump near the temple. He got a police case registered under the sacrilege (Beadbi) law against the temple management. A member of the Suri family revealed that threatening calls were being regularly received from Pakistan and Iranian phone numbers that were reported to the police. A few arrested gangsters involved in the recent murder of a cloth merchant of Tarn Taran, a city near Amritsar, had told the investigators that Sudhir Suri was also on their hit list. The Police did augment the security bandobast of Suri after that revelation. Meanwhile, Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa in a post on his Facebook page today morning claimed responsibility for killing Suri. He also warned other Hindu leaders to be ready for the same fate if they opposed the Sikh demand for freedom. Sources disclosed that Suri was facing 12 cases related to hate speeches against the Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Dalits. He had been to jail several times due to his controversial statements. The Commissioner of Police, Arun Pal Singh initially termed the murder as a result of group rivalry between some Hindu religious leaders over the control of Gopal Mandir which was simmering for over a month. However, former IGP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh called the incident a failure of the Amritsar police Commissioner whose transfer he had been seeking for a long time, but the government did not heed his advice. Last week in an interview with Jalandhar-based Punjab Kesari TV, Suri had in very strong words lambasted Amritpal for spreading hatred against Hindus and Christians aimed at pushing back Punjab into the dark days of the 1980s. "Who is funding Amritpal and his gang members? Who sent him to Punjab from Dubai, where he was just a truck driver? Why is the government issuing dangerous weapons to the WPD president? Why were the police not taking action against him as he continued to challenge the sovereignty of India?" Suri had said. The slain leader was given security comprising 12 policemen and an escort Gypsy. As many as 5 gunmen remained posted at his residence. The leaders of different factions of Shiv Sena have upped the ante asking for an explanation from CM Bhagwant Mann if he would ensure the safety of peace-loving Hindus in the state or an exodus be started. The Pakistan-based anti-Hindu monger Gopal Singh Chawla who heads ISI-sponsored Punjab Sikh Sangat in a video message tried to add fuel to the fire by congratulating the Sikhs in India's Punjab for the fiat accomplished. From Pakistani soil, Chawla issued threats to at least 4 other prominent Hindu leaders active in Punjab by clearly mentioning their names. Political leaders of the state have condemned the killing of the Shiv Sena leader. BJP's Punjab president Ashwani Sharma, former BJP MLA Luxmi Kanta Chawla, Akali Dal spokesman and former minister Daljeet Cheema, Congress MLA and leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa, and AAP spokesman Malwinder Singh Kang, all have come out strongly against the killing of Suri. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative Shimla, Nov 5 : Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar along with Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas and members of the Election Commission of India on Saturday visited the residence of Shyam Saran Negi at Kalpa in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh to condole the demise of the first voter of Independent India. Negi, who was 106 years old, passed away in the early hours of Saturday. The CEC met bereaved family members and expressed his grief. He also offered floral tributes and said Negi had deep belief in democracy and always insisted the generations to exercise their voting rights for a strong governance. He said the true tribute to the departed soul would be to follow his appeals and the people of Himachal Pradesh should come out to vote in large numbers on November 12 for the assembly elections. The CEC said Negi will always be remembered for his contribution as an election icon and a motivator. His commitment for voting could be seen that even before his demise, he opted to vote through postal ballot as he was not feeling well for quite some time. Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman and Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg also paid homage to him. New Delhi, Nov 5 : The 10th anniversary of the International Buddhist Confederation was celebrated at Samrat Hotel in Delhi on Saturday. The officials and members of this Confederation from home and abroad took part in the event. Deputy Secretary General of International Buddhist Confederation, Dhmand Porge, who came here from Sri Lanka, said "This Confederation is very old, it has been celebrating its anniversary for many years. The message of peace is to be given to the whole world and we have got Buddhism from India as a gift." The International Buddhist Confederation in Delhi is the largest religious Buddhist Confederation in India. The architect of the International Buddhist Confederation is Lama Lobzang. This Confederation is named as the first organisation that unites Buddhists from all over the world. As many as 300 Buddhist organisations are working with the Confederation and about 40 countries are working with this Confederation. Bhopal, Nov 5 : Madhya Pradesh Congress remembered two-time Chief Minister and former Union Minister (late) Arjun Singh, who was once to be called - Chanakya of Indian politics during his era, on his birth anniversary, on Saturday. To celebrate the occasion, a mega event was organised, which was attended by hundreds of party leaders and workers, including former Chief Minister and state Congress president Kamal Nath and many others at Central Library Ground in Bhopal. While recalling the long tenure of Singh's political periods from state to the Centre level, veteran Congress leaders who had worked during his tenure as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (June 9, 1980- March 10, 1985 and February 14, 1988 - January 23, 1989), shared their memories, talked about his efforts to establish the party after a massive defeat after emergency period and under his leadership the party formed the government after short tenure of Janata Party in 1980. Veteran Congress leader Chandraprabhas Shekhar, who was the cabinet minister during Arjun Singh's government in Madhya Pradesh, said the state had witnessed tremendous developments. He claimed that Arjun Singh wasn't addressed as Chanakya, he was really such a leader who would have solution to every problem. His coolness and relentless work to empower weaker section society made him a mass leader. "Served as minister under his government and I won't hesitate to claim that he was a visionary leader. Several educational institutions, including IIM Indore, medical colleges in different parts of the state were established during his tenure. Old Vidhan Sabha building was established during his tenure, which now has been shifted to a new building. I have worked years with him and therefore I say that Arjun Singh's life is inspiring new generations," Shekhar, who is at present key party functionary, said while recalling Singh at party headquarters. Arjun Singh's life was also surrounded with controversies, be it Churhat Lottery scandal in 1989, or Union Carbide gas leakage incident, which is considered the world's biggest chemical tragedy earlier in December 1984. Even after his death, he remained surrounded with controversy, and fresh one over his statue in Bhopal. Irony is that two-time Chief Minister and two-time Union Minister's lifesize statue, which was made by his supporters back in 2018, still remained covered after a controversy broke out regarding the place where it was established. The controversy erupted over installation of a life-sized statue of late Arjun Singh at a busy trisection in Bhopal where the bust of freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad had existed earlier. Interestingly, it is the BJP-ruled Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) which installed the statue of Singh, a former Chief Minister and Gandhi family loyalist who died in 2011. "It is irony that a person who severed the people of state and the nation till his last breath, his statue did not find a place in own state and his life-size statue was shifted to another location, but yet to unveiled. Hopefully, Singh's statue will be unveiled after the Congress will be back in power in 2023," said a Congress leader. Arjun Singh was borne on November 5, 1930 in Churhat in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, which used to be the part of Vindhya Pradesh before it was merged with Madhya Pradesh in 1956. He was first elected as the member of the state assembly in 1956 from Majholi constituency as an Independent candidate in his home district Sidhi and had joined the Indian National Congress in 1960. Arjun Singh's son Ajay Singh (Rahul), a senior leader and former leader of opposition in the state assembly had lost the election from Churhat in 2018, which came as a major setback in his political career. Ajay Singh, who is popularly addressed as Rahul Bhaia by his supporters, has strong effluence especially in Vindhya region. He has been appointed as the convenor of sub-yatras being organised on the occasion of arrival of Congress' pan-India "Bharat Jodo Yatra" to arrive in Madhya Pradesh on November 20. New Delhi, Nov 5 : Three men have been arrested by Delhi Police for forcibly shooting nude video of a man with a woman and then blackmailing the man for extorting money, an official said on Saturday. The accused have been identified as Amir Iqbal (52), a resident of Jamia Nagar, Mohd. Ashraf (50), a resident of Sonia Vihar, and Firoj (30) from Laxmi Nagar. According to a senior police officer, a 45-year-old man, who is a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and is in the business of timber, frequently visits Delhi in connection with his business. "For the last 3-4 months, he had been receiving calls from a woman urging him to meet her in connection with his business," the officer said. "On one occasion, he met her during which she told him that she is a widow and mother of three children. She also requested him for a job. On another occasion, she introduced the man to one of her relatives," the officer said. "On October 28, she insisted on meeting him and even reached Kardampuri where he was present. From there she took him along in an auto rickshaw to an office premises in Laxmi Nagar. "The moment he entered the office, the woman and her relative started removing his clothes. When he resisted, they threatened to create a ruckus," said the officer. "Meanwhile, 6-7 other persons also reached there. They introduced themselves as policemen and started shooting videos. They thrashed the man and took away all the cash he had with him. One of them, posing as a police inspector, held the man on gunpoint and demanded Rs 20 lakh in cash in lieu of the videos. "Later, they shot his intimate videos with the woman by putting him under pressure. He was forced to say on camera that he had taken a loan of Rs 20 lakh from them, which he will return in two instalments. He was released only after he assured them that he will give them the money," said the officer. On November 4, he reached the Jyoti Nagar police station and narrated the incident. "Based on his complaint, a case was registered and teams were former to apprehend the culprits. Several raids were conducted at different places after which three were arrested in the wee hours of Saturday," said the officer, adding that a Mahindra Bolero car used in the commission of crime has also been seized. Shetice Jackson was wrapping up a Facebook post touting her gumbo at 4:30 a.m. Saturday when phone alerts jolted her. Seconds later, a call from Buffalo police informed her that her new restaurant Crazy Good Eatz, at 2285 Main St., had just been vandalized. After learning police had detained a man in the incident, Jackson rushed to her restaurant with her husband to look at the cameras and speak with law enforcement. She found five of her large exterior windows either damaged or shattered, with two concrete bricks on the floor, surrounded by shards of glass and knocked-over chairs. Nothing was taken and there were no injuries, but Jackson was concerned about the vandal's motives and said her team was "really shaken up" after hearing the news. "I didn't want it to be anything malicious toward me," Jackson said. "I was scared." Jackson said police told her they believed the man detained was suffering from mental illness. She said police did not believe the vandal entered the restaurant and that the attack was a "random act." Buffalo police could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday afternoon. With shattered glass sitting feet away, Jackson finished a catering order of 60 soups for the Buffalo Urban League, then went home. "I had to just leave," she said. She then informed her social media followers around noon that the restaurant would be temporarily closed, shared a video of the vandalism's aftermath and encouraged her followers to pray for the man allegedly suffering from mental illness. Responses flooded in, with some inquiring whether Jackson was OK. Jackson, who opened fast-casual Crazy Good Eatz in September after running CakeCrazy Bakery in Cheektowaga for eight years, shared an anecdote involving a police officer following the arrest. "He asked, 'Do you need anything else? I don't want to leave him in cuffs for too long.' " Jackson said that made her cry. "I wanted to hug him," Jackson said about the unnamed officer's empathy. While admitting she was still in shock over the vandalism, Jackson said she appreciated the throngs of customers and friends who came to her aid. "I love my city because my city loves me," she said. Kolkata, Nov 5 : Just a day after the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's decision directing the state government to pay dearness allowance (DA) arrears to state government employees within three months, the deadline for which has already expired, a senior member of the state Cabinet on Saturday made an attempt to pacify the affected staff. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has never said that DA arrears will not be paid to the state government employees. It will be paid at the right time. The Chief Minister is trying her best to improve the living condition of the backward people of the state, for which she has introduced various projects. That is why the process of DA arrear payment is getting delayed," state Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture Minister, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, said on the floor of the Assembly. His statement came just a day after the state government moved to the apex court in this matter. The state government has also submitted an affidavit in the Calcutta High Court, stating that paying DA arrears right now as per the court's direction might lead to a financial disaster. Chattopadhyay on Saturday also said that the state government employees, despite not being paid DA arrears, can affor meals two times a day for their families. "But the Chief Minister's development projects are aimed at helping those who cannot afford two square meals a day. Even Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen spoke of direct cash transfer to the poor, and our Chief Minister is trying to do exactly that. Hence, the payment of DA arrears is getting delayed," Chattopadhyay said. Veteran Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said that it is good that at least the state government has admitted the poor health of the state exchequer. "In that case, what is the justification of paying large sums to Durga Puja committees," Bhattacharya questioned. Hyderabad, Nov 5 : Five madrasa students, aged 12 to 14 years, drowned to death after they jumped into a lake for a swim in Telangana's Medchal district on Saturday. Their teacher, who tried to save them, also lost his life in the incident which took place in the Jawahar Nagar police station limits of the district. All the victims belonged to a madrasa in Hyderabad. According to the police, a group of 25 students and four teachers had gone on a trip to a madrasa in Jawahar Nagar in Medchal district. During the visit, some students went to the lake for a swim. The victims drowned when they ventured too deep into the lake. The bodies have been fished out of the water and sent to Hyderabad for post-mortem. Nanded : , Nov 5 (IANS) Maharashtra Congress Working President and former minister Arif Naseem Khan was injured in a road accident while proceeding from Hyderabad to Nanded to join the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', here on Saturday. Khan is the in-charge of the Yatra in Nanded and the procession being led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will enter Maharashtra border on Monday (November 7) here. As Khan's SUV was approaching the Bhiloli toll plaza in Nanded, a speeding vehicle suddenly crashed into it, said Khan. "The impact of the collision was so powerful that the entire front frame of my SUV was damaged. My driver sustained injuries and I have also been hurt in my right leg," said Khan. Local residents rushed to the spot and helped Khan and other passengers with first aid kits, and later took them to a hospital for check up. A Congress party worker of Bhiloli has filed a police complaint at Bhiloli Traffic Police Station demanding action against the other car driver for rash driving. Senior AICC leader H.K. Patil, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra PCC President Nana Patole, former cabinet minister Balasaheb Thorat and others called Khan to enquire after his health and wished him a safe journey to Nanded. Khan becomes the second senior state Congress functionary to be temporarily grounded in the past 3 days. Earlier on Tuesday evening, veteran leader and ex-minister Nitin Raut was roughly pushed by a police officer in Hyderabad and he collapsed on the ground. He sustained a hairline fracture and injuries above his right eye and was admitted to a local hospital. Both Khan and Raut have said that despite the injuries, they will join Rahul Gandhi's BJY in the state with thousands of other supporters from Monday. Chennai, Nov 5 : In another case of people fleeing from Sri Lanka due to the high cost of living and unemployment in the island nation, 10 more Sri Lankan Tamils reached Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district in the early hours of Saturday. They were accommodated at the refugee camp in Ramanathapuram after questioning at the Mandapam police station. The refugees are M. Jayakumar (45) from Mannar district, his wife Yogeshwari (39), their daughters Tamilmathi (22) and Kanimathi (15); R. Pushpam (64) and her son Prabakar (43) from Mullai Theevu; R. Justin (42), his wife Ausiyu (36) and their children Anshika (3) and Anjitha (three months). Speaking to mediapersons at Dhanushkodi, Justin said, "Even though price rise was there in Sri Lanka, after the economic crisis, jobs became a rarity. Feeding children and dependents became difficult there." Justin said that he and his family members, including two toddlers and his wife Ausiya, decided to sell their silverware and a gold chain to a pawnbroker to raise money for their travel expenses to reach Dhanushkodi. Another refugee, Pushpam, said that she had no option but to pay money to the boatman and reach Dhanushkodi. She said that sugar is being sold at 300 Sri Lankan rupees per kg, whiel rice costs 250 SLR per kg. "Jobs are not available after the crisis, and even if we get a job, we are not even able to buy 100 gm sugar. I have a 43-year-old son who is mentally unstable and life was miserable there. I somehow sold all my belongings, raised 50,000 SLR as boatman's charge and reached Dhanushkodi," Pushpam said. The refugees are now settled at the Mandapam rehabilitation camp in Dhanushkodi. The total number of refugees from Sri Lanka who have reached the camp has touched 199 now. Bengaluru, Nov 5 : Relief is in the offing for the farming community in Karnataka with the BJP government planning to bring a law to protect farmers' property from being auctioned in the case of delay in loan repayment. "The state government will bring a law to check confiscation or auctioning of farmers' property for delay or non-payment of loan taken for agricultural purposes," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Saturday. Speaking at the valedictory function of Krishi Mela and distribution of awards to farmers on the GKVK campus here, Bommai said that in case of non-payment of agricultural loan, farmers must be given time for repayment and not confiscate or auction their properties. "Instructions have already been given in this regard to the Department of Co-Operation and other concerned bodies. The departments are responding to the plights of the farmers. Economic development is fully dependent on the agricultural sector. The agricultural universities must take up research regarding agro-economics and give suggestions to the government. These varsities must work in tandem with the government and inform regarding new research and methodology," Bommai stated. The state government will launch more farmer-friendly programmes, which will include giving loans to 10 lakh additional farmers from the current academic year. "Farmers must also think scientifically, try new varieties to increase productivity and take up comprehensive agriculture," Bommai said. Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 5 : The ruling CPI-M in Kerala on Saturday came to the rescue of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran after a letter allegedly written by her went viral on the social media. The letter was addressed to Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) district (Thiruvananthapuram) secretary Anavoor Nagappan seeking a list of candidates for 295 temporary vacancies in the corporation. Defending the Mayor, Kerala Local Self Government Minister M.B. Rajesh on Saturday evening decided to send all these vacancies to the Employment Exchange which would make appointments. The letter from Rajendran to Nagappan begins with the salutation, "Comrade", and it goes on to point out that there are 295 temporary vacancies in various posts are coming up in the health department attached to the Corporation and sought a list of prospective candidates. These vacancies have now been reported to the Employment Exchange, where a record close to four million educated unemployed are registered. Sources said the vacancies would be filled according to the seniority and eligibility of those who are registered at the Exchange. The decision has come after some upset BJP, and Congress-led UDF councillors along with their cadres staged a massive protest. The police had a tough time to tackle the protesters. In the chaos, Deputy Mayor Raju was injured in the eye. Meanwhile, Rajendran, however, denied writing any such letter (content written in her official letterhead) and even Nagappan denying received it but agreed to look into the matter. This incident has reportedly "rocked" the ruling CPI-M. The party was peeved that the letter has gone viral on social media after being leaked by one of the party members. The row has surfaced at a time when the Mayor was away in Delhi to attend a protest march against the BJP-led Central government by the CPI-M with a hash-tag, "Where is my job". New Delhi, Nov 6 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports stating that five of the seven Uzbek women, who were rescued from the clutches of a sex trafficking racket by the Delhi police in August, had gone missing from a shelter home in Dwarka last week. Accordingly, the NHRC has issued notice to the Chief Secretary of Delhi and the Police Commissioner in this regard. Reportedly, the women were brought to India via Nepal and forced into sex work. In August, seven of them were rescued by the Delhi Police with the help of the Uzbekistan Embassy and an NGO. According to an official, the Commission has observed that the state is under an obligation to protect the lives of foreign nationals. "Accordingly, considering the gravity and the peculiar facts and circumstances of the incident, as reported in the media, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Delhi seeking a detailed report in the matter alongwith the action taken report against the shelter home," said an official. "A report has also been sought from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, about the status of the investigation, recovery of the missing Uzbek women and progress in finding out the conspirators of sex racket in operation in Delhi and nearby places, and arrest if any," said the official. "It must be ensured that once the missing Uzbek women are rescued, their health and safety are protected," said the official. Guwahati, Nov 6 : The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Saturday said enough is yet to be done to honour, preserve and popularise Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika's valued compositions and contributions. On the occasion of his 11th death anniversary of the music maestro, AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya said that they have been demanding to include works of Bhupen Hazarika in the academic curriculum from the school to higher level of education but the state government not yet taken any specific step in this regard. AASU has also been demanding chairs in the name of Bhupen Hazarika in the important universities across Assam and India, Bhattacharjya told the media adding that they have been demanding renaming of the Guwahati Railway Station after Bhupen Hazarika. The AASU organised the memorial event in front of the Bhupen Hazarika's statue in Guwahati. In his tweet, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "The music of Sudhakonto Bhupen Hazarika would flow through our veins eternally. Bhupen Hazarika is in the hearts of all Assamese." Several government and non-government organisations organised numerous memorial functions across Assam to pay tributes to the music maestro. Tehran, Nov 6 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday called on the US to prove its "real will" in the negotiations aimed at the revival of 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, according to the Foreign Ministry's website. The US should prove that it would not "violate" its obligations by imposing sanctions, Amir-Abdollahian said at the first meeting of the national coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. He pointed to Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, saying that it showed Washington's "disregard for its international obligations and its clear violation of the resolution approved by the United Nations Security Council". It is unfortunate that the incumbent US administration, despite its promises and claims, still maintains the course of "hostile actions ... and continuation of the failed policy of maximum pressure" against Tehran, he said, adding that instead of making up for the mistakes of the previous government, the administration of US President Joe Biden "adopts hypocritical positions". The Iranian foreign minister stressed that his country adheres to the continuation of nuclear negotiations for the revival of the nuclear agreement, while emphasizing its inalienable right to use peaceful nuclear energy in all its dimensions, including uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, "America must prove that it has good intentions and real will and does not intend to use the negotiations to waste time and find another excuse to continue violating its obligations and continue the sanctions that this country is unfortunately very addicted to," he noted. Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that his country had "absolute readiness" to conclude nuclear talks "as soon as possible." On Wednesday, the top Iranian diplomat said an Iranian delegation would travel to Vienna, Austria in the coming days for talks on enhancing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran signed the JCPOA with major countries in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for removing sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough was achieved after the latest round of talks held in early August. Seoul, Nov 6 : North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday, the South Korean military said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from Tongrim County in North Pyongyan Province between around 11:32 a.m. and 11:59 a.m., Yonhap news agency reported. The missiles flew about 130 km at an apogee of 20 km with a top speed of Mach 5, it added. The North Korea's latest "provocation" came on the last day of the extended large-scale combined air drills of the South Korea and the US. On Saturday two B-1B strategic bombers joined the Vigilant Storm exercise alongside four South Korean F-35A stealth fighter jets and four US F-16 fighters, the JCS said. It marked the first time the B-1B Lancer has been deployed to the Korean Peninsula since 2017, in a demonstration of Washington's firm commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea and the allies' combined defense posture, JCS added. The North has launched a barrage of ballistic missiles into the East Sea and the Yellow Sea, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently in protest against the Vigilant Storm. Orchard Park police on Friday arrested a Cheektowaga man who was allegedly in possession of a stolen semiautomatic handgun outside of a Webster Road house that was the site of a previous shooting. Officers found 28-year-old Sean Mueller outside the rear of the residence in the 5900 block about 9:30 a.m. In addition to the gun, police said Mueller had handcuffs and improvised fireworks. Police said he was wearing a black ballistic vest that contained body armor plates. Mueller was charged with second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of weapon, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and unlawful wearing of body armor while committing a violent felony, police said. Mueller is being held for arraignment. Police said the handgun was stolen from Eden. Orchard Park police said they were assisted by the Erie County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad. Meanwhile, the Orchard Park Police Department Detective Bureau is continuing its investigation. Gunfire in Orchard Park leads to SWAT response, arrest in Buffalo The situation began at roughly 1:12 a.m., when police received several 911 calls about shots fired at 5925 Webster Road, police said in a news release. A week earlier, an Orchard Park man was arrested on a weapons charge in Buffalo on Oct. 27, about four hours after Orchard Park police were called to investigate complaints gunfire outside the same Webster Road address where Mueller was arrested. Callers told police a man had been firing a handgun at other people and that he was fleeing the area in a vehicle while still in possession of the weapon. An Orchard Park police officer found the suspect's vehicle unoccupied at Webster and Southwestern Boulevard. Police set up a perimeter and learned the man had an AR-15 rifle in his possession, the department said. SWAT units from Orchard Park and Hamburg responded to the scene, along with officers from West Seneca, Hamburg, state troopers and Erie County sheriff's deputies. Jeremy Page, 45, was charged in that incident with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree grand larceny and third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, police said. Colombo, Nov 6 : The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 15 Indian fishermen who were allegedly poaching in the northern waters of the Island nation and seized two trawlers on Saturday evening. The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) stated that the arrests were made during "a special operation in seas north of Talaimannar to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lanka's waters". "Sri Lanka Navy remains ever alert to foil illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers in Sri Lanka's waters and regularly conducts patrols and operations to prevent such activities. As an extension of these efforts, the North Central Naval Command mounted a special operation, having spotted a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers in Sri Lanka's waters, in seas north of Talaimannar," SLN said in a statement. Two Fast Attack Craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (4 FAF) attached to the Northern Naval Command had been deployed for the operation. The seized trawlers together with Indian fishermen have been brought to Talaimannar and they were handed over to the Mannar Fisheries officials for onward legal proceedings, the navy stated. The SLN also said that it continues to remain vigilant and conducts operations to prevent illegal fishing, taking into account the consequences of such activities of foreign fishermen on the livelihood of local fishermen and biodiversity of the marine environment. CGTN America releases CGTN America Releases Trailblazers Short Video Series When China heralded the arrival of a New Era many wondered how it might unfold. To see it taking shape, we invite you to watch the CGTN America short video series: Trailblazers. No single story can capture an era. So, Trailblazers offers a mosaic of ten stories. Together, they combine to show a larger, more nuanced portrait of Chinas efforts to realize its unique vision for global sustainable development. CGTN Americas trailblazers feature a mix of individuals, scientific teams and entire communities that showcase the new eras progress toward transformation and newfound prosperity. The stories take viewers from lush mountain valleys in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province to high plateaus to the highest frontier outer space. Even wildlife is prospering as viewers can see in Protecting the Asian Elephants. The series first trailblazer is Chen Jiming an Elephant Papa. Chen rescues endangered Asian elephants. We take good care of the elephants, he says, as if they were part of our family. Even the elephants seem to recognize that this new eras benefits are reciprocal. The elephants want to repay us, says Chen who cites an example. Sometimes a rescuer might get hurt, twisting an ankle during rehabilitation training. The elephants show they care. When this happens, theyll help us with their trunks, says Chen. On another continent, a single mother in Kenya finds work in another city, riding a train hundreds of kilometers on a Chinese-built railway. A Jordanian entrepreneur moved to China to realize his dream by building a multinational export business in Zhejiang Province. Meet CGTN Americas trailblazers in uplifting short videos from across China and the world. Click here to view the first episode of Trailblazers series https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-04/Trailblazer-Protecting-Asian-elephants-1eGP9AVZYli/index.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.) Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria once again grows its market strengths with the addition of Paolo Esposito, a leader in the Italian energy sector, as a partner. Esposito previously headed the Italian Energy & Utilities department at Allen & Overy, and subsequently the Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance practice at CBA Studio Legale e Tributario. A corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lawyer by training, Esposito has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the energy sector and works with top stakeholders, providing strategic advice in major projects, including M&A and industry specific contracts. He joins Greenberg Traurigs global Energy & Natural Resources Practice, a sophisticated team with more than 120 professionals. All eyes are on the energy sector on a global scale, not just for governmental agencies but also for public and private companies, given the potential for significant economic impact from changes in regulations, supply chain issues, manufacturing, and alternative fuels and modalities. As with other sectors key for businesses today, Greenberg Traurig seeks to exceed client expectations by having attorneys in place who are not only great attorneys, but who are considered critical major players in those particular areas, Greenberg Traurig Executive Chairman Richard A. Rosenbaum said. We look forward to having Paolo play an expanded role in the Italian energy sector in collaboration with colleagues throughout our five offices in Europe, our Latin America practice, our growing Asia practice, the Israeli practice team, and our Energy, Corporate, and other highly skilled teams in the United States. "The energy sector is proving vital to global economic structures. Paolo's lengthy and deep experience in the energy market will give an important new impetus to the team, complementing the firms professionals already active in the energy sector, including Pietro Caliceti in Milan, who is involved in some of the most innovative sectors, including hydrogen," Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria Co-Managing Partner Luigi Santa Maria said. Italys energy and climate goals through 2030 have been called very ambitious and this means we should see a great deal of activity throughout the region, including opportunities for the private sector in related areas such as real estate and infrastructure development. Paolos global experience will serve our clients well, said Marzio Longo, leading Real Estate practitioner who serves as hiring shareholder for the Milan office. I am excited about the opportunity offered to further strengthen the energy practice of a top international firm like Greenberg Traurig, as well as collaborating with the firms respected professionals globally, Esposito said. Strategically, the goal is to seize the important challenges of the market on behalf of clients. Esposito received his J.D. from the University of Milan in 1985 and was admitted to practice in 1989. He is an avid author and regularly writes and presents on key energy sector topics. Esposito is often honored by organizations and publications, including recognition in Legal 500, most recently in the EMA edition as a Recommended Leader in 2020 and 2021; receiving the Legal Community Energy Award as Oil & Gas Attorney of the Year for 2018, 2016, and 2015; being ranked in the Chambers and Partners Europe Guide, 2015 through 2018; and being named the Top Legal Awards Energy Professional of the Year for 2012. About Greenberg Traurigs Energy & Natural Resources Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Energy & Natural Resources Practice has broad transactional, regulatory, and litigation experience across most sectors of the energy industry, including oil and gas, LNG, electricity, coal, wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, and water. The firms exceptional multi-office platform, including key offices in major energy centers, enables us to serve and implement legal strategies for energy clients throughout the U.S. and internationally. Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria is the result of the combination of Greenberg Traurig, LLP with its long-term ally, Santa Maria Studio Legale Associato - a renowned legal boutique, founded in 1970 by Alberto Santa Maria in Milan. Greenberg Traurig Santa Maria is the fifth GT office in Europe and the 40th office in the world and comprises more than 50 lawyers. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/locations/milan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenberg-traurig-santa-maria/ 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 5.0 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. Were excited to share information and resources to help entrepreneurs start their own coffee shops. If you're thinking of opening a shop in Vermont or any other state, call 1-888-800-9224 to reach our startup team." - Greg Ubert, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea Want to learn how to open a coffee shop in Vermont? Get tips on starting a profitable business in The Green Mountain State from the coffee shop startup experts at Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea. Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year has taught over 300 entrepreneurs in 30 states how to open their own independent coffee businesses. Now, the companys 7 Steps coffee shop startup consulting team has added to its series of state-level coffee shop startup guides with, How to Start a Coffee Shop in Vermont. Vermont is a terrific place to start a coffee shop! said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert. In fact, Vermont ranks sixth among the states in the number of coffee shops per capita, with fewer than one coffee shop for every 3,441 residents. That leaves a lot of Vermonters without a local coffee shop. The program is based on Uberts book, Seven Steps to Success: A Common-sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee, which he wrote to help customers develop profitable businesses by mastering all aspects of successful coffee shop operations. We help entrepreneurs with little or no coffee experience become owners of thriving coffee shops serving their local communities, he said. From choosing a terrific location and writing a strong coffee shop business plan to buying and laying out equipment, hiring and training staff and more, our team is here to guide you. To hear about the book in Uberts own words, download a free recorded introduction on Soundcloud. Besides the Vermont guide, Crimson Cup recently published guides on How to Start a Coffee Shop in Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Connecticut, New Jersey, Iowa, Alabama, Maine and Arkansas. The roaster will continue to post a state-level guide each week until all 50 states are covered. Although the fundamentals of coffee shop operation remain the same from state to state, the economic opportunities, business formation and licensing requirements vary widely, Ubert said. Were excited to share information and resources to help entrepreneurs expedite their startup journey. He invited anyone who is thinking of opening a coffee shop in any state to call Crimson Cup for guidance. If you run into any roadblocks or just want to discuss your vision with a coffee expert, you can reach our startup team by calling 1-888-800-9224. About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities. Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs. Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram. Nead, LLC launches Search.co We are very excited to launch Search.co. The website is a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes that are looking to find the best talent for their organizations. Today, Nead, LLC announced the launch of its new website Search.co. The website is a comprehensive resource for executive search and recruiting, providing users with access to detailed information on job openings and candidates across a range of industries. Search.co is the latest addition to Nead, LLC's suite of online tools and resources for businesses. "We are very excited to launch Search.co," said Nead, LLC CEO, Nate Nead. "The website is a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes that are looking to find the best talent for their organizations." Search.co provides users with a range of features to help them in their search for executive candidates. These include: A database of over 1 million executive job openings Detailed profiles of over 500,000 executive candidates The ability to search for specific job openings and candidates by industry, function, or location A set of tools and resources to help users navigate the executive search process An team of experienced executive recruiters to assist in sourcing top tier candidates directly As part of the new website launch, the company has also released a new job search board. The job search functionality on the Search.co website is robust and easy-to-use. Job seekers can search for jobs by keyword, location, or industry. They can also refine their search by specifying the type of job they are looking for, the level of experience required, and the company size. In addition, job seekers can create a profile on Search.co to make it easier for employers to find them. They can upload their resume, write a bio, and indicate their areas of expertise. This allows employers to view the job seeker's profile and contact them directly if they are interested in hiring them. The job board on Search.co is updated regularly with new job openings from companies across a range of industries. Job seekers can apply directly to these jobs online and receive updates about new job postings in their area of interest. "Search.co is a powerful tool that will help businesses save time and money in their recruiting efforts," said Nead. "We are confident that it will become the go-to resource for executive search and recruiting." About Nead, LLC Nead, LLC is a leading provider of executive search and recruiting services. The company has a network of over 1,000 recruitment professionals across the globe and has placed candidates in senior positions at some of the world's largest companies. Nead, LLC also operates two other websites: DEV.co and Recruiters.co. DEV.co is a website for software developers, providing them with access to detailed information on IT and software developer job openings and candidates across a range of industries. Recruiters.co is a website for in-house recruiters, providing them with additional resources for sourcing top-tier candidates at nearly all levels from the C-suite down to the on-site operations manager. The Rev. Dennis Lee Jr. for years resisted the idea of carrying a pistol, despite pleas from parishioners that he needed one to protect himself in a high-crime neighborhood around Hopewell Baptist Church. Judge again blocks place of worship ban on guns from taking effect U.S. District Court Judge John Sinatra late Thursday issued a preliminary injunction that orders state police and district attorneys in Erie and Niagara counties to stop enforcing a new state law that bans permitted gun owners from carrying concealed firearms in houses of worship. When I got out of the service, I just had a bad taste for pistols, for guns, said Lee, a Vietnam War veteran. I basically went 40 years without touching a pistol. He changed his mind after a white supremacist in 2015 gunned down nine Black people at a Bible study in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. In 2017, Lee joined a growing number of Buffalo area pastors packing heat. It got to the point where I thought, OK, maybe I need to do this for protection, because Im there by myself a lot, there late at night, he said. But now, hes concerned New Yorks efforts to ban people with gun permits from bringing firearms into places of worship will make him and his congregation less secure. New state laws that took effect Sept. 1 prohibit firearms in sensitive locations, even for those like Lee who have concealed carry licenses. The laws made it a class E felony to possess a handgun inside schools, medical facilities, bars, parks, theaters, stadiums, government buildings and places of worship. It makes an exception for some retired police officers and for registered security guards who are on the job. Pastors go to court Two Western New York pastors in October challenged the constitutionality of the place of worship ban in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, arguing that it violates their Second Amendment right to bear arms. They won a preliminary injunction on Thursday that blocks the ban from being enforced. But some religious groups have been outspoken in support of stronger gun control measures, including limits on firearms in churches. Evidence and research show that more guns leads to more violence, said the Rev. Sean W. Rowe, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and part of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, a network of about 100 Episcopal bishops. Rowe said there are other ways to address security concerns in houses of worship. "Particularly in places of worship, where people are sometimes in states of crises or in pain, when feelings are running high, it's easy for a situation to spiral out of control," he said. "To have people carrying guns, we just know it doesn't actually make the situation safer ... It's going to make it more dangerous." Two WNY pastors sue to allow concealed carry of guns in their churches The Rev. Jimmie Hardaway Jr. of Trinity Baptist Church in Niagara Falls and Bishop Larry A. Boyd of Open Praise Full Gospel Baptist Church in Buffalo said in court papers that the states prohibition against carrying a concealed gun in church violated their Second Amendment right to bear arms. The Right Rev. Michael B. Curry, a Buffalo native and the first African American to be elected presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, agreed last year to have the national church organization sign onto an amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court supporting New York's defense of its old concealed carry law. The Supreme Court struck down New York's old law in June, saying the language was too broad. In response, Gov. Kathy Hochul on July 1 signed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act that specifies the sensitive spaces where guns are prohibited. In challenging the ban on guns in places of worship, the Rev. Jimmie Hardaway Jr. of Trinity Baptist Church in Niagara Falls and Bishop Larry A. Boyd of Open Praise Full Gospel Baptist Church in Buffalo cited the Charleston shooting in court papers. Other deadly mass shootings in 2017 at a Baptist church in Sutherland, Texas, in 2018 at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and in 2019 at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, have forced many congregations to consider whether they should have an armed presence in their worship spaces. In Buffalo, a white supremacists massacre of 10 people and wounding of three others inside a Tops supermarket on May 14 brought the issue even closer to home, especially for the dozens of Black churches located within a few miles of the Tops on Jefferson Avenue. The white gunman accused of targeting Black people because of their race mentioned in some of his writings that he had thought about targeting a Black church before deciding on Tops. Turn the other cheek? Hardaway said state legislators and Gov. Hochul miscalculated by not consulting with clergy on the most recent gun control laws. Many pastors of Black churches have legally and quietly carried concealed guns for years without incident, said Hardaway. He first received a pistol carry permit in 1991, after he was threatened by drug dealers at a Buffalo church where he was pastor, he said. He said he doesnt see a conflict between carrying a pistol and preaching the love of Jesus, who in Scripture encouraged his followers to turn the other cheek rather than resist an evil person. We still say, Turn the other cheek, but I cant turn the other cheek while youre shooting at me, he said. Hardaway has carried a pistol consistently since about 2016. Hes been upfront with parishioners about it and hasnt had any negative feedback, he said. Hes also had conversations with congregational leaders about establishing an in-house committee of people who conceal carry in the church for security, he said. What he doesnt want is everyone walking into the sanctuary on Sunday mornings holstered up. Somebody put on Facebook, Lets have a go-to-church-with-our-guns Sunday, and Im like, Oh, God. No. Thats not what we want, he said. The message is we want to feel safe. We want to have those who we basically designate to come in. We dont want to have the cowboy church, either. He sued out of a sense of doing whats right and isnt interested in the notoriety of being the gun preacher, he said. It is not uncommon for pastors to conceal carry, although many prefer not to be public about it, said the Rev. Jeff Carter, pastor of Ephesus Ministries on Grider Street. Carter declined to say whether he carries a gun but said he wasn't opposed to pastors or congregation members legally doing so inside a church. "I think it's OK to be in church with the ability to protect yourself," he said. Carter said even Jesus, as he was preparing to be crucified, urged his disciples to gather their swords, according to Gospel accounts. "There are so many theological implications with that, especially when you get to the place where Peter had a sword and he cut off a soldier's ear when he saw that Jesus was in danger," said Carter. "And so at least one of the disciples was armed and ready to fight." Catholics and Jews The Buffalo Catholic Diocese, which consists of more than 500,000 Catholics and is the area's largest denomination, has no formal policy on whether priests or parishioners may carry concealed firearms in churches, and Bishop Michael W. Fisher has not given any particular instruction on the issue to date, according to diocese spokesman Joseph Martone. He said such questions are under the purview of individual parish pastors. The diocese will soon be hosting, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, multiple training sessions for parishes and schools on handling active shooter and hostage situations, bomb threats and other security concerns, said Martone. Following an anti-Semitic attack in 2018 that killed 11 people and wounded six at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Congregation Shir-Shalom in Amherst put together a security plan that includes a contract for a town police presence outside Shabbat service and other events, said Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein. Theres never been a discussion of carrying weapons by civilians into a place of worship. That has never been on the table as a potential solution to what were facing, said Klein, who does not carry a concealed gun to synagogue and generally supports tighter gun control measures. The synagogue was able to lean on the organizational infrastructure of the larger Jewish community in the U.S. in developing and implementing a very intensive security plan, he said. Jewish Federations across the country, including one in Buffalo, raised money via grants and private donations that helped synagogues pay for the new security measures. Lazarus-Klein acknowledged that not all congregations have access to a similar kind of infrastructure and financial aid. I certainly understand the concerns of these Black pastors after what happened on May 14, he said. If I didnt have a communal structure around me, maybe I would think differently. Personally, I probably wouldnt, but I do think others might. Some churches can't afford security Lee, who has been pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church for 34 years, said his congregation has about 150 members. Most of the Black churches in Buffalo are relatively small and operate independently on limited resources. Many of us dont have the budgets to afford like a licensed security company, said Lee. Lee said he favors restrictions on assault rifles and stricter penalties for possessing illegal weapons, and he remains reluctant about carrying a handgun. But he said the states ban against guns in places of worship addressed an issue that wasnt an issue and puts churches like his in potential jeopardy. Hopewell Baptist Church on Fillmore Avenue hasnt had a problem with crime from the neighborhood spilling into the church, said Lee, who believes thats due at least in part to a deterrent effect of law-abiding concealed carriers who worship or volunteer at Hopewell. The people in the street, theyre well aware they go into that church there could be people in there who are legally carrying, Lee said. A Warsaw man pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, according the U.S. Attorney's Office. Federal prosecutors said 60-year-old Ronald Longhini faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara on Jan. 27. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, on April 28, 2021, investigators armed with a search warrant recovered two laptop computers containing images and videos of child pornography at Longhini's residence. In total, authorities said, Longhini had over 458 still images and 1,094 videos of child pornography, some of which included minors and depictions of violence. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. New Zealand filmmaker Bennetts first novel, Better the Blood: A Hana Westerman Thriller (Atlantic Monthly, Jan.), explores the prolonged effects of 19th-century wounds perpetrated by the British military on the Maori people. A description of an 1863 daguerreotype of a Maori chief being hanged by six British soldiers opens the book. Was this an actual image you found? No, but its based upon accounts of the theft of Maori land and the destruction of Maori lives and identity during the British colonialization of New Zealand in the 19th century. I became aware of these accounts belatedly, for as schoolchildren, we werent taught Maori history; we were taught British history and American history. How do you see your filmmaking influencing Better the Blood? My first foray into writing was a nonfiction account, In Dark Places, about a wrongful conviction. A young man with a daughter to support was involved in various illegal activities for a gang. When a reward of $20,000 was offered for information about a murder, the young man approached the police, falsely claiming to know something about it. They interrogated him without a lawyer for five days straight. By the end, he had confessed to the murder, and he was convicted and spent 21 years in prison. I took that as the subject for my first book and then for a film of the same title. Thematically, Better the Blood has similar themes concerning injustice and reparation. The other link from this book to my filmmaking is the pace at which events unfold. Just as in a film, you keep the plot moving; you never want to let the readers attention wander. Why did you make your protagonist, detective Hana Westerman, a woman? As I was developing the book, I shared some of my ideas with my partner, Jane, and she felt my protagonist ought to be a woman. Hana Westerman became a composite of many of the strong women in my lifemy aunts, my mother, my partner, my daughters. And my mothers last name is Westerman. You introduce the Maori concept of utu, which refers to a certain kind of justice but has no equivalent word in English. Could you explain it? Utu isnt about simple vengeance; rather, it seeks to heal, to put things back into balance. Most important is that we not ignore the wound, and colonialization caused wounds that are still felt today. The work I most admire tackles issues surrounding pain and humanity, and I am humbled at the idea that although Ive told a tale so specific to my culture, it resonates with people elsewhere and has a certain amount of universality. In The Half Known Life (Riverhead, Jan.), essayist Iyer reflects on his visits to sites known as paradise on earth in Ethiopia, India, Iran, and Sri Lanka. You include vivid descriptions of the locations you visit. Can you talk about your approach to taking in and writing those scenes? Writing has changed a lot during my lifetime, as has travel, because anyone who wants to walk the streets of Varanasi can do so on YouTube much more powerfully than I can do in words. My job as a writer is to take the reader to places in Varanasi that she could never catch on-screen or through listening to its music. Practically speaking, Ive always taken lots of notes, and I transcribe huge amounts as Im walking down streets. When Im back home, I spend a couple of months just sitting in one place so that my emotions can suffuse the physical descriptionsfor example, the way the sun might shine through fog. I try to make it something richer and more textured than a series of snapshots. Capturing physical descriptions is something Ive been doing all my writing life, so that comes relatively easy. I want to push beyond. I believe that when we travel, were really trying to get to places inside ourselves and access the moods, emotions, or states of mind that we cant when were at home. When Im describing a physical scene, Im working hard to try to have an emotional component so that it affects us beyond just the sensory. You write about feeling unwelcome at some of the sites you visited. How did you deal with that feeling? I travel to be unwelcome. Im lucky to have lived in relatively comfortable and pleasant places. When I travel, I want to get to uncomfortable, unpleasant places and to be sent home a different person from the one who left. Specifically in this book, I sought out places such as North Korea or Belfast that were likely to be unwelcoming to me. Early in the book, you wonder what kind of paradise can ever be found in a world of unceasing conflict. What conclusion have you reached? That we have to find our sense of paradise within the world of conflict. Were all living in a state of great uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. I wrote this book during the pandemic, which I found was the perfect time to address the question of how we find joy in a world thats so difficult, where were living so close to mortality. When you enter a temple in Japan, theres often an entryway sign on the ground that says, Look beneath your feet. This is a way of saying that the only paradise youre going to find is right here, right now. While Etsy Wholesale, which launched in 2014 and closed four years later, may have been the first online wholesaler for small businesses, Faire is the largest online B2B marketplace and has been valued at more than $12 billion. Launched in 2017, Faire was built around the concept that the future of retail is local and was founded by four former colleagues at Square: Marcelo Cortes, Jeff Kolovson, Daniele Perito, and Max Rhodes. Over the past five years, the Faire marketplace has grown to include 600,000 independent retail accounts in Australia, Europe, and North America and 85,000 independent sellers, or brands. Though the company declined to provide data on how many bookstores and book publishers use its platform, anecdotal evidence suggests that the number is growing. In part, thats because more booksellers began buying gift products on Faire and publishers began selling on the online wholesaler with the outbreak of Covid-19, when much of the book business moved online. In addition to its easy-to-navigate web catalog, Faire began holding virtual trade shows in summer 2020, which helped push it to the top of Fast Companys list of the 10 most innovative retail companies of 2022. Faire also earned a spot on Fast Companys 2022 list of the 50 most innovative companies. Last summers trade show drew 50,000 retailers and resulted in more than 270,000 orders for 2.5 million products. At this point, booksellers arent opening accounts with Faire to buy books, or even to take advantage of one of the online wholesalers most popular categories, Not sold on Amazon. Instead, one of Faires biggest attractions for buyers is its listings for items that arent available in other stores in their areas. Other incentives include 60-day payment terms, free returns, and a program that extends up to $20,000 in credit with no interest or application fees for retailers opening new businesses or store locations. U.S. bookstores that participate in Insider, Faires monthly paid membership program, get free shipping on select U.S. brands, as well as early access to Faires virtual trade shows and new brands on the site. At a session for new booksellers held at NEIBAs Fall Conference in Providence, R.I., Emily Russo, co-owner of Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine, said that any bookstore that is not on Faire should be. Her store has been using Faire since March 2017, before the company went public. Thats because Russos business partner, store cofounder Josh Christie, learned about the platform from a childhood friend, who was a colleague of Faire cofounder and CEO Rhodes. At the time, Print was already buying gift items online from Etsy Wholesale. Like Ingram and Bookazine, Christie said, the biggest benefit of a sideline wholesaler is a central place for ordering, reorders, and billing. He also likes how Faires interface has easily browsable categories and product images, and its large vendor base. I can find products that fit our community and arent in many other bookstores. My consistent fear with vendors and reps that work with the regionals and ABA is that Ill be bringing in products that are already in a ton of independent stores. Prints biggest purchases on Faire are stationery, candy, and stickers, but Christie also uses it to buy zines, home goods, and toys. One product that has done particularly well is pencils with dirty phrases from Sweet Perversion. In addition to Faire, Christie relies on its competitors, including Abound and Tundra, as well as Alliance Game Distributors for cards, board games, and tabletop games. RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Ct., uses Faire quite a bit, too, according to president and COO Lori Fazio. What her buyers like, she said, is that theres a lot of variety and its pretty efficient. Another advantage, she added, is that its easy to try a new vendor on Faire without setting up a new account. Fazios team seeks out book-related items, which she calls the stores bread and butter when it comes to gifts. But RJ Julia also does well with home goods, socks, body lotion, and candles. Faire gains for publishers Book publishers arent actively seeking out bookstore accounts on Faire. Instead, most rely on Faire to sell many of the same books and card decks found in their gift catalogs. Its just another way to get books out into the marketplaceand who doesnt want that? said Joe Langman, sales therapist at Schiffer Publishing. We want to make sure retailers have our books, however they want them. The company still has reps, and its books are available from Ingram. Schiffer was one of the first book publishers to try Faire after meeting a representative at an Atlanta Gift Show at AmericasMart. Now the press has multiple platforms within Faire to support its publishing program, ranging from body, mind, and spirit to childrens, crafts, and military titles. So far Langman has been pleased. The first year it was good, he said. The next year was better. Then, of course, the pandemic happened, and it really took off. One advantageespecially for small presses like Barefoot Books, another early Faire adopteris that vendors dont have to vet new accounts. Faire guarantees payment after each order, regardless of when retailers pay Faire. Publishers pay a commission when the platform is driving new relationships or sales. The standard rate for ongoing orders is 15%. For Faire newbie Michael Kerber, president and CEO of Red Wheel/Weiser, which got its first orders in July, being on the online wholesaler has been a tremendous success. The company started slow by putting a small selection of titles online and has gradually added more. Though it has limited sales to the U.S., to date RWW has shipped to more than 300 accounts, the majority of which are new customers. Its top five sellers are Season of the WitchSamhain Oracle, Macabre Tarot, Pure Magic Oracle, Daily Rituals Oracle, and Blackthorns Botanical Brews. Sourcebooks has generated a fair amount of sales, which have grown 10-fold during its first two years on Faire, said Christina Noriega, director of gift sales, adding that this is all incremental sales. The press doesnt post every book it publishes on the platform. Instead it focuses primarily on the books in its gift catalog. Titles that have done especially well include books for young children in the How to Catch series by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Andy Elkerton, and I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Rossner, illustrated by Sydney Hanson, part of the Punderland series. The one category that Sourcebooks avoids is fiction. That said, Noriega added, buyers have the ability to go to the portal and request fiction. Noriega likes the fact that Faire facilitates reorders. It also takes care of operational aspects of the business so that publishers can focus on honing their collection, creating marketing blasts, and generating new accounts. But, she pointed out, Faire will never replace handselling. What Faire makes possible, she said, is a hybrid way of buying and sellinggoing through a portal, or online platform, or going through a gift rep. One bookseller who uses Faire occasionally expressed concern that local gift reps will not get paid for orders the store places through Faire. Since sellers pay a commission to Faire, it may not always make economic sense to pay a local rep, too, when a bookstore orders through the platform. Ultimately, what Faire offers, Noriega said, is a good way to make sure our books are kept on shelves. What publisher wouldnt want that? The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) returns to full strength after two years of lower attendance because of the pandemic. The event, which is the worlds largest Spanish-language book fair, runs from November 26 to December 4 in the state of Jalisco, best known as the home of tequila. Three days of programming for professionals will be held November 2729 at the Expo Guadalajara. A total of 3,000 activitiesincluding 700 book launches, readings, and lecturesare planned, and 48 countries will have stands. Among the highlights will be the presentation of the FIL Prize for Literature in Romance Languages, the fairs most prestigious award, to the Romanian writer Mircea Cartarescu. Tributes and awards will also be given to Cuban writer Antonio Orlando Rodriguez, Chilean writer Diamela Eltit, Mexican photographer Pedro Valtierra, Salvadoran writer Jorge Galan, Guatemalan editor Raul Figueroa Sarti, and others. The United Arab Emirate of Sharjah will be the guest of honor, and an extensive program will focus on the promotion of Arab culture. FIL director Marisol Schulz hopes that 2022 will mark a return to normalcy for the fair. In 2020, FIL was all virtual and attracted more than 21 million unique visitors from 84 countries, according to Schulz. Last years fair was hybrid, and the virtual events were less successful, she says. It showed us that people really wanted the fair to be in person, she notes. FIL 2021 was light on foot traffic, attracting just 251,900 people, compared to the 828,300 people who attended in 2019. This year, a very limited number of key events will be streamed or recorded. Running two shows, one virtual and one in person, requires that I have two teams, which I dont have, Schulz says. Most of the year, FIL runs with a staff of 40, though nearly 1,000 people work the event itself. Returning to an in-person show is also important to the state of Jalisco, Schulz says, for in a typical year, attendees, both professional and from the public, spend up to 1 billion MXN [$51 million] during the show. Promoting Mexican publishing FIL is an important platform for the promotion of Mexican publishing to Spanish speakers all over the world, including in North America. According to the National Chamber of the Mexican Publishing Industry (CANIEM), the Mexican publishers sold a total of 98 million print books in 2021, with revenue of 7.2 billion MXN. Sales of e-books and audiobooks generated an additional 368 million MXN. The digital publishing sector now represents 4% of the overall Mexican market. Reading in Mexico is on the rise, with the latest study from the countrys National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) indicating that Mexicans each read an average of 3.9 books in 2021the highest number since 2016. FIL is an important consumer sales outlet for Mexican publishers. I know several publishers who said that they sold as much at the fair in 2021 as they did in 2019, says Hugo Setzer, president of CANIEM. CANIEM members are given discounts on the price of their stands and other services at the fair, such as shipping. The discounts are enough to cover a publishers membership dues [to CANIEM] for the year, he adds, noting that, beyond being a face-to-face sales channel, FIL also offers a chance to interact with and learn from readers. To encourage publishers that are reluctant to return to exhibit at FIL after staying away, the fair has reduced prices for exhibiting by 30%. Its a risk, Schulz says. This is especially true because our finances are not at their best. What has happened is that many publishers have consolidated, or [several] independent publishers come as a collective and exhibit in a single stand. The pandemic is still having an impact on Mexican publishers, and some Latin American ones. Schulz says it remains important for FIL to cater to the largest publishing groupssuch as Fondo de Cultura Economica, Penguin Random House, and Planetaand to smaller publishers. The role all of them have in the success of FIL is equally important, he notes. The big groups do invest more in authors, and some of the international conglomerates host 60 to 70 events, which is something a small- or medium-size publisher wont match. There is a return on investment for any publisher that exhibits at the fair, Schulz arguesperhaps not in direct book sales, but in residual impact, especially with the media, throughout the year. Its a great showcase for publishing, he adds, and we have 3,500 journalists registered. Sharjah as guest of honor The Sharjah Book Authority is organizing an extensive program, including nine nights of performances at the FIL Forum, two art exhibitions, a program for children, and a long list of literary activities. Everyone at the FIL benefits from the Guest of Honor program, Schulz says, because each year we must be open-minded and learn another culture, to understand how life is lived there. Normally, for example, the guest of honor offers an inaugural meal. This year, we will not serve alcohol at the meal because for Muslims it is prohibited. The bookstore chain El Sotano is working with two publishers from Mexico, Vaso Roto and Textofilia, to offer special promotions of books and authors from the Arab world produced for FIL. Vaso Roto has released several translations from Arabic and is publishing a new translation of Syrian Lebanese poet Adonis (see Adonis in Mexico, p. 22), a pioneer of modern Arab poetry who is frequently mentioned as being a Nobel Prize contender. Adonis will give a keynote lecture and a reading at the 15th Poetry Salon, alongside 20 other poets from 13 countries. Textofilia has published three new translations of Egyptian novels, including Ahmed Awnys Awards for Heroes, Mai Khaleds Gymnasium, and Malak Risks The Gypsy Nun. The fourth book is from the current president of the International Publishers Association, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, who is leading the delegation from Sharjah. Her book, World Book Capital, recounts the history of the establishment of UNESCOs World Book Capital program and highlights 20 cities that have been given the honor, including the most recent one, honored for 20222023: Guadalajara. Zaira Eliette Espinosa is a book editor and frequent contributor to PW en Espanol. She lives in Monterrey, Mexico. Read more from our Guadalajara International Book Fair Preview below: Adonis in Mexico The Arab worlds most famous living poet will deliver a talk at FIL this year. Bringing the Best of Spanish to English Readers Scotlands Charco Press is focused on translating books from Latin America. Bridging the Rio Grande Books Across Borders brings American booksellers back to Guadalajara. Spirituality Books in Spanish See Growth U.S. religion publishers say younger readers want more titles published in Spanish. The Power of the Sample Spains funding for sample translations has been effective strategy to increase interest in a wider array of books. A Spark for Spanish Translation Will Spains Guest of Honor program at Frankfurt have a long-term halo effect? Charco Press was founded in 2017 in Edinburgh, Scotland, initially publishing books in translation from Latin America. The word charco means puddle in Spanish, and in some Latin American countries it is used colloquially to refer to the Atlantic Ocean, with cruzar el charco (crossing the puddle) used to refer to someone who is going overseas or traveling between continents. The companys initial list focused on books from Argentina. Now, five years later, the firm has garnered three International Booker Prize nominations and has expanded its scope. It is publishing original work in Spanish, as well as English translations of that work, and English-language originals. The English-language Untranslated series includes new books such as Homesick, a coming-of-age novel by Jennifer Croft, who is best known as the translator of Polish Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. We spoke with cofounder Samuel McDowell, on behalf of himself and fellow cofounder Carolina Orloff, about the latest developments at the press. What books are you reading right now? We always read many books at the same time! Carolina, our editorial director, can often be found rereading our upcoming books ahead of their publicationright now that includes Claudia Pineiros A Little Luck and Ana Paula Maias Of Cattle and Men. We are also reading Muriel Sparks The Drivers Seat for funshe grew up right here in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, where Charco is basedand Virginia Woolfs On Liberty because its so good. Finally, Carolina is also reading an upcoming translation project, Jorge Consiglios Sodium. Whats one of your favorite books that most people dont know? Final Exam, one of Julio Cortazars first novels, written in 1939 but published posthumously. Whats a big book you read recently that surprised you? Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation, edited by Kavita Bhanot and Jeremy Tiang, surprised me in the best possible way. It is a thought-provoking, highly political book that makes you think about translation, literature, and our roles in society in renewed, critical ways. What book, or books, made you want to be a publisher? Most books that inspired Carolina as a teenager growing up in Argentina, and then as an adult studying Latin American literature and translation, inspired her to want to become a publisher in the English-speaking world, because they did not exist in translation. For me, there was a series of books that I came across while traveling in Latin America that proved a challenge to my Spanish skills. Finding they were not published in English opened my eyes to how much anglophone readers are missing out on. One title that has stuck with me to this day is The Presidents Room by Ricardo Romeroone I completed in Spanish. It was one of the first books Charco published. How has the business of publishing in translation changed over the course of your time in publishing? We are only just approaching our fifth birthday, and even in that short time we have witnessed huge changes. A lot of these are common to all publishingthe effects of the pandemic, supply chain issues, rising costs, and so forth. Specific to publishing translated works, there is a lot more attention being given to translators now, and the important role they play. This is something which we have championed since starting, so it is rewarding to see this trend emerge. Your books are a hot commodity in the U.S., where you are distributed, even though you dont have an American publishing arm. Why do you think Charco struck such a chord with the small press community there? We have been blown away at the reception Charco has received in the U.S. There has been immediate interest in what we are doingexciting authors, slightly edgy publishing and a stand-out aesthetic have all helped. Combined with our focus on contemporary Latin American literature, we stand out, we are bold. And I think this has caught peoples attention. What are some trends to watch out for in international literature? For many years, international literature has been somewhat overlooked, but it feels like we might be approaching a turning point. We are starting to see translation emerge from the shadows and find new audiences, and as those new readers dip their toes in they realize there is a whole other world out there to explore. This change has been driven by determined, passionate publishing by a small but rapidly growing group of independent publishers. We hope to see more of thisas more readers lean into international literature, new publishers will continue to join our ranks, and existing publishers will start to take on translation, and so the readership will continue to grow. It is exciting! Which Spanish-language writer would you pick to win the Nobel Prize in Literature next? We would love to see legendary Uruguayan poet and author Ida Vitale receive this honor. Her body of work is extraordinary, and has rightly been recognized around the globe with the most prestigious prizes. She deserves to add this prize to that list. Plus, it has been over 30 years since a Latin American author won. Return to the main feature. International literature is what my store aims to share with my customers and my community, says Linda Alvarado-Arce, owner of People Called Women, a mobile feminist bookstore out of Toledo, Ohio. Alvarado-Arce is heading to this years Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) as one of three recipients of Books Across Borders travel fellowships. I dont think I would have been able to attend this fair without the fellowship. It was such a beautiful surprise. In 2016, I founded Books Across Borders (then called Bookselling Without Borders), a bookseller travel fund aimed at helping U.S. booksellers visit trade fairs abroad. Our idea at the programs inception was simple: by expanding and strengthening global connections in the literary and bookselling community, it could empower booksellers to access, understand, and more effectively promote international and diverse titles. Booksellers, so our thinking went, who were better connected with their global counterparts and with the international book trade would also be in a better position to put books by international voices into the hands of their customers in the U.S. In its inaugural year, the program sent one brave bookseller from Bozeman, Mont., on a whirlwind visit to the worlds biggest trade book fair in Frankfurt, Germany. After that, the publisher-funded initiative grew rapidly and, in the first five years, we provided travel fellowships to 45 booksellers from stores big and small, urban and rural, in more than 20 states. In addition to funding fellowships to international book fairs, BAB also introduced weekslong bookseller residencies in Rome and India. And, by 2020, it was working with partners abroad to bring foreign booksellers to the U.S. on a sort of exchange programa bookseller Fulbright, if you will. There seemed to be no limit to the opportunities for travel, learning, and exchange that BAB could profitably provide booksellers in the future. Everything came to a halt, however, in March 2020, when Covid-19 stopped BAB in its tracks. After an initial period of adjustment, the program used the cessation of travel to do some housekeeping, first by forming a 501(c)3 nonprofit and then by relaunching. As the pandemic and travel restrictions stretched into fall 2020, and then 2021, we scrambled to keep the network of contacts and the community of like-minded booksellers alive via online events, podcasts, newsletters, and much more. While these activities were necessary and meaningful, it was always the person-to-person contact, the travelthe experience of being lifted out of ones routine and put down in a different country, immersed in different ways of thinking about the world of books and the cultures of readingthat made the program special. Only recently have we been able to get back to that core mission. Now, thanks to continuing support from our publisher partners and Ingram Content Group, and in partnership with Publishers Weekly, BAB is back and supporting three travel fellowships in 2022. There are plans to grow the number of fellowships to about a dozen in 2023, with applications opening in January. A curated itinerary of events and meetings caters to individual bookseller needs and requests at each of the fairs that BAB works with. This year, Alvarado-Arce will travel with Verlean Singletary and Luis Correa to FIL. Its my first-ever book fair, Alvarado-Arce says. I am hoping to learn things that I do not know, to gather new ideas, and to build friendships with other booksellers that will assist me in my bookselling journey. I know I have quite a big blind spot when it comes to international voices, says Correa, who is operations manager at Avid Bookshop, a curated and community-driven store in Athens, Ga. As much as I try not to be swayed, Im still very influenced by the marketing of American publishers. Ive had my heart set on attending FIL ever since I first learned about this fellowship, and Im expecting it to be a completely eye-opening experience. Singletarys Da Book Joint is a BIPOC-owned store in a refurbished shipping container in the Bronzeville area of Chicago. We specialize in Black and brown titles, she says. We want to show our children that people who look like them write books, and those books have characters who look like them. I want to provide the titles that are in demand in my community and learn about literature from other countries, and this fellowship will give me an opportunity to do so. Both Singletary and Correa believe they can learn a lot by attending FIL, with its large offerings of Spanish-language publications and over 1,000 hours of author and professional events. International literature, particularly from Latin America, is very important to me, as it helps me explore my own heritage and a world history that I was not taught in school, Correa says. Avids customers tend to value diversity, and while were a general bookstore carrying a wide range of titles, our inventory is driven by our booksellers tastes. In my case, that means that we stock a lot of queer books and works in translation. At the fair in Guadalajara, Id love to get in touch with anyone who is doing work with queer literature in Latin America. Today, BAB is supported by its industry and media partners, and by partner publishers Catapult, Counterpoint, Soft Skull, Europa Editions, Histeria Books, Other Press, Princeton University Press, Two Lines, NorthSouth Books, and the Independent Publishers Caucus. We hope to expand both the pool of supporters and the range of activities in 2023. Michael Reynolds is the editor-in-chief of Europa Editions and the founder of Books Across Borders. Return to the main feature. New sidewalks, redesigned roads, LED lighting and other pedestrian- and bike-friendly street improvements are coming to three major East Side thoroughfares and to Main Street starting in 2023 and continuing through 2026, political leaders announced Friday. The timetable follows former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's March 2019 announcement that $50 million in infrastructure investments would be made to the north-south corridors of Bailey, Fillmore, Jefferson and Michigan avenues. Friday's announcement brings the total investment to $95 million in federal, state and city dollars, with the additional dollars mostly for changes coming to Main Street. "We'll see the streets completely resurfaced, new sidewalks, in some areas new curbing, traffic calming measures, turning lanes, bicycle lanes," Mayor Byron W. Brown said. "We will see investments that we don't even know about right now because of the private sector investment." 'You will see projects coming out of the woodwork': What $50M will do for the East Side You will see projects coming out of the woodwork that people wanted to produce but couldnt because they couldnt get the numbers to work, said developer Rocco Termini of the $50 million in state Brown said public meetings will be held in the neighborhoods to get residents' feedback. Jefferson Avenue will see a total of $25.6 million invested starting in 2023 on a 3.2-mile stretch from Main Street, near Canisius College, to Swan Street. Bailey Avenue is getting a $15.2 million overhaul from Winspear Avenue to East Delavan Avenue starting in 2024. New features will include technology to support rapid transit bus service and green infrastructure design elements. Michigan Avenue will receive a $4 million investment from South Division to Genesee Street, with new asphalt pavement, sidewalk and curb replacements, new signs and pavement marking and other streetscape improvements. Main Street is getting a $50 million makeover from Goodell Street to Kensington Avenue, funded in part by a $25 million federal grant. There will be a new road design with one lane in each direction, a center turning lane, raised cycle tracks and LED lighting. Construction will be in stages: 2023: Jefferson Avenue, from Ferry to Utica, Utica to Best, Delavan to Ferry and Main to Delavan; Main Street, from Goodell to Ferry 2024: Main Street, from Ferry to Kensington; Michigan Avenue, from South Division to Genesee; Bailey Avenue, from Winspear to Dartmouth 2025: Bailey Avenue, from Dartmouth to Kensington 2026: Bailey Avenue, from Kensington to Delavan; Jefferson Avenue, from Best to Swan The infrastructure bill that passed Congress has opened the floodgates for improvements to bridges, rail, roads and other transportation needs, many long deferred. "This is only a fraction of the road and bridge repairs planned for Western New York," said Rep. Brian Higgins, who serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee. "Next year alone, the State of New York will receive more than $2.7 billion in federal highway spending for roads and bridges." Nurturing East Side projects preceded state's gush of cash: 'A once-in-a-generation opportunity' State officials say the $225 million $185 million from the state, with $41 from philanthropies and $9 million from the City of Buffalo will follow a planned, step-by-step approach that began several years ago. Those on the giving and receiving ends point to signs the public funds will be well spent. The political leaders on hand outside the Apollo Media Center on Jefferson stressed that the public investment will bring enormous benefits to the neighborhoods the street spines run through. Higgins, who led the revamping of Ohio Street, said infrastructure's "multiplier effect" typically results in $7 in private sector investment for every public dollar spent on street enhancements. State Sen. Tim Kennedy, who heads the Senate Transportation Committee, predicted infrastructure investments of "tens of millions of dollars" will lead to neighborhood improvements, job growth and stronger businesses. Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year announced $225 million the bulk of it from the state, with contributions from philanthropies and the City of Buffalo was being spent on Buffalo's East Side for workforce training, infrastructure, small businesses and historic attractions. In June, one month after the mass shooting by a white supremacist killed 10 people at a Tops on Jefferson Avenue, Hochul announced $50 million to help stabilize East Side homeowners. The aid includes funds for 4,000 homeowners to pay off delinquent tax, water and sewer bills and giving 1,000 East Side homeowners up to $10,000 each in grants for home repairs. In addition, 150 first-time homeowners were to receive down payments of $30,000. Its a good time to be a Spanish literary translator. Spains turn as guest of honor at the 2022 Frankfurt Book Fair has meant increased funding for translation. This started in 2019, with additional funding from Accion Cultural Espanola (AC/E), the Madrid-based public entity whose mission is to promote Spanish culture in Spain and abroad. As a literary translator, Ive been most encouraged by the release of additional funds designated for two things: samples to be produced from eligible works submitted by literary agents and Spanish publishers, and grants for international publishers to help cover the translation costs of eligible works from Spain. The money supporting translation samples has enabled two positive developments. First, Spanish agents and publishers have been able to commission samples of work by writers from Spain in all of Spains official languagesincluding Basque, Catalan, and Galicianwhich could (or should, at least in theory) mean that the English rights to more of those titles will be bought. And second, the translators commissioned to do those samples are being paid for their work, which is always a good thing and unfortunately not necessarily the norm in the industry. For an idea of the impact of these increased funds, I spoke with Ainhoa Sanchez, literature program coordinator at AC/E. She revealed that from 2019 to the present, AC/E awarded funds to support 619 translation samples, 553 of which were into English. Thats a lot of paid work for literary translators, even if were not talking large sums for each piece. The samples I translated included a mix of fiction and nonfiction from some of Spains largest publishers as well as indie presses, and the fee was generally 300400 per piece, depending on the samples length. With the higher number of English samples available for U.S. publishers to read and evaluate, will literary translators of books from Spain see a bump in their work? I hope so. And I hope that, in order to solidify its investment in translations from Spain, AC/E can maintain the program supporting full translations into English (and the other supported languages) for at least a few years. Independent presses seem to lead the charge when it comes to publishing English-language debuts. From 2019 to the present, 57 titles published by U.S.-based presses received translation funding from AC/E, and the majority of those were published by independent presses, including Archipelago, Bellevue, Co-im-press, Deep Vellum, New Directions, Open Letter, Other Press, Quantum Prose, Seven Stories, and Two Lines. In the calculus of a presss decision to sign an English-language debut by a relatively new writer, does the possibility of grant money to cover the translators fee factor in? I suspect grants like those administered by AC/E do make a difference. Certainly, from a translators perspective, when pitching a project to a publisher Im always happy to point out when such funding opportunities are available, especially for taking a risk on authors whose work is unknown in English or writers from traditionally underrepresented groups in translations from Spainfemale, queer, writers of color, and immigrant writers, to name a few examples. This is the kind of work individual translators often pitch when championing books and authors we discover and love. My own translation work is skewed toward female writers from Spain, and some of my projects have received funding from AC/E. These have included works by Andrea Abreu, Katixa Agirre, Manuel Astur, Max Besora, Nuria Labari, Elena Medel, Sara Mesa, Lara Moreno, Jordi Nopca, Sergi Pamies, Javier Serena, and Irene Sola. Just look at the richness and variety of work from Spain that was on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair last month. Alongside tributes to marquee names like Javier Marias and Almudena Grandes and interviews with internationally recognized figures such as Enrique Vila-Matas and Arturo Perez-Reverte, Frankfurt offered conversations with voices writing in the various languages of Spainmany of them yet to be translated in English, many of them supported by AC/E, many ready to be discovered in Guadalajara, London, or an editors inbox near you. Katie Whittemore translates literature from Spanish to English. She lives in Valencia, Spain. Return to the main feature. The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) celebrates Spanish-language writers from around the world, and just last month, Spain was the guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair. This is a great time to dig into some of the historical publishing data and see if we can identify any trends in the publication of Spanish-language fiction and poetry books and estimate the potential impact that being guest on honor will have on fiction and poetry from Spain over the next few years. The source for all the following data is the Translation Database, which I started in 2008 for the Three Percent website at the University of Rochester, and which is now housed by Publishers Weekly. The database is a repository of information on translations made available through traditional sales channels in the U.S. for the first time (so no reissues or previously translated works). Between 2008 and 2021, 1,185 works of Spanish-language fiction and poetry from Spanish-speaking countries were sold into the U.S. marketan average of 85 titles per year. The years with the most publications were 20162019, when 126, 109, 121, and 101 titles were published, respectively. Things have tailed off as of late (72 titles in 2020, 79 in 2021), but data from the Covid years is both less available and subject to the extraordinary circumstances of the time. In order to assess the potential impact of Frankfurt on literature from Spain, we need to take a closer look at the authors countries of origin. Twenty-seven countries are represented in that 1,185 book total above, with five of themSpain (409), Argentina (215), Mexico (170), Chile (110), and Cuba (71)accounting for almost 83% of all the Spanish (plus Basque, Catalan, and Galician) works of fiction and poetry in the database. Before digging into the data from Spain, its worth considering the situation of Catalan literature in translation, given that Catalonia was the guest of honor at Frankfurt in 2007. The Translation Database only dates back to January 2008, which makes it tricky to fully determine the impact, but, anecdotally at least, it was this appearance at Frankfurtand the surrounding promotional activities and funding opportunitiesthat really launched the recent wave of interest in Catalan literature in translation. Interestingly, in the seven-year period following Catalonia being guest of honor (20082014) the average annual number of titles made available to U.S. readers was 3.7. For the following seven-year period (20152021), that number jumped to 6.7 titles per yearan 81% increase. Between 2008 and 2021, 43 presses published at least one title translated from Catalan, with a handful becoming repeat customers. Along with Fum dEstampa (more on it below), the press I run, Open Letter, has published the most Catalan titles over this timea total of nine. One way of interpreting this consistent growth is to hypothesize that pre-Frankfurt programming and funding (editorial trips and translation grants, primarily) led to increased awareness and interest during Frankfurt, which prompted numerous presses to publish at least one work translated from Catalan. Now lets look at the pre-Frankfurt baseline for books from Spain. Since 2008, 409 translated works of fiction and poetry by Spanish authors have been sold in the U.S. Thats an average of more than 29 titles per year, with the high water marks coming in 2016 (53 titles) and 2018 (43). It would take another article to dive into the more content-based trends in whats making its way into English (more female authors, a broader range of genres), but its worth looking behind the scenes at a major influence on the overall production of English-language translations of literature from Spain: dedicated small presses. Not necessarily as sexy in terms of six-figure advances or marketing budgets (although theyre definitely on the level with big presses when it comes to design and production), these are the presses that can make a significant difference in what voices are available to English readers. There are four presses that truly illustrate this principle: Charco Press (see Bringing the Best of Spanish to English Readers, p. 26), Fum dEstampa, Hispabooks, and Small Stations. During the five years in which it published titles, Hispabooks accounted for 30 of the 198 Spanish books that came out in English, or 15%. Charco, which focuses on Latin American literature, published 12 translations from Argentina and Uruguay in 2020 and 2021, which is 30% of the 40 titles from those two countries over that two-year period. Although Fum dEstampa is expanding into other languages, it started as a Catalan-centric press, and it did nine of 16 (a whopping 56%) of the Catalan fiction and poetry books that came out in translation in 20202021. (And this is ignoring its nonfiction contributions.) Finally, the real exemplar of the impact a single press can have is Small Stations. With a focus on books in Bulgarian and Galician, it is quite niche, and, at least when it comes to Galician, essential: Small Stations accounts for 48 of the 54 Galician titles in the Translation Database, or 89%! And Spain has already put in place another element of Catalonias formula for success described above: translation grants. For the past three years, Accion Cultural Espanola has been funding both sample translations and full book-length publications (see The Power of the Sample, p. 38). (Full disclosure: Open Letter has received a number of these grants.). In addition, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has published three volumes of 10 of 30, an anthology featuring 30 contemporary authors in their 30s. This is good table setting for Spains publishing industry to maximize the impact of Frankfurt. Given the rise in indie presses, the concentration of funding on these presses, and the activities at Frankfurt, things look bright for Spanish literaturefrom Spain and from the entire Spanish-speaking world, which is rich, diverse, and ripe for more translations. Return to the main feature. In A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson (Berkley, Dec.), a charming romance, per PWs review, Xavier Reynolds, reeling from a bad breakup and a career setback, returns home to small-town Maine, where he finds himself working as a prep chef in the kitchen undersometimes literallychef/owner Logan OHare, a single father. Jackson, whos also a YA author, spoke with PW about writing for different readerships and the enduring appeal of early aughts dramedies. How would you describe your main characters? Xavier is a burned-out, failed golden child who returns home with his tail between his legsthe gifted kid who didnt achieve what he thought he would. He was supposed to get an MBA and work for a Fortune 500 company, and now hes working for a mom-and-pop restaurant. My YA readers will recognize the type: YA books talk about the gifted kid, but we dont see what happens after that. It was important to me to get right the depression of feeling a failure but also be light and jovial. What made it fun was writing Logan as a love interest. He represents this small town, which was a comforting blanket to wrap myself in. It harkens back to the shows of the early 2000s. A lot of readers who are now the target demographic of rom-coms grew up watching Gilmore Girls, and this book very much gives back to that. In what ways is writing for adults different from writing for teens? One of the key things is how young people and adults view love. When Im writing YA, these feelings are a lot bigger. For a teenager, your first love is all you think about. You forget about school, your family, your friends. With adults, there are life responsibilities: a job, a mortgage, a child perhaps, or other people who are counting on you. That means that love isnt the only thing. As a YA author, writing sex is new to me. We dont write sex on the page; the most is usually fade-to-black. For this book, I wrote my sex scenes last. I always did it with my eyes closed: in my heart, because I started as a YA author, Im like, Oh no, we cant write sex! But it was also liberating to finally do it. Sex is another way to show the personalities of characters and how they move in a sexual space. Theres a lot of sexual attention and steaminess between Logan and Xavier. I always think about it from a craft point of view: how does this sex scene tell us more about our characters? How do you consider consent when writing sex? There was a more BDSM-y scene in one of the earlier drafts and my editor and I decided to take it out; there was no precursor inside the book to really talk about that sort of kink inside of the relationship, and so it wouldve taken a little bit more work. Its a big example of how society has shifted. In the early 2000s, we had these rom-coms with the quintessential forcing a kiss in the rain, and we dont have those anymore because even kissing without consent is a weird act. Return to the main feature. In Marisa Manganis inspiring memoir, Mise en PlaceMemoir of a Girl Chef, a young girl finds her purpose in the kitchen. Her love affair with food transforms into a full-fledged career as a chef and kitchen designer. Mangani defied the restrictions placed on her in the male-dominated arena of restaurant kitchens and learned to thrive, not just survive. Now, as she embarks on the new adventure of running her own kitchen-design business, shes bringing her writing life along for future projects. Food for so many people is a source of comfort or shame. What made you turn to food as self-expression? As a young girl, Id always felt I wasnt good at anything. When I got my first job in a restaurant at 14, the organizing, cutting, prepping, and cooking meals were all skills I excelled at. A few years later, I was taught the basics of French cookingand then no one could slow me down! You mention finding balance in life a lot. Is there one recipe that reflects the balance you seek to establish in your own life? Im not a follower of recipes really, but there have been dishes in certain stages of my life that fed into the balance I was seeking at the time. In my youth it was shrimp and pasta, and many iterations of it. Later, in New Orleans, I would strive for the perfect brown roux for gumbo, gleefully sweating my way through it. Now, in my older years, I prepare coq au vin every June to celebrate Anthony Bourdains life and his favorite dish. When my daughter is around, we drink an insanely expensive bottle of cabernet or two and cry together. At 62, that is balance, if you ask me. What is the biggest lesson youve learned working in male-dominated industries? Its important for a woman to showcase what she is good at, no matter what. Brains before brawn, baby. As a kitchen designer, what are the top three tips for creating a functional and organized kitchen? One, research the operationlisten to the clients vision extensively before putting pencil to paper. Exercise a skill that is dying in this digital world: listening. Two, the design needs to follow the flow of the foodfrom receiving, to storage, to prep, to production, to distribution, back to dishwashing, with no wasted steps. Three, mentally work each station to ensure enough storage, refrigeration, and prepand, for Gods sake, put a dump sink in the beverage counter for the poor servers. What do you hope readers might gain from your memoir? I hope readers can get motivated about their own dreams. If I can do it, anyone can. Work at it: plow through the shit of life to get where you want to go if you have to. Thats what were here for, I think. With such a remarkable reputation in the restaurant world, what made you decide to self-publish? My manuscript had languished for years in the land of query and rejection. Then, after 27 years my kitchen designer job was slipping awaythe strings were pulled from that tidy carpet Id built as my foundation. Then I came into some money, and said: Fuck it, its bucket list time. Did you use a hybrid publisher? And what has been your experience in getting your book out to readers? Yes, I used a hybrid publisher. And, as the lit world promised, it is up to me to market, get reviews, sell books, etc. My publisher set up the Amazon ads and optimization, and I am feverishly researching all the book this and book that on the internet in my little spare time. The good news is Id always wanted my career life and my writing life to converge, because I felt like I was living a double life, working by day and writing in the mornings. Now my two purposes are converging: Mise en Place, the memoir, and Mise en Place Design are two sides to my Sybil face. So Ill continue to work hard at both, and good things should come. Many writers have books they want to write beyond the ones they have published. Are there other books on your heart you hope to publish? I love writing personal essays, so probably a book of essays: that way I can record a lot of lifes foibles swiftly! If you could go back in time to redo a chapter of your life, which one would it be? What would you do differently? Therere many instances in my life when I wished Id made different choices at the time. But, in retrospect, the choices I made led to wonderful things, so I cant really want any do-overs. However, I can point to something more recent thats not in the book. In 2019 I was on a business trip with my boss in Michigan and, after our meetings, I drank two martinis out of stress about the news that hed sold the company to a man not in our industry. I normally dont drink martinis and got quite buzzed. That head-spin marks when I wished Id made the decision to open my own company instead of hanging on for the three years of hell that were to come. I did start my business, four months agomy final snub to the patriarchyand its exhilarating but unfortunate that life had to bang my head against the wall for three horrible and pointless years in order to get me to do it. The picture of me and my stupid martini popped up on Facebook not too long ago, and I said to myself, That was the moment I should not have smiled and nodded and drank gin. Well, no more martinis for me. Who in the restaurant world inspires you the most to keep going when youre feeling discouraged? Hands down, Anthony BourdainRIP. Click Here to go to PublishersWeekly.com How spicy do todays readers like their romance novels? It depends on whom you ask: plotlines run the gamut from sweet and wholesome to no-holds-barred, and each permutation has its fans. PW spoke with editors across Romancelandia about how they signal to fans what theyre in for, sexiness-wise, and whether such categorizations are useful at all. Gimme some sugar Its not as easy as it once was to judge a romance novels heat level by its cover, says Becky Monds, associate publisher for fiction at HarperCollins Christian Publishing. In the past you could really tell, she says, but now, because of the popularity of illustrated covers, visual cues arent enough. For Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham (Thomas Nelson, Nov.), an epistolary novel in which a librarian is unwillingly enrolled in an online matchmaking service by her sister-in-law, we explicitly say in the marketing copy that this is a sweet, kisses-only romance, Monds says. I dont want people to pick up the book thinking theyre going to get more sex on the page. But I also want the readers who are looking for books that dont go beyond a kiss to pick up this book and know that this is what they want. PWs review said the book is a cute contemporary thats filled with humor and grace. Thomas Nelson and other publishers also use the phrase perfect for the fans who love Hallmark movies, Monds adds, to telegraph books on this end of the spectrum. This way, theyre setting expectations that this isnt going to go too far in the bedroom and is focused on two people getting to know each other. Ginny Bairds Right Girl, Wrong Side, which Sourcebooks is releasing in March, updates the Hatfield-McCoy feud for the 21st century: when a booking error puts two business-rival families in the same vacation cottage, Evita, from the boisterous Machado family, reunites with her high school crush, Ryan of the straight-laced Hatfields. Bairds author bio hints at the content of her novels; she writes wholesome contemporary stories with a dash of humor and a lot of heart. But Sourcebooks senior editor Christa Desir hesitates to categorize the book in any way; the choice to fade to black, she says, serves the story. What feels right in this space, in this time? What feels natural for the story and how does it belong? These are the questions that determine whats on the page, she says. Is this a kind of book where we spend a lot of time developing this sexual relationship? The answer is no. The family relationship is primary to this storythere are too many people for it to be a lot of bedroom scenes. Similarly, The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker is an endearingly sweet book with a large cast of friends and family, says Alexandra Sehulster, senior editor at St. Martins Group; the Griffin imprint is releasing the book in January. Youre rooting for them to be on the page just as much as youre rooting for the relationship to work out, she says. (See our q&a with Denker, Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a Boy) We out here vibin Situating a book in the market is more art than science, says Leah Hultenschmidt, associate publisher at Forever. Its always so funny for me to rate these, because I feel like what I consider spicy is certainly not what someone else might consider extra steamy and spicy. Its such a subjective business, she says, offering two forthcoming examples from her imprint. Its always so funny for me to rate these, because I feel like what I consider spicy is certainly not what someone else might consider extra steamy and spicy. Its such a subjective business.Leah Hultenschmidt, associate publisher at Forever In the second-chance romance Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron (May 2023), Jana Sulaiman and her co-parent, Anil, find themselves at the same safari destination wedding in Tanzania. Its sexy right at the beginning, Hultenschmidt says. Jana let loose five years ago, wound up pregnant, and had a baby girl. The book is about reconnecting with that man and figuring out if they can make it work. Heron expressed concern to Hultenschmidt that the book was steamier than her previous novels; would her fans expect something else? My response was to do what made sense for the characters and the story, Hultenschmidt says. This isnt marketed as a super-sweet Hallmark Channel kind of book. The readers will come along with that. Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (Nov.) is a knockout per PWs starred review, and another second-chance romance from Forever. Yasmen and Josiah Wades marriage breaks apart after a devastating pregnancy loss; eventually, the pair reconnect, healed by time and therapy. We wanted to be clear this was not a rom-comtheres no fun, illustrated cover, Hultenschmidt says. This is a couple who was going through some serious emotional trauma to find their way back together. But the cover copy says hot and illicit, and that signals to the reader, Okay, Im going to get ready for something. " Erika Tsang, editorial director at Avon, finds any sort of categorical system subjective. From time to time, were asked by booksellers and bloggers if we would consider putting a rating system on the book, she says. We go back and forth. What I find really, really hot, another person may not. So my five hot peppers could be somebodys three peppers. Thats been really hard to communicate. That said, a book like Thien-Kim Lams Full Exposure (Feb. 2023) is solidly on the spicier side; Lam founded the subscription box service Bawdy Bookworms, which pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She comes from that space; her books are about sex positivity, Tsang says. Full Exposure is about seeing yourself as a sexual being, no matter your size, however you look. The heroine in the book is a boudoir photographer and she likes to make her clients feel beautiful and sexy, and feel comfortable being photographed in the bedroom. Tsangs sales team often has conversations with booksellers about books with high heat. Not to flag it in a bad way, but more like, Hey, if youre looking for something spicy, this one is really it, she says. Its more like handselling. Past performance The Marriage List by Ella Quinn, which Zebra is publishing in December, launches the Worthington Brides series, a spin-off from her Worthington Regency romances. In the first installment, Lady Eleanor Carpenter draws up a list of qualities she expects her future husband to have, only to discover that love and checklists arent wholly compatible. John Scognamiglio, editor-in-chief at Kensington Publishing, calls the novel a traditional historical in terms of sex: We dont close the bedroom door, he says. Usually, halfway through the book, the hero and the heroine get together. Ella likes to set up the courtship and the foundations for the relationship before she starts to heat things up. Her books are always a slow boil. Scognamiglio recognizes the importance of meeting reader expectations. Youre not going to go with the traditional clinch cover if the heat content is mild or moderate, but if its a really hot and erotic type of story, the cover arts going to reflect that, he says. The cover copy often talks about the level of heat and where its sensual, so there arent any surprises for the consumer. If they like that type of book, then theyll know its going to deliver on what they want. Another historical romance, Diana Billers Hotel of Secrets, is a March release from St. Martins Griffin set against the backdrop of 1870s Viennas ball season: Maria, an Austrian hotel manager, and Eli, an American foreign agent, find themselves waltzing across the floor, and dancing in the sheets. The books flap copy pointedly calls out Elis luscious mouth. We have to indicate spice levels in different ways, and thats where the words come in, says Vicki Lame, editor at St. Martins Publishing Group. She likens the mouth reference to Chekhovs gun. Maria thinks about his mouth all the time and what he can do with it. And eventually he does use it. Kristine Swartz, senior editor at Berkley, says the wordplay on the cover of A Dash of Salt and Pepper (Dec.), a queer foodie romance by Kosoko Jackson, clues readers into whats on the menu. The copy includes the phrases between a stove and a hot place and top the Scoville scale to indicate sizzle, and not only of the cooking kind. Its food, but there are also going to be some sexy times between the characters, she says. (See our q&a with Jackson, The Heat Is On) Bold Strokes Books publishes exclusively queer stories, and that means taking a radical position. For so long, queer sex was outlawed, and if you did write queer characters, the sex scenes were always fade-to-black because of laws that blocked the publication and sale of these books, says Ruth Sternglantz, editorial and marketing consultant at Bold Strokes. Weve always encouraged explicit sex scenes written to the comfort level of the author. One of the functions of queer romance has been to normalize queer sex. Never Kiss a Cowgirl (May 2023), for instance, is a standalone romantic adventure by Ali Vali, who has written dozens of books with Bold Strokes. Its a romantic action story, Sternglantz says. There are explicit sex scenesorgasms and nipples and clitorises. Depending on the book and on what the story demands, there will be more sex scenes or fewer sex scenes. Thats driven by plot and character. Sehulster at St. Martins commends the openness of the moment and the willingness of editors and publishers to talk about sex on the page and speak to what readers want. This isnt a question I wouldve been asked in the past, she says. The romance community at large are talking about it a lot more, which is really great. It helps readers who gravitate toward a certain spice level, and it can help open up people to new reads as well. Pooja Makhijani is a writer and editor in New Jersey. Read more from the romance feature. Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a Boy: PW Talks with Jayne Denker The author of 'The Rom-Com Agenda' talks about meeting reader expectations and why she prefers other writers sex scenes. The Heat Is On: PW Talks with Kosoko Jackson In 'A Dash of Salt and Pepper,' a man reeling from a bad breakup and a career setback finds himself working as a prep chef in the kitchen undersometimes literallythe chef/owner. Netflix released a trailer on Friday for a new documentary about the events leading up to the death of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen. ADVERTISEMENT Guillen's remains were found dismembered and burned in late June 2020, months after she was murdered by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson on April 22. "When a young Mexican-American soldier vanishes from a U.S. Army base, her family leads an international movement to find her and expose ongoing corruption within the military ranks," the synopsis reads. "Vanessa Guillen always dreamed of joining the U.S. Army, but after reporting being sexually harassed at Fort Hood in Texas, she disappeared." Netflix said the film follows Vanessa's sisters Lupe and Mayra as they carry her name from protests in the streets to the halls of power in Washington, D.C., and offers a behind-the-scenes look at their tenacious pursuit to change a deeply rooted, controversial military justice system. Her death sparked outrage and prompted the Army to expand its investigation into her killing to include the chain-of-command at Fort Hood. Prosecutors accused Robinson of killing Guillen with a hammer on the base and then disposing of her remains. Cecily Aguilar was also arrested and charged in July for helping Robinson, her boyfriend, with dismembering Guillen's body, burning it and then burying it. In April 2021, the Army completed its investigation into Fort Hood leadership, which resulted in the firing of 14 soldiers in connection with the case, according to the Military Times. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! The army has ruled that Guillen died "in the line of duty" and that her family is entitled to receive military benefits. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Lawyers for a high school French teacher who was fired after he refused to use a transgender student's pronouns argued before the Supreme Court of Virginia Friday that the school violated his constitutional right to speak freely and exercise his religion. An attorney for the school said the teacher violated the school's anti-discrimination policy. Peter Vlaming sued the school board and administrators at West Point High School after he was fired in 2018. Vlaming appealed a lower court's ruling dismissing the lawsuit and asked the Supreme Court to reinstate it. Vlaming's lawsuit was brought by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group that has filed six similar lawsuits three in Virginia, and one each in Ohio, Kansas and Indiana. ADF attorney Christopher Schandevel told the high court that Vlaming was not fired for something he said, but for something that he couldn't say. This is a case about compelled speech, he said. Schandevel told the justices that Vlaming tried to accommodate the student by using his masculine name and avoiding the use of pronouns, but the student, his parents and the school told him he was required to use the student's male pronouns. In his lawsuit, Vlaming said he could not use the students pronouns because of his sincerely held religious and philosophical beliefs that each person's sex is biologically fixed and cannot be changed." Vlaming also said he would be lying if he used the student's pronouns. Justice Thomas Mann pushed back against the argument that using the boy's new name but not his pronouns would allow the teacher to avoid discriminating against him. What's the difference? he said. So why is (Vlaming's) right not to lie more important than (the student's) right to basic education and to not be discriminated against, Mann said. Alan Schoenfeld, an attorney who represents the school board and school administrators, said Vlaming's speech was part of his official teaching duties and his refusal to use the student's pronouns clearly violated the anti-discrimination policy. A public school employee is not at liberty to declare that he will not comply with a neutrally applicable policy that is part of his duties as a classroom teacher," he said. Justice Wesley Russell Jr. said that if Vlaming treated all students the same by using their names, but not their pronouns, how does that discriminate? Schoenfeld said it's inevitable that pronouns would come into play in a classroom setting. Vlaming once inadvertently referred to the student as she" in class, but immediately apologized. After the hearing, Vlaming said he had hoped that he and the school board could have come to an agreement. I can disagree with my students without provoking my students. I'm there to teach French, he said. Vlaming said he was unable to get another teaching job in Virginia and eventually moved with his wife and children to France, where he now works as the director of purchasing for a publishing house. The justices did not indicate when they expect to issue a ruling. In another Virginia case filed by the ADF, the state Supreme Court last year affirmed a lower court ruling that required Loudoun County Public Schools to reinstate a teacher who was suspended after he spoke at a school board meeting in opposition to a proposed policy requiring teachers to use the pronouns used by transgender students. Litigation over the school district's policy on pronouns is still pending. In a federal lawsuit filed by the ADF in Ohio, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that Shawnee State University violated the free speech rights of philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether when they disciplined him for refusing to use a transgender student's pronouns. In a settlement, the university agreed to pay $400,000 in damages and Meriwether's legal fees. Can the Buffalo-area break two heat records on consecutive days? The city is poised to shatter its record temperature of 76 degrees for Nov. 5, a mark that has stood for 74 years, after beating the all-time high for Nov. 4 on Friday. According to the National Weather Service Buffalo, the city's 74-degree high on Friday eclipsed the previous record of 73 degrees, set in 1938. Don Paul: Saturday's near-record warmth will fade, but mild trend hangs tough Friday will be fairly breezy, but Saturday afternoon and evening will be quite gusty, and leaves will be on the move, toward the north. NWS Buffalo predicts highs of 77 degrees today accompanied by increasing winds this evening. A wind advisory, slated for 6 p.m. today through 4 a.m. Sunday, calls for sustained wind speeds of 31-39 mph and gusts approaching 60 mph. NWS Buffalo advises for residents to secure light objects that might blow around and to be aware of potential tree and powerline damage. It will be dry and breezy today with record high temperatures expected. Winds then increase further this evening into the overnight. Wind Advisories have been hoisted for portions of the area, which are set to go into effect around sunset. pic.twitter.com/WDMY3rEh8Q NWS Buffalo (@NWSBUFFALO) November 5, 2022 Members from the University of Georgia chapters of College Republicans and Young Democrats took the stage at the UGA chapel for their Great Debate on Wednesday night. Both groups discussed various policy issues, as the polls close in under two weeks. In some states, election officials use a signature match to ensure the authenticity of an absentee ballot. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The 2022 midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 8. Many voters will cast their votes through mail-in ballots. To ensure authenticity, some states require ballot verification for votes to count. Many who have already voted in the 2022 midterm elections may have done so using an absentee or mail-in ballot. In order to better prevent the risk of election fraud, some states have implemented ballot verification rules to ensure the authenticity of a voter's ballot. Currently, 27 states require absentee ballots to be verified using a few different methods: signature match, voter signature only, notary or witness signatures, photo ID, or the last four digits of a person's Social Security number. The states that require some form of verification are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Iowa, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Ohio, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The states that do not require ballot verification for voters using absentee ballots: Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Louisana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Nebraska, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming. Three states Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma require the envelope containing the absentee ballot to be notarized, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A signature match is when the signature on the voter's ballot is compared to that on the citizen's voter registration record, a provisional ballot, or an affidavit. If the signatures match, the vote is counted. If an election official does not find the signature to be a sufficient match, the vote is not counted. Any information missing or incorrect on a voter's ballot in comparison with their voter registration record can also cause the vote to be rejected. Make sure all of your registration information is up to date before submitting your ballot. Story continues Some states, and the District of Columbia, only require the voter's signature to verify the ballot. However, election officials can still use a voter's record to check that the signature is sufficient. Several states require multiple forms of verification, including a photocopy of your driver's license or the last four digits of your Social Security number. A few states also require a notary or witness signature to be present on your ballot in order for it to be counted. If a ballot is rejected, oftentimes it will be returned to the voter so that they can correct the error. This is called the signature "cure" process. There are 24 states that require voters to be notified when there is a signature missing or a signature discrepancy on their ballot. In states where this process is not required, ballots are thrown out. Be sure to check if your state has a signature curing process and what you can do to make sure your ballot is counted if it was sent back to you. Read the original article on Business Insider Members of All Souls Church in Brattleboro make wreaths and other holiday decorations on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, for the annual Holiday Bazaar that will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bazaar has been going on since the late '70s and people can also buy handmade g A young woman cheering on graduation day - generic shot In our series of letters from African journalists, Tony Vinyoh looks at how his cousin's medical school rejection was one of the many examples of why a secessionist rebellion has dogged English-speaking parts of Cameroon for nearly six years. Short presentational grey line It is easy to classify the war in Cameroon's English-speaking regions of North-West and South-West as a clash over language. What this conflict really embodies, however, is a battle for fairness and access. When I accompanied my uncle and his daughter in 2016 to check her medical school entrance results, I knew she would not make it. At the entrance of a campus in Bamenda - the main city in the North-West region - were hundreds of science students, who had all passed their A-Levels, scrambling to find their names on the notice board. Most of them had not made it. Some were bemused, others cried, some laughed about it. Together, they were all sharing their first real experience of living as English-speaking Cameroonians. The odds were stacked against my cousin - and against all English-speaking Cameroonian candidates - trying to get into a government-run medical school. It was a stark example of their marginalisation by Cameroon's French-speaking majority. "Some Francophone students and even lecturers would hurl insults when they heard English or picked up the accent in our well-rehearsed French"", Source: Journalist Tony Vinyoh, Source description: , Image: Tony Vinyoh The medical school entrance paper my cousin sat was in English - with questions often poorly translated from French making some of them incomprehensible and marked by those who are not proficient in English. So very few English-speaking students are accepted. It effectively bars many English speakers from attending state-run universities, where students receive subsidised tuition. It is also common to hear allegations of bribery, which is rife throughout Cameroon, with wealthy parents "buying" a place for their child. We were just one of the many families going through disappointment in Cameroon's Anglophone zone - and by November 2016 the demands for education, judicial and other reforms escalated into calls for a two-state federation. It later erupted into a secessionist war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Story continues Lost in translation The prevailing system means there are fewer doctors from North-West and South-West Cameroon practising at home. Even for the Francophone doctors who speak English, it is hard for them to relate to a culture and environment they were not raised in. Map Those I have met are dedicated to their work, but sometimes it takes more than desire to apply medicine. Medics at a hospital in the North-West region told me about a man who had surgery for testicular cancer and went home believing he was cured. His French-speaking doctor could not get it across that he had to return for a follow-up. He only came back when he started feeling pain. The man died. In rural areas, for example, not everyone can speak lingua francas like English or Pidgin. I once interviewed a woman in my village for an article I was writing about cataracts. She only spoke Lamnso, with which I am familiar but not fluent, so I employed a translator to put us both at ease. The fact that she did not consider me an outsider also allowed her to talk freely about her eye surgery and encourage others to try it. Some health professionals believe the government's push to improve issues in the medical field has borne fruit over the last six years. There are now two functioning government-run medical schools in the two English-speaking regions - there was only one when my cousin applied - and an oversight committee to implement reforms. Students also report better translations of exam questions but nothing near professional standards. Trainers say more is being done to improve the cultural awareness of doctors and they are seeing more English-speaking Cameroonians in their classrooms than they ever met when in medical school themselves. While medicine may be slowly starting to improve, there is a lot more to achieve in public life. Harassment and humiliation Many Anglophones feel that French has been used as a language of intimidation from the earliest days of the union between French Cameroon and what was British-controlled territory. And since the uprising began, many more French-speaking police officers have been sent to patrol the streets of Bamenda, where they constantly check IDs. They get angry if someone cannot speak French, demand money at roadblocks and sometimes force young women to share their phone numbers. When I go around Bamenda with those fluent in administrative French, we have no bother with such harassment. I am in awe of the way their use of French gives me a pass in my hometown. Silly mistakes and bad spelling are common in textbooks chosen by the government for Anglophone schools The challenge for Anglophones is that we simply cannot hide. While studying biochemistry at the University of Yaounde, I - like many English-speaking students - never bothered asking questions in class because of the abuse we got. Some Francophone students and even lecturers would hurl insults when they heard English or picked up the accent in our well-rehearsed French. Thousands in state-run universities have to buy translated notes or pay for extra classes in English to compensate. Our parents are often humiliated by French-speaking civil servants when they have to travel to Yaounde to chase up their unpaid pensions, victims of bureaucracy that seems intent on cheating them. More the Anglophone crisis: Set texts for Anglophone schools, chosen by the government, are often poorly edited and written - leading to falling standards. Yet it is ironic that in spite of the conflict prestigious private Anglophone schools have become sought-after by affluent Cameroonian parents who cannot speak a word of English themselves. They understand that the best opportunities will eventually go to graduates immersed in both cultures, speaking flawless English and French. A graduate who was raised speaking French at home while studying in English from nursery school is a formidable asset. They are the perfect fit for scholarships and international jobs in bodies like the UN. Even during a war that was triggered by discrimination, they are the right fit for global organisations trying to wade through Cameroonian bureaucracy. Some English-speakers see this influx as an opportunity for their children to learn French, but others are uneasy about the change. Schools have been destroyed in the conflict - this one in Bamenda has now been rebuilt, but most lie abandoned With a focus on those who can pay fees upfront - and can extend generous donations - English-speakers are finding it more difficult to go to these schools. Until the late 1990s some parents in English-speaking areas, like my mother, still paid fees in instalments or with food crops like beans, maize and vegetables. Their children got an education and the food was used to feed students. The reality now is that the vast majority of children in the conflict-hit areas have gone from receiving a sub-standard education to little or no education at all. Would-be students with too much time on their hands have turned to crime, scamming and the all-too-easy life that bitcoin trading promises. At a time when they should be at school, many teenage girls are raising babies from unplanned pregnancies and rape. Back in 2016, after months of anguish, my uncle took out a huge loan and sent my cousin to Uganda to pursue her dream as she could not do it in her own country - and when she qualifies she may opt not to return home. The war is now also driving many healthcare workers, teachers and students away, a trend that will have dire consequences for the region and the economy. But what most in the English-speaking regions want - from those calling for federalism to those wanting secession - is to live in a country where their children will not have to start life with an insurmountable handicap. More Letters from Africa: Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) Greece has strongly protested a decision by Turkey to deny entry to and detain a Greek regional governor who arrived by boat in Izmir to preside over a regional body's plenary session. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of Central Macedonia and first vice president of the European Unions Committee of the Regions, said Turkish authorities did not provide a reason for denying him entry Saturday and keeping him in a room for over six hours. We unequivocally condemn the unacceptable and totally unjustified detention and entry ban imposed on the governor of Central Macedonia by the Turkish authorities in Izmir, Greeces Foreign Ministry said. In the end, after protests by both Greece and the EU, Turkey lifted the entry ban, but Tzitzikostas decided to leave anyway and not attend the 13th plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, a body over which he presides, on Monday and Tuesday. Greek-Turkish relations are going through a tense period, with Turkish officials from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on down making frequent bellicose statements. Erdogan has refused to speak to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, even though both are NATO allies. Greek officials attribute the heightened tensions to Erdogan facing a difficult reelection next year amid Turkey's severe economic woes. If we had inflation running at 85% in Greece, I would also be trying to change the subject, Mitsotakis said this week. - Nellas reported from Athens, Greece Costas Kantouris And Demetris Nellas, The Associated Press The World Uyghur Congress and other groups say Olaf Scholz didnt go far enough during Beijing trip. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz briefly addressed human rights while in Beijing on Friday for a meeting with Chinese leaders, but Uyghur and other rights groups said he didnt go far enough. Meeting with Communist Party leader after Xi Jinping, who last month began his third five-year term in office, Scholz urged China to stand up for the international order and put pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, according to a report by Politico Europe. At a joint press conference Friday with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Scholz told reporters that he was concerned about China closing off sectors of its international economy to foreign competition and not respecting intellectual property, the report said. Scholz also called on China to respect human rights, saying Beijing could not escape the international ramifications of its treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang by calling it an internal matter. Human rights are interference in international affairs, he said, according to Germanys Suddeutsche Zeitung. Later Friday, the Group of Seven foreign ministers, which includes Germany and the United States, issued a statement in Munster, Germany, that touched on Chinas human rights record. We will continue to raise our concerns with China on its reported human rights violations and abuses, including in Xinjiang and Tibet, the statement said. We reiterate our concerns over the continued erosion of Hong Kongs rights, freedoms and autonomy, and call on China to act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations. Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, expressed dismay that Scholz touched only briefly on the topic of human rights, and that his accompanying delegation included only business representatives and no human rights experts. It is extremely disappointing to state that the genocide of the Uyghurs is due to a different understanding of human rights, Isa said in the statement. Germany must now act together with its international partners to hold the Chinese government accountable. The World Uyghur Congress as well as Tibet Initiative Germany, Freiheit fur Hongkong e.V. and the Society for Threatened Peoples criticized Scholzs entire trip to China, saying that reporters at the news conference were not given an opportunity to ask questions. Earlier this week, 70 human rights organizations issued an open letter urging Scholz to reconsider his trip to China amid growing human rights concerns. They noted that an accompanying delegation of several top German executives implied that Berlin was increasing its economic dependence on an authoritarian government at the expense of democratic principles, including upholding human rights. The invitation of a German trade delegation to join your visit will be viewed as an indication that Germany is ready to deepen trade and economic links, at the cost of human rights and international law, they wrote in the memo, published by Germany-based World Uyghur Congress. In calling for Scholz to reconsider his visit, the groups said: This would send the clearest signal that Germany, as one of the leading members of the European Union, will not offer its tacit endorsement to the ongoing oppression of Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Tibetans, and other groups within and outside the PRCs borders, using the initials for the Peoples Republic of China, the countrys formal name. The United States and several Western parliaments have said Chinas mistreatment of the Uyghurs, including mass arbitrary detentions, torture and forced labor, amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity. A damning report issued by the U.N.s human rights chief in late August documented widespread rights abuses in Xinjiang and said the repression may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity. Later on Monday, when a reporter at a regular news conference asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian if the two leaders discussed issues related to human rights and the rights of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, he said China had issued a readout about the meeting. But the document made no mention of the Uyghurs, Xinjiang or human rights. This quarantine facility is located on the outskirts of Xinjiangs second-largest city, Korla. Based on satellite imagery analyzed by RFA, construction began between Sept. 15 and Sept. 20, 2022. Images taken from videos obtained by RFA Uyghur Service, show a new, prefabricated quarantine facility in Xinjiang in Chinas west. Official figures released by the government indicate only a couple of dozen new, symptomatic cases each day in the region, which has a population of nearly 26 million. But the construction of the facility, along with a slew of videos from the region posted on social media, suggest a broader outbreak. In the video below, for example, an animated Ma Zhijun, the Chinese Communist Party secretary in Urumqi, Xinjiangs capital, orders officials to send people who test positive for the virus and anyone they had contact with into quarantine. "Tonight the venues that have water, electricity and heat are all fine, Ma Zhijun says in the video, which was posted to Twitter and YouTube on Oct. 20. Theres not any limitation on the conditions. He says he was acting on behalf of Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Ma Xingrui, who at the time was in Beijing for Chinas 20th party congress, an event that was closely watched around the world. An outbreak may have embarrassed President Xi Jinping who continued to promote his zero-COVID policy as he was granted a precedent-breaking third term as party leader. RFA was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the videos. Furtively shot clips have also surfaced online offering additional evidence of a rushed response to contain an outbreak. The video below shows a quick scan of a dirty floor in what a womans voice describes as a middle school that had been turned into a makeshift quarantine facility. It has been three days already, she says. They have not given us any nuclei test. They bring food, shut the door and leave. Look at this filthy restroom. The following 15-second clip uploaded onto Chinese social media app Duoyin after the clip of the secretary leaked suggests rough quarantine conditions werent isolated. It shows at least nine people lying on the floor of what appears to be a bathroom. The video was harvested online by Zumret Dawut , a Uyghur exile in the United States and activist who was imprisoned in a camp in Xinjiang, before it was removed from the app. A fourth video obtained by RFA shows a man passing his camera over a large room in what he says is a local energy companys building. He estimates there are as many as 1,000 people, which the clip shows are packed closely together on cots. No medicine is given out here, he says. Chinas strategy for containing COVID has led to complaints of harsh treatment across the country, including in Shanghai, where after weeks of being confined to their homes, residents in April shouted out of their windows and banged pots in protest . Last month, demonstrations in Tibet of Han Chinese migrants and native Tibetans over a lockdown resulted in Chinese authorities allowing the migrants to return to their homes. RFA reported that Chinese authorities detained around 200 Lhasa residents in the wake of the protest in the Tibetan regional capital. In Xinjiang, Chinese officials imposed strict lockdowns in August and September. RFA reported that 600 Uyghurs from a village in Ghulja in the northern part of Xinjiang were detained after they protested a lockdown that, according to some locals, had resulted in the deaths from starvation of as many as a dozen residents. Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in the region have also been subjected to a years-long crackdown as part of a broad anti-terrorism campaign. A U.N. report in August said Chinas effort to Sinicize the region has included human rights abuses and potential crimes against humanity. China denounced the report, which it said was the result of pressure from western governments. Prior to the September protest, state-run Xinjiang TV had warned residents that they would be arrested for separatism, a charge often used to detain Uyghurs, if they spread rumors about a COVID outbreak in the area. The coaches of the U.S. and Iranian soccer teams have said that they do not want to get caught up in a game of political football when their sides clash for a chance to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup. "I envision the game being hotly contested for the fact that both teams want to advance to the next round -- not because of politics or because of relations between our countries," U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said ahead of the November 29 showdown at Al-Thumama Stadium in Qatar. "Our preparation starts with a good rest, refresh the minds, and put all the complementary and garbage things outside of our minds," said Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese head coach of Iran's national team. But as the two coaches attempt to keep the focus on the playing field with either team assured of advancing to the next round with an outright victory, a political fever pitch looms over the game pitting two countries that severed relations more than 40 years ago and are open rivals on the world stage. The World Cup has been a showcase of discord in Iran since the tournament kicked off on November 20, with Tehran's deadly crackdown on ongoing anti-government demonstrations leading to fresh U.S. sanctions against Iranian officials and dividing the country's fan base. The Iranian team has faced immense pressure from the authorities and protesters alike to take sides amid the demonstrations, which are seen as one of the greatest threats to Iran's clerical establishment since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The nationwide demonstrations erupted following the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman who died shortly after she was arrested for allegedly violating the state-mandated requirement that women wear the hijab, or head scarf. According to rights watchdogs, at least 450 people have been killed and more than 15,000 detained in the government crackdown. Some fans have honored Amini's memory by wearing "Mahsa Amini-22" shirts in a nod to her age when she died. In an apparent sign of solidarity with demonstrators, members of the Iranian team did not sing the country's national anthem ahead of their first game, a 6-2 loss to England that was blamed partly on outside distractions. But the players did join in singing what anti-government demonstrators have called the "blood anthem" ahead of the second game, a 2-0 win against Wales on November 25. While that result was cause for mass celebration, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reported from Qatar that a group of pro-government fans who waved the flag of the Islamic republic harassed and intimidated a group of Iranian supporters who aired their grievances against the clerical regime. Following the Wales match, a former coach of the U.S. team, Jurgen Klinsmann, came under fire for his postgame comments. Speaking as a pundit on the BBC, Klinsmann said the Iranian team "worked the referee." "They work the linesman and fourth official, they are constantly in their ear," he said. "There were a lot of incidents we didn't see. This is their culture, they take you off your game." Queiroz -- who coached Iran during two stints from 2011 to 2019 and was once hired by U.S. Soccer to develop a road map for the United States to win a World Cup by 2010 -- responded with a torrent of tweets defending Iranian culture and his team. He said Klinsmann's comments were a "disgrace to football." Just days before the decisive group match, the U.S. Soccer Federation triggered a row when it temporarily displayed Iran's green, white, and red flag without the emblem of the Islamic republic in a social-media post. The Iranian government responded angrily, with Iran's hard-line Tasnim news agency calling for the U.S. team to be kicked out of the World Cup and suspended for 10 games. The post was eventually removed, with U.S. Soccer explaining that the intention had been to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights" by displaying the Iranian tricolor without the emblem for 24 hours. Back in Iran, former members of the Iranian national soccer team have apparently been punished for supporting the ongoing demonstrations. Voria Ghafouri, who has been an outspoken critic of the Iranian establishment and was surprisingly left out of this year's World Cup squad, was reportedly arrested on November 24, just days after expressing sympathy for Amini's family and calling for an end to the violent crackdown on protesters in his and Amini's native western Kurdistan region. Iranian state media reported that the 35-year-old Ghafouri had been arrested for "insulting the national soccer team and propagandizing against the government." Ghafouri earlier this month tweeted that "it is better to die standing than to live kneeling." In June, he was accused by an Iranian official of being a Kurdish separatist after the player tweeted the word "Kurdistan" twice. Iranian media reported that Ghafouri has been released on bail. But rights groups said he had been transferred from western Iran to a prison in the capital, Tehran. Pressure has also been placed on an Iranian soccer legend, Ali Daei, who said he chose not to travel to Qatar due to the government's crackdown and said on social media on November 28 he had received "numerous threats against myself and my family in recent months and days." The Black Reward hacktivist group, which has targeted Iranian government institutions and infrastructure, added to fears that Tehran was targeting fans by leaking recordings this week purporting to reveal an Iranian pro-government militia commander saying that Qatar had provided a list of Iranians who had purchased tickets to the World Cup, allowing the Iranian authorities to identify 500 individuals known for anti-government activities. While Iran could progress with a draw on November 29, it cannot afford to lose if it wants to advance to the last 16. The United States has no option but to win. The U.S. players have said they were unaware that U.S. Soccer had planned to publish its controversial flag post, while also publicly declaring their support for women's rights. The day before the big match, U.S. coach Berhalter was apologetic for the flag post but also insistent that he was not focusing on the controversies leading up to it. "Of course, our thoughts are with the Iranian people, the whole country, the whole team, everyone, but our focus is on this match," he said on November 28. PRISTINA Ethnic Serb lawmakers, judges, and police officers in Kosovo have resigned en masse from their posts in protest over the dismissal of a police officer who refused to follow a government order on vehicle license plates. The resignations, announced on November 5, come amid escalating tensions in Kosovo involving the countrys ethnic Serb minority and the Kosovar majority who control most of the central government. Goran Rakic, who heads the main political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, announced the resignations and accused Kosovar government authorities of not respecting international law and agreements negotiated in Brussels. It wasnt immediately clear what the effect of the mass resignations would be nor how many posts were affected. Ethnic Serbs include a government minister, 10 members of parliament, and other top posts in the police and judiciary in the four local communities dominated by them, mainly in northern Kosovo. The latest dispute involves the question of vehicle license plates. This week, Kosovar authorities dismissed a senior Serb police officer in northern Kosovo who refused to respect an order mandating that all vehicle license plates used in Kosovo be issued by the Kosovar government, rather than Serbian plates. The measure took effect on November 1, and Kosovo authorities said enforcement would be gradual. Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo refuse to recognize the countrys independence from Serbia, which it declared in 2008, nearly a decade after a NATO-led military intervention halted a Serbia military operation. Serbia, its main ally Russia, and some other countries refuse to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation. More than half of United Nations members, and most countries of the European Union, do. In a post to Facebook not long after the resignation announcement, Prime Minister Albin Kurti appealed to the ethnic Serb community to maintain calm, peace, and security. I am not the prime minister against you, but Belgrade is against me. I am the prime minister who will serve you while respecting the constitutionality and legality of the Republic of Kosovo, he wrote. Do not boycott or abandon the institutions of Kosovo. They serve all of us, each and every one of you. Do not fall prey to political manipulations and geopolitical games. The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia they must normalize ties if they want to advance toward membership in the 27-nation bloc. Brussels and Washington recently have stepped up mediation efforts, fearing uncertainties over the war in Ukraine and Serbias close ties with Moscow could aggravate tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Serbias prime minister, Ana Brnabic, defended the decision of the Kosovar Serbs to resign their posts. "In their fight for peace, stability, the rule of law, and respect for all signed agreements, they will always have the full support of the government of Serbia, she said in a statement. Russian forces continued to shell civilian and infrastructure targets across Ukraine as fighting in the east continued unabated, military and regional officials said, as Ukrainians faced more cold weather and darkness after Moscow's strikes on its power grid caused rolling blackouts. 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, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. In Washington, sources said the United States will announce new aid on November 29 to help Ukraine restore its electricity supply, which has been badly damaged by months of incessant Russian pounding. The central city of Dnipro was the target of an overnight Russian rocket attack, Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said on November 29. "The Russian occupying forces shelled the Nikopol district with Uragan rockets and heavy artillery," Reznichenko wrote on Telegram. "Manufacturing facilities were destroyed. A fire broke out," Reznichenko posted on Telegram, adding that there were no immediate reports of injuries. He did not disclose the identity of the enterprise. Dnipro has been frequently targeted by Russian missiles and other longer-range weapons. On November 26, Reznichenko said, at least 13 people were wounded in a Russian rocket attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on November 28 in his evening address that Russian troops shelled the newly liberated city of Kherson and 30 settlements in the Kherson region 258 times in the past week. Russian forces retreated from the city on the west bank of the Dnieper River earlier this month but have been shelling towns, villages, and the city of Kherson, from their new locations on the opposite bank. Zelenskiy called on Ukrainians to be prepared to endure more electricity shortages amid dropping temperatures. The United Nations said the situation in Kherson and Mykolayiv remains "dire" and "critical." Nearly a quarter of a million people in Mykolayiv alone face a lack of heat, water, and power. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown visited the two southern cities over the weekend. In Kyiv, snow fell and temperatures were hovering around freezing as millions in and around the capital struggled to heat their homes. Officials said Christmas trees would be erected in Kyiv, minus lights, in a defiant display of the holiday spirit. "We cannot allow Putin to steal our Christmas," Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the RBC-Ukraine news agency that in an interview. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Romania early on November 29 for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, will announce new assistance to help restore Ukraines power transmission capacity, a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. The official said that Washington has been working with U.S. utilities and hardware providers and with European nations to provide technical equipment that can restore Ukraine's high-voltage transmission stations. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a group of seven visiting Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers that his country needed transformers and improved air defenses. On the front line in the east, the Ukrainian military repelled Russian attacks near 10 settlements, including the key targets of Bakhmut and Avdiyivka in the Donetsk region, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported on November 29. To the north, Russia bombarded areas around the towns of Kupyansk, in the Kharkiv region, and Lyman in Luhansk, both recaptured recently by Kyiv, the Ukrainian military said. With reporting by Reuters and CNN Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged heavy artillery fire in multiple locations, officials in both countries said, as Russian-appointed officials continued evacuating people from the west bank of the Dnieper River amid a mounting Ukrainian counteroffensive. 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, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Ukraine's national grid operator, meanwhile, said on November 5 that it would increase rolling blackouts in Kyiv and seven other regions as the countrys national grid remained severely damaged by weeks of Russian air strikes. Electricity consumption is rising across Ukraine as the weather turns colder, and energy providers have raced to do repairs, ordering planned power cuts to avoid overloads. Ukraines General Staff said that its troops thwarted Russian attacks a day earlier in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The military also claimed that Ukrainian air defenses shot down multiple Russian and Iranian drones and two Kalibr cruise missiles. The claim could not be immediately verified. The head of the Vynnytsya region, Serhiy Borzov, said the central region was hit overnight by Russian kamikaze drones. Russian troops have been actively using Iranian drones in recent weeks to attack critical civilian and infrastructure objectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the fiercest fighting over the last week had taken place around Bakhmut and Soledar in Donetsk and that Ukrainian forces are holding their positions there and elsewhere. He also spoke of "good gains" in the south, praising infantry and artillery brigades for destroying enemy equipment, Russian manpower. The claims of battlefield success could not be independently verified. Ukrainian forces have been mounting a slow, incremental counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region for weeks now, moving closer to directly threatening the Dnieper River port of Kherson, which was captured early after Russias February invasion. In response, Russian authorities have been evacuating civilians and military troops to the opposite bank of the Dnieper. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russia-installed administration in the Kherson region, announced a 24-hour curfew on November 4, saying it was necessary to defend it from an expected Ukrainian attack. The Russian military said "more than 5,000 civilians" were being evacuated daily to the east bank of the river. And Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 4 called for civilians to be moved out from Kherson. Those who live in Kherson must now be removed from the zone of the most dangerous hostilities, Putin said in remarks broadcast on state television. The civilian population should not suffer from shelling, from the offensive, counteroffensive, and other measures related to military operations. Russias Defense Ministry said on November 5 that troops had repelled Ukrainian attacks in in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. In the Kherson region, which the Kremlin last month declared had been annexed, authorities reported the heaviest artillery fire in days. Ukrainian officials have likened the departures of Kherson residents to Soviet-style deportations, though its unclear to what extent the departures are forced or voluntary. Russian officials said people were being moved to safety from the path of the Ukrainian advance. Ukraines counteroffensives in Kherson and the northern Kharkiv region have been powered in large part by powerful Western weaponry. On November 4, the U.S. Defense Department announced another $400 million shipment of weapons and other equipment, including refurbished tanks, surface-to-air missiles, new coastal defense boats, and other items. The announcement came around the same time that the U.S. national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials. At a news conference later, Sullivan sought again to calm Ukrainian jitters about whether U.S. weapons would continue after the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections. Polls show that Republicans are poised to take control of one, or possibly both, chambers of Congress, and a small but vocal number of Republicans have voiced misgivings about the amount and duration of U.S. aid for Ukraine. There will be no wavering, Sullivan said at a news conference. Im confident U.S. support for Ukraine will be unwavering and unflinching. Asked about the prospect of peace talks with Russia, Sullivan repeated what U.S. officials have said in the past: "Nothing is discussed about Ukraine without Ukraine." "For me, the main question about these negotiations is what a just peace looks like and how it can be achieved, Sullivan said. If you look at Russian accusations, Russian actions, in particular regarding the annexation of [Ukrainian] territories, it does not really encourage negotiations. With reporting by RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, Reuters, dpa, and AP By Jake Cordell TBILISI (Reuters) - As war chokes Europe, a small nation wedged beneath Russia is enjoying an unexpected economic boom. Georgia is on course to become one of the world's fastest-growing economies this year following a dramatic influx of more than 100,000 Russians since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's mobilisation drive to drum up war recruits. As much of the globe teeters towards recession, this country of 3.7 million people bordering the Black Sea is expected to record a vigorous 10% growth in economic output for 2022 amid a consumption-led boom, according to international institutions. That would see the modest $19 billion economy, well known in the region for its mountains, forests and wine valleys, outpace supercharged emerging markets such as Vietnam and oil exporters such as Kuwait buoyed by high crude prices. "On the economic side, Georgia is doing very well," Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, CEO of the country's largest bank TBC, told Reuters in an interview at its Tbilisi headquarters. "There's some kind of boom," he added. "All industries are doing very well from micros up to corporates. I can't think of any industry which this year has problems." At least 112,000 Russians have emigrated to Georgia this year, border-crossing statistics show. A first large wave of 43,000 arrived after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and Putin moved to quash opposition to the war at home, according to the Georgia government, with a second wave coming after Putin announced the nationwide mobilisation drive in late September. Georgia's economic boom - whether short-lived or not - has confounded many experts who saw dire consequences from the war for the ex-Soviet republic, whose economic fortunes are closely tied to its larger neighbour through exports and tourists. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), for example, predicted in March the Ukraine conflict would deal a major blow to the Georgian economy. Likewise the World Bank forecast in April that the country's growth for 2022 would drop to 2.5% from an initial 5.5%. Story continues "Despite all expectations that we had ... that this war on Ukraine will have significant negative implications on the Georgian economy, so far we don't see materialization of these risks," said Dimitar Bogov, the EBRD's lead economist for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. "On the contrary, we see the Georgian economy growing quite well this year, double digits." Yet the stellar growth is not benefiting everyone, with the arrival of tens of thousands of Russians, many tech professionals with plenty of cash, driving up prices and squeezing some Georgians out of parts of the economy such as the housing rental market and education. Business leaders also worry that the country could face a hard landing should the war end and Russians return home. TO GEORGIA WITH $1 BILLION Georgia itself fought a short war with Russia in 2008 over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, territories controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Now, though, Georgia's economy is reaping the benefits of its proximity to the superpower - the two share a land border crossing - and a liberal immigration policy which lets Russians and people from many other countries live, work and set up businesses in the country without needing a visa. Furthermore, those fleeing Russia's war are accompanied by a wave of money. Between April and September, Russians transferred more than $1 billion to Georgia via banks or money-transfer services, five times higher than during the same months of 2021, according to the Georgian central bank. That inflow has helped push the Georgian Lari to its strongest level in three years. Roughly half of the Russian arrivals are from the tech sector, according to TBC's CEO Butskhrikidze and local media outlets, chiming with surveys and estimates from industry figures in Russia that pointed to an exodus of tens of thousands of highly-mobile IT workers after the invasion of Ukraine. "These are high-end people, rich people ... coming to Georgia with some business ideas and increasing consumption drastically," said Davit Keshelava, senior researcher at the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET). "We expected the war to have a lot of negative impacts," he added. "But it turned out quite different. It turned out to be positive." NO ROOMS IN TBILISI Nowhere is the impact of the new arrivals more evident than in the capital's housing rental market, where increased demand is aggravating tensions. Rent in Tbilisi is up 75% this year, according to an analysis by TBC bank, and some low-earners and students are finding themselves at the centre of what activists say is a growing housing crisis. Georgian Nana Shonia, 19, agreed a two-year deal for a city centre apartment at $150 a month, just weeks before Russia invaded. In July, her landlord kicked her out, forcing her to move to a rough neighbourhood on the edge of the city. "It used to take me 10 minutes to get to work. Now it's a minimum of 40, I have to take a bus and the metro and often get stuck in traffic jams," she said, attributing the change in market dynamics to the surge of newcomers. Helen Jose, a 21-year-old medical student from India, has been crashing at her friend's for a month after her rent doubled over the summer break. "Before it was very easy to find an apartment. But so many of my friends have been told to leave, because there are Russians willing to pay more than us," she said. University figures have also reported significant numbers of students delaying their studies in Tbilisi because they can't afford accommodation in the city, Keshelava at ISET said. 'THE CRISIS COULD HIT' Russians made up about 75% of the overall migrants to Georgia from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus this year through to the end of September, according to the Georgian government, with 26,000 Ukrainians and 13,000 Belarusians also arriving. TBC's Butskhrikidze said he saw potential in some arrivals filling skills gaps in the economy. "They are very young, technology-educated and have knowledge - for us and for other Georgian companies this is quite a useful opportunity," he said. "A key challenge for us is technology. And unfortunately on that side we are competing with high-tech companies in the United States and Europe." Nonetheless, economists and businesses remain concerned about longer-term negative effects from the war, and what might happen should the Russians return home. "We don't build our future plans on the newcomers," said Shio Khetsuriani, the CEO of Archi, one of Georgia's largest real-estate development companies. Even with rental prices surging, Khetsuriani says development companies are not keen to over-invest in the housing market, especially with prices for materials and equipment increasing. While landlords may be cashing in on surging rents, profit margins for apartment sales have barely shifted, he said. Economists also caution the boom may not last, and are encouraging the Georgian government to use healthy tax revenues to pay down debt and build up foreign currency reserves while they can. "We have to be aware that all these factors that are driving growth this year are temporary, and it does not guarantee sustainable growth in the following years, so therefore caution is needed," said Bogov at the EBRD. "Uncertainty is still there and the crisis could hit Georgia with some delay." (Reporting by Jake Cordell; additional reporting by David Chkhikvishvili; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Pravin Char) SCIT: Apply for new-age MBA (Data Sciences and Data Analytics) and MBA Specializations in IT Business Management via SNAP 2022- deadline closing New Delhi [India] | Published : November 04, 2022 Symbiosis Centre of Information Technology (SCIT), a constituent of Symbiosis International University (SIU) and one of the leading institutes for technical and business education in India has opened admission to its industry relevant, technology-oriented cutting-edge management courses - MBA (Data Sciences and Data Analytics) & MBA Specializations in IT Business Management. Aspirants keen to pursue a career in techno-management can apply for either of the programmes through Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP 2022). The registration for SNAP closes on November 24.Dr Dhanya Pramod, Director, SCIT said, "From e-commerce to finance, technology is a critical aspect of daily business operations. Both the MBA programmes of SCIT prepare students to be technology experts who have a keen sense and know-how of the business world. The prime focus of our pedagogy is developing analytical skills in our students so that they can expertly tackle the prevailing roadblocks in the industry. In addition to imparting in-depth technical knowledge, we also help students gain real-world knowledge through direct mentorship from experts and a wide network of industry connections."Preparing future leaders for Industry 4.0, the increasingly technology-centred world of business, SCIT offers MBA (Data Sciences and Data Analytics) and MBA Specializations in IT Business Management. The courses, with major applications across sectors- ranging from Finance, and IT to Operations, supply chain management, and General Management - are designed to integrate the core management subjects with technical topics from disciples such as Computer Science, Programming, and Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning (AI & ML) to Data Science, and Analytics.In addition to the cutting-edge courses, SCIT's world-class facilities and industry connections ensure that the candidates, taught and mentored by the subject matter experts and industry leaders, are industry-ready along with extensive exposure and expertise in tools such as R, Python, Tableau, Hadoop, and MapReduce, which are essential to thrive in the business.The MBA Specializations in IT Business Management, have been specially crafted for future technocrats and comes with the institute's goal to solve problems and optimise business operations with the help of technology. The programme entails advanced modules that help students specialise in different tech-enabled business areas such as Systems Specialisations, Information Security Management, Digital Transformation, and Data Science. A successful candidate of the course will be ready to take up challenging roles in Functional Consultancy, Requirements Engineering, Lean Six Sigma, Process Consultant, Process Optimization, Business Development, ERP planning and implementation, Business Analysis, Quality Management, and Business Process Management, to name a few.Grooming the candidates to solve data-driven, real-time problems in today's world, abuzz with the words Data Science and Analytics, the MBA (Data Sciences and Data Analytics) has been designed for management professionals with an intense scientific and analytical bent of mind. The candidates will be geared towards several major roles in the growing Data Science and Analytics industries.The gateway to SCIT's MBA programmes, SNAP 2022 is a Computer Based Test (CBT). The nationwide examination will be conducted on three occasions: December 10, 2022 (Saturday), December 18, 2022 (Sunday), and December 23, 2022 (Friday); from 02.00 PM to 03.00 PM on all 3 days. All candidates can appear for up to 3 attempts, with the best performance counting towards the selection decision.SNAP 2022 will be conducted across 86 cities. The tests will feature 60 Multiple-Choice Questions: 15 General English questions based on Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, and Verbal Ability; 25 and 20 questions on Analytical & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency, respectively. Each correct will carry 1 mark while 0.25 mark will be deducted per incorrect answer.As the final step towards SIU candidature, shortlisted candidates will appear for the GE-PIWAT (Group Exercise, Personal Interaction, and Writing Ability Test). The selection decision will be notified by the final merit list drawn based on performance in SNAP and GE-PIWAT: 50 per cent weightage attributed to SNAP scores (out of 60, scaled down to 50 marks); 30 per cent to Group Exercise (GE), and 10 per cent Personal Interview (PI) and Writing Test Ability (WAT) each.For more information visit: https://www.scit.edu/ , and to apply for MBA (Data Sciences and Data Analytics) & MBA Specializations in IT Business Management. Find it Useful ? Help Others by Sharing Online Comments and Discussions Startup Chippewa Valley Week, the largest entrepreneurship event in the region will return for a fifth year of programming on Nov. 14 to 18. The weeklong series of in-person events and programming aims to increase awareness surrounding the local startup ecosystem as well as inspire and equip the community to celebrate and support the local entrepreneurial spirit. In addition to all programming being in-person this year, all sessions that occurs at CoLab will be simultaneously streamed on Zoom offering a larger reach and greater impact. Startup Chippewa Valley Week is sponsored by Royal Credit Union. It will feature over 15, free, in-person events focused on connecting, educating, and celebrating entrepreneurs of all types throughout the region. More than a dozen community partner organizations are leading the workshops, panels, networking events, and discussions that will provide training, skills, and development opportunities for participants. Startup Chippewa Valley Week is part of the larger, Startup Week Wisconsin. Startup Chippewa Valley Week gives our local entrepreneurs a platform to share their knowledge and successes with our community and come together to learn, network, and celebrate the incredible businesses that exist in our region, said Adam Accola, co-organizer of Startup Chippewa Valley Week and Programming Administrator at CoLab. Key local partners for Startup Chippewa Valley Week include organizations such as Royal Credit Union, CoLab, the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, Chippewa Valley Technical College, the Menomonie Chamber and Visitor Center, the City of Altoona, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Entrepreneur Program, the Small Business Development Center at UWEC, Chippewa Valley Tours, and Ruder Ware. About Startup Week Wisconsin Startup Week Wisconsin is more than just a week of events that brings people together. It represents a movement to not settle for the status quo, to keep our foot on the gas, and catalyze new relationships and collaborations among individuals and companies that make up Wisconsins growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Join us for an engaging week of events that serve as a reminder of how far weve come as a state, but more importantly, energized for our own regions future and inspired to create, innovate, and contribute lasting, positive impact across Wisconsin and beyond. Startup Wisconsin Week is supported by the Greater Green Bay Chamber and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. To learn more about Startup Week Wisconsin visit www.startupwi.org. Snapshot of the 15+ events happening during Startup Chippewa Valley Week, Nov. 14-18: Merchant Services: Navigating Credit Card Processing for Your Business Monday, Nov. 14 noon Presented by Royal Credit Union hosted at CoLab(131 S Barstow, Eau Claire) Start a Business: Step One Monday, Nov. 14 6 p.m.Presented and hosted by CVTC Clairemont campus Legal Issues Surrounding Business Startups Tuesday, Nov. 15 3 p.m.Presented by Ruder Ware hosted at CoLab HATCH Pitch Event Wednesday, Nov. 16 5:30 p.m.Presented by the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation hosted at Applied Data Consultants (2985 58th St, Eau Claire) Musky TankThe New Math: Cash 1+1+1=19 Tuesday, Nov. 15 6 p.m.Presented by Musky Tank & Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and hosted at Modicum Brewing Altoona Container Park Info Event Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4 p.m. Presented by the City of Altoona and hosted at the Fish House (418 9th Street, Altoona) For the full Startup Chippewa Valley Week calendar of events and program descriptions, visit www.colabec.com/startupcv. Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after Im elected governor. Tim Michels So said the Republican nominee for governor during a campaign stop in Jefferson County on Halloween, and Democrats are hoping it makes you very, very afraid. In the days since, a slew of mainstream and left-wing media outlets, Democrats, and even late-night TV host Seth Meyers have pointed to the statement as another sign that Republicans led by election-denying former president and Michels supporter Donald Trump are the party of overthrowing democracy and installing themselves as a permanent dictatorship. Well, not quite at least in this case. Michels has said the 2020 election was maybe stolen but that decertifying its results is not a priority if hes elected governor. (Its also not legally possible.) But his statement on Halloween came after he spent about two minutes talking about what hes heard from two groups who traditionally vote for Democrats: inner-city Black people in Milwaukee and union members. People in Milwaukees Harambee neighborhood tell him they want to get crime down, they want to have better educational opportunities for their sons and daughters, he said. Their platform, their interests, is the same thing as my platform. Then he channels the trades guys, whom he says he runs into all the time. They tell us to vote for the Democrats all the time, Michels says they tell him, but I tell you what: Im voting for you, and everybody at work I know is voting for you because the Democratic Party has left us. Its all about the acronyms. Its all about LGBTQ and CRT and BLM. I just want to go to work, raise my family, go to church on Sunday, go to my kids ballgame, and the Democratic Party doesnt care about any of that. Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after Im elected governor. So whats the rest of the story? Michels was indeed tapping into some pretty scary stuff, at least for Democrats, but it didnt have anything to do with overthrowing democracy. Rather, what frightens Democrats is that Michels courting of Black and union voters might be just effective enough give him the governors mansion. Hes got at least some reason to believe it might. Not since Ronald Reagan has a Republican presidential candidate narrowed the gap between union and nonunion support like Donald Trump did in 2016. And while Black people overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, Trump increased his share of the Black vote from that 2016 election to the one two years ago. Michels, whos been endorsed by Trump and shied away from criticizing the former president, is hoping to tap into those trends, and believes the way to do so is to convince just enough union members and Black people that the GOP will do more for them than Democrats will. That was the all-important context to Michels statement about Republicans never losing another election. We are going to make sure that the working men and the working women, the working families in Wisconsin, understand that the Republican Party is their best bet for happiness, for success, for better opportunity for their sons and daughters, Michels also said at that Jefferson County appearance. Michels wasnt touting Republican plans for killing democracy. He was doing what politicians always do: Promising that if you vote for them, your life will get better. State Journal reporter Mitchell Schmidt contributed to this report. The COVID-19 pandemic and the couple years of confusion surrounding it made many public events hard to plan. In the case of the Columbus Noon Rotary, it put their 100-year celebration on hold, according to Club President Jamie Snyder. "We had planned for 2020, March 2020, and you know what happened in that time frame, so we just kind of sat on it and said 'Let's just do 102,'" Snyder said. Snyder, who joined the club a few years ago after hearing her husband talk about it for years, said the centenarian celebration is a testament to the club's good works. Columbus, she added, was one of the earlier adopters of the club shortly after its foundation in 1905. "It was an opportunity for businessmen to come together, to get to know each other, work with one another and do good things for the community, and that's what it's done all these years," Snyder said. For the 100-plus year celebration, the group will meet at the Elks Country Club on Nov. 10 for a dinner and keynote speech by District 5650 Governor Barbara Bartle. Bartle previously visited in September to share her stories about Rotary efforts in Poland to aid Ukraine, which she will be doing again at the celebration. "We asked if she'd like to come and talk about that a little. It should be interesting, she's had some interesting experiences," Snyder said. "Then we'll eat dinner, cake and [make a] toast to another 100 years." In honor of the milestone, Reye Snitily, a Rotarian who joined just last year, has been trying to assemble a sort of "history of the club" display with meeting minutes and projects the group has done over the years. "They had minutes from the 1920s to the 1970s, so I've been going through those and trying to get a big picture," Snitily said. Unfortunately, Snitily said, minutes past 1980 are few and far between. Between the Platte County Historical Society and various archives, she has had little luck. "I'm trying to get a big display board. I even went to the historical society but I'm still having a hard time. I think in the '80s they started taking minutes on a computer and that's where they've been lost," Snitily said. The Rotary, Snitily said, has been involved in a lot of community projects over the years, mostly focused on education and polio prevention efforts. Most recently, they put up Little Free Libraries near First United Methodist Church and the Columbus Family Resource Center. "We're in the process of monitoring those and putting books in. Education is important to Rotary," Snyder said. "This is a way to hopefully entice people to read." In the past, the group has also done the Loup de Loup bike ride, rang bells for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive and done Student of the Month and scholarships for local schools. Polio, Snyder said, has made a small resurgence in recent years, which the group has made international efforts to stifle in whatever way they can. "We're always open to tackling new projects, seeing if we can't help in some way or another," Snyder said. Illustrative image. Key market for retailers When referring to big foreign retailers in Vietnam then three names immediately crop up, namely, Lotte from South Korea, Aeon from Japan, and Central Retail from Thailand. Currently all three of these giant retailers are planning to expand in Vietnam as they consider it a key market. Lotte considers Vietnam as its third most important market after South Korea and Japan. Aeon wants to triple the number of its commercial centers in Vietnam by 2025. Their plan to expand in the Vietnamese retail market was revealed by Nikkei in early October. A senior Aeon manager said that they view Vietnam as its most important market overseas. Central Retail also wants to expand its market share in Vietnam and has announced plans to spend about Baht 300 billion in increasing its retail network to at least 710 stores by 2026, from current 340 stores. The general director of Central Retail Vietnam said that the company aims to have revenue of Baht 100 billion by 2026. Last year Central Retail earned Baht 38.6 billion and considers the Vietnamese market as its largest revenue source, outside of Thailand. The reasons that make Vietnam more and more attractive in the eyes of foreign retailers, is because of a stable economic growth, at a time when the global markets are constantly fluctuating. Recently, the Financial Times published an article titled "Seven economic wonders in an anxious world", stating Vietnam among seven outstanding countries along with Indonesia, India, Greece, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Previously, the World Bank (WB) had forecast that Vietnam's economy would grow by 7.2 percent this year. In fact, Vietnam's GDP growth in the third quarter of 2022 reached 13.67 percent, with the 9-month GDP increasing by 8.83 percent, the highest increase in the 2021 to 2022 period. Consumer purchasing power is recovering strongly in Vietnam. In the first nine months of 2022, the total retail sales of consumer goods and services reached more than VND4.1 trillion, up 21 percent compared to the same period last year. Many businesses have now achieved outstanding business results as before the Covid-19 pandemic. Another important reason is that Vietnam has committed to joining the CPTPP, which will officially come into effect by 2024 and will remove the regulations on Economic Needs Test (ENT) for retail businesses from CPTPP member countries. This regulation requires that foreign retailers must apply for permission every time they open a store with an area of over 500 square meters. This requirement can now be removed which is a huge relief for retail giants. Pressure on domestic enterprises While foreign retailers are constantly making their growth plans for the Vietnamese market, domestic retailers are also taking great strides. According to statistics of 2016, 50 percent of the retail market share in Vietnam belongs to foreign enterprises, but up to now domestic enterprises account for about 70 percent to 80 percent of market shares across the country. Most of the domestic businesses have ambitious plans to expand their market share. For instance, Nova Consumer plans to expand its distribution channel to 450,000 retail centers in the future, and Thaco plans to open 20 Emart supermarkets by 2026 to become the number one hypermarket in Vietnam. However, not all domestic enterprises can paint a rosy picture in the post-pandemic scenario. Bach Hoa Xanh has had to downsize, and in the last few months more than 400 Bach Hoa Xanh stores have been closed. The enterprise feels this is a step back to prepare for their fast expansion strategy for the whole country in 2023. The reason is that Bach Hoa Xanh was recently discovered selling Chinese mushrooms disguised under VietGap. The retailer has apologized and stopped importing goods from dishonest suppliers, but that has not been enough to convince consumers who have turned away. Similar to Bach Hoa Xanh, the Masan retail chain was recently discovered selling vegetables disguised as VietGap vegetables. The retailer also immediately apologized and stopped importing such goods, but some damage has been done to its image. Currently Masan has more than 3,000 outlets nationwide of its Winmart and Winmart plus stores. Since 2021, Masan has set up many utilities into Winmart plus mini supermarkets. Masan aims to open 30,000 mini-mall stores nationwide by 2025, serving 30 million to 50 million customers per year with revenue of around US$7 billion to $8 billion each year. Businesses can plan expansions, but consumer confidence was somewhat shaken by the lame explanations of these retail companies. Along with the challenges of regaining back consumer confidence, and accelerating their expansion plans, these enterprises must also calculate their financial capacity. While strong financial resources are always strong points of foreign retailers, when Vietnam made more commitments, such as giving up ENT for retailers from the CPTPP countries, the pressure on enterprises becomes even greater. Saigon Investment Both parties in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are sticking with their top leaders as they head into the uncertainty of starting the next session in January with the chamber closely divided. House Republicans on Tuesday named Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler to be their floor leader. The closed-door vote occurred a week after Democrats reelected Rep. Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia to be floor leader, their caucus highest ranking position. Cutler has been speaker while Republicans have led the House with a sizable majority, but Democrats flipped a net of 12 seats during legislative elections earlier this month. AdaniConneX, a joint venture between Adani Enterprises and EdgeConneX, announced the opening of 'Chennai 1' hyperscale data centre campus located at SIPCOT IT Park in Chennai, India. In Phase 1, the campus offers 17 MW (IT Load) that will scale up to 33 MW (IT Load) at full capacity. The 'Chennai 1' campus hosts Tamil Nadu's first pre-certified IGBC Platinum Rated data centre. The facility will also be powered with up to 100 per cent Renewable Energy, offering enterprises and hyperscale customers sustainable energy choices. As one of the most advanced co-location campuses in the region, 'Chennai 1' is designed to offer robust physical protection to IT Infrastructure with seven layers of security system and commitment to provide 99.999 per cent availability. India is one of the fastest growing data centre markets in the world. India's current data centre capacity is around 600 MW and expected to grow to around 1300 MW by 2024. To address the growing need for reliable IT infrastructure, AdaniConneX is investing capital into the joint venture over the next decade with a mission to build over 1 GW Green Data Centre platform. AdaniConneX is also building hyperscale campuses in all the big cities of India, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Noida, Pune, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vizag, and many more. AdaniConneX is also developing distributed Edge Data Centres and Far Edge facilities in Tier 2 and 3 markets, relying heavily on renewable energy sources to help bring cloud, content, and data closer to customers. Supported by the team from EdgeConneX and their more than a decade of experience in building a global platform of data centres for some of the world's largest and most demanding tech and cloud firms, AdaniConneX is rapidly executing on its plan to deliver hyperlocal to hyperscale data centre capacity throughout India. "We see tremendous growth in data generation and consumption in India, driving the need for a reliable, automated, and sustainable Digital Infrastructure. With our Pan-India Data Centre platform, our mission is to enable India's next phase of digital growth with core emphasis on sustainability and energy management," said Jeyakumar Janakaraj, CEO of AdaniConneX. "I'm extremely pleased with the opening of our latest data centre in Chennai, India, and all of the hard work by the teams to make this happen. I'm also excited about what's coming next as we have an aggressive data centre expansion plan and tremendous customer pipeline that will quickly establish AdaniConneX as the leading digital infrastructure platform for all of India," said Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Since the last global climate talks ended in what was described as a fragile win for our warming Earth, the global order has spun further out of control. Russias invasion of Ukraine has prompted an energy crisis that has seen some nations dive back into coal. Grain exports from Ukraine were suspended, driving up the price of staples, while crops were being battered by climate-exacerbated heatwaves across China, Africa, Europe and the US and floods in China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, to name a few. Although the stakes are high and the sense of impending chaos palpable, not all the news this year has been bad. The US has passed the greatest climate package in its history; a world desperate for new energy has turned more to green solutions than brown; and the pace of renewable energy deployment in China has been eye-watering. Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, whose presidency saw mass clearing of the Amazon rainforest, recently conceded defeat in a national election, much to the relief of climate observers. Still, as world leaders gather in Egypt for another round of climate talks, they have a lot to talk about. Not far off in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, millions of people face hunger and the prospect of famine. And developing nations are pushing back. So, whats on the agenda in Egypts Sharm el-Sheikh? And what do loss and damages actually mean? Credit: First, wholl be at COP27? The cast of COP27 includes US President Joe Biden and (after a late reverse ferret) British PM Rishi Sunak as well as Frances President Emmanuel Macron. Neither Chinese President Xi Jinping nor Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi both leaders of greenhouse gas giants will be there. Advertisement Nor will Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is travelling to meetings of ASEAN, APEC and the G20 in Cambodia, Thailand and Bali, which conflict with the second week of the COP. Instead, the Australian delegation is led by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and includes Pacific Minister Pat Conroy and Senator Jenny McAllister. Does it matter? Well, maybe. Albaneses decision has raised some eyebrows because his government has been determined to raise the nations climate ambitions and because it hopes to secure support to co-host a COP with the Pacific in the coming years. The negotiators, activists and leaders who go to these annual COPs short for Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are from among the 196 nations that signed the 2015 Paris Agreement on limiting carbon emissions. But the talks normally attract the full flight of world leaders only every five years, when countries are expected to announce new targets, as was the case in Glasgow last year. Having passed the USs most ambitious climate laws ever, Biden has good cause to attend. (The laws funnelled $US370 billion into measures to ramp up renewables, which modelling suggests will reduce its emissions by up to 40 per cent on 2005 levels.) And Sunaks absence would have been conspicuous because, as hosts in Glasgow, Britain still holds the COP presidency until it is formally handed over to Egypt at the meeting. Another key climate figure who is not in town is activist Greta Thunberg. The COPs are mainly used as an opportunity for leaders and people in power to get attention, using many different kinds of greenwashing, she said, referring to the growing trend of corporate performative action on climate. From left, US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the climate summit in Egypt. Credit:AP Advertisement Whats top of the agenda in Egypt? Looming over the talks will be the fact that since last years COP26, the world has failed to put itself on track to meet Paris Agreement targets to hold warming to well below 2 degrees. In fact, the world is headed for 2.8 degrees of global heating by the end of the century, according to a recent report from the UNs Environment Program. The recommendations in todays report are clear, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. End our reliance on fossil fuels. Avoid a lock-in of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Invest massively in renewables. He added: Commitments to net zero are worth zero without the plans, policies and actions to back it up. In Sharm el-Sheikh, negotiations over payments for loss and damage will ramp up. This last point is crucial. The Egyptian hosts have declared that if the Glasgow talks were about driving nations to set more ambitious targets, these will focus on creating the policies to meet them. Not only that, but participants will be urged to restore what the COPs incoming president, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, has called the grand bargain of the Paris Agreement. That bargain is the agreement at the heart of the UN climate treaty, in which developing nations agreed to cut emissions and rich nations agreed to help pay for the effort. So in Sharm el-Sheikh, there will be negotiations about pumping billions, if not trillions, into a range of public and private sector funds, all of which have so far not been hitting their targets. And negotiations over payments for loss and damage will ramp up. In Pakistan in August, displaced people travel floodwaters that followed an extreme monsoon season. Credit:AP Advertisement What was that about loss and damage? Ever since COPs began in 1995, the developing world has felt let down on climate change by the developed world which has enjoyed the economic benefits of pumping out greenhouse gases as it pursued wealth, but which has failed to keep promises both to cut those gases and to provide the funds to help emerging economies adapt to a warming world. As climate impacts grow worse, this inequity is becoming more stark. During floods this year, Pakistan which has contributed around .09 per cent of global greenhouse gases saw 12 per cent of its land inundated, more than 1700 people killed and over 2.1 million displaced. Developing nations say its time for the West to stump up for loss and damage which, put bluntly, means compensation payouts. In UN-speak, the West has failed to keep its promises on both climate mitigation (paying for the costs of reducing emissions) and climate adaptation (paying for green technologies). So, developing nations say, its time for the West to stump up for loss and damage theyve incurred which, put bluntly, means compensation payouts. Loading Wealthy nations, particularly the US, have trenchantly opposed focus on loss-and-damage payment negotiations, fearful of admitting culpability for climate change of opening a chequebook that would be difficult to close, as the ANUs Professor Mark Howden puts it. According to the London School of Economics, depending on the extent of global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, loss and damage could cost developing countries between $US290 billion ($460 billion) and $US580 billion in 2030, and between $US1 trillion and $US1.8 trillion in 2050. Advertisement But in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian hosts have ensured that loss and damage is on the agenda for formal negotiations. How is this affecting geopolitics? The frustration at these failures among developing nations is spilling into other areas of global negotiations, says Mohamed Adow, director of the climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa. The rich world will have to look back to their past commitments, and what they agreed to pay to help clean up the mess theyve caused in the world and which they havent actually honoured and think through the implications beyond the impact of climate change. They will have to think about the implications for global co-operation and global and international solidarity. Unless the world can come together to fairly tackle climate, he says, it cannot presume to solve the competing crises caused by Russian aggression, the energy crunch, increasing tension between the US and China or the global pandemic. Indeed, he says the Wests failure to either provide Africa with vaccinations or waive intellectual property payments for making its vaccines drove some African nations closer to China, which proved more willing to help. That doesnt mean that theyre supportive of Russia, far from it. Its just that they dont see, always, partners on the part of the West. Mohamed Adow Facing its own crisis with the invasion of Ukraine, some in the West were surprised when some African nations abstained from crucial UN votes condemning Russian aggression. That doesnt mean that theyre supportive of Russia, far from it, says Adow. Its just that they dont see, always, partners on the part of the West. The developed North cannot expect the South to respond to its call for support when the North does not reciprocate, he says. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size During a short walk in the bush with ecologist and forest activist Mark Graham, time itself has a way of slipping and folding. One moment his attention is in the spongy soil and wet foliage at our feet. Shhh, he says. Sphagnum frog. We fall to silence and listen. It sounds like a little wet fart, he says, eyes shining in wonder. I hear nothing, but Graham purses his lips to mimic the frog admirably. New research has found logging zones create dry wind tunnels; highways for conflagrations that burn hotter and faster than in undisturbed wilderness. Credit:Dean Sewell Next, his attention flicks to the leaf-litter itself, and he tells us how scientists studying fossilised remains of such detritus linked it to ancient forests in Patagonia. I later find a research paper on the fossil records showing that during the Eocene period, between 56 and 44 million years ago, forests of the same ferns and towering tallowwoods we are now standing among stretched across swathes of the great southern landmass of Gondwanaland. Pockets still remain on Australias east coast, like this one in the Ellis State Forest on the high Dorrigo Plateau, 60 kilometres inland and about 50 million years from the growing city of Coffs Harbour on the NSW north coast. We walk a few hundred metres along a shaded track and pass a giant stump still marked by the pockets cut into its waist a century or so ago by wood choppers so they could sink home the jigger boards they would stand on as they felled the giant. Advertisement We pause again as Graham identifies the staccato call of an Australian logrunner, walk on, and then burst into blazing sunlight. This coupe has been logged just days before. But for a handful of giant trees marked with fluorescent pink spray paint to identify them as potential habitat trees to be protected, everything is gone. The ground is undulating drying soil compacted by the treads of mechanised logging harvesters and skidders. It resembles a construction site before a concrete slab is poured, but for the occasional mounds of leaf litter and forest trash. According to new research by ANU Professor David Lindenmayer, one of the worlds most esteemed forest researchers, far from stemming bushfires by reducing fuel as the industry commonly asserts, these logging zones create dry wind tunnels through rainforests; highways for conflagrations that burn hotter and faster than in undisturbed wilderness. A habitat tree, marked for preservation, but not protection from damage from logging machinery. Credit:Dean Sewell There was a time when regulations dictated that trees marked for preservation be protected by five-metre buffer zones, not just to protect the big trees but to maintain an understory around them. That regulation was scrapped in 2018 and Graham shows us the scars where machinery has ripped through the bark at the base of the preserved trees. These wounds can open trees to infection and shorten life spans that might otherwise stretch longer than 500 years. Advertisement Nearby a blue gum marked in pink fluoro still stands, its bark scratched from base to canopy with the distinctive diagonal tracks left by koala claws. A stones throw away another tree has been marked for preservation, but it is long dead. Nearby is the fresh weeping stump of a brush box Graham says he has measured at 151 centimetres in diameter. By regulation, trees measuring greater than 140 centimetres are protected. Graham seethes as he conducts us around the site. For years the former National Parks ranger and environmental consultant has lived among these forests and studied them, and campaigned to protect them. Anti-logging protesters atop a timber tripod used to block a road in the Chaelundi State Forest west of Dorrigo during the forest wars in 1991. Credit:Kenneth Stevens Since fires wiped out an estimated 64 per cent of the states forests, Grahams activism has ticked up, along with that of anti-logging protests up and down the coast. Today the logging wars of the 1980s and 1990s that ended in truce at the turn of the century with the adoption of what were called Regional Forestry Agreements are reigniting. (Graham is bound up in this tension. He shares footage that appears to show him being assaulted on a public road by logging contractors, and shortly after we meet he was arrested at a protest. He faces a range of charges, which he is contesting.) Advertisement The Regional Forestry Agreements were designed to provide certainty of access to wood supply for the timber industry, ecologically sustainable forest management and a permanent forest conservation estate. A report by the NSW Natural Resource Commission in 2020 but never officially released by the government recommended that logging be suspended in three areas two on the south coast and one on the north due to the devastation of the fires. With timber less plentiful for harvest after the fires, loggers, directed by technologies such as air-deployed LiDAR systems, are pushing ever deeper into forests to find the remaining stands of tall and valuable timber. The Black Summer fires have made it harder to source timber from state forests. Credit:Getty Images The tragedy for species such as koalas is that these are the habitats they depend upon most. On a rare sunny day last weekend hundreds of people gathered in a public hall in Coffs Harbour to attend a day-long conference organised by peak environment bodies, the former Liberal NSW Upper House MP Catherine Cusack and Justin Field, an independent who will retire at the next election, to discuss the future of the koala in NSW. The conference was called The Vanishing. One speaker was the koala ecologist Dr Steve Philips who laid out the evidence that once regional koala populations begin to decline, their extinction becomes nearly inevitable. Advertisement In the case of the Pittwater/ Barrenjoey population it was a tyranny of small decisions, he says. It was habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, it was urban expansion, it was vehicle strike, it was domestic dog attack. They were on a decline trajectory, they disappeared from the landscape they are now extinct. Theyre gone. He agrees with the findings of the recent NSW Upper House inquiry chaired by Greens MP Cate Faehrmann, which predicts that by 2050, far from having their numbers doubled by 2050 as the NSW government has promised, koalas will no longer exist in the state. Once koalas begin the slide to extinction, it is difficult to reverse. Raising the broader implication of the loss of the koala, Faehrmann observed, If we cant save the most loved animal not only in this country but many would argue the world, I honestly dont believe we can save ourselves. At the conference two big ideas were considered crucial to the protection of the animal. The first was the creation of the Great Koala National Park, a proposal to combine 175,000 ha of state forests with another 140,000 ha of existing protected public land in the Coffs Harbour region. The park would include areas like the ancient Ellis State Forest described above, and protect two crucial koala populations containing around 20 per cent of the states remaining koalas. The proposal is backed by tourism operators in the region, the Greens and Labor as well as Sally Townley, the Coffs Harbour deputy mayor, who is running as an independent in the next state election. It is not supported by the government. Advertisement For St. Francois County Presiding Commissioner, incumbent Harold Gallaher takes on challenger Ryan Cooper on Nov. 8. Harold Gallaher Running for reelection on the Republican ticket, Gallaher, 74, is a native of Bismarck and currently lives outside of Farmington. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1965 and received a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He is a member of Parkland Chapel and currently serves as an East Missouri Action Agency board member. He and his late wife Sandra have five children between them: Jonathan, Nicole, Shanna, Ryan and Emily. Past elected offices include four years as Bismarck alderman, 18 years on the Bismarck School Board and eight years as presiding commissioner. Gallaher states that he has helped with tremendous growth, efficiency and progress in the county in his eight years and wants to continue in that progress. He has worked to get the Berry Road Bridge rebuilt and the Road and Bridge property upgraded and revamped, along with having the county jail upgraded and modernized. A current project being started is having the Juvenile Detention Center facilities upgraded to be more efficient and better able to house staff. A major concern for Gallaher is the at-grade crossings on Highway 67 and he is actively working with MoDOT on solutions to remove them for motorist safety. Gallaher said he has every intention to serve the full, four-year term, should he be reelected. I am looking forward to my next term in office, he said. This county has much to look forward to. Ryan Cooper Cooper, 28, is the Libertarian challenger. He and his wife, Klara, have three children and live outside of Farmington. A native of Michigan, Cooper was homeschooled and has lived in the area for 15 years. A former field operations manager for a waterpark renovation company, Cooper has traveled all over the world fixing waterparks and was a sales manager at Auffenberg Chevrolet. Cooper is now farming full-time and works with the St. Francois County Beef Initiative and Texas Beef Initiative. I am working on localizing the food supply chains, shortening up the distance of how far we need to go to our food, he said. Im trying to find people to grow our food locally. When asked why he is running for the commission seat, Cooper said that resource allocation is going to be really important for our community going into the next four years. I want to make absolutely sure that we are prioritizing our freedoms, he said. I am a Libertarian, I dont believe that the government has the right to tell us all what to do. I believe it has the right to manage our resources; as elected officials, I think prioritizing entrepreneurship and small business and hyper-localism is going to be the only way for us to make it through these next couple of decades. Police are searching for a young boy after two bodies were found in a Canberra pond on Saturday morning, in a case they are treating as suspicious. Officers searched Yerrabi Pond in Gungahlin for eight-year-old Pranav Vivekanandan after the bodies of a woman and a young boy were found in the water. Police hold grave concerns for the missing boy, who was earlier wrongly thought to be a missing girl. He was last seen on Friday wearing an orange shirt, light-coloured shorts and a jacket. Police are looking for missing Canberra boy Pranav Vivekanandan. Officers were unclear about what had happened, but Detective Superintendent Hall OMeagher confirmed police were conducting an investigation. Queensland man Trevor Kjeldal, who had already been injured once while fighting in Ukraine, has died, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A DFAT spokesperson said that they were providing consular assistance to Kjeldals family. We send our deepest condolences to the family and request their privacy be respected during this difficult time, the spokesperson said. We are unable to provide further comment. DFATs ability to offer consular assistance to people who travel to Ukraine is extremely limited due to Russias invasion, but Kjeldals family thanked the department for their efforts. The NSW Opposition has criticised the government for permitting developers to cut down established trees and clear urban bushland as the planning minister celebrated the planting of a million trees over three years. Anthony Roberts shovelled dirt as he planted a white gum in Elizabeth Macarthur Reserve in Camden to mark the completion of the tree planting program. Planning Minister Anthony Roberts joins local residents at a tree planting day in Camden. Credit:Rhys Cull This is the culmination of more than three years of hard work to meet the governments priority to plant one million new trees by 2022 across Greater Sydney, with countless people taking up the one million tree challenge alongside us, he said. More than 77,000 trees were given away to Sydney residents by the NSW government as part of the $30 million program, which Roberts said he hoped would lead to further planting efforts. Kim Kardashian ate it in pills. Hilary Duff blended hers into a smoothie. And a bevy of businesses offers to turn them into everything from face wash to artwork. But with most placentas ending up in a hospital bin, a Sydney program is asking new mothers to consider donating theirs to medicine, to dress difficult-to-heal wounds after eye surgery. Stefanie Lam with her two children, Alexandra and Nicholas, has donated two placentas for surgical use through a Sydney hospital program. Credit:Nikki Short Since late 2018, women giving birth via elective caesarean at the Mater and Royal Hospital for Women have been able to donate their placenta tissue, also known as the amniotic membrane, to be used as a surgical dressing for patients at Sydney Eye Hospital. Dr Con Petsoglou, medical director of the NSW Tissue Bank and a surgeon at Sydney Eye Hospital, who has been coordinating the program, said the bio bandage worked because the membrane is the substance in the human body most similar to the conjunctiva, the glistening tissue around the eye which gives it its sparkle and wetness. For the first time in more than a decade, Queenslands Labor state conference has been addressed by both a Labor prime minister and premier. Earlier this year I said a change of government would mean the country could look ahead to the future united with confidence and with optimism, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a cheering crowd. No longer having a prime minister who sought to divide and turn the country against itself. Palaszczuk used her speech on Saturday on the Sunshine Coast to raise a list of initiatives her now seven-year government is pushing ahead with, as Opposition Leader David Crisafulli told reporters at a simultaneous press conference in Brisbane the state government had all but given up on the fight for 50-50 funding to heal Queenslands health crisis. The premier told the conference her government had made the largest investment in hospitals and new beds in Queenslands history, with $9.78 billion in additional funding. Thousands of Victorian students and their families may have had personal data including medical information stolen after a technology company that has contracts with the Victorian government was hacked. PNORS Technology Group works with six different state departments including Education and Training. Technology company PNORS, which works with state government departments, has been hacked. Credit:Shutterstock Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Sunday Age that data from the Victorian school entrance health questionnaire was included in the information stolen. The questionnaire is completed by all families who start at a Victorian primary school, including government, Catholic and independent schools. In northern Victoria, the Goulburn River flooded the entire Discovery Parks Nagambie Lakes caravan park, which included 56 tourist cabins and 136 powered sites for camping and caravans, as well as 200 spots for annuals who holiday at the park regularly. An extensive clean-up is under way, with workers stripping the walls and floors of cabins that were extensively damaged by floodwater even though some were built high off the ground on stilts. The clean-up at Discovery Parks Nagambie Lakes caravan park. Credit:Joe Armao Workers have piled plaster, wood and insulation outside the cabins, while much of the park still remains underwater. The Goulburn River rushed through the vast site with such for force it lifted caravans from their sites and swept away personal belongings, including canoes and toolboxes. Discovery Parks chief operations officer Matt Lang said the company was committed to rebuilding the park. We will reopen, he said. We dont know when. Discovery Parks Matt Lang outside cabins that were flooded in Nagambie. Credit:Joe Armao Lang said many guests at the park holidayed there every year and made an important economic contribution to Nagambie, where the town centre was spared the worst of flood damage. Theyve created traditions for their families. At nearby Mitchelton Estate, head of hospitality Martin Garrett said the business which includes a winery, hotel and restaurant had reopened two weeks after its cellar and acclaimed art gallery were extensively damaged by floodwater. Estate staff managed to move about 120 artworks to safety, but many could not be moved before the floodwaters arrived. Some paintings have been shipped to Canberra for specialist restoration We got a lot of the culturally significant pieces out, which is great, Garrett said. But unfortunately, there wasnt time to get everything. The gallery is yet to reopen. Garrett said guests had cancelled their bookings immediately after the floods, and the Melbourne Cup weekend had been quiet, but confidence was returning. We are open. The town is open. We want people to come back. Martin Garrett at Michelton Estate. Credit:Joe Armao However, Garrett said the closure of the Nagambie Lakes caravan park was a blow to the town. We certainly do get trade from the caravan park. Strathbogie Shire mayor Laura Binks said the council was working to fix and reopen roads, but it could take three months to examine the extent of the damage. Flooding has damaged our roads so badly we must look at repairs that are above and beyond our normal maintenance programs, she said. Binks said most businesses in the shire remained open, but warned visitors should take care on damaged roads. Lee Rowland, president of business and tourism group Go Nagambie, said the holiday season was likely to have a slow start, and the damage to the caravan park was a loss. However, he remained confident that visitors would return. Were still expecting to have a busy summer, he said. A spokesman for the Andrews government said it was backing businesses across the state to get back on their feet, citing more than $1.4 billion in flood support programs funded together with the federal government. Were making sure flood affected communities have the support they need to rebuild and reopen roads as quickly and safely as possible, he said. Some customers have begun returning to Mitchelton Estate in Nagambie. Credit:Joe Armao The government has allocated $165 million for emergency repairs to reopen roads, and it insists workers have carried out repairs to more than 600 roads, including patching almost 55,000 potholes. But opposition spokeswoman for regional recovery, Cindy McLeish, said roads had been neglected for too long and were crumbling as a result. She said lack of maintenance around drains and culverts was contributing to the problem. The most inquiries I get into my office are about the state of the roads, and its been like that for years, she said. Roads have suffered extensive flood damage across Victoria. Credit:Australian Financial Review Many tourism operators along the Murray River are now facing their third summer of severely disrupted trade after the losses inflicted by the pandemic. Barmah Bridge Caravan Park co-owner Brad Panos said much of the site remained underwater, and they would be lucky to reopen by the end of January. Loading Its a long road to recovery for us, he said. We were just clawing our way back from COVID. He estimated the business would lose about $100,000 in income. Panos said flood insurance had become impossible to find or far too expensive for caravan parks on rivers. But everyone in Australia wants to holiday on water, whether its a river or the ocean, he said. Thats why these parks exist. Murray Regional Tourism Board interim chief executive Will Flamsteed said many accommodation providers had zero per cent occupancy because roads were closed or customers had cancelled because of concerns about the floods. Were seeing it in Echuca. Were seeing it right along the river, he said. People going to Swan Hill or Mildura are cancelling because they think the whole Murray is flooded. Theres a lot of that at the moment. Flamsteed said tourism businesses on the Murray had also suffered in recent years from pandemic restrictions applied by both the Victorian and New South Wales governments. Flooding in Echuca is expected to inflict a heavy blow to its tourism sector. Credit:Jason South He estimated the flood disaster would now cost tourism businesses tens of millions of dollars in lost trade. Theyre hurting. Victorian Tourism Industry Council chief executive Felicia Mariani said the Murray region was among the hardest hit by the floods. Loading These people will not be recovered in time to welcome back Christmas visitors, she said. We know many people have started shifting their bookings from the Murray to Gippsland. She said businesses that relied on natural surroundings, including caravan parks, were unable to secure affordable flood insurance. Most women are not lucky enough to have the public support of the institution where they were harassed, she says. I was unemployed, my mental health was poor, and I was focused on surviving week to week. If I had to think about paying legal bills at that point I dont think I would have engaged [lawyers] Maurice Blackburn. The Albanese government is soon to enact legislation which, despite the best intentions, many experts say will scare off complainants from pursuing harassers in legal proceedings. The legislation will amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to fully incorporate changes recommended by the Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces. This is the report by esteemed Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, which the Morrison government sat on for over a year, before releasing it in 2021. Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. Credit:AFR The Labor government promised to implement fully the reports recommendations, but one provision is contentious with lawyers who represent sexual harassment complainants. At present, the federal jurisdiction for anti-discrimination claims is an adverse costs jurisdiction, which generally means that costs are paid by the loser in a dispute a huge risk for an individual against a big company, for example. But the new laws to be introduced by the government would change the costs structure of litigation to costs neutrality. That means the default position is that each side of a dispute or claim pays their own legal costs, no matter what the outcome, although the court has a discretion to award costs orders, taking into account the financial position of the parties. Bearing in mind that litigation costs can run into many hundreds of thousands of dollars, this costs neutrality provision could also present a major obstacle for many would-be litigants. Illustration: Reg Lynch. Credit:Fairfax Often, legal costs can outstrip the damages awarded to a person. Complainants already take a big risk in that they might be ordered to pay the other sides costs if they lose. Many only feel confident commencing legal proceedings if they know they can recoup their legal costs in the event they win. Over 100 individuals and organisations (including Eggerking) have signed an open letter to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher expressing deep concern about the costs neutrality change, saying it will undermine access to justice. The signatories are calling for an asymmetrical costs provision modelled on whistleblower laws, where complainants, if they lose their claim, will not face adverse costs, unless the claim is found to be vexatious. Independent Kooyong MP Monique Ryan is also worried about the costs neutrality provision. In a speech to parliament last week she said that under the changes, a victim-survivor shown to have been wrongfully treated in the workplace could end up out of pocket for seeking recognition of that fact defendants who want to punish and wear down a woman complainant can do so. On Monday, Ryan will move an amendment to change the provision to the same sort of model urged by the open-letter signatories. No-win-no-fee lawyers are the ultimate losers here, so it makes sense they would object to the change, but many legal academics also think its a bad idea, as does the not-for-profit litigation funder Grata Fund whose director is renowned civil liberties barrister Jennifer Robinson (its patron is Tony Fitzgerald AC KC, of Fitzgerald Inquiry fame). Community legal centres, such as the Kingsford Legal Centre in Sydney, are also critical. KLC director Emma Golledge says she doesnt believe the change is a truly neutral provision at all, because the playing field is so uneven. Loading Its an individual against a highly resourced other side in most cases, she says. The risk of having to pay big costs mean that people reluctantly settle matters, and often cant discuss anything afterwards because they sign Non Disclosure Agreements. Under the costs neutrality changes, we will still have to advise clients they may get a costs order made against them, Golledge says. She also says airing discrimination matters in court can have an important public transparency benefit, and this measure will discourage valid claims going to court. We have made it hard for people to litigate and enforce their rights. Cases get run reflecting the resourcing of the parties. Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins says the costs neutrality position is a good balance because some complainants reported that under the present system, they worried they would get a costs order against them if they lost against a big employer. The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report into the legislation supported the provision, noting that the Attorney-Generals Department believes costs neutrality would provide certainty and improve access to justice. The Law Council also supports it, but with carve-outs for class actions with certain characteristics. But the Committee report recommended the operation of the provision be reviewed by the Australian Law Reform Commission in six to 12 months. The Respect@Work changes to discrimination law are excellent, overall. They represent a paradigm shift, putting the onus on employers to create a safe, discrimination-free workplace. But all regulation needs the prospect of enforcement to back it up. It would be bitter if the costs-neutrality provision meant potential litigants were scared off. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has conceded a referral from him to the governments slated integrity commission would be treated differently than one that came from a member of the public. Dreyfus said he would expect the National Anti-Corruption Commission to treat a referral from a minister or departmental head very seriously because of its source, but stressed he wanted all complaints of substance to be given clout. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he would expect the integrity commission to take a referral from a minister or senior bureaucrat seriously. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Dreyfus also said the commission would be able to exchange information confidentially with state anti-corruption commissions, and with state-based police forces and ombudsmen. Ahead of the introduction of the bill to establish the watchdog in September, Dreyfus said it would be inappropriate for him as the minister responsible for the commission to be making referrals to it, stressing on multiple occasions since then that any member of the public could make referrals. Dangerous beauty trends such as inhaling and snorting tanning products are being promoted on TikTok as regulators warn of a Barbie drug that has serious side effects. The Therapeutic Goods Administration last month warned about the use of products containing melanotan, a prescription-only medicine used to support the management of a rare, incurable genetic disease, which is being misused by some people to darken their skin. The medication, which comes in the form of pills, creams, injectables and nasal or misting sprays, causes side effects such as increased moles and freckles, nausea and vomiting. Doctors and health regulators are concerned about beauty trends such as inhaling and snorting tanning products promoted on TikTok. Credit:TikTok TGA head Adjunct Professor John Skerritt said regulators were also worried about a heightened risk of skin cancer from misuse of the drug, while British medical authorities have listed acne, kidney, brain and heart problems as side effects. The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) reported a Bismarck woman was seriously injured after a Tuesday evening accident. Two other accidents, occurring on Thursday afternoon, were also reported by the patrol as having resulted in injuries. Tuesday at 4:10 p.m., a 1991 GMC Sonoma, driven by 43-year-old Melissa M. Leftridge of Bismarck, was traveling south on Hillsboro Road. The MSHP report states Leftridge failed to yield to a 2016 Chevrolet 2500 driven by Donald L. Akers, 66, of Bonne Terre. Akers was traveling west on Highway O when the front of the Sonoma struck the front of Akers truck. According to the report, neither Leftridge nor Akers was wearing a seat belt. Leftridge is reported to have received serious injuries and was transported by Air Evac to Mercy Hospital St. Louis. The Sonoma is reported by MSHP as totaled while Akers Chevrolet 2500 received moderate damage. Both vehicles were towed by Buckleys Towing. Thursday afternoon in St. Louis County, a 2004 GMC Yukon driven by Michael A. Finklang, 54, of St. Louis, was reportedly traveling too close on Interstate 270 to a 2013 Toyota Corolla driven by 37-year-old Derek P. Keller of Bonne Terre. The report states the front of the Yukon hit the rear of Kellers Corolla, which then pushed the car forward. The right front side of Kellers car struck the left rear of a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica driven by Marianne A. Austin, 55, of Cedar Hills. The impact from striking the rear of the Pacifica caused Keller to skid left into lane two while rotating counter-clockwise, and entered the lane facing west. The front of the Corolla struck the front of a 2019 Freightliner Concordia driven by 58-year-old Thomas A. Mannisi, of Fairview Heights, Illinois. All four parties involved were reported to be wearing seat belts. Keller received minor damage and was transported by Mehlville Ambulance District to Mercy Hospital South. The report states the GMC Yukon and the Chrysler Pacifica received minor damage and were driven from the scene. The 2019 Freightliner Concordia received moderate damage, and was towed by McLanahan Towing while the Toyota Corolla received extensive damage and was towed by Miners Towing. Later on Thursday at 4:55 p.m. on Highway 32, just east of Highway B, a 2006 Ford F-150 driven by James D. Eschenbrenner, 28, of Bismarck was westbound on Highway 32 when the report states the truck crossed the center line. A 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by Vickie Bircham, 67, of Park Hills was traveling east on the highway when the front of Birchams car collided with the side of Eschenbrenners truck. The collision caused the truck to travel off the roadway and overturn. MSHP reported both Eschenbrenner and Bircham to be wearing a seat belt. Bircham received moderate injuries and was transported to Parkland Health Center South by the St. Francois County Ambulance District. Both the Ford F-150 and the Hyundai Santa Fe were reported to be totaled, and were taken by Marler's Towing. Mykolaiv: An Australian man dubbed Ninja who spent months in forestland with a battalion of foreign fighters has been killed in a battle to liberate a Ukrainian village. Trevor Kjeldal from Queensland defied Australian government advice in March and flew to fight in Ukraine despite having no ties to the country or any previous military experience. The 40-year-old died in battle on Wednesday in the Luhansk region where there has been heavy fighting in recent weeks. It is believed he was killed near the village of Nevske, which was liberated by Ukrainian forces on the same day Kjeldal died. A member of his unit, who was text messaging with the Australian four hours before he died, described the Australian as really committed to the cause of Ukrainian liberty and fighting the Russians. London: Canada is setting record immigration goals to bring in 1.45 million immigrants by 2025 to help plug labour shortages. Look, folks, its simple to me. Canada needs more people, Sean Fraser, Canadas Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, told a news conference this week. The government is looking to boost a labour market that has nearly a million job vacancies left in the fallout from the pandemic, he said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a community event last month. His government wants more migrants to help fill job vacancies. Credit:The Canadian Press/AP The new immigration plan aims to take in 465,000 people in 2023, rising to 500,000 in 2025. The Canadian immigration department says it admitted 405,000 newcomers last year, which was the most weve ever welcomed in a single year. Were building on that and setting higher targets in the years ahead, because immigration is critical to growing our economy and helping businesses find the workers they need, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted. Frontier Precision and Synspective Announce New Distribution Partnership for SAR Satellite-Based Geospatial Solution in North America Posted by Publisher Internet Frontier Precision and Synspective Announce New Distribution Partnership for SAR Satellite-Based Geospatial Solution in North America Bismarck, ND (Corporate) a Frontier Precision, a large U.S. distributor of geospatial and unmanned solutions, and Sysnpective, a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data and solutions provider, are excited to announce our new distribution partnership for our SAR-based solutions across North America. Synspective develops and operates high-frequency, high-resolution SAR satellites to provide high-quality data set and solution services. The company has already succeeded in putting three satellites into targeted orbit. And, by 2023, it will have six satellites in orbit, bringing them closer to a planned constellation of 30 satellites around 2026. In addition, the company utilizes data science and machine learning to develop SAR data solutions for various remote sensing applications, including Land Displacement Monitoring (LDM) and others suited for large-area applications. Frontier Precision is an employee-owned company with over 34 years of experience serving survey, mapping, engineering, construction, GIS, drones/UAS/unmanned, forensics, law enforcement, forestry, water resources, mosquito & vector control, and natural resources professionals throughout the western United States. As a high-tech company, the company has been at the forefront of technologies and established the concrete position globally as one of Trimblea?s largest and best geospatial distributors in the world. Under this partnership, Frontier Precision will be working closely with Synspective in bringing to North America, as part of global market expansion, the unique data sets leveraging its SAR constellation and unique solution. CEO of Frontier Precision, Dennis Kemmesat commented on the distribution agreement by saying, aWe felt strongly after looking at the product Synspective will be offering to go forward this was a great fit in our overall geospatial and unmanned portfolios a a complementary technology to everything else we offer to the geospatial community.a aThis is an exciting step for Synspective in our expansion to the United States. We believe that our solutions are the ideal addition to the existing portfolio held by Frontier Precision. It will help develop our reach to North America, especially to their transportation, mining, and disaster recovery verticals which are already key target segments for both companies,a said Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Founder and CEO of Synspective. Gaborone (Botswana), 5 November 2022 (SPS) - Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lemogang Kwape, on Thursday reiterated his country's permanent commitment to defending the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence. At a ceremony organized by the Botswana government on the occasion of United Nations Day in Gaborone, in collaboration with the UN body, Mr. Lemogang Kwape affirmed that "Botswana supports the Saharawi people and its just cause for self-determination and independence". "Since its independence and despite the many challenges, Botswana includes in its agendas for the deliberations of the UN General Assembly, the issue of defending the right of peoples to self-determination, including the Saharawi and Palestinian peoples," he added. Botswana had previously called on African countries to "speak with one voice" to support the right to freedom and independence of Western Sahara and to stand in solidarity with its people through relevant international organizations and bodies. In his address to the Extraordinary African Conference on "Silencing the Guns in Africa", held on 6 December 2020, the President of the Republic of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, denounced Morocco's continued occupation of Western Sahara, while calling on the African Union and the UN to intervene to enable the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence. 062/T Agadir (Morocco), 5 November 2022 (SPS) - Sister of Sahrawi civilian prisoner of Gdeim Izik group, Mohamed Hasna Ahmed Salem Borial, who is in the local prison of Ait Melloul 1 on the outskirts of Agadir, Morocco, reported that her brother was subjected to a humiliating and provocative search last Thursday by prison staff. A group of Ait Melloul 1 prison staff raided the cell of the Sahrawi civilian prisoner and conducted a humiliating and provocative search, where he was subjected to intimidation, psychological torture and tampering with his own belongings. Um Saad Bourial told the Association for the Protection of Sahrawi Prisoners in Moroccan Prisons that her brother has become severely visually impaired, she did not exclude that the prison administration deliberately confiscated glasses to repair visual impairment that the family had sent a few days ago by mail in line with the procedures in place by the prison administration because the family could not move continuously between the cities of Western Sahara and the southern Moroccan city of Agadir. Sahrawi civilian prisoner, Mohamed Hasna Ahmed Salem Borial, is in Ait Melloul 1 prison, on the outskirts of the Moroccan city of Agadir, following an unfair sentence of up to 30 years in prison that lacked fair trial guarantees and standards, which took place in the Moroccan city of Sale in the period between 26December 2016 and 17 July 2017, with the testimony of important international human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, against the background of the barbaric dismantling of the camp of the displaced Sahrawis in November 2010 in the Gdeim Izik region, east of the occupied city of El-Aaiun. 062/T As a way to thank area veterans for their service to the U.S., Jefferson College faculty and students from the Automotive Technology Program will once again provide complimentary oil changes to vets from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Automotive Technology lab located at the back of the Career and Technical Education Building on the Hillsboro campus. Underwritten by AutoZone, Dobbs Tire and Auto Centers, NAPA Auto Parts, and Dominos, the veteran-focused service project can accommodate up to 60 vehicles. The colleges partners will provide oil, filters and supplies, while students and faculty provide the labor as a way to say "Thank You" to those who have served. Diesel engines are excluded from this event due to vendor supplies. Oil changes will be provided for veterans by appointment only. Reservations will be accepted on a first available basis starting Nov. 1, by calling the Jefferson College Automotive Center at (636) 481-3436 between the hours of 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Those seeking a free oil change are asked not to call before or after the times listed as students will be in class. In the spirit of the U.S. militarys century-old code of honor, recipients simply need to state that they are a veteran of the armed forces to receive the free services. Jefferson College believes that it is important to remember those who have served our country and want to emphasize the importance of support for the military. The reason we do it is to honor the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of those who proudly served our country, said Jefferson College President Dr. Dena McCaffrey. This community-centered project is a great way for our students, employees and industry partners to give back to those who have given so much. We hope that every veteran in our community will know that Jefferson College is filled with gratitude for their service to our great country. In addition to free oil changes, the colleges Culinary Arts Program will provide veterans with complimentary food while supplies last and other departments will share information and resources about available educational resources for military personnel. On Tuesday morning during its regular meeting, the St. Francois County Commission revisited its Oct. 25 decision to close out the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from 2019 that was awarded to Mineral Area College (MAC). In 2019, MAC had used the St. Francois County Auditors Office as a pass-through agent for the $400,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, which was intended to pay for a welding building housing the program. Funding partly hinged on the college getting 160 students51% on the low-to-moderate income scale enrolled in the programs by March 2022. The county filed for an extension in February. DED contacted the county in recent weeks about the lack of activity on the grantthe county is the agent that in 2019 applied for the grant at MACs request, while MAC agreed to administer it and report on it and approved the Department of Economic Developments reduction of the grant to $225,000, and to close it out. At the Oct. 25 meeting of the St. Francois County Commissioners, Grant Coordinator Bridget Smith spoke about the revision, during which no MAC representatives were on hand. Due to COVID issues, its taken MAC a while to get everything going, she said. DED has allowed them to change the grant from 160 (low-income students) down to 45 and that no more money will be pulled for the grant. We have agreed to that in order to close this grant. At Tuesdays meeting, members of MACs board of trustees, MAC President Dr. Joe Gilgour and MAC Grant Manager Kasey Beaton were in attendance. Gilgour spoke to the commission about rescinding the decision and began the discussion on options to keep the grant in place. We are asking for a reconsideration of the vote that happened last week, he said. Through communication with the state, they have authorized us that if we have the student enrollment to 80 by February, that they will provide the full funding grant to us as opposed to cutting it in half. The college currently has a bit over 40 students in the welding program, according to the county. Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher said that the county had questions about the enrollment and documentation. The DED sent the county three options on how to further handle the grant. The first option was to leave the grant open until 80 students were enrolled with an extension requested by Feb. 1. The grant would not be closed by March 1 and the county could not apply for CDBG grants for 2023, a situation the county deemed unacceptable. The second option was the one Gallaher said was the best way to handle the grant. We wait until Feb. 1 to determine the number of students at that time, he said. Additional money at the rate of $5,000 per LMI (low-moderate income) student will be awarded. This would allow the grant to be closed by March 1, 2023. That March 1 date is pretty important. The third option is to close the grant immediately if 41 or more students are enrolled with additional funding stopping at that time. MAC considered this option unacceptable. Gilgour agreed to option two. We dont want to do anything to hurt the countys opportunity to get CDBG money in the future. I think option two is what we want. Associate Commissioner David Kater showed concern about paperwork needed from MAC that hadnt been received until a week or two ago. That is the first documentation that we received since they started this grant in 2019, he said. Gilgour countered, saying the college had sent everything that has been requested. Really some of the delay, for the first year and a half to two years of this grant being approved, nothing has happened, there wasnt anything to report, there werent any students in it. We have sent in the low to moderate income data on the 41 students that we have. We are happy to send in anything as needed, anytime. Audit Manager Amber Menjoulet stated that all the information has to be in to the county by Dec. 31 to be prepared and ready to go to the DED. She later said CDBG grants require large volumes of reports and documentation on every aspect of the project the grant covers. At Tuesdays meeting, the county reconsidered, rescinding the previous decision to close the grant. It is taking the new options under advisement until the St. Francois County Auditors Office and MAC have updates on documentation. In other business, the commission approved a two-year agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration to supply a sheriffs deputy for the drug task force. The commission also agreed to sign the contract for the first two years with Flock Cameras for law enforcement surveillance. The first years cost for 14 cameras is $35,000 with an implementation fee of $10,500. The second year will be a recurring cost of $35,000. The funding for the cameras is supplied by the Law Enforcement Restitution Fund. The commission also agreed to buy for the maintenance department a 2016 Ford F-250 truck with 90,000 miles from Mineral Area Overhead Door for $32,000. The commission had earlier sought bids for a new or used truck with no success. The commission approved buying 50 new computers from SHI in a state contract for $59,769.77 at the request of IT Director Nick Jones. We had previously done sealed bids, he said. We got one bid back and it wasnt what we asked for so we rejected it and I went shopping. Fleet Manager Buck Copeland reported on the sheriffs department vehicles and the new pursuit vehicles the county is in the process of buying. We have 37 pursuit cars, 17 have 200,000 miles on them, 7 have 200,000 plus miles. We have four cars that come in and are available for $44,956 (each), Copeland said. These cars are budgeted for next year, but the price increase on the 2023 cars are going up 25% on police cars. The commission approved the amendment for the 2022 budget to buy the cars from Lou Fusz Ford. After opening sealed bids at the start of the session, the commission approved a bid from McCann Concrete Products for $38,592 for box culverts for road improvement projects for the upcoming year. Due to the countys Election Day activities, the commission meeting was canceled Tuesday. The next regular session will be Nov. 15 at the commissioners meeting room at 10 a.m. in the courthouse annex in downtown Farmington. County offices will be closed on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (440) Jan 2014 (544) Feb 2014 (475) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (441) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (921) Nov 2015 (801) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (946) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sep 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (678) On a narrow, almost hidden street in the municipality of Ploiesti, a small, simple, but at the same time coquettish, warm and welcoming house hosts a real universe, that of Nichita Stanescu, a "blonde angel" whose presence is so alive in the place where he was born and became a phenomenon, told Agerpres. The "Nichita Stanescu" Memorial House is located at number 1, on the street that bears the name of the poet. Stepping into the yard of the house, and then into the house, one enters a universe that creates the illusion that Nini, as he was called by the family, is still among us. Anytime one would expect to hear a jolly cry or the notes of the piano he loved so much, or to see him sitting at his desk reading or composing poems. The house, which was built between 1926-1927 by the poet's grandfather and father, became a museum in 2002, and the restoration of the house was carried out under the careful supervision of Mariana Stanescu, the writer's sister, so that the pieces of furniture were placed approximately as they were in Nichita's childhood. This museum did not buy anything, it is a museum made from donations made out of love for Nichita, museographers say. "Nichita had a memorial exhibition two years after he died. In 1983 he died, in December, and in 1986 a tribute exhibition was opened. At first, it was called temporary. It was opened in an 18th century merchant house, Casa Hagi Prodan (...). Objects began to be collected there. Those who had objects from Nichita - a letter, a poem, a coin, because he was a numismatist, came and they donated them. Around 300 pieces were collected from the donations, including the bed, which was donated by Nichita's mother. The bed, his student desk... Ploiesti residents kept his memory alive there, in the Hagi Prodan House, until 2002, when we moved here. (...) We were very lucky to find Mariana, Nichita's sister, alive. She lived in Bucharest, she had just retired from the position of school director, and then she welcomed us to her home and gave us everything she had of memorial value. In addition, she came here and explained to us what the house was like during their childhood. Some pieces were lost. (...) Where there were no more objects, we made a documentary room dedicated to the poet's work - posthumous work, books, awards. (...) We had the opportunity, a few months after the opening, to participate in a national competition of memorial houses. We won first place, in 2003 being the most beautiful memorial house opened in Romania," museographer Ioana Rosu told AGERPRES. Nichita Stanescu was born in this house and lived here until 1953, when he went to Bucharest for university studies. In the bedroom there is furniture from that period, made of walnut wood, and, on the bed covered with a quilt made by his mother, sits the Teddy bear he used to play with as a child, as if waiting to be played with. On the walls of the bedroom, but also in the rest of the house, there are many original photographs of Nichita as a child and family pictures, as well as paintings of the poet donated to the museum. In the workroom, the one where he did his homework and composed his poems, from the age of 7, there is the poet's desk, on which there is a leather map that belonged to him, the front being covered by a tapestry made by his mother. The dictionary of rhymes, the basic books, a microscope received as a gift from his father when he turned 10, the chessboard and the famous piano complete the setting. Nichita said, at one point, that if he had not become a poet, he probably would have become a great musician. "At the age of 7, they hired a music teacher for him. The poet's mother said that he had a ritual when he came home from school - he would enter the house, drop his schoolbag and start playing the piano, and the mother in the kitchen would hear that and she would start preparing lunch," says museographer Argentina Istratescu. The pick-up and the radio take us back to Nichita in his youth. "During high school years, Nichita through dancing tea parties. He invited classmates, played the piano for them, played music for them, had a whole collection of records with piano and orchestra concerts. It was the space where they felt good, while his mother made cakes for them," the museographers say. The poet has a few verses that illustrate the area, the proximity to the railways (the house being near the North Railway Station), in his poetry the home is present, but also homesickness. The incursion into the native universe of the "blonde angel" continues with the living room, where there is the telephone on which the number assigned to the family at the time is written, the family clock, the furniture from that period - the armchairs, the sideboard and, again, childhood photos from which the light of the poet's smile shines through. In the documentary room, which was another living room of the family, showcases were set up in which other photos, Nichita's birth certificate, objects from school, the typewriter and publications published during his life are presented, the posthumous works of the poet, as well as the national and international awards Nichita won. The kitchen keeps the furniture from Nini's childhood, some of the family tableware, but also the mother's cookbook, which also contains her notes. A library was set up in the former bathroom of the house, where you can find copies brought by Mariana Stanescu from Bucharest. "Nichita was a very open, warm, friendly person, he encouraged everyone. When he moved to Amzei Square, his apartment door was always open. After he married his third wife, young poets came to present him their work, to ask for advice. He never criticised them, and when they left he gave them a symbolic pen to continue writing. He said that it was more vital to have a friend than a guardian angel, so he had a special warmth and nobility of the soul," explains Argentina Istratescu. Maybe the presence of the large number of photos and paintings of the poet, maybe the love for him that is felt in every detail of the arrangement of the memorial house, maybe the way the museographers talk about Nichita and his life or maybe all of them together make the visitor, at a given moment, look for the one who was a phenomenon. MILAN (AP) Italy's new far-right led government adopted a measure Friday formalizing the closure of its ports to rescue ships run by humanitarian groups as four vessels with more than 1,000 migrants continued to press for a safe port. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters Italy would allow a German migrant rescue ship to arrive in Sicily to land minors and those with medical emergencies, but he said the ship must then return to international waters with the rest of the migrants. Piantedosi said the German-flagged Humanity 1, carrying 179 people, forced the situation by entering into territorial waters.'' But he emphasized Italy's position that it is the flag country of each charity-operated ship that must intervene to provide a safe port and not Italy. The fate of the other ships was not addressed, but Piantedosi said France had indicated it could accept the possibility to disembark" the Norway-flagged Ocean Viking, which has 234 people on board. The Humanity 1 was on its way to the Sicilian port of Catania, Piantedosi said, adding it would be allowed to remain in Italian waters only long enough to disembark minors and people needing medical care. The move came after France and Germany asked Italys new government to grant a safe port to more than 1,000 people rescued by humanitarian groups in the central Mediterranean, some of whom have been stuck at sea for more than two weeks. The posture adopted by Premier Giorgia Meloni's new government marks a return to the anti-NGO position adopted by Matteo Salvini, now a deputy premier, when he was interior minister in 2018-2019. Salvini, currently the infrastructure minister in charge of ports, welcomed the new decree in a Facebook post, saying it would ensure that foreign ships cannot arrive solely in Italy with their illegal immigrants. "If there are minors or the sick on board they may disembark, as it should be. All of the others aboard a German ship leave Italian waters and go toward Germany,'' Salvini said. Humanitarian groups caring for the rescued migrants on four ships in the central Mediterranean have sounded the alarm about deteriorating conditions, including people sleeping on floors in the cold and spreading fevers. A German charity, Mission Lifeline, reported that its ship was in extreme danger with 95 rescued people on board, half of them women and children, and bad weather forecast. Piantedosi drafted new measures contending the non-governmental groups violated procedure by not properly coordinating their rescues, setting the groundwork for Italy to close the ports. At the same time, Italian authorities continue to allow the arrivals of people rescued at sea by Italian patrols, including 456 arriving in Calabria on Thursday and some 6,000 over the last week. Charities have denied circumventing procedures, and say it is their duty to rescue people in distress at sea. According to the U.N. refugee agency, coastal states are obligated to accept people from rescue ships as soon as practicable, and governments should cooperate to provide a place of safety for survivors. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Friday that international law makes clear that Italy, as the closest port, must let the ship in. He cited the Ocean Viking operated by the group SOS Mediterranee, which has one of its headquarters in France. We have no doubt that Italy will welcome the ship ... that Italy will respect international law, he told French news broadcaster BFM TV. He also said France and Germany have told Italy that they are both ready to receive some of the migrants so Italy wont bear the burden alone. The German Foreign Ministry also asked Italy to intervene quickly to help those aboard the German-flagged Humanitarian 1. The boat was carrying 100 unaccompanied minors as well as a 7-month-old baby, the SOS Humanity charity said. They continue to be exposed to the elements, having to spend the cold nights on deck. Still, they are sleeping on the floor while winds and waves are increasing, said spokesman Wasil Schauseil, adding that the state of limbo was adding to their mental stress. Fever was also spreading among the rescued people, with COVID tests turning up negative. Also at sea is the Doctors Without Borders-run ship Geo Barents, also flagged by Norway, with 572 people on board, including 60 unaccompanied minors as well as families with children and the elderly. Another German-based charity, Mission Lifeline, said that its ship Rise Above picked up 95 people in three operations Thursday, and that neither Italy nor Malta had responded to requests for a port. The proportion of women, children and babies is unusually high, comprising about half of the people on board. We are particularly worried about the health of the eight babies as well as the small children. Many had been at sea for days at the time of the rescue and are extremely exhausted,'' said Heremine Poschmann, a Mission Life spokeswoman. The Rise Above is in extreme danger, Poschmann said, with bad weather forecast in the coming hours and with 104 people total on board a relatively small boat at 25 meters (82 feet) long. Normally they would transfer rescued people immediately to other bigger charity boats, but the other three are already at capacity, she said. The migrants rescued at sea have mostly traveled through Libya, often being subjected to torture by human traffickers along the way, as they seek a better life in Europe. Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration. On Nov. 2, 2021, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak's reelection campaign received 10 separate $10,000 contributions from what appeared to be unrelated health insurance plans from across the country. The Buckeye Community Health Plan of Ohio, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, and Peach State Health Plan of Georgia were among the companies that sent money to the Democrat, according to state campaign finance records, even though only one, SilverSummit Healthplan, provided insurance in the Silver State. But a thread connects the companies: Each is a subsidiary of Clayton-based Centene Corp., ranked 26th on the Fortune 500 list, and the nation's largest private managed-care provider for Medicaid, the government insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities. Centene had already sealed Medicaid deals in Nevada through its SilverSummit subsidiary yet a potential new line of business was on the horizon. Sisolak, who is up for reelection Nov. 8, had just approved a new public health plan option that would later open up to bidding from contractors such as SilverSummit. And then, less than two months after Centene's subsidiary contributions were made, Nevada reached an $11.3 million settlement with the company over allegations the insurer overbilled the state's Medicaid pharmacy program. "There is zero correlation between Centene's donations and how the governor legislates," Molly Forgey, Sisolak's campaign spokeperson, said in a statement. "The governor in no way acts unilaterally in decisions to award state contracts." The contract went before the Nevada Board of Examiners for final approval. Sisolak is one of three voting members. Centene has similarly amplified campaign contributions to governors in New York and South Carolina, two states where it has profitable contracts and such giving by multiple subsidiaries is allowed. And despite having pledged to investors to disclose its political giving, Centene has revealed to shareholders only a portion of its contributions omitting much of its subsidiary giving from reports on its website. Under corporate law, each subsidiary is its own business, which allows companies to increase their political footprints in some states by giving the maximum allowed donations from more than one entity, said Ciara TorresSpelliscy, a law professor at Stetson University in Florida. "In some cases, they can increase it tenfold depending on how many subsidiaries and how much money they want to aim at a particular politician," Torres-Spelliscy said. "They will exploit any loophole." Since 2015, the company, its subsidiaries, its top executives, and their spouses have given more than $26.9 million to state politicians in 33 states, to their political parties, and to nonprofit fundraising groups, according to a KHN analysis of IRS tax filings and data from the nonpartisan, nonprofit group OpenSecrets. That total doesn't include the millions of dollars Centene and its subsidiaries have given to state politicians' political action committees because OpenSecrets doesn't track those donations. The KHN analysis also does not include giving to congressional and presidential candidates. It's a purposeful political investment: Centene earns billions of dollars from governments and then uses its profits to back the campaigns of the officials who oversee those government contracts. The company has developed this sophisticated, multipronged strategy as it pursues even more state government-funded contracts and defends against sweeping accusations that it overbilled many of those very governments. Centene declined to make a representative available for an interview and didn't respond to specific questions about its political giving. But company spokesperson Suzy DePrizio said in a statement that the company follows all local, state, and federal laws and records all contributions from its political action committee. She said Centene's contributions "are intended to serve as support to those who advocate for sound public policy healthcare decisions, which is evident by our nearly equal support of candidates from both parties." This year, according to IRS filings that go through Sept. 30, Centene has given $2.2 million, combined, to the Republican and Democratic governors' associations, which help elect candidates from their respective parties. And Centene gave $250,000, combined, to the Republican Attorneys General Association and its Democratic counterpart. Since last year, state attorneys general, whose campaigns are benefiting from the associations' money, have negotiated massive settlements with Centene over accusations the company's prescription drug programs overbilled Medicaid. More than 20 states are investigating or have investigated Centene's Medicaid pharmacy billing. The company has agreed to pay settlements to 13 of those states, with the total reaching about $596 million. And Centene told KHN in October that it is working to settle with Georgia and eight more states that it didn't identify. It has denied wrongdoing in all the investigations. KHN found that Centene, like many corporations, also pays dozens of lobbyists in state capitals across the country and in Washington, D.C. It courts officials with fundraising parties and perks such as tickets to sporting events like Sacramento Kings games. And it helps fund committees set up to pay for governors' inaugural events as it did for Sisolak, with a $50,000 donation, separate from its campaign contributions, according to the Nevada secretary of state's office. Executives and their family members make political contributions in their own names. For example, from 2015 through 2021, Centene's then CEO Michael Neidorff and his wife, Noemi, wrote at least $380,000 in personal checks to state candidates, with more than 60% going to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who governs a state where the insurer generated 11% of its revenue in 2019. The Neidorffs lived in St. Louis. There's no proof Centene's contributions swayed politicians' decisions, but campaign finance experts say money can translate into access and that can lead to influence. "They're trying to protect their market share," said Gerald Kominski, a senior fellow at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "They see it as necessary to maintain good relations with the agencies and with the individuals who are involved in decision-making because that's the way government works." Billing question surfaces in Ohio Health care industry players from insurers, to doctor lobbying groups, to drug companies routinely make large political donations. What makes Centene stand apart from competitors is the massive share of its business that is funded by taxpayers. Founded as a nonprofit in 1984 by a former hospital bookkeeper, Centene earned $126 billion in revenue last year up from $5 billion a decade ago, according to the company's annual reports. Its rocketing revenue has been fueled by its thriving Medicaid managed-care business, takeovers of competitors, and growth in its Medicare Advantage membership and in enrollment in health plans it sells via the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces. Centene's Ambetter plans, available on the exchanges, have the highest enrollment nationally. The company has also locked up lucrative deals to deliver health care to state prisoners, military members, and veterans. Centene has reported that two-thirds of its revenue comes from state Medicaid contracts that cover about 15 million people across the country. So when Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued Centene in March 2021 over what he called a complex scheme of "corporate greed" to "fleece taxpayers out of millions," other states took notice. Ohio investigators accused Centene of overcharging the state's Medicaid program through the company's pharmacy benefit managers, which provided medications to Centene-managed Medicaid patients. Pharmacy benefit managers, known as PBMs, act as middlemen between drugmakers and health insurers and as intermediaries between health plans and pharmacies. Centene denied wrongdoing but faced immediate consequences. Ohio officials froze its application to renew its contract to offer insurance to state Medicaid enrollees. "Ohio had Centene over a barrel," said Antonio Ciaccia, a consultant who worked with the state on the dispute. The company settled three months later for $88.3 million. Its application was soon unfrozen, and it won a Medicaid contract that summer for its subsidiary Buckeye Health, whose lobbyists include Michael Kiggin, a law school buddy of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for DeWine, said the state's competitive bidding process was reviewed by a court, which "noted Buckeye Health Plan scored highly in the bid process." Since last year, 12 other states have settled with Centene over pharmacy services: Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. Of the states that have reached settlements so far, at least five have subsequently awarded government contracts to the company. Louisiana settled with the insurer in November 2021 for $64.2 million and just three months later awarded a statewide Medicaid contract to Centene's subsidiary Louisiana Healthcare Connections. Nebraska officials also hadn't publicly announced the state's $29.3 million settlement with Centene in December until they received a recent KHN public records request. Nine months after the settlement, the state awarded Centene subsidiary Nebraska Total Care a Medicaid contract. One reason Centene keeps winning contracts, Kominski said, is that such large insurers don't have much competition in some parts of the country. "It's not as if states can easily say, 'OK, we're going to have an open competition' and then they have hundreds of insurers willing to participate in the marketplace," Kominski said. "Health care is not, in general, a very competitive marketplace." Some politicians are tired of that playbook. In Mississippi, the state House of Representatives voted in February to prohibit Republican Gov. Tate Reeves' administration from awarding a contract to any company that the state had settled with for more than $50 million. Centene paid Mississippi $55.5 million the year before. "I am for doing away with our business to a company who took $55 million of our money that was supposed to be spent on the poor, the sick, the elderly, the mentally ill, the disabled," Republican state Rep. Becky Currie, who authored the amendment, told her colleagues on the House floor. The House adopted Currie's amendment, but the Senate stripped it out of the bill. Reeves' gubernatorial campaign committee has received $210,000 from Centene since 2015, according to OpenSecrets data, and Mississippi lawmakers and party organizations have reaped at least $600,000. Reeves' office did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the donations. In August, just over a year after the settlement, Mississippi awarded Centene subsidiary Magnolia Health Plan a new Medicaid managed-care contract. Showing up 'as a partner in the market' In Georgia, reports of Medicaid overbilling by insurers surfaced in 2018. The following year, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp retained Mississippi-based law firm Liston & Deas to investigate, according to a letter KHN obtained. But three years later, while other states have settled with Centene, Georgia has not. Centene is also currently trying to renew a Medicaid managed-care contract in the state. Meanwhile, the company, its subsidiaries, and employees have given at least $139,500 in contributions to Kemp since his first bid for governor started in 2017, according to state campaign records. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's campaign has received at least $53,000 in Centene-related giving just this year, with most coming from company executives, including Centene's new CEO, Sarah London, who gave $10,000. Carr, a Republican whose office would oversee any potential Centene settlement, and his spokesperson Kara Richardson said the state Medicaid agency is reviewing the billing data. Centene is also trying to renew Medicaid managedcare contracts in Florida, Texas, and New Mexico. In angling for those deals, London told investors in September that she's spending more time in states talking to key leaders because "our state relationships are a critical part" of the business. "In the conversations that I have been having with governors," she added, "I hear a lot of positive feedback about the way that Centene shows up as a partner in the market." London, her fellow top executives, and their spouses have given just over half a million dollars since 2015 to gubernatorial and attorneys general candidates across the country. Their checks were often dated the same day for the same amount to incumbent politicians whose governments oversee Medicaid managed-care contracts in states, including in Arizona, Kansas, and North Carolina. "The optics of this are pay to play when decisions are made," said Aunna Dennis, executive director of Common Cause Georgia, a nonprofit watchdog group. "It could be perceived as this health care company buying influence from lawmakers and elected officials." Phillip Reese, an assistant professor of journalism at California State University-Sacramento, contributed to this article. JEFFERSON COUNTY A St. Louis man died Friday after he ran off a highway exit and crashed. James Maulding, 79, was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee on an Interstate 55 exit ramp toward Highway 141 around noon when he went off the left side of the ramp and hit a road sign, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Maulding then went off the other side of the ramp, through a grass median, across all lanes of Highway 141, and into a concrete barrier. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead within the hour. In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Trump loyalists around the country began a search for proof of election fraud. This was a delicate situation for Missouri Republicans. Yes, they wanted to show their loyalty to Trump, but they had won all the statewide contests. In rural Missouri, you couldnt find a dogcatcher with a D after his name. The Republicans had won everywhere with the exception of a few blue dots they hadnt bothered to contest. And Trump won the state handily, of course. Winners seldom scream about fraud. Plus, there were political implications. Back in 2020, nobody expected then-senator Roy Blunt to step aside, and so the Republicans were looking toward a heavyweight showdown between Eric Schmitt and Jay Ashcroft for the gubernatorial bid in 2024. Ashcroft was, and is, secretary of state, so he was in charge of elections. Wouldnt election fraud on his watch seem like a negative? Not necessarily. He could be a crusader, fixing a broken system and finally sharing headlines with the attorney general. Perhaps most importantly, Republican legislators were eager to pass certain electoral restrictions, or safeguards, depending on your point of view. A photo ID requirement, for instance. The legislature can, and does, do whatever it wants, but the members understand that its best, though certainly not required, to have some sort of rational argument for important actions. Why make changes if there is no problem? So the word was out. Finding fraud would be good. In this charged atmosphere, St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar received a referral from Jefferson City. A retired couple in his county had voted twice once in Florida and once in Missouri. Lohmar sent an investigator to interview the couple. They said they had bought an RV lot in Florida. As part of their effort to establish residency in the Sunshine State and thereby avoid paying any state income tax, they had registered to vote. They were already registered in Missouri. They ended up casting absentee ballots in both states. They told Lohmars investigator they didnt know it was wrong. In Missouri, voter fraud is a felony. We are serious about this stuff. Lohmar, a Republican, is an old-school prosecutor. (That means I like him, and yes, I know he is not without blemishes.) He decided this mistake did not rise to the level of felonious criminality. He did nothing. I was disappointed. I was hoping for a show trial. I thought the defense could make a good argument that double-voting in this instance is the American way. Money is free speech. Thats the law of the land. Thats why we cant have campaign finance reform. Our system allows wealthy individuals and big corporations to practically install people into offices. Often, money from out of state fuels a candidacy. So if George Soros and the Koch brothers can have such great impact on places where they dont even live, why shouldnt a couple who split time between two states have a vote in each one? After all, they have the money free speech to own two homes. Or a home and an RV. Besides, this old couple younger than me, perhaps are the face of voter fraud. Let them stand up and be seen, I say. At least, that is my take on things. Voter fraud is generally penny-ante stuff. College students who are registered to vote at home and then vote again at a college in another state. Or somebody voting on behalf of a relative. That happened not long ago in Colorado when Barry Morphew cast an absentee ballot for his missing wife, Susan. The problem was that her disappearance was national news, and her husband was the chief suspect in her disappearance. She had gone missing on Mothers Day of 2020 that would be in May, of course and so when the county clerk got her absentee ballot in October five months after her disappearance the clerk turned it over to authorities. I wanted Trump to win, Morphew told investigators. Just thought give him another vote. I figured all these other guys are cheating. Former President Donald Trump, you might remember, was complaining about fraud well before the voting. In fact, as soon as the polls showed him behind, he began complaining. I wish I believed the Democrats were clever enough to have pulled off a massive fraud under the watchful eyes of forewarned Republicans and were able to do so without leaving any evidence behind. But I dont. Nor do I believe the Democrats have the self-discipline to do so and have not a single person cash in and write a book about it. If we were that smart and that well-disciplined, we wouldnt be facing a thrashing this coming Tuesday. Has there ever been serious fraud, serious enough to change the outcome of a national election? That is, of course, unknowable. I grew up in Chicago and we were convinced that Mayor Richard J. Daley Da Mare, as he was called had stolen Illinois and therefore the presidential election for John Kennedy in 1960. But that might just have been civic pride. It was a strange sort of pride we had. The older men of that time still remembered Al Capone. He was a folk hero. My dad talked about helping push Capones car out of the snow in a South Side alley. From the rear seat, Capone nodded appreciatively toward the young boys. He was no snob, my father said. So yes, we reveled in the notion that Da Mare had pulled off the heist of the century. But even as a kid, I had my doubts. I still do. There is a bit of voter fraud here and there, Im sure, but I am afraid the cure is worse than the disease. ST. LOUIS Barbara Manisco still gushes about her daughter. Victoria Manisco, or Tori, 26, as her loved ones called her, was adopted from China as a baby. In recent years, shed blossomed into an actress who put hours of thought into her characters and months of work into her elaborate Halloween costumes. She was an artist, and a writer, and she had just signed with a talent agency. Then, in August 10, 2021, a man followed her home after she got off the bus. He said he intended to rob her at gunpoint. Instead, he pulled the trigger. Tori Maniscos brother found her body at their home in the 1100 block of Dover Place around 5:45 a.m. the following day. Since then, Barbara Manisco has felt like the tragedy of the death sometimes eclipsed her daughters life and the wonderfulness Tori Manisco didnt often acknowledge in herself. There is no explanation, no justice, she said. After 15 months, Barbara Manisco was waiting for some kind of resolution on Friday. A St. Louis jury spent roughly six hours deliberating first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges against Prinshun McClain, accused in the death of Tori Manisco, Terri Bankhead, 27, a hardworking certified nursing assistant, and her 8-year-old daughter, Danilya Edwards. Bankhead and Danilya were found just after 3 p.m. on Aug. 11, bound by zip ties, lying in a bloodied bed in an apartment miles away from Tori Manisco, in the 4200 block of Pleasant Street. Their family was waiting Friday, too waiting to find out whether McClain would be held responsible for the death of an 8-year-old girl who had just gotten back from a trip to Disney World and the single mom who loved animals and exuded peace. They were in their home minding their own business, Bankheads sister, Morgan Bankhead, said. Prosecutors argued McClain targeted the mom and daughter because he lived in his grandmothers apartment, which shared the first floor of the same home. They said his Google history showed searches for zip ties and the gun hed use in both killings, and they said hed texted someone that evening: Im not going on the run with my gun. I have to duck off. McClain, prosecutor Natalia Ogurkiewicz said, was the embodiment of a nightmare shared by women. A strange man, that man, the defendant, who stalks women, preys on women and executes women for sport, she said. But McClains attorneys urged the jury to carefully consider the evidence, which included McClains own testimony. He denied killing Terri Bankhead or Danilya, instead placing the blame on his brother. And his attorney, Lucas Cusack, argued there wasnt any DNA evidence that put McClain at the scene. In fact, he said, many items contained DNA from an unknown contributor. McClain did, however, admit to killing Tori Manisco. He said he was going around the city that day, planning on committing robberies when he saw her. He said he decided to follow her home to rob her, but instead, a good Samaritan appeared at the scene and threw something in his direction so he got distracted. He pulled the trigger, he said. Defense attorneys agreed that he was guilty of murder, but not the first-degree count that would automatically put him in prison for the rest of his life. Hold the state to their burden, Cusack said. Emotional impact does not make something true. After closing arguments, as the hours ticked by, Tori Maniscos family and loved ones paced the courthouse floor and waited. Her mom sat on a bench, recounting how her daughter found her niche in high school at Crossroads College Preparatory. She was called out for how hard she worked, operating on an ethos that no task in the production was too small. In the months before her death, Tori Manisco had gotten more comfortable with herself. She was thriving at work. She had won roles in professional productions. She was sharing a home with her brother. And, finally, she was thinking about starting to date. Its made this all that more painful and hideous and unfair and wrong, Barbara Manisco said. Just after 5 p.m., the jury came back with a note to the judge: Theyd made decisions on two of the charges but couldnt reach a verdict on the other four. It was getting late and theyd been there all day, so Judge Rex Burlison opted to call everyone back on Saturday to reach a final determination. The families headed back home to wait. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to reflect that Prinshun McClain shot Manisco on Aug. 10 and to correct the spelling of McClain's attorney's name. EDWARDSVILLE Illinois State Police issued an alert on Friday for a man suspected of killing a man in East St. Louis. Jermany Rickman, of Maryville, was charged on Aug. 26 by St. Clair County States Attorneys Office in the shooting death of 30-year-old Demond W. Steward, of Cahokia Heights, outside of a lounge in East St. Louis. Police say they havent been able to locate him. Authorities say Rickman fatally shot Steward outside of Ivy Ultra Lounge in the 900 block of St. Louis Avenue on Aug. 13. Rickman also has a federal warrant for violating a term of his supervised release after pleading guilty in 2017 to a federal indictment from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Illinois for distributing methamphetamine. Authorities ask anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-8477 (TIPS) or visit https://www.stlrcs.org/. LOUISIANA, Mo. This Mississippi River town boasts historic antebellum homes, the countrys oldest fruit-tree nursery and a folksy autumn celebration complete with a parade and talent show. But Louisiana is making headlines for all the wrong reasons now. Its police chief is charged with drug trafficking and stealing from an evidence locker after two men overdosed, one fatally, in his apartment last month. And, separately, its mayor was under attack this week by some in the city who want him impeached for, among other reasons, a hostile work environment. Louisiana, with 3,200 residents and situated about 90 miles northwest of St. Louis, has been upended by the dual controversies. Locals worry it could get even uglier. Ive always considered this community a sweet little Mayberry. Thats one of the things that brought me here, said Nancy Evans, a city councilwoman. But in recent months, our community unity has gone up in space. The controversies are the talk of the town, from the Sudzy Tub laundromat to The Bridge coffee shop to a front porch in the shadows of the First Baptist Church. Louisiana police Chief William E. Jones has been on paid leave as chief since his Oct. 19 drug arrest. He left jail last week after posting $300,000 cash bail. Monitored by GPS as he awaits trial, Jones is restricted to living in Cole and Callaway counties and can only return to Pike County for court appearances. Jones, 50, is charged with drug trafficking, drug possession, tampering with evidence and stealing. Charges allege that police found methamphetamines, fentanyl, scales and other drug paraphernalia in his apartment after the men overdosed, and that Jones tossed narcotics test kits in a dumpster before deputies arrived. Prosecutors added charges of tampering and stealing last week after police searching Jones kitchen said they found meth inside an evidence bag from the Louisiana Police Department, with a Missouri Highway Patrol seal. The drugs were inside a zebra-print bag with Jones financial documents and other personal papers near the dining table, Pike County sheriffs Deputy Genia Calvin said in court documents. Jones is accused of taking the meth from the police departments evidence locker. Jones was the only person with access to the locker, Calvin said. Now the city is questioning just how secure the evidence locker has been and if that puts other drug cases with other defendants in jeopardy. Louisiana city prosecutor Mary E. Weston, fearing the evidence chain-of-custody might be in doubt, told city officials she plans to dismiss municipal tickets against other people who were caught with marijuana and drug paraphernalia. It wasnt clear Friday how many municipal cases will be dropped or if state drug cases that are felonies are affected too. The Pike County prosecutor, Alex G. Ellison, declined comment to the Post-Dispatch on Friday. His office referred calls to the Missouri attorney generals office, which a judge determined would serve as special prosecutor in Jones drug case. Jones lawyer, Christopher Lozano, in preparing a defense, has asked for numerous discovery documents, including all texts and memos from the sheriff, the mayor and others mentioning the evidence locker. Lozano declined comment on his strategy. Its very early in the process, Lozano said, and Im not prepared to make a statement. The mayor While the police chiefs drug case unfolds, some members of the City Council are prepared to go to battle with Mayor Tim Carter over separate troubles that first surfaced months ago, before the chiefs arrest. Among other things, Carter is accused of running a hostile work environment, including screaming and pounding a table to frighten a clerk. The city hired a St. Louis lawyer, Paul Martin, to investigate complaints against the mayor filed by two police officers. Carter described the allegations as trivial, trivial issues. Complaints against him include driving without proper tags on his Tesla and interfering with a traffic stop. Martin and council members would not elaborate on the accusations. Carter was elected mayor in April, beating incumbent Kathy Smith by a vote of 369 to 327. Carter said it is coincidence that the councils issues with him are surfacing around the same time the police chief was arrested. Still, the mayor and police chief have been combative for months. For instance, Carter accused a police officer on Jones force of pulling over young women in traffic stops to get their phone numbers. That was at the beginning of this year, and the officer is no longer on the police department. There were conflicting accounts of whether the officer resigned or was fired. Carter has videotaped encounters with police and posted them on Facebook. His platform while running for mayor included criticizing the police for issuing too many traffic tickets, clogging the municipal docket and raking in triple the fines. Police would ticket people for a lot of rolling stop sign violations, a lot of your license plate light is out, Carter said. Its crazy what was going on up there. Being a conservator of peace, you can pull those people over and if its a legitimate concern, lets give them a warning if possible. Carter said he is trying to clean house, which upsets his enemies. Some of his vocal supporters at a council meeting last week said the mayor had been in office just a short time and should be allowed to do his job. Residents interviewed Thursday and Friday said the town is firmly divided, in either the mayors camp or the chiefs. Most believed the charges against the chief are valid and a couple even said they had predicted his involvement with drugs but no one listened. A few wondered if the police chief was set up. About 50 people rallied in support of Mayor Carter at a council meeting Wednesday, and some said they would move away if the council tried to oust the mayor. Lifelong resident Steve Henry showed up carrying a bullhorn and a sign: Save the city. Impeach the council. Henry circulated a petition that any future police chief should be elected by residents, not appointed by the mayor and council. The crowd jeered and yelled at the council but once they quieted down, Martin, the investigating attorney, explained the process ahead. Martin told them that the council would hear in closed session what Martins investigation uncovered about the mayor, and the council members could decide if they want to reprimand the mayor, censure him or begin articles of impeachment. Martin said it would be weeks before any hearing, if the process gets that far. The council hasnt decided which route to go. Carter is a former fire chief in Hannibal, Missouri, and in addition to his part-time mayoral duties he works for Boeing in security and fire protection. Evans, the councilwoman for Ward 1, is no fan of the mayor. She is one of the council members who welcomes the investigation. Evans was born in Louisiana and moved away when she was a child but returned around 2005. A retired nurse, Evans fell in love with the old homes and bought a Victorian house, which has a view of the river in the winter when the leaves drop. Elected to the council about six years ago, Evans said the unity she felt in her town has been slipping away since Carter began his campaign for mayor in the spring. He has promoted this dislike for the police, for the City Council, for city workers, Evans said of the mayor. I love my community, but its an insanity explosion, Evans said. I want my little town back. I want the peace to return. The police chief Since the police chiefs arrest, Jones has been on administrative leave, with pay. He served as Louisiana police chief beginning in December 2020. With Jones facing charges and another officer suspended, the town is down to just three full-time officers to patrol the city. They are getting some help from sheriffs deputies, who themselves are short-handed. Two men overdosed, one fatally, at the police chiefs apartment Oct. 18. A sheriffs deputy said the prosecutors office confirmed that the plastic evidence bag found in Jones kitchen was from an active felony court case in Louisiana, and that the evidence had initially been seized by police two years earlier. Charges allege that Jones tried to destroy, suppress and conceal physical evidence in the case by taking it from the Louisiana Police Departments evidence locker. The mayor said the evidence locker had been in the departments basement but that the police chief moved it onto the third floor next to the chiefs office. Carter said the evidence locker is monitored by a surveillance camera but that the surveillance tapes are only kept 10 days. The door to Jones office has a padlock on it now, and the evidence locker inside his room is inaccessible. Its now under the control of the Sheriffs Office, which will take inventory of whats there to find out what might be missing. Pike County Sheriff Steve Korte has asked federal investigators to look into the matter too. A knife was among other items tagged as evidence in a previous criminal case and found in Jones possession, Korte said. Jones co-defendant is his girlfriend, Alexis J. Thone. She also is charged with drug trafficking and drug possession. Thone, 25, is from OFallon, Missouri. Thones brothers overdosed at the apartment she shared with Jones. Their apartment on Kentucky Street is directly behind Pike County Memorial Hospital. One of her brothers, 24-year-old Gabriel Thone, was found dead on the floor of the apartments master bedroom upstairs. A second brother, 21, was found in a guest bedroom in respiratory distress. Paramedics revived him with Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. The police chief told investigators the Thone brothers were visiting for the weekend and that he hadnt seen either since that morning. Jones and his girlfriend were arrested in a traffic stop the next day. Carter, the mayor, claims he had suspicions about Jones before the arrest but nothing concrete. Its a terrible thing someone lost their life, the mayor said, but on the flip side I felt there was some sort of validation about the suspicions. Carter said Louisiana has had eight overdose deaths in about 2 to three years and that officers werent carrying Narcan. As a trained paramedic, Carter said he was shocked by that. The mayor has fielded complaints that a man who was overdosing died of suffocation after an officer put him face down in handcuffs. I really liked Will (Jones) at the beginning, councilwoman Evans said. At the beginning, he did wonderful things by getting drugs out of our community. Im so heartbroken and disappointed in his recent activity. Hes done here. The police chief had talked to a prayer group once or twice at The Bridge coffee shop, explaining that his officers stopped people for traffic violations more aggressively because it might lead to finding drugs in peoples cars. One pastor, Jon Kroeze, noticed a change in Jones the last two or three months but never imagined hed be tied to drugs. The pastor is considering visiting Jones to try to understand what went wrong. Its all corruption In the spring of 2021, Michelle Barnett built a memorial for her daughter Samantha Sammie Esposito along Maryland Street, which runs behind Izolas Place diner in Louisiana. Barnett brought some favorite things from her daughters bedroom a teddy bear and angel wings and added plastic flowers and a large letter S. Esposito died at the age of 23 on May 10, 2021, at a house on Maryland Street, her mother said. After an autopsy, officials told Barnett her daughter died of a lethal injection of fentanyl and had one needle mark on her body. Prosecutors are investigating Espositos death as a homicide. No arrests have been made. Barnett is furious with the police chief, saying his department did nothing to solve her daughters death. Its all corruption, Barnett said, adding that she believed the police chiefs arrest revealed a drug ring. I dont know if he was covering for someone, the grieving mother said of Jones, but there was no investigation into my daughters death by the police. They didnt collect the sheet she was laying on. Her clothes ... were lost. The baggie of meth that was lodged in her esophagus was lost. Officials did not comment on Barnetts allegations. Esposito was training to become manager of the familys tobacco shop. She was the biggest-hearted person, her mother said. She did so much and she never wanted anything back in return. Always smiling. Her daughter wasnt perfect, Barnett said, but she wasnt an opioid user. No, she wasnt poking needles and doing fentanyl and all that dumb stuff, Barnett said. Barnett said she celebrated when she heard the police chief had been arrested. Finally! she recalled yelling. I already knew that he was corrupt. Kim Bell covers breaking news for stltoday.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She can be reached at kbell@post-dispatch.com GLADSTONE, Mo. Steve West, a Kansas City independent candidate for Missouri House who has repeatedly been denounced by his family and the Missouri Republican Party for espousing bigoted views, has been charged for allegedly assaulting a Gladstone woman by trying to rip a campaign sign out of her hands. The 68-year-old candidate was charged with third-degree assault, a class E felony, on Wednesday, according to court records. The Gladstone Police Departments citation alleges West committed assault on Oct. 25 by grabbing at her arms and attempting to rip a sign out of her hands, causing her physical injury and distress. A court date has been scheduled for Dec. 17. West will be on the Nov. 8 ballot as an independent candidate for District 15 against state Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, and Republican Adam Richardson. West filed as an independent after the Missouri Republican Party rejected his filing fee in February due to his past vile statements through a radio show and website on which he regularly spewed an array of bigotry, including homophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism. Hannah Edmisten, 26, is listed as the victim of the alleged assault on court records. In an interview with The Star, she said she saw West put a sign in a neighbors yard. After he had moved down the block, she admits she removed the sign. When I got to my porch, he started running down the street screaming at me, she said. I just stood there, frozen, with the sign in my hand, and he ran up to me and tried to get the sign out of my hand and then grabbed my arms and my hand. I was like, I cant believe this just happened because no ones ever put their hands on me like that. The encounter left her with a bruise on her hand, Edmisten said. But their stories of that incident differ. West, in a phone interview with The Star, said he was putting out campaign signs in the neighborhood when Edmisten began yelling at him and removed one of the signs. He said he took the sign back from her, but denied assaulting her. I said, You dont have any right to take that sign. Give me the sign back, West said. She wouldnt give it to me so I did take the sign back from her. I didnt hit her, I didnt strike her, I didnt push her down. I took the sign away from her so thats what happened. West said he plans to plead not guilty to the charges. He said he intends to press charges against Edmisten for stealing his sign. If Id walked into somebodys yard and taken their Black Lives Matter sign or their rainbow sign or their rainbow flag and they saw me doing it, Im sure they would probably get upset with me, he said. Nurrenbern, Wests Democratic opponent in the race, said in a phone interview that West has made himself known for his hateful rhetoric. He continues to spew conspiracy theories and vitriol and, with this latest assault, I think it just proves how dangerous he really is, she said. I would just want to express my sympathies to the victim. It is heartbreaking to think that somebody who was just trying to do the right thing would be attacked in this manner and it is really frightening considering that this is somebody who is on the ballot for a very important position. Richardson, Wests Republican opponent, said that he and West are definitely opposites when it comes to stuff like that or anything, really. Were really seeing his personality, he said. Thats not someone we need in any office. Wests campaign website is no longer available online, but can be found on internet archives. West made headlines in 2018 when he won his GOP primary and then more people became aware of his radio show, where he spread bigoted views. After losing in the 2018 general election, West ran another unsuccessful campaign in 2020. Before that election Wests children came forward and publicly urged people not to support their father, whom they described as a fanatic who was racist, homophobic and doesnt like Jews. 2022 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com. JEFFERSON CITY Voters will soon decide whether the Missouri National Guard will operate as its own state department a seemingly innocuous change that garnered little pushback as legislators placed the question on the Tuesday ballot. Jacqueline Wood, contract lobbyist for the Missouri National Guard Association, said passage of Amendment 5 would remove a layer of bureaucracy from state government and give the National Guard more autonomy over its budget and legislative proposals. Missouri Voters Guide for today's elections The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis present this guide to the candidates and races on the Nov. 8 ballot. The Guard is currently housed within the Department of Public Safety, one of eight divisions, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Gaming Commission, Capitol Police and Fire Marshal, among others. But state Rep. Peter Merideth, a St. Louis Democrat and one of only two House legislators to vote against placing Amendment 5 on the ballot, said the amendment is unnecessary and raises red flags. What this looks like to me is they want to set up a state military force at the whim of the governor, Merideth said. He pointed to an amendment added on the House floor that says, in part, that the Guard will protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of Missourians, and provide other defense and security mechanisms as may be required. The Guards current state mission, as mentioned on its website, is to provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise required by state law under the authority of the governor. To change it from emergency response to protecting the constitutional rights of Missourians I dont think thats the job of a military force at the discretion of the governor, Merideth said. Thats the job of the courts. He wondered whether the National Guard could be positioned at the Illinois border to block women from getting abortions, because state law says life begins at conception. Merideth also referenced the states Second Amendment Preservation Act, which he said could also be a factor in the future role of the Guard. This is the same state that passed a law that says that all federal gun laws are unconstitutional and enforcement illegal, Merideth said. Whats to stop the National Guard from becoming a force against the federal government if a Republican governor decides that the federal government shouldnt be allowed to enforce gun laws? Wood said the Guard already protects constitutional rights. And she referenced an existing provision in the state constitution that gives the United States government authority over the Guard. The governor shall be the commander in chief of the militia, except when it is called into the service of the United States, and may call out the militia to execute the laws, suppress actual and prevent threatened insurrection, and repel invasion, the constitution says. The federal government can call the National Guard into service, and when they do that, the governor doesnt have authority, Merideth said. But, Republicans in the last number of years have made very clear they dont actually care about federal preemption. This seems like one more attempt to give them a tool in their toolbox to discard (federal) preemption and think they can do whatever they want in Missouri, Merideth said. There are no additional powers, authorities, duties anything to anyone, Wood said. State Rep. Lane Roberts, a Joplin Republican and a former director of the Department of Public Safety, was the only other no vote in the House for placing the question on the ballot. He said his no vote was a matter more of reservation than opposition and said he supports Amendment 5. Roberts said, at times the state and local government have a mission or an objective and sometimes theyre not the same. The director of public safety, being that on-the-ground, at-the-location decisionmaker, sometimes would have the ability to ensure that the decision is harmonious, rather than going to the governor who frequently cant be on the ground all the time, Roberts said. I could not point to any significant issue of that nature thats happened at least while Ive been here, Roberts said. But I could see the potential. Missouri Voters Guide for today's elections The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis present this guide to the candidates and races on the Nov. 8 ballot. EARTH CITY The last time Willie Kilpatrick spoke with Alexzandria Bell, she had just a few words for him: Mr. Kilpatrick, you do too much. The high school artistic director chuckled as he recalled this memory during the 15-year-olds funeral service Saturday morning. Kilpatrick said he then told Alexzandria to get herself a bag of chips from his office, noting he stocks it with snacks for students. Im talking to another student, she comes out with two or three bags of chips. I said, Alex, you do too much. Kilpatrick was one of several speakers who addressed the hundreds of people gathered at Faith Church in Earth City to dance, sing and pray in honor of Alexzandria, the only student killed when a recent graduate opened fire the morning of Oct. 24 at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA) and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience. The two schools share a campus. Jean Kuczka, a 61-year-old health and physical education teacher at CVPA, was also shot and killed when she stood between the gunman and her students to protect them. Seven others 15- and 16-year-olds were wounded. Police stormed the school building within minutes, confronting and killing the gunman, 19-year-old Orlando Harris, in a third-floor classroom. On Saturday, Alexzandrias body lay in an open casket adorned with photos of her life at the front of the churchs chapel, illuminated by purple lights shimmering through the air made hazy by fog machines. She was dressed in white, a diamond tiara on her head, as the dance majors classmates performed on the stage in tribute to her. We love Alexzandria, she was so colorful, so bright, so diligent, so sassy, Kacy Sahid, CVPA principal, said. And she would let you know, she was everything that embodied a Central Visual and Performing Arts student. She was creative, she was outspoken, she was bold and she was bright. Much like the dozens of kids killed by guns in just the last few years in St. Louis, Alexzandrias face adorned T-shirts, sweatshirts and blankets throughout the church as her friends grieved and tapped into their religion for guidance. As of Thursday, at least 103 children have been shot across the metropolitan area, including 21 who have died. In the funerals program, Alexzandrias mother Keisha Acres addressed the issue dominating the national dialogue about gun violence. Remember: Pay attention to your children! Mental illness is real, so please seek help, she wrote. In a notebook discovered after the shooting, Harris wrote that he had mental health issues, but felt none of the medical professionals he worked with had taken him seriously. State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, whose district stretches from Hyde Park south to the Tower Grove East neighborhood, apologized during the service, saying the Legislature did not do enough to prevent the school shooting and the gun violence affecting so many St. Louis families. Bosley, who presented Bell and Kuczkas families with resolutions honoring their lives and legacies, described Alexzandria as a vibrant child with many nicknames such as Mabel, Sparkle and Boogie each name with its own distinct personality. She said the resolution will make sure Alexzandrias life is a piece of history never forgotten. We will be able to go back in history this day and every day, and remember the honor and legacy of Alexzandrias life, Bosley said, a sentiment met with applause. Assistant Pastor Kymberly Battler with the Greater True Vine Miracle Temple said she also had a nickname for the teen. She was my little cousin but she called me Tee Tee ... and I called her my pretty niece, she said. Every Sunday when she came to church when she was a little girl she would come tap on my shoulder (to say hi). In addition to Bosley, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin Adams attended the funeral, and their presence was acknowledged during the service. Alexzandrias godmother, Rae Holmes, told the packed room she is Acres cousin. Im really up here to say thank you to Keisha for affording me the opportunity to be her godmom, she said. I always said (Alexzandria) looked like Keisha and acted like me, but it was such a pleasure and honor to literally feel like I had an opportunity to have a child. Holmes said she and Acres will still throw the 16th birthday party they had planned for Alexzandria, whose birthday is Nov. 18. And when the people fade, its me and you baby, she said to Acres. Forever. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Holmes' relationship to Acres. The man charged with intimidation for placing a noose on the statue of Homer on University of Virginia Grounds is out on bond, UVa Police announced Friday. UVa Police also sent a strong message that the suspect, Shane Dennis, is not welcome on UVa Grounds and will be incarcerated again if he violates the terms of his bond. Well act quickly, UVa Deputy Police Chief Bryant K. Hall said. We know that this has caused a lot of pain on Grounds and in the community. Thats why we wanted to notify the public to let them know hes out. Dennis was released from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Jail on Nov. 3 on $10,000 bond, according to UVa police. Dennis agreed to receive mental health treatment and also to abide by UVas no trespass order, which bars him from setting foot on Grounds. Dennis had been arrested Oct. 24 and charged with displaying a noose for public intimidation. He appeared for a bond hearing Oct. 25 in Albemarle County District Court, but bond was denied. He also was charged with contempt of court that day, and his bond hearing was continued. Hall said the community has worked closely with the police to help solve the case. People are concerned, Hall said. A noose is typically considered a symbol of hate. As a result, students, faculty and others on campus have a right to know that the suspect has been released on bond, Hall said. UVa police are also working closely with the Commonwealth Attorneys office to ensure there is not a repeat. They are poised to respond, and we are in close touch, he said. If Dennis violates the terms of his bond, it will be revoked and he will be incarcerated again, UVa said. UVa police as well as UVa Ambassadors are aware, Hall said, and will respond quickly if they see someone matching his description. In addition, the police department asks the community at large to be on the lookout as well. Were very appreciative of the support we have received, said Hall. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Campaigning for Malaysias general elections started Saturday in a highly competitive race that will see the worlds longest-serving coalition seeking to regain its dominance four years after a shocking electoral loss. The Nov. 19 election will determine if Barisan Nasional, or National Front, can make a strong comeback or whether political reformers can secure another surprise win that will see their leader, Anwar Ibrahim, achieve a long-held dream of becoming prime minister. Led by the United Malays National Organization, the coalition had ruled since Malaysias independence from Britain in 1957. But anger over government corruption led to its defeat in 2018 polls to Anwars Pakatan Harapan, or Alliance of Hope. The election victory sparked hopes of reforms as once-powerful UMNO leaders were jailed or hauled to court for graft, but it was short lived after defections caused the new government to crumble in early 2020 and brought UMNO back to power. Scores of candidates, including Anwar and 97-year-old, two-time former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, submitted their nomination papers Saturday, paving the way for the start of a 14-day campaigning period. Local media reported that police fired tear gas to quell an unruly crowd outside a nomination center in a rural district on Borneo island. More than 21 million Malaysians are eligible to cast ballots to fill 222 seats in federal Parliament and choose representatives in three state legislatures. The general consensus is that the old ruling party Barisan Nasional will do very well and it is very likely that the only other coalition that can challenge BN is Pakatan Harapan, said James Chin, an Asian expert at Australias University of Tasmania. Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, from UMNO, registered to defend his seat in central Pahang state as he warned there will be no easy win. Anwar, escorted by drummers and supporters waving party flags, filed his nomination in Tambun in northern Perak state a new seat for him where he will face off with the incumbent who had defected from his alliance. We are here to offer an alternative because of the failure of the present policies ... and the social tension among various communities, said Anwar, as he began his rounds to meet residents. Anwar, 75, didnt participate in the 2018 vote because he was in prison for a sodomy conviction he said was politically motivated. The campaign was led at the time by Mahathir, who became the worlds oldest leader at 92. Anwar was pardoned shortly afterward and was to take over the baton from Mahathir. But distrust and infighting led to the governments collapse, sparking turmoil that has continued. Malaysia has had three prime ministers since the 2018 polls. Ismail dissolved Parliament on Oct. 10, nine months ahead of schedule, at the behest of party leaders despite a risk of floods from monsoon rains. Spurred by several state victories, UMNO believes it has the upper hand over a fragmented opposition and before an economic slowdown expected next year. Analysts said the emergence of two new Malay-based political alliances in Peninsular Malaysia could split votes among ethnic Malays, who form two-thirds of Malaysias 33 million people. The Perikatan Nasional, or National Alliance, is led by former UMNO leader Muhyiddin Yassin. His Bersatu party was a part of Anwars group in 2018 polls but defected to form a new shaky government with UMNO that was riven with rivalry. Mahathir, once Asias longest-serving leader for 22 years until 2003 and before his brief 2018 stint, also formed a motley alliance to contest 121 parliamentary seats. Despite his fading popularity, he is defending his seat in the northern resort island of Langkawi. He said he is young at heart and has unfinished business to oust a corrupt UMNO and revamp the country. I am not as old as my age. I have been fortunate to have been able to function just as well as many younger people," he said. In two states on Borneo island that jointly account for a quarter of parliamentary seats, a slew of other parties are battling it out. The ruling state governments are traditionally aligned with BN. In 2018, it was a long-serving BN government against a long-serving opposition but now, it is not so clear. People have more choices, Chin said. Some analysts cited possibilities of a hung parliament with no single coalition able to gain a majority that could see new alliances formed post-election. Analysts said the addition of 6 million new voters due to a lower voting age also adds to the uncertainty, while voter turnout could be impacted by bad weather. Parts of Malaysia have already been affected by floods. Malaysias meteorological department warned that severe monsoon rains would start next week that will cause flash floods in low-lying areas. This story corrects name of state where Anwar is running. In California, lawyers accused staff at the Los Angeles County jail of chaining mentally ill detainees to chairs for days at a time. In West Virginia, people held in the Southern Regional Jail sued the state, saying they found urine and semen in their food. In Missouri, detainees in the St. Louis jail staged multiple uprisings last year, while in Texas, a guard at Houstons overcrowded Harris County Jail said she and her coworkers had started carrying knives to work for fear that they wouldnt have backup if violence broke out. And while the infamous Rikers Island jail complex in New York City has been the focus of media coverage for its surging number of deaths, rural and urban lockups from Tennessee to Washington to Georgia are not faring much better. In other words, Americas jails are a mess. Its hard to believe, but it seems jails are even more wretched than usual these last few months, said David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions National Prison Project. Having worked in this field for 30 years, I dont remember any other time when there seem to be so many large jails in a state of complete meltdown. Several lockups denied claims about deteriorating conditions or did not respond to requests for comment. A few, including Rikers, acknowledged problems such as infrastructure issues, detainee deaths and high staff attrition. We are working hard to stem the rippling effect of years of mismanagement and neglect within our citys jails, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Correction, which runs Rikers, said in a statement. Turning our jails around requires a collaborative effort, transparency and time. Unlike prisons, most jails are funded and managed locally, so the problems they face can vary widely from one county to the next. While theres crumbling infrastructure in Atlantas Fulton County Jail, theres been murky brown drinking water in Seattles King County Jail and overcrowding in Houston because of a backlog in the court system. But more than a dozen employees, detainees and experts who spoke with The Marshall Project and The Associated Press highlighted two problems theyve seen at jails across the country: too many people incarcerated, and not enough guards. Our jail facilities are at capacity, said David Cuevas, president of the Harris County Sheriffs Office deputies union. It is truly not safe. The twin issues of overcrowding and understaffing have plagued jails across the country for years, and even before the pandemic many facilities were in disarray. Yet in the months after COVID-19 hit, the number of people in local lockups plummeted. People stayed home and committed fewer crimes. Police did not make as many arrests. Courts reduced bail. And jails let more people go home early. Nationally, the number of people in jail decreased by about 25% by the summer of 2020, according to data compiled by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. But as concern about the virus faded, so did many of the measures designed to combat it and soon jail populations began to rise. By the summer of 2022, many lockups held more people than they had in years, or became so overcrowded that detainees were forced to sleep on floors, in underground tunnels or in common areas without toilets. Everyone is on edge because it is crowded, one man detained in Los Angeles wrote in a sworn declaration filed as part of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union. The place smells of urine and excrement because some toilets dont work, and people who are chained to chairs sometimes pee on the floor because the deputies wont unchain them. Celia Banos, whose son was one of the people chained to a bench for several days, told The Marshall Project that she was shocked to learn how little the jail had done to take care of him. His condition has deteriorated in there, Banos said. Though her son who has schizophrenia has been incarcerated before, she said this time the jail seemed to be getting worse. Some jails found that they still needed to use isolated cells to quarantine potentially sick prisoners. A jail official in Houston said that meant cells that once held two or three people might only be able to hold one, and detainees with a record of violence couldnt be separated from the general population as easily. But even as the number of detainees increased, the number of guards did not. Just like state prisons, many local lockupssaw a rise in officer vacancies sometimes even at facilities that appeared fully staffed on paper. The City, a nonprofit news outlet in New York, reported last year that more than 1,000 Rikers Island guards were calling out sick every day due to a frequently abused policy allowing unlimited sick leave. The things that led to the Great Resignation were happening in jails, too: It was a depressing time, and lots of people were getting sick, Vincent Schiraldi, a former New York City jail commissioner, said in an interview. The guards union has disputed that members overuse sick leave, saying they are legitimately absent, often due to on-the-job injuries and exhaustion. In October, the jail said it still had as many as 800 employees out at a time. With fewer officers, those who remain are often forced to work longer hours, including double, triple and even quadruple shifts. Guards in Cleveland said they didnt have time to eat, while some jail workers in Houston reported urinating in bags when they couldnt find someone to replace them at their posts. Having fewer jail employees can also make life worse for detainees because there are fewer workers to let them out of their cells, take them to court, teach their educational programs or tend to their most basic needs. In Houston, a man in one of the jails isolation units said violence sometimes broke out after guards didnt let them out to shower for days at a time, while in Philadelphia at a lockup with a 36% staff vacancy rate incarcerated people said they couldnt always get meals or toilet paper. (A jail spokesman categorically denied that allegation.) In Ohio, local media reported that guards at Clevelands Cuyahoga County Jail have taken to locking people in their cells 23 hours a day because there arent enough staff. And in one extreme example, a man detained at the Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City is accused of raping a handcuffed woman after guards at the understaffed facility left them unsupervised during booking. A detention officer at the troubled facility, which the county took over from the sheriff two years ago, eventually intervened, and the man was later charged with first-degree rape. A jail official said that no disciplinary measures against staff have been announced, but the matter is still under investigation. According to Andrea Armstrong, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans who studies deaths in jails and prisons, staffing problems are particularly dangerous when it comes to medical care. We are seeing increased mortality in jails, and they are the types of deaths that could have been avoided if the person had better access to emergency care, she said. In February, a man at Rikers Island choked on an orange and died after staff failed to intervene in time. He was one of eighteen people who have died in the citys jails this year. Two months later, a detainee at the jail in Anoka County, Minnesota, died in his cell after the guards could not find any medical staff on duty to save him. In Houston, the family of a man who caught COVID-19 and died alone in his cell last year sued the jail. According to the familys lawyer, U.A. Lewis, none of the staff noticed the man was dead until officers came to get him for a visit. Despite the consensus among experts that conditions are deteriorating in many lockups, theres far less agreement on solutions. While jails officials said they needed basic infrastructure improvements and more staff, some prisoner advocates point out that more lenient bail policies could help ensure fewer people stay behind bars when they dont have money to pay for their freedom. In the meantime, researchers say they need better information from the jails to be able to measure the scope of the problem. Theres so little data out there, said Michele Deitch, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies jails and prisons. We literally do not have the means to assess the safety or dangerousness of a facility in any comparative way. Some of the starkest examples of poor conditions like semen-tainted food or brown drinking water arent easy to measure. Even for those things that can be measured like overcrowding, understaffing or an increase in jail deaths the available numbers are often years delayed and unreliable. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice said that its annual in-custody death reports undercounted jail deaths by at least 39%. And although the federal government issues an annual report about the number of people in jails nationwide, the most recent data is more than two years old. Experts said that lack of data makes it hard to say how much of the growing alarm now actually reflects a change in jail conditions and how much is the result of heightened interest from media and the public. But they say that so far, that increased concern has not translated into better conditions. It is horrible in here, another detainee in Los Angeles wrote in a sworn declaration. In fact, it is worse than being homeless. Even when I sleep on the streets, there is some room to stretch out. But in here, there are so many people walking by you or sleeping next to you that Id rather be on the streets. Blakinger and Rachel Dissell in Cleveland reported for The Marshall Project. Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report. SADARM (Search And Destroy Armor Munitions)-equipped 155mm artillery shells proved so successful in Ukraine against armored vehicles that over 20,000 of these shells were provided to the Ukrainian forces in the last five months. Unlike the United States, Germany produced these shells mainly for use against local threats, like Russia. The Ukraine war saw the Russians using thousands of tanks and losing most of them to Ukrainian troops armed with Western anti-tank weapons featuring top-attack capability. SADARM tech was developed during the 1980s, perfected in the 1990s and when it was sent to Ukraine, it turned towed and self-propelled artillery into very effective anti-vehicle weapons. SADARM was able to destroy all sorts of vehicles and, because of flaws in tank design and protection, especially Russian tanks. Ukraine asked for all the SADARM shells NATO nations could provide and most European NATO members sent nearly all SADARM shells they had. Germany, Britain, Italy and Sweden manufacture 155mm artillery shells carrying two each Sense and Destroy Armor Munitions. Originally called SADARM munitions by its American developer (Textron), it had completed development when the Cold War suddenly ended in 1991. SADARM was not as effective as expected and the 155mm version was canceled in 2001. The U.S. Air Force has more success with the SADARM submunitions used in the CBU-105 cluster bomb (40 submunitions per half-ton cluster bomb) because a bomb undergoes much less stress when used than an artillery shell. The air force and six export customers purchased hundreds of these bombs but sales were not high enough to keep CBU-105 in production after 2017. Meanwhile the U.S. Army noticed the success of an improved German SADARM shell called SMART as well as the similar Swedish Bonus. Both entered service in 2000 and both were successful as Improved SADARM. The U.S. Army began ordering BONUS shells in 2018 and ordered more in 2020. BONUS is described as a fire and forget guided 155-millimeter ammunition designed for destroying armored targets. BONUS was a joint project by Britain, France and Sweden with the Swedes taking the lead in production. BONUS can be fired from standard NATO 155mm artillery and has a maximum 35-kilometer effective range. The round carries two submunitions, each with their own multiband IR (heat) sensors backed by laser radar. BONUS uses small winglets to slow its descent rather than small parachutes that are used in earlier similar submunitions, like the German SMART shell. The parachutes are easier to spot and more expensive and complex to use. The submunitions separate from the shell over the target location (using a time-on-target fuze) about 175 meters above the target areas and scan for targets. Each warhead can scan about 32,000 square meters and hit even moving targets within that area. The destruction is achieved by an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) able to punch through more than 130 mm (five inches) of armor. This doesnt seem like much but the tank armor is strongest at the front and not at rear or top. The only defense against this top attack'' EFP is APS (Active Protection Systems) such as Trophy, but even these have difficulty dealing with things like EFPs. The APS systems work great against HEAT warheads because these disperse cumulative streams of superheated gasses, but not against molten metal projectiles formed by an EFP. Moreover, thanks to two submunitions per shell, the artillery halts for a shorter time to fire, so they are less likely to get caught by enemy counter-battery fire. The major defect of SADARM shells is that they are more expensive than GPS guided Excalibur shells. Each submunition weighs 3.4 kg (7.5 pounds) and uses 945 g (2.08 pounds) of Octol explosives, which was designed to effectively form the self-forging penetrator. Most of the submunition weight goes to the sensors (including batteries) and design elements that slow descent and rotate the sensors to find a target. The use of batteries and various types of explosives in a SADARM shell means they have a limited shelf life. After twenty years or so, SADARM shells must be refurbished or disposed of. Many of the European SADARM shells were approaching their expiration date so it made sense to send all the old, but still functional, ones to Ukraine. Now these SMART and BONUS shells must be replaced. Germany found that many of the key components were no longer available and had to invest over hundred million dollars to revive production. Initially, Germany has ordered 10,000 new SMART shells at a cost of $81,000 each. Because of the components problem it will take five years or more before production is completed. The only new SADARM shell is the Italian V9lcano 155 shell. Several hundred of these were sent to Ukraine because the Volcano shell is currently completing development. Ukraine will get to test the new shell. There are two versions of Volcano 155; one that is similar to SMART and BONUS but with a range of up to 50 kilometers. The Volcano 155 GR has a range of up to 70 kilometers and includes GPS guidance to ensure the shell arrives at the target location. If the war goes on into 2023, the Volcano GR may reach Ukraine. These SADARM shells plus the effective Ukrainian use of battlefield surveillance UAVs (most of them developed and produced by Ukraine) were a key factor in Russia losing so much territory in the last four months. Russia was forced to keep its armored vehicles away from the front line unless urgently needed. Even then, there were not enough Russian armored vehicles or artillery (self-propelled or towed) left to use. Ukraine used regular and some GPS artillery shells to hammer Russian supply storage sites, towed artillery, supply trucks and headquarters within range. American satellite surveillance also provides some target information, but not as quickly as Ukrainian UAVs and frontline troops. The original American M898 SADARM dates back to the late 1970s when the army started to look for a smart anti-armor 155 mm projectile. About a decade later SADARM had been developed and prototypes built but budget restrictions in 1990 slowed down the program. In 1993 the first tests were unsatisfactory because SADARM hadn't been able to hit a moving target and overall accuracy was poor. The manufacturer promised to improve the technology, and a year later the program was approved for limited low-rate production. Unfortunately for SADARM the later (1995, 1998 and 1999) tests showed only a little improvement. In all trials, the SADARM struggled to get an 80 percent reliability rate. This together with significant cost overruns were reason enough to end production in 2001. This failure did not mean the end of the SADARM SFW submunition technology, which was subsequently adopted by the U.S. Air Force as well as the developers of the SMART and BONUS shells who achieved effective reliability in the late 1990s. The submunition was always meant to be carried by a wide variety of projectiles including MLRS rockets, mortar shells and cluster bombs. Reliability of the SADARM submunition improved enough to work as the payload of CBU-105 half ton cluster bombs. Each of these bombs carries and disperses 40 submunitions Each SADARM submunition has its own radar and heat sensor that searches for armored vehicles below and destroys them. SADARM sensors can search and attack vehicles within an area of roughly 150 x 360 meters as they slowly descend. The self-forging metal projectile used by the SADARM submunition punches through the thinner armor on the top of the vehicle. If a target is not found, SADARM self-destructs. CNU-105 has not shown up in Ukraine because the Russians rarely use large enough concentrations of armored vehicles to justify use of CBU-105. Ukraine prefers to save its aircraft for air defense and use artillery and guided rockets for distant targets. The first use of the CBU-105 was in early 2003, when a B-52 dropped six of them on an Iraqi army column moving south from Baghdad. Most of the vehicles were later found destroyed. Since then, there have been several export customers for CBU-105 and the U.S. Air Force still has them stockpiled for future use even though production ceased in 2017. The Russians have a version of their own, SPBE-D, for sale to anyone who can pay for it. The American CBU-105 is preferred because the United States pioneered the technology, and demonstrated it could work in combat. India faces a large force of Pakistani tanks, and CBU-105 is an inexpensive and quick way to destroy lots of armored vehicles. Russia eventually responded to the SADARM submunition threat by developing a new generation of ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) that now covers the top of the turret and engine compartment of their tanks. In theory the new ERA should protect against SFW or at least reduce SFW effectiveness. The Russian ERA does not appear to be working against SFW and that has terrorized armored vehicle crews who now feel very vulnerable when within range of Ukrainian artillery. This often leads to many armored vehicles being abandoned by their crews when it appears they are under attack by SADARM. Ukrainian forces have captured hundreds of tanks and other armored vehicles and put them to use with a new paint job and Ukrainian crews. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (OTCQB: CSKYF) (Clear Sky or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on American lithium deposits to support domestic demand, today announced an agreement with Eva Garland Consulting, LLC (EGC) to undertake the development of a strategic non-dilutive plan targeting grant funding opportunities. EGC brings expertise in identifying and applying for applicable technology grant funding. Adjacent companies American Lithium Corp and American Battery Technology Company (located to the north and southwest of Clear Skys Halo project, respectively) recently received grant funding in collaboration with DuPont for US$4.5M from the US Department of Energy. EGC has raised over US$600M in grant funding to-date. EGC is an Inc 5000 fastest-growing company, headquartered in Raleigh, NC. The companys 40+ Ph.D. scientific grant experts specialize in providing comprehensive accounting and compliance assistance to accelerate development of innovative technologies by obtaining and managing grant funding to assist scientific advancement. EGC offers full-service support that includes project management, strategic guidance, scientific grant writing and a tailored approach for each submission. EGC has worked with over 2000 innovative companies, universities, incubators, and government agencies. Company CEO, Patrick Morris, notes, We are delighted to begin working with Dr. Garlands team. With the recent announcement regarding our neighbours at American Battery Technology achieving a US Dept of Energy funding award, it was clear to us the time is right to accelerate our action planning for non-dilutive funding opportunities. EGC has a demonstrated track record and is already developing for us a detailed roadmap and prioritization schedule of available grant funding opportunities. We are pleased to be working together with such an experienced partner to help expedite the increasingly strong government support at the federal, state, and county level for lithium exploration & technology advancement in the increasingly high-priority critical minerals sector. Our overall planning is predicated on the belief that technological advancement, especially in lithium extraction and processing, is key to shareholder value and grant funding will play an increasingly important role in driving successful outcomes for the entire industry. Clear Sky is also pleased to announce that its common shares have been upgraded to the OTC Markets Groups OTCQB platform from the OTC Pink Market. The Companys ticker symbol remains the same. The company expects that the OTCQB will help build shareholder value with a goal of enhanced liquidity and efficient trading access. Clear Sky Lithium advises the public that as part of its disclosure obligations as a public issuer, all material and regulatory filings can be found on www.sedar.com. We also invite the public to visit our website at www.clearskylithium.com and to sign up to our news alerts to be advised of future news releases and related company information. Please also ensure you watch our video which is available on the website. On Behalf of The Board of Directors,Sincerely, ~Patrick Morris~ Patrick MorrisChief Executive OfficerClear Sky Lithium Corp.www.clearskylithium.com About Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (OTCQB: CSKYF)Clear Sky Lithium is an exploration and development company dedicated to the advancement of North American lithium deposits to support domestic demand. The Company currently holds interests on the ELi and Halo properties in Nevada. The Company is also focusing on the development of claystone extraction and processing technologies aimed at delivering scalable efficiencies across the value chain in a sustainable manner. Find out more visit www.clearskylithium.com and watch our video. Forward Looking Information Disclaimer This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys plans to undertake the development of a strategic non-dilutive plan targeting grant funding opportunities, the services to be provided by EGC and the benefits to the Company therefrom, and the potential for the Companys OTCQB quotation to help build shareholder value with a goal of enhanced liquidity and efficient trading access. Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Companys ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the sector in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2022, under the heading Risks Factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press 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. CONTACT INFORMATION Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected] Telephone: +1 (778) 383-7240 Source: Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Launching of the 1st Human Implantation of "DragonRing" Catheter-based Mitral Annuloplasty Device HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 28, 2022, a multidisciplinary, and international cardiac team led by Professor Mao Chen from Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, successfully performed the world's first human implantation of "DragonRing", which is the first interventional transfemoral direct annuloplasty ring system innovated in China that simulates the atrioventricular annuloplasty technology from contemporary cardiac surgery. Completely and independently developed by Hangzhou Valgen Medtech Co., Ltd., DragonRing is designed to effectively treat functional mitral valve regurgitation by cinching the dilated annulus, particularly focusing on the patient population with atrial fibrillation as the primary etiology of their mitral regurgitation. Professor David Scott Lim, Director of the Advanced Cardiac Valve Center, University of Virginia, USA, Professor Azeem Latib, Section Head of Interventional Cardiology, Montefiore Medical Center, USA, and Professor Felix Kreidel, Head of the Department of Cardiology, Schleswig-Holstein University, Germany, conducted technique exchanges together with Professor Mao Chen's team through remote video conferencing. "For atrial functional valve regurgitation, the design of the DragonRing device aims to replicate the surgical standard of care by reducing annular dilation, but in a minimally invasive way, with the advantage of allowing subsequent treatment with other interventional technologies if needed in the future. This First-in-Human experience is encouraging and we look forward to more data from the subsequent study of DragonRing," commented by Professor Scott Lim after the procedure. DragonRing is a novel technology developed for treating valvular regurgitation. Following the successful launches of "DragonFly" (transcatheter edge-to-edge repair system) and "MitralStitch" (transcatheter artificial chordae implantation system), Valgen Medtech continues its mission in making breakthroughs of interventional structural heart treatment techniques. Valgen is building its reputation with the comprehensive concept of "a Tool Box for structural heart diseases", with additional innovative "Dragon-" series catheter-based products in its pipeline, providing more options and possible technique combinations for future clinical practice, and pushing the boundaries of interventional treatment of structural heart disease into a new era. CONTACT: Jiamin Yu, [email protected], +86-13817553929 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-marches-into-the-era-of-interventional-direct-annuloplasty-301669547.html SOURCE Hangzhou Valgen Medtech Co., Ltd. MIDLOTHIAN, Va., Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John Siddall is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Professional in the Government Services and Public Affairs fields, acknowledging his outstanding work as Chairman and CEO of Siddall Communications. Since 1975, Mr. Siddall has served as the founder, chairman and CEO of Siddall Communications, based in Richmond, Virginia. He has been involved in numerous innovative marketing campaigns in such segments as real estate, economic development, transportation, government services, and tourism. Two examples of his most groundbreaking campaigns are: promoting the planned community of Reston, Virginia, in a partnership with Bloomingdale's, which drew 50,000 visitors to the community in three months; and a 41-year economic development partnership with Fairfax County, Virginia, which Time magazine hailed as "one of the great economic success stories of our time." Another signature marketing effort re-energized the well-known "Virginia Is for Lovers" tourism brand through the Virginia Tourism Commission's sponsorship of the NASCAR Busch Grand National race car team led by rookie Hermie Sadler, a Virginia native, in 1993. The campaign resulted in $1.5 million in national television exposure, as well as increased new visits and tourism tax revenues to the state. Mr. Siddall has worked with prestigious nationally and internationally known clients, including U.S. mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, British Aerospace, Bell Canada, Brio Toys, Verizon Wireless, and Russian oil company Yukos. He has led communications campaigns for state transportation agencies in Virginia, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Siddall, who attended the University of Pennsylvania, has received many awards for his work in marketing, including the Excel Award from the American Association of State Highway Officials. He also has received numerous other awards for his work, including elite Clios, ADDYS, and Effies. He was named Advertising Person of the Year by the American Advertising Federation in 1998, and maintains his involvement with the federation. For more information, visit www.siddall.com. Contact: Katherine Green516-825-5634[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/john-siddall-is-recognized-by-continental-whos-who-301669487.html SOURCE Continental Who's Who FILE PHOTO: Protesters chant at a vigil for Mahsa Amini, the woman who died in police custody last month, at the entrance hall of the Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, in this screengrab from social media video released October DUBAI (Reuters) -Iranians kept up protests calling for the toppling of the Islamic Republic on Friday, as activists posted videos of crowds demanding the death of the supreme leader and the widely feared Basij militia he unleashed against them. Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody last month. They have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution. Video footage on social media showed protesters calling for the death of "dictator" Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Basij, which has played a major role in the crackdown on demonstrators. Commentary on the video said it was recorded on Friday in the city of Zahedan, close to Iran's southeastern border with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The activist 1500tasvir Twitter account posted the video showing demonstrators chanting "Death to Khamenei". Another video purported to show a 12-year-old protester who was shot in the head. Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of social media videos. On Thursday, a provincial security council dismissed Zahedan's police chief and the head of a police station near where dozens of protesters were killed four weeks ago in the deadliest crackdown since the start of nationwide protests. The council said the families of the victims would be compensated and a legal investigation had been opened that may lead to further measures against those who provoked the violence, "rioters" and any officials suspected of wrongdoing. CALL FOR JUSTICE Zahedan's top Sunni cleric in predominantly Shi'ite Iran welcomed the move but called for an independent investigation of the killings and said any senior officials behind the crackdown should be brought to justice. "We demand from the security council and the government that, regardless of how high in the ranks this error and crime reaches, the (guilty) official should be dismissed and brought to trial," Molavi Abdolhamid said in a Friday prayers sermon, according to his website. Amnesty International has said security forces killed at least 66 people in the violent crackdown on Sept. 30. Fars news agency, seen as close to the Revolutionary Guards, blamed the violence in Zahedan on protesters. "A number of rioters were shooting at people and security forces from rooftops during today's disturbances... Unfortunately, a 12-year-old child was shot in the face and killed," Fars reported. The provincial security council has said armed dissidents had provoked the clashes, leading to innocent people's deaths, but admitted "shortcomings" by police. One person was shot dead, by "unidentified individuals" and 14 people, including security forces, were injured in Zahedan, the council said, according to state media. Videos posted by 1500tasvir showed what it said were protests in the northwestern city of Mahabad with demonstrators running away from what appeared to be tear gas fumes, while another video showed protesters making petrol bombs. 'ILL TREATMENT' Iran has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest. The Intelligence Ministry and the intelligence arm of the Revolutionary Guards on Friday accused spy agencies from the United States, Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia of having orchestrated the unrest to destabilise the Islamic Republic. "Precise monitoring over more than a year ... and documents obtained during the recent disturbances provide much evidence of a wide role played by the American terrorist regime in designing, implementing, and maintaining the unrest," the two security bodies said in a joint statement. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said its intelligence unit had foiled a bomb attack in the southern city of Shiraz, two days after a deadly shooting at a shrine there, the guards' news agency Sepah News said. Wednesday's shooting, which was claimed by Islamic State, killed 15 worshippers at the Shah Cheragh shrine. Government-organised demonstrations across the country against the Shiraz attack were broadcast live on state TV. Demonstrators waving the Iranian flag, carrying Khamenei's photos, shouted "death to America," "death to Israel." The U.N. human rights office on Friday voiced concern at Iran's treatment of detained protesters and said authorities refused to release some of the bodies of those killed. Rights groups have said at least 250 protesters have been killed and thousands arrested across Iran. "We've seen a lot of ill treatment ... but also harassment of the families of protesters," Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing, citing multiple sources. "Of particular concern is information that authorities have been moving injured protesters from hospitals to detention facilities and refusing to release the bodies of those killed to their families," she said. Shamdasani added that in some cases, authorities were placing conditions on the release of bodies, asking families not to hold a funeral or speak to the media. Protesters in detention were also sometimes being denied medical treatment, she said. Iran has denied allegations by human rights groups that it abuses prisoners. (Additional reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva; Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean, Andrew Heavens and Grant McCool) On Nov. 4, 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his team discovered the entrance to a tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Three weeks later, on Nov. 26, Carter smashed a hole into a stone wall in an underground hallway there. As he aimed his flashlight into the darkness, his friend and sponsor, George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, asked if he could see anything. "Yes, wonderful things," he replied, according to his book "The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen," written with Arthur Cruttenden Mace in 1923. Suddenly, the world became transfixed on a little-known pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty as gold, jewelry and other fantastic treasures saw the light of day for the first time in more than 3,000 years. Almost as quickly, public attention shifted to the possibility of a curse plaguing all those who had entered King Tut's tomb. Sudden deaths, grievous misfortune and other inexplicable events gave rise to speculation that an evil spell was afflicting any who had dared defile the pharaoh's final resting place. A media frenzy descended on Luxor after each calamity. Shortly after the first archaeologist death a few months following the tomb's discovery, newspaper headlines blared about the "Curse of the Pharaohs" and claimed, "Famous Spiritualist Sees Occult Reason for Fatality." But was there really a curse? Some studies suggest a more mundane explanation: mold found on mummies and in the air at burial sites in Egypt. Belief in a "mummy's curse" predates the Tutankhamen discovery by a century. It may have originated in England in the 1820s. In 2000, Egyptologist Dominic Montserrat reported he had discovered the first mention of it in a London "striptease" show, according to the British newspaper the Independent. No curse was ever found written in hieroglyphics at the tomb of Tutankhamen, the Egyptian king who died at 18 or 19, around 1323 B.C. His father is thought to have been the pharaoh Akhenaten, while his mother was his father's sister, according to DNA testing. King Tut had a club foot and scoliosis, possibly caused by the tradition of incest among the royal family. Carter himself dismissed the notion of a curse as "tommy rot." "The sentiment of the Egyptologist . . . is not one of fear, but of respect and awe . . . entirely opposed to foolish superstitions," he said, according to H.V.F. Winstone in his book "Howard Carter and the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun." However, Lord Carnarvon's death on April 5, 1923 less than five months after the tomb was opened drove rumors of a wicked spell. Newspaper accounts were rife with the possibility as more archaeologists and explorers fell ill and died. In 1926, the New York Daily News ran an article with the headline, "Vengeance of King Tut Is Seen as Death List Mounts." Piling on was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the popular Sherlock Holmes stories. Upon learning of his friend's death, Doyle, a known spiritualist, told a reporter, "An evil elemental may have caused Lord Carnarvon's fatal illness." After the earl died, others followed, including George Jay Gould, an American financier who succumbed to pneumonia shortly after visiting the tomb in 1923; Sir Archibald Douglas Reid, who perished soon after X-raying the mummy in London; and James Henry Breasted, an American archaeologist, who lived until 1935 but died of an infection following his final trip to Egypt. In addition, the media frenzy fed off a series of unfortunate events that beset others who had visited the tomb. British archaeologist Hugh Evelyn-White, who worked on the dig at Luxor, died by suicide in 1924. He reportedly left a note in which he wrote, "I have succumbed to a curse." Carter's personal secretary, Richard Bethell, the first person to enter the tomb behind his employer, was found smothered to death at his London men's club in 1929. Some historians believe he was murdered by Aleister Crowley, an English occultist. Carter died in 1939, a full 17 years after the discovery, of Hodgkin's disease, a type of lymphatic cancer. And yet newspapers around the world focused almost exclusively on the "Curse of the Pharaohs" when printing his obituary. Today, science has a more rational explanation. Studies have shown that an organic source might have been a contributing factor in at least some of the deaths. Common mold especially Aspergillus may have been present on King Tut's mummy. The fungus is known to cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems. "Potentially harmful fungi survive for extreme lengths of time in tombs, and results of research indicate that such prolonged phases of dormancy can result in increased virulence," wrote English doctors Sherif El-Tawil and Tariq El-Tawil in a letter to the British medical journal the Lancet in 2003. The death of Lord Carnarvon, who was sickly most of his life and prone to upper respiratory ailments, seems to fit the diagnosis. According to his obituary in the New York Times, he died on April 5, 1923, of pneumonia brought on by blood poisoning from a mosquito bite on his cheek that became infected after he nicked it with a razor. The El-Tawils wrote that he had likely been exposed to Aspergillus, which in turn caused the deadly streptococcus infection that killed him after he cut himself with a razor. Spores of Aspergillus, the El-Tawils wrote, "grow especially well on grain, the supply of which was abundant in Tutankhamen's tomb, with offerings of bread and raw grains stored in numerous baskets. Lord Carnarvon could readily have inhaled contaminated grain dust as the sealed tomb was broken into." More recent scientific studies have found two varieties of the fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus on mummies and in tombs of ancient Egypt. According to National Geographic, these strains can cause various allergic reactions, ranging from chest congestion to pulmonary hemorrhaging, or bleeding in the lungs. That mold might have had a hand in the earl's death or any others is speculative. Researchers have argued for and against the idea for years. Without conclusive evidence, it will remain just a theory. Which, of course, makes the belief in the "curse of the mummy" even more enduring. (Tribune News Service) They broke down walls, plowed through barricades and manned the fences to prevent an unsuspecting backdoor attack. Equipped with new tactical training and recently acquired Canadian-made armored vehicles, specialized units of Haiti's national police force have started to take back control of the country's main oil terminal and seaports from powerful gangs after two months. The police operation in Port-au-Prince to restore fuel distribution and access to the ports, where hundreds of containers have been stuck, got underway in earnest Thursday morning, and is expected to continue over the next few days. On Friday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, along with the government of Canada, issued sanctions against two Haitian nationals and high-profile politicians for alleged ties to drug trafficking and criminal gangs: Joseph Lambert, the current president of the country's dysfunctional Senate, and Youri Latortue, who presided over the Senate before Lambert. Both men previously served as advisers to former President Michel Martelly after the 2010 presidential elections. "Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue have abused their official positions to traffic drugs and collaborated with criminal and gang networks to undermine the rule of law in Haiti," said Brian E. Nelson, under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence. "The United States and our international partners will continue to take action against those who facilitate drug trafficking, enable corruption, and seek to profit from instability in Haiti." Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. will continue to hold accountable anyone who foments instability and undermines democracy in Haiti. He said that Lambert, as president of the current 10-member Senate, abused his public position by participating in corrupt activity that undermined the integrity of Haiti's government. "Further, there is credible information of Lambert's involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely an extrajudicial killing, during his government tenure. The Department is also designating Lambert's spouse, Jesula Lambert Domond," Blinken said. Both Lambert and Domond are ineligible to enter the United States. Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly said they will freeze any assets Lambert and Latortue hold in Canada. "Canada has reason to believe that these individuals are using their status as former or current public office holders to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other of corruption," the government said in a statement. The warning of sanctions came late Thursday night in a message from Eric Stromayer, the charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti. As police moved in to secure Varreux terminal, he warned in a video message that the U.S. would go after those tied to gang violence and the country's destabilization. In an audio message to police officers Friday, Haiti National Police Director General Frantz Elbe congratulated the units involved in the operation at the port, declaring that police had finally seized control of the Varreux terminal. "We won a battle but it's not over yet," he send, telling the officers deployed in the corridor of Varreux that they did "an exceptional job." "Once again, you have shown that the police are capable in the fight against organized crime," Elbe said. At least one Haiti National Police employee, a cameraman, was injured in the operation after getting shot in the arm. He is expected to recover, a police official said. Several gang members were either wounded or killed. There is no guarantee that the gangs, who have been blocking the flow of fuel, water and food since mid-September while demanding the resignation of interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry, will not attempt to retake the terminal. But for now, the police successes are yielding cautious optimism after weeks of despair as the blockade of the port created life-threatening shortages and forced the closures of hospitals and schools. The police operation was first launched Tuesday. But after police units were outgunned by heavily armed members of the gang coalition known as G-9 Families and Allies, they were forced to retreat. On Thursday morning, police relaunched their efforts, this time with SWAT teams many of them recently trained by the French and the U.S.'s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs taking the lead, said two sources who are knowledgeable about the operation. Heavy shooting was reported in the area near the airport, seaports and Terminal Varreux, the fuel port. By early afternoon, specialized units employing military-style maneuvers, and moving in armored vehicles the government recently purchased from a Canadian firm, were finally able to get access to parts of the Varreux fuel terminal, several people confirmed. Other units remained outside. The strategy, worked out the day before in an all-day planning session, involved the units seizing control of two excavators used by the gangs in their siege. One of them had been armored by the gangs and used for digging trenches to stop trucks from crossing into the terminal. That excavator was destroyed, an officer involved in the operations said. While some officers filled in the trenches, others used bulldozers to remove overturned trailers that gang members had also used to block road access. A government official confirming the gangs' homemade armored excavators, told the Miami Herald that the police's success was "thanks to the armored vehicle purchased in Canada." Another key was a change in the strategy. Last month, Canada and the United States delivered several armored vehicles and other supplies to help police fight the gangs that are responsible for hampering access to essential goods and services as the country sees a resurgence in cholera due to poor sanitation and the lack of access to drinking water. To date, 2,600 suspected cases of cholera have been reported, half of them children, the United Nations said. In response to the crisis, Haiti's government, backed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called for the rapid deployment of a multinational force to help police take back control of the ports and the roads from gangs and create "a humanitarian corridor" to get fuel, food and water flowing again. A U.S.-backed resolution to create such a force is currently before the U.N. Security Council, but this week was put on hold at the request of Canada. Speaking in Haitian Creole, Stromayer at the U.S. Embassy said the foreign assistance is aimed at helping the Haiti National Police "to improve the security situation and to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid." The resolution comes on the heels of a unanimous decision by the Security Council to approve a new international sanctions framework against Haitian gangs and those who arm and finance them. Although the U.N. only sanctioned one notorious gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, the leader of the G-9 who is better known as "Barbecue," Stromayer warned that others will also be targeted, "regardless of the country they are a citizen of." "That is to say even if they are a U.S. citizen and are complicit in violence and in restricting access to gas," he warned, "or are involved in the trafficking of arms, we will interdict them regardless of the country they are in and we will seize their property." The State Department, Stromayer said, has already started to impose visa restrictions against criminals and members of their families who are "holding the country hostage." "We will continue to add names to the list," he said. "There are other sanctions we will take. The actions will not end here." While the Haiti National Police operation in the fuel terminal is being welcomed in Haiti, the challenge for the police remains retaking control of the entire area where the ports are located and to maintain control without the need to be there around the clock. They also must establish a secure corridor to allow fuel trucks to go in and out of the port and make deliveries to gas stations. If police do succeed in reopening of Varreux and the other seaports, it won't mean the crisis is over. The gang blockade is a symptom of the larger problem, observers note, of escalating gang violence. Volker Turk, the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, warned on Thursday that solutions are needed to address the armed violence. "People are being killed by firearms, they are dying because they do not have access to safe drinking water, food, healthcare, women are being gang raped with impunity," he said. "The levels of insecurity and the dire humanitarian situation have been devastating for the people of Haiti." 2022 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy North Korea's unprecedented barrage of missiles is underscoring the costs of Washington's tensions with Beijing, since China has shown little appetite for additional sanctions over the country's nuclear program. China, along with Russia, played a critical role in approving United Nations sanctions on their neighbor after Kim Jong Un tested an atomic bomb and launched a missile designed to carry warheads to the U.S. five years ago. There's little prospect of finding such unity on the UN Security Council now, even though North Korea has fired about 100 ballistic missiles since the UN approved its last penalties in 2017. The Biden administration has shown increasing frustration with China, which has long been North Korea's most important benefactor. And the stakes are rising because the U.S. and its allies believe Kim's regime is preparing to detonate a nuclear bomb for the first time in five years. s "They are breaking multiple Security Council resolutions," Linda Thoma-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, said in an interview on MSNBC on Thursday. "But most recently, China has not joined us in condemning these actions and our efforts to add more sanctions onto the ones that we already have on board." The U.S. is expected to make another run at getting support for fresh measures against North Korea at a Security Council meeting scheduled for Friday afternoon in New York. Beijing and Moscow have resisted U.S.-led efforts to expand sanctions in recent years, arguing that Kim deserves relief for gestures he made before his unprecedented -- but ultimately unsuccessful -- summits with former President Donald Trump. More recently, U.S. President Joe Biden has sanctioned Russia and sought to isolate its leader Vladimir Putin to halt its war in Ukraine. The administration has also warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he risks secondary sanctions if he helps Moscow, even as Washington and Beijing clash over everything from Taiwan to microchips. Those disputes have given Kim a freer hand to expand his nuclear program and build a more credible deterrent to prevent any U.S. strike against the regime. North Korea's tests have demonstrated a wide array of new missiles and launching platforms that appear intended to evade detection and interception by the U.S.. "North Korea knows the recent provocations won't trigger any new UN resolutions," said Maiko Takeuchi, a former member of a UN Security Panel of Experts set up to monitor sanctions on North Korea. If current sanctions were strictly implemented, that would also "seriously damage the regime's activity and economy," she said. The sanctions regime, which, among other things, includes a cap on fuel imports and limits on foreign income, has shown cracks. North Korea was on track to exceed its 500,000-barrel cap of annual imports this year, a Panel of Experts report released in September said. In addition, an oil pipeline between Dandong, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, that was exempted from sanctions could be supplying more than 3.7 million barrels of oil each year, according to a report from specialists David von Hippel and Peter Hayes. Kim has also found ways to evade sanctions through cybercrimes and cryptocurrency theft. Investigators from the U.S. and UN have said his regime has already taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in assets through online schemes, and is poised to rake in even more. The North Korean leader has repeatedly rebuffed U.S. overtures to return to talks, reiterating in September that he would "never give up nuclear arms or denuclearize first." Instead, he has rebuilt once-frayed ties with China and Russia -- whom both wield vetoes on the Security Council. Xi has recently reaffirmed his desire to maintain "strategic" talks with Kim. And the Biden administration has accused North Korea of covertly supplying Russia with artillery shells for use in the Ukraine invasion, something North Korea has denied. Without necessary support for UN sanctions, the U.S. and South Korea have sought to deter North Korea from any more aggressive moves, jointly warning it that using a nuclear weapon against them would "result in the end of the Kim regime." They also extended allied air force exercises in the region. One indication of Chinese support for additional sanctions will be its response to any North Korean nuclear test, especially after Xi told visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday that the international community must "reject the use or threat of the use of nuclear weapons." China denounced North Korea's last test in September 2017, expressing "firm opposition to and strong condemnation" of it. North Korea may be banking that China won't be so critical the next time. Kim's actions indicate a broader shift away from the country's long-term goal of normalizing ties with Washington as a buffer against Beijing and Moscow, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, who worked as an analyst for the CIA's Open Source Enterprise for almost two decades. "The true import of this policy shift extends beyond just North Korea's pivot to China and Russia," Lee wrote in a commentary published on the 38 North website. "It signals a more fundamental transformation in Pyongyang's position on relations with Washington." WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) Donald Trump, still asserting he lost the presidency through fraud, is on the verge of announcing a comeback bid. Without saying when, Trump declared at a rally Thursday night in Sioux City that "in order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very, probably do it again." Behind him, a huge banner read "Save America!" reinforcing his message that the country has spiraled downward since he left the White House on Jan. 20, 2021, and that he represents the antidote. "Very, very, very, probably," Trump said. "Get ready, that's all I'm telling you. Very soon. Get ready." Axios, The New York Times and other news organizations reported that Trump's announcement could come as soon as Nov. 14. Some GOP strategists hope he puts that off if the dead-heat Georgia Senate contest between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Trump's pick, former football star Herschel Walker, goes to goes to a runoff Dec. 6. "Donald Trump's theory of the case is that he already did this job and he did it better than the current president," Kellyanne Conway, a Trump adviser, told reporters Thursday over breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "Donald Trump has a better shot at being the Republican nominee for president than Joe Biden has at being the Democratic nominee." Conway, who ran Trump's victorious 2016 campaign, said she urged him to put off launching a 2024 bid until after the midterms, though other confidants saw no reason to delay. She expects he will announce a 2024 campaign "soon," she said, adding, "I give him a ton of credit for not announcing this year, for not stepping in the way of the midterm candidates." Trump remains a highly polarizing figure. More Americans view him unfavorably than favorably 54% to 41% in the RealClearPolitics average of surveys. That's slightly worse than Biden's numbers: 52% unfavorable to 44% favorable. But Trump remains the prohibitive favorite among Republicans for the GOP nomination in 2024, leading the pack with 52% support in the RealClearPolitics average, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a distant second at 21%, followed by Trump's estranged Vice President Mike Pence at 8% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at 3%. In a head-to-head contest, Biden and Trump are tied in the latest Wall Street Journal poll, though state by state, which is how presidents are elected, show pockets of strength for each. Conway said victory would be assured if Trump keeps attention focused on the "binary" choice between his record and Biden's. But he still airs grievances about the 2020 defeat. "Your favorite president got screwed," Trump told the crowd in Iowa. "I ran twice, I won twice." Throughout the 2022 election, Trump steered millions into key races. His endorsements shaped primaries around the country. A flurry of rallies through Monday Iowa, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio add to the impression that he's gearing up. All are key presidential battlegrounds. Iowa hosts the first nominating contest every four years. A big night for his slate will cement his grip on the GOP and his claim to the 2024 nomination. Thursday's Sioux City rally gave Trump a chance to reconnect with caucus-goers, as he stumped for Sen. Chuck Grassley, an 89-year-old institution who's seeking his eighth 6-year term. He's also thrown his weight behind contenders in the battlegrounds that will decide control of the Senate, including Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, J.D. Vance in Ohio and Blake Masters in Arizona. If Republicans fall short because Trump's picks lose, that would embolden DeSantis and the two dozen other Republicans itching for a shot at the White House, though Conway shrugged off the possibility that anything could derail his plans. She predicted that Trump will emerge as a "big winner" from the midterms, thanks to his efforts on behalf of scores of candidates across the country. He'll stump in Miami on Sunday for Sen. Marco Rubio. DeSantis was not invited. Conway offered a brushback pitch when asked to handicap the Florida governors' chances against Trump. "If I'm Ron DeSantis, sure, I can think about running, but why not go be the best two-term governor of the third-largest state in modern history, if not ever, and then walk into the presidency in 2028?" she said. For Trump, announcing his candidacy soon would bring a number of benefits. For one, he could more easily paint his many legal troubles as politically motivated, including the House Jan. 6 inquiry that House Republicans intend to disband if they win control of the chamber Tuesday, which seems likely. The Justice Department is weighing whether to charge Trump for mishandling presidential documents, after an FBI raid in August uncovered reams of official material, much of it classified, at his Florida estate. By law, former presidents must turn over all official documents to the National Archives, classified or not. Criminal charges against a former president, as unprecedented as Trump's refusal to comply with the Presidential Records Act, would create an uproar that would be compounded if he were also an active presidential candidate. In the 2016 caucuses, the future president fell short to Cruz and accused the Texan of cheating as he still accuses Democrats of doing in 2020. Cruz collected 27.6% in Iowa, trailed by Trump at 24.3% and Rubio at 23.1%. Because of the quirky rules, Cruz left Iowa with momentum and bragging rights but just one more delegate than his rivals. In 2020, Biden collected 81 million votes to Trump's 74 million, and topped him in the Electoral College by the same margin Trump had described as a landslide four years earlier when he beat Hillary Clinton. On the Democratic side, a rout in the midterms would not only hobble Biden's presidency. It would scramble the 2024 contest, unless he can somehow spin away perceptions that he served as more drag than asset. Biden's approval rating dipped below 50% five months into his term and hasn't topped that level since. His 40% rating in Gallup's latest survey is the lowest for any president at this point since World War II. The last time an incumbent passed on seeking reelection was in 1968. That was Texas' Lyndon Johnson, weakened by Vietnam. His vice president, Hubert Humphrey, lost to Richard Nixon. Who would the party turn to if not Biden? Vice presidents are often the prohibitive favorite. Kamala Harris would not be. She'll avoid blame for a midterm defeat but only because she hasn't been in much demand on the stump. The gap between her own favorable and unfavorable ratings is nearly double Biden's. As his understudy, she has little to show for her highest profile assignment, dealing with Mexico and Central America on illegal migration apart from a stinging Republican caricature as the border czar who avoids the border. 2022 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) With California and the Southwest facing a historic drought, the Supreme Court agreed Friday to review a 9th Circuit Court decision that held the Navajo Nation has a right to take more water from the Colorado River. The appeals court had pointed to the 1868 treaty that gave the Navajos a "permanent home" on their reservation, and it ruled the treaty "necessarily implied rights" to an adequate amount of water to live and farm. "It is clear that the reservation cannot exist as a viable homeland for the Nation without an adequate water supply," wrote Judge Ronald Gould, yet "many homes on the reservation lack running water." Based on the treaty, the Navajos are entitled to bring "a breach of trust claim" against the United States and the Department of the Interior, he said. As party to the treaty, the federal agencies "have an irreversible and dramatically important trust duty requiring them to ensure adequate water for the health and safety of the Navajo Nation's inhabitants in their permanent home reservation." The 3-0 ruling did not say how much extra water the Navajos were entitled to. The sprawling reservation has taken water from the San Juan River in Utah, a tributary of the Colorado, but the appeals court said the Navajos were entitled to bring a claim for more water from the lower part of the main river. Both the Biden administration and the state of Arizona asked the justices to review and overturn the appeals court decision, and they were joined by other water authorities, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Lawyers for Arizona said the 9th Circuit's ruling "immediately threatens the security of existing entitlements" to water from the Colorado River. This water "is already fully allocated and is experiencing a mega drought accompanied by drastically depleted storage in Lake Mead." They also said the ruling, if allowed to stand, could give other tribes the same right to more water. The state's lawyers said the 9th Circuit Court should have steered clear of the issue entirely because the Supreme Court itself has for decades overseen the allocation of water from the Colorado River in the case of Arizona v. California. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, representing the Interior Department, told the justices that the 9th Circuit's decision was clearly wrong and should be overturned. She said the 1868 treaty did not include specific guarantees involving water rights, and she noted the Navajo reservation was greatly expanded during the 20th century. The areas of Navajo land that now seek more water from the Colorado River were not part of the reservation in 1868, she said. The court will hear the two cases, Department of the Interior vs. Navajo Nation and Arizona vs. Navajo Nation, early next year and issue a decision by the end of June. 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Don't mess with me. I know what I'm doing A FATHER overpowered by members of the public following a string of alleged knife-raids at pharmacies in Dublin has been refused bail. Brian Carroll, 38, of Holly Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, was charged following his arrest on Friday. He was held overnight at Coolock Garda station and appeared before Judge John Hughes at Dublin District Court on Saturday. Garda Grainne McDonnell and Detective Garda Clifford Singleton told the court the accused made no reply to the charges. Judge Hughes heard they were objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the case. Mr Carroll is accused of robbing Bradleys Pharmacy in Artane of assorted prescription drugs worth 404 on November 4. In the other two alleged raids, he is charged with taking 87 worth of medication from Lalors Pharmacy on Collins Avenue East on November 2 and medication valued 39 from the O'Reilly Pharmacy in Artane. Garda McDonnell told a contested bail hearing the defendant was allegedly armed with an eight-inch kitchen knife. She alleged during Friday's robbery, he gave staff a list of drugs and produced the knife, saying, "don't mess with me. I know what I'm doing". The garda said it would be claimed that he "directed staff into a corner to prevent them seeking help". A deliveryman in the pharmacy was subjected to aggression and had a knife pointed at him. The garda voiced concerns about him being released on bail. She alleged he was caught "red-handed". Garda McDonnell added that she and other gardai saw the accused detained by members of the public at the chemist. Garda McDonnell told the court she saw him held down, and the knife was present. The court heard he also brandished the knife, demanded prescribed drugs and engaged in scuffles with the staff of the two other chemists. Pleading for bail, defence counsel Kevin McCrave said his client lived with and cared for his father. It was also around the anniversary of his partner's death. The barrister said his client was a father who was "suffering from deep loss", but he would obey conditions if granted bail. He has not yet indicated how he will plead, and the judge noted he had the presumption of innocence. However, he refused bail and remanded him in custody pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Legal aid was granted to Mr Carroll who was on social welfare. James Flynn (31), was eventually extradited to Ireland from the UK on charges relating to the robbery nearly ten years ago, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered Gardai who travelled to the United States to interview James Flynn, who was wanted in connection with the Lordship Credit Union robbery, were instead met by his father who told them "the boys are gone, you will never get them", the Special Criminal Court has heard. Mr Flynn (31), who was eventually extradited to Ireland from the UK on charges relating to the robbery nearly ten years ago, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered, was today refused bail by the Special Criminal Court on the grounds that he is a flight risk. The three-judge court also heard today that when applying for bail in the UK, Mr Flynn had offered the substantial sums of 185,000 in cash and a 965,000 independent surety. Ruling on James Flynn's bail application today, Ms Justice Tara Burns said the three-judge court could not accept that the applicant was "anything but a flight risk". The judge said the flight risk in this case was "too great" to permit bail to be granted and that the probability of fleeing the jurisdiction was "well made out". Mr Flynn, of Raven's Glen, Newry, Northern Ireland is accused of the robbery of 7K, the property of Pat Bellew, at the credit union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. He is also accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady, Brendan Treanor and others of entering a residential premises with the intent to steal the keys of a motor vehicle between September 11, 2012, and January 23, 2013. Brady was convicted of murdering Det Gda Donohoe in August 2020. Delivering the ruling of the three-judge court today, Ms Justice Burns said Mr Flynn seeks bail for his trial, which is listed at the beginning of January next year, having recently been extradited to Ireland from the UK. In April of this year, Westminster Magistrates Court ordered Mr Flynn's extradition back to Ireland but this was appealed to the High Court. The appeal was dismissed in July and Mr Flynn was brought back to Ireland to be formally charged with the credit union robbery. The judge said today that the applicant had left this jurisdiction very shortly after the alleged robbery in April 2013 and has since been in the UK and the US. Former businessman sent for trial for robbery of Credit Union where Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead Businessman due in court over armed raid during which Garda Adrian Donohoe shot dead Ms Justice Burns said the prosecution intended to adduce CCTV evidence of a distinguished BMW which they say Mr Flynn was driving at the time and which was seen at various locations in the CCTV footage in relation to the alleged burglary charge. There was a sighting of a burned Passat which has been established to have been used in the robbery on January 25 and a sighting of the BMW going to and coming from the burn site in Northern Ireland, she said. "These are all arms of the prosecution case, it is not for this court to concern itself with whether there will be a conviction in this matter," she said. The case against the applicant is of a "circumstantial nature" where the evidence is not viewed in isolation but "the culmination of various parts coming together", she said. Clearly, the judge said, a case had been made out against the applicant in terms of what is anticipated to be the prosecution's case. The strength of the evidence intended to be brought by the State is enough to cause the court concern and it is of the view that there is potential for a conviction, she continued. The judge said the prosecution's view is that Mr Flynn posed a flight risk due to him absconding from this jurisdiction in April 2013 after the alleged robbery by going to the US. He has been in the US, the UK and Northern Ireland for the last nine years. She said Mr Flynn had not attempted to engage or cooperate with gardai and it was probable if he got bail that he would not stand trial for these matters. "For that ground alone the court will refuse bail," she stated. She said the three-judge court had heard "very concerning evidence" about an interaction the applicant's father had with the investigating guard in relation to this matter. Mr Flynn's father had indicated that an interview could take place with his son in the US and gardai travelled to Boston clearly of the view that the interview would take place, she said. Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe (Garda/PA) However, when gardai went to the address they were instead met with a situation where the accused was no longer at the premises and his father uttered the words "the boys are gone, you will never get them". Referring to the risk of interference with witnesses, the judge said there had been "very very concerning evidence" about the behaviour of Mr Flynn's father during the trial of Aaron Brady. "Obviously these are the father's actions and not Mr Flynn's. It was frightful how people were approached during this trial and the various things said," she added. Aaron Brady (31) was found guilty of the murder of Det Gda Donohoe by an 11 to one majority jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court in August 2020. The father-of-one with a last address at New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, was sentenced to the mandatory term for murder of life imprisonment. As he had been found guilty of murdering a Garda acting in accordance with his duty, he will serve a minimum of 40 years. Brady was also sentenced to 14 years for the credit union robbery - a sentence that will run concurrently with the life sentence. Bradys trial was the longest murder case in Irish legal history, lasting 122 court days. Ms Justice Burns said today that the court could not agree that Mr Flynn was not a flight risk with "the analysis of the evidence" placed before it today. The applicant did not attend for an interview with An Garda Siochana despite knowing at all stages that gardai had a great interest in speaking to him, she said. "Gardai were left to follow him to the US and were then treated in a manner which the court had just outlined," she added. In summary, the judge said that whilst the court had grave concerns in relation to the possibility of interference with witnesses in this case, they were not refusing bail on that ground. Earlier at today's bail hearing, Detective Inspector Mark Phillips told Lorcan Staines SC for the State, that gardai were objecting to bail under the OCallaghan principles, where it was argued that the accused is a serious flight risk. The State also submitted that there was a real risk that Mr Flynn would evade his trial and interfere with witnesses if he was granted bail. Summarising his objection on the flight risk ground, Det Insp Phillips said the applicant had offered "substantial sums of money" when he applied for bail at Westminster Magistrates Court, namely 185,000 in cash and a 965,000 independent surety. "I believe this clearly demonstrates that he has the financial means available to him to evade justice," he said. The witness said that Mr Flynn, who has no previous convictions, holds a UK and US passport but not an Irish one and that he has no links or ties to this jurisdiction. Det Supt Phillips also informed the court that during the trial of Aaron Brady, Mr Flynn's father and Mr Brady's father had allegedly engaged in behaviour "to actively try to provoke" members of the investigation team. Mr Flynn's parents, wife and children reside in Northern Ireland and the applicant has the means to "move around easily" and set up new businesses, he said. "He has relocated addresses a number of times to the US, the north of Ireland and the UK," he said, adding that he is now a US citizen. Det Insp Phillips told the court that there was an incident in December 2013 when Eugene Flynn Senior had invited members of An Garda Siochana to the US to conduct an interview with his son James. The witness said that within 24 hours of gardai arriving in the US, James Flynn was en route back to Ireland and no interview took place. Asked by John Temple BL, defending, if there was any evidence that James Flynn knew about the meeting, Det Insp Phillips said they had flown there on the request of Eugene Flynn Senior and that there was an expectation that a meeting would take place. At this point, Mr Staines asked the witness to tell the court what had happened when they went to Boston thinking they were going to meet James Flynn and Eugene Flynn Senior. "We called to the address provided by Mr Flynn along with US law enforcement. Eugene Flynn Senior came out of the residence as we were approaching the driveway. He went ballistic, he started abusing members of the gardai and US law enforcement agents. He referred to them as "the boys aren't here, the boys are gone, you will never get them". Det Insp Phillips said they withdrew from the premises. Under cross-examination, the detective agreed with Mr Temple that the CCTV from Lordship Credit Union depicted events but did not identify any individual and that there was no witness statement to say that his client was present on the night of the robbery. In his submissions, Mr Temple said his client had been incarcerated since May 2021 and any means he had have since diminished. A 20,000 independent surety was proposed and for Mr Flynn to sign on daily at Castleblayney Garda Station, near where his parents-in-law reside. Referring to the sums of money that had been offered to Westminster Magistrates Court, Mr Temple said that this was offered by Mr Flynn's family members and not the applicant himself. A legal aid application for Mr Flynn will be dealt with before the non-jury court on Tuesday next week. Brendan Treanor (34), with a previous address at Emer Terrace, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, is also charged with participating in the robbery. His trial will commence in January next year alongside Mr Flynn's. He was also refused bail in June 2022. Lauryn McCann was working as a civilian call taker for An Garda Siochana with access to the Pulse system at the time of this incident. Lauryn McCann, 23yrs, of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin. Pic: Paddy Cummins Paddy Cummins - PCPhoto.ie Lauryn McCann, 23yrs, of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dubli. Pic: Paddy Cummins Paddy Cummins - PCPhoto.ie Lauryn McCann, 23yrs, of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin. Pic: Paddy Cummins A former civilian employee of An Garda Siochana has been handed a prison sentence for forwarding photos of information on the Pulse system to an individual known to gardai. Lauryn McCann (23) sent around 70 photos using WhatsApp over a seven-day period to an individual referred to as R, who is known to gardai. McCann of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pleaded guilty to a count of corruptly agreeing to accept an inducement to access garda intelligence and a count of obtaining and disclosing garda intelligence files to a third party on dates in May 2020. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today that McCann has no previous convictions and was sent forward from the District Court on signed pleas. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said people working for institutions such as An Garda Siochana have to be discreet and respect the rules. Judge Nolan said this included not sharing information or knowledge they gain of in the course of their work. McCann's behaviour was far worse as she had searched the Pulse system for information that was useful to a third party, he said, handing the accused a sentence of two and a half years. The investigating garda told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that McCann was working as a civilian call taker for An Garda Siochana with access to the Pulse system at the time of this incident. Gardai received a tip-off on May 15, 2020, that McCann was providing information to a third party. McCann was not working the following day and gardai launched an investigation, which included a search of the Pulse system. Lauryn McCann, 23yrs, of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin. Pic: Paddy Cummins Paddy Cummins - PCPhoto.ie McCann's search history showed she had accessed a large number of files that she would have had no reason to search in the course of her work. When McCann arrived to work on May 17, 2020, she was confronted by investigating gardai and was fully cooperative, admitting that she had taken photos of information from the Pulse system. She said that she had forwarded these photos to third parties using Snapchat and WhatsApp. McCann was suspended and later resigned. Gardai also obtained warrants to search McCann's workstation and other locations. A number of exhibits were handed to the court including copies of the photos taken by McCann, and her messages with a third party, listed in her phone as R. These messages were sent over a time span of one week between May 10 and May 17. Around 70 photos were forwarded by McCann to R. McCann took photos of a conviction record which relates to R and of another individual's custody photo. She also sent photos containing information about a confidential garda source. Images were also taken of a file relating to R's brother. The prosecuting garda told the court that it appears McCann was directed by third parties to search for certain individuals. While the Pulse system shows the user's log-in details onscreen, this information was edited out of some of the images sent via WhatsApp by McCann. Messages sent by McCann via Snapchat could not be retrieved by gardai. When interviewed, McCann told gardai that word of mouth got around that she was working for the gardai and people took advantage. McCann did not name any individuals due to concerns that it would cause trouble for herself or her family. The investigating garda told the court that messages between R and McCann appear to suggest that she was offered 500 to provide information about R's brother. McCann told gardai she was experiencing financial difficulties and was offered 3,000 which she never received. Over 400 photos of information from the Pulse system were found on McCann's phone, but gardai could not say that all of these photos were forwarded to third parties. Mr Berry told the court that gardai carried out a number of searches after this incident came to light. These searches included a property relating to R, where an individual attempted to flush a phone down a toilet. While no information could be retrieved from the phone, gardai were able to confirm that the number matched that listed for R in McCann's phone. The investigating garda agreed with Seamus Clarke SC, defending, that his client had worked for the gardai for 11 months, in what was her first full-time job after completing her Leaving Certificate. McCann had been living with her boyfriend, who shared where she worked with others. The investigating garda also agreed with Mr Clarke that his clients signed pleas were of value given the sensitive nature of the garda information involved. Lauryn McCann, 23yrs, of Ministers Park, Lusk, Co. Dublin pictured at the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin. Pic: Paddy Cummins Paddy Cummins - PCPhoto.ie Mr Clarke said his client's resignation also meant that an internal disciplinary process was not required. She secured alternative work. Outlining the mitigating factors, Mr Clarke noted that his client had entered an early guilty plea and fully co-operated with gardai. McCann was living with her boyfriend at the time, following family difficulties and began taking drugs. She was somewhat naive and made no great effort to cover up her actions, which were easily detected by gardai, Mr Clarke added. A psychological report was also handed to the court, which outlined that McCann has depression and is considered psychologically vulnerable and at low risk of re-offending. Mr Clarke said his client is remorseful and ashamed of her actions. He asked Judge Nolan to consider suspending part of any sentence imposed as his client was very young at the time of her offending. Judge Nolan said this was a serious crime. McCann must have been aware why garda information would have been of interest to third parties and that it could be highly dangerous to give this information. Judge Nolan said a breach of garda systems affects the reputation of An Garda Siochana. He imposed a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence on the corruption count, with the second charge taken into consideration. An Oregon State Police Trooper and his K9 partner confiscated 83 pounds of suspected cocaine from a vehicle on Interstate 5 in Linn County. At around 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, a senior trooper from the Salem Area Command stopped a vehicle for following too close, unlawful window tint and a speed violation on Interstate 5 near milepost 228, according to an Oregon State Police news release. During the traffic stop, the trooper noticed signs of criminal activity, the news release said, and requested consent to search the vehicle. The occupants denied the request. The trooper then deployed his drug detection K9 partner who alerted to the odor of controlled substances, according to the release. A search uncovered around 83 pounds of suspected cocaine and a firearm concealed in the vehicle. The driver, identified as 28-year-old Adolfo Martinez, and the passenger, 23-year-old Carlos Martinez, are both from Renton, Washington. Police took both men into custody and booked them in jail pending federal charges, according to the news release. Detectives from the OSP Criminal Investigations Division Drug Enforcement Section, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration based out of Salem and the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Oregon all assisted with the investigation. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. The two men are serving sentences for their roles in facilitating the murder of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick are under a 23-hour-lockdown regime in a special protection wing of Limerick Prison, where they are housed in cells beside each other. Both men, especially Jonathan, are under the severest threat level possible because of his decision to give evidence against Gerry The Monk Hutch in his ongoing murder trial. For security reasons, the Irish Independent has been asked not to reveal the jail landing where the gravely under threat father and son are based. As part of the protective regime surrounding the north Dublin duo, they are not allowed to mix with other prisoners. Read more Jonathan Dowdall moved to Limerick Prison as he begins sentence for role in Regency murder All their meals are delivered to their individual prison cells and they can only take their hour of exercise time when other prisoners are on their meal breaks. The place is basically locked down when these lads are allowed out of their cells. For the hour that the Dowdalls are out of their cells, they are closely monitored by prison staff and no other prisoners can go near them, a source told the Irish Independent. Limerick Prison was chosen as the facility to house former Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan (44) and his father Patrick Dowdall (65) because the jail does not have any known criminals involved in the deadly Hutch/Kinahan feud that has claimed 18 lives. Regency murder accused Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch PA The jail unit the Dowdalls are based in is a special six cell unit, which houses no other inmates apart from them. They are being held in what are known as close observation cells while the other four cells on the unit are described as regular but currently unoccupied. Due to the protection regime they are on, the Dowdalls are never likely to get a prison job or mix with other inmates, who are also unable to observe the unit where they are based. Jonathan Dowdall, and to a lesser extent his dad, are the most under threat prisoners in the entire prison system It is understood they have had no visitors yet since being transferred to Limerick earlier this week. They were originally committed there from high-security Portlaoise Prison on Bank Holiday Monday. If anyone decides to visit, special security arrangements involving armed gardai on the outside and other arrangements within the jail will need to be made. However, sources stress the Irish Prison Service has past experience of this kind of situation and the father-and-son can avail of video calls instead of personal visits which could ease the security headache. Jonathan Dowdall, and to a lesser extent his dad, are the most under threat prisoners in the entire prison system but there is a degree of confidence, as much as there can be, that the threats against them are being managed and contained, a source said. A risk assessment and security plan is in place and this will be constantly reviewed as things can change quickly, the source added. A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service (IPS) said they do not comment on individual prisoners. State witness Jonathan is serving a four-year sentence for facilitating the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, which inflamed the deadly criminal feud. David Byrne was shot dead in the Regency attack His father Patrick was jailed for two years for his role in facilitating the murder of Kinahan cartel associate Byrne. Dowdalls sentencing hearing heard he was being considered for the witness protection programme and that following his sentence he would likely need to relocate to another country for his own safety. Both men had pleaded guilty to facilitating the gangland shooting by making a hotel room available to a criminal organisation. The three-judge Special Criminal Court took account of the extraordinary additional mitigation of Jonathan Dowdalls help to the prosecution in the ongoing trial of Gerard The Monk Hutch and two others over the Regency shooting. Patrick Dowdall booked a room in the hotel for use by the gang and both men drove to hand over the keys to criminals the day before the fatal attack. Jonathan Dowdall had originally been charged with murder but that was withdrawn by the prosecution after he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence. The Dowdalls are the first people to be convicted over the Regency shooting. The scene at the Regency Hotel after the gun attack Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin Jonathan Dowdall then made himself available as a prosecution witness in the trial of Gerard The Monk Hutch, who is charged with Mr Byrnes murder. Dealing with Jonathan Dowdall, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the accused had assisted a serious criminal organisation, having received and followed instructions to obtain a hotel room, with the assistance of his father. The male then fled the scene on foot and was intercepted by Gardai a short distance away. Gardai have arrested and charged a man following a number of robberies from pharmacies in the North Dublin area between November 1 and 4t. Last night, Gardai in Coolock arrested a male following the robbery of a pharmacy in Artane, Dublin 5. The male had entered the pharmacy armed with a knife and demanded a number of items from staff. The male then fled the scene on foot and was intercepted by Gardai a short distance away. The male, aged in his 30s, was arrested and taken to Coolock Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Following further enquiries by investigating Gardai, the man was later charged in relation to a number of robberies in the North Dublin area. He is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice (Court 1) this morning, Saturday November 5 at 10.30am. Investigations are ongoing. In April of last year his operations came to a halt when he was arrested by Dubai Police One of the most wanted men in the UK has admitted his part in a large-scale international drug trafficking plot as he was brought to justice after eight years on the run. Michael Paul Moogan (36) from Croxteth, Liverpool, vanished in October 2013 following a raid on a cafe suspected of being a front for meetings between drug traffickers and cartels. The notorious Cafe de Ketel in Rotterdam, which was a business not open to the public, could only be entered via a security system and was strictly for known faces. The NCA had become aware of information that linked Moogan and two other British men to the venue which was the hub for Moogans conspiracy to bring hundreds of kilos of cocaine into the UK every month. After the Dutch National Crime Squad raided the cafe, only one of the men, Robert Hamilton (71) from Hale, Greater Manchester, could be found. He was later jailed for eight years in 2014 after pleading guilty to drug charges. Another man Robert Gerard (57) from Liverpool, handed himself in to the NCA after three years on the run. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was jailed in 2017 for 14 years. Moogan and his associates were involved in plans to import drugs from Latin America to the EU. It was established that Moogan could access $500,000 to fund his cocaine deals from South American suppliers who would ship the Class A drug to Belgium. Through Iraqi nationals based in the UK, he was able pay in lump sums rather than in instalments which is common in large scale drugs supply. Evidence also showed he had the ability to bribe port officials to help ensure the cocaine he brought into the UK concealed in meat from Argentina, was not stopped. As well as shipping from South America, Moogan used road transport networks stretching from Bulgaria to Latvia, Spain and Belgium to facilitate the movement of cocaine to the UK. However, in April of last year his operations came to a halt when he was arrested by Dubai Police. NCA officers established Moogan was using numerous false identities to avoid capture. He had a German passport, and also a drivers licence and citizen card in the name of Michael Dier but displaying his own image. Dubai Police believe that after entering the UAE using a different identity, he tried to avoid CCTV in an attempt to elude detectives who used their latest capabilities to track him down. Moogan was the 86th person arrested under Operation Captura an NCA fugitive campaign run in conjunction with Crimestoppers. After being extradited to the UK, he told the NCA arresting officer: Youre not going to have any trouble from me. Im tired now. Get me up to Manny and get me in Cat A. Im done now. Moogan was transported to police custody in Greater Manchester and on Friday 4 November he appeared at Manchester Crown Court wher he admitted conspiring to import Class A drugs. He will return to court to be sentenced at a date to be fixed. NCA Senior Investigating Officer Ben Rutter said: Moogans long overdue conviction is the result of years of investigation by the NCA and law enforcement partners in the UK, Europe and Middle East. We are particularly thankful to the Dubai Police for their hard work in tracking Moogan down and ensuring his return to the UK where he has admitted his guilt. This case should serve as a warning to others on the run from the NCA we have a global reach, we never give up and they can never rest easy. Moogan was a major figure in international drug dealing. His consignments of Class A drugs undoubtedly brought misery and real harm to the UK communities they reached. Nicola Tallant discusses the secrets behind the Hawala money transfer system and why the UAE is the perfect hiding place for mobsters ITS been a place of refuge for countless mega-rich European drug traffickers who have beaten a golden path to the luxury Gulf state of Dubai over the past 10 years. And when a super cartel of the biggest cocaine traffickers sat down to do business at Daniel Kinahan's 2017 wedding at the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel they couldnt have felt safer. But arrests, deportations and sanctions have followed - with two now in prison and two left behind, trapped in their own luxury prisons. So how did Dubai become the new Costa Del Crime and how committed are police and rulers in the United Arab Emirates to handing back the crooks? Nicola Tallant talks with author and journalist Carl Fellstrom, who details the ancient Hawala money laundering system that has made crime easy, about the British drug trafficker who led the way to the Gulf at the turn of the century, and about the A-list traffickers - including the Kinahan mob - who followed to the cash-rich desert paradise. Crime Word Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud. MORE EPISODES The man and his Cockatiel are regulars on the Dublin to Mayo line Commuters on a busy Irish Rail route are regularly left bemused at the antics of an unusual fellow passenger a playful cockatiel. His male owner certainly brings a whole new meaning to bringing his bird on a trip away. The medium sized parrots name is Shadow. Hes age three and had a brother, but he got killed by a cat, his owner tells us. The unusual pair regularly get the Dublin to Mayo train from the Westmeath and Roscommon areas. The train staff and conductors turn a blind eye to me bringing him on board and naturally he gets on free, smiled Shadows owner. The man brings a bag of small nuts to keep Shadow fed, and ties him on a small lead to stop him flying away. Shadow also likes to look out the window at the passing scenery, and perhaps other birds in the wild. Two years ago a Dublin supermarket apologised to panto queen Twink after they banned her from bringing her pet cockatiel Timberlake into their shop. Twink, whose real name is Adele King, regularly used bring her pet bird on her shoulder into various stores in Knocklyon shopping centre. Twink is regularly seen in SuperValu beside her home with her pet on her shoulder Read more Homeless kitten found in England is neither male nor female, vets say Shocking footage shows rats running through a children's playground in Kilmainham SuperValu Knocklyon said they were sorry for "any embarrassment" they may have caused her. A spokesperson for the supermarket said back then: SuperValu Knocklyon would like to apologise for any confusion regarding a cherished customer at our store, Adele King. "We wish to make clear that Ms King continues to be welcome at our store and that yesterdays news coverage in relation to her pet cockatiel came about due to the store manager responding to a query to clarify our policy in relation to letting animals in-store. "The intention was not to cause any embarrassment to Ms King, who is a long standing and much loved customer by the Knocklyon staff, we apologise for any offence caused. This is the biggest inquest in the history of the State but at this rate its also going to be the longest The families the Stardust victims and survivors have today called for an immediate start to the long-delayed inquest as a matter of urgency. It follows this weeks decision by the High Court to reject a challenge by former Stardust manager Eamon Butterly to the new inquest into the deaths of 48 people at the Dublin nightclub more than 41 years ago. He and his family owned the club at the time the fire broke out in the early hours of Valentine's Day 1981. Mr Butterly wanted the court to rule that a verdict of unlawful killing was not open to the jury at the inquest and that the coroner should give the jury this direction at the outset. However, Mr Justice Charles Meenan found a verdict of unlawful killing was permitted where no person was identified or identifiable as being responsible for the killing. Speaking to sundayworld.com, Stardust campaigner and survivor Antoinette Keegan demanded that the coroner now set a date for the inquest after the challenge was rejected. We need the coroner to give us a start date now, she said. Weve waited long enough. Its actually a disgrace. This is the biggest inquest in the history of the State but at this rate its also going to be the longest. Why delay any longer? Were ready to move, our legal team is ready, everyone is ready but we need a start date and the sooner the better, so we can all move on. Its going to be horrendous, Antoinette added. We're going to hear things that we've never heard before (from the evidence) but it needs to be done. The Attorney General ordered the new inquest in 2019 and here we are going towards 2023 and not one single hearing has taken place. Antoinette also paid tribute and offered condolences to the family of Mr Bill Redmond, a hero fireman who had saved many lives at the Stardust. Mr Redmond, formerly of Walkinstown and Dublin Fire Brigade, Tara Street, and other firefighters were called out to the Stardust nightclub in Artane Taking to social media, Justice for the Stardust48 paid tribute to Mr Redmond following his passing. They wrote: "Sad news, Firefighter Bill Redmond passed away recently. He was one of the many heroes who saved many lives by repeatedly entering the Stardust on the night 14th Feb 1981. Rest in Peace HERO. Since the announcement of the inquest in September 2019, weve lost my mam (Christine Keegan, who led the Stardust campaign for many years) in July 2020, Antoinette said. Eugene Kelly passed away three months later. There have been about 50 family members who have passed away. These are all siblings and parents of the victims and survivors. Hoe many more will die before they get to see justice for their loved ones? Over the years, there have been a number of inquiries including a government appointed tribunal which found the "more probable explanation of the fire is that it was caused deliberately." Inquests in 1982 recorded deaths in accordance with the medical evidence. The families of the deceased have long campaigned to have the tribunal finding overturned and for new inquests to be held. In 2008, then senior counsel Paul Coffey was appointed to examine the case for a new inquiry and he found the finding in 1982 that the fire was deliberately started was not objectively justifiable on the evidence. A further review, based on new evidence, by a retired judge in 2017, found a further inquiry was not warranted. Then, following further campaigning by the families, the Attorney General directed a new inquest be held. Mr Butterly had also sought a declaration from the court that his rights had been breached by the failure to provide him with free legal aid at the inquest in circumstances where a verdict of unlawful killing would be available to the coroner. In a separate judgment on that issue, Mr Justice Meenan refused the application. The judge said while Mr Butterly is entitled to fair procedures in the course of the inquest, these procedures are not of the order that arise in an adversarial process. Mr Butterly is not a party and is not defending himself against allegations as might be the case in civil or criminal hearings, he said. Bill Redmond was one of the responders who were called to the nightclub in Artane on Valentines Day in 1981 Tributes have poured in for a hero Dublin firefighter who helped save lives while responding to the tragic Stardust fire. Bill Redmond was one of the responders from Dublin Fire Brigade who were called to the nightclub in Artane on February 14th 1981. Almost 800 people were in attendance at the Valentines Day disco, 48 of whom sadly died. Taking to social media, Justice for the Stardust48 paid tribute to the Walkinstown man following his death on October 24th. Sad news, Firefighter Bill Redmond passed away recently. He was one of the many heroes who saved many lives by repeatedly entering the Stardust on the night 14th Feb 1981. Rest in Peace HERO." His death notice reads: Redmond Bill (William), 24th October, 2022, St. Brendans Crescent, Walkinstown and formerly of Dublin Fire Brigade, Tara Street, D Watch. Beloved husband of Winnie, loving dad of Bernadette, Liam and the late Trish and a much loved grandad of Thomas, Eric, Michael, Louise, Emma and Kelly. Bill will be forever loved and very sadly missed by his loving wife, children, grandchildren, sisters and brother Marie, Eileen and Tommy, in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours friends and former colleagues of the Dublin Fire Brigade. Paying tribute, one mourner said: My sincere sympathy on hearing of the passing of dear Bill, he was a Gentleman and always so helpful and kind in the Art Class in the Greenhills Community Centre on Thursday mornings, sadly since Covid I wouldnt have seen Bill as the class stopped! It was a pleasure to have know you Bill and May you rest in peace. My deepest Sympathy to your dear family at this sad and difficult time. Another remembered him as kind and fun. Uncle Billy - one of the kindest, funnest people around. He was great fun and I have the best memories of his tickle sandwiches growing up and our holidays in Rockets. (He always did the horse riding ) He always went out of his to help others and was so good to Nana and everyone in the family who needed him. He was a gem and we were so lucky to have him and will all miss his deeply. A former colleague shared: Very sorry to hear of Billy's death I worked with him for years a very honest and decent gentleman. My condolences to his wife and family. The UDA in the Lower Oldpark area are not too happy to have someone like David McVeigh living among them, a loyalist source told this paper. The UDA is gunning for a notorious child killer recently released from Maghaberry Prison living on their patch, the Sunday World can reveal. And we can also reveal David McVeigh also recently lost his job in a posh eatery in Belfast city centre after he was exposed as a dangerous killer. Monster McVeigh was granted permission recently to be moved to Burren House in north Belfast where inmates are prepared for permanent release and afforded days out and employment opportunities. The UDA in the Lower Oldpark area are not too happy to have someone like David McVeigh living among them, a loyalist source told this paper. They are used to life sentence prisoners living in Burren House but having a child-killing rapist walking around their patch is seen as a step too far. His presence has been mentioned at UDA meetings in north Belfast. They want him out of the area because they are getting pressure from local women who are fed up with the Crumlin Road being used as a dumping ground for sex offenders. David McVeigh has already served twice the amount of time in prison for the rape and murder of his 14-year-old stepsister. McVeigh lured Janet Swanson to a forest in Leeds, West Yorkshire back in 1995 and raped and killed her. Burren House But a judge said that the greatest possible caution should be exercised before releasing him. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years. However, the tariff was later educed to 12 years by the Lord Chief Justice. Despite that, he remains a prisoner 27 years after his evil crime, suggesting the authorities are extremely reluctant to set him loose permanently. Its also because he had been caught breaching rules whenever he has been given the opportunity to enjoy the more relaxed regime on offer on the pre-release scheme. In fact he was returned to Maghaberry Prison in April along with a number of other prisoners after drugs were discovered in Burren House. Eyebrows have been raised as to why he has been allowed back to the semi-open prison within a matter of months, especially as hes broken the rules on numerous occasions. But we can reveal the 42-year-old, who was described by a judge as extremely dangerous, had even got a job in a high-end restaurant in the city centre where he served unsuspecting members of the public. However, McVeigh left after he was exposed in another newspaper and pictured walking around north Belfast. An employee at the restaurant told the Sunday World: He left because his picture was all over the paper and not everyone working here knew about his past. The owner knew about his past and had done nothing wrong in trying to give him a new start in life but when his picture hit the press he was worried about a backlash if came out he was working here. McVeigh was only 15-years-old when he murdered and sexually assaulted Janet Swanson. He met his victim through his dad who was dating her mum. A room in Burren House The killer exploited this link to lure vulnerable Janet to a forest near Leeds where he carried out a violent sexual assault before strangling her with the drawstring of an anorak and dumping her body in a ditch. After McVeigh was arrested he denied involvement until the second day of his trial when he entered guilty pleas. This was after he realised a lottery ticket found in Janets pocket led cops to CCTV from the supermarket where it was bought. The footage showed McVeigh with his victim just hours before the murder. Janets half-naked body was found by three walkers in woodland behind a B&Q store. Jailing the child sex killer for life with a minimum 16 years, Judge Timothy Walker branded him extremely dangerous, saying: The greatest possible caution should be exercised before releasing him. McVeighs sentence was later reduced on appeal to a minimum 13 years, and he was moved back to prison in Northern Ireland in 2000. The murder rocked the area of Killingbeck in Leeds and news of his release from Maghaberry Prison caused great anger in the community where family and friends of Janets have not forgotten. When was he initially released two years ago friends took to social media to express their anger at McVeigh. One furious relative posted on social media: I hope to god that b*****d that murdered my niece I hope he get corona virus and it kills him what my poor sister my nieces mother went through for years and years she never got over losing her daughter sadly my sister has died and is now with her daughter who she longed to be with...life should mean life...David McVweigh you dont deserve to be free. UPDATE: Kelsey and Seamus have both been found safe Gardai are appealing to the public for help in tracing the whereabouts of 13-year-old Kelsey Kenny and 13-year-old Seamus Hynes. Kelsey and Seamus are both missing from the Cloghernagh area of Co Monaghan since Friday afternoon, November 4. Gardai believe that Kelsey and Seamus are travelling together and may currently be in the Dublin area. It is understood Kelsey and Seamus travelled to the Dublin 7 area. Kelsey is described as being 5 foot 6 inches tall with a slight build. She has long, light brown hair and green eyes. When last seen, Kelsey was wearing a brown tracksuit and white Nike runners. Seamus is described as being 5 foot 4 inches tall with a slim build. He has short brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen, Seamus was wearing a black Nike top, black tracksuit bottoms and brown boots. Anyone with any information on Kelseys and Seamus whereabouts is asked to contact Monaghan Garda Station on 047 77200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. Taoiseach also warns about using terms like Tech Wreck and insists IT sector can bounce back after widespread redundancies Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hit out at Twitter over its treatment of Irish staff after it emerged the tech giant was to lay off employees in Dublin. Mr Martin warned that the manner in which Twitter employees were treated with summary dismissal notices was not acceptable. However, he also warned against commentators overstating the impact of jobs losses on Irelands IT sector and creating hype over a possible Tech Wreck. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said tech companies may have expanded too quickly. Twitter employs more than 500 people in Dublin and over 7,000 globally. The company sent an email to staff informing them that they would be told yesterday whether they still have a job. Team, in an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday, the internal memo to the employees read. We recognise that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the companys success moving forward. Speaking in Tipperary, Mr Martin said the Government was concerned for the employees of Twitter. It has changed ownership globally there seems to be a fairly unprecedented approach adopted here to a global workforce and that is manifesting itself in Ireland, said Mr Martin. What I would say is that no matter who you are or what sector you are in, one must always treat people with dignity and respect. The employees of Twitter deserve to be treated with respect. I read some of the commentary from the workers they enjoyed working with them [over the years], the Twitter that they knew. They had a good sense of collegiality there and enjoyed their work experience, added Mr Martin. The summary notice of dismissal or you are no longer working [for Twitter], is not acceptable. That is not the way we conduct industrial relations or organise relationships between employers and employees. There has to be respect and there has to be dignity in situations like this. Mr Martin also warned about the use of language as some commentators spoke of a global Tech Wreck with IT, software and social media firms cutting staff and costs. We have to be careful about the language we use. We are going through global challenges the whole world is, he said. The war in Ukraine is having its impact. From time to time, different sectors having varied periods of activity and growth and then they can regress somewhat. We have been through that as a country and we have come back. Mr Varadkar has said some tech companies expanding probably too quickly was the reason for widespread layoffs across the sector in recent days. My first thoughts are with the people who are going to get bad news today whether thats people working in Stripe or Twitter, and other companies, who are going to find out that theyre losing their jobs, Mr Varadkar said on RTEs News at One. Tech companies expanded very quickly, probably a little bit too quickly, in the past year or two and as a result of this they have to lay off some staff. The Tanaiste said that despite the layoffs in Twitter and Stripe, the number of vacancies in the sector still outweigh the number of people looking for employment. A slowdown or even a downturn in the tech sector will still mean companies making profits and a lot of people working in the sector, he said. One thing weve been sure about and careful to do in Ireland is not to become over-reliant on any one sector. Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Michael McGrath admitted it was a dark day for staff who had suffered the loss of their livelihood. I dont think they [Twitter] have made any formal statement yet on the impact on their Irish operations and we await developments. However, we will do all we possibly can to support those who have suffered a loss of employment today, said Mr McGrath. The Government and all of our agencies will be working now to ensure that there are alternative opportunities provided to people who are bringing highly valued skills and experiences to the table. I am sure there will be a formal statement from the company setting out the full circumstances and setting out the facts of the situation. It is a company we have worked closely with for a number of years now in Ireland. It is an important relationship. But the manner of todays developments is deeply disappointing. It is important that people are treated with respect at all times irrespective of how difficult the circumstances may be. Process will start on November 11 and customers affected will lose access to their funds at the bank Ulster Bank intends to push ahead with its plan to begin freezing the bank accounts of a first wave of customers whove yet to move to a new bank from the end of this week, the Irish Independent understands. An initial October deadline was kicked back a month to allow additional time for customers to prepare but its understood the plan is now to begin the process of freezing current and deposit accounts on or after November 11. Once an account is frozen direct debits and standing orders will stop going out and customers will lose immediate access to their funds. The customer will then have 30 days before the account is shut by the bank. Holders of the accounts affected were told in April and May that they had six months to shut their account and switch to a new bank, credit union or An Post. The first of those are now due to be made inactive. The bank told TDs last month that the initial freeze will target the least active accounts with five or fewer transactions in a month though them before targeting busier accounts. The intention is to push all remaining bank customers to find a new bank. Ulster Bank is understood to be planning a tentative approach to the freezing of accounts, examining the profile of account holders and assessing the potential impact cutting access to an account will have on customers. That may mean prioritising accounts set up to receive pension and social welfare payments to stay open longer, for example. It is understood customers who use Ulster Bank as their main account but have not moved to a new provider will be given further support to complete the switch. Ulster Bank is not expected to fully exit the Irish market until next year but the bank has divided its hundreds of thousands of customer accounts into different cohorts and put them on rolling schedules for closure as part of its managed exit. In each case customers have been given six months notice of the deadline for their account to be frozen. The bank has said over 70pc of customers notified in April and May their account will close have either closed or materially wound down the level of activity in their current account or left it inactive. That suggests close to a third of those told to close their accounts have yet to make any significant moves to leave Ulster Bank while not all those whove begun to move have completed the process. Research published this week by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission showed of those who are moving bank most are going to AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB. The Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf this week repeated the regulators position that it could act to delay banks exiting the Irish market if theres a danger former customers will be left stranded. Ulster CEO Jane Howard has urged customers to contact the bank on 0818 210 260, or 00353 1804 7475 if calling from abroad, or 1800 656 001 if they have vulnerabilities. Paul Mescal is among the stars nominated for the British Independent Film Awards (Bifas) in its first year with gender neutral acting categories. As part of the organisations 25th anniversary, the body has made the move to award five acting accolades with no mention of actor or actress as well as adding a selection of new performance awards. Scottish director Charlotte Wellss feature debut Aftersun, about a father and daughters complex relationship explored through a holiday they take in Turkey, leads the nominations with 16 nods. Normal People star Mescal, who plays Calum, and Frankie Corio, who plays his daughter Sophie, have received a nod in the best joint lead performance category. They will battle it out against Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande; West End Cabaret star Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear for Men; and Tamara Lawrance and Letitia Wright for The Silent Twins. Aftersun is also up for best screenplay, the Douglas Hickox award (best debut director) and best director for Wells. It will go head to head for the coveted best British independent film against Georgia Oakleys Blue Jean, Sophie Hydes Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, Oliver Hermanuss Living and Sebastian Lelios The Wonder. Oakleys debut film Blue Jean, which follows a young school teacher forced to lead a double life set during the late 1980s against the backdrop of Thatchers anti-gay Section 28 ruling, is the second most nominated project with 13 nods. Two of its actors, Lucy Halliday and Kerrie Hayes, are among those nominated for the best supporting performance gong alongside Mescal for a different role in Gods Creatures as well as Sex Educations Aimee Lou Wood for her performance in Living. Meanwhile, Florence Pugh for her role in The Wonder, Sex Educations Emma Mackey for the biographical drama Emily based on Emily Bronte, and Rosy McEwen for Blue Jean are among those who have received nods in the best lead performance category. The nominations were announced on Friday by the ceremonys hosts Sam Claflin and Bifa winner Kosar Ali at the Everyman Broadgate event with 36 British feature films recognised in total. In July, the organisation announced the new gender neutral performance categories were: best lead performance, best supporting performance, best joint lead performance for two (or exceptionally three) performances that are the joint focus of the film, and best ensemble. Bifa was created in 1998 and has since celebrated and promoted British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in the UK. Winners will be announced at the Bifa award ceremony on Sunday December 4. The actor played Chandler Bing in the hit US sitcom for 10 years Matthew Perry's explosive memoir is causing a huge stir on both sides of the Atlantic Matthew Perry has revealed that he harboured a massive crush on one of his Friends co-stars. The 53-year-old actor, who played Chandler Bing in the classic sitcom, told PEOPLE magazine that he was enamoured with Jennifer Aniston before they began filming in 1994. The time I realised I had a crush on Jennifer Aniston was way before the show started. It was like two years earlier when I met her and how could you not have a crush on her, he said of Aniston who played Rachel Green on the show. There was such severe indifference from her that I ended my crush, I had to. So, I think I ended it in time. But I thank her in the book for allowing me to look at her face for like two extra seconds than normal people would, he joked. Further explaining his infatuation he confessed he hid his feelings: I never said anything, and I hid it, you know, the crush, he admitted. But, you know, then she married Brad Pitt, and I was like I dont think I have a chance here.' In his memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing which was released earlier this month, Matthew opened up about his battle with addiction and alcoholism. He recently told ABC News journalist Diane Sawyer that Jennifer Aniston helped him during his struggle. Friends cast She was the one who reached out the most, you know. Im really grateful to her for that. In his interview with PEOPLE, he revealed how he was in the early stages of alcoholism when Friends began. Over the ensuing years, it got to a point where four years ago, his colon burst from using opioids. He spent two weeks in a coma and five months in hospital and had to use a colostomy bag for nine months. "The doctors told my family that I had a 2% chance to live, he said. "I was put on a thing called an Ecmo machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that's called a Hail Mary. No one survives that." Perry said five people were put on Ecmo machines that night and only he survived, making him question why he was the one. He said his alcohol addiction began to surface when he was first cast on Friends aged 24. By the end of the 10th series of the hit show, he became "entrenched in a lot of trouble". I didnt know how to stop. If the police came over to my house and said, If you drink tonight, were going to take you to jail, Id start packing. I couldnt stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive. So it gets worse and worse as you grow older, he explained. He has been to rehab 15 times and has had 14 surgeries on his stomach, admitted that fans who read the book will be surprised at how bad it got at certain times and how close to dying I came. Matthew Perry I say in the book that if I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldnt surprise anybody. And thats a very scary thing to be living with. So, my hope is that people will relate to it and know that this disease attacks everybody. It doesnt matter if youre successful or not successful, the disease doesnt care. Im an extremely grateful guy. Im grateful to be alive, thats for sure. And that gives me the possibility to do anything, he continued. What Im most surprised with is my resilience. The way that I can bounce back from all of this torture and awfulness. Wanting to tell the story, even though its a little scary to tell all your secrets in a book, I didnt leave anything out. Everythings in there. Theyre bright, loud and spectacular, but it doesnt take much for fireworks to turn into a nightmare for your family. ACC are encouraging New Zealanders to Have a hmmm and think about the risks before lighting fireworks on Guy Fawkes. We accept around 300 claims for fireworks injuries each year and our tamariki are the most affected, says an ACC spokesperson. These injures are preventable. Fire and Emergency New Zealand are also calling for people to be careful particularly with high winds forecast across the motu. On average there are around 300 new claims accepted every year by ACC for fireworks injuries. From 2017 2021, we accepted 1,499 fireworks related injury claims, says an ACC spokesperson. Auckland (569), Waikato (154) and Canterbury (128) were the leading regions for fireworks related injuries. In 2021, there were 244 new ACC claims from people injured by fireworks, and more than half of these claims were lodged in November. Common trends every Guy Fawkes ACC say their data from 2017 to 2021 shows common trends when it comes to fireworks-related injuries that are happening each year: Burns are the most common injury every year. Hands/wrists are the most common part of the body to be injured every year. Young men and children are among those most likely to be in the line of danger from fireworks. Children under 10 made up around a quarter of ACC fireworks related claims each year. Fireworks injury claims peak in November. Keeping our tamariki safe ACC Injury Prevention Programme Lead James Whitaker says that people need to take the risk of injury at Guy Fawkes seriously. Our data shows that many injuries from fireworks are predictable and this means theyre preventable, says James. If youre planning to light fireworks this Guy Fawkes night, think about the risks first. Check the advice on Fire and Emergency New Zealands website for guidance on how to safely light fireworks. James says the ACC claims data was a timely reminder about protecting our children. From 2017 2021, tamariki aged 0- 4 suffered the most fireworks related injuries. There were 210 claims accepted for children during this period. No one wants their kids to get hurt so think about how your actions might harm others, says James. Think about the things you can do to keep tamariki safe, like making sure they cant touch sparklers and other fireworks while theyre still burning hot. Thisll help to ensure you and your whanau have a memorable time for all the right reasons, he says. High winds are forecast across the motu Fire and Emergency New Zealand is calling for people to be careful particularly with high winds forecast across the motu. Fire and Emergency Community Education Manager Adrian Nacey says people shouldnt light fireworks if its too windy. It only takes a stray firework to start a fire or hurt someone," says Adrian. So if youre lighting fireworks this Guy Fawkes please take simple precautions to keep everyone safe. Fireworks can make a fun celebration, but they can also be dangerous and need to be used responsibly. If there is a public fireworks display in your area, Fire and Emergency encourage you to head along to that rather than light your own. But if you do choose to light your own, remember we need everyone to do their part to help keep our communities safe this Guy Fawkes, says Adrian. "You dont want to be the person responsible for damaging a person, property or the environment by not being careful with fireworks." A temporary ban on the private use of fireworks is in place in Northlands Karikari Penisula, Ahipara township and surrounds from November 2 2022 - April 30 2023. There is also a ban on fireworks in Otagos prohibited fire zones (Mount Iron, Albert Town recreation reserve, Queenstown Red Zone, Shag Point, Bucklands Crossing, Ruby Island, Stevensons Island, Mou Waho, Mou Tapu, Pig Island / Matau, Pigeon Island / Wawahi Waka and Coronet Forest). Private fireworks will not be permitted in these areas for this period. Fire and Emergency New Zealand Tips for a safe Guy Fawkes: Watch the weather. If it is windy and dry, dont light fireworks. Supervise your tamariki at all times to make sure they are safe. Read the manufacturers instructions, light fireworks in an open area away from anything that could catch fire and keep a bucket of water handy. Remember fire can spread very quickly and a house fire can become un-survivable within three minutes. Light fireworks on level ground and point fireworks at the stars, not at people or other peoples property. Check local bylaws for the rules around using fireworks in your area. In many places, you're only allowed to light fireworks on private property. Let your neighbours know if you are planning to set off fireworks and keep your pets inside. Dispose of your fireworks safely and soak them in water before you throw them out. For more fireworks safety tips: https://www.checkitsalright.nz/reduce-your-risk/fireworks. A fund to support disabled candidates to participate in parliamentary elections is now open for applications. Disabled people seeking selection or standing as a candidate in a parliamentary general election or by-election can apply for a grant from the Election Access Fund Te Tomokanga Putea Whakatapoko Potitanga to help cover their costs. The fund can be used to pay for disability-related costs during selection or campaigning for example, accessible transport to events or meetings, or specialist equipment. The Electoral Commission consulted with disabled people, disabled peoples organisations, political parties, and other interested groups, before finalising how the fund would be managed. On advice from the community, we have designed the processes around the Election Access Fund to offer independence, choice and autonomy for the applicant, says chief electoral officer, Karl Le Quesne. Information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply for funding is available online and in alternate formats at: elections.nz A lucky Lotto player from Northland will be jumping for joy after winning $1 million with Lotto First Division in Saturday night's live Lotto draw. The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto. Powerball was not struck on Saturday evening and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $12 million. Meanwhile, a lucky Strike player from Christchurch will also be celebrating after winning $300,000 with Strike Four. The winning Strike ticket was sold at Stanmore New World in Christchurch Eleven lucky Lotto players will be celebrating after each winning $24,994 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday's live Lotto draw. One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $43,189. The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was on MyLotto to a player from Auckland. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores: Store Location MyLotto Northland MyLotto (+PB) Auckland New World Stonefields Auckland Ti Rakau Superette Auckland Paper Plus Otorohanga Otorohanga Robinson Street Superette Cambridge MyLotto Rotorua MyLotto Taupo MyLotto Napier MyLotto Upper Hutt Monte Carlo Milkbar Mosgiel Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores, Stanmore New World or on MyLotto should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the Lotto NZ App. With 100 per cent of Lotto NZs profits supporting thousands of great causes each year, every time you play one of Lotto NZs games, youre a Kiwi helping other Kiwis. Photo of the day Whats happening today The 45th Denver Film Festival's first full weekend day will bring 35 programs to nine screens, including features, collections of shorts and even an episode of TV's "How to Build a Sex Room," an original Netflix series filmed entirely in Colorado (4 p.m. at the Sie Film Center, 46 minutes). Screening of the day Today's "special presentation" is a 6:15 p.m. screening of Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras' "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed," which chronicles the work of artist Nan Goldin, who protested against Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin. (Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., 117 minutes) What happened yesterday Following a sold-out screening of his eco-terrorism thriller "How to Blow Up a Pipeline," Boulder filmmaker Daniel Goldhaber announced that the film has been picked up by Neon for wide theatrical release in the spring. In this (very) near-future climate disaster story where rain is starting to burn human skin, a crew of college-age environmental activists plot to disrupt the nation's oil supply in a desperate attempt to wake people up. "My parents have spent the past 30 years working in climate research and technology, so they raised me with a good sense of doom," Goldhaber said to laughs. His intent with the film was to look at the heroic (and even arguably responsible) role of environmental extremism in the existential fight against climate change. For your consideration: Denver Film Festival recommendations With 230 films to choose from, here's a helpful way to start your search Off the beaten path A new series launching this year is called Stories from Interesting Times that will initiate discussions around four topics that are emerging in many of this year's chosen films that touch on our everyday lives: First up: Alternative Radio Founder David Barsamian and Rocky Mountain Community Radio Managing Editor Maeve Conran lead a free conversation on the state of the media at 5 p.m. in theater No. 8 at the AMC movieplex at 826 Albion St. Among the media-related films in this year's festival: "She Said" and "Turn Every Page." Quote of the day Our sound guy got lost in the uterus!" - Denver School of the Arts graduate Will Seefried, talking about his short film "Homesick." (As a theater critic in 2006, I said of young Will's performance in the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center's production of "Bye Bye Birdie," starring TV's future "Supergirl" Melissa Benoist that Seefried "was last seen hustling down Main Street with the show he's pilfered in tow.") OK, about that film ... "Homesick" is a 16-minute film about an unhappy man who attends a retreat that offers adults a second chance at a happy childhood. Said Seefried: "I do think that at some point it is too late to change an unhappy childhood but that doesnt mean you cant have a happy adulthood." Video of the day Information and tickets Go to denverfilm.org Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Contrary to the allegations of a pair of environmental groups, state agencies satisfied the legal deadline for proposing rules aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the next three decades, Colorado's second-highest court concluded on Thursday. V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 3,443 Thanked: 47,352 Times Re: Chinese 2-wheeler brand QJMotor to enter the Indian market Quote: Livnletcarsliv Originally Posted by I don't agree. If the second largest is not going to change, there is no reason to believe that its belligerence will also change. In fact, this belligerence attitude of China (since the '80s & '90s) is way older than its second-largest position (after the 2000s). In fact, we are already approx. $80billion trade deficit with China. This will only increase the deficit. I am against this Chinese (our most hostile nation - even worse than Pakistan) brand, introducing a new 2-wheeler brand in India. This should stop immediately. If we don't have something that only this Chinese investment can bring, then so be it. Let us not have it. I obviously don't want us to become another Srilanka. Quote: Raghu M Originally Posted by Not in favor of this. In the name of job creation, there will be a huge mess that these Chinese investments will create. First, they set up shop and employ people. Then they escalate tensions on the border, if the Indian forces react, the left wing in India will start accusing the govt. of threating job loss. Gives good fodder for many urban naxals to play mischief. This is a poor move if it goes ahead at all. There are some delicate geopolitical items that are best left untouched. If they want to import these junks, then whoever wants to own them can pay the import duty and buy. For these companies coming into India and manufacturing these vehicles, is a huge risk. The Chinese have had a history of espionage, spying and eavesdropping on delicate matters. I doubt these centers will turn hubs for anti-national activities. My honest opinion, you don't have to agree with me. China is a powerful nation and so is India. Time we outgrew our persecution complex and sulky sue temperament and dealt with them with strength and confidence. That in fact is the manner in which our Ministry of External Affairs is dealing with them - encourage FDI into India so they have a bigger stake to peaceful relations, try and stem the trade deficit by encouraging manufacturing in India*, develop our Armed Forces and reorganize them out of their World War II structures, re-inforce the infrastructure at the borders, hold our ground in Govt to Govt talks. All told our firm hand with China is better today than it has ever been. We cannot wish away our geography of being neighbours nor can we wish away the fact that China is the largest importer-exporter in the world. The magic word is 'engagement' not sulking. Thank fully the EAM knows that. Chinese FDI inflow into India stands at $2.3 bn over 2013-2021 and the trade between the two economies was $90bn in 2021 albeit skewed in favour of China. If we wish to boycott Chinese goods lets toss out our mobile phones and laptops to start with. * This will take a long time given that we invested 30 years from 1991 to systematically destroy our manufacturing base with WTO driven import loosening and the inspector raj. Before 1991 we only had the inspector raj Geo-politics, urban naxals, trade deficit, investments becoming a hub for anti-national activities, employment linked to border tensions!!!! My head is reeling.China is a powerful nation and so is India. Time we outgrew our persecution complex and sulky sue temperament and dealt with them with strength and confidence. That in fact is the manner in which our Ministry of External Affairs is dealing with them - encourage FDI into India so they have a bigger stake to peaceful relations, try and stem the trade deficit by encouraging manufacturing in India*, develop our Armed Forces and reorganize them out of their World War II structures, re-inforce the infrastructure at the borders, hold our ground in Govt to Govt talks. All told our firm hand with China is better today than it has ever been. We cannot wish away our geography of being neighbours nor can we wish away the fact that China is the largest importer-exporter in the world. The magic word is 'engagement' not sulking. Thank fully the EAM knows that.Chinese FDI inflow into India stands at $2.3 bn over 2013-2021 and the trade between the two economies was $90bn in 2021 albeit skewed in favour of China. If we wish to boycott Chinese goods lets toss out our mobile phones and laptops to start with. Last edited by V.Narayan : 3rd November 2022 at 15:54 . China has been dreaming of someday becoming a powerhouse in space exploration. Now, the country is inching closer to its dream after it finished the construction of the Tiangong space station last Oct. 31. With this impressive feat, China has established itself to be a worthy competitor that could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Russia and the United States. China as a Space Program Powerhouse (Photo : CNS/AFP via Getty Images) A Long March 5B rocket, carrying China's Mengtian science module, the final module of Tiangong space station, lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China's Hainan Province on October 31, 2022. - China OUT With the completion of the Mengtian module, China has proven that its space program could go a long way with proper guidance. The said space station can reportedly accommodate up to six persons at once. According to Wired's story, the recent success of China has contributed a lot to its space program. It previously shared its plans to explore the moon and build an empire on it. Additionally, it aspires to chase the US dream of going to the red planet, aside from creating a lunar rover for a mission similar to Artemis I. "This is important for the Chinese space program. The International Space Station won't run for much longer. You may well end up with only one orbiting space station-the Chinese one," Fabio Tronchetti, an expert on space law at the University of Mississippi, said. He also teaches the same course in Beijing at Beihang University. Wired reports that China expects its space program to last up to 15 years. There's a chance that it will be extended if all goes according to its plans. With the ISS that's expected to end in 2030, China has hopes to construct its space station. This very instance can open more opportunities for other countries to explore the program outside the US and Europe. The history of spaceflight is already written in books. The US and Russia serve as the protagonists of every story, while China is always left behind. However, the experts saw a decline in the space program in these countries. The US and Russia used to roll out some improvements in the past but now, China is doing it more efficiently than them. China is an Early Bird in Space Programs Although China is quite new to the space industry, it does not mean that it would follow the way of a novice. It has been preparing for the space station to settle in 2011, and it's now reaping what it sowed after more than a decade. China's Tiangong space station is smaller than the ISS, yet it's productive and habitable for the astronauts. China intends to place a robotic telescope on it in the next few years because it has already reached its ideal size. According to Osburg, it won't grow bigger anymore because of the T-shaped module. If its size is improved, there's also a need to adjust its power usage. Related Article: A 23-ton Chinese Space Junk Will Crash Back to Earth on Friday - Where Will it Land? China-US Space War The competition between China and the US continues to propagate. The United States, being one of the pioneers of space exploration, is now concerned about China's next move when it comes to space militarization. According to Time, the collaboration between the two nations won't happen anytime since the US passed a law in 2011 which prevents China from participating in joint space explorations. Last year, Tech Times reported that China is already 20 years ahead of the US when it comes to the space race. This baffled the experts at first, given how limited resources China has. Lately, they realized the huge strides China is creating each year to set its own pace when it comes to outer space flights. Read Also: Rocket Lab Gears Up For a Second Attempt to Catch a Rocket Booster Mid-Air Via Helicopter This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apple has begun adding more iPhone 14 products in India through manufacturer Pegatron Corp. Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron Corp. has been added as an additional production source of the latest iPhone 14 model alongside one of Apple's biggest suppliers alongside, Foxconn and Wistron Corp. Bloomberg reports that the added Pegatron factory is also being boosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's financial incentives program. According to BBC News, Apple has already transferred five percent of its iPhone 14 to India and plans to see the country producing at least a quarter of all its iPhones by 2025. Apple is currently in the process of diversifying its supply chains by adding more manufacturers outside of its main source, China. India is the newest addition to Apple's other manufacturing countries, all of which are under manufacturers Foxconn and Pegatron, including China, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Thailand, and South Korea. Read Also: Apple iPhone Manufacturer Foxconn Debunks 'Edited' Viral Zhengzhou Factory Video China's Drop in Production of Apple Products Due to COVID Surge As of now, Apple still relies heavily on China for the majority of its iPhone production. However, Apple has added manufacturers in India as a plus-one strategy to make up for the decline that its manufacturers in China see due to COVID-19. Reuters reports that Apple iPhone manufacturers in China will be seeing a drop of 30% in production rate due to the COVID outbreak and strict health protocols toward factory workers. Considering China's response to COVID, the management of their local factories aims to prioritize health and employee safety instead of Apple's supply chain. Foxconn's factory, located in Zhengzhou, China, was recently under lockdown, with some of their employees even attempting to flee the factory. Thus, the move to add India as one of Apple's manufacturing sites comes as a way to diversify from their central manufacturer and, at the same time, ensure a steady supply chain for the latest iPhone 14. India's Demand for Apple's iPhone 14 Additionally, the move comes after the demand for the iPhone 14 increased among citizens of India. According to Inc42, stores all across Delhi NCR have been complaining about the diminishing stocks of the latest iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max since its release. Due to the lack of production, black market sales of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max from alternate supply chains have reportedly increased. However, to address India's issue, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stated in a past tweet that they have spoken to Apple regarding the issue and are looking to improve their country's production of Apple products. I hv spoken wth Apple n they hv said while iphone14 demand is being met also wth india productn, the iphone14 pro demand has surged n is facing supply constraints which they r addressing pvt sales are probably "alternate" supply channels https://t.co/wLxJdxbFi9 Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@Rajeev_GoI) October 26, 2022 Thus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi weighed in on the production issue by supporting Apple's manufacturing solution in India, offering Pegatron a financial incentives program to increase iPhone exports. Related Article: Apple to Manufacture iPhones in India, as China's Plus One? Possible Move On the Way This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Andi C. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Elon Musk allegedly purchased a new private jet. This rumor appeared after the billionaire successfully acquired Twitter. (Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at a press conference at SpaceX headquarters where he announced the Japanese billionaire chosen by the company to fly around the moon, on September 17, 2018 in Hawthorne, California. If the project is successful Yusaka Maezawa would become the first private citizen to fly around the moon. As of writing, the tech CEO is still facing various issues because of his billion-dollar Twitter purchase. These include the massive layoffs, as well as his free-speech approach for the social media platform. #TwitterLayoffs is trending Along with this, #ElonMusk's private plane is now making headlines. According to a report, he has placed an order to buy a great private jet, the #GulfstreamG700 pic.twitter.com/2nGue9WIWa Manish Raj (@MRajLive) November 4, 2022 But, it seems like the billionaire still has some time to buy a new private jet that would replace his current G650ER jet. Elon Musk Orders New Private Jet? According to Business Insider's latest report, a Gulfstream employee shared a picture of customized Starlink and Tesla stickers. (Photo : Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity, attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 8, 2015 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Many of the world's wealthiest and most powerful business people from media, finance, and technology attend the annual week-long conference which is in its 33nd year. Also Read: Elon Musk is Now Twitter's Moderator-in-Chief Amid Upcoming Midterm Elections These stickers were reportedly ordered by Elon for his new private jet; a Gulfstream G700. "Old Elongated Muskrat is buying a new G700 because he's tired of that guy on Twitter tracking the flights of his 650. My manager was f***ing giddy making these for him," said the staff, who is still not identified. Elon Musk just bought this @GulfstreamAero G700, powered by high-thrust Rolls-Royce engines, for $78 million. It is the fourth private jet in the billionaires fleet. @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/A0j6Z3kpKT rustybill.eth (@Rusty_Bill) November 4, 2022 Elon, as well as Gulfstream, an aerospace corporation, didn't comment on the alleged private jet purchase. Aside from his current G650R, Musk also owns two Gulfstream G550s. These jets are registered to the Falcon Landing LLC which is tied to SpaceX. Gulfstream G700's Price and Other Details If Elon Musk's alleged Gulfstream G700 purchase is true, then the billionaire will likely spend around $78 million just to buy one unit. Well, this price is reasonable since this jet model offers advanced features, such as the all-new high-thrust Rolls Royce engines. The luxurious Gulfstream G700 is also integrated with the award-winning Symmetry Flight Deck. When it comes to speed, this private jet can be as fast as the speed of sound (specifically Mach 0.925). It also has a maximum range of 13,890 km. One of its most-boasted features is the cabin, which Gulfstream claims to be the most spacious one in the industry. While the private jet purchase is not yet confirmed, other speculations about the billionaire are still appearing. These include his talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Elon Musk denied. Rumors about Amber Heard hiding from Elon Musk also appeared after the actress deactivated her Twitter account. For more news updates about Elon Musk and other billionaires, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Elon Musk Denies Claims that He Will Lay Off Twitter Workers Before November This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) long-awaited plan to go back to the moon may come to fruition very soon with the Artemis 1 back on the launchpad. The Artemis 1 marks the first spaceflight in NASA's Artemis program, an exploration program that humans and robots will lead, and the first flight of the agency's Space Launch System and Orion. NASA's plan is to get astronauts back on the moon since the Apollo era, with a new mission to prove that the Space Launch System works and Orion is safe to carry humans to the moon for future explorations and even potential rehoming. The upcoming rocket launch will first place the Artemis 1 into a low-Earth orbit before firing its upper stage, placing it into a translunar orbit. According to CNET, the reveal comes as NASA posted an update welcoming the moon rocket Artemis 1 back on the launchpad. The exploration program plans for the spacecraft to launch with Orion and its European Service Module and tentatively land NASA's astronauts on the moon by its third Artemis mission in 2025. The moon rocket arrived on Nov. 4 at 8:30 a.m., ahead of its launch date, according to NASA's blog. Read Also: NASA To Create New Framework as Moon Wobble 2030 Alarms Scientists NASA's Artemis 1 Launch Date and Coverage Details The Space Launch System is set to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 14. during a 69-minute launch window that starts at 12:07 a.m. EST. A launch countdown will also start ticking two days before the liftoff on Nov. 12. Additionally, live coverage of NASA's briefings and events leading to the launch will air on NASA Television, the NASA official app, and the NASA website. NASA's Initial Delay with Artemis 1 Launch Due to prioritizing the safety and probability of success of the launch, Artemis 1's first mission is already five years behind schedule and billions over its initial budget. According to the New York Times, more than $40 billion has already been spent on the Artemis program, specifically due to its Space Launch System and Orion development. The Artemis 1's system is estimated at a budget of $4.1 billion per launch. However, NASA officials stand by their decision to move the launch as the price of two postponements would be a small price to pay for endangering a project of that scale and importance. "The cost of two scrubs is a lot less than a failure," NASA administrator Bill Nelson told NYT. NASA had originally hoped to launch the Artemis 1 in August, but due to unforeseen technicalities, the launch had been pushed back further and further. According to CNET, the most recent issue was the arrival of hurricane Ian in late September, causing NASA to move the spacecraft back to its garage for safekeeping while the storm passed. Related Article: NASA Artemis 1 Mission Is Sending A Lamb to The Moon - 'Shaun The Sheep' This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Andi C. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) has flown an unmanned Black Hawk helicopter autonomously during two missions, as reported by Interesting Engineering. (Photo : KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images) UH-60L Black Hawk Jordanian helicopters take part in the "Eager Lion" multinational military manuever, in the Al-Zarqa governorate, some 85km northeast of the Jordanian capital Amman, on September 14, 2022. - The United States, Jordan, and 28 partner nations are taking part in the multinational military exercise, from September 4 to 15, 2022, representing one of the largest military exercises in the region, and designed to exchange military expertise and improve interoperability among partner nations. Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky company is the one behind the autonomous software, the MATRIX, which made it possible for the helicopter to be flown autonomously. It was also able to resupply internal and external cargo and even conduct rescue operations even with no pilot on board. The MATRIX The technology is ready to transition to the army for its helicopter fleet. Aside from the safety and reliability that the software brings, it also allows for higher chances of survivability in high threat situations. In fact, unmanned or reduced crewed helicopters can conduct important and life-saving missions whether day or night. How it Worked Pilots activated the MATRIX system to allow for full control to the flight computer. Then, the helicopter was able to accomplish a medical resupply mission and a cargo delivery. There were two missions that the unmanned Black Hawk helicopter performed. The first one saw it flew 83 miles with 400 units of real and simulated blood on-board. The second mission had the helicopter loaded with a 2,600-pound external load attached to a 40-foot sling. It then flew at 100 knots for 30 minutes. During these flights, the helicopter was redirected, simulating a situation where a threat must be neutralized near the main landing site. Also Read: DARPA Successfully Flew a Black Hawk Helicopter using 'ALIAS' without Any Pilot-Self-Flying Missions Soon? More Flexibility in How Pilots are Used With the experiment, it shows that there could be a future where helicopters will be able to fly complex missions even with no pilot on board. As a result, this will allow for greater flexibility in how pilots are used, especially in dangerous environments or areas with poor visibility. DARPA and Sikorsky stated that they will continue to work on the autonomous Black Hawk technology for military operations. The Future of Autonomous Helicopters Advanced unmanned Black Hawk helicopters will be able to be used in the future by the army. This means that it could be used in the upcoming battlefields. It could be used for faster and safer deliveries of supplies or for conducting search and rescue operations. The real test for this new generation of technology is how it will be used in the battlefield. The use of unmanned technology could be a valuable asset for the US as it could save more soldiers' lives. While unmanned technology has already been used in other missions, it is the first time that it is used in an actual battlefield. DARPA and Sikorsky achieved a huge feat when they made a Black Hawk helicopter fly autonomously in two different missions. Aside from that, the technology brings important improvements and new capabilities to the helicopter fleet of the US military. The MATRIX technology can fly a helicopter even if there is no pilot on board. Not only will it increase safety during missions, it could be used as an invaluable tool in search and rescue or as an emergency response unit. It could also be used to provide medical support or to deliver much needed supplies and materials to wherever it is needed. The MATRIX and autonomous Black Hawk technology is the start of a great and innovative future for the unmanned aviation industry. Related Article: Volvo XC90 Designed To Crash Land Like A Black Hawk Helicopter, In Case You Find Yourself Flying This article is owned by Tech Times Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Twitter is looking at content moderation on the platform like before, and it would not be going wild with its free speech focus like what many thought of in the past, as per Elon Musk's recent announcement. The public was exchanging with the tech CEO regarding its new direction, which they thought was to change with Musk onboard the company. Additionally, Musk talked about the reason behind the downsizing and employee layoffs within Twitter, wherein he justified the reason behind these changes within the social media company. Twitter Content Moderation Policy is Unchanged Says Musk (Photo : Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue) Twitter's content moderation policy remains unchanged, and this is what the new CEO of the social media claimed earlier this morning as he explained what is happening in the company. According to Musk's tweets, he aims to clarify this with the general public the social media, saying that he would continue the policies present within the company. Furthermore, he said that hate speech was lower in his first week. Chief Twit previously said that it would have free speech in the company, but would not tolerate anything beyond the law, and this may mean that there would be more leeway. Nevertheless, his previous claims did not mention anything regarding Twitter's unregulated experience, only that it will center more on hearing both sides, the left and right. Read Also: No More Fair Twitter Algorithm? Elon Musk Fires Twitter's ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability Team Director Again, to be crystal clear, Twitters strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged. In fact, we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 Twitter Employee Layoffs? Chief Twit Explains In another tweet, Musk explained that there was a need to lay off employees in the company, as part of the downsizing and employee layoffs, a trend that took place amongst many companies this year. Musk said that Twitter is already losing $4 million per day and that employees were given a three-month advance on their salaries upon exit. Regarding Twitters reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022 Elon Musk and Twitter Since Musk's acquisition of the short word social media last week, one of his earliest "first orders of business" is to push through with the $8 monthly subscription for the Twitter Blue service. It also includes the requirement to have this subscription remain verified on the platform, making it available for all who wish to have the blue check. It saw mixed opinions from the public, but most of it were backlash which shades the tech CEO regarding his focus on profiting from the public to get verification. However, those were not the only changes in social media in Musk's first week, especially with the company layoffs which downsized its workforce significantly in the past few days. Allegedly, their layoffs were based on previous tweets they posted online, and it sparked outrage among employees when they sued the company and its new owner. Musk is now looking for ways to clarify this incident, and in his latest tweet, he said that these were all said in advance and employees were given more than 50 percent of the legal separation pay. Additionally, his focus on Twitter's content moderation did not change from the old policies, still looking into hate speech and misinformation. Related Article: Twitter's New Feature Will Soon Let Users Pay To Directly Message High-Profile Accounts This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Lafayette College student plans to fly the first electric plane at a sporting event on November 19, 2022. The plane is in Hartford, Connecticut to Easton, Pennsylvania. However, the EV plane must be recharged thrice, and the Ford F-150 Lightning owners will help, according to Electrek. (Photo : by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 14: The Ford F150 Lightning is shown at the 2022 North American International Auto Show on September 14, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.The North American International Auto Show opens to the public on September 17. The electric plane is a Pipistrel Alpha Electro and is equipped with a 21 kWh battery pack. Based on Federal Aviation Regulations, it should land with a 30-minute reserve that allows for approximately an hour of usable flight time. The Pipistrel Alpha Electro is a two-seater electric plane with a 90 kilowatt-hour battery. It can climb at 1,000 feet per minute in a range of 100 miles at a speed of 118 miles per hour. While the electric plane is still in its initial stage, it would need a lot of work to make it successful. A project like this can help people understand the potential and limits of electric planes. The biggest challenge of the project is to stay close to the intended route. This would help the plane to charge in the right places. Due to the lack of infrastructure at the airports the plane would be landing, the possibility of using Ford F-150 Lightning becomes possible. The EV truck is equipped with a 9.6 kW power that can power many things. However, this will be a first for the Ford F-150 Lighting to power an electric plane. The student usually uses his Nissan Leaf to power the battery to 80 percent but he will use the Ford Lightning to charge it fully as a safety precaution. With the help of Ford, the plane would only need to recharge once with a total trip mileage around 250 miles. However, the team set up two electric trucks and they are successful. Also Read: Ford F-150 Lightning Got Power and Payload Boost-Capacity is Bigger than Expected A Team of EV Owners Due to the reliability and success of charging the plane via the Ford F-150 Lighting, the student is now putting up a team with Lightning trucks to help him fly the first electric plane flyover. The EV owners would be prepared to keep charging the plane. Each truck is capable of charging the plane three times and there are three recharging points. The Future of Electric Planes The future of electric planes is looking bright. With the success of this project, more people would be more inspired to do more. In addition, there is really no limit to what an EV can do. By looking at the maturation of electric trucks and cars, it is possible to have more electric airplanes in the future. While the current technology is still in its infancy, it is possible to have it in the mainstream market in the near future. With the increasing cost of fuel and the need to use less fuel, it is possible that there would be a lot of people who would want electric planes. Related Article: 'Electric Vehicle For Police:' Ford's F-150 Lightning Pro SSV Can Run From 0 -60 Mph In Less Than 4 Seconds! This article is owned by Tech Times Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The "Father of the iPod," Tony Fadell, is given a new opportunity for a seat on ARM's board of directors, a role which he would fill for the company, with unknown work to do moving forward. It also coincides with Apple's focus on the Silicon chips, famously known as the M series, particularly as it is known as ARM-based, with heavy inspirations for the chip architecture it uses for the Macs. The question also remains regarding Fadell's role in the future of the Silicon Macs, as well as Apple's transition to self-designed chips on most of its devices. Tony Fadell is Offered a Seat on ARM's Board (Photo : Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Fast Company) CNET's report brings light to Tony Fadell's new venture, as the Cambridge, England-based company, ARM, offered him a seat on the company's board of directors with an unknown job to fulfill. Fadell will help the company bring ARM's chips from smartphones to more technology, focusing on vehicles, PCs, servers, and more. Fadell said that he aims to expand ARM's products to different uses and needs, especially during this time when chips are gold in the tech industry due to shortage and supply chain problems. Additionally, it stirs massive speculation regarding its effect on Apple's current focus on the Silicon chips that it designed and developed, particularly as it is known to be ARM-based. Read Also: Is MacBook Pro M2 Slower than its Predecessor? Here's What the Performance Test Shows How Does it Affect Apple's Silicon? Apple's transition to ARM-based Silicon chips saw multiple integrations with most of its devices, particularly with its iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup. It is unknown how Fadell will affect or help Apple with this, as he has no ties to the company at the present. The former Apple VP's new role may create an impact in the industry, especially during this time of change for Cupertino. Apple Silicon and ARM Apple made a bold move in swapping their Intel CPUs with the x86 architecture to the ARM-based Silicon SoC chips, now famously known as the M1. It first came to light on November 2020 when Cupertino first announced the birth of the new Macs, now powered by the first M series chip, known as the M1. Cupertino's decision to go with its ARM-based Silicon chips was a massive gamble, but it played its cards right and was able to see massive success and deliver what they intend for the public. The M series is highly patterned from Apple's previous use of the ARM-based architecture for SoCs, particularly as they initially used it for the iPhones and iPads, particularly with the A series Bionic chips. Still, it stems back to Fadell's first iPod, where the innovator pushed ARM chips to power the device, subsequently going this route for the early iPhones. Fadell's influence on Apple to center on ARM chips since its early days paid off, and it saw massive success in the market for a long time, later adapted by Cupertino to its modern design even after he left. Now, Fadell will soon begin his journey with the England-based company, in a monumental time for Apple's shift to the ARM-based SoCs. Related Article: Tony Fadell, iPod Inventor, Agrees with EU's USB-C Mandate for iPhone-Calls Apple a Monopoly This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Blockchain data reveals that cryptocurrency firm Binance has processed $8 billion worth of Iranian transactions since 2018 despite U.S. sanctions aimed at cutting off Iran from the world banking system, according to Reuters. An analysis of data from renowned U.S. blockchain researcher Chainalysis indicates that almost all the money-roughly $7.8 billion-flowed between Binance and Iran's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex. In fact, Nobitex's website details how to avoid sanctions. Low-profile Crypto: Tron Three-quarters of the Iranian assets that went through Binance were invested in Tron, a fairly low-profile cryptocurrency that allows users to hide their identities, as per Reuters. The mid-tier Tron can be used to trade anonymously without "endangering assets" owing to sanctions, according to a blog post published by Nobitex last year. The recent findings coincide with the US Justice Department's investigation into alleged money-laundering breaches by Binance, which controls the $1 trillion cryptocurrency market and has over 120 million users. Lawyers and trade sanctions experts warned that the transactions run the risk of breaking American laws prohibiting doing business with Iran. Reuters reported in July that Binance was still accepting customers from Iran and that the business was aware of the exchange's popularity in the sanctioned country. Binance stated in a blog post the day after that report was published that it abides by international sanctions regulations on Iran and denies access to the platform to anyone residing in the country. "Binance.com is not a U.S. company, unlike other platforms that have exposure to these same U.S. sanctioned entities. However, we have taken proactive steps to limit our exposure to the Iranian marketplace," Binance's spokesperson Patrick Hillmann said in a statement. Read also: Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Says He Was Surprised When Elon Musk Continued his Twitter Takeover Largest Market Trading for Tron Three companies with access to Chainalysis' Reactor research software provided Reuters with the Tron information as well as additional datasets covering the other crypto coins. Industry research shows that Binance is the largest market for trading Tron. The coin is not included on other large exchanges, such as Coinbase and Gemini. Since April 2020, when the first Tron flows were tracked, the Tron dataset has information on more than 1.15 million direct transfers between Binance and Nobitex. The information includes wallet addresses and a specific transaction-specific identification number, according to Reuters. The data reveals that more Iranian transactions are going via Binance than any other exchange combined. Since 2018, KuCoin, situated in Seychelles, has processed $820 million in transactions, making it the second-most popular exchange for Nobitex customers behind Binance. Related Article: International Hacktivists Are Cyberattacking Iran In Support of Widespread Protests This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jace Dela Cruz 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tencent Holdings is reportedly speeding up WeChat monetization by integrating search results advertising within the app. This comes on the heels of the company's revenue decline earlier this year. WeChat Search Engine Advertisement Following reports, the Chinese social media and gaming giant will soon permit brands and merchants to pay for ad placements in search results within its well-known WeChat super app, which has almost 1.3 billion monthly active users. Tencent is also expected to be implementing an auction system to improve page rankings. The new service will assist advertisers in promoting their official WeChat accounts, products, applications, and minigames by enabling users to access their content when they search for the brand name or a closely related keyword, according to The South China Morning Post. This new WeChat super app mechanism is similar to the Google Ads rank threshold in that merchants can determine ad positioning and visibility by bidding on keywords, auction-time ad quality, and the context of a user's search. Read Also: Kohl's Black Friday Deals: Hype Up Your Holiday Shopping With These Affordable Products at a Low Price Google chooses which ads to display and where to place them through the ad auction. Every ad in the auction has its Ad Rank determined by Google Ads. Tencent's ad auction may be a version that is more dependent on purchased advertisements than on the value and quality of ads. With its many features, which range from messaging, news, shopping, and gaming, WeChat has already become a staple app for Chinese users. According to SCMP quoting the WeChat announcement, the implementation of search engine advertising will allow for "effective exposure and conversion" for advertisers. Ads and Declining Revenue Back in August, Tencent predicted that as competition intensifies in other parts of its business, like gaming, advertising in its young short video platform could grow to be a "substantial" source of income. According to CNBC, ByteDance's Douyin, another short video platform similar to TikTok, is in direct competition with this advertising product from one of China's largest technology companies. WeChat, the most widely used messaging service in China, is operated by Tencent and has over one billion users. Within WeChat, there is a platform for quick videos. Users can browse a variety of videos in the said app in an endless loop, much like TikTok. Tencent started showing users ads in their "video accounts" for the first time in July following reports. Tencent announced a dip in revenues and profits in the second quarter despite a weaker macro economy, and the company is still searching for new growth drivers. "Strategically, they allow us to expand our ad market share," Martin Lau, president of Tencent, told analysts in August. "As advertisers have already been spending aggressively on multiple short-form video platforms, we should be able to capture more advertising budgets." Tencent's online advertising revenue experienced its steepest decline ever in the June quarter, falling 18% year over year to 18.6 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion). On Nov. 16, Tencent will release its third-quarter financial results. Related Article: Yum China's Digital and Delivery Capabilities Underpin Robust Business Performance 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. military's mysterious space plane was able to break its own record once again. (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @violetpilot1) US Military Space Plane Reaches 900 Days in Orbit! What is X-37B Aircraft Really Used For? This time, the robotic aircraft was able to stay in orbit for 900 days. The aircraft was able to achieve this new flight duration record during its sixth flight, which started on May 17, 2020. Since the defense organization hasn't shared much detail about this mysterious space airplane, it is still unclear when its flights will end. US Military Space Plane Reaches 900 Days in Orbit! According to Space.Com's latest report, the first flight (OTV-1) of X-37B was conducted back on April 22, 2010. (Photo : Photo credit should read JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) An attendee of the 35th Space Symposium takes a picture of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle by Boeing during the 35th Space Symposium at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado on April 9, 2019. It lasted until December 3, 2010, reaching a record of 224 days in orbit. The X-37B program to me is hilarious, because it's this super secret spaceplane that everyone likes to say is all hush hush, but the USSF talks about it a lot and Boeing has even shown footage of it in space. pic.twitter.com/cYrZ2iUXOC Derek Newsome (@DerekdotSpace) March 14, 2022 Aside from this, the robotic airplane completed four more test flights after the first. Here are its recent records: OTV-2: 468 days in orbit (From March 5, 2011, to June 16, 2012) OTV-3: 674 days in orbit (From December 11, 2012, to October 17, 2014) OTV-4: 718 days in orbit (From May 20, 2015, to May 7, 2017) OTV-5: 780 days in orbit (From September 7. 2017, to October 17, 2019) Based on the records provided above, the flight duration of the U.S. military's space plane just keeps on getting longer and longer. The U.S. military hasn't confirmed the main use of this mysterious robotic aircraft. But, sources were able to know some major details about the things happening in the aircraft during its sixth flight. One of these is that a service module was used to host experiments. These include two NASA studies involving radiation and other space effects. Aside from this, the experiment of NRL (Naval Research Laboratory) was also conducted during the sixth flight. Facts About X-37B The advanced robotic aircraft of the U.S. military is truly a remarkable innovation. If you are interested to know more about it, here are some facts provided by Live Science: X-37B can last for years in orbit. X-37B once had a version that could carry human passengers. X-37B was already photographed by numerous civilians. X-37B is compatible with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. If you want to learn more details about this space airplane, you can click here. Aside from X-37B, other unusual aircraft models are also being developed. Recently, the Sky Whale plane, a three-story aircraft, was introduced. NASA's Supersonic X-59 was also reportedly being developed. For more news updates about airplanes and similar vehicles, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: NOAA Launches First ALTIUS-600 Drone Into the Eye of Hurricane Ian This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. TikTok acknowledges that employees in China can access user data from Europe, putting pressure on the business to amend its privacy policies. Tiktok Staff in China's Access to European Users' Data There is no longer any doubt that TikTok employees in China have access to Europeans data. This week, the firm revealed intentions to alter its privacy policy to expressly include China as one of the places where workers may access data from European Union customers, such as location data that users want to disclose. TikTok defended its privacy policy, claiming that it was based on a demonstrated necessity to execute their work. Authorities throughout the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have expressed worry that data may be given to the Chinese government. Elaine Fox explained that "we allow certain employees within our corporate group located in Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States remote access to TikTok European user data." Fox, Tiktok's head of privacy for Europe, said in a statement on Wednesday that a worldwide team assisted in maintaining a consistent, engaging, and safe user experience. According to a Wired story, TikTok's policy change coincides with a year-long inquiry by Ireland's Data Protection Commission examining its data-transfer rules under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. "Our efforts are centered on limiting the number of employees with access to European user data, minimizing data flows outside of the region, and storing European user data locally," she added. She also said the approach was subject to a series of robust security controls and approval protocols and methods recognized under the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Also Read: Tiktok Denies Data Breach Following Hackers Claim of Obtaining Users' Records TikTok Under Fire "I don't believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban," said Brendan Carr, a Federal Communications Commission commissioner (FCC) to BBC News. He went on to say that he didn't believe there was a scenario in which you could put enough safeguards in place to ensure that the data didn't end up in the hands of the [Chinese Communist Party]. ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, has frequently denied that the Chinese government controls it. Since then, authorities in the UK, EU, and US have been closely monitoring the app. The Irish Data Protection Commission, the EU's top regulator, has also probed the app on two privacy concerns. The watchdog is investigating TikTok's handling of children's personal data, as well as whether it behaved in accordance with EU legislation when transferring personal data to countries such as China. In another defense statement, TikTok stated that it was never used to target the US government, activists, public figures, or journalists. Ms. Fox backs this claim by saying that TikTok does not gather exact location data from European users. Related Article: TikTok's Leaked Audio from its Meetings Reveal that China has Access to US User Data This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Thea Felicity 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As Elon Musk's new Twitter management announced several layoffs, everyone at Twitter is blaming former CEO Jack Dorsey for the chaotic week of corporate downsizing. Former Twitter CEO Under Fire Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter who resigned as CEO a year ago this month, has long been known as the cool hippy among employees. Many would imagine that with his personal life consisting of meditating between dating models and fasting, people who worked with him would not develop animosity. However, this is not the situation at the time. According to the New York Post, there is discontent among Twitter employees, half of whom are anticipated to lose their jobs under Musk. "Jack is despised on Twitter," a source familiar with the incident told The Post. Dorsey is said to be to account for what transpired with Elon taking over the firm. Parag (Twitter's recently dismissed CEO) and the board believe he is as bad as Musk. "Just look at the stock price before Elon bought it. It was about $37 and had been flat for about ten years. The company hadn't grown because Jack was gallivanting around on his jet with these models," the source said. However, according to the informant, no one wrote about the company's failure since everyone idolizes Dorsey and believes he is the next Steve Jobs. Many also came to say that he's not a lightning rod for controversies like Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, or be viewed as socially awkward like Mark Zuckerberg. But it would be a mistake to assume he's any less Machiavellian or megalomaniacal than the rest of them, according to multiple individuals close to him. "He was the lowest person in the room at Twitter at one point, and then, because he wanted to be the most important person in the room, he was - and he ended up being CEO," said author Nick Bilton, who interviewed Dorsey for his 2014 book "Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal." Many people rallied for his support as well. Jack is not a hothead or a hot-blooded person, according to Nik Yakovenko, who worked at Twitter under Dorsey's administration from 2015 to 2017. Yakovenko professes Jack is calm, which many Silicon Valley executives are not. He claims to be more intelligent and honest than you may believe. Some of his previous workers have also stated that he is uninterested in money. He enjoys nature and the outdoors, and he is highly interested in blockchain technology. It will be interesting to watch what develops with Bluesky. It is about the future decentralization of social media networks to allow people greater control. Also Read: Elon Musk Twitter Acquisition Aftermath: Why Billionaire Fires Top Execs? Where is Jack Dorsey Now? Right now, Dorsey appears to be keeping a low profile after resigning from Twitter. Close sources said he's still establishing Bluesky, a social media firm that claims to give users and developers greater control, only a week after his fellow billionaire businessman Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion. More than 30,000 customers have already joined Bluesky. At the moment, Dorsey's Square and Bluesky representatives did not reply to calls for comment. Related Article: No More Fair Twitter Algorithm? Elon Musk Fires Twitter's ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability Team Director This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Thea Felicity 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. With Cloud computing gaining popularity these days due to its low operating costs, increased flexibility, and scalability, global sales of PCs have seen a major decline. This has impacted software giant Microsoft too which has seen a steep decline in its Windows PC sales, which in turn has badly affected its finances. In order to generate revenue for the company, the Redmond giant is reportedly working on a new business model that is entirely based on the Cloud and can be accessed through a paid subscription. The company is looking to offer low-cost personal PCs supported by Windows 365 and powered by advertisements. According to the Microsoft Careers job listing for a Principal Software Engineering Manager, which was spotted by ZDNet, the company is searching for someone who can assist the firm to chart a new direction for the experience and business model of Windows. The listing also states that the company is looking for engineers and others to become part of the newly formed Windows Incubation team whose mission is to build a new direction for Windows in a cloud first world. Interestingly enough, the original job listing mentioned low-cost PCs powered through advertising and subscriptions to new direct-to-cloud hardware devices across work and life, which has since been replaced with new language that only refers to developing prototypes. Our team is looking for an exceptional Engineering Manager to build and lead a talented team of passionate engineers. You will work on innovative Web and platform technologies to prototype and explore new experiences. You and your team will partner with Product Management and Design to ideate and build new experiences aligned with the mission to drive cloud first experiences into Windows, create prototypes to validate early thinking, and use on-going customer data and research to validate our ideas. You will be responsible for defining architectures, engineering plans and processes in your team that drive quality and agility and move the team from ideation to shipping. You will play a key leadership role in defining and promoting an inclusive team culture with the best engineering practices to deliver experiences with quality and customer love. If you are that person, contact us! In order to offer more computing resources on demand and generate a new hybrid app model that spans from local to cloud computing, Microsoft plans to move Windows to a place that combines the benefits of the Cloud and Microsoft 365. According to the ad, it also includes building a Web-based shell with direct integration with Windows 365. For the unversed, Windows 365/Cloud PC service was launched last year as a new PC-as-a-service, a virtual version of the OS available in the cloud, intended for professionals and business users. This service essentially allows users to stream their apps, settings, and the entire desktop to any of the connected devices such as Macs, Android, or Linux machines by paying for a subscription. By extending thin-client-type and affordable PCs to consumers besides businesses and professionals, Microsoft is looking to cancel out costs via ads and subscriptions by running the desktop operating system in the cloud. Listen to the continuation of the story of the English scientist Charles Darwin, told by the historian Virginie Girod, in an unpublished story in two episodes. During a scientific expedition in Latin America where he was able to observe nature, Charles Darwin saw his vision of the world, supposed to be organized by God, called into question. His theory of evolution, according to which species evolve over time to adapt to their environment, is in the making. But it's a new discovery that will shake up his certainties! This story is a Europe 1 Studio production. Palo Alto, California: Twitter laid off half its workforce on Friday but said cuts were smaller in the team responsible for preventing the spread of misinformation, but advertisers pulled spending amid concerns about content moderation. Tweets by staff of the social media company said teams responsible for communications, content curation, human rights and machine learning ethics were among those gutted, as were some product and engineering teams. Elon Musk arrives at Baron Investment Conference at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York on Friday. Credit: The move caps a week of chaos and uncertainty about the companys future under new owner Elon Musk, the worlds richest person, who tweeted that the service was experiencing a massive drop in revenue from the advertiser retreat. He is seeking to slash costs and impose a demanding new work ethic, according to internal plans reviewed by Reuters. In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday, said the email sent on Thursday. It takes a lot of energy to make the briefest of outfits. Budgy Smuggler owner Adam Linforth said the monthly power bill at its factory in St Peters in Sydneys inner west, where the company makes swimwear and accessories, had risen 40 per cent in the past year. Linforth said rising energy prices were costing the company an additional $1000 a week. If youre making stuff, you need power, he said. This is unavoidable and a compounding challenge that were having to manage as it comes. Budgy Smuggler owner Adam Linforth believes his company will navigate upcoming challenges such as the threat of recession thanks to its loyal customer base. Credit:Wolter Peeters Spiralling energy costs are just one of the challenges faced by small business owners following the COVID-19 crisis, which continues to have lingering effects through supply chain disruptions, skills shortages and deferred debts. Rita Wilson is a musician and actor best known for being the producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The 65-year-old opens up about being mentored by Bruce Springsteen, why its never too late to create, and her marriage with Tom Hanks. My dad, Allan, escaped communism in Bulgaria in 1949 for a better life in the US. Dad had seen the [1927] movie Chicago, and in that he saw America he told me thats what inspired him to want to move here. Every morning, he would wake up and say, God Bless America. I totally understood what that meant from his point of view. No one decides that your time to create is up, or that you should have done it in your 20s. Dad met my mum, Dorothy, at a Greek/Bulgarian dance in New York. He worked in a bar back in the early days of his arrival, then made his way up to bartender at the King Cole bar in the St Regis Hotel on Fifth Avenue. Then my parents moved to California, where Dad also worked in bars and at race tracks. Their marriage lasted 59 years until he died in 2009. My brother, Chris, is two years younger than me and a very independent and funny guy. He is a musician and has a great ability to make friends. I still look up to him and he still plays in bands. He composed the music for My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A whopping one-third of the worlds food is wasted, says Dr Mark Boulet, a researcher who specialises in household food waste and behaviour at Monash Universitys BehaviourWorks Australia. Think about when you go to the supermarket and you buy three bags of shopping, he says. Its the equivalent of throwing one bag away the moment you leave the store. It means all the resources that went into making that food the fertiliser, the energy, the water, the human cost thats all essentially wasted. The better planned we can be for what we buy and want to cook, the less likely we are to waste food, says Dr. Mark Boulet. Credit:iStock Boulet says the amount of wasted food is particularly shocking when you consider how many people are in need of sustenance. We have millions around the world [who experience] poverty and hunger on a daily basis, yet a third of the food we produce goes into the bin, he says. So its a social equity and social justice issue as well. Food wastage also has a significant impact on the planet, with Boulet saying it contributes anywhere up to 10 per cent of annual global emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be behind China and the US as the biggest emitter on the planet. Hay fever sufferers should be on alert over the coming weeks with the return of sunny days after Sydneys wettest year on record creating perfect conditions for high loads of pollen. Monitoring systems at Campbelltown, Camperdown, Hornsby and Westmead show pollen levels have risen across the city over the past week. The expected break from the rain is expected to cause problems for hay fever sufferers. Credit:Flavio Brancaleone Connie Katelaris, a professor in Western Sydney Universitys immunology and allergy unit, said consistent rain through spring and summer helped curb the effects of La Nina on the citys pollen count last year, but forecast clearer weather could create problems for hay fever sufferers. Generally in La Nina years you have higher pollen loads, because the vegetation grows beautifully and grasses are thriving, but thats modified if it rains heavily every day during spring because that washes the pollen out, Katelaris said. The real worry is we probably have similarly high numbers at other universities, but students arent getting caught, he said. A total of 5038 alleged academic integrity breaches were reported at Sydney University last year, up by 33 per cent from 2019, with plagiarism, collusion, prohibited materials during an exam and potential contract cheating comprising the bulk of incidents. International students represented about 74 per cent of academic integrity breaches, but make up 47 per cent of coursework enrolments. About 16 per cent of the total incidents were resolved with no impropriety. The shift to online learning that created a fertile ground for cheating, experts say. Online teaching wasnt always done well, and when students are dissatisfied with the teaching environment they are more likely to cheat, Curtis said. Cheating providers took COVID as a marketing opportunity and being online encouraged that. An internal Sydney University report said: Contract cheating continues to pose a serious threat to the integrity of the higher education sector. The university observed a notable increase in reports from students, staff and other stakeholders alerting the office to illegitimate activities and advertising of contract cheating services, as well as breaches of academic integrity in assessments. At the University of Technology, Sydney there were 65 reported cases of contract cheating last year and 17 in 2020. The University of Wollongong reported 69 incidents and Macquarie University said of 1356 reports of misconduct last year, only a small percentage related to contract cheating. Phillip Dawson, from Deakin Universitys Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, said many universities are not doing enough detection. We have no reason to believe contract cheating would be significantly less prevalent at some universities than others, Dawson said. At UNSW, the highest number of plagiarism and misconduct cases were detected in Engineering, with most from the School of Computer Science. At Sydney University, the Business and English faculties had the highest number of reported incidents, although breaches almost doubled in the Science faculty since 2019, increasing to 619 last year. Academic integrity researcher Cath Ellis from UNSW said research shows about six to 10 per cent of students have engaged in some form of outsourcing their work. Ellis emphasised it was a good thing detection was rising, especially as some universities are tracing trends over years and are putting resources into addressing the problem. But we cant pretend we are getting anywhere near the true numbers until we start to get to detect rates that represent six to ten per cent of universities total student population. In October, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency announced it would lead a global network to stamp out commercial cheating operations that flourished during online learning. The regulator said it was working through its priority list of 580 suspected cheating sites that are targeting students at Australian universities, and has blocked thousands more. Director of TEQSAs integrity unit Helen Gniel students thinking no one gets caught is a problem. We cannot say with any confidence that universities are catching all cases. Its an illicit activity, and we will never know for sure how much is going on. But there is a sense Australia is ahead of the world in dealing with the issue, she said. Curtis said the concern with contract cheating is that students could graduate without proper qualifications. You could end up with a nurse that cant properly administer a medication or an engineer that might not have learnt how to build a bridge that can stand up. Plagiarism is generally caught through text-matching software such as Turnitin, and Sydney University says they are dealing with the issue through staff training, assessment re-design, technological and other detection strategies and improved investigation methods. Loading Chronic pain advocates have criticised proposals to impose further restrictions on the sale of paracetamol, saying the move would disadvantage millions of Australians. The Therapeutic Goods Administration will meet next week to consider limiting supermarket purchases of the painkillers to two packs per person and restricting sales to over-18s, following recommendations of an independent expert report on rising rates of intentional paracetamol overdose. There were 3575 cases of intentional paracetamol poisoning reported last year to the NSW Poisons Information Centre, which handles half of the nations poisoning calls. Victorias service recorded 3403 overdoses, 1417 of them deliberate. The proposed restrictions are designed to prevent stockpiling of paracetamol in homes research shows most intentional overdoses did not involve a recent purchase as well as limit access to stronger formulations. Opinion Opinion Do New Yorkers project more than everyone else when they speak, or are they all just closer to each other? A 2.83-carat pink Australian diamond, believed to be the rarest in the world and stored in New York since 2016 is now on display at the Melbourne Museum. Its part of the Pink Diamonds exhibition the largest collection of Australian pink diamonds to be shown in the world which showcases more than 100 gems from the Kimberley region and mined at the Rio Tinto-owned Argyle Diamond mine. The Argyle Violet is on display at the Melbourne Museum from Saturday. Credit:Justin McManus Pink diamonds are exceptionally rare, with only one carat in every million displaying the intense colour. The showpiece is the Argyle Violet, a violet diamond surrounded by pink diamonds and set in a platinum ring. Owner and exhibition partner, diamond collector L.J. West Diamonds, believes it is the rarest diamond in the world. A 32-year-old Perth dentist who allegedly sexually assaulted women he met through dating apps between January and March this year has had an additional 11 charges laid against him after two more alleged victims came forward to police. Farzam Mehrabi, who was also a third-year medical student at Notre Dame University, allegedly met up with women through online dating sites Tinder and Bumble, before spiking their drinks and sexually assaulting them. Farzam Mehrabi, a dentist and third year medical student at Notre Dame, faces charges of drugging women and sexually assaulting them. Credit:WA Police/Supplied As a result of the ongoing investigation, Sex Assault Squad detectives have now charged Mehrabi with offences against a total of 10 women. His new charges include six counts of sexual penetration without consent, stupefying to commit an indictable offence and impeding breathing by applying pressure to the neck. Romans 12:19 instructs, "Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God," which sounds like a clever way bad people convince their victims that they'll one day see justice. Good thing Catholics don't read the Bible, thus providing the basis for Vatican Falls, Frank J. Avella's revenge fantasy for victims of priestly sexual abuse, now making its world premiere at the Tank. Ambitious, imaginative, and totally bizarre, it offers several surprises for the audience, not all of them great. We think we see where Vatican Falls is going from the earliest scene, which introduces us to Vi (Tucker Aust), Charlie (Danny Hilt), and Matt (Jeremiah Clapp), members of the Boston chapter of Survivors of Catholic Abuse Refuge (or SCAR). We brace for two-and-a-half hours of weepy monologues about the dreadful abuse these men suffered as boys at the hands of trusted clergymen. As they meet over Dunkin', their compatriot Riccardo (Ace Young) shares espresso and cannoli with Claudia (Carlotta Brentan), an attractive young Vatican employee. Riccardo is in Rome to get the ball rolling on SCAR's master plan, which involves cybercrime, kidnapping, and spectacular acts of violence committed against the Roman Catholic Church. Suddenly, this support group reveals itself for what it truly is: a terrorist cell. And considering the crimes they're avenging, it's easy to root for the terrorists, even if their plans don't seem entirely thought-out. Claudia is something of a double agent. They are also working with a source who goes by the code name La Farfalla (Jacopo Costantini). The Italian characters tend to speak in third person with an irritating mixture of English and Italian: "I cannot imagine painla confusioneIs terribile...Is good you tell Claudia," she remarks when Riccardo opens up about his history of abuse. It's the first indication that this play is un po' di mortadella. Carlotta Brentan directs Vatican Falls and plays Claudia, and Ace Young plays Ricardo. ( Ashley Garrett) At least Vatican Falls has a fascinating villain in the form of Father David, whom Edward L. Simon endows with a youthful innocence that helps us understand how the priest justified his own abhorrent behavior: "I was practically a boy myself," the priest claims, while also assuming the role of this family's protector. Riccardo's widower mother, Teresa (an overwrought Alice Barrett-Mitchell), certainly treats him like the man of the house, trusting him completely. We grasp the terrible price of that blind faith through the silent figure of Riccardo's younger brother, Peter (James Gracia, whose watchful eyes constitute the most moving performance of the evening). More in line with Avella's action movie script is an infernal prelate referred to only as "Monsignor," whom Ryan Wright plays like a snooty maitre d' given power over the Vatican bank. As SCAR's fabulously sassy and frighteningly wrathful ringleader, Aust plays Vi as a high-heeled angel of death. Mercifully offering some comic relief, Hilt is very funny as a Masshole Mrs. Malaprop: "I don't feel like gettin' waterballooned by the feds," he tells his co-conspirators, obviously referring to a different enhanced interrogation technique but conjuring a delightful image nonetheless. Young, a former American Idol contestant who has appeared on Broadway in Hair and Grease, gives an emotionally committed performance as a man deeply troubled by his past and uncertain about his future. He displays his lovely singing voice in the second act number "Sunday Mourning," which stops the show, not because it's so good but because it literally does nothing to move the plot forward. It feels a bit like when Bette Midler starts singing in Hocus Pocus 2 one suspects that the song is in the contract. Ace Young stars in Frank J. Avella's Vatican Falls, directed by Avella and Carlotta Brentan, at the Tank. ( Ashley Garrett) That moment is so jarring because it is out-of-step with Avella's production (the playwright co-directed with Brentan), which jump-cuts between short cinematic scenes taking place across years and continents. Tony DiBernardo's platform set provides levels and multiple configurations, allowing the performers to instantly transport us to any space. Shirlee Idzakovich's costumes get the job done (she has particular fun with Vi), while Zek Stewart's sound design and David Shocket's lighting (a tower of LEDs becomes a stained-glass window) further aid our imaginations. Through simple theatricality, Avella mostly pulls it off however, by the time we see an actor miming electrocution (he writhes in pain as the lights flick on and off), we suspect that Avella's Hollywood blockbuster ambition has crashed up against the physical and economic limitations of off-off-Broadway. Still, one must admire Avella for writing a play about this subject that doesn't just wallow in victimhood. In their own highly fantastical way, these characters are standing up for themselves and taking action. It may not be very Christian, but it is undeniably dramatic. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy. High near 45F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early then becoming windy with periods of rain after midnight. Low 39F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible. Mass hysteria is a term used to describe the situation in which physical or psychological symptoms appear en masse, spreading rapidly throughout communities, and occasionally across whole cities and countries. During an outbreak, afflicted individuals may experience uncontrollable laughter, fainting, fits, dizziness, muscle weakness, or any number of other symptoms that do not appear to have any physical cause. Cases of hysteria have been reported all over the world for centuries and provide a fascinating insight into the complex nature of human psychology. The term hysteria derives from the Greek word hystera meaning uterus and is generally attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. However, the association with the uterus goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptian Kahun Papyrus (1900 B.C.), which identifies the cause of hysterical disorders as being the spontaneous movement of the uterus to various locations within the female body. Engraving of Hendrik Hondius portraying three women affected by the dancing plague. Work based on original drawing by Peter Brueghel, who supposedly witnessed an outbreak in 1564 in Flanders. (Wikimedia Commons) By the Middle Ages, this was replaced by a belief in witchcraft, demonic possession, or insanity as the cause. While occurrences of mass hysteria continue to confound the medical community, it is now generally believed to be linked to extreme cases of emotional or mental stress. Heres a look at some famousand bizarrecases of mass hysteria in history. 1. Medieval Dance Mania (13th17th Century) Dance mania, otherwise known as the Dancing Plague, St. Johns Dance, or the Dance of St. Vitus, gripped mainland Europe between the 13th and 17th centuries. One of the most well-known major outbreaks took place in Aachen, Germany, on June 24, 1374. During this occurrence, afflicted individuals would dance hysterically through the streets for hours, days, and apparently even months, until they collapsed due to exhaustion or died from heart attack or stroke. The number of participants at any one outbreak could reach into the thousands. A depiction of dancing mania, which occurred on a pilgrimage to the church at Molenbeek, Belgium, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (15641638). (Wikimedia Commons) The Dancing Plague is known to have occurred numerous times throughout medieval Europe, with outbreaks occurring in Italy, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. It was initially considered that the dancing mania was a curse sent by a saint, commonly thought to be St. John the Baptist or St. Vitus, hence the alternative names for the condition. People suffering from this condition would therefore proceed to places dedicated to the said saint in order to pray for deliverance from the affliction, a remedy that apparently restored many to full health. 2. The French Meowing Nuns (19th Century) Institutional settings such as schools, prisons, and tightly-knit communities have often been the settings for outbreaks of mass hysteria, and European Christian convents were no different. In the 1844 book Epidemics of the Middle Ages by J. F. C. Hecker, an account is given of a nun in a convent in France who began to meow like a cat. Shortly afterward, other nuns began exhibiting the same behavior, until the whole convent was plagued with meowing nuns. This concerned the surrounding Christian neighborhood, and eventually soldiers were called in to try to contain the situation. The nuns were whipped and beaten by the soldiers until they promised to cease making the ear-piercing noises. During this era, belief in possession was common, and in France, cats were often viewed as being in allegiance with the devil. 3. Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic (1962) The Tanganyika laughter epidemic began on Jan. 30, 1962, at a mission-run boarding school for girls in Kashasha, Tanzania. The laughter started among three girls but quickly spread throughout the entire school, persisting for hours, days, and then weeks, leading to its closure on March 18, 1962. But it didnt end there. After the school was closed, the mass hysteria spread to other schools and eventually to other nearby villages. Thousands of children were affected by the epidemic, and 14 schools were forced to close. The hysteria eventually died down some eighteen months after it started. 4. Salem Witch Trials (16921693) One of the most notorious instances of mass hysteria is that which occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. Dozens of young girls displayed fits of uncontrollable screaming and contortions, which eventually triggered a flood of witchcraft accusations. The result was a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft, known as the Salem Witch Trials, which resulted in the deaths of 25 citizens of Salem and nearby towns. Representation of the Salem witch trials. Lithograph from 1892 by Joseph E. Baker. (Wikimedia Commons) The witch trials of Salem, which became a highly influential event in U.S. history, have been used in political rhetoric and popular literature to highlight the dangers of isolationism, religious extremism, false accusations, and breakdowns in due process. Modern-Day Explanation Instances involving the propagation of mass hysteria might seem at odds with an increasingly educated general public, who no longer rely on wandering wombs, demonic possessions, and witchcraft as an explanation. But episodes of mass hysteria continue to occur, the most recent of which took place in 2012 when 1,900 children across 15 schools in Sri Lanka were treated for a range of symptoms including skin rashes, vertigo, and coughing, which had no obvious physical cause. While cases of hysteria are easy to laugh off as ridiculous and bizarre behavior, research has shown that there are a number of complex factors that can contribute to the formation and spread of collective hysteria, including social anxieties, cultural pressures, rumors, fears, extraordinary excitement, religious beliefs, reinforcing of actions by authority figures, and extreme stress. While social, political, and religious contexts have changed over the centuries, the human psychology has largely remained the same, and it is for this reason we are likely to see many more occasions of mass hysteria into the future. April Holloway is an editor and writer with Ancient-Origins. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree and currently works as a researcher. Venezuelan migrants gesture as they reach the U.S. border fence to turn themselves in to the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico in El Paso, Texas on Sept. 22, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) 5.5 Million Illegal Aliens Crossed US Border Since Biden Took Office: Report The total number of people who have entered the United States illegally since President Joe Biden took office has climbed to 5.5 million, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Dan Stein, president of FAIR, shared the stark number during a recent interview on NTDs Capitol Report program, which followed a recent announcement by the Biden administration that nearly 2.8 million illegal border crossers were stopped in the fiscal year ended in September, a record high. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) disclosed the figures in a recent operational update that brought the total official number of illegal border crossers to around 4.4 million since Biden took office. Stein said FAIR arrived at the 5.5 million figure by adding to the 4.4 million an estimated 1.1 million who managed to evade capture and entered the United States undetected. Its pretty straightforward, Stein said of the estimate. There are typical projections that are confirmed by Census data of people who just run aroundthey call them gotawayswho enter without inspection, then disappear. If you look at the entire period, its about 5.5 million since Biden took office, adding that FAIR projections estimate the cost to taxpayers to be $20 billion. Stein blamed the Biden administration for dismantling Trump-era deterrence strategies along the border for the surge. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on the figures Stein cited. CBP said that a surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year. Chris Magnus, CBP Commissioner, said in a statement that the agency would work with regional partners to address the root causes of migration, expand legal pathways, facilitate removals, and take thousands of smugglers off the streets. Nearly 78,000 individuals from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua were stopped in September trying to cross the border illegally, a 245 percent increase compared to the same month a year prior. This compares to about 58,000 illegal border crossers from Mexico and the three countries of northern Central America, which have historically accounted for most of the flow but which were down 23 percent compared to September 2021. Republicans, for whom stemming the flow of illegal immigration has been a priority and key campaign platform ahead of the midterm elections, have blamed the record-breaking influx of illegal immigrants on the Biden administrations policies. Thanks to @POTUS reckless open border policies, migrant encounters at the SWB have surpassed 2 million in FY22 for the first time in history, Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee said in a recent post on Twitter. Secure the border. End of quote. Repeat the line, they added. Tom Ozimek Reporter Follow Tom Ozimek has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education. The best writing advice he's ever heard is from Roy Peter Clark: 'Hit your target' and 'leave the best for last.' Broken Ethernet cable in front of binary code and words "cyber security" in a photo illustration taken on March 8, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Australian Government Accused of Leaving Country in the Lurch on Cyber Security The federal Labor government has been accused of leaving Australians in the lurch over cybersecurity after it allegedly removed 27 cybersecurity roles from the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List. This comes as the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has said that it is receiving one report every eight minutes, compared to every seven minutes in the last financial year. The shadow ministers for Immigration and Citizenship, and Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference, Dan Tehan and James Paterson, have called on the government to reverse the decision. In a joint media release on Nov. 2, the shadow ministers said that it was extraordinary that as Australia faces a growing threat from cyber criminals and scammers, the federal government had removed 27 cyber-related roles from the list, making it harder for businesses to bring talented cyber professionals to this country to work. Paterson alleged that the cybersecurity and tech industry had been shocked by the decision. Australias major cyber challenge is the lack of qualified experts, and skilled migration is a key part of addressing that challenge, Paterson said. Dangerous for Australians to Use the Internet Meanwhile, Tehan said the decision had made it more dangerous for Australian internet users. Once again, under the cover of darkness, Labor have taken action that will seriously impact Australian citizens and businesses, and they have not explained the reasons for their decision, Tehan said. Whose interests are served by making it harder for Australian businesses to bring cyber experts to this country to work to protect Australian citizens and their data? Australians need more cyber protection, not less. We need to make it easier for young, highly skilled cyber security experts to come to Australia to work and make a contribution. Echoing Tehan, Paterson called on the Albanese government to overcome guaranteed delays and deadlock to cyber-skilled migration. We need faster visa processing for cyber experts to make Australia a more competitive and attractive destination, Paterson said. Australia a Cyberattack Hotbed Currently, Australia is experiencing a surge in cybersecurity attacks with over 76,000 cybercrime reports in the 2021-22 year, a jump of nearly 13 percent from the previous period, according to a new report by the ACSC. The report comes after several cyber incidents targeting major public companies like Medibank, Australias larger health insurer; Optus, the second largest telecommunications company; and EnergyAustralia, one of the three largest energy companies. The defence department was also targeted, as were private companies Vinomofo, Woolworths MyDeal, and Medlab. Read More Cybercrime Reports Surge as Cyberspace Turns Into a Battleground, Report Shows The government has responded to the increasing cyberattacks by introducing an amendment to the Privacy Bill on Oct. 26. The amendment will significantly increase penalties to organisations for serious or repeated privacy breaches, a move the Labor government hopes can compel businesses to do more on cybersecurity. It will also strengthen the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme to ensure the Information Commissioner has knowledge of an incident and the data compromised. These amendments are targeted and measured, Attorney General Richard Dreyfuss said. They respond to the most pressing issues arising from the Optus data breach and other recent cyber incidents. Nevada Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt addresses about 200 supporters at Nov. 4 North Las Vegas rally that included endorsements from (left-to-right), former National Intelligence Director Adviser Ric Grennell, National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, former National Security Advisor Richard OBrien, former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whitaker, Sen. John Barasso (R-Wyo.), and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. (Epoch Times/John Haughey) Before a Red Horizon, Republicans Rally for Nevadas Laxalt NORTH LAS VEGAS, NevadaAs the blue sky darkened purple, the setting sun slipped behind a braid of black clouds, setting the horizon aflame. Look at that sunset? Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes asked about 200 people gathered in a truck lot off East Craig Road. Thats a big red wave, he said. The sunset was assuredly another sign, all gathered agreed on the night of Nov. 4, that Republicans would win back the House on Nov. 8, take the Senate, and reverse the policies imposed by President Joe Biden and a Democrat-controlled Congress. Reyes, who at 42 years old is in his third four-year term as Utahs attorney general, served as the rally emcee on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, shuttling nine rock stars to-and-from the mic on a stage before the candidate closed the show. The rally was the 29th stop of Laxalts 10-day bus tour, which ends Nov. 6 in Reno. The bus has traversed all 17 Nevada counties, and Laxalt has stumped from Elko to Eureka, Moapa to Pahrump. Supporters sign the campaign bus of Nevada Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt in North Las Vegas on Nov. 4. (Epoch Times/John Haughey) Laxalt is challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) in one of the nations most pivotal and expensive showdowns of the 2022 midterms. The Laxalt-Cortez Masto election is a clash of former state attorney generals. All forecasts and polls are indecisive. The Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball rates the race a tossup. FiveThirtyEight polling aggregates give Laxalt a 6.6 percent edge. Three of six polls since Oct. 24 say Cortez Masto leads, and three say she trails. Cortez Masto has raised more than three times more money than Laxalt. According to her campaigns Oct. 19 Federal Election Commission filing, Her campaign has collected almost $52.9 million compared to Laxalts $15.4 million. Laxalt may not have Cortez Mastos money, but he has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and is actively supported by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He also gets some name recognition as the son of former Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and grandson of former Nevada governor and Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.). Also at the rally, Lieutenant Governor candidate Stavros Anthony, a retired Las Vegas police captain and Las Vegas City Councilman since 2009, and Sam Peters, who is seeking to unseat two-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada). National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said his advocacy organization had never been involved in congressional races beyond the border states, but now the problems at the border are reaching every part of the country. Agents typically apprehend 30,000 to 40,000 people a month illegally crossing the border, he said. Now, its 200,000 a month. What Adam is going to bring to the table is border enforcement and clearly crafted immigration laws, Judd said. If he wasnt going to do that, I wouldnt be here. Robert OBrien, who was Trumps fourth and final national security advisor after serving as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, a one-year ambassador titled appointment, scalded Biden for the catastrophe in Afghanistan. He recalled eating Thanksgiving Dinner in 2019 with the troops and Trump at Bagram Air Base outside Kabul in Afghanistan. You know who is in that cafeteria right now, paid for by American taxpayers? OBrien asked. The Taliban. Matt Whittaker, who served as acting U.S. Attorney General under Trump for four months, said it is time now to restore law and order in Nevada and across the country. Laxalt will do the blocking and tackling for law enforcement to do that, said Whittaker, who played tight end for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. He said the alternative was a less safe, less prosperous, dimmer future with Joe Biden and Catherine Cortez Masto. Richard Grennell, a former Director of National Intelligence under Trump and Ambassador to Germany from 2018-20, acknowledged Republican candidates are being out-raised and out-spent in most races across the country, including in Nevada. The Democrats have a whole lot more money than we do, he said, but they need more money than Republicans do because its taking a whole lot of money to convince us that gas prices are normal. Were at a road that diverges. You have to do something, calling on rallygoers to call all friends and family and get them to vote, even if that means you take them to the polls. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who was with Trump and OBrien for the 2019 Thanksgiving dinner in Afghanistan, said he has served on the Senate Energy Committee for years and is its ranking member. He joked that he had just learned Cortez Masto has been on the committee for six years but is a policy ghost. Catherine Cortez Masto is on that committee? Who knew? Barrasso said hes hoping for 53 or 54 GOP-held Senate seats in 2023, but Im here with 51. By the time Laxalt stepped to the mic to make his fifth pitch of the day, the sky was black, and night had fallen. After unspooling the standard stump speech, he told supporters that the upcoming election offers one last shot to save our great state and was buoyed by the enthusiasm he had seen. Republicans are turning out. Democrats? What do they have to show up for? he said, before cautioning not to be over-confident. President Joe Biden speaks during an event in support of the re-election campaign of Rep. Mike Levin, at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Frets That Free Speech Absolutist Elon Musk Bought Twitter That Spews Lies President Joe Biden fretted over Elon Musks takeover of Twitter in remarks at a Democratic fundraiser on Friday, saying we are all worried that Muska self-avowed free speech absolutistbought a platform that spews lies across the world. Biden made the remarks at a Democratic fundraiser in Rosemont, Illinois, on the same day that Twitter laid off half of its workforce but said cuts were smaller among staff responsible for content moderation and preventing the spread of misinformation. And now what are we all worried about: Elon Musk goes out and buys an outfit that sendsthat spews lies all across the world, Biden said. Theres no editors anymore in America. Theres no editors. How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake? the president added. Twitter has not returned a request for comment on Bidens remarks. But the companys head of safety and integrity Yoel Roth said in a tweet thread on Friday that the daily volume of content moderation actions that Twitter has taken has stayed steady. With early voting underway in the U.S., our efforts on election integrityincluding harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operationsremain a top priority, Roth wrote, adding that the layoffs impacted around 15 percent of Twitters Trust and Safety group. Musk, for his part, has vowed to dial back Twitters censorship policies that many conservatives have alleged are discriminatory and amount to suppression of free speech. At the same time, Musk said in an open letter following his acquisition of Twitter that he would not allow the platform to become a free-for-all hellscape where anything could be said with no consequences. In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, Musk wrote. He said the reason he bought Twitter was that its important for the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence. Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany, on March 22, 2022. (Patrick Pleul/Pool via AP) Musk also announced the creation of a content moderation council that would bring together diverse views on how to handle the issue and that no major decisions on moderating content or reinstating banned accounts would be made until the panel convenes. He also said in his open letter that the takeover came at a time of great danger that social media would splinter into highly polarized echo chambers that fuel more hate and division. At the fundraiser, Biden acknowledged the power of social media and suggested that without internet censorship, Americans would have a hard time distinguishing whats true and false. How do people know the truth? Biden said. How do they make a distinction between fact and fiction? Theres so muchso much going on. And were in the middle of this. China Evergrande Group Chairman Hui Ka Yan attends a news conference on the property developer's annual results in Hong Kong on March 28, 2017. (Bobby Yip/Reuters) China Evergrande Chairmans Hong Kong Mansion Seized by Bank HONG KONGA mansion belonging to embattled China Evergrande Groups chairman in Hong Kongs prestigious The Peak residential enclave has been seized by lender China Construction Bank (Asia), records from the Land Registry show. The bank appointed receivers to take over the 5,000 sq ft (465 sq m) mansion on Nov. 1, according to a filing. Evergrande declined comment and chairman Hui Ka Yan could not be reached. CCB (Asia) did not respond to a request for comment. Saddled with more than $300 billion in total liabilities, the defaulted Chinese property developer has already seen many of its assets, both in mainland China and Hong Kong, seized by creditors. Online news outlet HK01 first reported the foreclosure of the luxury house on Thursday, which it said was now worth HK$700 million ($89 million). The report added it could be the first known case of Huis personal assets in Hong Kong being seized. The mansion, with sweeping views of the citys gleaming skyscrapers, had been pledged to raise about HK$300 million to repay an overdue Evergrande bond, HK01 reported last year. A filing with Hong Kongs Land Registry confirmed in October 2021 that the property had been pledged for a loan from CCB (Asia), although it gave no monetary figure. Hui owns two other luxury homes in the same development in The Peak, which were pledged to Orix Asia Capital Ltd in November 2021 for undisclosed amounts, according to the Land Registry. The latest records show the two properties have not yet been seized. Evergrandes main assets in Hong Kongits headquarters and a vast plot of rural landwere seized by creditors this year. Chinese state-owned China Citic Bank Corp Ltd, lender to the office tower, took over the asset in September, and put it on a tender sale last month, while U.S. asset manager Oaktree Capital Management seized the land in Yuen Long district early this year. ($1 = 7.8498 Hong Kong dollars) Damaged heavy machinery is shown near Houston, B.C., after a violent attack against equipment and workers building the Coastal GasLink pipeline, in this Feb. 17, 2022, RCMP handout photo. Another extreme attack related to the pipeline occurred in Smithers, B.C., on Oct. 26. (The Canadian Press/HO, RCMP) Cory Morgan: Pipeline Protesters Violent Attacks in BC a Ticking Time Bomb Commentary While the worlds eyes were on Ottawa as the standoff between the truckers Freedom Convoy protest and authorities hit its peak, one of the boldest acts of domestic eco-terrorism ever seen in Canada was committed against a construction camp in Northern B.C. Just after midnight on Feb. 18, 20 masked attackers armed with axes attacked staff at a Coastal GasLink (CGL) site, terrorizing workers and causing millions of dollars in damage. When RCMP officers tried to respond from Houston, B.C., they encountered a blockaded road and were attacked with smoke bombs and fire-lit pieces of wood. One officer was injured before the police were forced to retreat. The story quickly fell off the radar of Canadians as the invocation of the Emergencies Act by the federal government dominated the news for weeks. The attack was chillingly coordinated and to date, no arrests have been made. If the RCMP has made any progress in the investigation, they are being tight-lipped about it. As the inquiry into the Emergencies Act began and the nation turned its attention back to Ottawa, another extreme attack occurred in Smithers, B.C. On Oct. 26, arsonists torched four RCMP vehicles and an ambulance at a motel in the town. It was clearly a targeted attack as the extra officers were staying in the area to try and maintain peace and protect the safety of workers on the Coastal Gaslink project. That attack barely made a blip among legacy media outlets. No arrests have been made. Whether accidental or by design, these dangerous attacks against people involved with the CGL project seem to happen when a larger national issue is distracting Canadians. With the coordination and planning involved in these attacks, one is inclined to think the timing is no mistake. Thats not to say things were peaceful between that pair of major, violent actions. Skirmishes between police and protesters have been ongoing. In July, RCMP officers were swarmed by protesters as they tried to make an arrest near a CGL site. Their vehicle was attacked and rocked until reinforcements arrived. When they finally transported their prisoner to the Houston RCMP detachment, he was released without conditions. The protesters against the CGL project have lost all fear of authorities, which is of little wonder. For years, they have taken part in illegal blockades and actions of vandalism with virtual impunity. While protesters are regularly arrested, they rarely face charges, much less convictions. They have set up camps unimpeded throughout the CGL route and have carried out an ongoing campaign of harassment and blockading of workers. Despite the actions of the protesters, the pipeline construction has proceeded, albeit slowly. Opponents of the project are getting desperate and have been escalating their attacks. The CGL project has the approval of all 20 indigenous bands along the right of way. Every official indigenous authority has been consulted and agreements have been made. An extreme fringe of indigenous activists supported by environmental activists from other regions refuse to accept the agreement and its clear they will not give up easily. It doesnt help when public figures inspire extremists with musings about blowing up pipelines, as David Suzuki did last year. The CGL situation is a ticking time bomb, and most Canadians dont even realize its happening. If the situation isnt brought under control soon, somebody is going to be seriously injured, if not killed. The liquid natural gas export terminal in Kitimat, B.C., is nearly complete and will need the gas delivered by the CGL line. That pipeline will not be cancelled under any circumstances and the activists opposing it are demanding nothing less than cancellation. There is little point in trying to negotiate with the activists. They are not to be reasoned with. While Canadians navel gaze on whether it was appropriate to invoke the Emergencies Act against protesters in Ottawa or whether education workers are justified in illegally striking in Ontario, violent activists in B.C. are entrenched and emboldened by a lack of action from authorities. Will it take deaths or bombings before the nation takes this festering crisis more seriously? Authorities need to get proactive with the standoff rather than reactive. We cant afford to keep passively sitting back and hoping the problem will somehow take care of itself. Arrests need to be made, charges and convictions need to stick, and some people need to be incarcerated. As long as extreme environmental activists dont face consequences for their violent actions, the violent actions will continue. The system is failing. Workers and police are being put at risk by a government fearful of confronting extremists and it will not end well. While the government is obsessed with maintaining public order at all costs in Ottawa, it is dangerously turning a blind eye to the disorder in Northern B.C. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A tramway passes by the European Court of Human Rights in the French city of Strasbourg, on Aug.1, 2010. (Johanna Leguerre/AFP/Getty Images) Court of Human Rights Makes Landmark Decision to End Extradition to China From Europe: Safeguard Defenders The European Court of Human Rights unanimously found that the extradition of a Taiwanese citizen to China, which Polands courts had cleared earlier, would place him at significant risk of torture, ill-treatment, and deprivation of the right to a fair trial, the European human right NGO, Safeguard Defenders, reported. The NGO indicated that the unanimous decision is a very clear rejection of extradition because of a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This momentous decision signals that European countries will find it nearly impossible to extradite suspects to China again, said the report. According to the NGO report on Nov. 3, the defendants lawyer, Polish Professor of law Marcin Gorski agreed that the unanimous decision by the Court was of importance and significance in reducing the likelihood that Poland or others would appeal the verdict. The verdict will go into effect three months after its date of issue, Oct. 6, unless an appeal is lodged, said the report. Extradition to China Hongtao Liu is the applicant in the case of Liu vs. Poland. According to the NGO, this is the first known instance of the Court reviewing a case concerning extradition to China. Liu was arrested in Poland in 2017 based on a red notice issued by Interpol in 2016, in connection with a Chinese-Spanish investigation of an international telecoms fraud syndicate. The report explained that the group of nearly 260 people consisted primarily of Taiwanese citizens. A joint Spanish-Chinese policing operation grabbed the group in 20162017. The Spanish courts ignored serious considerations afforded in the ECHR, and approved the extradition of some 208 Taiwanese, in several batches, to China in 20172018, despite protests from Taiwan, said the report. The NGO also indicated that contact with several of those extradited has been lost, and the lawyers have not been able to locate them or update their current conditions. Anti-extradition bill protesters point laser beams outside of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Aug. 18, 2019. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images) Liu, a Taiwanese citizen born in 1980, is currently held at the Warsaw-Bialoleka Detention Centre, and was represented in court by Gorski, the report stated. He filed that the application concerning his extradition to China would violate Article 3 and Article 6 Section 1 of the Convention: If extradited and tried, he would be at risk of torture and inhuman treatment and denied a fair trial. The Polish authorities referred to the Spanish decision in their defense, but that was overruled by the Court, adding that the apparently limited cooperation of the Chinese government with international human rights protection bodies, and the fact that serious allegations of widespread use of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment in Chinese detention centers continue to be raised, said the Court (pdf). It Sets a Precedent The ECHR is a legally binding international judicial instrument and ties 46 European countries to one legally-binding convention. According to the report, it goes further than similar international treatises. The Safeguard Defenders concluded the effect of the Courts legally-binding decision as below. One, all current extradition requests to China should be denied; Two, ministries of justice in relevant countries should ban requests from China for judicial processing; and Three, extradition cases approved but not yet executed should be stopped. The NGO said that, regardless of the person, the crime alleged, or other outside elements, according to the Court, everyone will face a real risk of ill-treatment if extradited to China. In particular, Safeguard Defenders indicated that lawyers in both Italy and Cyprus are already citing the decision to ensure the denial of extradition requests ongoing in those countries. Zhang Ting contributed to this report. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson talks to reporters after a campaign stop in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Oct. 25, 2022. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times) Decisions on Wisconsin Election Integrity Lawsuits Revealed as Election Day Nears With frequent comments about the topic from gubernatorial and Senate candidates, and multiple legal rulings announced this week, election integrity remains front and center in Wisconsin as the Nov. 8 election day draws closer. Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels drew attention earlier this week when he told a group of supporters at a campaign stop that Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after Im elected governor. American Bridge 21st Century, a left-leaning political action committee, released an audio clip of Michels making that statement, according to Business Insider. Tim Michels and his family greet supporters after winning the August 9 Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial primary. (Courtesy of Tim Michels for Congress) Michels, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is running against incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. On Twitter, Evers responded to the audio clip by saying, Tim Michels is a danger to our democracy. Evers spokesperson Sam Roecker released a statement claiming that Tim Michels has made it clear he will do anything in his power to make it harder for Wisconsinites to vote and could even overturn the fair results of our elections if he doesnt like the outcome. The Michels campaign said that the comment had nothing to do with election integrity and that Michels would generate support for Republican candidates by incorporating lower taxes, better schools, uniform election laws, and safer communities. While revving up supporters to get out and vote, Tim was referring to winning and leading and then being rewarded by voters for doing a good job, Michels spokesperson Brian Fraley said in a statement. Any attempt to make more out of that quip shows just how pathetic and desperate Tony Evers and his supporters are getting as we approach election day. They want to talk about anything other than his four years of failure. Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Wisconsin focused on which absentee ballots can be counted or rejected. As of Oct. 25, more than 503,000 absentee ballots in Wisconsin had been returned or cast in person, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC). On Nov. 2, Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas denied an organizations request that local election clerks accept absentee ballots that contain partial addresses of witnesses. In his order, Colas wrote that Wisconsin elections have been conducted and absentee ballots have been counted for 56 years without a legally binding definition of a witness address on a ballot. Since then, until the present, clerks have been legally free to interpret the term, Colas said. They presumably have done so in good faith, in keeping with their oaths of office, and drawing on the non-binding guidance issued by the WEC and its predecessors, and perhaps also on advice from their jurisdictions attorneys. Current guidance from the WEC stipulates that an address is defined as having three components: a street number, street name, and municipality. Rise, Inc., a group with locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, argued that Wisconsin election clerks are not consistently applying that definition. The organization sought an order that would require an address only to have enough information to determine the location of the witness. Colas ruled it was inappropriate to issue an order that changes the status quo. In another case, the 1st District Court of Appeals on Nov. 1 declined to hear an appeal of Dane County Circuit Judge Nia Trammells ruling rejecting a request from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin that an address can only be missing when the entire field is left blank. The case was not heard because it did not meet the criteria for granting an appeal, according to the appeals court. Similar to what Colas ruled, Trammell said that loosening the witness address requirement would upend the status quo and not preserve it and frustrate the electoral process by causing confusion. In an unrelated matter, a Wisconsin judge on Nov. 2 granted the Republican National Committees request for a temporary injunction ordering Green Bay County Clerk Celestine Jeffreys to not violate state laws that permit the public to watch the election and voting process, including in-person absentee voting. According to the lawsuit, Jeffreys has allegedly been prohibiting members of the public from observing all aspects of the in-person absentee voting process that started on Oct. 25 at the city clerks office. In less than 24 hours, the RNC successfully sued and won in Green Bay to ensure the citys Democrat election officials follow the law on the books in Wisconsin, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. Bipartisan poll watching is a constitutional right in Wisconsin, and now the Green Bay Clerk will have to let them in the room to observe. In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court banned the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. Only the voter can return a ballot in person, the conservative-led body determined. A federal judge later ruled that voters with disabilities are allowed to obtain third-party assistance for mailing ballots or delivering them to a clerk. Last week, the Wisconsin 2nd District Court of Appeals decided not to hear an appeal of a Waukesha County circuit court judges ruling on Oct. 5 that prohibits voters who already cast a ballot from voiding it and voting again. The decision applies to voters who cast absentee ballots and vote early at precincts. The practice, which is known as ballot spoiling, had been permitted for numerous election cycles in the state. On Oct. 5, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel ruled that Wisconsin voters cant cancel their ballot and cast a new one once a vote has been cast. Schimel granted a request for a temporary injunction against the practice, which was encouraged by the WEC at offices throughout the state. Wisconsin voter Nancy Kormanik sued the WEC over its guidance that states that clerks can give completed and submitted absentee ballots to voters. Doing so violates a Wisconsin law that states that the clerk shall not return the ballot to the elector once submitted, according to the lawsuit. The guidance was issued after multiple candidates dropped out of high-profile races, including Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate. A Republican and former Wisconsin attorney general, Schimel sided with Kormanik and ordered an injunction effective Oct. 7. At an emergency meeting last week, the WEC unanimously voted to rescind their previous guidance and no longer allow ballot spoiling. Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes casts his ballot in Milwaukee on Oct. 25, 2022. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times) As Wisconsin voters head to the polls in the final days of early votingand on Election Dayelection integrity is a concern for many residents. A Sept. 22 poll from Marquette University Law School in Wisconsin illustrates the division over the topic between the two parties. Among likely voters surveyed, 86 percent of Democrats and 12 percent of Republicans are very confident that votes in Wisconsin were accurately cast and counted in the 2020 presidential election. Those figures include independent voters who lean Democratic or Republican. The poll also revealed that 62 percent of Republicans werent too confident or werent confident at all in the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state while 6 percent of Democrats feel that way. When early voting started in Wisconsin on Oct. 25, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes cast his ballot at a community center in Milwaukee. After leaving the precinct, he stood outside with supporters on a rain-soaked morning and talked about the importance of heading to the polls. One of the reasons I decided to come out here and vote early is to make sure that people have trust and faith in the process, Barnes said. You know, were gonna make sure all the ballots are counted. Make sure that this is a safe and secure process. I trust the process. I voted early in at least three of the last five elections, Barnes added. I know people like to show up on Election Day. Its sort of ritualistic in many ways. But sometimes we have obligationsthings come upand so its good for folks to get out there get it done early, and then use the additional time to encourage other people to vote to win. Johnson encouraged early voting at a campaign stop in Waukesha the same day that Barnes cast his vote in Milwaukee. During a town hall last week, he told supporters, I would recommend early voting if you have a Republican election clerk. Im not sure I would recommend a Republican go vote in Milwaukee. I dont know about the bipartisan observation of those early votes. It might be possible. The comments were light-hearted humor, a Johnson spokesperson said. Obviously the senator meant that as a tongue-in-cheek comment, Alexa Henning said. The senator was just in Waukesha Tuesday where he encouraged early voting. We are confident we have Republican observers and poll workers in place. Wisconsinites should turn out and vote everywhere, including Milwaukee. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington on March 9, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Elon Musk Threatens to Name and Shame Advertisers Boycotting Twitter Elon Musk has threatened to name and shame brands that have either vocally or quietly pulled their ads from Twitter following Musks takeover of the social media platform and firing of around half of its staff. Barely a week into his ownership of Twitter, which he has called a digital town square where a broad range of ideas can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, a number of companies have suspended their advertising, some quietly. Major brands including General Mills, General Motors, and United Airlines have gone public with their decisions to suspend ad spending on Twitter, while others appear to be quiet quitting. Executives at some of the worlds biggest advertising groups reportedly told the Financial Times that some of their clients were privately considering pulling ads from Twitter or had already done so without making any public statements to that effect, apparently to avoid courting controversy. Theres some quiet quitting going on, one ad executive told the Financial Times anonymously. Thermonuclear Name & Shame Musk said in a post on Twitter that activist groups pressuring advertisers had led to a massive drop in revenue as the company engages in mass layoffs. Twitter had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists, Musk wrote. Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America, he added. Responding to Musks tweet was founder and president of the Internet Accountability Project Mike Davis, who urged the Twitter chief to name and shame the advertisers who are succumbing to the advertiser boycotts. So we can counter-boycott them. Musk replied: Thank you. A thermonuclear name & shame is exactly what will happen if this continues. Wait-and-See Some companies are adopting a wait-and-see approach, according to Martin Sorrell, founder of advertising giant WPP and chairman of S4 Capital, in remarks at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, earlier in the week. At the same time, a coalition of over 40 advocacy groups wrote an open letter (pdf) to some of Twitters leading advertisers calling for an ad boycott if Musk follows through on his plans to undermine brand safety and community standards including gutting content moderation. Even President Joe Biden piled on with criticism, saying at a Democratic fundraiser on Friday that we are all worried that Muska self-avowed free speech absolutistbought a platform that spews lies across the world. Musk, for his part, insisted in an open letter of his own that he would not allow the platform to become a free-for-all hellscape where anything could be said with no consequences. In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, Musk wrote. He later said in a post on Twitter that the company remains committed to moderating content. To be crystal clear, Twitters strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged, he wrote. In fact, we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press, he added. Moderation Actions Have Stayed Steady Twitters head of safety and integrity Yoel Roth said in a tweet thread on Friday that the daily volume of content moderation actions that Twitter has taken has stayed steady. With early voting underway in the U.S., our efforts on election integrityincluding harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operationsremain a top priority, Roth wrote, adding that the layoffs Musk announced earlier only impacted around 15 percent of Twitters Trust and Safety group. While we said goodbye to incredibly talented friends and colleagues yesterday, our core moderation capabilities remain in place, Roth added. Even before he bought Twitter for around $44 billion, Musk hinted at job cuts, telling employees at a town-hall meeting this summer that there needs to be a rationalization of headcount at Twitter. More recently, Musk defended his decision to go ahead with mass layoffs by saying that he had no choice as Twitter was losing over $4 million per day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required, Musk added. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 2, 2022. (Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via Reuters) Erdogan Says He Could Discuss Charge for Twitter Blue Check With Elon Musk ISTANBULTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he may negotiate with Twitters new boss Elon Musk to avoid paying the monthly $8 charge for the verified badge. After buying Twitter for $44 billion last week, Musk said the company will charge $8 a month for its Blue service, which includes the sought-after blue check mark. In an interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV on Wednesday, Erdogan said he may speak to Musk and discuss the charge. It might be different for us, Erdogan said, when asked about the new charge for the blue check. We could carry out some diplomacy with him as well, he added jokingly. A blue check mark next to a persons user name on the social media platform means Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it. Twitter is currently free for most users. More than 80 percent of Twitter users who took part in a recent poll said they would not pay for the checkmark. Some 10 percent said they were willing to pay $5 a month. Musk said on Tuesday subscribers with blue check marks would get priority in replies, mentions, and search and would be able to post longer videos and audios. They would see half as many ads. He also offered subscribers a paywall bypass from publishers willing to work with us. Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator John Fetterman speaks at a reception for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in Philadelphia on Oct. 28, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Fetterman Draws Praise From Oprah Winfrey and The View, Prepares to Campaign With Obama and Biden A day after gaining the endorsement of celebrity talk show personality Oprah Winfrey, Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman drew abundant praise from hosts of The View during his Nov. 4 appearance on the program. Fetterman was incredibly courageous and brave for debating Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz on Oct. 25, Sunny Hostin said. During the only scheduled debate between the candidates vying to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, Fetterman often struggled to speak in complete sentences, stumbled over his words, and delivered responses punctuated by prolonged pauses. Before the candidates offered their opening statements, moderators explained that a closed captioning system would be used so that Fetterman could follow their questions and Ozs answers. Fettermans campaign made the request, and Ozs campaign agreed. Fetterman suffered a stroke days before the May primary, cast his ballot from a hospital room, and is still recovering. For several months, media outlets and officials from the Republican and Democratic parties have questioned Fettermans ability to effectively serve if he is elected. Those concerns were elevated after the debate. I think you look and sound great, Hostin said. Its clear your post-stroke troubles are not cognitive and would not hinder you as a senator, co-host Sara Haines added. Fetterman appeared on the show via video chat. The View said that closed captioning was being used to assist him with auditory and word-processing issues. When asked about his health condition, Fetterman said that he is getting better and better every day and that weve been able to maintain the kind of rigors of running a campaign. Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks at a campaign rally in Bucks County, Pa., on Nov. 1, 2022. (William Huang/The Epoch Times) Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsed Oz, calling him a unifier who will work with Democrats to get things done for Pennsylvania, and he shows the potential to become an influential, thoughtful, and independent senator. Fetterman served as mayor of Braddock, a borough located about 10 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, and still lives in the community of 1,721 residents. In September, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board called on both candidates to release their medical records. Oz obliged, and the results indicated he is in good health. Fetterman repeatedly refused. In October, a Post-Gazette editorial once again urged him to follow Ozs lead. Fetterman eventually released a letter from his physician on Oct. 19 from a doctor who wrote that he is recovering well from his stroke and has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office. What the Oct. 15 letter didnt disclose is that the authorDr. Clifford Chenhas donated to Fettermans campaign at least four times, according to Federal Elections Commission records. Fetterman has yet to release his medical records. The View co-host Ana Navarro asked Fetterman if he believes he has been transparent about his health issues. Mr. Fetterman, several senators have faced serious health challenges in office. Just in the last year, Sen. [Ben Ray] Lujan, Sen. [Chris] Van Hollen, Sen. Tim Johnson all had strokes. Sen. [Arlen] Specter from Pennsylvania suffered cancer while serving. Navarro added that none have had these serious issues, health issues, before being elected. Since your stroke, youve only released two letters from your doctor and said you will not release your full medical records. Do you feel you owe voters full transparency, or have you been transparent enoughin that you can get the job done? Fetterman responded by saying we have been leaving the same medical equivalent kind of information that Dr. Oz did, adding, You know, weve been running a campaign, and I think we have been very transparent in all of our doctors beliefs, both from June and also in October. All agree I am fit to serve. Fetterman continued by saying that he wants to focus on the race and not his health. And, you know, to me the race really isnt necessarily specifically about my health. I believe in the team of my doctors, and believe that were here today, right now on live TV, being able to have this conversation, Fetterman said. I feel that were running a very transparent race about health issues. In this handout photo provided by NBCUniversal, Oprah Winfrey accepts the 2018 Cecil B. DeMille Award and speaks onstage during the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, in this Jan. 7, 2018, file photo. (Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) Winfrey announced her stamp of approval for Fetterman during her online event, A Virtual Voting Conversation, on Nov. 3. I said it was up to the citizens of Pennsylvania and of course, but I will tell you all this: If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons, Winfrey said. Winfrey, who is a Democrat, also endorsed a pool of other Democratic candidates. [If] I was in North Carolina, sister (Cheri) Beasley there, and if I was in Florida, Id be supporting Val Demings. If I was in Wisconsin, it would be Mandela Barnes, in Nevada it would be Catherine Cortez Masto, Winfrey said. And in Texas, Beto ORourke, and Raphael Warnock, and the incredible Stacey Abrams, of course, in Georgia. That Winfrey supports Fetterman is noteworthy because she was the person who elevated Oz to national prominence as a health expert by including him as a guest on her show over a decade ago. In 2009, Oz launched his own talk show, which was produced by Winfreys company, Harpo Productions. We all know that Oprahs the creator of Dr. Ozs TV career and she went for you instead, The View co-host Joy Behar said to Fetterman. Its unbelievable, Fetterman said. Its an honor. Winfrey is an icon who understands whats at stake here in this race, Fetterman added. On Nov. 3, Oz spokeswoman Brittany Yanick told reporters, Doctor Oz loves Oprah and respects the fact that they have different politics. He believes we need more balance and less extremism in Washington. During the GOP primary, the New York Post reported that Oz asked Winfrey to not get involved in the race. I asked her to stay out, Oz said. Dont support me because if you get involved in any way, youll get hurt and I dont want my friends hurt, he said in December 2021. Fetterman held a double-digit lead in multiple polls last summer, but the race has tightened in recent months. After the debate, Oz led Fetterman, 48 percent to 46 percent, in a poll of likely voters conducted by The Hill and Emerson College Polling. A New York Times/Sienna poll released on Nov. 1 showed Oz and Fetterman tied at 47 percent each. Of those who say they have heard, seen, or read a lot about the debate, Oz leads Fetterman 55 percent to 41 percent, Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College polling, told The Hill. Among likely voters who have heard, seen, or read only a little or know nothing of the debate, Fetterman held a 56 percent to 28 percent advantage over Oz, according to the survey. The race is rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Former President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event in College Park, Ga., on Oct. 28, 2022. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) In a last-second effort to help Fetterman defeat Oz and allow the Democrats to flip the seat currently held by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, former president Barack Obama will join Fetterman at a rally in Pittsburgh on Nov. 5. Following that stop, Obama will travel to Philadelphia, where he will appear with President Joe Biden at an event for Fetterman and Pennsylvania Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro. Im proud to be on the stage of two presidents that both won Pennsylvania, Fetterman told CBS News. They are 100% sedition-free and they reject extremism. On the same day in Latrobe, former President Donald Trump will appear with Oz and Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. Supporters of activist Chris Elston demonstrate against gender affirmation treatments and surgeries on minors, outside of Boston Childrens Hospital in Boston, Mass., on Sept. 18, 2022. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) Florida Medical Boards Vote to Ban Sex Change Surgeries, Hormone Therapies for Minors Floridas boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine on Friday voted to prohibit certain therapies and medical procedures typically used as so-called treatments of gender dysphoria. The two boards met in Orlando for a joint public meeting where each voted on the same rules related to minors, banning sex reassignment surgeries or any other surgical procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics. The rules also ban puberty blockers, as well as hormone and hormone antagonist therapies. Opponents of such treatments characterize them as life-altering and say they can lead to sterilization. Nonsurgical treatments for gender dysphoria in minors may continue under the auspices of investigator-initiated clinical trials approved by the Institutional Review Board and conducted at certain Florida medical schools. Minors who are already being treated with puberty blockers or hormone and hormone antagonist therapies prior to the rule taking effect are allowed to continue. The rules will take effect after a weekslong period of public input. Today, the Boards of Medicine & Osteo Medicine voted to protect our children from irreversible surgeries & highly experimental treatments. I appreciate their integrity for ruling in the best interest of FL children (1/2) Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) November 4, 2022 Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said the move would help to protect our children from irreversible surgeries [and] highly experimental treatments. I appreciate their integrity for ruling in the best interest of [Florida] children despite facing tremendous pressure to permit these risky [and] unproven treatments, Ladapo in a statement. Children deserve to learn how to navigate this world without harmful pressure. Florida will continue to fight for kids to be kids. The medical boards published over 4,000 pages (pdf) of testimony by medical professionals and members of the public who support the ban. Ghoulish Gender Experiments The decision has been hailed as a win for the protection of children in the state by Roger Severino, vice president of domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation and former director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children should never have their sex treated as a disease that needs curing through permanently sterilizing surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers, Severino said in a statement. We applaud the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine for protecting children from ghoulish gender experiments that leave kids scarred and infertile. Severino said the now-banned treatments dont cure the depression often associated with minors suffering gender dysphoria but instead make it worse. He said that around 90 percent of children with gender confusion grow out of it when puberty and nature are allowed to simply take their course. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has been a vocal opponent of minors being treated for gender dysphoria with the typical procedures and therapies. In the past, he has characterized them as dangerous and has said doctors should be sued for performing them. They dont tell you what that isthey are actually giving very young girls double mastectomies, they want to castrate these young boys, DeSantis said in August. Both from the health and children wellbeing perspective, you dont disfigure 10-, 12-, 13-year-old kids based on gender dysphoria, 80 percent of it resolves anyways by the time they get older. So why would you be doing this? The current treatments for gender dysphoria are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, and the American Medical Association. Many doctors and medical experts downplay what opponents call the harm of so-called gender-affirming care for children. At the public meeting of the two medical boards on Friday, the vast majority of attendees who spoke were against the treatments. Some spoke about their regrets about undergoing the treatments. Recently, the news about Boston University creating a new type of virus became a red-hot topic. It is said that the virus has a lethality rate of 80 percent. Is it true? The news spread as a study done by Boston University was published as a preprint on Oct. 14. But it isnt as scary as people think, because the data is from animal models, not from human trials. However, I still disagree with this type of gain-of-function research because it brings a lot of unpredictable risks. As we all know, the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates quickly. One of those mutations resulted in Omicron this year. While its transmission rate has increased significantly, the pathogenicity has decreased significantly. Scientists hope to study Omicron thoroughly to find better treatment strategies. Researchers at Boston University took the gene encoding of the spike protein from Omicron (red sequence in chart) to replace the relevant part from the old strain of early 2020 (blue sequence in chart) and create a new virus gene (red-blue mix). In other words, the new virus is based on the original coronavirus from 2020, but with the spike protein from Omicron. This is like a donkey and a horse giving birth to a mule; or a donkey and a zebra giving birth to a zebra donkey. The offspring of two different species possesses the characteristics of both species. This mixed new species is called a chimeric virus. In fact, the reality is that gene editing technology can create species much more mixed than a chimeric virus. New Chimeric Virus Kill Rate Claims To explain this widespread claim, we must first understand the model used in the Boston study. Boston University scientists used a transgenic mice model (K18-hACE2) expressing human ACE2 genes in the mice cells. Subsequently, the scientists infected ACE2 transgenic mice with the chimeric virus. Please note both the mice model and the virus are not natural, but man made and chimeric. The red line shows that the K18 mice infected with the wild type SARS-CoV-2 virus lost over 20 percent of their body weight after 6 days. They were all dead (red line) within six days after infection. The chart below shows the result of the Boston study: The red line on top shows that none of the mice infected with Omicron died. The purple line shows that the new chimeric viruss lethality rate is lower than the wild type virus (100 percent) on Day 8, but much higher than that of Omicron (0 percent), i.e.: 80 percent of the mice infected with the new chimeric virus died. This research result cant be interpreted as 80 percent of the humans will be killed by the new virus. Animal testing results cant be directly applied to humans. In fact, the mortality rate of the old Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 is only 3 percent in humans, but it was 100 percent in this transgenic mouse model, so the mortality rate is magnified by 33 times from human to mouse. When translating the 80 percent mortality rate of the transgenic model into humans, it may only be estimated to be 2.4 percent. In summary, through the scientific deduction method, the Boston University-made recombinant virus has a mortality rate of 2.4 percent in humans. Therefore, the new virus is not as fatal as the old one. We need to understand how these numbers were derived. Gain of Function Research Meanwhile, I dont think this type of gain-of-function research should continue. Since 2005, scientists have attempted to use genetic recombination techniques to create recombinant viruses. In other words, they want to artificially create new viruses to help develop vaccines, drugs, etc. It seems that the goal is to bring greater health to humans. The way genetic engineering technology creates a recombinant virus is like assembling building blocks or puzzle pieces. In creating something new, it may also produce some unexpected viruses that are more virulent, more dangerous to humans. For example, before 2015, researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China were studying a coronavirus of wild bat origin called the Chinese horseshoe bat species, a SARS-like virus prevalent in SHC014-CoV, which originally could not infect humans. In parallel, they put the wild-type SARS-CoV virus into a repeated adaptation process in mice, resulting in a more pathogenic, mouse-adapted SARS-CoV virus. Then they took the part of the bat coronavirus spike protein and replaced the relevant part of the adapted SARS-CoV backbone. As a result, a novel chimeric virus that binds to the human ACE2 receptor, and thus has the ability to infect people and develop severe disease in the lungs, was created. That is to say, a wild type bat virus (green, below) incapable of infecting mice or humans then obtained the ability to infect mice with significant pathogenicity, similar to SARS-CoV, and was able to infect humans. Their paper was published in Nature Medicine in 2015 as a new scientific invention, and an honor. American molecular biologist and biodefense specialist Richard H. Ebright published an article on Nature in 2015. He questioned the method used in the above mentioned experiment, and wrote, the only impact of this work is the creation of a new unnatural risk in the laboratory. Indeed, manually creating a virus that is harmful to humansthese scientists dont know what they are doing themselves. The origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a controversial subject. The possibility of a lab leak has been one that still needs to be excluded. Now they are making new viruses, hoping to find a solution. There are ethics considerations to scientific research. Not everything can be modified at will. We know that any species genes have the secret code of that species, it is not as simple as a plain protein. In 2019, animal trials of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy saw severe toxicity and death in monkeys and pigs, which caused FDA to place such clinical trials on hold. In 2020, four boys died in clinical trials of Astellas adeno-associated virus gene therapy for muscle disease. Many developers also believe that there are many unknown and uncontrollable serious risk factors in gene therapy, as if shooting in the dark with no target in sight. Scientific development can bring tragedy to humans. With the initial intention to cure illnesses, we end up potentially creating more illnesses. Doesnt it mean that the direction of human scientific research and development has been misguided? Hippocrates wrote 2,500 years ago, The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well. Many natural healing methods are often overlooked. Science and technology do need to develop, but it needs to return to rationality and return to the right path. Only by walking on the right path can sustainable development be achieved, and only then can the human world find the real path to true health. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here. The Fungi Future Is Here at an Urban Mushroom Farm Just South of Downtown L.A. HK Govt. Accuses Stand News of Being a Political Platform and Publishing Inciting Articles The trial of editors of the former Stand News began in Hong Kong on Oct. 31, 10 months after they were arrested and jailed. The three defendants were charged with conspiracy to publish and/or reproduce seditious articles from July 7, 2020 to Dec. 29, 2021. Stand News was founded in December 2014 in Hong Kong, during the Umbrella Movement. Its charter was to operate as an independent voice with the primary aim of protecting Hong Kongs core values of democracy, human rights, freedom, the rule of law, and justice. The business model was to accept commercial advertisements and public sponsorship to support its long-term development. On Dec. 29, 2021, the companys assets were frozen by the National Security Office of the Hong Kong Police Force, and six incumbent and former senior executives were arrested, including editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, directors Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, Denise Ho Wan-see, Chow Tat-Chi, Christine Fang Meng-sang, and acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-tong. Stand News was forced to cease operations, its website and all social media were stopped, and all staff were dismissed. The next day (Dec. 30), the UK branch of Stand News also announced that it would cease operations. Chung Pui-kuen, Patrick Lam Shiu-tong, and Stand News company were charged with one count of conspiracy to publish or reproduce seditious articles. The case entered its second day of the trial on Nov. 1 in the District Court. In its opening statement, the prosecution claimed that Stand News was a political platform that enhanced the ferocity and strengthened the causes of anti-government issues by publishing 17 specified articles. The defence said, on Oct. 31, that 10 of the 17 articles cited in the case exceeded the prosecution time limit. Kwok Wai-kin, the designated judge of the Hong Kong National Security Law who presided over the trial, refused to accept the argument on Nov. 1, saying he would accept all 17 articles as evidence, they will be presented as such in court, and the reasons for his decision will be promulgated during the ruling. Acting Senior Assistant Criminal Prosecution Commissioner Laura Ng Shuk-kuen, who represented the prosecution, said in her opening statement that Stand News is not just an online media, but a political platform. The prosecution quoted Patrick Lam Shiu-tong, the deputy editor-in-chief, while attending a lecture in December 2019, as saying that he hoped to use their reports to make the public understand the anti-extradition movement better so that we can have a common basis to discuss and evaluate, and even participate in this movement. The prosecution further divided interviews, blogs, and news reports into six categories, that covered the pro-democracy 35+ primary election case, 12 Hong Kong people abscondment case, foreign forces advocate international sanctions, NSLs relevant law enforcement actions and judicial procedures, the CUHK Riot Case, and malicious attacks on the Central Government and the administration. The prosecution said that the publication and distribution of the articles by Stand News was intended for free readership by the public. The 17 articles the prosecution referred to included six exclusive interviews with former district councillors, former legislators, and media workers, nine blog posts, and two commentary articles. Numerous Charges The prosecution said that the above articles were published after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). It thinks it is appropriate for the court to exercise its judicial notice because the large-scale violent confrontation in society seemed to have subsided, but there were still all sorts of undercurrents and political bombs going on behind the scenes. Further saying there was still the resistance of a large group of citizens at that time, Local and foreign anti-China forces were still around in anticipation of a comeback to hype up social events, in an attempt to agitate the public to resort to all sorts of violence with armed forces, and illegal protests. All the defendants were accused of deliberately publishing the above-mentioned articles to enhance the ferocity and strengthen anti-government sentiment at the time. The prosecution claimed that the interviews of Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Ted Hui Chi-fung, and Sixtus Leung Chung-hang, as well as Sunny Cheung Kwan-yangs blog, were all events by people who advocated foreign sanctions while residing overseas; but Stand News packaged all of them as human rights fighters. At the same time, it also accused the blogs of Allan Au Ka-lun, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, and Chan Pui-man of arousing public hatred of police enforcement, prosecution, and judicial procedures. Stand News was also accused of publishing an article on the second anniversary of the conflict between police and the students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong that glorified violent behaviour and clearly wanted to rekindle the violent protests from cooling down. The article was still available on the medias website even after the police wrote to them accusing the article of being inconsistent with the facts. Other criminal evidence against Stand News was its report on Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, vice chairperson of the HK Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, being awarded the Distinguished Person for Advancing Democracy in China Award in early December 2021. The police said the report portrayed Chow as a human rights fighter and, as such, was an attempt to attack the regime. In addition, after the candidates for the Democratic 35+ Primary Election were prosecuted, Stand News published Nathan Laws blog, which the prosecution said was appealing for grievances and awarding a halo for the illegals. Stand News Well Supported in 2019 In its opening statement, the prosecution also stated that the company with which Stand News was affiliated had an income of HK$80 million (about $10.2 million) in 2019 (the year the anti-extradition movement occurred), and had 135,000 subscribers. These, when compared with the average numbers recorded between 2015 and 2018, were an increase of 10 and 27 times, respectively. Based on these figures, the prosecution believes that Stand News was well supported by a lot of like-minded people with similar political philosophies. The trial is expected to take 20 days, and the prosecution will call 22 witnesses. Case number: DCCC265/2022 Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in Dallas, Texas, on Aug. 6, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) House Jan. 6 Panel Gives New Deadline for Trump to Hand Over Subpoenaed Documents The House Jan. 6 committee on Friday extended their deadline for former President Donald Trump to hand over documents the panel subpoenaed. We have received correspondence from the former President and his counsel regarding the committees subpoena, the panel said on Twitter, hours after their original deadline passed. We have informed Trumps counsel that he must begin producing records no later than next week and he remains under subpoena for testimony starting on November 14th. The Democrat-led panel issued a subpoena on Oct. 21 to Trump, a Republican, for testimony and to provide records relevant to its probe into the facts, circumstances, and causes of the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters went to the U.S. Capitol to express their views about the results of the 2020 general election, which many disputed. The events of Jan. 6, 2021, are often referred to as an insurrection by legacy media outlets, Democrats, and a small number of Republicans. Most of the crowd were supporters of Trump. Questions have been raised about whether some of the protesters were not genuine Trump supporters, with video footage and witness accounts disputing the prevailing media narrative about the violence on the day. A video of former President Donald Trump is played during a hearing by the House Jan. 6 committee in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on Oct. 13, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) The panel seeks Trumps communications records with respect to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and any witnesses testifying to the House committees investigation. They contend that Trump played a key role in what they characterize as efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and disrupt the transfer of power. The subpoena also called for Trump to give testimony to the panel by Nov. 14. Subpoena The House Jan. 6 committee wrote in a letter to Trump (pdf) that it has assembled overwhelming evidence, including from dozens of your former appointees and staff, that the former president oversaw a multi-part effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump has denied such allegations, saying that the 2020 election was rigged against him. The panel said it did not take this action lightly and that it recognized that a subpoena to a former President is a significant and historic action. During its final public hearing in October, the panel unanimously voted to subpoena the former president. Trump has described the panel as a group of highly partisan political Hacks and Thugs whose sole function is to destroy the lives of many hard-working American Patriots, according to a 14-page letter (pdf). The committees mandate is due to dissolve at the end of the year, but if the GOP retakes the House of Representatives, as many election analysts predict, then Trumps legal challenge would outlast the committees mandate. Images Show Digital Tool Coast Guard Using to Deny COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption Requests Newly published images show the digital tool that the U.S. Coast Guard has been utilizing to swiftly deny requests for exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The five screenshots of the tool show how the Coast Guard has been violating the rights of service members who have legitimate reasons for requesting an exemption but have had their requests denied, lawyers, lawmakers, and members say. The digital tool, known as the Religious Accommodations Appeal Generator (RAAG), enables Coast Guard officials to select from a pre-populated list of 25 reasons a request is submitted and quickly produce a document denying a request. Reasons include the risk of death from COVID-19 being minimal, how vaccines dont work well or at all against infection, and having duties that do not bring a member into contact with the public. The tool indicates that the adjudication process for exemption applications was a pro forma exercise designed to reach predetermined conclusionsto deny requests and appealsin nearly every single case, Republican lawmakers said in an October letter to the Coast Guard. The letter did not include the images. They were obtained by The Epoch Times from a source and attached recently to a filing in a court case lodged by more than 130 Coast Guard members that alleges the vaccine mandate violates the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which prohibits the government from substantially burden[ing] a persons exercise of religion by imposing pressure on a person to modify his behavior and to violate his beliefs. Denial letters used the same magic words without the individualized treatment required by the RFRA, according to the complaint. The images from the digital tool confirm the allegations, lawyers representing members said in the recent filing. In sum, just as Plaintiffs have alleged all along, the Coast Guard has engaged in a coordinated and digitally designed and supported campaign to willfully violate the rights of servicemembers under both RFRA and the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, they said. This is as clear-cut an example of willful discrimination as there has likely ever been presented showing that Defendants never intended to grant a single Religious Accommodation. Reactions Lawyers not involved in the case agreed. It appears that Coast Guard leadership decided to intentionally ignore the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Davis Younts, one of the lawyers, told The Epoch Times in an email. Military leaders that decide to ignore the law are failing to uphold their oath to support and defend the Constitution. Younts said it was important to keep in mind that the Coast Guard has also created a guide for chaplains who interview members seeking religious accommodation that instructs the chaplains to ask questions that are designed to manipulate the service member seeking an accommodation into discussing politics rather than religion and then using that prompted discussion as an excuse to find the request for an accommodation was not sincere. As of Sept. 23, the Coast Guard has approved just 12 religious exemption requests and denied another 1,231. Plaintiffs in the case said the only approvals that have been given were to members set to leave the service. The Coast Guard, asked about the tool, said that it is following the law. The Coast Guard takes its obligations to review and carefully consider each religious accommodation request filed by one of our members seriously. Every request received individualized review and analysis in accordance with law and Coast Guard policy, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email. Plaintiff Lt. Chad Coppin, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said the tool and another document recently made public show the Coast Guard is lying. That document contains language that officials can quickly plug into denials for members in certain positions, such as members serving on small cutters. Coppins denial used language from the letter but officials copied language from the wrong section. Coppin inspects ships but officials used language that referred to him serving on board a ship. In your current assignment your duties require you to operate within an enclosed quarters for extended periods while in close proximity to your shipmates, the denial letter, reviewed by The Epoch Times states. They literally used wording that was supposed to be used for a Coast Guard small boat station, and Im prevention officer, Coppin told The Epoch Times. To me, the whole thing is a sham. Coppin said members were told by superiors that each exemption request would receive an individualized assessment but the newly obtained documents rebut that claim. Looks to me more like theyre just trying to plug and play pre-canned responses. And they didnt even do enough due diligence to make sure that they got my unit correct, he said. Since the case was filed in July, some plaintiffs have been discharged, including Petty Officer Third Class Timothy Jordan, whose wife was 8 months pregnant at the time. Lawyers asked for a temporary restraining order to prevent the Coast Guard from discharging any more plaintiffs. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, the Trump appointee overseeing the case, ordered the parties on Oct. 27 to enter mediation. He wants them to come to an agreement similar to that reached in a separate case brought by Coast Guard personnel. The agreement saw the Coast Guard agree to stop discharge proceedings against plaintiffs. J.M. Phelps contributed to this report. Jen Psaki, Biden Administration Try to Quash Subpoena of Former White House Press Secretary Planned deposition 'a fishing expedition,' Psaki's lawyer says Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki is fighting a subpoena that was issued in the Big Techgovernment censorship case, claiming that she shouldnt be compelled to testify. Psaki, who left the Biden administration in May, shouldnt be burdened by having to sit for a deposition, Jeannie Rhee and other lawyers representing the Virginia resident said in a filing to a federal court in Alexandria. The plaintiffs in the censorship case, including the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, convinced a judge to allow them to depose eight current and former administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Psaki. During her time as press secretary, Psaki was public about the administrations attempts to pressure Big Tech platforms to take action against users the administration thought were spreading misinformation. The Court finds that Plaintiffs have proven that Jennifer Psaki has personal knowledge about the issue concerning censorship across social media as it related to COVID-19 and ancillary issues of COVID-19, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee based in Louisiana, said in his recent order. Psaki has made a number of statements that are relevant to the Governments involvement in a number of social-media platforms efforts to censor its users across the board for sharing information related to COVID-19. Any burden on Psaki is outweighed by the need to determine whether free speech has been suppressed, he also said. But plaintiffs have already obtained the information theyre seeking from Psaki, including the names of federal officials in touch with the platforms, and have not proven they need to question Psaki to obtain additional information, Psakis lawyers asserted. They asked the court in Virginia to quash the subpoena because it is unduly burdensome. The burdens of preparing and sitting for any wide-ranging deposition are significant, let alone the deposition of a former senior administration official. And imposing that burden on Ms. Psaki, a nonparty private citizen, is entirely unwarranted on this record. The proposed deposition is, at best, a fishing expedition to try to identify additional members of a conspiracy that Plaintiffs have merely alleged to exist, after they have already received extensive expedited discovery and although there exist alternate sources for that information, the lawyers said. In a declaration, Psaki said she would need to devote several days to preparing for a deposition and attending the deposition itself. That would be highly disruptive to both my work and my family, she said. U.S. Department of Justice lawyers submitted a brief in support of Psakis position. They reiterated arguments that Psaki was a high-ranking official and that plaintiffs have not proven that extraordinary circumstances exist, which is necessary for deposing high-ranking officials. The Biden administration also is appealing the deposition order for three othersSurgeon General Vivek Murthy, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly, and Rob Flahertyall of whom are still part of the administration. The department asked Doughty to enter a partial stay for that trio as the appeal is considered, but Doughty rejected that request in a Nov. 2 ruling. The Court finds that both the public interest and the interest of the other parties in preserving free speech significantly outweighs the inconvenience the three deponents will have in preparing for and giving their depositions, he said. Kash Patel, former chief of staff for the Department of Defense, speaks during a campaign event for Republican election candidates at the Whiskey Roads Restaurant & Bar in Tucson, Ariz., on July 31, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Kash Patel Testifies to Grand Jury About Documents Found at Trumps Mar-a-Lago Former U.S. prosecutor Kash Patel has testified to a grand jury about the documents federal authorities seized from former President Donald Trumps home in Florida. Patel confirmed the testimony after anonymously sourced reports, including articles by CNN and The Washington Post, said he was granted immunity. The anonymous sources were allegedly describing sealed, or secret, court records. Mr. Patel categorically denies reaching any immunity deal with the government. Rather, his testimony was compelled over his objection through the only legal means available to the governmenta grant of limited immunity, Patels spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times. Patel, an EpochTV host, directed supporters to his website, FightWithKash, and declined to provide more information. Patel helped spearhead the House Republican investigation into the anti-Trump dossier funded by Trumps 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton. He also held several roles in the Trump administration, including in the National Security Council and as the chief of staff to Acting Department of Defense Secretary Christopher Miller. After Patel left office, Trump named him as a representative to the National Archives and Records Administration. Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate was raided in August. FBI agents seized thousands of documents, including about 100 documents with classified markings. Trump is under investigation for possible violation of several statutes, including the Espionage Act. According to the anonymously sourced reports, Patel appeared before the grand jury in October but invoked the Fifth Amendment while declining to answer questions. Prosecutors then decided to grant Patel limited immunity, and a judge agreed. During Patels second appearance, he answered questions about public statements that he was present when Trump declassified documents. Trump said he had declassified all the materials with classified markings that were seized from Mar-a-Lago. The Department of Justice didnt respond to a request for comment. The stories are the latest that appear to stem from sources within the agency. Jay Bratt, chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section at the departments National Security Division, was questioned about the apparent leaks during a hearing by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee overseeing a lawsuit Trump brought over the seizure. Bratt said that he wasnt aware of leaks on the party of anybody that Im working with. Obviously, I see the same things in the press that other people do. Its bad. People are talking, he said, adding that he didnt condone it in any way. Jan Jekielek contributed to this report. Manchin Demands Public Apology From Biden Over Outrageous Coal Comments Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is demanding a public apology from President Joe Biden over what Manchin describes as Bidens outrageous remarks regarding coal. President Bidens comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs, Manchin said in a statement on Nov. 5. Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure. It seems his positions change depending on the audience and the politics of the day. Politicizing our nations energy policies would only bring higher prices and more pain for the American people, Manchin added. During a speech Friday, Biden said that coal plants are being shut down and no new ones are being constructed. I was in Massachusetts about a month ago on the site of the largest old coal plant in America. Guess what? It cost them too much money. They cant count. No one is building new coal plants because they cant rely on it, even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of their existence of the plant. So its going to become a wind generation, Biden said. Its going to save them a hell of a lot of money, and theyre using the same transmission line that transmitted the coal-fired electric on. Were going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar, he added. Biden was speaking in California at the headquarters of Viasat, a communications company. About 12,000 people were employed in the coal industry in West Virginia in 2021, according to the Office of Miners Safety Health & Training. Let me be clear, this is something the President has never said to me, Manchin said. Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting. The President owes these incredible workers an immediate and public apology and it is time he learn a lesson that his words matter and have consequences. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement later Saturday that Biden knows that the men and women of coal country built this nation and that Biden has worked with Manchin to get former coal workers new jobs. The Presidents remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense, Jean-Pierre said. The President was commenting on a fact of economics and technology: as it has been from its earliest days as an energy superpower, America is once again in the midst of an energy transition. Jean-Pierre said the Biden administrations goal is to combat climate change and increase our energy security by producing clean and efficient American energy and during the transition from coal, no one will be left behind. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) campaigns with Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) at an Evening for Patriotism and Bipartisanship event in East Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 1, 2022. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) Midterm Elections Updates: Cheney Endorses Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger The latest on the midterm elections. ____ Cheney Endorses Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) crossed the political aisle again this election year and endorsed a Democrat colleague in a competitive House race, backing former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger on Saturday as she seeks a third term in a newly redrawn district in northern Virginia. Cheney, vice chair of the House committee investigating the Capitol breach and a critic of former President Donald Trump who lost to a Trump-backed challenger in her Wyoming primary in August, said in a statement that Spanberger was focused on finding solutions and dedicated to serving this country and her constituents and defending our Constitution. The GOP nominee in Virginias 7th Congressional District, which is centered around the Interstate 95 corridor in exurban Washington and rural communities to the east and west, is Yesli Vega, a county official and former police officer recently endorsed by Trump. In October, Cheney endorsed Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the first time that Cheney had formally supported a Democrat. She also recently visited Michigan to campaign with Slotkin. ____ Herschel Walker Fans Rally on Football Game Day At former football star Herschel Walkers political rally, the Heisman Trophy winner bartered gridiron fame for political momentum. Around 90 people who straddled the line between fan and supporter attended the rally, some wearing football jerseys with gameday makeup. Several said they planned to attend the University of Georgia football game after the rally. Were not doing autographs, only photos, a campaign official reminded the long line of supporters gathering after the event. _____ Biden Stumps on Job Growth, as Voters Dread Inflation Under President Joe Biden, 10.3 million jobs were regained. But voters in Tuesdays midterm elections are far more focused on inflation hovering near 40-year highs. Thats left the president trying to convince the public that the job gains mean better days are ahead, even as fears of a recession build. Presidents have long trusted that voters would reward them for strong economic growth, but inflation has thrown a monkey wrench into the already difficult probability of Democrats retaining control of the House and Senate. _____ House Democrat in Tossup Virginia Race Doubles-Down on Threat to Democracy Ads When a candidate invests millions in months-long messaging only to discover in a campaigns waning weeks that it is not resonating with likely voters, the only options are to change gears or to throttle up and double down. Two-term Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) says she is not going to back away from her campaign theme that American democracy itself is on the line in the Nov. 8 midterm elections across the nation, in Virginia, and in her tight reelection bid against Republican challenger state Sen. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach) in the commonwealths Congressional District 2 (CD 2). While stumping in Virginia Beach a week before Election Day, Luriawho spent 20 years in the Navy, retiring as a commandertold reporters she will go down with the proverbial ship if voters are not alarmed about the threat to democracy she says is posed by Republicans, especially those who support former President Donald Trump. Read the full article here _____ Decisions on Wisconsin Election Integrity Lawsuits Revealed as Election Day Nears With frequent comments about the topic from gubernatorial and Senate candidates, and multiple legal rulings announced this week, election integrity remains front and center in Wisconsin as the Nov. 8 election day draws closer. Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels drew attention earlier this week when he told a group of supporters at a campaign stop that Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after Im elected governor. American Bridge 21st Century, a left-leaning political action committee, released an audio clip of Michels making that statement, according to Business Insider. Read the full article here ______ Biden, Obama, Trump Make Final Midterm Push in Pennsylvania Swing-state Pennsylvania is the stage for a clash of presidents on Saturday as each partys biggest stars work to energize voters just days before voting concludes in high-stakes midterm elections across the country. Former President Barack Obama opens the day at a Pittsburgh rally with Democratic Senate hopeful John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor who represents his partys best chance to flip a Republican-held Senate seat on Tuesday. Obama and Fetterman will appear alongside President Joe Biden and gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro later in the day in Philadelphia. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, will finish the day courting voters in a working-class region in the southwestern corner of the state with Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. _____ Midterm Voters to Take on Colorados Soaring Housing Costs Bloated housing prices in the past few years have crept into every corner of Colorado. In Rocky Mountain resort towns, wealthy newcomers gobble up the dwindling housing supply. In Denver, tenants owe an estimated $32 million in back rent. And in mobile home parks, the states last bastions of affordability, out-of-state investors are buying the land and hiking up lease prices. Fed-up Coloradans have taken the crisis into their own hands and will vote Tuesday on a host of local and statewide ballot measures intended to rein in the soaring cost of housing. The U.S. Census Bureau found that over half of all Colorado tenants are considered rent burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent in 2020. Colorado housing prices rank among the nations highest when accounting for how much its residents earn. The Denver metropolitan area alone saw home prices shoot up by 35 percent over the past two years, which was a larger increase than those in New York City and San Francisco, according to data from the real estate company Redfin. ____ DeSantis to Rally Crowd: Florida Is Where Woke Goes to Die With just four days until Election Day, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a 13-stop Dont Tread on Florida tour on Nov. 4, plotting a course from top to bottom, and from side to side across the state. Appearing with his wife, Casey, he aimed to connect with voters one last time before Tuesday. DeSantis appears to lead against his Democrat challenger, former Congressman Charlie Crist, by 11 points, according to a mid-October poll by Florida Atlantic University. The poll suggests DeSantis has an overall approval rating of 53 percent. But he hasnt been counting on that. On Nov. 4, his campaign announced that its well-organized army of volunteers had knocked on the doors of two million homes to reach Florida voters. Read the full article here _____ Biden Is Not Buying That Democrats May Lose in Midterms President Joe Biden said Friday he was feeling really good about Democrats chances in the midterm elections, even as he traveled to the Chicago area to support two House members who are facing more competitive reelection battles than expected. Folks, Im not buying the notion that were in trouble, he told the crowd at a political reception in a hotel for U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super political action committee, or super PAC, aligned with the GOP House leadership, this week announced a $1.8 million ad buy against Casten, who represents an Illinois district that Biden won by about 11 percentage points in 2020. _____ Nevada Secretary of State Declines to Lift Hand-Count Ban Nevadas secretary of state declined Friday to lift a ban on a rural countys controversial early hand-count of mail-in ballots, saying a modified procedure the county clerk proposed still raises concerns relating to the integrity of the election. Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske ordered Nye County last week to halt its hand-counting of ballots until after polls close on Nov. 8. Her order came after the Nevada Supreme Court issued an opinion siding with the American Civil Liberties Unions objections to the reading of individual votes out loud. _____ Lifelong NYC Democrat Urges to Vote Republican After Woman Raped Near His Art Gallery We urgently and desperately need change. That was part of a New Yorkers plea on Twitter regarding how crime is handled in his city. Art dealer Eli Kleins post was a reaction to the rape of the 43-year-old woman who was jogging along the Hudson River around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. A woman was raped, beaten, and robbed across the street from my NYC art gallery this morning. She was just jogging when she was attacked by a stranger from behind, Klein posted on Twitter. Read the full article here _____ Officials Unveil Plan to Help Voters Who Cast Wrong Ballots Nashville voters who cast ballots in the wrong congressional and state races will be able to submit a provisional ballot on Election Day, officials announced Friday as part of an agreement sparked by a lawsuit earlier that day. The decision comes as election officials have scrambled for days to correct Davidson Countys voting system after The Associated Press reported first that nearly 200 Tennesseans had voted in the incorrect congressional races, while 16 cast votes in a wrong state Senate race and six cast votes in a wrong state House race. _____ Prominent Georgia Democrat Breaks With Party to Endorse Republican Brian Kemp Over Stacey Abrams Democrat Kwanza Hall, a former member of the Atlanta City Council who also briefly served in Congress, has broken with his party to endorse two Republican candidates for offices in Georgia in the upcoming midterm election. Hall on Friday endorsed Gov. Brian Kemp, the GOP nominee for reelection, snubbing Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Over the last four years, Ive witnessed Governor Kemp make tough decisionsones that werent always popular at the timein unprecedented circumstances, Hall said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times. While we dont agree on every issue, its abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is a man of character, a strong leader, and someone who Georgians can trust to put them and their interests first, he added. Read the full article here _____ Biden Says Democrats Could Pick up a Seat in Senate, Have a Chance at House President Joe Biden predicted on Friday that Democrats will prevail in the Nov. 8 midterm elections and could gain the Senates majority while keeping control of the House. I know you always ask me, how are we doing? Were going to win this time around, I think. I feel really good about our chances, Biden told reporters in San Diego, California. I havent been in all the House races, but I think we are going to keep the Senate, pick up a seat, he said. I think we have a chance to win in the House. I dont thinknot winkeeping the House. The president made the prediction as he left California to attend a Chicago-area fundraiser on Friday evening for two Democratic Illinois House members, Rep. Lauren Underwood and Rep. Sean Casten. Read the full article here _____ Nanette Holt, John Haughey, Jeff Louderback, Efthymis Oraiopoulos, Jackson Elliott, Lorenz Duchamps, Tom Ozimek, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (L) and her husband Paul Pelosi, outside of 10 Downing Street in central London, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) Nancy Pelosi Speaks on Camera for First Time Since Husbands Attack House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has spoken on camera for the first time about her husband, Paul Pelosis condition after he was attacked in their home last week. Pelosi opened a 28-minute video about the upcoming midterm election by giving a brief update about her husband, who returned to their residence from the hospital on Thursday. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers, and your good wishes for Paul, Pelosi said. Its going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, its just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. Hes surrounded by family, so thats a wonderful thing, she said. Paul Pelosi, 82, was released from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital about one week after he was attacked inside his home. In a statement on Thursday, Pelosi said her husband remains under doctors care as he starts a long recovery process and convalescence. He is now home surrounded by his family who request privacy, she said. Incident Paul Pelosi was treated at the hospital after the attack on Oct. 28, when David DePape, 42, allegedly broke into the Pelosi residence and violently assaulted the elderly man, according to local and federal authorities. According to authorities, DePape struck Paul Pelosi with a hammer at least once in the presence of police officers who had responded to a 911 call from Paul Pelosi. Paul Pelosi suffered a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands, according to Nancy Pelosis office and the San Francisco District Attorneys Office. He underwent emergency surgery at the hospital. David DePape in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2013. (Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) DePape, a Canadian who is in the country illegally, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, burglary, and elder abuse, as well as federal charges of assault of an immediate family member of a U.S. official and attempted kidnapping of a U.S. official. Paul Pelosi has not spoken publicly since the attack. While being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, he told a police officer that hed never seen DePape before and recounted DePape asking about his wife. According to a court filing from the district attorney, Paul Pelosi asked DePape for permission to use the bathroom, from which he called 911. During the call, Paul Pelosi said that he didnt know who DePape was, while DePape described himself as a friend of the family. Paul Pelosi spoke to officers again on Oct. 30, telling them that the hammer DePape used did not belong to the Pelosi family. The incident has prompted mounting calls for authorities to release the 911 call that Paul Pelosi made, as well as the body camera footage of the responding officers, which authorities have so far refused to release. Beds in the dormitory during a tour of the Randall's Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center in New York on Oct. 18, 2022. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) New York Opens Another Hotel for Bused-In Illegal Immigrants The number of illegal immigrants seeking asylum in New York City has waned in recent weeks. However, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the nations largest city is still getting enough to open yet another relief center. The third Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center will soon open 175 rooms at the Hotel Wolcott in Midtown Manhattan with a focus on providing shelter and resources for single women and adult families coming to New York, according to a release from the mayors office. Our teams will continue to work with these families and assess if they want to actually stay in New York City and, if not, help them get to their desired destinations, Adams said. As we continue to provide support to the more than 16,800 people in our care, we continue to work with federal and state partners to seek financial assistance as we deal with this unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The release states the estimated number of asylum seekers in the city is at least 22,600. That is a larger population than the city of Ithaca and would be approaching the largest 100 cities in the state. Since the illegal migrants have been arriving in New York from southern states, the city says it has taken action to ensure those individuals receive care and resources. That includes converting 57 hotels into emergency shelters and enrolling kids in the citys public school system. Thursdays announcement followed a story by the New York Post the day before that a nearly empty tent city on Randalls Island that cost $325,000 to construct was being occupied by more than 100 men from Senegal, an African country. The Post reported the tent cities include laundry service and a lounge with a flat-screen television and video games. Nearly a month ago, Adams issued an emergency order calling the situation a crisis. He said the city expects to spend $1 billion to address it by the end of the fiscal year next June. But city officials have no plans to turn away the arrivals. The strength and history of our city is largely a story of immigrants, said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. As people seeking asylum continue to arrive at our doorstep, we remain steadfast in supporting them as they build new lives and become part of our citys rich mosaic. By Steve Bittenbender November 5, 2022 | 01:00 am PT Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) has unveiled its latest office in Hanoi, to support increased staff levels in Vietnam. The formal opening of their new office was held on Oct. 31 in Hanoi, and witnessed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and representatives from the Danish Embassy to Vietnam. Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) is a leading and experienced provider of project development, construction management, and operational management services for offshore wind projects across the globe. COP project manages all of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) global offshore wind assets. The company is headquartered in Denmark and has offices in Taiwan, the U.S., Australia, Japan, Korea, U.K. and Vietnam. Frederik, crown prince of Denmark, at COPs new office in Hanoi. Photo by COP His Excellency Nicolai Prytz, Danish ambassador to Vietnam, said: "COP and CIP are stepping up their local presence in Vietnam, which clearly shows their strong commitment in the Vietnamese market. Offshore wind is a very promising sector and could potentially not only provide sufficient clean energy to support growth in Vietnam, but could also turn Vietnam into a net exporter of clean energy. We all look forward to having the necessary legal framework in place, paving the way for leading investors and developers like COP and CIP to progress further with their projects." The commercial counsellor at the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam and representatives from CIP/COP join the opening ceremony. Photo by COP Copenhagen Offshore Partners established their new office in the Pacific Place building on Ly Thuong Kiet Street, located in the heart of the capital's iconic Hoan Kiem District in a larger building with facilities for 35+ staff, multiple meeting rooms and function rooms and open areas. Stuart Livesey, country director and CEO of COP Vietnam, stated "Our new offices allow us to now get closer to key ministries such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and show our increased commitment to be supporting Vietnam in its offshore wind journey for the long-term." Seeing the potential of offshore wind power in Vietnam, CIP and COP set foot in the Vietnamese market in 2019 and are gradually asserting their influence in the immature offshore wind industry of Vietnam. COP established its first office and company in Vietnam with only three key members. It has now expanded to 16 employees based in Vietnam and will continue to grow to support its development purposes. The new office will play an important role in providing the best ground for the COP team and showing its strong vision and commitment to contribute to the development of the offshore wind industry in Vietnam. COP has now expanded to 16 employees based in Vietnam. Photo by COP In Vietnam, CIP and COP are the main developers of the 3.5-gigawatt La Gan Offshore Wind Project in Binh Thuan Project. It has a total predicted investment of $10.5 billion, contributing over $4.4 billion into the Vietnamese economy throughout its project life. This project aims to be the first largest offshore wind project in Vietnam. In addition, CIP and COP are developing further multi-GW of offshore wind pipeline in other provinces. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is a leading global investor in offshore wind and has raised over $19 billion across several renewable energy-focused funds, including the most recent CI Energy Transition Fund I the worlds largest dedicated green hydrogen fund to date. CIP is also managing a fund specifically targeted at fast-growing major new economies and with a strong current focus on Vietnam. As a pioneer investor in many emerging markets for OFW, CIP, along with our sister company COP, has had a strong track record of successful development, financial delivery, and operational wind projects, most notably the Changfang Xidao 600-megawatt Project in Taiwan, the Vineyard 800 MW Project in the U.S., the first large-scale OFW in the history of the country that achieved financial close of over $2.3 billion (September 2021). In addition to developing the global portfolio of OFW projects, CIP and COP is also involved in the research and development of new renewable technologies, namely Power-to-X (including green hydrogen/ammonia), energy storage, energy islands, and power transmission. Key Power-to-X projects include the 5-GW hydrogen Murchison project in Australia, the 1-GW Hoest project in Denmark, and the 1.7-GW green hydrogen HNH Project in Chile. Recently CIP has announced plan to develop 4 GW of battery energy storage in the U.K. CIP is also leading the development of Vindo, the worlds first energy island off the coast of Denmark. By implementing the highest international standards, using the most advanced wind-power technology, CIP and COPs goal is to secure Vietnam's long-term energy needs and support the development of local industry in a sustainable way. Phong Van 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 Nov. 3, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images) North Korea Fires 4 Ballistic Missiles as US, South Korea End Drills SEOULNorth Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles into the western sea on Saturday, South Koreas military said, as Seoul and Washington ended a high-profile six-day military exercise. North Korea has launched a series of missiles this week, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile, drawing condemnation from the United States, South Korea, and Japan, and raising speculation it could be preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 2017. Saturdays launches between 11:31 and 11:59 a.m. (02310259 GMT) come as the United States and South Korea finished the Vigilant Storm exercise they began on Monday. The missiles flew about 130 kilometers (80 miles), reaching an altitude of about 20 kilometers (10 miles), Seoul said. The allied exercise involved some 240 military aircraft and two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers, as well as four F-16 and four F-35A fighters, according to South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is the first time the B-1B has been deployed in U.S.South Korean drills since 2017, showing the combined defence capabilities and determination of the Republic of Korea and the U.S. to resolutely respond to any provocations from North Korea, and the will of the U.S. to implement a strong commitment to extended deterrence, the joint chiefs said in a statement. Pyongyang on Friday demanded the United States and South Korea halt provocative air exercises. South Korea said it scrambled warplanes in response to 180 North Korean military flights near the countries shared border on Friday. On Wednesday, North Korea fired a daily record 23 missiles, with one landing off the coast of South Korea for the first time, after Pyongyang threatened to take powerful measures unless Washington halts allied air exercises with South Korea. As the tit-for-that exchange continued through the week, Washington called for a public United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, where it accused Russia and China of providing blanket protection to North Korea from further Security Council action. A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman issued a statement late on Friday warning that sustained provocation is bound to be followed by sustained counteraction, said state media KCNA. In recent years the Security Council has been split on how to deal with North Korea. In May, China and Russia vetoed a U.S. attempt to impose more U.N. sanctions in response to North Korean missile launches. By Cynthia Kim Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes III has said the group did not attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Real Story of Jan. 6/Epoch TV) Oath Keepers Trial: Stewart Rhodes Testifies That 2020 Election Was Unconstitutional WASHINGTONOath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes told a federal court on Nov. 4 that the 2020 presidential election was invalid, spoke of his love for America, and his motivations for starting the Oath Keepers. Rhodes, 57, is one of the defendants in the highest-profile trial related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021. On Nov. 4, he described himself as a patriotic quarter-Mexican born in Fresno, Calif., with both sides of the family serving in different military branches. Although he wanted to join the Marines, Rhodes served in the Army doing special operations and became a weapons expert. He was injured while training in parachute jumping and was honorably discharged as a disabled veteran. In a packed courtroom, under direct examination with his attorney, Rhodes summarized his life journey as if talking to a friend. Rhodes looked relaxed, smiled, and made constant eye contact with the jurors, who listened attentively to his testimony. Some took notes. Judge Amit Mehta, who usually keeps his body posture facing everyone in the courtroom, tilted his body to the right and watched Rhodes closely. Do you believe the [2020 presidential] election was stolen? asked Rhodes defense attorney. I believe the election was unconstitutional, Rhodes responded, explaining it was invalid since it didnt comply with Article 2 of the Constitution. Under COVID-19 restrictions, he said, swing states changed their laws which made the election invalid. Rhodes testified that he founded the Oath Keepers organization in 2009 to educate the military and law enforcement on distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate commands. He wanted people to be aware of their constitutional rights. His main concern was how authorities responded to natural disasters and how citizens were treated. We havent seen sufficient training, Rhodes said. He mentioned officers helping restrain George Floyd should have disregarded orders to restrain him. Despite the recent label of the Oath Keepers organization as a racist white supremacist far-right group, Rhodes said the organization has members who are native Americans, Filipino Americans, African Americans, and others. He denied having any racist members. We wouldnt tolerate that, he said. After his discharge, Rhodes had various jobs: he parked cars at night and trained security guards during the day; he said he taught women and LGBT groups self-defense techniques. Rhodes said that his organization puts the Constitution and the country above all. The Constitution is for righteous people, he added. The suicide rate among former military members is high, he said. Many Oath Keepers, primarily elders, find their purpose in his organization since they desire to serve the country. Rhodes recounted various times when he and other Oath Keepers provided security services, including for African Americans, and did volunteer work in different parts of the country. He said he was against the heavy tactics used by law enforcement to restrain protestors. However, Rhodes added he doesnt support violent rioters who destroy property and other goods. The defense attorney asked Rhodes about why the Oath Keepers wear helmets and tactical vests. Rhodes said they use the gear for self-defense because rioters use weapons such as frozen water bottles, chains, knives, and clubs; Rhodes told the court that he graduated from Yale Law School and received an award for his paper on the Bill of Rights. America is the best example of democracy because of our Constitution, Rhodes said. The U.S. government charged Rhodes, the three Oath Keepers on trial, and an affiliate with seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to prevent an officer from carrying out any duties, destruction of government property, civil disorder, and tampering with documents. The prosecution has officially started to rest and wont bring any new witnesses. Rhodes will finish his direct testimony on Nov. 7 and will face questions from prosecutors. CUPE members and supporters join a demonstration near Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario Lisa MacLeods office in Ottawa on Nov. 4, 2022. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press) Ontario Labour Relations Board Hearing Continues in Effort to Decide Fate of Education Workers Strike Ontarios labour relations board is set to hear another day of testimony on the governments application to stop job action from thousands of education workers who walked off the job on Nov. 4. The board began hearing arguments on Nov. 3 after Education Minister Stephen Lecce filed an application following the proclamation of the Keeping Students in Class Act the same day. In a tweet the next day, Lecce said that the provincial government is using every tool available to end this illegal strike and get kids back to class. The provinces submission to the Ontario Labour Relations Board alleged that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has called or authorized or threatened to call or authorize an unlawful strike. The province also alleged that Laura Walton, president of CUPEs Ontario School Board Council of Unions, and Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario, counselled, procured, supported, authorized, threatened, or encouraged an unlawful strike. CUPE, which represents 55,000 education workers, filed a written response to the labour board on Nov. 4, arguing that its job action is a legitimate political protest. In addition, Walton and Hahn deny that they authorized, counselled, procured, supported or encouraged an unlawful strike and that its members have engaged in an unlawful strike, the response filed with the board said. The union has sought to have both Lecce and Assistant Deputy Minister of Education Andrew Davis testify, but Board Chair Bryan OByrne said Lecce is granted immunity through parliamentary privilege. Davis, who OByrne initially said will be asked to provide evidence, need not testify at the hearing after a lawyer for CUPE said he would not call upon the assistant deputy minister to do so. Instead, lawyers for both the government and the union will present arguments for a second day. Unions Demands Education workers represented by CUPE gathered at politicians offices on Nov. 4, including at Lecces constituency office in Vaughan, Ontario. A large crowd also picketed at the provincial legislature at Queens Park. The demonstrators, consisting of education assistants, custodians, and librarians, were protesting against the Ford government for passing Bill 28, the Keeping Students in Class Act, which will impose a four-year contract on them. The bill also applies a notwithstanding clause, which lets the provincial legislature override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to address disputes involving school board employees. CUPE is demanding an annual wage increase of 11.7 percent, as well as overtime at twice the regular pay rate and 30 minutes of paid prep time per day for educational assistants and early childhood educators. On Oct. 30, it gave the Ontario government five days notice, saying educational workers would go on strike if its demands were not met. The province had been offering a raise of 2 percent a year for workers making less than $40,000 and 1.25 percent for all others. Hours after CUPEs notice, Lecce announced a new deal that would give a 2.5 percent annual raise to workers making less than $43,000 and 1.5 percent for all others over a four-year contract, which was rejected by the union. CUPE said framing it in that way is not accurate because the raise actually depends on hourly wages and pay scales, so the majority of workers who earn less than $43,000 in a year wouldnt get 2.5 percent. On Nov. 3, the union said it made a final offer of about half of what was originally proposed, which would be about a 6 percent wage increase. Solidarity Actions Cupe has said the strike will continue for an indefinite time. Many school boards across the province, including the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, and Toronto Catholic District School Board, have announced school closures or a shift to online learning. Other unions have expressed support for CUPEs protest. The Ontario Federation of Labour, for example, has called for solidarity actions from members, urging them to communicate their support by holding placards and banners at busy intersections across the province on Nov. 5. In a statement issued on Nov. 2, the Provincial Building and Construction Trade Council of Ontario said it is deeply concerned about the potential removal of collective bargaining rights impacting educational workers. We strongly encourage both sidesCUPE and the Governmentto continue negotiations in good faith in the pursuit of a fair contract that benefits everyone, it said. Andrew Chen and The Canadian Press contributed to this report. A hiker starts on a high graded hill climb at the Rouge Urban National Park, in Toronto on June 15, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini) Ontario Proposes to Cut Greenbelt Land for Homes, Add Land Elsewhere Ontario is proposing to remove land from the protected Greenbelt in order to build at least 50,000 new homes, while adding new land to it elsewherecontradicting a pledge made last year. Housing Minister Steve Clark announced Friday that the government is launching a 30-day consultation on removing about 7,400 acres in 15 different areas from the Greenbelt, which was created to protect environmentally sensitive regions from development. If that proceeds, landowners will be expected to develop housing plans quickly with construction beginning no later than 2025, he said. The aim is to build at least 50,000 homes on those lands in service of the governments target of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years. Today, we are taking further action to support this goal by launching a consultation on proposed changes to the Greenbelt, Clark wrote in a statement. These proposals will support our municipal partners plans for responsible growth and help build at least 50,000 new homes, while leading to an overall expansion of the Greenbelt. Last year, when announcing plans to expand the Greenbelt by adding a moraine south of Toronto and a series of urban river lands, Clark said he would not cut the protected area or do a land swap. I want to be clear: We will not in any way entertain any proposals that will move lands in the Greenbelt, or open the Greenbelt lands to any kind of development, he had said. The government is now proposing to add 9,400 acres to the Greenbelt elsewhereincluding a portion of the Paris Galt Moraine and 13 urban river valleys in the Greater Golden Horseshoeso when factoring in the land that would be removed, the Greenbelt would grow in size by 2,000 acres, Clark said. Ontario created the Greenbelt in 2005 to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development. The group Environmental Defence said Fridays announcement breaks the governments loudest, clearest election promise, by inflicting a fatal 7,400 acre wound on the vital and wildly popular Greenbelt. It is clear that this attack would end the critical role the Greenbelt plays to stop sprawl and protect farmland, forests, and the source of our drinking water, as well address climate change, Phil Pothen, the groups Ontario environment program manager wrote in a statement. The government should be ashamed and the people of Ontario should be outraged. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner noted the government made the announcement while all eyes were on a strike by 55,000 education workers. Premier Doug Fords legacy of environmental destruction gets worse every day, he wrote in a statement. We cannot allow this government to force the false choice between protecting the environment and building the housing we desperately need, Schreiner wrote. Interim NDP Leader Peter Tabuns called the announcement disturbing. Our greenspace and farmland have always been in Fords crosshairs. Hes on an anti-environment crusade on behalf of his billionaire developer buddies, Tabuns said in a written statement. Mr. Ford has backed off his schemes to carve up the Greenbelt before after facing public outcry, and the NDP wont rest until he backs off, again. Public backlash in 2018 prompted Ford to backtrack on an election pledge to allow housing development in the Greenbelt, with him promising he would maintain the protected area in its entirety. The people have spoken. Im going to listen to them, they dont want me to touch the Greenbelt, we wont touch the Greenbelt, Ford said at the time. Ford also made a similar vow in 2020 not to touch the Greenbelt, saying we wont build on the Greenbelt while facing criticism after the chair and six members of Ontarios Greenbelt Council resigned over differences of opinion with the government. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser wondered Friday which one of (Fords) friends stands to benefit from his new decision. By Allison Jones Chen Wenqing (R), Chinese Minister of State for Security, attends the meeting of national security secretaries of Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China and India, in the capital Tehran on Dec. 18, 2019. (Mohsen Ataei/fars news/AFP via Getty Images) Power Plays in Chinas Policing System Commentary The newly appointed heads of the State Security Ministry and the Public Security Ministry represent a kind of mutual check and balance, suggesting that Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) top leader, does not fully trust the police system, a vital pillar of the regime that is tasked with, among other things, monitoring and curbing the behavior of senior officials. On Oct. 28, Chen Wenqing, the former head of the State Security Ministry and once hush-hush and low-profile secret service chief, was promoted to secretary of the Political and Legal Committee, becoming the chief executive of the police system, overcoming his rival Wang Xiaohong, former minister of Public Security. According to an official release, Wang, second to Chens position, is the only deputy secretary of the commission and is also the director of the Public Securitys special services bureau, which is responsible for the security of CCP officials at the vice-state and ministerial levels, as well monitor of these officials. The Political and Legal Committee, the highest CCPs legal body, oversees such crucial organs as Public Security, State Security, Supreme Court, and Supreme Prosecutors Office. Members of the Peoples Armed Police march in formation after the annual flag-raising ceremony to mark Chinas national day next to Tiananmen Square on Oct. 1, 2022, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Conflicts between the two departmentspublic security and state securityare not a secret. According to insiders, state security personnel looked down on public security personnel as inferior to them, while public security personnel criticized state security personnel for being slick and faceless and putting on airs. Before this appointment, Chen and Wang were officials at the same ministerial level, and Wang was once considered the strongest contender for secretary of the Political and Legal Committee. Wang has been the mere senior official in the CCP police system who was pulled out by Xi from the bottom of the police hierarchy to a senior official in charge of the central public security system. Wang and Chen have been equal opponents, with both being a member of the Central Committee since the 19th Congress in 2017 and being the secretary of the Central Secretariat at the 20th Congress. Wang seems to have a better personal relationship with Xi. However, at the recently concluded 20th Congress, Chen became a member of the Politburo, which is closer to the core of the CCPs power, while Wang remained a member of the Central Committee, a grade below Chen. Chen, a close associate of Xi, served as deputy secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from 2012 to 2015, during which time he cracked down on political opposition to Xi in the name of anti-corruption. In addition to running the State Security Ministry, the largest secret service agency for Xi, Chen also served as the deputy director of the State Security Committee Office of the Central Committee in May 2018. This is a temporary agency set up and led by Xi to seize control of the military and security systems. The one who succeeded Chen as Minister of State Security is Chen Xinxin, Xis Zhejiang crony had served as Deputy Secretary General of the Party Committee (2003-2006) when Xi was the provinces Party Secretary from 2002 to 2007. The promotions of Chen and Wang may reflect Xis step-by-step reassignment of power to the police system, which until then had long been in the hands of his biggest political enemy, the ex-leader of the CCP Jiang Zemins faction. But Chen and Wang still do not appear to have Xis full trust. Xi appointed both Chen and Wang as secretaries of the Central Secretariat, an affiliate of the Politburo Standing Committee and the Politburo, allowing them to participate in the process of policy-making by CCP leaders. It was unusual for two officials from the police system to serve as the secretary of the Central Secretariat at the same time. In the last term, only the secretary of the Political and Legal Committee was in the position. This unexpected assignment would be Xis intention to keep Chen and Wang in the police system as checks and balances on each other, meanwhile strengthening the role of the police system in maintaining the CCPs rule. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. (Left) Republican gubernatorial candidate Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during his primary night election party at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on May 24, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images); (Right) Stacey Abrams speaks onstage during the Beautiful Noise Live Equality on the Ballot panel at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta on Sept. 19, 2022. (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images) Prominent Georgia Democrat Breaks With Party to Endorse Republican Brian Kemp Over Stacey Abrams Democrat Kwanza Hall, a former member of the Atlanta City Council who also briefly served in Congress, has broken with his party to endorse two Republican candidates for offices in Georgia in the upcoming midterm election. Hall on Friday endorsed Gov. Brian Kemp, the GOP nominee for reelection, snubbing Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Over the last four years, Ive witnessed Governor Kemp make tough decisionsones that werent always popular at the timein unprecedented circumstances, Hall said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times. While we dont agree on every issue, its abundantly clear that Brian Kemp is a man of character, a strong leader, and someone who Georgians can trust to put them and their interests first, he added. Then-Atlanta city councilman Kwanza Hall attends an event in Atlanta, Ga., on May 17, 2016. (Moses Robinson/Getty Images for Qatar Airways) In a statement, Kemp thanked Hall for his endorsement and called for the setting aside of partisan differences. I greatly appreciate Congressman Halls support in this campaign, Kemp said in the statement. Kwanza has ably served our capital city and state for many years, and I look forward to working with him and other hardworking Georgians to put political differences aside and keep our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family for the next four years. Abrams has not commented publicly on Halls endorsement of her opponent, but in a Saturday statement on Twitter said shes someone Georgians can count on. Hall also endorsed Republican Burt Jones in his bid to serve as Georgias lieutenant governor. Burt is the only candidate in the race with a plan to invest in our communities, lower costs, improve our K-12 education system, and reduce crime, Hall said, according to Fox5. Joness campaign was cited by Fox5 as saying that he looks forward to working across the aisle to create more opportunities for hardworking Georgians and continue to make our state the best place to live, work and raise a family. Hall served three terms on the Atlanta City Council and later unsuccessfully ran for mayor. He also won a special election and served out the remainder of the late Rep. John Lewiss term, a Democrat who represented Georgias 5th Congressional District. Hall also ran for lieutenant governor earlier this year but lost out to fellow Democrat Charlie Bailey in a runoff after the latter was endorsed by Abrams. The latest poll compilation by FiveThirtyEight shows Kemp ahead of Abrams by 7.7 points, with election day on Nov. 8. CUPE Ontario members and supporters wave signs and flags as they demonstrate outside the Queen's Park Legislative Building in Toronto on Nov. 4, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Cole Burston) Rex Murphy: The Liberals Stance on Fords Use of Notwithstanding Clause Oozes With Hypocrisy Commentary Ontario is a peculiar place. There have been two full years of school closuresof dubious necessityand now that the COVID regime has finally been lifted, just as children are getting settled back into regular class time, what happens? Why, there is a strike of course. The great CUPE union has called a strike for school workers, originally demanding a mere 11 percent per year for the next four years. Premier Doug Ford, mindful of parents who have been tormented and exasperated by Zoom learning (and their children denied all normal childhood social interaction), threatens to use the notwithstanding clause of the revered Charter of Rights and Freedoms in order to slap the strike down as soon as it takes its first irritating breath. He can read the Ontario room, that is unquestionable. Two years off on salary for teachers, while small businesses went bankrupt, Costco and the big boys made out like bandits, and restaurants in particular went down like dominoes, but as soon as what we used to call normal conditions return, the union (as of Nov. 4) calls a strike. Shouts of horror from Ottawa, the prime minister, the Liberal front bench, and a particular intervention from Seamus ORegan, the Plato of cabinet, that using the notwithstanding clause to suspend workers rights is an affront to democracy. Its gutting the charter, they all cry. It hits the basic right to collective bargaininga right, as the most keen Howard Anglin perceptively argued in a commentary for The Hub, was manufactured in the courts and is not in the charter. How the Liberals manage to stay conscious when executing so hypocritical a position is a question for the medical authorities. The Liberals put on the COVID regime. They waltzed over, through, around, and under the charter; I think I wrote previously they drove an 18-wheeler with no brakes through civil liberties. And that was just their warmup. Was it so long ago that during a democratic and peaceful protest in Ottawano violence, no storming of Parliament, no vile threatsMr. Trudeau (I would presume gleaning the fawning admiration of Mr. ORegan Oh Captain, my Captain) brought in the Emergencies Act? Which froze bank accounts, interfered with the legitimate raising of funds for the truckers protest, and took away peoples civil liberties in all parts of the country. It was the first time in history that a Canadian federal governmentwithout clear justification, and from the testimony so far into the public inquiry, more from confusion than threatinvoked the Son of the War Measures Act and put a steel lid on any civil rights that normally we enjoy. These are now the folksthats a term I borrow from Obama, the always homely speakerwhining and screaming that a provincial premier is calling upon the notwithstanding clause, which is itself an element of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, deeming it an affront to democracy and an invasion of Canadian liberties. You do not have to be a great supporter of the Liberals to admire their gall, their sheer face, to use a Newfoundland term. This, recall, is also a minority administration that has worked a deal with the NDPs super-compliant Jagmeet Singh to act as a majority government. If you are looking for a real affront to democracy, check the political nuptials of Singh-Trudeau. That embrace has stripped the House of Commonswhich Mr. Trudeau turned into a Zoom cable station throughout COVIDof its most essential power: demanding a non-confidence motion. Now that they see a glimmer of political advantage in attacking a provincial premier (as of course a sly way of needling Pierre Poilievre) they are all King Arthur and the robotic Knights of the Cabinet Table, standing up for Canadians civil liberties. Professional contortionists, who used to be circus stars based on their ability to bend and twist and convolute themselves with the ease of a strand of overcooked spaghetti, have to look on the Liberals with envy and despair. They could never curl with this ease. This Liberal government, after the restrictions and mandates of COVID, after the vast over-extension of state power granted by the Emergencies Act, now wants to pose, preen, and posture as champions of civil rights. And cast Poilievre, for not denouncing Doug Fordwho was the Liberals chief supporter during their COVID phase and their invocation of the Emergencies Actas careless on civil liberties. It is a magnificent twist. There are times when gall is so pure, when hypocrisy is so perfect, that it is necessary to stand back and say: This is outstanding. This is so completely shameless and totally without embarrassment that some great artist should paint the moment. It should be memorialized. Either a painting or a statue in marble. Politicians have danced around their own behaviour for centuries, made promises that did not survive the passing of the breath that uttered them. But for this government to pose as alarmed by their Ford ally committing an affront to democracy by invoking the notwithstanding clause is a special moment. Positioning itself as a defender of the charter, after these last two years and after hauling out the Emergencies Act, is a pure sunset-splendour of hypocritical behaviour. It stands alone. It is special. Only the dance spectacular during the great India tour can offer competition. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. South Korean Air Force F-15Ks and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier in the day, on Oct. 4, 2022. (South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images) South Korea Deploys Jets After Detecting 180 North Korean Military Flights North Korea conducted more than 180 military flights across its inland areas on Nov. 4, the South Korean military said, prompting it to scramble dozens of fighter jets to maintain its response posture. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected North Korean fighters and bombers flying over the Norths inland areas and along its western and eastern coasts between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (local time), although the aircraft didnt approach the inter-Korean border. The JCS didnt specify how many North Korean warplanes were involved, Yonhap News Agency reported. South Korea responded by deploying 80 fighter jets, including its cutting-edge F-36A fighters, in order to keep a firm readiness posture for further provocations by North Korea, the JCS said. Our military is maintaining a firm readiness posture for further provocations while closely monitoring the North Korean militarys related movements under close cooperation between South Korea and the United States, it stated. North Korea Reaction to US-South Korea Drill Prior to North Koreas military flights, the regime of Kim Jong Un had warned South Korea and the United States that their decision to extend their large-scale joint air drill would result in an uncontrollable phase. The Vigilant Storm drill was extended for another day, to Nov. 5, due to a barrage of North Korean missile launches last week, one of which is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The drill involved 240 U.S. and South Korean aircraft. A South Korean air force F-35A fighter jet takes off from the runway during the Vigilant Storm U.S.-South Korea joint aerial drill at Gunsan Air Base, South Korea on Oct. 31, 2022. (South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images) In a statement on Nov. 4, North Koreas Foreign Ministry said that its military activities were in response to the U.S.South Korea joint drills, which it said were hostile provocations, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. The DPRK once again clarifies that it will never tolerate any attempt of the hostile forces to infringe upon its sovereignty and security interests but respond to it with the toughest counteraction to the last, it said, using North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). US Envoy Condemns North Koreas Launches U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Nov. 4 that 13 council members condemned North Koreas unlawful missile launches, while two countries have bent over backward to justify North Koreas actions. Thomas-Greenfield didnt directly mention China and Russiaboth of which had refused to condemn North Koreas missile tests at the U.N.in a speech at a U.N. Security Council meeting. Two UN Security Council members have bent over backward to justify North Korea's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. And, in turn, they have enabled North Korea. This cannot stand. The risks to the region and the world are simply too great. pic.twitter.com/1UEFWixB0b Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) November 4, 2022 You dont get to abandon Security Council responsibilities because the DPRK might sell you weapons to fuel your war of aggression in Ukraine or because you think they make a good regional buffer to the United States, she said. Thomas-Greenfield said that it was appalling that the U.N. Security Council had remained silent on North Koreas repeated violations, even as that country had launched a staggering 59 ballistic missiles this year. For a U.N. member state to so flagrantly violate the Security Council resolutions and all that the U.N. Charter stands for, is appalling. Equally appalling is the councils deafening silence on this issue, she said. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is congratulated by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after delivering the fiscal update in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Nov. 3, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Trudeau Government Used Pandemic to Engineer Long-Term Spending Increase Commentary In response to the pandemic, governments in Canada launched an unprecedented wave of spending. In Ottawa, the federal government has sought to make that wave permanent. In 2020/21, federal spending increased by 73 percent to $644.2 billion before declining 21 percent to an estimated $508 billion in 2021/22. Total provincial government spending rose 9.2 percent in 2020/21 to an expected $504.4 billion, and a further 5.6 percent to $532.9 billion in 2021/22. As a result, between 2019/20 and 2020/21, the federal deficit-to-GDP ratio (an indicator of a jurisdictions ability to pay its debt) went from -1.8 percent to -13.2 percent, while the collective deficit-to-GDP ratio of the provinces went from -0.8 percent to -1.9 percent. Consequently, the federal net debt-to-GDP ratio rose from 33 percent in 2018/19 to reach nearly 50 percent by 2021/22, while the collective provincial ratio went from 29 percent to approximately 31 percent. At the provincial level, budget deficits appear positively correlated with the intensity of the pandemic impact in terms of per-capita case counts by province, although this is not so obvious at the federal level. Indeed, federally, about half the deficit incurred during the pandemic related to COVID-19 for either health transfers or income support to people and businesses, while the remainder was due to spending independent of the pandemic, representing a permanent, long-term ramping up of federal expenditure. In other words, along with substantial amounts of income support to individuals and business with emergency response benefits, Ottawa engineered a substantial permanent increase in its own spending levels during the pandemic that deserves particular attention. The federal 2022 budget forecasted that (even after the post-pandemic spending decline) compared to fiscal year 2019-20, total spending in 2022-23 will be about 27 percent higheran average annual increase of 9 percent per year. This represents a larger long-term federal government expenditure footprint and will become a textbook example of the Peacock Wiseman spending displacement hypothesis. British economists Alan Peacock and Jack Wiseman observed that British government spending rose dramatically during the world wars but afterwards never declined to pre-war levels, instead settling on a new plateau. When financing government spending, they argued, it was ultimately limited by tax revenues and constrained by what the public regarded as tolerable levels of taxation. But a social crisis such as war narrowed the divergence between desired levels of government spending and what the public regarded as a tolerable tax burden. However, once the social crisis was over, the new revenues remained, allowing government to permanently fund levels of spending at a higher level than before the crisis. Today, post-pandemic tax revenues are up substantially in Canada, providing Ottawa with the temptation to continue spending. In summary, during COVID both tiers of government saw revenues first decline and then recover, with the provinces initially recovering faster in part because of transfers from Ottawa. Both tiers also saw expenditures rise with an associated rise in budget deficits and debt. However, collectively, Canadas provinces experienced more modest effects in terms of smaller deficits and ultimately debt-to-GDP ratios relative to the federal government, which has used the pandemic as an opportunity to engineer a long-term spending increase. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. TSA to Continue Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine Proof for Non-US Citizens to Enter Country United States now the only western country to require COVID-19 vaccine proof for entry The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended its COVID-19 vaccine proof requirement for non-U.S., nonimmigrant citizens flying to enter the United States, making the United States the only western country and among the few remaining countries in the world still to require such proof for entry. The latest TSA security directive (pdf) states that effective to at least Jan. 8, 2023, aircraft operators must require each non-U.S., nonimmigrant citizen to present paper or digital documentation for proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or documentation proving the person is excepted from taking the vaccine, before boarding a flight to the United States. A nonimmigrant means not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being fully vaccinated means having had an accepted single-dose vaccine or a second dose of an accepted 2-dose series at least 14 days ago. A booster dose is not needed to meet the requirement. It comes after the Biden administration in June dropped its requirement for air travelers entering the United States to test negative for COVID-19, meaning a person with the disease could still be allowed into the country, provided they have proof of vaccination. The latest security directive largely matches that of the previous TSA security directive (pdf) that was made effective from Nov. 8, 2021, and is to expire on Nov. 8, after which the new directive will take effect. Few Countries Still Require Vaccine Proof While the vast majority of countries have dropped COVID-19 vaccine proof requirements for entry, the United States and a few other countries around the world continue to require them for non-citizens, with no alternate avenues for the unvaccinated such as requiring proof of immunity against COVID-19, a negative test, or a quarantine period instead. These other countries include Pakistan, Indonesia, Ghana, and Liberia. In the latest security directive, the TSA maintained language saying that the policies, alongside the CDCs technical instructions and President Joe Bidens Proclamation issued in October 2021, are intended to limit the risk that COVID-19, including variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, is introduced, transmitted, and spread into and throughout the United States. The policies will advance the safety and security of travelers, government workers, and air travel industry workers while allowing the worlds economies to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TSA security directive reads. Vaccines Do Not Prevent Transmission COVID-19 policies and restrictions have shifted in recent months in the United States, to no longer differentiate vaccinated and unvaccinated in mitigation measures, amid acknowledgement by officials and the general population that COVID-19 vaccines do not or no longer prevent transmission. In July, the CDC adjusted its mask guidance to require people to wear masks in some areas even if they are fully vaccinated against the virus that causes the disease. At the time, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters that new research from several U.S. states and other countries indicate that on rare occasions some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others. The CDC in early August had made revisions to its COVID-19 prevention guidance such that it no longer differentiates based on a persons vaccination status, because breakthrough infections occur, though they are generally mild, and persons who have had COVID-19 but are not vaccinated have some degree of protection against severe illness from their previous infection. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in August had noted that COVID-19 vaccines can no longer prevent transmission. She told CNN in an interview: Our vaccines are working exceptionally well. They continue to work well for Delta with regard to severe illness and death, they prevent it. But what they cant do anymore is prevent transmission. Waning Efficacy The COVID-19 vaccines have proven increasingly ineffective to protect against infection and showed waning efficacy in protecting against hospitalization and severe illness amid newly-emerging variants. This prompted the governments of many countries to recommend boosters and subsequent boosters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the new bivalent boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which were intended to enhance protection against Omicron and its different subvariants, havent been tested in humans at all. While the updated boosters triggered higher levels of antibodies than the old boosters when tested on mice, the trials didnt provide any efficacy estimates for protection against infection or severe illness. The CDC and its partner, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have aggressively promoted vaccination during the pandemic, even when little evidence supports the vaccines. The agencies have also repeatedly refused to release COVID-19 vaccine safety data, The Epoch Times previously reported. The Epoch Times has found that officials in the United States are continuing to spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, including unsupported or misleading statements about vaccine effectiveness and safety. Zachary Stieber and Eva Fu contributed to this report. A bus carrying 42 foreigners and two Vietnamese lies on its side after crashing into a car and a motorbike in Mai Chau District, Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam, November 4, 2022. Photo by HB 15 foreigners and two Vietnamese were injured when a bus carrying them crashed into a car and a motorbike in the northern province of Hoa Binh Friday evening. The bus was carrying 42 foreigners and two Vietnamese when it crashed into a seven-seat car and a motorbike before flipping at around 6 p.m. Friday on National Highway 6 in Hoa Binh's Mai Chau District, around four-hour drive from Hanoi. Police and local residents had to break the bus's windows to rescue the passengers one by one. The crash left 20 people injured - 15 foreigners and two Vietnamese on the bus, and three people on the car, who were then taken to hospitals in Hoa Binh and Hanoi. The bus was lying on its side on the sidewalk after the crash, around 10 m from the car, while the motorbike ended up in a bush nearby. All three vehicles were damaged and debris was scattered across a road area. Initial investigation found the bus driver had failed to slow down when driving down a slope and turning. The bus was carrying tourists from different countries, including Italy, the Philippines and Ukraine. Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguish a fire from a petrol bomb, targeting the Border Force centre in Dover, Britain, on Oct. 30, 2022. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters) UK Immigration Center Firebomb Attack Declared Terrorist Incident UK police on Saturday declared that a recent firebomb attack on a processing centre holding immigrants smuggled into the UK was a terrorist incident, saying it was primarily motivated by terrorist ideology. Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said evidence suggested an extreme right-wing motivation behind the attack while mental health was also very likely a factor. The suspect in the firebomb attack on Oct. 30 was Andrew Leak, who was seen hurling incendiary devices at a processing centre in Dover, Kent, where people smuggled into the UK on small boats across the English Channel are first held before being transferred to other accommodations. The 66-year-old was found dead at a nearby petrol station minutes after the attack. There were no other mortalities from the attack. Two people in the processing centre reported minor injuries, according to Kent Police. Following the incident, 700 people were moved to the Manston asylum processing centre near Ramsgate for safety reasons. A man throws an object out of a car window next to the Border Force centre after a firebomb attack in Dover, Kent, England, on Oct. 30, 2022. (Peter Nicholls/Reuters) In a statement published on Saturday, the CTPSE said officers had recovered evidence that indicates the attack was motivated by a terrorist ideology. The specialist police unit said officers had spoken to a number of significant witnesses and recovered a number of items of interest including digital media devices. Evidence from examining these items suggests there was an extreme right wing motivation behind the attack, the statement reads. The CTPSE said there is no evidence Leak was working with anyone else and they do not believe there is a wider threat to the public. Tim Jacques, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said there were strong indications that mental health was likely a factor, but after considering the evidence, he was satisfied that the suspects actions were primarily driven by an extremist ideology. This meets the threshold for a terrorist incident, he said. Jacques said counterterrorism police are increasingly seeing individuals who have mental health concerns and a hateful mind-set during case work across all ideologies, and that its a complex process assessing when the terrorism threshold is crossed. An inquest into Leaks death is expected to be opened at Maidstones County Hall on Tuesday. Small-Boat Crossings The attack comes as the UK government struggles to stop people from clandestinely crossing from France. Dan OMahoney, the Home Offices Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, told the Home Affairs Committee on Oct. 26 that 38,000 people had crossed the channel in 936 small boats this year. Among the small-boat arrivals are asylum seekers, who the UK government argues should have stayed in France, and many others who OMahoney said were deliberately gaming the system. People thought to be illegal immigrants pass the car of Home Secretary Suella Braverman during her visit to the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent on Nov. 3, 2022. (PA Media) Home Secretary Suella Braverman was recently criticised after the Manston processing facility was revealed to be over-capacitated, with infectious diseases breaking out. She also faced a fierce backlash for describing the situation as an invasion. Since the UKs exit from the European Union, the Dublin Regulation, which enables EU countries to return asylum seekers to the first EU country they arrived in, no longer applies to the UK. As a result, few illegal immigrants were successfully returned. An effort to sign a new bilateral deal with France has so far been unsuccessful. The governments attempt to put small boat arrivals on one-way flights to Rwanda has also failed so far as the first flight was grounded by the European Court of Human Rights. Braverman, who entered the Home Office less than two months ago, has taken a hardline position on immigration control. She vowed to do whatever it takes to stop Channel crossings but acknowledged there are no quick fixes to the chronic problem. Chris Summers contributed to this report. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on Oct. 14, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) Ukraine Says Nuclear Plant Again Cut Off From Grid After Russian Shelling KYIVUkraines Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station was operating on back-up diesel generators on Thursday after being disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid by Russian shelling, the Ukrainian nuclear energy company said. Energoatom said the last remaining high voltage lines connecting the plant to the Ukrainian grid had been damaged in Wednesdays shelling, and that Moscow wanted to connect the plant to the Russian grid. The facility in southern Ukraine, Europes largest, has 15 days worth of fuel to run the generators, Energoatom said. Although the six reactors are shut down, they still need a constant supply of electricity to keep the nuclear fuel inside cool and prevent disaster. Yesterday the Zaporizhzhia NPPs (nuclear power plants) last two high-voltage lines connecting it to Ukrainian power system were damaged. At 11:04 p.m., the station went into full blackout mode. All 20 diesel generators were switched on, it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. In the near future, they [Russia] will try to repair and connect the communication lines of the ZNPP in the direction of temporarily occupied Crimea and Donbas, said Energoatom, whose staff still operate the plant despite its occupation by Russian forces. Russia did not immediately comment on the situation at the plant. The facility, which provided about a fifth of Ukraines electricity before Russias Feb. 24 invasion, has been forced to operate on back-up generators a number of times since it was occupied by Russian forces soon after the war began. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for shelling at the site that has damaged buildings and threatened a nuclear accident. The U.N. nuclear watchdog is pushing for a protection zone to be set up to prevent further shelling. WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner speaks to her lawyers standing in a cage at a court room prior to a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow on July 26, 2022. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo, Pool) US Embassy Officials Visit Brittney Griner in Russia Prison WASHINGTONOfficials at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow visited jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday, more than a week after a Russian court rejected her appeal of her nine-year sentence for drug possession. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a tweet that the American representatives saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances. Price said the Biden administration is continuing to press for the immediate release of Griner and Paul Whelan, who was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison in Russia on espionage-related charges that he and his family say are bogus, and fair treatment for every detained American. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Griner is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances and that the administration was working to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of Griner and Whelan. Griner was was convicted in August after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport. Her arrest in February came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At that time, Griner was returning to play for a Russian team during the WNBAs offseason. She admitted at her trial to having the canisters in her luggage but testified she packed them inadvertently in her haste to make her flight and had no criminal intent. Her lawyers have called the punishment excessive. The United States regards Griner and Whelan as wrongful detainees and has been trying for months to negotiate with Russia for their release. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said over the summer that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal to Russia to try to secure their release, and President Joe Biden told relatives of Griner and Whelan in a White House meeting in September that his administration was committed to bringing them home. There have been no outward signs of progress since then in the negotiations. Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with the president to New Mexico that despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with Russia through all available channels. This continues to be a top priority. A rig hand works on an electric drilling rig for oil producer Civitas Resources, at the Denver suburbs, in Broomfield, Colo., on Dec. 2, 2021. (Liz Hampton/Reuters) Americas Oil Supply Problem Worse Than You Think, Industry Leader Warns Americas oil supply problem is worse than most predictions, Ezra Yacob, president of EOG Resources Inc., told analysts during a third-quarter earnings call. Oil production in the United States will maintain a low growth rate in 2023, he said. The number of oil rigs, frac spreads, and workers indicated a low growth rate in the near future, he said. Also, fewer companies have the capacity to produce oil after the pandemic and the companies are more cautious about investing more in this sector. I do think coming out of the pandemic, weve had a consolidation across the industry. Youve been left with less companies, and those companies that have the size, the scale, balance sheets, things of that nature to be able to continue to drill and operate, he said. And the majority of those companies are drilling and investing in a way thats more disciplined than what was in favor prior to the pandemic. Yacob believes the trend will not end soon. And quite frankly, a lot of those things that Ive talked about are not necessarily transitory in nature. Some of these things will really continue into 2023 as well, he explained. EOG holds a view more pessimistic than many other estimations, Yacob acknowledged. EOG was known as Enron Oil & Gas before it separated from Enron in 1999. Biden to Talk With Oil Companies Oil production has been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic since August 2020. However, the pace of oil production is relatively slow, though oil prices increased fast after the pandemic. Oil production still hasnt reached the level before the pandemic. Industry insiders and experts warned that companies are hesitant to make long-term investments in the fuel industry because of uncertainty in Washington and hostile attitudes toward the industry by the Biden administration. Low domestic oil production in America and oil production cuts by OPEC+ caused oil prices to stay high and drove gas prices up. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has blamed the oil companies and gas stations for high gas prices. Biden said that hes going to talk with the oil companies directly soon. Im working like hell to deal with the energy prices. Im going to have a little, as they say, come-to-the-Lord talk with the oil companies pretty soon, he told the audience during an event in California on Friday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in October that the Biden administration is in touch with the oil companies. The Department of Energy has been in regular contact and has held meetings with these different companies, and theyll continue to have those conversations. Members of our team at the White House have also been in close contact, she said on Oct. 17. Vietnam Mandates Removal of False Social Media Content Within 24 Hours Vietnam has mandated the removal of false content from social media platforms within 24 hours, as opposed to the initial 48 hours, as the ruling communist party intensifies its crackdown on anti-state activity. Vietnams Information and Communications Minister, Nguyen Manh Hung, said in parliament on Friday that the move was necessary because false news can be spread widely if it is handled in a slow manner. Hung said that Vietnams penalties for disseminating false information were only one-tenth of those imposed by other Southeast Asian nations, though he did not elaborate on the new regulations. The ministry will propose to the government an increase in administrative fines to a level that is high enough to deter the public, he said. The new rules will enshrine Vietnams position as one of the worlds most tightly controlled regimes for social media firms and will strengthen the communist regimes grip on social media platforms. Lack of Freedom of Expression Freedom of expression and civil society activism is tightly restricted in the communist-controlled country, according to the Freedom House, which ranked Vietnam as not free in its 2022 Freedom in the World report. The U.S.-based organization said that Vietnam has further restricted internet freedom by introducing a draft law in July that would restrict live streaming and launching a national code of conduct for social media users. The authorities have increasingly cracked down on citizens use of social media and the internet to voice dissent and share uncensored information, the report stated. The countrys cybersecurity law requires companies like Facebook and Google to store information about users in Vietnam and allows the government to block access to content deemed dangerous to national security, it stated. In April, Vietnamese reporter Nguyen Hoai Nam was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for abusing democratic freedoms through social media posts. He pleaded not guilty and demanded further investigation into his case. Vietnamese independent journalist Le Van Dung was sentenced to five years in prison on March 23 after being charged with conducting propaganda against the communist regime through social media posts, though he refused to regard them as illegal acts. Reuters contributed to this report. Wake Up and Defend Our Country: GOP Candidate for Maryland Governor on Fighting for Liberties, Election Integrity If we dont wake up and defend our country, we will lose it, Dan Cox, the Republican, Trump-endorsed candidate for Maryland governor, told The Epoch Times in an interview ahead of Election Day. We are on the cusp of setting aside the Bill of Rights permanently. And Im running to say never again, not on my watch, and not on the watch of any patriot, are we going to take a path of government totalitarianism ever, ever again in this land. In the interview, Cox, a lawyer who has served as an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2019, provided insights into the state of Marylands gubernatorial race, revealing that his campaigns internal numbers show us surging among Democrats and independents. He added, regarding his prospects for victory over his opponent, Democrat Wes Moore, Biden is coming here [to Maryland] for his fourth time to campaign for my opponent. Thats how frightened they are. Were having a surge of Democrats and independent voters coming our way. Were very excited. We see this on the ground. And were running hard for the win, Cox said. A RealClearPolitics polling average shows Moore, a veteran and investment banker, with a double-digit lead. Coxs platform includes positions in support of small businesses, election integrity, and individual liberty, particularly with respect to pushing back against COVID-19-related lockdowns and government-mandated vaccination of employees in both the private and public sectors. Marylanders want freedom, Cox said. We have a beautiful nation and we have a beautiful state, but too many people are feeling that theyre chased out of our state because of the draconian taxes, the horrific crime, and the far-left woke ideology being indoctrinated to our children in school, while at the same time schools are not producing academics for kids. Cox, who earned a bachelors degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from the Regent University School of Law before starting his own law practice, said that he was a Ronald Reagan fan growing up, and called Donald Trump one of the greatest presidents of all time. [Ronald Reagan] is my hero, and then to see President Trump do the same thing one of the greatest presidents of all time has been President Trump holding the line for us and leading the way for America First values. Cox has received Trumps strong support and endorsement for Marylands governorship. In his endorsement, the former president called Cox an America First Patriot tough lawyer and smart businessman who has done outstanding work in the Maryland General Assembly. Lockdowns and the Importance of Marylands Governorship When asked about the importance of Marylands government at the national level, Cox said that the state is used as a DNC [Democratic National Committee] model to try to force policy through much of the nation, similar to California. They try to bookend the nation with these two states, and I have fought here against that. Cox said that he has witnessed firsthand the effects of COVID-related lockdowns, including stay-at-home orders and government-ordered business closures, which he called a direct attack on small businesses. For the first time in 400 years, our churches and our businesses were closed by order of the executive, and under penalty of arrest, Cox said, referencing lockdowns in Maryland during the pandemic. And thats illegal and is never going to happen again. And were going to make sure that we right those wrongs. He added: For 17 years Ive been a civil rights and constitutional lawyer and running my own business, which meant that Ive learned additional truths about the difficulties of small business and the opportunities that we have in America. And to see the oppression in Maryland directed against 50 percent of our economy, which is small business, has been one of the motivating factors of why Im running for governor. Cox pointed to lockdown orders in Maryland issued by outgoing Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who has reached the states legal two-term limit for the governorship, as evidence of the power and importance of the governors office. Maryland has been one of the worst lockdown states in the nation. A lot of people dont understand this, Cox said, adding that residents have faced mask mandates, including continuing mandates in medical facilities, for two years. Today, I have clients, nurses, once again, being fired from their jobs because [medical facilities] wont accept their religious exemption for taking the experimental jab. And thats illegal, unconstitutional, and its still going on. And its because of the executive. Cox noted that the governor of the state has the supreme power in these so-called emergency actions, and said that he intends, as governor, to reverse such actions and restore jobs to workers in Marylands private and public sectors who have been fired or lost their positions because of these draconian policies. He said that this policy would include restoring jobs to over 5,000 teachers and more than 3,500 nurses and healthcare workers who left their jobs due to COVID-related policies, and cited a recent court order in New York, in which fired unvaccinated workers were reinstated to their positions, as a precedent. I will do the same, and I will order back pay, both for the government sector and the private sector. Any private industry thats done this, theyre in violation of our civil rights laws, and Im going to go after them. Education Cox comes from a family of 10 children of which he is the eldest, and has 10 children of his own with his wife Valerie. He described the background and values that have shaped him as a public servant, including with respect to education policy. I was very grateful for a wonderful upbringing, Cox said. We had a family farm and my grandfather was a World War II fighter pilot. And they believe strongly in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps and getting the job done and working hard, and if you want something you go work for it. Cox said that his grandfather was the first in his family to go to college, and that Coxs father also obtained a college education, attending Marylands Towson University. He said that he has a vision to not only expand private education, but also to uplift our governmental system, including our public schools, and pointed to schools in Baltimore, Marylands largest city, as an example. Some of these Baltimore city kids, it was estimated 50 percent, from the last reports I saw, had literacy issues where they couldnt necessarily even read when they were graduating in some of the schools there. Now thats not all the schools, obviously, but its too many, Cox said. There are 14 schools in Baltimore city that do not have adequate heat and air, and this has been going on for 20 years. Its ridiculous. And I intend to try to change that. Cox said that supporting parents rights with respect to overseeing their childrens education and making sure parents are not cut out of education is an important part of his platform. Right now, theyre cutting parents out of education in Maryland, Cox said. Im going to change that and end it. Election Integrity According to Cox, he and his campaign have been working vigilantly to defend against election fraud, and alleged ongoing issues in Maryland with respect to election integrity, including the lack of chains of custody and signature verification for mail-in ballots. At this point, the mail-in ballots have no security. They have no signature verification. Zero. So theres no way to know whether or not these mail-in ballots are actual voters, Cox said. Were monitoring it carefully, and any fraud that we find, particularly any stuffing and ballot boxes with ballot harvesting, were reporting to the police, and we will prosecute anybody that violates election laws if theyre caught. Cox described his experience contesting the results in the 2020 election in Pennsylvania as part of the Lawyers for Trump coalition, and how this relates to conditions in the 2022 gubernatorial election in Maryland. He alleged that a key goal of lockdowns ahead of the 2020 presidential election was to create a pattern, including in swing states like Pennsylvania, in which states would be required to basically have an expansion of the mail-in balloting, which has no chain of custody verification. Thats why I served on the Lawyers for Trump team in Philadelphia [in 2020] to try to stop the fraud, Cox said. The candidate said that he and other members of the Lawyers for Trump team identified over 110,000 false mail-in ballots, but that these ballots were eventually waved in by others and counted in the 2020 presidential election. Cox said that, in addition to his work in Pennsylvania, he has also worked to defend election integrity in Maryland. Sure enough, the lack of chain of custody, the lack of signature verification exists in Maryland, Cox said. [In 2020, President Trump] had more votes than the first time he won my county [Frederick County] against Hillary Clinton. But so-called Basement Biden, who couldnt get five people to stand in a circle at his events, somehow had the highest vote count in history in Frederick County [Maryland] by a surge of over 30,000 mail-in ballots that had no chain of custody and no signature verification. In 2020, Biden received 77,675 votes in Frederick County, compared to Trumps 63,682. Of those votes, Biden received 47,054 by mail-in ballot, versus Trumps 13,628. In 2016, Trump won the county with 59,522 votes, compared to 56,522 votes for Hilary Clinton. Challenging Early Counts In September, during the current 2022 election cycle, Cox filed a motion to oppose the Maryland State Board of Elections efforts to count mail-in ballots early, in violation of Maryland state law, which only allows mail-in ballots to be opened and counted starting the Thursday morning after Election Day. The Maryland State Board of Elections petitioned for the continuation of a pandemic-related emergency relief provision from 2020, enabled at that time through an executive order from Marylands current governor, which allowed mail-in voting ballots to be opened and processed in advance of the 2020 Election Day, and without a change in state law through the Maryland General Assembly that Marylands constitution would otherwise require. A move this year by the Maryland General Assembly to make this change in mail-in vote counting procedure permanent, however, was vetoed by Marylands governor due to election security concerns. Subsequent to this, a circuit court judge in Marylands Montgomery County effectively bypassed the governors veto by granting the Maryland State Board of Elections petition for emergency authorization to begin mail-in vote counting earlier than Maryland state law allows, with counting beginning on October 1. The Baltimore Sun reported that this ruling was to accommodate a deluge of mail-in ballots expected this fall, with Marylands State Board of Elections estimating that one million mail-in ballots could be cast in the general election. The Washington Post editorial board wrote in a September op-ed that the circuit court judge in this case overreached into what is properly legislative terrain and handed Cox what it called a gift of a grievance that he might use to challenge the legitimacy of Marylands election. The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the decision in October, however. The State Board of Elections, with the Wes Moore campaign in support, forum-shopped for a judge to overturn the governors veto, and allow early counting the ballots, Cox said. This is a precedent like none other. It was unconstitutional. He added, So we questioned that, we put motions in to assert that that was unconstitutional, and the courts held that there was an emergency, once again using so-called fake emergency powers to completely set aside the constitution and to allow counting of ballots without chain of custody or signature verification or the ability to observe. Cox said that since mail-in ballots are now being counted early, before Election Day, Theres no way we can have a lawyer or a team member standing next to the elections officials who are opening these ballots every single day. Thats just unreasonable across the thousands of precincts and the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. He added that the lack of a chain of custody and signature verification for mail-in ballots in Maryland is a problem that needs to be fixed. When you have no signature verification and youre opening ballots for a month and separating ballots from envelopes, theres no way to follow the law for any candidate to be able to challenge those mail-in ballots ever again because theyre forever separated from the envelopes. Thats whats happening, Cox said. So there is no process or procedure to protect the integrity of an election in Maryland. And weve challenged that in court, and the highest court in Maryland turned us down. Despite these setbacks, Cox and his team are doing everything to bolster the integrity of the election system, he said. Now, are we standing by for more protection over voter fraud? Yes. If we catch them were going to not only litigate that issue, were going to refer for prosecution, because it is a felony, Cox said. You cannot commit voter fraud, and we intend to uphold the law in every way. And I do have our team looking at some injunctive relief issues, potentially. Cox noted that reporters have asked him whether he is prepared to accept the results of the election. The election thats fair, that follows the law and constitution needs to be upheld and not cast into doubt. But that means we have a law, that means we have a legal process of questioning whether the law was upheld, Cox said. For the reporters who misrepresent the truth, they need to look at the fact that this is not a partisan issue to uphold the law and to be able to challenge things, Cox said, adding that it is fake news that even asking questions under the law is somehow wrong. So I intend to do everything in my power and, yes, we do have attorneys on our team, and we do have a fraud hotline set up to make sure that the election is done in a fair and constitutional manner. Weve got to get control back and make sure our ballots are verified, Cox said. I intend as governor to make that happen. The Epoch Times has reached out to Moores campaign for comment. Once an unforgiving barrier between East and West, the Berlin Wall's location now offers experiences of a different sort It was hard to picture what this place looked like just three decades ago. Now, its vibrant and teeming with tourists streaming up and down the sidewalks, from museum to museum and shop to shop. On this sunny afternoon, I saw few reminders of what once divided this area. Nobody would think twice about crossing the street at Zimmerstrasseexcept to be sure to look both ways, as the car and truck traffic on this busy street build steadily toward rush hour. But striding along the eastern edge of the street, informative signs make clear that, for a good long time, this, right here, was the kill zone. Over the years, the East German government (officially the German Democratic Republic, or GDR) expanded its original wall to a roughly 18-foot security strip, with everything from tank barriers called hedgehogs to electrified fences and control towers at regular intervals. On the other side, ordinary Germans could come up and touch the wall, but to approach it from the east would mean big trouble, or even death, for those who dared. Retracing the Iron Curtain I was in Germanys capital of Berlin, which was once, famously, the most divided city in the world. Built hastily in 1961 and reinforced over the years, the Berlin Wall once encircled all of West Berlin, which at the time was already an island of Western freedom deep within the communist GDR. I was there to learn more of its history and see how different it is today. The Berlin Wall stood for decades as the ultimate symbol of the Iron Curtain, which divided the Eastern Bloc from Western Europe and the NATO powers. Following World War II, the victorsthe Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the United Statescarved up the map of Europe. In Germany, the political spheres of influence met, and Berlin is where they got too close for comfort. My starting point was Checkpoint Charlie. One of the few openings in the wall where you could pass from east to west, it was the site where Soviet and American tanks once faced off in 1961. Spies and defectors attempted hair-raising escapes here, and it was made famous in fiction, too, having been featured in a number of James Bond films, including Octopussy and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Today, the guard shack and sandbags have been reconstructed, mostly so tourists can take photos with them. All around, a modern, glassy office complex rises, and souvenir outlets and fast food joints line the street. On a typical day, a general roar rises from the hundreds who come to snap a selfie here. A City Divided German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier lays a wreath at a memorial to victims of the Berlin Wall on the 60th anniversary of the construction of the Wall on Aug. 13, 2021 in Berlin. The Berlin Wall, built by the communist authorities of then East Germany in 1961, surrounded West Berlin and was meant to stop people in East Germany, and especially East Berlin, from fleeing into West Berlin. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and heralded the collapse of communist governments across Eastern Europe. (Courtesy of Carsten Koall/Getty Images) I walked to a small museum nearby and learned a lot more. Large photos exhibited the evolution of Checkpoint Charlie, from that humble shack to a massive 10-lane, covered mega-structure in the 1980s. (This version was never featured in the movies.) Big maps displayed the sectors of the city, the western portion divided between France, Britain, and America. Film clips showed the shocked and frenzied reactions that accompanied the walls rapid construction. It was, in the eyes of the GDR, a long time coming. Living standards in East Germany lagged far behind those of their countrymen in the West. While the GDR painted the construction as necessary to protect its socialist state from fascist elements, the simple fact was that, in the years between World War II and the 1960s, some 2.7 million Germans had already fled from East to West. On Aug. 13, 1961, Soviet troops and workers tore up roadways and erected barbed wire. And then, brick by brick, they started building the wall. People fled, carrying everything they owned, even leaping from windows in the Eastsometimes literally into the arms of those waiting to help in the West. Pieces of Stories A Trabant car in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn, western Germany, on Oct. 25, 2019. (Courtesy of INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images) Along Zimmerstrasse, a number of plaques and monuments mark where the wall once stood, commemorating those who tried to escape over ithundreds of whom died trying. They also tell lesser-known stories, like that of the ghost stations, underground metro stations that were abandoned in 1961 and only came back into use in 1990. And then, somewhat incongruously, theres TrabiWorld, a fun, gaudy testament to an unforgettably terrible automobile. While West Germany had the Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Porsche, and BMW, the East had the Trabant. Infamously unreliable and clunky, the car was nonetheless almost impossible to buy, given the many problems with its production. Here, at this sort of amusement park right in the heart of the city, dozens of these little cars have been stacked, lined up, and painted in fun colors. Inside the gift shop are all sorts of Trabant memorabilia, as well as an old Russian army hat and even a piece of the wall. Theres also the opportunity to sign up for a tour around the city in a Trabant. I asked the young man behind the counter about the place. He noted that they have about 50 of the old cars on site, and the ownera collectoronce owned as many as 300. But why would anyone want to ride in a Trabant? People love them, he said, with a slight shake of the head. These cars, it reminds them of their childhood. I didnt take a tour, but spending time at the museum was a welcome moment of levity before I continued along, walking some of the walls longest remaining stretches. Soon afterward, I arrived at Potsdamer Platz. Once one of the busiest intersections in Europe, it became a wasteland during the Cold War when the barriers ran straight through it. With the sun now set, the square flashed with light. Streets bustled and the sidewalks were busy as teenagers and 20-somethings too young to remember any of the complicated history walked excitedly along to restaurants and bars. It was a testament to the power of time, the possibilities of regeneration. A place once responsible for death and division now brims with life, and hope, and looks to the future. If You Go Fly: A brand-new airport opened in late 2020, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) mostly serves European capitals, although a few routes fly transcontinental, including a scheduled nonstop to Newark on United Airlines. Getting Around: Berlin has one of the fastest, cleanest, most efficient public transit systems in the world, including both S-Bahn and U-Bahn trains. Stay: Built in Bauhaus style, the Berlin Marriott sits just steps from Potsdamer Platz. Settle in and have a drink in their 10-floor atrium, then retreat to one of the rooms, which are outfitted with platform beds and sweeping views. Take Note: One of the longest remaining sections of the wall, the East Side Gallery stretches almost a mile and includes some 100 paintings. Its the longest open-air gallery in the world. ISIS terrorists waving flags, travel in vehicles as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province, on June 30, 2014. (Stringer/Reuters) Western Sydney Betrayed by Repatriation of Islamic State Brides A Sydney community feels betrayed by the federal governments decision to repatriate Australian families with links to Islamic State. Four Australian women, who have been in the al-Roj camp in Syria since the fall of the terrorist group, and 13 children arrived in the NSW capital last month following a secret operation. Independent MP Dai Le, elected in May to represent the diverse, multi-faith electorate of Fowler in the citys west, said many of her constituents had fled persecution by IS in their homelands. They have suffered trauma as a result of ISIS brutal regime and were settled in Australia with the hopes of peace and security, she told AAP. Our community feels betrayed that this repatriation occurred without consultation or consideration as to how it would impact on their wellbeing. Le said her community felt left in the dark about the decision and wanted more transparency from the government. We understand that this is a complex issue, although what we continue to seek is cooperation, communication and collaboration from the government, she said. Le has supported a letter from community leaders to Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil asking for a forum to discuss the repatriation program. A spokesperson for the minister said she had received the letter and is considering the request. ONeil told ABC TV the government had taken repatriation action matters on the advice of national security agencies. National security matters are handled sensitively, delicately, methodically, calmly, and that is how weve conducted this exercise, she said on Friday. The risk to Australia from not acting was greater than the repatriation operation, the minister said. Weve got a relatively large group of Australian children who would otherwise be growing up in a camp where a key focus and influence on their life is violent ideology, and I dont think thats good for the country, she said. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is concerned the government is ignoring the advice from national security agencies. He said there must have been a 180-degree flip on the advice the Liberals had received while in government. The job of the government is to make sure that Australians are safe and not introduce into the system an element of risk, he told Nines Today program on Friday. Theyve done exactly that. But Education Minister Jason Clare said the Liberals repatriated families while they were in government, a decision overseen by Dutton while he was home affairs minister. I live in Western Sydney. I want our community to be safe, Clare told Sevens Sunrise on Friday. I trust our national security agencies, and we do this on their advice. For the (Liberal-National) coalition to now say that they are against it makes them hypocrites. They did exactly the same thing. But deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said Clare was being misleading, noting the coalition government only brought eight orphaned children home on a humanitarian basis, not women. She said the difference was the women that are now coming back deliberately left Australia to join a terrorist state that is different to repatriating on a humanitarian level. Further repatriations did not occur under the coalition following advice from security agencies. Ley said western Sydney communities had raised concerns about the lack of consultation before the resettlement. There has been so little communication with the communities into which they are now moving. It is just not good enough, she said. These are terrorist regimes (that) have threatened Australias way of life. We have to be extremely cautious. Ley said the government was withholding national security advice from responsible agencies. Woman Injured in Apparent Shark Attack in Del Mar DEL MAR, Calif.A swimmer was injured Friday in an apparent shark attack off the coast of Del Mar, authorities reported. The 50-year-old woman suffered leg wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening while swimming with a companion about 100 yards from shore near the terminus of 17th Street at about 10 a.m., said Jon Edelbrock, lifeguard chief for the northern San Diego County city. After lifeguards helped the victim, who was wearing a wetsuit, to shore and provided first-aid, paramedics took her to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where she was admitted in stable condition. Lifeguards then searched the water for sharks, finding none. Though officials could not immediately confirm that the womans injuries were due to a shark, that appeared to be the case, Edelbrock said. She was fairly clear that she saw a shark, he said. It was unclear what species or size of shark it might have been. A two-mile stretch of the beach in the area will be closed through at least Sunday as a precaution due to the incident, according to city officials. Lifeguards will perform drone flyovers and patrol the area throughout the weekend from dawn until dusk in search of sharks, they advised. The presumed attack occurred five days after the carcass of an 8-foot juvenile great white shark that appeared to have been injured by a large fishing hook washed ashore at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego, authorities said. THE GOAN NETWORK | LONDON One of the priorities for Fr Lucas Rodrigues as Goan Chaplain and Parish Priest of Sacred Heart at Royal Wootton Bassett in Swindon has been to provide counselling and related services for Goan families and couples in the UK. Aware that the culture and freedom offered in the UK differs from situations in Goa, Fr Rodrigues realised that a growing number of Goan couples and families have faced various challenges while adapting to the new country. One of the important ministries, after I arrived in Swindon, was family counselling, by reaching out to families and helping them not only in matters of faith but also in family problems and issues. It could be marital tensions or even conflict between children and parents. Helping them in their stressful moments was one of my priorities, said Fr Rodrigues. My outreach has not been restricted to those in Swindon, but I have been advising and counselling families, children, youth and parents over phone all across the country. As Pilar Fathers and as missionaries, we bring that zeal of reaching out to as many Goans as possible. Fr Rodrigues admitted that counselling takes up much of his time. As a Pilar Father and as parish priest, our doors are open to all people. Many people come to us for counselling or simply to talk to us and open up to their anxieties. I do not have "office timings" and while I have been advised to take time out during lunch, I simply cannot deprive people from connecting with me, when needed. Some like to come to Church during lunch break and I need to be available to them, said Fr Rodrigues. PARENT-CHILD TENSIONS Fr Rodrigues said although many parents try to give their best advice and guidance to their children, many fail for various reasons. Many Goan couples face issues pertaining to their children, especially teens and youngsters. Most Goan parents were brought up in Goa to respect their own parents and now, they have similar expectations of their children in the UK. But their children are heavily influenced in school, college and a different society. These children now have different lifestyles, demands and expectations, leading to conflicts between parents and children. This trend is observed among children as young as 13 years. There are times when parents also fail to realise they are in a different society with a different culture, explains Fr Rodrigues. It is sad to witness tensions between parents and children. Parents come to seek help and implore me to resolve this conflict. Along with my core youth team, we have reached out to many troubled youth and have helped them come out of their troubles, he added. While growing in a different culture is always difficult, I must acknowledge that many Goan parents do their best and go out of their way to help their children. MARITAL TENSIONS Fr Rodrigues said another area of counselling involves troubled marriages among Goan couples. This has become a growing cause for concern because many couples have marital conflicts barely a few years into their marriage. Many want separation/divorce and I have many such cases, he said. One common reason for separation is that one spouse has found someone else, either in the workplace or elsewhere. Instead of reconciliation and working towards their marriage, some prefer to "dump" their spouses and be single parents, given the many benefits for single parents. Goans generally have a strong family ethos and are God-fearing, hence such situations are very alarming among Goan families now. I hear people telling me: "I have my own life and want to move on...I can't live with my spouse...This won't work for us...You please don't waste your time. Fr Rodrigues believes the main problem for many troubled Goan couples in the UK is that they are not rooted in God. Unfortunately, when families try to make a living, work commitments take much of their time and this is when they fail to find the right balance. At times, God is replaced by other things. Marital conflict has a tremendous impact on children, especially the young. Most families come to me for counselling because I have had a close connect with them over the years. Moreover, I have been here long enough to acknowledge and address these issues. Vices like gambling and drinking have also torn families apart. Matka has, unfortunately, become prevalent in the UK as well. While everyone prefers to keep quiet, I have been vocal on this issue. Many Goan families are aware of this vice, but there is a temptation to make a quick buck, admits Fr Rodrigues. Despite tensions, Goan families offer hope, help Goan Chaplain and Parish Priest of Sacred Heart at Royal Wootton Bassett in Swindon Fr Lucas Rodrigues has praised Goans families for their religious fervour, a desire to resolve their tensions and rendering help to others in troubled situations. Our Goan community has been a backbone of the Church in recent times. The Goan community has rekindled the flame of faith in the Church at Swindon, and all over the UK, acknowledges Fr Rodrigues. Today, our families are very committed to various ministries within the Church. Through the Goan Chaplaincy, there are many Goans who fan the flame of faith through our Charismatic prayer groups and outreach programmes. The beautiful thing is, there are Goan families willing to help others in their problems and difficult times. Generosity and goodness are shared with other troubled families. Though sometimes, we may have our own issues and troubles, yet love, charity and concern of a true Goan are often seen in our community, fostering understanding and fellowship, he adds. A file photo of Fr Lucas Rodrigues interacting with Goan families at a social event in London. ELKO Elko County School Board members are scheduled to meet with their attorney Tuesday evening to discuss the possibility of filing a defamation lawsuit against school board candidate Brian D. Gale. Its the final item on their agenda when they meet at 5:30 p.m. on Election Day in Carlin. Gale is one of many parents who objected to the school district imposing a mask mandate for the 2022 school year. The board had written to Gov. Steve Sisolak in June 2021 seeking more local control over COVID-19 restrictions. Legal opinions written by attorney Rob Salyer answered two questions from the board. He concluded that the state could not pull education funding from the Elko district if the board decided students were not required to wear masks in school, but Disregarding the state mask mandate could result in dire consequences for both the District and the Trustees who vote in favor of breaking the law. He wrote on June 1, 2021, that the consequences could including fines, penalties, liability, legal fees and employee grievances for the district; as well as personal liability, loss of defense, and no indemnification for school board members. Yet, the board voted Aug. 10, 2021, to make masks optional for parents and students. Two school board members resigned that week and three the following week. The interim superintendent also stepped down. The two remaining board members voted the following week to reinstate the mask mandate. A group of school administrators wrote a letter claiming that collusion had occurred between anti-mask parents and some board members. They requested intervention from the state Superintendent of Instruction and the Nevada Department of Education to immediately intervene to protect the viability of our public schools in Elko County and stated we will not tolerate any future oral or written directives, demands, or threats overt or implied from any individual [school board] member. The letter was made public in early October 2022 by current Superintendent of Schools C.J. Anderson, as an attachment to a letter to the Elko Daily Free Press. Letter from Elko Schools Superintendent CJ Anderson As we near Election Day, we have seen our ECSD School Board Meetings used as a forum to interrupt important business and deceptively detract from the very positive ways we are moving forward after a tumultuous two to three years. Anderson complained of ongoing disruptions at school board meetings, and stated that he had submitted a complaint to the Nevada Attorney General while serving as the Director of School Improvement. Anderson stated when I, and every single other administrator in the district, recognized the lawlessness with which these certain board members conducted themselves and put everyone else at risk, I was happy to sign on to do the right thing; not because it was a desirable option to seek the states help, but because it was a desperate situation and we were left with few options. Elko school board amends plan to 'comply with law' These directives under a state of emergency are considered law and if we want to take this beyond our school board, we need to have a nice long visit with our governor and move on from there. Gale sent a letter to the Elko Daily at the end of October, claiming the resignations of three board members was coerced and accusing Salyer of convincing them to resign by threat of prolonged legal action against their businesses, jail time, and fines, even before they had time to seek a legal second opinion. At the conclusion of regular business Tuesday, the board is scheduled to move into closed litigation session to Receive Information from District Legal Counsel Regarding the Filing of a Defamation Lawsuit Against Brian D. Gale. Afterward, they are scheduled to possibly take any action deemed appropriate regarding the proposed lawsuit. popular comedian and activist, Debo Adedayo, professionally known as Mr Macaroni, has faulted Nigerian crude mentality towards survival. The actor and activist made this known as a panelist at the New Media Conference held in Lagos recently. He revealead that the Nigerians belief as to whether they can survive is apparently an impediment working against Nigerians. While Urging young Nigerians to play active part in the 2023 elections, he said, Nigerians have been cursed with the spirit of survival. The average Nigerian will tell you, We are in Nigeria. Nothing will change. It is a curse. If a certain people are okay, I understand (having that mentality). Bang Yai dredged as anti-flood measure PHUKET: Two excavators were deployed late yesterday afternoon (Nov 4) to dredge the Bang Yai Canal in Phuket Town to help prevent flooding. weatherSafety By The Phuket News Saturday 5 November 2022, 09:31AM The excavators dredged the canal at the Phra Aram Bridge located near the Chartered Bank Intersection, at the eastern end of the Old Town area. Present to oversee the works was Phuket City Deputy Mayor Supachok Laongpetch along with Anat Noppakao, Chief of the Phuket City Municipalitys Public Health and Environment Division. One of the excavators remained on the ground beside the canal as it dredged the canal, while the other was set afloat on a special raft designed to carry the excavator while it dredged the bottom of the waterway. The canal came dangerously close to breaking its banks during the floods last month. The Phuket Irrigation Office station monitoring water levels in Ket Ho, Kathu, on Oct 19 reported the water level in the canal was 87cm lower than the canals banks. However, the monitoring station at Satree Phuket School in northern Phuket Town on that day marked that the water level in the canal was just 3cm lower than the banks there. The dangerous water levels spurred Phuket City Mayor Saroj Angkanapilas to issue a formal warning for residents living near the canal to prepare for serious floods. Thankfully, the rains started to ease the next day and the water level in the canal subsided, with Phuket Town, and especially the Old Town area, avoiding heavy flood damage. Hundred million gang arrested over huge lottery ticket fraud BANGKOK: Three people accused of duping others into investing in a bogus lottery ticket scheme, with losses of more than B120 million, have been arrested in Muang district of Khon Kaen. crimepolice By Bangkok Post Saturday 5 November 2022, 09:00AM A policewoman shows an arrest warrant to one of the three suspects Photo: Supplied / Wassayos Ngamkham / Bangkok Post Three suspects in lottery ticket investment fraud Ratthakorn Siwatthanasirisakul, 30, Rapheephan Klinsomphas, 25, and Ratchadaporn Thuenglarp, 32 shown with valuables and other items seized from them. Photo: Supplied / Wassayos Ngamkham / Bangkok Post Ratthakorn Siwatthanasirisakul, 30, one of three suspects in a lottery investment fraud, poses for a photo with stacks of lottery tickets, before his arrest. Photo: Supplied / Wassayos Ngamkham / Bangkok Post Crime Suppression Division (CSD) said the three suspects, one man and two women, were members of the self-named Wai Roon Roi Lan (young people with a hundred million) gang, reports the Bangkok Post. They were taken into custody at a housing estate in Tambon Ban Ped of Muang district on Thursday (Nov 3). Ratthakorn Siwatthanasirisakul, 30, and the two women, Rapheephan Klinsomphas, 25, and Ratchadaporn Thuenglarp, 32, were named in arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court on Nov 1 for alleged collusion in public fraud, money laundering and related offences. Pol Col Wiwat Jitsophakul, chief of the CSD sub-division 3, said the suspects claimed to have close connections with senior army officers and to be sales agents for government lottery tickets in Loei and nearby northeastern provinces. They allegedly enticed people into investing in a lottery ticket quota scheme with promised returns of B1-5 per ticket per lottery draw. Initially, investors received payments as promised. They then invested more money in the scheme. In February, some investors needing funds for their own businesses asked to withdraw their money, but the suspects kept putting them off, he said. The investors later learned that the suspects were not sales agents for government lottery tickets and had no lottery quotas as claimed. They then filed a complaint with police and the court approved arrest warrants for the suspects. Col Wiwat said investigators learned that the gang worked systematically, dividing tasks among its members persuading people to invest in the scheme, building up trust, transferring money between bank accounts. Police followed the gangs money trail and found more than B1.9 billion in circulation, said Pol Col Wiwat, who led CSD police to arrest the three suspects. The arresting officers impounded more than B10mn in assets bank accounts, mobile phones, land and vehicles believed to have been acquired from investment fraud. Initially, there were two victims with losses totalling B126.8mn, the CSD sub-division 3 chief said. There were more victims. The investigation was continuing. During questioning, the three suspects denied all charges. They were handed over to CSD investigators for legal action. Mega-projects touted at Andaman Provinces economic meeting PHUKET: All the multi-billion-baht major road projects in Phuket will not be brought forward to help alleviate the traffic woes caused by the landslide on Patong Hill, according to the Andaman Provinces economic meeting held in Phuket yesterday (Nov 4). constructioneconomicstourismtransport By The Phuket News Saturday 5 November 2022, 10:52AM The meeting, held at the Auditorium at the Phuket Provincial Administration Center that is home to Provincial Hall, saw governors and other senior officials from six provinces Krabi, Trang, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong and Satun discuss strategies to economically develop the Andman coast region following the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing Phuket was Governor Narong Woonciew, while former Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada attended as the current Governor of Phang Nga. Representing the private sector were Salil Totubthieng, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerces Southern Andaman Province Group; Adisorn Tan-engchuan, Advisor to the President of the Federation of Thai Industries; and Watthana Ruengsamut, Advisor to the Federation of Thai Tourism Council. Placed at the top of the agenda was that Thailand was to make its second presentation in its bid for Phuket to host World Specialsed Expo 2028 on Nov 25-29. In accordance with the Prime Ministers directive to drive the development of southern provinces on the Andaman coast, all sectors were encouraged to support Phuket and Thailand to host this event, noted an official report of the meeting. However, the Phuket Mass Transit System Project (light rail) is continuing according to its normal schedule, the meeting was told. A detailed and appropriateness review study that began in June is being revised and will continue through to April 2023. The project will be open to bids under terms in accordance with the Joint Venture Act from May 2023 to April 2024. The selection process for the contract tenders will be conducted from May 2024 to June 2025. Actual construction is scheduled to begin from July 2025 and continue through to November 2027. The light rail is currently scheduled to begin service in December 2027. Meanwhile, the Muang-Koh Kaew-Kathu Expressway project is progressing with officials from Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) meeting council members of the Kathu, Srisoonthorn and Koh Kaew local administration organisations in August. The meeting resulted in EXAT being approved to use protected forest land for the project, which will see a 30-kilometre motorway built from Muang Mai to Kathu. The project, at last report to cost B30 billion, is currently in the process of review studies to assess its feasibility in terms of engineering, economics, finance and environmental impact, the meeting was told. A detailed framework of the project is being drafted, work on which commenced on April 1 this year. The Kathu-Patong Expressway Project, better known as the Patong Tunnel project, is currently undergoing the process of the contract tenders being drafted, a process that began in July and is to conclude this month. Bids for the project will open in December, with the period for submitting proposals closing in March 2023, the meeting was told. The project for years has been scheduled for construction to start in 2023, with construction scheduled to be complete by 2027. The meeting yesterday gave no indication that timeline will be brought forward. Other projects touted at the meeting included the Andaman International Health Center, already approved by Cabinet to cost B5.11bn. Construction is expected to start next year, with the project scheduled for completion also by 2027. Also listed by mention only in the official report were that progress reports were given on the Andaman Smart City project, the Sport City project and the and the bid to host the 2025 SEA Games in the southern provinces along the Andaman Coast. No details of those projects were provided. Meeting marks 60th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties: An art performance at the meeting. (Photo: VNA) The event saw the attendance of representatives from the Vietnamese provinces of Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Quang Tri that border Laos, and from the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Savannakhet. In his remarks, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Khammouane Vanxay Phongsavane thanked all-level Party Committees, authorities and people of Vietnam for their support to Laos during the countrys past struggle for national liberation as well as its present cause of national defence, construction and development, and the development of Khammouane province in particular. Tran Thang, Chairman of the Peoples Committee of the central province of Quang Binh, noted that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have been developing constantly over the past decades. At the ceremony, Khammouane province presented certificates of merit to organisations and individuals for their outstanding performance in supporting the locality in the 2017-2022 period. Patong Hill road safe despite rain, expert assures PHUKET: Patong Hill remains safe to allow motorbikes and small vehicles to continue passing the landslide site despite recents rains overnight and throughout today (Nov 5), an expert from Kasetsart University has assured. patongtransportSafetytourism By The Phuket News Saturday 5 November 2022, 04:19PM The assurance came via an update posted by the Phuket branch of Radio Thailand this afternoon, reporting on an inspection of the site led by Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul. The inspection was conducted to assess the level of safety at the landslide site, some 500 metres downhill from the Patong City sign, in order to determine whether to continue to allow motorbikes and cars travelling past the site. Motorbikes have been allowed to travel up and down the hill since Thursday last week (Oct 27). Cars, vans and pickup trucks have been allowed to travel down the hill only, from Patong to Kathu, since yesterday (Nov 4). Cars, vans and pickup trucks are still not allowed to travel westbound up the hill from Kathu to Patong as it has not yet been deemed safe enough. Dr Aphinit Chotisangkat, a professor of geology at Kasetsart University, reported that the water pressure in the soil at the site has not increased, indicating that it is still safe for small vehicles to use the road, said the report earlier today The contractor hired is continuing to address the landslide site itself, bringing backfilled rock and compacted soil to the area to strengthen the embankment. If there is no heavy rain or any unforeseen obstacles to carrying out the repairs, progress in repairing the road will continue as planned, said the report. At the time of announcement last week, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew said the repairs were hoped to be completed by mid-December. Officials are continuing to monitor the site for safety, the report today assured. Vice Chairwoman of the HCMC Peoples Committee Phan Thi Thang (middle) and Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura (left) (Photo: sggp.org.vn) On October 24, the delegation visited Greater Nagoya Initiative Center, and met Dr. Nagato Natsume appointed to Honorary Consul of Vietnam to Nagoya city of Aichi prefecture, Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura, HCMC's tourism ambassador in Aichi Prefecture Noriko Hirose. The following day, the delegation had working sessions with Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc., AEON Retail Group, partners in the Kansai region, and Special Advisor to the Japan - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance (JVFPA) Takebe Tsutomu. At the meetings, the delegation hoped that Japanese partners would share experiences of connecting and building integrated solutions for digital infrastructure, urban infrastructure and necessary infrastructures to attract investors to the city, and designing and implementing intensified solutions to attract investment. In addition, the HCMC leaders also expected that HCMC-Japan trade and investment cooperation would be further promoted to contribute to the Vietnam - Japan extensive strategic partnership. Japanese side highly appreciated the cooperation between HCMC and Aichi prefecture, a twinning city with HCMC. Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura suggested the two sides continue to enhance human resource training in tourism, trade, health and education sectors, and promote the development of relationships between HCMC and Aichi particularly, HCMC and Japan in general. According to the plan, the delegation will visit Hyogo and Osaka prefectures, attend HCMC-Hyogo economic cooperation promotion conference, and meet businesses and leading retailers of Chiba province and Tokyo Metropolis./. Our View: The future is in your hands Job Title: Supply Clerk (Receiving) Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Salary: UGX 38,006,469 /= Announcement Number: Kampala-2022-058 About US Embassy: The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador. Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Peace Corps Job Summary: This standard job description is for a Supply Clerk (Receiving) who manages the receiving, tracking, inspection, distributing, and inventory of property management services for the Department of State and associated agencies. The position is in the General Services Section and under the supervision of the GSO Supply Supervisor (Receiving). Key Duties and Responsibilities: Inventory Control & Warehouse Operations: 30% The incumbent is responsible for assigning and affixing asset barcodes where required, and for entering asset level details into the Departments property accountability system, which directly feeds into the Departments financial statements. Coordinates with the appropriate offices to ensure proper receipt of all incoming goods and supplies, assuring expedient delivery to the proper requesting office. Maintains or distributes pertinent documents to appropriate Is responsible for the follow-up on items received, which are temporarily in the warehouse pending further action or disposition instructions. Maintains strict access control over the receiving area ensuring only authorized personnel enter. Organize the receiving area with bins, shelves or pallets, making the best use of available space. Keeps the entire receiving area clean and free of safety hazards. Operates all warehouse cargo handling equipment including but not limited to hand-trucks, forklifts, scissor lifts, pallet-jacks and vehicles used in the moving of goods. Properly uses common tools and materials used in the shipping of goods including but not limited to banding equipment; utilizes the proper methods for unpacking goods in a manner as not to damage the goods. Incumbent serves as an incidental operator of official vehicles and meets all requirements outlined in 14 FAM 433. Incumbent is expected to pick up and deliver supplies, as needed. Receiving & Inspection: 25% Acts as receiving official for all USG expendable and non-expendable personal property including, but not limited to office and residential furniture, furnishings and equipment, office and maintenance supplies, tools, IT assets etc. Receives all goods in accordance with Department of State FAM guidelines, post Standard Operating Procedures and supervisor directives. Reviews procurement documents, packing slips and other documents in English and local language and evaluates that received property corresponds in condition and quantity to the order as placed by the procurement office. Physically inspects deliveries to ensure that they reflect the delivery/packing list, that any damage is noted and that deliveries meet the terms, conditions and specifications included in procurement documents. Signs the vendors delivery/packing list noting the damages or discrepancies according to regulation and published standard procedures. Recommends filing a claim to post Accountable Property Officer for missing or damaged property. Coordinates storage or delivery to the requesting office with the Supply Supervisor (Receiving). Exercises strict control of all incoming and outgoing shipments. Remains present at the warehouse during all working hours so that no shipment arrives in her/his absence. Delivery Coordination: 25% Incumbent coordinates with post security office, local guard force, and others as required to obtain appropriate permissions for access of deliveries including but not limited to vendors, delivery personnel and/or delivery trucks to the Embassy, in a timely manner. Coordinates with vendors and shipping companies for the delivery and transfer of items to the Embassy; coordinates with appropriate warehouse personnel to move items from loading dock to the receiving area; coordinates deliveries to requesting offices with proper point of contact from requesting office. Coordinates with the transportation company to evaluate the vehicle specifications to verify it will fit through the security check and entry point. Record Keeping & Reporting: 20% Ensures proper documentation of assets per FAM guidelines; generates standard and custom reports as necessary in the regular course of job duties, or as requested by management. Receives all asset items via Final Receipt and generates the appropriate transaction report (Form DS-127 or Form DS-584). Documents and reports shipment discrepancies and, as appropriate, completes and submits Report of Discrepancy (Form SF-364) to the procurement office with details necessary for the procurement office to present the claim to the vendor. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. The applicants for the United States US Embassy Supply Clerk (Receiving) job opportunity should have completed high school education. Required. At least two (2) years of experience in supply/warehousing/expendables or property/supply management Must have good knowledge of Department of State and Embassy supply policies and procedures, and SHEM safety guidelines. Must have good knowledge of the internal organization of the Embassy and its numerous agencies. Must have good understanding of supply chain management and warehouse operations to include receiving, inspecting, tracking, storing and issuing of supplies. Must have good knowledge of computerized inventory and stock control data programs. Computer competencies including basic skills in Microsoft Office applications, and related software as required, and basic math skills. Working knowledge of inventory management tools such as handheld scanners and software. Must have a valid, current Class B drivers license. Must be able to lift a maximum of 51 lbs. (23kg) under OSHA standards. Language: English level III (good working knowledge) Written/Speaking/Reading. Luganda level III (good working knowledge) Written/Speaking/Reading. How to Apply: All those interested in working with the United States Embassy, US Mission in Kampala should send their applications online at the link below. Click Here Deadline: 15th November 2022 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline MADI ALLARD, Stonington, Field Hockey, Senior; Allard made four saves in a penalty shootout, helping Stonington defeat Canton in the Class S semifinals. Most of the game was played in a steady snow. Stonington later lost in the title game to North Branford. DREW DENONCOUR, Chariho, Boys Soccer, Senior; DeNoncour made a save in the final 30 seconds to preserve a 2-1 win for the Chargers in the Division II championship game. DeNoncour was named the games MVP as Chariho won the D-II title for the second straight year. Vote View Results Zoran Spasic, Director of the Serbian Center for Cooperation with Asian Countries The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was about one of the most important political events in the People's Republic of China. The Communist Party of China is celebrating its 101st anniversary this year, behind which are years of impressive achievements, painstaking and hard work. Proven by a century of struggle armed with Marxism, the guiding ideologies embedded in CPC governance have shown the strength of the Chinese state for future times. The CPC set the basic purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people during the process of socialist revolution and construction, improving the peoples political status and living standards. It is very important to correctly understand the scientific connotation of "people first" in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is modern Chinese Marxism and the Marxism of the 21st century. From the broader perspective of history and the world, the 20th National Congress of the CPC will provide the outside world with a picture for an in-depth understanding of China in the new era. To understand China today, one must understand the CPC, its history, and its path to great development. One of the most significant results of the CPC's leadership has been poverty reduction, which has lifted over 700 million people out of extreme poverty, accounting for nearly 70% of global poverty eradication, an achievement unprecedented in history. The fight against corruption won a convincing victory. On this occasion, I would like to point out to you in a very clear way that stability is the most prominent characteristic and advantage of Chinese politics and development, and it is also a fundamental manifestation of political maturity. Stability leads to long-term development, and this is especially the case for large countries. The key to China's long-term stable development is the strong CPC leadership. The CPC has more than 96 million members. This figure is higher than the population of most countries in the world. The Party is deeply rooted in China and the Chinese people, and therefore has the power to rise in the pursuit of excellence. During the more than 100 years since its founding, the CPC has achieved impressive achievements, pointed out the correct way to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, fundamentally changed the historical destiny of the Chinese people, and contributed to solving global problems for all mankind. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era promotes the construction of a new kind of international relations and community with a common future for mankind, making great contributions to peace and development in the world. It was created through continuous enrichment, deep reflection and application of scientific socialism, and continuous research and forging ahead in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. That thought represents the latest achievement, and includes the practical experience and collective wisdom of the CPC and the people, which keeps pace with the times. The CPC has demonstrated extraordinary vitality and capacity for reform more than any other party in the world. As China becomes more important and influential, other countries will inevitably seek to learn from its achievements. Whether it is, for example, economic policy, the fight against a pandemic, technological innovation or climate change. Beginning with the 7th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Constitution has a general framework, which prescribes that Chinese communists must have the spirit of serving the people wholeheartedly. The 8th National Congress is the first national congress convened by the Party after taking power in the country. The Party's constitution stipulates that the main purpose of the Party's entire work is to meet the needs of the material and cultural life of the people to the greatest extent possible. This is more than an abstract story about the interests of the people, but about how the ruling party serves the people in a concrete way, and it is emphasized that the ultimate goal of the Party is the achievement of communism. Since the reform and opening up, each edition of the Party Constitution has been in line with the "mission" of the CPC. "Mission" is like a red line that runs through all the theories and practice of our Party. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The original intention and mission of the Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." This original intention and mission is the fundamental driving force for the Chinese communists to continue moving forward." The CPC actively participates in and promotes the healthy and stable development of relations between China and other countries, thus making its contribution to world peace, economic development and human progress. In this process, the CPC follows five main principles: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. Under the strong leadership of the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind has been started, it has been highly recognized by the vast majority of countries and international organizations, such as the United Nations, and has shown the right path and bright prospects for future. The new ideas, new strategies and new measures that were proposed at the 20th National Congress of the CPC will profoundly affect the future of China and the world. The Congress made the Chinese people feel more enriched and China's steps more stable. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee headed by Xi Jinping, the Chinese people will surely create new and greater miracles for the whole world to admire. Contributed by Zoran Spasic, Director of the Serbian Center for Cooperation with Asian Countries Editor: GSY HSBC'S Chinese agitator has publicly called for the bank to split up just weeks after boss Noel Quinn said the matter was 'closed'. Ping An, the Beijing-backed insurer, is also pushing for HSBC to pursue 'much more aggressive' cost cuts. It is the latest salvo in a battle between the bank and its largest shareholder which has been running for most of this year. Pushed back: HSBC chairman Mark Tucker has been against a spin-off Ping An revealed privately to HSBC in February that it wanted the bank to spin off its Asia business from its operations in the West, claiming that they were holding back the banking giant's performance. HSBC hit back, arguing that the group's strengths were in being a global business which could unite East and West. Just last month, when asked about the break-up proposals, Quinn, HSBC's chief executive, said discussions on the subject were 'closed'. But in an interview with the Financial Times, Ping An Asset Management's chairman Michael Huang said: 'We will support any initiatives including a spin-off that are conducive to improve HSBC's performance and value.' Sources close to the Chinese company said it was still pushing to split HSBC and discussions were 'ongoing'. Ping An founded in 1988 and based in Shenzhen has justified its break-up calls by pointing to years of lacklustre share price growth at the lender, and the cancellation of its dividend during the Covid-19 pandemic a policy which was enforced by the Bank of England. But Quinn and Mark Tucker, HSBC's chairman, have urged investors to stick with their plan, which has seen the bank shed non-essential parts of its business in countries such as France and Brazil. They are also looking to shave down costs, including through a programme of 35,000 job cuts. A HSBC spokesman said last night: 'We remain on track to hit all of our financial targets, including a return on tangible equity of at least 12 per cent, from 2023 onwards.' Nevertheless, Huang said it was 'urgent' for HSBC to go further. The lender needed to 'be much more aggressive in radically reducing its costs', he added, claiming that cuts could be made in 'manpower and IT'. Huang told journalists: 'This is the most important, urgent and absolutely needed action for HSBC to improve its business performance, reducing costs and increasing efficiency, particularly amid slowing growth in the global financial industry.' While critics claim the push for change at the bank is driven by officials in the Chinese government, and their desire to get their hands on the Asian parts of the London-based lender, HSBC has denied this is the case. HSBC shares yesterday shot up 5.8 per cent, or 26,85p, to 490p. Founders: Brent Hoberman and Chloe Macintosh Next has launched a dramatic bid for Made.com, which collapsed last week. The High Street fashion giant is the frontrunner to snap up the online furniture retailer, with a buyer to be announced as early as Monday. Next, run by Lord Wolfson, is understood to have made a bid worth around 2million to take control of Made's website, customer database, branding and other intellectual property. It is one of a number of interested parties Frasers Group are also believed to be in the running with bids worth 2million to 3million. The deal would save a much-loved British brand set up in 2010 by Brent Hoberman, Chloe Macintosh, Ning Li and Julien Callede, and see it run by Wolfson, one of the UK's most successful retailers. But the collapsed firm's 500 staff are set to lose their jobs and will not be taken on by whoever wins the bidding war, nor will its huge pile of unsold stock. And customers with outstanding orders are likely only to be refunded if they paid by credit card. Made confirmed it was going bust last week after it teetered on the brink for months. The company aimed to make high-end furniture accessible to everyone. It quickly grew to become a major player with annual sales in 2020 of 315million, and was valued at 775million when it joined the London Stock Exchange just over a year ago. But a series of management missteps left the business with millions of pounds worth of inventory it could not sell. It was also hammered by supply chain disruption on imports from the Far East and, more recently, the cost of living crisis. Shareholders were wiped out, having seen the stock fall 99 per cent before bosses threw in the towel. A source close to Next confirmed the bid, but said it was one of a number of interested buyers. Next and Made declined to comment. Elon Musk's tenure as the owner of Twitter went from bad to worse as he decried a 'massive drop' in advertising sales. The billionaire blamed 'activist groups pressuring advertisers' for a fresh wave of brands deserting the platform. Musk, boss of electric car maker Tesla, said 'nothing has changed' around how Twitter moderates its content and that he did everything he could 'to appease the activists'. Concern: Businesses fear that the microblogging site could descend into a 'free-for-all-hellscape' under Elon Musk's rule But the platform, which he bought last month for 38billion after a legal battle, was hit by a fresh exodus of advertisers yesterday. Businesses fear that the microblogging site could descend into a 'free-for-all-hellscape' under Musk's rule. But a drop in advertising income could spell trouble for the 57-year-old, as advertisers make up 90 per cent of its annual revenue. US food giant General Mills and the Volkswagen Group both said they were pausing advertising on the platform. Cadbury owner Mondelez and Pfizer have also pulled ads. They followed Danish brewing giant Carlsberg. Musk said: 'Extremely messed up! They're trying to destroy free speech in America.' The United States and the G7 countries support the establishment of a "just peace" in Ukraine, the elements of which include the fundamental principles of the UN Charter respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Advisor to the President for National Security Affairs Jacob Sullivan said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday. Answering a question about possible peace talks with Russia's participation, he recalled the words of U.S. President Joe Biden: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." He said according to the statements of Russian officials, they begin with the fact that Russia retains all the territories that it has annexed. This is unacceptable under the UN charter, which does not allow the seizure of territories by force, he said. He recalled the statement of the G7 countries that they support a just peace in Ukraine. The elements of this peace include the fundamental principles of the UN Charter - respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, countries cannot seize the territory of a neighboring country by force. Sullivan said the key issue of these negotiations is what a just peace looks like and how it can be achieved. Looking at Russian actions, the annexation of territories, this does not really push for negotiations. He said the United States together with the world community, need to support Ukraine and determine the terms of a fair and a long peace, taking into account the UN Charter. Zelensky discusses with Sullivan further US support for Ukraine, awards him order President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan, who arrived in Kyiv on a visit, the press service of the head of state has reported. "The parties discussed the issues of further support for Ukraine from the U.S. for the defense and liberation of its territory from the occupiers, increasing the capabilities of our state to protect critical infrastructure, financial and humanitarian support, strengthening sanctions against the aggressor state of the Russian Federation, and consolidating international support for Ukraine," the press service said. Zelensky thanked Sullivan for supporting Ukraine and presented him with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Second Class), which was awarded for his significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The head of state said that he was very pleased to present this order to Jake Sullivan. Zelensky also awarded Senior Director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council Amanda Sloat the Order of Merit (Third Class). The White House reported: "Mr. Sullivan announced an additional $400 million security assistance package, which includes refurbished T-72 tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles, and the refurbishment of HAWK surface to air missiles for eventual transfer to Ukraine. He also affirmed the continued provision of economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression." For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press. [November 04, 2022] Data Protection As A Service (DPaaS) Global Market to Reach $63.38 Billion by 2026 at a 28.7% CAGR DUBLIN, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Data Protection As A Service (DPaaS) Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global data protection as a service (DPaaS) market is expected to grow from $17.88 billion in 2021 to $23.09 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.1%. The data protection as a service (DPaaS) market is expected to grow to $63.38 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 28.7%. The main types of data protection as a service are disaster recovery as a service, backup as a service, and storage as a service. Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a cloud computing service model that enables an organization to back up its data and IT infrastructure in a third-party cloud computing environment and provides all DR orchestration, all through a SaaS solution, to regain access and functionality to IT infrastructure following a disaster. Data protection as a service can be deployed in the public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud in large enterprises and SMEs that can be used in various industries such as banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), telecom & IT, government & public sector, healthcare, retail, energy & utilities, manufacturing, others. North America was the largest region in the data protection as a service (DPaaS) market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the data protection as a service (DPaaS) market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa. The increasing concern about data loss and data security is propelling the demand in the data protection as a service (DPaaS) market. Data loss refers to the loss of data due to internal issues like system failure or external issues like cyber attacks, etc. Enterprises from all around the world have been concerned about data security recently due to incidents of data loss and data leaks. For instance, according to Identity Thet Resource Center's report, a United States non-profit organization, the year 2021 saw 1,862 data breaches, which was up from 1,108 data breaches in 2020. These breaches have increased concerns about data loss in companies. Hence, the increasing concerns about data loss and data security are driving the growth of the data protection as a service market. New technological advancements like the integration of connected devices with the internet of things (IoT) and virtual private network (VPN) are shaping the data protection as a service (DPaaS) market. For instance, in May 2021, GLobal Electronic-SECurity (GLESEC), a cyber-security firm announced the launch of its new Orchestrated data leakage detection and protection service. This security-as-a-service has a unique offering of detecting and protecting data leakage without the need to classify all the information of the company. With this service, the company would address the need for the organization's security requirements. Scope Markets Covered: 1) By Service Type: Disaster Recovery as a Service; Backup as a Service; Storage as a Service 2) By Enterprise Size: Large Enterprise; SMEs 3) By Deployment Mode: Public Cloud; Private Cloud; Hybrid Cloud 4) By Industry: Banking, Financial Services And Insurance (BFSI); Telecom & IT; Government & Public Sector; Healthcare; Retail; Energy & Utilities; Manufacturing; Other Industries Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Data Protection As A Service Market Characteristics 3. Data Protection As A Service Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Data Protection As A Service 5. Data Protection As A Service Market Size And Growth 6. Data Protection As A Service Market Segmentation 7. Data Protection As A Service Market Regional And Country Analysis 8. Asia-Pacific Data Protection As A Service Market 9. China Data Protection As A Service Market 10. India Data Protection As A Service Market 11. Japan Data Protection As A Service Market 12. Australia Data Protection As A Service Market 13. Indonesia Data Protection As A Service Market 14. South Korea Data Protection As A Service Market 15. Western Europe Data Protection As A Service Market 16. UK Data Protection As A Service Market 17. Germany Data Protection As A Service Market 18. France Data Protection As A Service Market 19. Eastern Europe Data Protection As A Service Market 20. Russia Data Protection As A Service Market 21. North America Data Protection As A Service Market 22. USA Data Protection As A Service Market 23. South America Data Protection As A Service Market 24. Brazil Data Protection As A Service Market 25. Middle East Data Protection As A Service Market 26. Africa Data Protection As A Service Market 27. Data Protection As A Service Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Data Protection As A Service Market 29. Data Protection As A Service Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 30. Appendix Companies Mentioned IBM Corporation Amazon Web Services Hewlett-Packard Development Company Commvault Systems VMware Quantum Corporation Asigra EMC Corporation Dell Veritas Technologies Commvault Quest Software Inc. NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Hitachi Vantara Corporation Atos SE For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bb7ryz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/data-protection-as-a-service-dpaas-global-market-to-reach-63-38-billion-by-2026-at-a-28-7-cagr-301669069.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 05, 2022] Eyeing Election Day, Byers Campaign for West Hollywood City Council Bolstered by Housing and Transportation Advocates WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advocates for housing and transportation policy across the region continue to build support for Chelsea Byers bid to become one of the next West Hollywood City Councilmembers. Voters in West Hollywood frequently share a common concern around the ever-increasing cost of affordable housing and the never-ending woes of commuting. Byers personal experience as a renter and rider of public transit compliment the urgency reflected by voters and will direct a more progressive approach to housing and transit solutions. I rent. I take the bus, walk, use scooters and bike. When I talk about housing and transit policy, its not in the abstract. I live the experience daily, as a regular person living in West Hollywood. The goal of my campaign is to apply experience to policy, Chelsea Byers reflected. I have a clear vision for a more affordable and walkable West Hollywood and I want to make that happen for everyone. In addition to a healthy coalition of Democratic Clubs, local elected offcials, community members and labor unions, Byers has recently gathered the support of Streets for All, a mobility advocacy group based in Los Angeles County and Abundant Housing LA, a pro-housing, nonprofit advocacy organization working to help solve Southern Californias housing crisis. Streets for All, in considering her endorsement of Byers noted that Chelsea has the most comprehensive transit platform of the West Hollywood City Council candidates thanks to her experience living car-free in WeHo and embraces policies like abolishing parking minimums. Housing continues to lead the list of challenges facing the City of West Hollywood and the region. Homelessness is dramatically impacted by housing affordability and availability. The cycle of homelessness caused by housing unaffordability is a contributing factor to the nearly 70,000 unhoused individuals in Los Angeles County. For more information visit https://www.chelsea4weho.com Instagram @chelsealeebee Media Contact: Kian Kaeni, Dragonfly Public Affairs [email protected] www.DragonFlyPublicAffairs.com (310) 925-4078 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Welcome to the 2022 TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Awards, where we have selected a diverse range of winners, from Ooma AirDial, which makes a great POTS replacement; The Toll-Free Exchange, which brings Resp Orgs into the world of IP communications. Continuing, Upstream Works for Finesse, which enhances the Cisco (News - Alert) contact center with a complete omnichannel solution, allowing an intuitive agent desktop to empower agents to provide informed and personalized customer experiences with consistent tools for multiple channels and interactions. Finally the Zultys (News - Alert) MX Solution, which has been a steady and experienced player in the UC market for many years and continues to evolve and add new features. We hope you enjoy our reviews and thank you for reading and participating in these awards. Ooma AirDial Businesses face a huge challenge with the impending demise of legacy copper-wire analog phone lines, also known as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Millions of devices and systems in business locations across the United States require a POTS line ranging from fire alarm panels to elevator phones, fax machines, public safety phones, building access systems, and more. In many cases, they cant be migrated to a standard VoIP connection. As POTS infrastructure dwindles, carriers are sharply increasing monthly rates and quality of service is declining. Ooma AirDial is a great solution for the copper sunset dilemma a complete drop-in solution from a single vendor that combines on-premises hardware with fully backward-compatible virtual POTS lines and a wireless data connection to the cloud. This sets AirDial apart from competing hardware-only solutions, which require the partner or end customer to provision on-premises equipment with phone and wireless service. Ooma AirDial also offers a POTS replacement solution with remote device management. Anyone involved in an AirDial deployment IT teams, property managers, telecom supervisors, etc. can access the Ooma Remote Device Manager portal anywhere at any time to view the status of AirDial devices. The RDM can be customized to display key data, either in list view or device detail view (e.g., in-service status, wireless signal strength, and health of the backup battery). The RDM can also be set to send automatic notifications, by text or email, to multiple users whenever there are events, such as an AirDial device going out of service or having a low battery. Whats more, MSPs managing AirDial installations for multiple clients can monitor devices across all of their accounts and even control billing and selection of service plans. Other features include: Up to four analog connections with standard dial tone and full backwards compatibility with POTS Options for either an exclusively wireless connection or failover from a wired broadband connection to wireless Backup battery that will maintain service for eight hours or more during an outage LCD display that shows wireless signal strength, battery status and phone line status Heat sink and ventilation for fan-less cooling Number porting Mounting that can be either vertical (wall) or horizontal (shelf) We chose Ooma AirDial to win the 2022 TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award because of its ability to solve a real-world problem with a simple, elegant solution that actually adds management features and functionality not even available in the POTS solutions it replaces. The Toll-Free Exchange (TFX) enables Responsible Organizations (Resp Org) to route toll-free traffic between each other over a SIP trunk, eliminating the complexity and costs associated with using the PSTN. Businesses connect to The Toll-Free Exchange over a single SIP trunk. The company has a patent on the technology behind Resp Org ID based routing. Toll-Free traffic traditionally goes through a carrier, to a Tandem, over the PSTN to an IXC and then onto the receiving Resp Org. The Toll-Free Exchange, utilizes a SIP trunk to connect the originating carrier through the Toll-Free Exchange to the receiving Resp Org. This IP enables Toll-Free traffic for the first time, which improves audio quality, allows for better routing control, reduces costs, and improves revenue. Routing toll-free traffic over the IP network using Resp Org IDs instead of 10 digit numbers allows for a virtually unlimited number of routes as well as individually negotiated pricing between organizations. Other benefits include: The Toll-Free Exchange provides a single monthly billing statement; Resp Orgs can set their own pricing structure; there are no tariffs; the TFX centralizes provisioning, net settlement, and analytics. The company launched a partner program with AllStream in February 2022 to enable the Toll-Free Exchange in Canada. We chose The Toll-Free Exchange to win the 2022 TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award because we think it is about time Resp Orgs were able to fully benefit from IP communications, allowing them to join the ranks of most businesses and consumers. Upstream Works for Finesse Upstream Works for Finesse (UWF) delivers streamlined agent experiences to enterprises and contact centers that need to support multiple application integrations. Contact centers and organizations face common challenges like productivity, retention and customer loyalty. UWF helps organizations improve the agent experience with intuitive tools and streamlined workflows to increase First Contact Resolution (FCR), improve Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and optimize IT agility with a cost-effective, scalable and flexible solution that uses an innovative approach to exceed customer expectations and business value. UWF enhances the Cisco contact center with an omnichannel solution, allowing an intuitive agent desktop to empower agents to provide informed and personalized customer experiences with consistent tools for multiple channels and interactions. UWF helps organizations protect and leverage existing technology investments with a flexible migration path that allows contact centers to evolve from on-premises to private cloud and public cloud on their own schedule and with a consistent agent desktop experience. UWF supports digital transformation, customer experience (CX) innovation and operational efficiency. The enhanced agent desktop with digital channel flexibility, integrations with business applications, and simplified team management improve productivity and personalize engagements. UWF offers a gadget-based framework for agents, supervisors and administrators to provide consistent customer and agent experiences. This framework provides contact centers with enhanced functionality and support for all channels and interactions. The unified agent desktop brings it all together in an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Gadgets include: Interaction Activity viewer for all interactions and omnichannel context data Interaction Capture Task Bar View Tasks Marquee for team and contact center announcements and statistics Team Chat for easy collaboration Email, Chat and Unified Digital Messaging Supervisor Desktop for team management simplicity Virtual Agent Portal The UWF desktop streamlines workflows by seamlessly connecting all the applications agents use every day. Agents can easily access multiple applications, including artificial intelligence (AI), business, vertical and contact center applications and CRMs like Microsoft (News - Alert) Dynamics and Salesforce. Agents benefit from a unified desktop experience, seamless workflows and a reduced level of complexity. UWF has been designed to make agents work easier with productivity and collaboration tools. The new Virtual Agent Portal helps to boost productivity by powering the agent experience with the best artificial intelligence (AI) applications, including Amazon, Google (News - Alert), IBM, Microsoft, and more. Businesses can integrate their AI framework(s) with the Upstream Works Agent Desktop and utilize the Virtual Agent Portal to display agent assistance and guidance for an efficient, seamless and personalized customer experience. The Virtual Agent Portal offers a dedicated area on the Upstream Works Agent Desktop that can be used to help agents with the tools and data needed to enhance their capabilities and provide meaningful and personalized engagements. Automating agent tasks with the Virtual Agent Portal can free up time and allow agents to focus on more complex customer issues. The UWF Virtual Agent Portal is an optional gadget that can be enabled or disabled for the UWF Agent Desktop and will be displayed as a panel on the right side of the desktop. The portal interface can be configured globally or separately for specific teams. Other distinctive features worth mentioning are: Digital Transformation Digital Channel Flexibility: The agent desktop supports all channels voice, emails, chats, messaging, video, co-browse, social, conversational AI, and more - in one easy-to-use desktop suite. Unified Agent Desktop: The solution integrates with the systems and applications that organizations use every day. Greater Speed to Competency The Great Resignation Speed to Competency: Upstream Works makes it easier to train and manage agents for greater speed to competency. This is a key consideration when Contact Center and CX leaders are looking for ways to reduce agent workload during the great resignation. The easy-to-use agent desktop with productivity tools and consistent handling of all channels and customer interactions makes it easier to train and manage agents for greater speed to competency. Simplified Team Management: Team collaboration and communication tools allow for faster and more accurate resolutions; real-time performance management reports enable data-driven decisions and on-the-fly management, whether agents and teams are working from home or in-office AI-Powered Agent Experiences Integrated AX: Integrate purpose-built AI applications to improve the agent experience as required without creating new islands of experience. Personalized and Proactive CX: Businesses may augment agent intelligence with an enhanced Agent Desktop, Virtual Agent Portal, real-time CX visibility, context data and Upstream Works Assist AI-powered knowledge management We chose Upstream Works for Finesse to win the 2022 TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award because we were impressed by its digital transformation, AI and speed to competency innovations. MX Solution Zultys MX solution offers businesses of all sizes a feature-rich, energy-efficient path to IP telephony and Unified Communications (News - Alert) in a single platform. The company offers both on-premises and hosted deployment options for clients. Zultys Hosted Solution is contained entirely within the Zultys data center and customers require only the UC client or a Zultys deskphone to receive incoming calls. The data center connects SIP trunks, MX software image, and, where-applicable, historical data storage. Zultys offers MG gateway devices located at the customer site to provide analog extensions for faxing and other applications. The company reduces the training time needed by users as it offers an identical user experience for our hosted and on-premise clients. Other features include presence, chat, text, voicemail to email, video, conferencing, mobile integration, contact center, flexible feature management, secure file transfer and HIPAA compliance. We chose Zultys MX Solution to win the 2022 TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award because Zultys has been a consistent UC player in the market and continues to innovate and add new features to improve its communications solution over time. Edited by Erik Linask Friday follow-up and a presser from the Courthouse . . . Here's the word . . . Pro-Choice Missouri, National Institute of Reproductive Health and All* Above All issue statement in support of County Executives plan to establish Reproductive Equity Fund KANSAS CITY, Mo. Since announcing his plan to create the Jackson County Reproductive Equity Fund earlier this week, Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. has received the support of local and national reproductive rights advocates for taking bold action to protect the autonomy and decision-making of all pregnant people. The Jackson County Reproductive Equity Fund would utilize $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to aid women seeking reproductive health services out of state. County Executive White has issued the following statement: The support weve received for the Reproductive Equity Fund has been invigorating and further proves that this is the right thing to do. Pregnant people across this country deserve the freedom to choose when, if and how they want to start a family, and it will take all of us working together to ensure they can make those decisions without any barriers. In partnership with two of the strongest champions for reproductive health in our region, Legislators Crystal Williams and Jalen Anderson, I look forward to working with Pro-Choice Missouri, National Institute of Reproductive Health and All* Above All to fight for abortion justice. The full statement issued today by Pro-Choice Missouri in support of the Jackson County Reproductive Equity Fund is attached. ############### Developing . . . Tragically . . . Here's one of many examples that rising local crime has a tendency to proliferate across the metro area . . . Check the litany of allegations . . . The sheriff's office said Harold Edwards Jr., 28, is charged with first-degree murder; first-degree burglary; two counts of second-degree burglary; tampering with physical evidence; seven counts of possessing child pornography; three counts of second-degree arson; abandonment of a corpse; and armed criminal action. He is being held without bond in the Caldwell County Detention Center. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Caldwell County sheriff says KC man charged in May arson that killed 96-year-old woman The Caldwell County Sheriff's Department detailed charges against a Kansas City man in connection with deadly arson in May.The sheriff's office said Harold Edwards Jr., 28, is charged with first-degree murder; first-degree burglary; two counts of second-degree burglary; tampering with physical evidence; seven counts of possessing child pornography; three counts Kansas City man charged with murder, string of arsons CALDWELL COUNTY, Mo. - A Kansas City man faces first-degree murder and a number of other charges stemming from a string of arsons in May. Court documents show 27-year-old Harold Edwards Jr. is accused of setting fire to a house in Polo, Missouri. It killed 96-year-old Lorene Fickess. Developing . . . Sordid deets and social media gossip dominated this tragic case. We notice that church folk desperately wanted to know a great many of the tawdry deets of this story including an alleged extramarital affair that supposedly sparked the killing. Here's a passage from some of the reporting: "During his trial over the summer, several people gave testimony, including a young man who said he was involved in an extramarital relationship with the former church elder and Army veteran." More importantly, here are the basics of the story's outcome . . . Robert Lee Harris, who served as an elder at Repairers Kansas City, a charismatic nondenominational church in Missouri, was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 50 years for the killing of his 38-year-old wife, Tanisha, on Jan. 8, 2018. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Church elder gets life in prison for killing wife after less than 2 years of marriage A former Missouri church elder who was convicted of killing his wife after less than two years of marriage, will now spend the rest of his life in prison for his crime. Kansas City church elder sentenced for killing his wife OLATHE, Kan. (AP) - A former elder in a Kansas City church was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for killing his wife, who was an associate pastor. Robert Lee Harris' sentencing comes after he was found guilty in August of first-degree murder in the death of 38-year-old Tanisha Harris. For close readers we share another roundup of crime reporting, court cases and insight on police action amid upcoming elections . . . Check TKC news gathering . . . Missouri voters to decide Kansas City police budget through Amendment Four (The Center Square) - Missourians statewide will be asked on Nov. 8 to amend its Constitution to increase minimum funding for a police force controlled by a state board. There's only one department controlled by the state - Kansas City - but it's not mentioned in the ballot language. Woman thankful for Good Samaritans who held the suspect accused of assaulting her during food delivery KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A woman attacked while working for a food delivery service is recovering after police say a man assaulted her as he tried to steal her car. Prosecutors charged Edward T. Merritt with vehicle hijacking and assault. Former Oak Grove teacher pleads guilty to stalking, sending pornography to students OAK GROVE, Mo. - A former Oak Grove High School teacher pleaded guilty to stalking and sending pornography to students. Ethan C. Grumke entered the plea as part of a deal during a hearing Nov. 2. A judge sentenced the former high school teacher to four years in prison. Lawsuit alleges KCK police were accomplices in wrongful conviction of Pete Coones KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A lawsuit filed by the family of Pete Coones alleges Kansas City, Kansas, police were accomplices in his wrongful conviction. Coones served 12 years in prison after being convicted of a murder he didn't commit. He was released in 2020 after the Wyandotte County District Attorney dismissed his charges, citing new evidence. New team investigates police shootings in Jackson County. But will it be transparent? The ink had hardly dried on an agreement by four police departments in eastern Jackson County to create their own team to investigate police shootings before it was put to its first test early Thursday. Off-duty Lawrence Police officer injured in alleged overnight attack LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - Lawrence Police are now able to confirm details about an alleged attack of an off-duty officer, which ended in the arrest of four adults and one juvenile. According to the LKPD, officers were dispatched to Bob Billings Parkway and George Williams Way just before 2:00 a.m. A 13-year-old ran away from a Kansas foster care facility and died driving a stolen car TOPEKA, Kansas - A 13-year-old foster child died after running away, stealing a car and crashing. The boy was at a Halloween event in Independence, Kansas, accompanied by staff from qualified residential treatment program Successful Dreams, said the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Lansing Correctional Facility determines April inmate overdose death caused by fentanyl KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The April overdose death of a Lansing Correctional Facility inmate has been tied to fentanyl, per Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson. Thompson wrote in a letter to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Friday that there is no evidence of how the man, identified as Casey Wallace, acquired the illegal substance. KCK teen killed in Turner Halloween party shooting remembered as funny, kind KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Funny and kind: Those are two of the words many close to Katron Harris used to describe him. Someone shot and killed the 17-year-old at a party on Halloween night in Kansas City, Kansas. Prosecutor: Gun belt of Independence officer stopped round shot by suspect INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - A 30-year-old man shot at an officer before police returned fire, striking and injuring him Thursday morning. A probable cause document indicated an Independence police officer had seen a disturbance at a BP Gas Sation in the 1100 block of South Crysler Avenue. North Kansas City police search for missing teen KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The North Kansas City Police Department is searching for a missing 14-year-old last seen Friday, Oct. 28 at around 6 a.m in NKC. Jawayne T. Johnson is a Black male, 5 foot, 8 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. It is unknown what he was wearing at the time of his disappearance. Developing . . . Three people killed, eight injured in shelling in Donetsk region in past day Over the past 24 hours, three people have been killed and eight more have been injured in a shelling of settlements in Donetsk region, according to Head of the Regional Military Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko. "On November 4, the Russians killed three civilians in Donetsk region: two in Bakhmut and on in Druzhba. Another eight people were injured in the region during the day," Kyrylenko wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday. According to him, it is currently impossible to establish the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha. To start Saturday we offer a peek at a place that most local residents couldn't possibly afford. Check the best part of the description . . . "At the heart of this private estate is a stunning 11,238-sq.-ft. brick-and-stone residence that combines the perfect balance of luxuriously livable spaces for everyday, private accommodations, and expansive areas for casual or formal gatherings indoors and out. No money was spared on the quality commercial construction of this impressive home built with sustainability in mind. The attention to detail, top-of-the-line amenities, high-end finishes, energy-efficient solar power, and backup generator are just a few of the custom features." Yes, it's out of your price rage . . . However . . . Because we're ALL ABOUT SOLUTIONS we provide more resources on the digital economy and how readers might be best able to procure this kind of luxury . . . Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Kansas City-Area Luxury, Land & Lifestyle Up for Auction Conducted by Cates Auction Real Estate Company KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perched atop pastoral Northwest Missouri rolling offering gorgeous unobstructed views and show-stopping sunsets is a breathtaking 74-acre lakefront estate that's up for auction. Kansas City-based Cates Auction has been selected to conduct the sale. She Went From Homeless to Millionaire Thanks to OnlyFans Nevvy Cakes, whose real name is Nevaeh (or Heaven backwards), went from being homeless to making $90,000 per month creating adult content for sites like OnlyFans from the comfort of her home. A newly purchased one at that. "I was homeless in Jacksonville, Florida, where I was raised and grew up," the 21-year-old tells The Daily Beast. This Teacher Turned OnlyFans Model Is Sharing Her Secrets to Success The definition of what it means to be a "successful entrepreneur" today has shifted as new technology lets people carve out their own paths in non-traditional ways. It's also made " content creation" a full-time profession. OnlyFans insists it's not a porn site as regulatory crackdown looms OnlyFans has launched a charm offensive with regulators in the United Kingdom where it's based - insisting that it's not really a porn site. Executives the fast-growing smut platform have pledged to make its operations more transparent as lawmakers in its country aim to crack down on "illegal material online" such as that "relating to terrorism and child exploitation and abuse," according to Bloomberg. Developing . . . Here's a shocking passage from a blog that has been celebrated and referenced by the Kansas City Star & local public radio . . . Check their description of an assault captured on video . . . "Numerous students say the white kid has repeatedly used and weaponized the N word. They say he is well-known for spewing hate speech. THE STUDENT ACCUSED OF ASSAULT recounted reporting him for hate speech last year but no action was taken. THE STUDENT ACCUSED OF ASSAULT told The Defender in an exclusive interview, that he intentionally attempted to take the appropriate and proper course by informing the school administration of the white students continuous usage of racial slurs, but the district refused to take any course of action. For the record . . . As we don't think H.S. fights deserve to be reported . . . At least not by anyone but high school papers. More to the point . . . Posting a fight clip and trying to justify a beating is just straight up irresponsible and reckless. We're only posting this because we know a great many journalists read this blog and The Defender . . . And so we can only hope their donors & supporters will note their disgusting tact on this topic and so many others. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . It's a warm fall day. I walk outside for a breath of fresh air, drenched with sweat in my scrubs. Over the past day, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down 18 air targets, including 2 Kalibr cruise missiles. "Two Ka-52 helicopters, two Kalibr cruise missiles, 11 Shahed-136 UAVs and three tactical UAVs were shot down," the Air Force said in a report on Saturday morning. In particular, on November 4, at about 4:00 pm, two Kalibr cruise missiles were intercepted by the Air Force's air defense in the southern direction. At night, two Russian attack helicopters Ka-52 were shot down in Kherson region. Also, anti-aircraft missile troops and mobile fire groups destroyed 11 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones and three tactical UAVs. According to the report, the forces and means of the South, Center, East and West air commands of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were involved in the destruction of air targets. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, who has been in the position of head of the defense ministry for one year, sent a report to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal about the key results of the Defense Ministry team over this period. "A year ago, I received the confidence of the President of Ukraine and the support of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and was appointed Minister of Defense. For me, this is a high honor and responsibility. Today, I sent President Volodymyr Zelensky, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal a report on the key results of the team of the Ministry of Defense for this period. The document on the changes made has been released. On those that have occurred. And on those that will definitely happen," the press service of the Ministry of Defense quoted Reznikov as saying. He said that Ukrainian troops have mastered more types of Western weapons than some countries of the Alliance master. "Only tanks and planes remain. I am sure that we will soon take this height. We are developing an integrated air defense/missile defense system, gaining a foothold on land, in the air, at sea and in cyberspace. Our army does not just implement it improves existing ones and sets new standards proven on the battlefield. We are building new logistics, we have prepared a breakthrough in the introduction of C4I, we are putting into practice the philosophy of comprehensive defense," the minister said. Reznikov said that "there are still many challenges ahead, but we will definitely win." "We will restore everything that the orcs destroyed. We will do better than it was. And we will not forget. All those who fell in battle, all our citizens killed. We will not forget the crimes of the invaders. For everything that they have done, the killers will be held accountable. The generation of the descendants of these war criminals will pay for this. This will definitely happen. And today I thank all the defenders who forever changed the idea of Ukraine," the minister added. The Tv6 Fan Zone touched down at the All Out Sports bar again on Monday at the Queens park O Ukraine may receive new air and missile defense systems by the end of the year, agreements on supplies are currently in the process of implementation. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said this during a nationwide telethon on Ukrainian TV channels, Ukrinform reports referring to nv.ua. "We have a rule: we don't comment on supplies until the supplying country makes an announcement or we agree that we can talk about it. A lot is being worked out, starting with air defense systems. There are already agreements reached both by the president and at the government level with some countries. There are things that are being arranged for the future," Kuleba said. According to him, there are certain agreements on air and missile defense systems that are currently in the process of implementation. As Ukrinform earlier reported, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the allocation of a new security assistance package for Ukraine in the amount of about $400 million under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). iy The Ukrainian Air Forces South Command said its forces shot down two Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters in the southern operational zone Friday evening. Thats according to the Commands press service, Ukrinform reports. In addition, three enemy Shahed-136 one-way attack drones were downed from the sky over Mykolaiv region, and three more were shot down by other units of Ukraines South Defense Forces. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the southern front, in Beryslav and Kherson districts, on November 4 destroyed three Russian ammunition depots and eliminated 32 Russian servicemen, along with their military hardware. Russia has no capacity to train large numbers of mobilized servicemen before deploying them to the Ukrainian front lines. Thats according to UK intelligence, the British Defense Ministry reported on Twitter, as seen by Ukrinform. Russia is probably struggling to provide military training for its current mobilization drive and its annual autumn conscription intake. The Russian Armed Forces were already stretched providing training for the approximate 300,000 troops required for its partial mobilisatoin, announced on 21 September 2022. These issues will be compounded by the additional autumn annual conscription cycle, announced on 30 September 2022 and starting 01 November 2022, which is usually expected to bring in an additional 120,000 personnel, the report reads. It is noted that the newly mobilized conscripts have minimal training or no training at all. Experienced officers and trainers have been deployed to fight in Ukraine and some have likely been killed in the conflict, the statement adds. Russian forces are conducting training in Belarus due to a shortage of training staff, munitions and facilities in Russia, according to British intelligence. Deploying forces with little or no training provides little additional offensive combat capability, the report concludes. Lithuanian border guards at the checkpoint in Kybartai did not allow a train with Russian military symbols drawn on the rail cars to cross into the country. This was reported by DELFI, Ukrinform reports. The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SOGGL) stated that the border guards had ordered to unhook five wagons from the train and return them to Kaliningrad region. One train had three cars, and the other one two. Empty cars were supposed to follow through Lithuania in transit to Belarus. Read also: Norwegian MP urges international tribunal to consider whether Russian strikes on infrastructure constitute genocide The border guards did not allow this to be done, and also informed the Lithuanian Railways about the incident. It is noted that five cars must be unhooked from the train and returned back to Kaliningrad region, and only then the trains will be able to proceed via the territory of Lithuania. As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russian invaders are using the Yenisei armored train in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which they built using property of Ukrzaliznytsya stolen in Kharkiv region. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has received information about the illegal removal of children aged 9 to 17 from the Oleshky orphanage of the boarding school of the Kherson Regional Council, to a mental health facility in the Simferopol district. "The occupying authorities of Kherson region continue violating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. The illegal director of the children's institution commits an open genocide and deports the children of Ukraine to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. I received verified information about the next deportation of the children aged 9 to 17 of the Oleshky orphanage at the boarding school of the Kherson Regional Council, to the Clinical Psychiatric Hospital in the Simferopol District," Lubinets wrote on his Telegram channel. He also said that the Russians confirm such criminal actions with their "absurd orders." "I am appealing to law enforcement agencies on this fact to record another crime by Russia," the ombudsman said. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and a former judge of the International Criminal Court, Sir Howard Morrison, have discussed possible areas of continuing cooperation and expert assistance in the process of investigating war crimes. According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said this in a statement on Telegram. Kostin thanked Morrison for his personal visit to Ukraine, support for the Ukrainian people and professional assistance in the work of the Prosecutor General's Office. He also informed the former ICC judge about the comprehensive work of the Ukrainian law enforcement system under the coordination of the prosecutor's office, both at the national and international levels, which is carried out to restore justice and win the fight against impunity. Morrison noted that the special training of judges of national courts to handle war crimes cases is extremely important to ensure justice and the rule of law. He also added that he would continue to support and share expert knowledge that would help bring war criminals to justice. Kostin earlier said that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian law enforcement officers have recorded more than 300 facts that can be defined as genocide, with five proceedings already being investigated. The situation on the front line was analyzed and countermeasures against missile and drone terror were discussed at meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today it was quite long, three hours. We analyzed the situation on the front line in great detail in all directions, on the energy front, the situation on the borders. The Commander-in-Chief, commanders, head of intelligence, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, head of border guards delivered reports. We know what the enemy is preparing for. We will respond and continue to liberate our land. Everything related to the defense forces supply support was also analyzed thoroughly. These are equipment, ammunition, communication, winter uniforms. Countermeasures against missile and drone terror were considered separately there are already quite significant results in this, the percentage of shooting down has become higher, but there is still work to be done, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address. According to him, it is necessary to fully protect the Ukrainian sky and everything possible and impossible will be done for that. In the coming weeks, Ukraine expects good news regarding air defense and missile defense, Zelensky noted. Moreover, Ukraine works extremely closely with partners to get more tanks, more armor, more artillery. Today, I would like to pay particular attention to the National Guard members who defend our state in Luhansk region as part of the defense forces. In particular, the soldiers of the 27th Pechersk Brigade of the National Guard, who, together with units of the Ground Forces, very effectively erase enemy equipment and the occupiers. Thank you, guys! We are doing everything so that you and all other soldiers have even more opportunities to chase the enemy, Zelensky said. The President also commended the border guards who continue strengthening the borders in Sumy region, Chernihiv region and Kharkiv region despite constant Russian shelling and provocations. As reported, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a new package of security assistance to Ukraine, which provides for the allocation of funds for the modernization of HAWK surface-to-air missiles for their further transfer to Ukraine. In addition, the United States will send 45 upgraded T-72B tanks with improved optics, communication and armor, as well as 1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical UAVs, 40 armored river boats, secure communications and surveillance systems to Ukraine. Funding is also earmarked for the modernization of 250 M1117 armored security vehicles and for the maintenance and operational readiness of already transferred equipment. ol Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak hopes that the G20 Leaders' Summit will demonstrate support for Ukraine and Ukrainian victory in the war unleashed by Russia. "We hope that it [G20 summit] will become another platform, another meeting of international leaders, which will demonstrate the support for Ukraine, which will demonstrate the unity of the international community in support of Ukraine, in support of our victory, and the victory is clearly formulated by us: full restoration of our territorial integrity, compensation for everything the invaders did to our country, release of all our people from captivity, and the worlds return to a clear system of international security by that we mean security guarantees for Ukraine so that this [war] could never happen again, Yermak said at a joint briefing with United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. As he noted, it is not yet known whether the president of the aggressor state will go to Bali, while President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has a clear position not to participate in the summit if Putin is there. As reported, President Zelensky stated that his position remained unchanged and Ukraine would not participate in the G20 summit in Bali if Russian President Putin went there. On November 15-16, the G20 summit is scheduled to be held in Bali, Indonesia, where the President of Ukraine was also invited. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands to expel Russia from G20 after Vladimir Putin acknowledged ordering missile strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure and to revoke his invitation to G20 summit. ol Russia's actions, in particular the annexation of Ukraines territories, do not look like steps in favor of a just and lasting peace, no matter what Moscow says about the negotiations. "All of Russia's proposals begin with the fact that Russia will keep the territories it seized by force in Ukraine. You don't need to hear from me what is unacceptable. This is unacceptable according to the UN Charter, which does not allow the seizure of the territories of other countries by force, which does not allow the flagrant violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity that took place," United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a joint briefing with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "This war can end very easily: Russia decided to start it, it can decide to end it by stopping its attack on Ukraine, by stopping the occupation of Ukraine. This is exactly what it must do from our point of view," Sullivan added. As the advisor to the U.S. President noted, the essential question is what a just peace in Ukraine looks like and how to achieve it. "If you look at Russian statements and actions, including the actions that they, I quote, annexed the territory of a neighbor, it does not look like anything in favor of peace, no matter what they say about the negotiations," Sullivan said. According to him, the USA considers is that a conversation with the international community is needed, with the support of Ukraine, about the conditions for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and the international community. As reported, on November 2, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Western leaders against trying to push Ukraine to sign a peace agreement with Russia on unfavorable terms. On September 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine was ready for dialogue with the Russian Federation but with another leader. ol A train crossed from North Korea into Russia on Friday afternoon, according to commercial satellite imagery. That's according to 38North, Ukrinform reports. This is the first traffic observed on the route in several years. It is impossible to determine the purpose of the train from the imagery, but the crossing comes amid reports of arms sales from North Korea to Russia and a general expectation of the resumption of trade between the two countries. "On Friday morning at 10:24 a.m. local time (0124 UTC), a three-car set of enclosed railcars was visible on one of the tracks alongside the freight handling area. The easternmost railcar is light blue, the second appears to be darker blue and the rear car is a reddish-brown color," reads the report. The purpose of the train and what it might be transporting cannot be determined from the images. The 800-meter Tumangang Friendship Bridge (Korea-Russia Friendship Bridge) is the only land link between the two countries, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, it served a limited amount of rail traffic between Russia and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). North Korea closed the link in February 2020 as it shut its borders due to the pandemic. On Wednesday, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said that the US believes North Korea is sending shipments through the Middle East and North Africa in an attempt to disguise them. While this is the first train observed on satellite imagery traveling between the DPRK and Russia, it does not mean it is the only train that has crossed in recent months. For instance, a train did apparently make the same journey earlier this week. The Russian Customs Agency reported that 30 horses were transported by rail from Russia to North Korea, but that shipment was not captured by satellites. The resumption of cross-border traffic comes after the two countries agreed in September to restart rail traffic after nearly three years. Due to the grain corridor, it became possible to avoid the aggravation of the food crisis in the world. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. It was the example of the grain export initiative by which we showed that the world is capable of guaranteeing stability despite any threats posed by Russia. The world did not succumb to Russian blackmail, key actors acted decisively, and as a result, the aggravation of the food crisis was avoided. This is one of the most significant international results of the entire autumn. When the world is united, terrorists stand no chance, Zelensky said. According to the President, over the past week, 28 vessels carrying more than 800,000 tonnes of foodstuffs left the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi. The destinations are Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Oman, Turkey, China and Ethiopia. As Ukrinform reported, on October 29, the Russian Federation announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, justifying its decision by an alleged attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol Bay. Russia accused Ukraine and the United Kingdom of carrying out the attack. However, despite Russias declaration, the movement of grain ships continued. On November 2, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced about the resumption of the "grain corridor". Photo credit: President's Office iy Border guards of the Chop Detachment prevented the illegal attempt to traffic out of Ukraine a two-year-old toddler by her father, a citizen of Iraq, who had kidnapped the child from her mother. This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Border Guards press service. According to the State Border Guard Service, a Ukrainian woman had informed the border guards about a possible attempt by a citizen of Iraq, the father of her child, to take the latter out of Ukraine after kidnapping her. The information was sent to all checkpoints along the state border. Read also: Lithuanian border guards deny entry to Russian rail cars military symbols "A man arrived at the railway checkpoint Chop (Druzhba) along with the child. He planned to leave by train to Hungary. During the border control routine, it was established that the man was taking the girl out of Ukraine without the mother's permission," the report says. Police officers were called up to the scene to handle the case and take legal action. As reported by Ukrinform, Ukrainian border guards deny passage to about 150 persons per day, mostly male individuals of military age. The building of the 3D school in Lviv will begin to be printed in the spring, Jean-Christophe Bonis, founder and head of the Team4UA Humanitarian Foundation, well-known tech entrepreneur Jean-Christophe Bonis said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine. As reported, in the spring of 2022, the Team4UA Foundation launched a project to 3D print an educational building for first-graders at School No. 23 in Lviv. The technology of the Danish company COBOD, number 1 in concrete 3D printing, was chosen. Bonis said that at the moment $150,000 has already been invested in the school project (the work of architects, materials, etc.). The final figure will be $700,000. It is also planned to purchase a 3D printer (it costs about $1-1.5 million). "We launched the project and built the foundation of the future school. We planned to print the school in October. The printer was supposed to arrive when the Russians began to massively shell the cities of Ukraine. The printer should be operated by foreign specialists, so we decided to postpone the start of printing until spring for security reasons," Bonis said. Two more factors caused the postponement of the start of printing the instability of the power supply and weather conditions (it makes no sense to work with concrete at low temperatures). Therefore, it is planned to begin work on printing the school building late February or early March. In general, the printing process will take up to one month. According to the project, it is planned to build a one-story building with classrooms, a teacher's room, bathrooms and a hall. The United Nations can be proud of its accomplishments in peacekeeping operations around the world, Pakistan has told a UN panel, but stressed the need for examining the causes of mounting violence and hate speech against it's peacekeepers UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Nov, 2022 ) :The United Nations can be proud of its accomplishments in peacekeeping operations around the world, Pakistan has told a UN panel, but stressed the need for examining the causes of mounting violence and hate speech against it's peacekeepers. "We condemn attacks against UN missions and personnel," Pakistani delegate Bilal Chaudhry said in a speech to the General Assembly's Fourth Committee, which deals with special political and decolonization matters, adding that Pakistan lost seven peacekeepers this year alone, including six in a helicopter incident in March in the Democratic Republic of the Congo." "Based on the inquiry report of the incident, we call for bringing to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime," he said during a debate on the UN peacekeeping operations in global hotspots. Chaudhry, who is a counselor in the Pakistan mission to the UN, said peacekeeping was most effective when it is part of the overall 'political strategy' that includes conflict prevention, conflict resolution, addressing the root causes using mediation, peacekeeping and peace building as tools to build durable peace. Pakistan, he said, has deployed 200,000 personnel in peacekeeping missions all over the world over the years, "as a sacred duty" to serve the humanity. Noting that he is speaking from five decades of experience and expertise, Chaudhry pointed out that 168 Pakistani peacekeepers have died while serving the cause of peace. In addition to being a long-standing troop and police-contributing country, he added, Pakistan hosts one of the first peacekeeping missions, namely the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors the Line-of-Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani delegate went on to express support for equipping missions with new technologies, and called for comprehensive peacekeeping strategies which include regional and sub-regional organizations, especially the African Union. "These organizations bring in unique political insight, resources and expertise," the Pakistani delegate said. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had reversed the ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on television channels from airing Imran Khan's speeches ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Nov, 2022 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had reversed the ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on television channels from airing Imran Khan's speeches. The directives for lifting the ban on Imran's speeches, issued to PEMRA, by the prime minister was in accordance with the law which granted such powers to the Federal government, the minister said in a news statement. She said the prime minister issued these directives to PEMRA by invoking its section 5. Marriyum said PM Shehbaz Sharif had also directed PEMRA to ensure full compliance of Article 19 of the Constitution. The minister said PM Shehbaz Sharif had set a new tradition by bringing an end to the bitter traditions of Imran Khan's era. "We do not believe in what has been done by Imran Khan with Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and other political leaders during his four-year rule," she remarked. The minister said the federal government led by Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif fully believed in democratic norms and the constitutional right of freedom of expression. She said it was Imran Khan who imposed restrictions on his political opponents, leaders, activists and media during his four-year rule. "Imran Khan was free to churn out lies against his opponents," she said. The minister said Imran Khan's speeches against the coalition government should reach to the public so they could know the reality of the "Fitna". Imran Khan's supporters, she said, would have to understand the reality of this "Fitna" and his mischief and lies. She said the current government believed in democratic norms and values, but ironically Imran Khan had a "fasicst mindset". Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will be visiting Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to participate in the "Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit" on November 7-8, 2022 ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Nov, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will be visiting Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to participate in the "Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit" on November 7-8, 2022. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other cabinet members and senior officials. This summit is taking place as part of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-27). At the invitation of the Egyptian Presidency of COP-27, the Prime Minister would also co-chair, along with his Norwegian counterpart, a high-level roundtable discussion on "Climate Change and the sustainability of vulnerable communities" on November 8, 2022, according to the Foreign Office. Prime Minister will also participate in other high-level events as a speaker, including the UN Secretary General's roundtable to launch the Early Warning Systems for Executive Action Plan, and the "middle East Green Initiative Summit" on November 7; being hosted by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders on the margins of the summit. COP-27 is taking place at a time when millions of people in Pakistan, and millions more in other parts of the world, are facing severe adverse impacts of climate change. As a developing country most affected by this phenomenon, Pakistan would make a robust call, inter alia, for urgency of climate solidarity and climate justice, based on the established principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. In its capacity as the incumbent Chair of the Group of 77 & China, which is the largest negotiating bloc of developing countries within the UN system, Pakistan would also lead the Group in the climate change negotiations; including in thematic areas such as climate finance, adaptation, mitigation, and capacity building. The COP is the supreme decision making body under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which meets on annual basis to review and advance collective efforts to address climate change. As a main stakeholder, Pakistan would continue to, proactively, make positive contributions to the global climate change debate, negotiations and collective action. (@FahadShabbir) UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2022) Italy, Austria and Germany voted against the Russian draft resolution combating the glorification of Nazism for the first time in history during a vote at the session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee. On Friday, the committee approved the resolution in a 106-52 vote with 15 abstentions. This resolution is adopted by the UN General Assembly annually. Once approved by the committee, it must be voted on in the General Assembly. In recent years, the United States and Ukraine used to vote against it, with a number of European countries joining them this year. "In my memory, it is the first time in history," Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for Human Rights Grigory Lukiyantsev said, referring to the fact that Italy, Germany and Austria voted against the resolution against Nazism. The countries that did not approve the Russian document claimed that they did so as Russia "exploits" the topic combating neo-Nazism for its own purposes during the military operation in Ukraine. "Even in 2011, when there was a split within the EU and part of its members voted against (the resolution) and another part abstained, officials from Germany, Italy and Austria solemnly assured us that as a matter of principle they would never vote against a document condemning glorification of Nazism. But political reasons appear to be more important," Lukiyantsev added. The resolution calls on member states "to take active measures to ensure that education systems develop the necessary content to provide accurate accounts of history, as well as promote tolerance and other international human rights principles." The document also urges states to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination by all appropriate means, including, if circumstances require, by legislation. (@FahadShabbir) MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2022) The Belarusian government will provide humanitarian aid to Cuba and Sudan, according to a government decree published on the national legal portal on Saturday. "To the Ministry of Emergencies, the Ministry of Healthcare, the State Committee on Property, the Belarusian state light industry concern (Bellegprom), the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee - to ensure the release and preparation of material assets for humanitarian aid to the Republic of Cuba and the Republic of Sudan," the decree read. The Belarusian Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Emergencies are tasked with the delivery of humanitarian aid to Cuba and Sudan, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with assisting in the transfer of the aid. The Ministry of Finance is instructed to allocate funds to cover the cost of material assets for humanitarian aid and the cost of its delivery at the expense of the budget funds for natural disasters, accidents, and catastrophes. According to the decree, Minsk will provide Cuba with some $279,000 in medicines and syringes and Sudan with about $406,000 in medical products, flour, canned meat, blankets, diesel generators, and petrol engine pump sets. MFA: Kyiv to continue to take the most stringent measures to prevent Russia from using Iranian weapons against Ukraine Kyiv will continue to take the most stringent measures to prevent Russia from using Iranian weapons against Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko has said. "The Iranian Foreign Minister publicly acknowledged that Tehran handed over combat drones to the Russian Federation allegedly a few months before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, Iran in every possible way denied the supply of weapons to Russia, which it uses in the war," Nikolenko said on Facebook on Saturday. He said that "the Iranian minister spread insinuations about the alleged refusal of the Ukrainian side to meet with Iranian experts under pressure from Western partners." "Ukraine has been taught to trust only facts. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Dmytro Kuleba, as well as in close coordination with the Ukrainian agencies involved, will continue taking the most stringent measures to prevent Russia from using Iranian weapons to kill Ukrainians and destroy our critical infrastructure. Tehran should be aware that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of Russian aggression against Ukraine will be much larger than the benefits of supporting Russia," Nikolenko said. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2022) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Germany to discuss regional security issues, including Taiwan and North Korea, State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Friday. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Hayashi discussed the imperative of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. They also discussed the DPRK's (North Korea's) continued dangerous and destabilizing actions and affirmed the need for the international community to unite in holding the DPRK accountable," Price said in a readout of the discussion. The meeting comes following a spree of weapons tests by North Korea, including ballistic missile test launches and artillery firings. Blinken emphasized the importance of Japan's continued support for Ukraine amid Russia's special military operation in that country, as well as on issues such as energy security and supply chains, the statement said. The US secretary of state praised Hayashi's leadership and welcomed Japan's 2023 G7 presidency and UN Security Council membership, the statement added. Hayashi, for his part, "expressed his high appreciation for the US National Security Strategy," which reiterated "the promotion of a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' and the unwavering US commitment to the defense of Japan, including the Senkaku Islands," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Friday. The two ministers also agreed to continue close coordination between Tokyo, Washington, and Seoul "toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea," in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, the press release said. Hayashi, given the increasing US engagement in the region's economy, urged Washington to return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership "at an early timing," the ministry added. Mr. Nadhim Hanna Al-Sheikh (second from left) with his family at the Pope's Mass in Bahrain As an Iraqi Catholic living in Bahrain for over 40 years, Nadhim Hanna Al-Sheikh expresses his joy at Pope Francis 6th Apostolic Apostolic Journey to an Arab country, and describes the positive experience he has had as a Catholic in the Muslim nation. By Devin Watkins and Lisa Zengarini Among the thousands of faithful attending the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at Bahrain's National Stadium in Riffa on Saturday morning, the third day of his Apostolic Journey to the Gulf nation, was Nadhim Hanna Al-Sheikh, a Catholic businessman from Iraq who has been living in Bahrain since 1977. A Syriac Catholic from Iraq He is one of the some 210,000 Christians of different denominations presently living in the al-Khalifa Kingdom, 80,000 of whom are Catholics. The vast majority are migrants residing in Bahrain for work purposes, with only about 1,000, mostly Catholics, with Bahraini nationality, though of foreign descent. A significant number hails from neighbouring Arab countries, such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Jordan, but there are also many Christians from Asia, and some from Western countries. This multitude of nationalities reflect on the diversity of denominations and rites in the local Christian community, which includes Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholics, Syriacs, Copts, Syro-Malabar Catholics and Anglicans. Mr. Hanna Al-Sheikh is a Syriac Catholic. He was born to a well-established family in Iraq who has built several important churches in his country and abroad, and his family was the main donor for the construction of the Church of the Sacred Heart in Manama, the first Catholic church to be built in the Gulf region in 1939. He told Vatican News he is delighted at Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Bahrain. This is the second time he has attended a papal visit in four years: the first time was in February 2019, when Pope Francis visited the United Arab Emirates to sign the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in Abu Dhabi with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb. Being a religious minority in Bahrain Asked about his experience as a Catholic in a minority community, Mr. Hanna Al-Sheikh said it is very positive. He also welcomed King Hamads initiative of bringing together people of different faiths from across the world to discuss about the role of religion in promoting peace. Interreligious dialogue In this regard, he said he was delighted to learn about Pope Francis participation in the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in September to promote the values of coexistence and dialogue between peoples and faiths, as opposed to attempts to exploit religion for political ends. Whether Hindu, Buddhists, Catholics, Muslims or Jews, we all believe in God, he said. Two uniformed agents cower behind a wall, gun at the ready, fearfully eying a car parked outside their police station after nightfall in the violence-stricken Ecuadoran port city of Guayaquil. Any car near a police station in these parts is viewed with suspicion after a recent spate of gun and explosives attacks blamed on a gruesome gang war that has killed dozens of officers since last year. Numerous attacks this week in the city of 2.8 million people have killed five police officers and a civilian and injured at least 17 members of the security forces. Officials say the attacks were a response by organized crime to an ongoing mass transfer of inmates from the infamous Guayas 1 prison in Guayaquil to other jails controlled by different gangs. On Friday, special police units oversaw the transfer of gang leaders even as journalists and concerned family members who were gathered outside could hear loud detonations coming from the jail. Even police live in fear in Guayaquil where gangs outgun law enforcement and everything from the port to the prisons are under criminal control. So far this year, the commercial heart of Ecuador has seen 1,200 homicides 60% more than in 2021 according to official data. "I've seen bombs explode," said a Guayaquil gas station attendant who did not want to be named for fear of retribution. "That's the danger right now. You have to watch out for any motorcyclist: If they leave something behind or throw something ... you have to watch out," he told AFP. 'Not surrender' Ecuador, once a relatively peaceful neighbor of major cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, has seen a wave of violent crime that authorities blame on turf battles between rival gangs with ties to Mexican cartels. President Guillermo Lasso responded to this week's rash of attacks by declaring a state of emergency and nighttime curfew in the Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces, which was extended Friday to include Santa Domingo de los Tsachilas. He also ordered the deployment of troops to the three provinces, home to a third of Ecuador's 18 million inhabitants. The streets of Guayaquil, worst hit by the violence, are largely empty at night, and police are on high alert. They patrol in vans with the lights turned off or barricade themselves at their command posts wearing bulletproof vests. Streets where politicians' homes are located are fenced off to any traffic and gas station attendants man their posts in fear after a number were targeted in the most recent fear-mongering campaign. It has become an occupation of "life or death," said one attendant, 21, who did not want to be named and said he feared being shot dead by "merciless" criminals. Lasso has vowed his government will "not surrender to narco-terrorists." Ecuador has gone from being a drug transit route in recent years to an important distribution center. The United States and Europe are the main destinations for drugs from Latin America. The homicide rate in Ecuador nearly doubled in 2021 to 14 per 100,000 inhabitants and reached 18 per 100,000 between January and October this year, according to official data. Hundreds of inmates have also died, many beheaded or burned as an extension of the gang war is waged behind bars. Heavy fighting and explosions were reported Saturday by authorities in Ukraines southern Kherson region. Over the last 24 hours Ukrainian forces attacked nine locations with Russian military equipment that they apprehended, as well as an ammunition depot in the Kherson region. "[Ukrainian forces] prepare for another stage of an offensive on the Kherson Region. Artillery brigade groups, mortar batteries, tactical aviation planes and army aviation helicopters inflict massive fire within their preparation for an assault," the Moscow-installed Deputy Governor Kirill Stremousov said on his Telegram channel Saturday. Russia continues to target the countrys energy and water infrastructure, reportedly destroying 30%-40% of its energy system, leading to increased rolling blackouts meant to protect the countys power grid from failing. Meanwhile, external power lines have been repaired and reconnected to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant two days after it was taken off the power grid when Russian shelling damaged high voltage lines, the International Atomic Energy agency (IAEA) said Saturday. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi again called for a nuclear safety and security protection zone to be set up around the plant to prevent a nuclear accident. "We can't afford to lose any more time. We must act before it is too late," he said. Russia is increasing its evacuation of residents from the conflict zone and acknowledging the deteriorating situation in the Kherson region. At least 70,000 civilians have been moved from Kherson, the only regional capital captured by Moscow since February. Pro-Kremlin media members have reported that Russian troops have moved their headquarters 50 miles to the southeast, destroying infrastructure and looting the city as they leave, residents and Ukrainian officials said, according to The New York Times. While a bloody battle for the city is predicted, the situation in Kherson is clear as mud, Michael Kofman, the director of Russian studies at C.N.A., a research institute in Arlington, Virginia, wrote in an analysis this week, the Times reported. Russian forces seemed to withdraw from some parts, evacuated and drew down, but also reinforced with mobilized personnel. Residents of the city report abandoned checkpoints and no more Russian patrols, but Ukrainian officials are cautious, believing Moscow is setting a trap. In its intelligence update Saturday, however, the British Defense Ministry said that Russia is probably struggling to provide military training for its current mobilization drive and its annual autumn conscription intake. The Russian Armed Forces were already stretched providing training for the approximate 300,000 troops required for its partial mobilization, announced in September. These issues, the ministry said, will be compounded by the additional regular autumn annual conscription cycle that begins in November for about 120,000 conscripts. Russia has resorted to training troops in Belarus, the ministry said, due to a shortage of training staff, munitions and facilities in Russia. The intelligence update said that deploying forces with little or no training provides little additional offensive combat capability. Iranian drones Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian admitted for the first time Saturday that Iran sent drones to Russia, but he said that was before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where Russia has been using drones to target power stations and civilian infrastructure. However, in a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Irans admission of providing only a limited number of drones to Russia before the war on Ukraine. He said Ukrainian forces are downing at least 10 of the unmanned aerial vehicles daily. The U.S. and its Western allies on the U.N. Security Council have called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to investigate whether Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. is providing about $400 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine as the fight against Russias invasion enters its ninth month. The U.S. military assistance includes refurbishing HAWK air defense missiles, funding for 45 refurbished T-72B tanks with advanced optics, communications, and armor packages, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems, 40 armored riverine command boats, funding to refurbish 250 M1117 armored security vehicles, as well as tactical secure communications systems and surveillance systems, along with funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment. In his nightly address Friday, Zelenskyy thanked the United States for its latest military assistance and said it is the armored vehicles in particular that we very much need to move forward at the front. I am grateful to President Biden, the U.S. Congress and the entire American people for the continued and vital assistance," he said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. A cease-fire deal in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has raised cautious hope among millions of people impacted by the bloody two-year conflict that their anguish could be coming to an end. Many civilians are also reflecting on the terrible losses they suffered, and look to promised aid to rebuild their lives after a war that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands facing famine. "I'm very happy because this will put a hold on the suffering," said a Tigrayan man in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa who declined to be named out of fear of repercussions at his place of work. "The positivity comes from humanitarian assistance and the restoration of basic services," he said, referring to pledges made by Tigrayan regional forces and the federal government in a joint statement on Wednesday after eight days of formal peace talks. The two sides agreed to "a permanent cessation of hostilities" and to "systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament," but the scars are still fresh and run deep. All sides fighting in the Tigray war committed violations that may amount to war crimes, according to a joint investigation by the United Nations and Ethiopia's state-appointed human rights commission. Last month, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is from Tigray, said food and health care were being used as weapons of war in the region, which has been largely cut off from the outside world. Hospitals have run out of crucial medicines, while hundreds of thousands are teetering on the brink of famine. The Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied blocking humanitarian supplies to Tigray. "My father we haven't spoken to him in more than three years. We haven't even gotten any voice messages from him," the Tigrayan man in Addis Ababa told Reuters. Another man, Molla, who declined to use his full name, said he was in his home in the northern Amhara town of Kobo when Tigrayan fighters attacked in September last year. Human Rights Watch, citing witnesses, said 23 civilians were killed by Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters in Kobo at that time. Tigray leaders said they would punish any fighters targeting non-combatants. "They shot at us. My brothers died, we had to bury [them]," said Molla, who escaped with a bullet wound in his shoulder. "We would be happy if this is a real peace. We would be so relieved. We will have to find a way to stop re-living the past." 'We lost everything' The seesawing fortunes of the belligerents saw Tigray forces advance to within a day's drive of Addis Ababa in November last year, prompting some foreign embassies to evacuate all but essential staff, but the TPLF was later pushed back. Last month, the government made significant battlefield gains, capturing several large towns in Tigray, before the two sides finally sat down face to face in Pretoria, South Africa. "We lost everything. Just, literally everything," said Andom Gebreyesus, who ran a tour company in Tigray before the war. He managed to escape to Kenya with his children but, like many, has not heard from the rest of his family in more than a year. The cessation of hostilities may bring relief to them, he said, but is unlikely to offer lasting peace. "It's the most ... the most unreachable place. No communication, no power, no banking system. I don't even know if they are alive. I don't know." A court in Senegal has dismissed a lawsuit by a fishermens collective against a fishmeal factory they had accused of polluting their village and destroying their livelihoods. Dozens of people filtered into the Thies courthouse Thursday to hear the judges decision. The lawsuit, filed by the Taxawu Cayar Collective against the Touba Proteine Marine fishmeal factory, accused the factory of polluting the town of Cayars air, soil and water. The collective had asked for the temporary closure of the factory based on urgency. During the legal proceedings, the collective presented video footage of the factorys truck dumping fish waste into Cayars lake. An independent laboratory analysis revealed high levels of toxic metals in the lake, which was also found in the towns tap water. The collective is now deciding whether to appeal the decision or to bring forward new litigation that would permanently shut down the plant. "We will pursue all possible legal avenues while respecting the laws of this country, said Alle Sy, a member of the fishermans collective. "We will never give up, as this is a battle close to our hearts." Boubacar Cisse, the lawyer for the fishmeal factory, formerly known as Barna Senegal, said the factory plans to take action against the collective. "The factory is more than 3 kilometers away from Cayar, so how could a business like that pollute the air and make it unbreathable?" asked Cisse. "Obviously, Barna Senegal will retaliate against these people for having discredited the factory and tarnishing its image." The factory is one of at least a half dozen fishmeal plants operating in Senegal. Human Rights Watch is calling on Brazils president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to commit to concrete measures to back up his promises on the environment as government representatives gather for the COP27 climate summit meeting in Egypt. COP27 is the 27th annual U.N. climate change conference, being held November 6-18 in Sharm El-Sheikh. Da Silva, widely known as Lula, and incumbent Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are both expected at the gathering. As COP27 begins a week after his election, Lula should specify how he plans to uphold the rule of law in the Amazon and protect both the forest and its defenders as soon as he takes office, Human Rights Watch Brazil Director Maria Laura Canineu said in a statement. According to the rights organization, in 2003, when Da Silva first took presidential office, he inherited one of the highest Amazon deforestation rates on record, but that rate dropped by 67% by the end of his second term in 2010. In comparison, Human Rights Watch said, Under Bolsonaro, deforestation in the Amazon increased 73 percent in 2021 compared with 2018, its highest level in 15 years. About 34,000 square kilometers of the Amazon rainforest were cleared between 2019 and 2021, according to official data. Nearly 99 percent of deforestation recorded in 2021 had some irregularity indicating illegality. Human Rights Watch said the Lula transition team should prepare a strategy ... to reverse the rampant environmental destruction that has taken place under Bolsonaros presidency. Canineu urged the outside world to closely monitor the situation in the Amazon and support efforts to fight deforestation and protect forest defenders. Iran acknowledged for the first time Saturday that it had supplied Moscow with drones but said they were sent before the war in Ukraine, where Russia has used them to target power stations and civilian infrastructure. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said a "small number" of drones had been shipped a few months before Russia's Feb 24 invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Tehran of lying, saying Kyiv's forces were downing at least 10 of the unmanned aerial vehicles every day. In Iran's most detailed response to date, Amirabdollahian denied Tehran was continuing to supply drones to Moscow. "This fuss made by some Western countries that Iran has provided missiles and drones to Russia to help the war in Ukraine - the missile part is completely wrong," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. "The drone part is true, and we provided Russia a small number of drones months before the Ukraine war," he said. In recent weeks Ukraine has reported a surge in drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, notably targeting power stations and dams, using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. Russia denies its forces have used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. In a video address, Zelenskyy dismissed talk of limited Iranian supplies to Russia, saying Ukraine had downed 11 drones on Friday alone. "If Iran continues to lie about the obvious, it means the world will make even more efforts to investigate the terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes and what Russia pays Iran for such cooperation," he said. Separately, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley tweeted it was untrue that Iran had sent a few drones. "They transferred dozens just this summer and have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them," he said. Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly pressed allies to provide more defenses against aircraft and missiles, said he expected "good news" in the coming weeks but gave no details. Kyiv, he added, would next week launch a fundraising campaign to buy marine drones. Last month, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters Iran had promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones. IRNA quoted Amirabdollahian as saying Tehran and Kyiv had agreed to discuss allegations about the use of Iranian drones, but the Ukrainians did not show up for talks. In a response on Facebook, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Amirabdollahian was spreading "insinuations about an alleged refusal by the Ukrainian side." Amirabdollahian repeated Tehran would "not remain indifferent" if it were proven Russia had used Iranian drones against Ukraine. The European Union last month approved new sanctions on Iran over drone deliveries, and Britain imposed sanctions on three Iranian military figures and a defense manufacturer. North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles Saturday as the U.S. and South Korea continue military exercises that were extended an extra day in reaction to Pyongyangs launches earlier in the week. South Koreas defense ministry said the missiles flew about 130 kilometers and reached an altitude of about 20 kilometers over the western sea. North Korea has launched 30 missiles since Wednesday, including some that triggered air raid alerts and emergency shelter orders in South Korea and Japan. The barrage included a test Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which reportedly failed in-flight. South Korea scrambled fighter jets Friday after detecting 180 North Korean military flights near the border as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continued to escalate. Saturdays U.S.-South Korea air exercises included the participation of two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers. The U.N. Security Council met to discuss North Korea's missile launches Friday at the request of the United States, Britain, Albania, France, Ireland and Norway. The 10 nonpermanent members of the Security Council, which include India, Brazil and Mexico, condemned North Korea's missile launches in a joint statement. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., called North Korea's 59 ballistic missile launches this year "appalling." "Equally appalling is the council's deafening silence on this issue," she said of the 15-nation Security Council, which has not issued a statement or ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea for its prohibited behavior. That has been due to opposition from China and Russia. China has even called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang. Both countries have also pointed to U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises as the cause of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Thomas-Greenfield said. China's envoy called on Washington on Friday to stop "unilaterally playing up tensions and confrontation" and to demonstrate its sincerity by responding to North Korea's "legitimate and reasonable concerns." "On the Korean Peninsula issue, the Security Council should play a constructive role rather than always stressing on pressure," Ambassador Zhang Jun added. Russia also accused the United States of inflaming tensions. "We note with regret that recently the situation in the Korean Peninsula has significantly worsened, and the reason for this is clear: the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure," said Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Anna Evstigneeva. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the North's missile launches and urged Pyongyang to "cease any further reckless acts." "The secretary-general urges the DPRK to immediately return to the negotiating table. He also urged the key parties to resume their diplomatic efforts with a view to achieving sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari said, using the abbreviation for North Koreas formal name. Russian troops are setting conditions for a controlled withdrawal from the western bank of the Dnipro River to avoid a rout in Kherson region, according to a report by analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). As the analysts predicted, Russian forces are setting conditions for a controlled withdrawal in northwestern Kherson region, likely to avoid a disorderly rout from the right (west) bank of the Dnipro River. Russian forces will likely need to engage in a fighting withdrawal to prevent Ukrainian forces from chasing them onto the left (eastern) bank, the report said. At the same time, the ISW believes that "the Russian military is likely trying to use mobilized personnel to restart the Donetsk offensive but will likely still fail to achieve operationally significant gains." According to the report, Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely setting conditions to continue covert mobilization, which suggests that partial mobilization did not generate sufficient forces for Putin's goals in Ukraine. However, Russia's costly force generation efforts will continue to weigh on the Russian economy and could ignite social tensions. The analysts said that Iran is likely already exploiting Russian reliance on Iranian-made weapons systems to request Russian assistance with its nuclear program. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday in his first public address after surviving an apparent assassination attempt that he was hit by four bullets in his right leg and sustained a fracture. The 70-year-old populist leader spoke from a hospital in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, where he had surgery and was recovering from his injuries. Khan was leading a pro-election rally of his opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Thursday and waving to his supporters from atop a purpose-built truck when the shooting happened in Wazirabad, about 150 kilometers from the provincial capital. The attack killed a PTI supporter and injured 13 others, including a lawmaker. While sitting in a wheelchair, Khan said in his hourlong televised address that two gunmen had tried to assassinate him. "There was a burst from one side, and another coming from the front," he said, adding that he wouldn't have survived if the gunmen had "synchronized" their attack. A man suspected of firing at the political rally was swiftly detained by police. In a leaked purported video confession, the detainee said he had acted alone and wanted to kill Khan for "misleading the public." Khan accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with the country's interior minister and a senior military officer of plotting the attack, but he did not produce any evidence. He went on to demand the Pakistani army chief take action against what he called "black sheep" within the military and its intelligence services. The opposition leader called on his supporters to stage street protests against the three top officials until they resign, making way for an impartial probe into the attempt on his life. "As long as these three men don't resign, you have to agitate and stand against injustice," he said. Federal Information Minister Marryam Aurangzeb swiftly refuted the charges. "How Imran Khan, who has a government in Punjab where this incident took place, can demand [the] resignation of these three persons prior to any investigation into the matter," Aurangzeb told a late-night news conference. The PTI and an allied party govern the country's most populous province. The military's media wing, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), denounced Khan's allegations against the security services as baseless and irresponsible. "No one will be allowed to defame the [military] institution or its soldiers with impunity," warned the ISPR. The shooting angered Khan's supporters, who again took to the streets across Pakistan on Friday, blocking roads and clashing with police in some cities. Security forces fired tear gas shells to prevent a large group of protesters from entering Islamabad and subsequently detained several of them. Khan vowed to resume his protest march to the Pakistani capital once he recovers so he can press ahead with his campaign for early elections. "I will take to the streets again as soon as I get well and will give a call to march on Islamabad," he said. The former prime minister was ousted from office in April through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, allowing the then-opposition leader, Sharif, to replace him and form a new coalition government. But Khan rejected his ouster as illegal, saying it was orchestrated by the United States in collusion with Sharif and Pakistan's powerful military. He has yet to substantiate his allegations with any evidence. Washington and Islamabad deny any role in his removal. Khan has been able to mobilize tens of thousands of people at his anti-government rallies across Pakistan, where he has increasingly directed his criticism at the military for its alleged meddling in politics. His growing popularity has enabled the PTI to sweep recent by-elections for the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, and the Punjab legislature, allowing Khan to step up pressure on the Sharif government to call for "snap" general elections. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her first public appearance since the attack on her husband, rallied grassroots activists Friday, saying the midterm elections for control of Congress are a fight for democracy and very winnable. People say to me, What can I do to make you feel better? I say: Vote! Pelosi told those on the call. I believe that this race is very winnable, Pelosi said. Her voice cracked at times as she said of her husbands recovery, Its going to be a long haul. Pelosi thanked those on a video call for the outpouring of support for Paul Pelosi, 82, who suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home late last week and bludgeoned him with a hammer in what authorities say was an intentional and political attack. The Democratic leader spoke in the early morning from California, where her husband was released from the hospital late Thursday, her voice breaking throughout the lengthy but upbeat address. What we are doing is not only to win an election, but this is to strengthen our democracy, Pelosi said. There is no question that our democracy is on the ballot. The speakers comments come as Democrats are facing a stiff fight for control of Congress in the midterm elections Tuesday, as energized Republicans are working to flip the House and Senate and end Democratic hold on Washington. David DePape, 42, is being held without bail on state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. DePapes public defender, Adam Lipson, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf earlier this week and has pledged to vigorously defend him. Lipson declined to comment Friday. At a hearing Friday, a San Francisco judge disclosed that she had worked with Speaker Pelosis daughter in the 1990s, giving prosecutors and the public defenders office the opportunity to object to her role in the case. Judge Loretta Lori Giorgi said she and Christine Pelosi had worked together in the San Francisco city attorneys office in the 1990s but had not interacted in years. Christine is one of the Pelosis five adult children and while she has never held elected office, shes considered to be a potential successor when Pelosi retires from her House seat. In court filings released earlier this week, officials said DePape broke into the home, carrying zip ties, tape and a rope in a backpack. He woke up Paul Pelosi and demanded to talk to Nancy, who was out of town. Two officers who raced to the home after Paul Pelosis 911 call witnessed DePape hit him in the head with the hammer. No one objected during Fridays hearing to Giorgis ties to the Pelosi family but either side could in the future and San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the case might be heard by another judge regardless. The public defenders office did not immediately have a comment. I do want to make a disclosure on the record that the daughter of Mr. Pelosi, Christine Pelosi, and I were in the city attorneys office together in the '90s, Giorgi told the court. And I have disclosed to counsel the interactions that I had when she and I were together. I havent seen or heard or talked to Ms. Pelosi after she left the office. I do see her here today. Giorgi worked in the city attorneys office from 1985-2006, when she was appointed to the bench. She rose to the rank of deputy city attorney and was the offices public integrity chief. Christine Pelosi attended Fridays hearing but seemed to leave through a back door in order to avoid media waiting in the hallway. She entered the courtroom right before the proceeding started and sat in the front row away from reporters. Christine Pelosi is active in California and national Democratic politics. In 2019, she released a book about her mother titled The Nancy Pelosi Way. In 2017, as chair of the California Democratic Partys womens caucus, she was actively involved in the #MeToo movement as it took shape in the state capital. The city attorneys office did not immediately respond to a request for details of Giorgi and Christine Pelosis employment. DePape, who is Canadian, overstayed his authorized entry to the U.S. more than two decades ago. He should have been blocked from getting back into the country when he returned a few times over the years, according to a U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter. Pope Francis said Mass for thousands of Catholics in Bahrain on Saturday, thrilling members of the small foreign Catholic community from around the Gulf and urging them to show kindness to their hosts, even if they feel sometimes badly treated. The crowd of about 30,000 people that filled Bahrain's National Stadium was the second-largest gathering for a papal Mass on the Arabian Peninsula, following one that drew more than 100,000 in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. "This is a miracle," said Mary Grace Fortes, 36, a Filipino who works at the reception of a hotel in Bahrain. "So important for us." Like many Filipino women who work outside their country, Fortes is married and sends money back home to help support her family, including her husband and 16-year-old son. Hundreds of Catholic foreign workers were bused in over the 25-kilometer King Fahd Causeway that links Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, where there are no churches and where Catholics cannot worship openly. "The Bahrainis arranged everything perfectly for us," said Jos Chazoor, 53, who is from Kerala in India and works as a manager for a medical equipment company in Saudi Arabia. Chazoor's 75-year-old mother was too overcome with emotion to respond to a reporter's questions just before the pope arrived in the packed stadium to an enthusiastic welcome by faithful waving yellow-and-white Vatican flags. "She is too thrilled to talk," said Chazoor, who drives with his mother over the causeway from Saudi Arabia regularly to attend Mass in one of Bahrain's two churches, which provide pastoral care for some 160,000 Catholics in Bahrain. In his homily, Francis appeared to praise Bahrain's relatively open policy towards non-Muslims. "This very land is a living image of coexistence in diversity, and indeed an image of our world, increasingly marked by the constant migration of peoples and by a pluralism of ideas, customs and traditions," he said. Foreign workers, many of them from Asia, provide the backbone of Gulf economies, working in sectors such as construction, hospitality, transport and the oil and gas sector. The International Labour Organization says the Gulf's migrant workers have long faced problems including exploitation by recruitment agencies and employers, poor work conditions, limited access to justice and limited or no freedom of association. Francis urged his listeners to be kind even to those native people in the Gulf area who do not treat them well, saying this was key to the Gospel message of loving your enemies. He said they should always be "persevering in good even when evil is done to us, breaking the spiral of vengeance, disarming violence, demilitarizing the heart." As Francis was driven on a open popemobile through the crowd on the stadium's pitch just before the start of the Mass, a speaker on the altar platform shouted, "God bless the pope, God bless the royal family." A Bahrain government spokesperson said 111 nationalities attended the Mass in the island state, where foreigners comprise about half of Bahrain's population of roughly 1.5 million. The prayers of the faithful during the Mass were read in languages spoken by foreign workers including Tagalog, Swahili, Malayalam, Tamil and Konkani. The Mass was attended by one of the sons of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and several government ministers. President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran's cities were "safe and sound" after what he called a failed attempt by the United States to repeat the 2011 Arab uprisings in the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported Saturday as protests continued for a 50th day. Iran's clerical leadership has struggled to suppress the demonstrations which erupted in September after the death of a young Kurdish Iranian woman who had been detained by morality police for flouting strict laws on women's dress. Hundreds of people, mostly protesters, have been killed according to activists in one of the most serious waves of unrest to sweep the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah. As Iranian authorities marked the anniversary this week of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by radical students, President Joe Biden backed the protesters, saying: "We're gonna free Iran. They're gonna free themselves pretty soon." Students and women have led many of the current protests, with women throwing off and burning veils in defiance of the strict dress codes and students chanting down officials in university campuses, according to unverified video footage. "The Americans and other enemies sought to destabilize Iran by implementing the same plans as in Libya and Syria, but they failed," Raisi was quoted by Iranian news agencies as telling a group of students during a four-hour meeting Friday. A popular uprising in Libya led to NATO intervention in 2011 and the overthrow and killing of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi by rebel fighters. In Syria, mass demonstrations against Iran's ally President Bashar al-Assad were confronted with force and the country spiraled into conflict which continues 11 years on. By contrast, Iranian cities were now "safe and sound," Raisi said, promising retribution for the unrest the country had seen. "Riots and attempts to disrupt the country are different from protesting. Riots and those who create insecurity must be dealt with," Raisi said. Slogans, crackdown The activist HRANA news agency said 314 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Friday, including 47 minors. Some 38 members of the security forces were also killed. At least 14,170 people have been arrested, including 392 students, in protests in 136 cities and towns, and 134 universities, it said. Some of the worst bloodshed has been in Iran's restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, where many of the predominantly Shi'ite Muslim country's Sunni minority live. Senior Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid said the tough crackdown against protesters in the southeastern city of Khash Friday was an example of government discrimination toward the minority Baluch who live in the impoverished region on the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan. "Should live ammunition be the response to slogans and stone throwing? One wonders why the treatment of protesters in Sistan-Baluchistan is different from other regions of the country and why protesting people of this province are mercilessly massacred? Abdolhamid said in a statement on his website. Amnesty International said up to 10 people may have been killed after security forces opened fire on protesters who threw stones and were reported to have attacked a government building. Students in a dozen universities in Tehran and in Karaj, west of the capital, in the northern cities of Rasht, and Mashhad in the northeast held protests Saturday, chanting slogans such as "Woman, Life, Freedom," according to videos posted by HRANA. Reuters could not independently authenticate the footage. The crisis has dragged Iran's currency to new historic lows. The U.S. dollar was selling for as much as 362,100 rials on the unofficial market Saturday, after losing nearly 12% of its value since the protests started, according to foreign exchange website Bonbast.com. In an apparent effort to curb the fall of Iran's troubled currency, Saturday the government authorized online sales by currency dealers, to make it easier for people to buy hard currency. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Ministry said it had blocked the bank accounts of 2,300 people accused of involvement in the foreign currency black market and that they may face legal action, state media reported. A radical Hindu leader was shot dead in full public view in India on Friday as he protested the alleged desecration of his faith's idols, police said. Sudhir Suri, 58, the self-styled leader of a fundamentalist religious group, Hindu Shiv Sena, was killed in the northern city of Amritsar -- the site of the Sikh faith's holiest shrine, the Golden Temple. "The assailant arrived on the spot and shot him dead in full public view," top police officer Arun Pal Singh told AFP, adding Suri had been shot several times. The attacker was detained at the scene and was found to be carrying a licensed weapon, he said. Suri, who according to local media reports enjoyed police protection, had sparked the anger of many Sikhs who accused him of making derogatory remarks about their faith and community. Media reports said that he was shot while protesting against what he claimed was the discovery of desecrated Hindu idols on a rubbish dump in the city. In 2020, Suri was arrested after enraged members of the Sikh community in India and abroad accused him of denigrating women and disparaging their faith in a video widely shared over social media. He was again arrested on similar accusations in July. Amritsar has seen several instances of religiously motivated killings in recent years. In September, a young man was hacked to death in full public view after being accused of being drunk and chewing tobacco near the Golden Temple. Three members of a radical Sikh warrior sect known for its puritanical moral code were arrested for the murder. Last year a crowd beat a man to death on the grounds of the shrine after he jumped over a railing and approached the holy book with a sword. The protection of shrines is a highly sensitive issue for the Sikh faith, and the consumption of tobacco, liquor or drugs on holy ground is considered an act of desecration. The then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 after she ordered a brutal army assault on the Golden Temple to flush out separatists. Her killing sparked a bloody pogrom in the capital New Delhi which left nearly 3,000 Sikhs dead. From the streets of Minneapolis in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the United States, to the northeast side of Columbus, Ohio, home to the second-largest Somali population, to Maine and the state of Washington, the mindset of the members of the African diaspora community has been focused for weeks on the midterm elections. This year, despite recent deadly terrorist attacks in Somalia and the fight against al-Shabab, the U.S. midterm election has been a topic of interest and under discussion for the community at restaurants, mosques, community markets and on social media platforms. It is another demonstration of political enthusiasm and will as well be a sign of the community's potential elective power in the U.S., says Husein Nur, a father of nine children, who fled six years ago from the violence in Somalia. We feel excited! And when you see someone you associate with running for public office, someone who wants to represent you in [the] legislature, it really gives you the energy to go out and vote, says Fadumo Ali Abdi, who runs a shop at Karmel Mall, a Somali shopping center in Minneapolis. Across the U.S., 11 Somali Americans are running for legislative seats. Some also have been elected to city councils, school boards and the boards of Parks and Recreation in their respective cities. Among those running for state houses is Democratic candidate Mana Abdi, who will run unopposed in a competitive House district covering part of Lewiston, the second largest city in Maine. The 26-year-old Democrat was born in a Kenyan refugee camp, and she came to the U.S. at the age of 11. She told VOA's Somali Service about what inspired her to run for political office. I want to see better housing, for the people I love, and this community deserves that. I want to see better schools for the community, I have nieces and nephews, I want to see better schools for them, Abdi said. I dont have the capital to fix those problems, but I do have the time, and I think I have the intelligence to articulate and advocate for policies that will impact their lives positively, maybe not tomorrow but hopefully in five, 10, 20 years. If Allah wills it. Abdi says despite many challenges, she was still able to run for election in the country she now calls home. There are a lot of factors against me: the age thing, the gender thing, being a Muslim, being an African immigrant, Abdi said. Her challenger, Republican Fred Sanborn-Sanders, withdrew from the race August 18, after he posted on Facebook that Muslims "should not be allowed to hold public office." Abdi says her focus is not on hate speech during the election campaign, but rather is about knocking on doors to ask voters to give her a chance. I feel like I cant force them to like me because those are things I cant change, and I dont want to change. But I keep knocking, and I keep showing up. I am running to make sure that I am the voice, I am trying to be the best voice for everybody, she said. So, it will be in the best interest for everybody if we can have [a] conversation, so that I know what their needs are, even if they dont necessarily feel I can be the best representative for them. Abdi is not the only Somali-American Democrat running in Maine. Deqa Dhalac, a 54-year-old social worker and the mayor of South Portland, is running for another legislative district in the state. Almost all of the Somalis running in the midterm election are from the Democratic Party. Hashi Shafi, executive director of the Somali Action Alliance, a Minneapolis-based community organization says playing a democratic card has always been an easy pathway for Somali immigrants. Running as a Democrat has always been easy for Somalis in terms of party regulations and getting access to its leaders, Shafi said. Voters of color have been critical to Minnesota Democrats' midterm hopes, but in recent months, Republicans also have been courting communities of color in Minnesota, including Somalis. Sheikh Tawakal Ismail, a Somali religious scholar and a supporter of the Republican Party, says there are more similarities than differences between the Muslim community and the Republican Party. There are differences, including issues related to racism, anti-Muslim rhetoric and hate speeches, but there are a lot of other things we share in common, noted Ismail. I know most of the Somalis vote for the Democrats, and the reason is that most of them live in two democratic districts out of the 87 districts of the state. Now, many of us are moving to Republican areas, so we need to have voices and representatives there, too. As the community gets ready for the midterm elections, the Somali-American incumbents and the young new candidates, like Mana Abdi, all have one common goalto add their voices to the political process in a country they now call home, and to represent a growing immigrant community that now tops 300,000. South African police say the bodies of at least 21 suspected illegal miners were found outside an active mine this week in the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg. Police said murder is not suspected, but the bodies do appear to have been moved. Security analysts say the deaths are indicative of the prevalence of illicit mining activity in the country. The discovery of the bodies has shocked the country and it is far from the first such incident. The town also saw eight women gang-raped at gunpoint in July, and police at the time arrested dozens of illegal miners among the suspects. These guys are not random, said Willem Els,a senior training coordinator with the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. They are part of massive well-organized organized crime syndicates that have operating transnational. So, we need the intelligence to guide us in order to develop good strategies. And then we need well-trained police officers that are well equipped in order to challenge this unique challenge that we have in the mining industry." Els said the countrys intelligence and policing operations are failing and are even infiltrated by organized crime syndicates. Law enforcement in South Africa is not what it's supposed to be, he said.They're not on the level that they can really prevent this. We also have a challenge with porous borders in the region, where for instance, in countries like Zimbabwe, their deposits of gold are dwindling, the mines are closing, and those people are without work. And then it's a welcome opportunity for them to cross the border into South Africa, most of the time illegally. Experts say foreigners arent just digging underground but are part of international networks to sell the minerals overseas. Witness Maluleke, professor of criminology at the University of Limpopo, said the activity wouldnt be possible without South African involvement. The South African youth are part of it. And South African organized criminal networks are part of it, he said. So, there's not much to say that it is only illegal immigrants that are contributing largely to this crime or this practice. It is misleading. Maluleke said tackling illegal mining requires efforts to address other factors that drive people to crime. People are not working, he said. So, they take these enterprises and opportunity to get money and to commit various crimes that are happening on our mines. The illicit activity is costing South Africa and the mining industry millions. There are more than 6,000 derelict mines in the country, some of which have been abandoned for decades. Police officials and experts say the mining industry needs to take more responsibility for properly closing old sites. Mining houses must take responsibility in policing themselves, in taking ethical and moral accountability, plan more effectively, and so forth, said Jean Steyn, a criminal justice professor at the University of Zululand. Mining houses must preventively act towards reducing illegal artisanal mining and use, for example, those that don't have work to rehabilitate the mines. The mine shaft near where the bodies were found had been flooded by recent rains, but police say autopsies will be conducted to determine cause of death. The Islamist Taliban government has harshly criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for calling Afghanistan a God-forsaken place and vowed to rebuild the war-ravaged country without any foreign support. Those making such remarks are doing so out of their frustration and envy for Afghanistan, Chief Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference Saturday in Kabul. He went on to tout the return of peace and stability to the South Asian nation since the Taliban takeover, saying Afghans are going about with their daily lives normally." During a speech Friday in California, Biden praised war veterans for serving in Afghanistan, and repeatedly referred to the country as a God-forsaken area. He recounted his several trips to the Afghan war zone as a senator and vice president of the United States. A lot of you have been to Afghanistan. Ive been to every part of it. Its a God-forsaken place its a God-forsaken place, Biden said. The U.S. president pulled out all American troops along with NATO allies in August 2021, after two decades of war with the then-Taliban insurgency. The withdrawal encouraged the Islamist group to immediately regain control of Afghanistan. The Costs of War Project at Brown University estimates the longest military intervention in the U.S. history cost Washington about $2 trillion and took the lives of more than 2,400 American soldiers since 2001. The United States and other Western partners immediately suspended financial assistance to Kabul after the Taliban seized power in mid-August last year from the then-internationally backed Afghan government. The Biden administration subsequently imposed banking sector sanctions and froze billions of dollars in Afghan central banks foreign reserves. The economic restrictions pushed the economy to the brink of collapse and worsened humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan. Mujahid said Saturday the Taliban did not require support from other nations to rebuild the country, arguing that Afghans are capable" of doing it on their own. However, our objective is, and so is our need, to seek better and trustworthy diplomatic relations with the international community, including America, he said. We would welcome legitimate contacts and interactions with any country to further mutual ties, Mujahid said. He noted that his government representatives in recent engagements with U.S. officials have time and again stressed the need for building constructive ties to enable both sides to address mutual concerns. No country has formally recognized the Taliban government because the Islamist group has reintroduced some of the harsh policies from their 1996-2001 rule in the improvised country. The Taliban have placed curbs on women, effectively restricting their access to work and education. Teenage Afghan girls are barred from receiving a secondary-school education. The U.S. and the international community at large have been pressing Taliban leaders to uphold their pledges and respect the rights of all Afghans and govern the country inclusively if they want legitimacy for their rule. The Taliban defend their policies, saying they are in line with Afghan culture and Islamic tenets. They also have dismissed calls for ensuring political inclusivity in the government, saying all Afghan groups are adequately represented in it. Oleh, the commander of a Ukrainian mechanized infantry unit dug into trenches west of Kherson, is confident his Russian foes will be forced to abandon the strategic port by winter weather, logistical logjams and the threat of encirclement. But neither he nor his men think the Russians will go quickly or quietly, nor do they intend to let them. His comments raise the specter of a bloody slog in the coming weeks for control of a key city on the west bank of the Dnipro River that acts as a gateway to the peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014. "They will keep fighting. They will defend their positions as long as they have the ability to do so," said Oleh, 26, a battle-hardened major who has risen through the ranks since enlisting as a teenager 10 years ago. "It will be a hard fight." Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed administration in Kherson region, said Thursday that he hoped Russian forces would put up a fight. "If we leave Kherson, it will be a huge blow," he added, in comments broadcast by Russia's RT television. The contest for the only provincial capital seized by Moscow in the full-scale invasion launched February 24 may be one of the most consequential of the war so far. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, it would be another setback following a series of significant battlefield losses since mid-August. With control of the Dnipro's west bank, military experts said, Ukrainian forces would have a springboard from which to seize a bridgehead on the east side for an advance on Crimea. Crimea is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and Kyiv has made the peninsula's recovery its sworn goal. Were Kherson to fall in the counteroffensive, the experts added, it would also be a political humiliation for Putin, as Kherson is one of four partially occupied regions of Ukraine that he announced would be part of Russia "forever" with great fanfare September 30. "It would be a massive blow, primarily politically," said Philip Ingram, a retired senior British military intelligence officer. "And it would cost him [Putin] militarily. If the Ukrainians were able to get a bridgehead on the east side of the Dnipro, that would be even worse for the Russians." The Ukrainians "will be able to hammer the Russians defending the approaches to Crimea," said retired U.S. General Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared the Russians already had begun "an organized, phased withdrawal" from the Dnipro's west bank. Itching to attack Thousands of civilians from the city and surrounding areas have been evacuated to the east side of the Dnipro in recent weeks after Russian-appointed occupation authorities warned of the dangers posed by Ukrainian advances. On Friday, Putin publicly endorsed the evacuation that Kyiv says has included forced deportations of civilians out of Russian-occupied territory a war crime which Russia denies. Occupation authorities also have relocated administrative offices and records to the east bank, and a Western source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said most Russian commanders had transferred their bases as well. The U.S. official and Ukrainian commanders said the Russians had been reinforcing their front lines, including deploying recently mobilized reservists, in a bid to better protect the withdrawal. Some Ukrainian soldiers believe the poorly trained Russian reservists are being sent forward "like lambs to the slaughter," while more experienced troops are digging into defensive lines further back, according to the U.S. official. An orderly pullout could prove challenging for the Russians, requiring coordination, deception to conceal movements, communications discipline, and intense artillery barrages to suppress Ukrainian advances. But Ukrainian troops could also face serious obstacles that could stall their takeover of Kherson, including booby traps and concentrated Russian artillery and rocket fire from the east bank, Hodges said. As both sides fought intermittent artillery duels Friday, Oleh's 100-man unit took advantage of unusually mild weather to clean weapons and install floorboards in earth-and-log-covered bunkers that are lined with thermal insulation and feature portable generators and wood-burning stoves. The unit, with six armored personnel carriers, took its positions in September after Ukrainian forces drove Russian troops back to Kherson's border with Mykolaiv province. Oleh said the Russians were running short of time, as January would bring ice floes down the Dnipro that could block ferry operations. He was impatient to strike the enemy's weak points to induce panic among reservists that could turn into a rout. "If we don't start an attack, they will just keep sitting there," he said. "The mobilized ones are good for us because they generate panic. Panic is infectious like a disease. It spreads." Thirty-one percent of currently or previously married Egyptian women aged between 15 and 49 were subjected to some form of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse by their spouses in 2021, according to the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). The U.N. Human Rights Committee welcomes the truce between the Ethiopian government and Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, saying it should improve the human rights situation in that embattled region. The committee concluded a three-week examination Friday of six countries, including Ethiopia. The committee, which monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, issued its final observations this week. The 18-member panel called for investigations into allegations of widespread human rights violations against civilians by all parties to the conflict in Tigray and parts of Afar and Amhara in northern Ethiopia. Committee Vice-Chair Christopher Arif Bulkan said members of the panel agreed those found guilty of crimes should be prosecuted and punished, and victims should receive full reparations for their suffering and losses. The Committee urged Ethiopia to protect freedom of expression, citing harassment, attacks, arbitrary arrests, and detentions of dissidents, as well as the use of criminal provisions to silence dissent, he said. It also notes unjustified and prolonged internet and phone shutdowns and requests that all such restrictions be legal, proportional and independently overseen. Bulkan said women and children were the main victims of severe human rights violations. He noted state agents were not the only perpetrators of this abuse. He said militias and competing ethnic groups also were guilty of these crimes. The scale of the violence was very disheartening and tragic involving women, involving children, militarization of children, he said. :So, news of the truce is extremely welcome, and conceivably, it should impact positively because it was in the context of the war that so many of these abuses, we observed were abuses of many covenant rights. These include the right to life, the prohibition against torture, and guarantees and protection of civil and political rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Bulkan said there will be considerable improvement in the human rights situation in Ethiopia if the peace agreement between the government and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front holds, removing the impetus behind these violations. Editor's note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch. Warring sides in northern Ethiopia agree to cease-fire The Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front signed a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities on Wednesday, giving hope to millions that two years of war, displacement and severe hunger could come to an end. The agreement was signed in Pretoria, South Africa. The African Union played a lead role in the negotiations including the high representative for the Horn of Africa, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, along with former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (who is also known to U.N. observers for the eight years she led U.N. Women). Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Thursday at the United Nations that the human cost to this conflict has been devastating. He hailed the agreement as a critical first step that will open the way for humanitarian access and the resumption of public services. More shelling at Ukrainian nuclear power plant Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost all access to external electricity following overnight shelling Thursday and was receiving backup power from its emergency diesel generators. The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said the development is "extremely concerning" and "again demonstrates the plant's fragile and vulnerable situation." The plant is in Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian experts continue to operate the facility under the watch of Russian soldiers. The IAEA chief has been working to establish a demilitarized zone around it to lessen chances of a nuclear accident. Separately, Grossi said that his inspectors have so far not found any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at three sites they inspected, following up on Russian allegations that Ukraine is preparing to detonate a dirty bomb on its territory. UN Security Council discusses barrage of DPRK missiles The U.N. Security Council met Friday afternoon to discuss North Koreas unprecedented series of missile launches. The United States, with fellow council members Albania, Britain, France, Ireland and Norway called for the meeting following a string of missile launches in recent days. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said North Koreas behavior was appalling and called on council members to be united in responding. Pyongyang has found repeated protection this year in the 15-nation council from China and Russia. US to press for Irans removal from UN Womens Commission The United States called on Wednesday for Iran to be removed from the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the main intergovernmental body dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Irans membership is an ugly stain on the bodys credibility. Iranian security forces have been violently cracking down on women-led peaceful protests since mid-September after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody. She was detained by the so-called morality police for wearing her headscarf improperly. In brief The secretary-general traveled to Algiers earlier this week, where he told a summit of the League of Arab States on Tuesday that united, the blocs leadership can help the region make the most of its enormous potential and contribute to global peace and security. Guterres also said peace must advance between Israel and the Palestinians, saying the occupation must end and two states living side-by-side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both remains our shared goal. World Health Organization officials warned Tuesday that infectious disease outbreaks and malnutrition pose serious health threats to some 8 million Pakistani flood victims. Flood waters are receding, but waterborne diseases including malaria, diarrheal diseases and dengue fever are on the rise in communities struggling to find shelter, clean water and food. Floods are also impacting millions in Africa. In the central Sahel, more than 330,000 people in Niger are impacted in all eight regions of the country. The U.N. says since the rain started in July, 195 people have died and more than 200 people have been injured. Some 36,000 houses have collapsed. In neighboring Nigeria, more than 3 million people have been affected by unprecedented floods. Farmland has been damaged by the rising waters, with more than 100,000 hectares of cassava, rice and plantain crops affected. The U.N. fears this will deepen the already alarming food crisis across Nigeria. The International Labor Organization warned Monday that multiple economic and political crises, largely triggered by the war in Ukraine and economic disruption in China, are threatening the recovery of the global labor market. The ILO Monitor on the World of Work finds worsening labor market conditions are affecting both employment creation and the quality of jobs. The ILO estimates the number of hours worked globally in the third quarter of this year was 1.5% below pre-pandemic levels. This is equivalent to a loss of 40 million full-time jobs. The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday for the 30th year to condemn the United States economic embargo against Cuba. Only the U.S. and Israel voted against lifting the embargo, 185 countries voted for its end, and two abstained Brazil and Ukraine. The embargo was imposed in 1960 following Fidel Castros communist revolution. In 2016, after President Barack Obama restored relations with then-President Raul Castro, the U.S. abstained on the vote. Washington returned to opposing the resolution in 2017, under President Donald Trump. Cubas foreign minister told the assembly that the blockade has cost it more than $6 billion in just the first 14-months of the Biden administration. Good news The U.N.- and Turkish-brokered Black Sea Grain Deal reached a milestone Thursday. Secretary-General Guterres said the initiative to get Ukrainian grain to international markets had shipped 10 million metric tons. Russia briefly paused its participation in the initiative on Saturday, after it alleged that Ukraine had used drones to attack its fleet in the Black Sea. It reversed the decision on Wednesday. The agreement signed on July 22 in Istanbul, helps Ukraine export its grain and assists Russia in removing obstacles to the exports of its food and fertilizer. Quote of note Women have taken to the streets and are not only removing and waving their head scarves but setting them ablaze and cutting their hair in protest, despite knowing they will be arrested and sent to psychological reeducation centers, beaten, raped, and even killed. British-Iranian actor and activist Nazanin Boniadi told an Arria meeting of the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for a dress code infraction was a powder keg moment for Iranian women, who have led weeks of protests across the country despite the dangers to themselves. What we are watching next week On Sunday, the Paris Climate Accord review conference, known as COP27, will open in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Secretary-General Guterres will be among the world leaders gathering for the critical discussions. Guterres warned Thursday that reaching the key goal of keeping global warming this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius is in high danger, but it is still possible. He hopes to galvanize political will at COP27 to avoid what he said could be a tipping point where it could become irreversibly impossible to achieve. Watch more on whats at stake: Read more about the planets disappearing glaciers: The United States criticized China and Russia at the U.N. Security Council on Friday for providing "blanket protection" to North Korea after Pyongyang launched a series of missile tests. North Korea "has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told an emergency council session Friday, without directly naming the countries. "These members have bent over backwards to justify the DPRK's repeated violations, and in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this council," Thomas-Greenfield said, referring to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea has launched 30 missiles since Wednesday, including some that triggered air raid alerts and emergency shelter orders in South Korea and Japan. The barrage included a test Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which reportedly failed in-flight. The missile launches are a response to U.S.-South Korea military exercises, which have been expanded in response to recent North Korean weapons tests and other threats. South Korea scrambled fighter jets Friday after detecting 180 North Korean military flights near the border as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continued to escalate. Council's silence called 'appalling' The U.N. Security Council met to discuss the matter Friday at the request of the United States, Britain, Albania, France, Ireland and Norway. The 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, which include India, Brazil and Mexico, condemned North Korea's missile launches in a joint statement. Thomas-Greenfield called North Korea's 59 ballistic missile launches this year "appalling." "Equally appalling is the council's deafening silence on this issue," she said of the 15-nation Security Council, which has not issued a statement or ratcheted up sanctions on North Korea for its prohibited behavior. That has been due to opposition from China and Russia. China has even called for easing sanctions on Pyongyang. And both countries have also pointed to U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises as the cause of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Thomas-Greenfield said. China's envoy called on Washington on Friday to stop "unilaterally playing up tensions and confrontation" and to demonstrate its sincerity by responding to North Korea's "legitimate and reasonable concerns." "On the Korean Peninsula issue, the Security Council should play a constructive role rather than always stressing on pressure," Ambassador Zhang Jun added. Russia also accused the United States of inflaming tensions. "We note with regret that recently the situation in the Korean Peninsula has significantly worsened, and the reason for this is clear: the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure," said Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Anna Evstigneeva. UN condemns North's missile launches France's envoy, Nicolas de Riviere, called for pressure on North Korea to increase over signs the country is preparing a new nuclear test. "The current escalation is unprecedented, and these new provocations are unacceptable," he said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the North's missile launches and urged Pyongyang to "cease any further reckless acts." "The secretary-general urges the DPRK to immediately return to the negotiating table. He also urged the key parties to resume their diplomatic efforts with a view to achieving sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari said. United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. The United States and Canada on Friday imposed sanctions on two Haitian politicians, including the president of the country's Senate, as Washington accused them of abusing their positions to traffic drugs and collaborate with gang networks in the country. The sanctions target Haitian Senate President Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue, who served as president of the chamber from 2017 to 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department and Canada's foreign ministry said in separate statements. "Joseph Lambert and Youri Latortue have abused their official positions to traffic drugs and collaborated with criminal and gang networks to undermine the rule of law in Haiti," the U.S. Treasury's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, said. "The United States and our international partners will continue to take action against those who facilitate drug trafficking, enable corruption and seek to profit from instability in Haiti," he added. The sanctions essentially freeze any assets Lambert and Latortue may hold in the United States or Canada and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. The Haitian investments "go back and forth between Miami and Montreal," Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told Reuters. "There will be more sanctions coming," she said from Muenster, Germany. In an interview with Haitian broadcaster Radio Television Caraibes, Latortue denied the accusations against him and said U.S. officials had ignored his advice on police training and strategies to confront gangs. "They trained the police and today theyve inherited what they had trained," said Latortue. "I had said, 'Here is how we have to fight in Haiti.' Ever since, they were not happy." Lambert and Prime Minister Ariel Henry's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Haiti's gangs have expanded their power since the shocking 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, and Henry has faced difficulties in restoring order to the country. Sources Thursday said Haitian police have taken control of a fuel terminal that had been blockaded by armed gangs since September, ending a standoff that triggered a humanitarian crisis and talks of foreign military intervention. The U.S. State Department also designated Lambert, barring him from traveling to the United States over accusations of involvement in "significant corruption and gross violation of human rights." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was credible information of Lambert's involvement in gross violation of human rights during his tenure, citing an extrajudicial killing. Canada and the United States did not identify which Haitian gangs they believed were tied to the officials. Here's a summary of Uyghur-related news from around the world this week. 50 UN member countries condemn Chinas persecution of Uyghurs At the United Nations on Monday, 50 countries issued a joint statement condemning Chinas persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim groups in the Xinjiang region, which the U.N. human rights office said may amount to crimes against humanity. Canada presented the statement to the U.N. member states at a General Assembly meeting. English city severs sister city arrangement with Chinese city amid Uyghur abuse claims Newcastle, England, has decided to end a twinning arrangement with Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province in northern China, amid claims of "horrific abuses" in Xinjiang. City councilors passed the motion to end the sister city agreement unanimously Wednesday. The motion said Chinas actions "repeatedly demonstrate that it is not concerned with upholding the universal values we safeguard and adhering to international rules of conduct." RFA report: Jailed Uyghur doctor died shortly after release from prison Radio Free Asia reported that a Uyghur doctor who was sentenced to eight years in prison in Xinjiang for providing medical treatment to a suspected criminal died shortly after he was released from prison in September. US lawmakers vow to oppose attempts to weaken Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act On Wednesday, Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, pledging to oppose any lobbying for Congress to approve COACs proposal to limit access to customs data. Fate of Uyghur refugees in Thailand still unclear After eight years of detention, more than 50 Uyghur refugees in Thailand still do not know their fate. Uyghur refugees in immigration detention centers and prisons across Thailand have developed health and mental problems caused by long-term incarceration, according to an immigration official who asked to not use her real name for fear of reprisal. "They are not entitled to the same rights as detainees of other nationalities and are not allowed to go to the hospital if they have health problems," she told VOA. Quote of note "Fortunately, the changes you reportedly advocated for cannot be enacted without Congressional approval. If importers attempt to lobby Congress to make such changes, we pledge to vigorously oppose them. We hope you agree that no CCP-linked company should profit from genocide and no U.S. consumer should have to buy goods made with forced labor." U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Chris Smith, in their letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee World health officials are linking a significant rise in African Ebola outbreaks in this century to climate change. Ugandas September 20 Ebola outbreak is just the latest in a growing number of eruptions of this deadly hemorrhagic disease in Africa. Since 2000, the World Health Organization has reported 32 outbreaks of Ebola, 19 in the last decade compared to 13 in the preceding one. Ebola is one of a range of zoonotic diseases infections originating in animals and jumping to humans. A WHO analysis finds Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers constitute nearly 70% of these outbreaks. The remaining 30% include dengue fever, anthrax, plague, and monkeypox. WHO Africa incident manager for the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, Patrick Otim, says the number of zoonotic diseases occurring in the region in the last decade has increased by more than 63%. There have been a couple of researchers that have shown a possible link between the climatic changes that we are seeing and the increase in zoonotic diseases, and for this particular case for Ebola, for instance, he said. Otim said diseases are caused by several factors. Ebola, he said, is strongly influenced by the human factor. As populations increase and people encroach on wildlife habitats, interaction with animals increases. This, he said, increases the spread of disease to humans. Otim said temperature and climatic changes also spur migration and movement of some Ebola virus hosts. For the Ebola virus, we know that the bats and other animals are hosts of this particular virus, he said. So, when they move from areas where, for instance, there is drought or whether areas that are no longer conducive for them and they move to favorable areas, they may move into an area where the human population is inhabiting and therefore the interaction between the humans increases. WHO says Ebola now has spread to seven districts in Uganda beyond the original epicenter in the Mubende district. The latest reports put the number of cases at 131, including 48 deaths. The current Ebola outbreak in Uganda has been triggered by the so-called Sudan strain for which there is no vaccine. WHO said several promising candidate vaccines soon will undergo clinical trials to evaluate their potential against Ebola. Russias newly mobilized conscripts likely have minimal training or no training at all, Britains Defense Ministry said Saturday in its intelligence update. The report said that Russia is probably struggling to provide military training for its current mobilization drive and its annual autumn conscription intake. The Russian Armed Forces were already stretched providing training for the approximate 300,000 troops required for its partial mobilization, announced in September. These issues, the ministry said, will be compounded by the additional regular autumn annual conscription cycle that begins in November for about 120,000 conscripts. Russia has resorted to training troops in Belarus, the ministry said, due to a shortage of training staff, munitions and facilities in Russa. The intelligence update said, Deploying forces with little or no training provides little additional offensive combat capability. SEE ALSO: Meanwhile, the U.S. is providing about $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine as the fight against Russias invasion enters its ninth month. The Defense Department said in a statement that the latest package underscores the continued U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine by meeting their most urgent needs, while also building the capacity of Ukraines Armed Forces to defend its sovereignty over the long term. The U.S. now has committed more than $18.2 billion to Ukraine since the beginning of Russias unprovoked and brutal invasion February 24, the statement read. The U.S. military assistance includes refurbishing HAWK air defense missiles, funding for 45 refurbished T-72B Tanks with advanced optics, communications, and armor packages, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost tactical unmanned aerial systems, 40 armored riverine command boats, funding to refurbish 250 M1117 armored security vehicles, as well as tactical secure communications systems and surveillance systems, along with funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment. In his nightly address Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for its latest military assistance and said it is the armored vehicles in particular that we very much need to move forward at the front. I am grateful to President Biden, the U.S. Congress and the entire American people for the continued and vital assistance," he said. Earlier Friday, Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said during a visit to Kyiv that U.S. support for Ukraine would remain "unwavering and unflinching" following next Tuesday's midterm congressional elections. "We fully intend to ensure that the resources are there as necessary, and that we'll get votes from both sides of the aisle to make that happen," Sullivan told reporters during a briefing at the Ukrainian presidential administration. Some Republicans have indicated they would try to scale back U.S. aid to Kyiv if they win control of the U.S. Congress in the November 8 elections. Last month, Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the U.S. House, said Americans should not "write a blank check" for Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Netherlands said it would spend nearly $45 million on T-72 tanks, as it cooperates with the U.S. and the Czech Republic on a shipment of 90 modernized Czech tanks. Ukraine also received the first batch of BMP-1 armored vehicles from Greece. Zelenskyy thanked Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou for the aid. In a tweet, the Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, thanked the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the U.S. for their joint decision to provide 90 T-72 tanks to Ukraine. In an interview Friday with VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, said the U.S. is working in lockstep with the Ukrainians. He said officials in Washington and Kyiv talk almost daily about Ukraines military capabilities, what is needed and what the Washington can provide for them. Kirby said the U.S. is looking at providing more advanced capabilities to help Ukraine knock down the drones and cruise missiles the Russians are firing on civilian infrastructure. We are also working with allies and partners of some 40 other countries [who] are contributing security assistance to Ukraine. France, Spain, Germany have been real big contributors with respect to providing some additional air defense capabilities, Kirby added. Kirby also told VOA it is encouraging to hear that Russians do not want a nuclear exchange. We hope that they actually mean that, because we agree that a nuclear war should never be fought. It certainly cant be won, he said. But, he added, Washington is judging them not by what they are saying but by what they are doing on the ground. He was referring to Putins mobilization of more than 300,000 reserves and Moscows sham referendum in Ukraine to politically annex ground it could not occupy militarily, as well as to Russia seeking help from countries like Iran and North Korea. Meanwhile, the Kremlin signaled it is withdrawing from Kherson, a region strategic for Russias for westward expansion. The Russian flag has been removed from Khersons city council. Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed the evacuation of civilians from parts of Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Friday, the latest sign of Russia's retreat in one of the most bitterly contested areas in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Russian-installed officials in Kherson have evacuated tens of thousands of civilians from the city and surrounding areas while pro-Kremlin media members have reported that withdrawing Russian troops carried away bronze statues of 18th-century Russian commanders and have moved their headquarters 80 kilometers to the southeast. FRONT LINE WEST OF KHERSON, UKRAINE Oleh, the commander of a Ukrainian mechanized infantry unit dug into trenches west of Kherson, is confident his Russian foes will be forced to abandon the strategic port by winter weather, logistical logjams and the threat of encirclement. But neither he nor his men think the Russians will go quickly or quietly, nor do they intend to let them. His comments raise the specter of a bloody slog in the coming weeks for control of a key city on the west bank of the Dnipro River that acts as a gateway to the peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014. "They will keep fighting. They will defend their positions as long as they have the ability to do so," said Oleh, 26, a battle-hardened major who has risen through the ranks since enlisting as a teenager 10 years ago. "It will be a hard fight." Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed administration in Kherson region, said Thursday that he hoped Russian forces would put up a fight. "If we leave Kherson, it will be a huge blow," he added, in comments broadcast by Russia's RT television. The contest for the only provincial capital seized by Moscow in the full-scale invasion launched February 24 may be one of the most consequential of the war so far. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, it would be another setback following a series of significant battlefield losses since mid-August. With control of the Dnipro's west bank, military experts said, Ukrainian forces would have a springboard from which to seize a bridgehead on the east side for an advance on Crimea. Crimea is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and Kyiv has made the peninsula's recovery its sworn goal. Were Kherson to fall in the counteroffensive, the experts added, it would also be a political humiliation for Putin, as Kherson is one of four partially occupied regions of Ukraine that he announced would be part of Russia "forever" with great fanfare September 30. "It would be a massive blow, primarily politically," said Philip Ingram, a retired senior British military intelligence officer. "And it would cost him [Putin] militarily. If the Ukrainians were able to get a bridgehead on the east side of the Dnipro, that would be even worse for the Russians." The Ukrainians "will be able to hammer the Russians defending the approaches to Crimea," said retired U.S. General Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared the Russians already had begun "an organized, phased withdrawal" from the Dnipro's west bank. Itching to attack Thousands of civilians from the city and surrounding areas have been evacuated to the east side of the Dnipro in recent weeks after Russian-appointed occupation authorities warned of the dangers posed by Ukrainian advances. On Friday, Putin publicly endorsed the evacuation that Kyiv says has included forced deportations of civilians out of Russian-occupied territory a war crime which Russia denies. Occupation authorities also have relocated administrative offices and records to the east bank, and a Western source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said most Russian commanders had transferred their bases as well. The U.S. official and Ukrainian commanders said the Russians had been reinforcing their front lines, including deploying recently mobilized reservists, in a bid to better protect the withdrawal. Some Ukrainian soldiers believe the poorly trained Russian reservists are being sent forward "like lambs to the slaughter," while more experienced troops are digging into defensive lines further back, according to the U.S. official. An orderly pullout could prove challenging for the Russians, requiring coordination, deception to conceal movements, communications discipline, and intense artillery barrages to suppress Ukrainian advances. But Ukrainian troops could also face serious obstacles that could stall their takeover of Kherson, including booby traps and concentrated Russian artillery and rocket fire from the east bank, Hodges said. As both sides fought intermittent artillery duels Friday, Oleh's 100-man unit took advantage of unusually mild weather to clean weapons and install floorboards in earth-and-log-covered bunkers that are lined with thermal insulation and feature portable generators and wood-burning stoves. The unit, with six armored personnel carriers, took its positions in September after Ukrainian forces drove Russian troops back to Kherson's border with Mykolaiv province. Oleh said the Russians were running short of time, as January would bring ice floes down the Dnipro that could block ferry operations. He was impatient to strike the enemy's weak points to induce panic among reservists that could turn into a rout. "If we don't start an attack, they will just keep sitting there," he said. "The mobilized ones are good for us because they generate panic. Panic is infectious like a disease. It spreads." In conflict-ravaged nations like Yemen and Somalia, devastating floods and droughts kill hundreds of people and uproot tens of thousands from their homes. Two separate peace rallies will be held in Italy on Saturday. Rome will host a major rally on the afternoon of Saturday 5 November calling for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the establishment of international peace talks.The Europe for Peace event will begin at midday in Piazza della Repubblica before proceeding at 14.00 to Piazza S. Giovanni, leading to significant disruption to traffic and public transport in the city centre. Around 50,000 people are expected at the march, including more than 500 groups comprising a wide spectrum of trade unions, civil society and religious associations, the Italian Disarmament Network, the Community of S. Egidio, Emergency, Greenpeace, Fridays for Future, the Sardines, and the ANPI association of Italian partisans. The rally is non-political however parties on the left will be strongly represented, including the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) and the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) whose leaders Enrico Letta and Giuseppe Conte respectively will be present. A message of peace from Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference (CEI) will also be read from the stage in Piazza S. Giovanni, along with testimonies from Ukrainian peace activists and civilian victims of war. Romes candlelight procession for peace in #Ukraine went from the Campidoglio to the Colosseum #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/9Zejv1kYnV Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) February 25, 2022 "We condemn the aggressor, we respect the Ukrainian resistance, we commit to help, support and stand by the Ukrainian people with all means, we stand by the victims" - a statement from the organisers reads - "This war must end now. No more suffering! Italy, the EU Member States and the United Nations must take responsibility for negotiations to stop the escalation and achieve an immediate ceasefire." A separate rally for peace in Ukraine will be held at the Arco della Pace in Milan at 16.00. The demonstration is being organised by Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist Azione, and will include his ally Matteo Renzi of the centrist IV party, along with Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori and former Milan mayor Letizia Moratti. The Milan rally will also include a live link with the mayor of Lviv, Andrij Ivanovyc Sadovyj. Although both rallies have a common goal - that of achieving peace in Ukraine - they are divided over the sending of Italian weapons to the Ukrainian army. Conte considers it necessary "to negotiate with Russia, which does not mean not holding firm the condemnation of the invasion" because "the way out is not a military victory but a peace negotiation". In contrast to the Rome event, the Milan rally will call openly for all measures necessary to protect the Ukrainian people, including the sending of arms. "Asking for the delivery of weapons to be stopped" - Calenda argues - "does not mean promoting peace, but handing over Ukraine to the Russian aggressors". Photo Avvenire Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Who is winning in Ukraine? That may seem an odd question, given the disastrous performance of the Russian military, the success of the Ukrainian offensive this fall, and the strength of the Western coalition in supporting Kyiv and punishing Moscow. But wars arent that simple, and the global implications of this regional conflict make it more complex than most. Then, of course, there is Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader, we are constantly told, plays a weak hand well. So, what does he have up his sleeve?Its a question I put to Mark Galeotti, the author of a new book, Putins Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, and a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. He has advised the UK government on foreign policy, is a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and the principal director of the Mayak Intelligence political risk consultancy. Here is a lightly edited transcript of our discussion: Tobin Harshaw: Early in the new book, you raise the question, Who is Vladimir Putin? How would you answer that in one sentence? Mark Galeotti: He is a late-era Soviet apparatchik who by good fortune finds himself running the country despite the fact that he doesnt really know how to do it. Advertisement TH: The invasion of Ukraine by conventional means did not go well. Now the Russian strategy has changed to a terror bombing campaign .Weve seen this sort of thing from the Russians before, right? MG: We have. You must realize that Putin himself has no military experience of any note. He did his minimal reserve-officer training. So he doesnt have a military mindset. As a former KGB officer, he has a spooks mindset. He regards people as full of vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Thats how he relates to whole societies, too. Wars are intrinsically terrifying, and Putin is more willing than us in the West to consider terror to be an acceptable instrument of war. We saw that in Chechnya, the very brutal campaign to take a rebellious little region of southern Russia and force it back into the fold, with massive bombardments and very brutal treatment of its people. And we saw it in Syria with very heavy aerial bombardments, not just to population centers, but targeting things like hospitals to break the will of those who would resist. Advertisement TH: Did you think that Russia was complicit in the Bashar al-Assad regimes use of chemical weapons in Syria? MG: Its almost inconceivable that Russia would not have known that it was happening. I dont know whether they were actually behind it or merely signed off on it. But one way or the other, there was complicity. TH: Putin has fired a lot of his generals. He has now brought in Sergei Surovikin, the so-called Butcher of Syria. The change in Russian strategy fits Surovikins modus operandi. What can we expect from him? MG: This is a deeply brutal man. One of his own subordinates shot himself in his office after being given a particularly serious dressing down. But on the other hand, no one has ever said he is not competent. We saw in Syria that he has a willingness to use deeply brutal tactics, but with with an aim in mind not simply for the sheer joy of brutality, but because its part of a military strategy. Advertisement He wants to break the Ukrainians not at the front line, where thats not proving possible, but by breaking the Wests will to support them. The weak link in this war, potentially, is us. If we begin to lose the will, the capacity, and the unity to continue to supply the Ukrainians with weapons, and perhaps even more importantly with money, the Ukrainians are going to have serious troubles maintaining their war. TH: What weaponry do you think they need that we havent provided so far? MG: Its an interesting question because it reflects the whole question of need. They need a more capable air defense. But its not necessarily just about more systems, more and more launchers. Its at least as much about the ammunition. The Russians are heavily using very cheap Iranian drones. They arent amazingly capable but theyre good enough. And because theyre cheap, the Russians can fire a lot at them. We can estimate that the Russians have spent about $10 million to $15 million on this new bombardment campaign. The Ukrainians have used our ordinance to the value of about $25 million to counter it. This is not just a military campaign, but also an economic campaign. We must make sure that the Ukrainians get a continued flow of the actual ordinance they need to defend themselves. Advertisement TH: What might hold us back? MG: The trouble is that what the Ukrainians think they need and what the West thinks they need diverge. Theres this mantra that the war will end when Ukrainians decide that it will end. This is, of course, nonsense in the sense that the West has its own interests too. If Ukraine turned around and said that the war will only end when our forces have reached Moscow, for example, we wouldnt be fine going along with that. But we just dont really want to have the tough discussions about it. So long as we arent, we are storing up potential problems for the future. We need to be talking about the end state now, so that this doesnt become an issue which breaks Western unity. TH: Wouldnt a more realistic problem be if Ukraine was intent on taking back Crimea, which Russia annexed after the 2014 invasion? Advertisement MG: A lot of the conversations Im having here in DC end up defaulting back to what can be done with Crimea, and its certainly true that Crimea matters to Putin (and the Russian people) in a way no other part of Ukraine does. Im really not sure what he might do if he thinks he is going to lose the peninsula. But I think its more than that. Theres a concern that the Ukrainians are not entirely open with their allies about what their long-term goals are. TH: Are you concerned about European support waning as the weather turns cold and natural gas gets scarce? MG: Im not as concerned as I was a month ago. Gas prices are going down a lot. At this point, there isnt really a movement for a quick change of course. To be honest, what really matters is the American position. Washingtons voice drowns everyone else out. So its more that we have to see what the midterms election offer. Advertisement TH: Why was Putin so deluded about the quality of his military? MG: Several reasons. One is that hes had so many relatively easy wins: Chechnya, Syria, Georgia; hes achieved what he expected to achieve. And the West didnt do much about it. Most crucially, though, he has created a system in which no one can really tell him something he doesnt want to hear. This is something that weve known for years, but increasingly now he has pushed out of his circle anyone who might offer any criticism. People now know that they tell Putin what he wants to hear, not what he needs to hear. TH: There are some rumblings that the momentum in the war is starting to swing in Russias favor. MG: I dont think so. We are at a natural point of a culmination of the Ukrainian offensive. They have had some real triumphs in the north at Kharkiv, and to a lesser extent in the south. They are very quiet about their own casualties, but its clear theyve taken losses. Their military kit is at a point where it needs to be stopped for maintenance and the like. Advertisement The Russians have thrown in a number of newly mobilized reservists, who are appallingly bad soldiers and taking horrendous casualties, but do at least provide extra manpower on the front lines. But the Ukrainians are in the stronger position. The Russians might hope that come spring, theyll be able to launch a counterattack. I think thats exactly what the Ukrainians are planning on doing as well, and I think they would be in the better position to do so. TH: Putin has made several seemingly absurd claims. For one, there was this idea that Ukrainians would ignite a dirty bomb as a false-flag operation, blaming it on Russia. Where did that come from? MG: It was part of long-running campaign; theyve made allegations like this for months in the hope of scaring the West into negotiations. Weve had claims that the Ukrainians are working on biological weapons in conjunction with the Americans, or that they were preparing to launch a chemical attack, or that there was going to be similar kind of radiological attack. This is just part of a stream of bizarre allegations that come up and then disappear. Advertisement TH: Which leads to the big scary question: If nothing continues to go right, would Putin go as far as chemical weapons or a tactical nuke? MG: On chemical weapons, the answer is no. Because there was just no military rationale for it. Theres also really no military rationale for using nuclear weapons. It would purely be a political terror statement. Do I think thats impossible? No. However, Putin, for all the fact that he believes a lot of deeply disturbing and unpleasant things, does seem to be a rational actor. If has enough time, he can get his head around the idea of losing things. But if it looks like Ukrainians are going to just power through and take everything, he might well panic. He may feel so caught in a corner that he has nothing much to lose and might as well throw the dice. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Putin Is Definitely Maybe Bluffing on Nukes: Tobin Harshaw Ukraine Has Become Putins Cuban Missile Crisis: Max Hastings Vladimir Putins Guide to Alienating Allies: Clara Ferreira Marques This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tobin Harshaw is a Bloomberg Opinion editor and writer on national security and military affairs. Previously, he was an editor at the op-ed page of the New York Times and the newspapers letters editor. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share This being affirmative action week at the US Supreme Court, talk of reverse discrimination is in the air. I think its time to find another form of words. Dont get me wrong. Though I favor affirmative action, my problem isnt with people who disagree. Im troubled by the phrase itself. And its not being used only by critics of the way colleges conduct their admissions programs. In late October, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit used it in ruling for a White employee who alleged that hed been fired unjustly. A quick look at the case, together with an assessment of history, will show why the term reverse discrimination should be abandoned. The facts were hardly the stuff of which news is made. The plaintiff, a meter reader for Springfield, Illinois, had been discharged for misconduct. He alleged that his firing was discriminatory because a Black meter reader had behaved worse and been retained. The district court dismissed the action, reasoning that because the two employees had committed different offenses, they werent similarly situated as the law requires. Advertisement By a vote of 2-1, the court of appeals reversed. Writing for the majority, Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi noted that because this was a reverse discrimination case the plaintiff only had to produce evidence that the employer has reason or inclination to discriminate invidiously against whites or evidence that there is something fishy about the facts at hand. If fishiness seems a murky test, thats not the judges fault. This background circumstances test has been widely followed since first laid down by another federal appellate court in 1981 as a way to deal with bias claims by White (or male) employees. Some critics find it vague; others think it unfair. My concern is that in their constant invocation of reverse discrimination, the precedents are unhappily worded. That term and the concept behind it share a history sufficiently odious that Id advise critics of affirmative action to find a different form of words. Because theres been scarcely a moment of progress toward racial equality that hasnt met the same criticism. We can trace similar language at least back to 1854, when a North Carolina newspaper registered its dismay at the contents of an abolitionist pamphlet: [T]here seems to be a prejudice against a white skin, and in favor of black one, that would be amusing if it were not disgusting. In 1866, during the Reconstruction Era, newspapers across the country reprinted an anonymous essay condemning the Freedmens Bureau for discrimination against the white race. Advertisement The examples go on. When Congress appropriated $200,000 for an exhibit by the colored people of the United States at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch condemned the vote as a clear violation of the civil rights bill as a discrimination against white people on account of their color. Ten years later, papers chastised President Theodore Roosevelt for publicly trumpeting the large number of Black appointments hed made. It was one thing, a Missouri editor wrote, to say that color should not be taken into account when hiring. But the presidents evident pride in his record results suggested a policy of discrimination against white men. During the 1920s, after Clarence Darrow advised a Black audience to form a voting bloc to gain more influence, a Michigan newspaper wrote that the famous lawyer exhibited in numerous ways that most degenerate form of race prejudice prejudice against the white race that bore him. Advertisement Skip forward to World War II. At a 1944 Senate hearing, Democrat Richard B. Russell of Georgia observed that in the higher-paid positions at the federal Fair Employment Practices Committee a majority of the employees are colored and asked a witness, Dont you think that is discriminating against the whites? Then as now, the less qualified label was always lurking and was particularly likely to be raised when jobs were at stake. At the 1947 convention of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, a committee report lamented the growing exclusion of white firemen caused by the hiring of Negro firemen [who] do not contribute to the maintenance of working conditions and rates of pay as secured by white firemen. As to the precise term reverse discrimination, by the 1940s it had become commonplace. In 1945, for instance, when civil rights leaders pointed out that the Congress of Industrial Organizations had chosen an all-White delegation for an international labor conference, they were accused of advocating discrimination in reverse. In 1956, Connecticuts commissioner of education used the words to caution against the potential effects on White applicants of a proposal favoring the hiring of teachers from minority groups. Advertisement In 1951, the syndicated columnist Drew Pearson charged reverse discrimination after a Senate subcommittee that had rejected a White nominee for a United Nations post voted in favor of a Black one. Concluded Pearson: Sometimes it pays to be a member of a minority group. Again, though I support affirmative action, I accept that people of goodwill can disagree on how to weigh the great principles at stake. But in the course of a continuing public argument that I hope will prove both courteous and thoughtful, perhaps we can bury the phrase reverse discrimination once and for all. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Supreme Court Will End the Era of College Diversity: Noah Feldman Supreme Court Should Just End College Affirmative Action: Ramesh Ponnuru Supreme Court Will Make It Harder to Hire a Diverse Team: Noah Feldman Advertisement This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Yale University, he is author, most recently, of Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share In its bad old Communist days, Albanias chief export was abuse courtesy of astonishingly powerful radio transmitters that relayed insults to capitalist and socialist countries alike. Today, the tiny Balkan countrys main export seems to be young men. The illegal arrival of Albanian migrants to claim asylum in the UK has recently ignited a political firestorm in the country. The Tory Home Secretary tasked with border control, Suella Braverman, is turning up the heat. She horrified liberal opinion and some Tory colleagues when she termed the influx via the Channel an invasion. Days before her statement to the Commons, a white extremist firebombed a Border Force center at the port of Dover. Like her predecessor Priti Patel, Braverman is also the child of immigrants of Indian descent. She was appointed by the new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to placate a right-wing faction that might otherwise have supported Boris Johnsons comeback bid. But aside from the raw internal politics and dubious language, Braverman has a point that requires attention. Advertisement The number of Albanians arriving in Britain has shot up from just 50 two years ago to 12,000 the Home Office estimates that between 1% to 2% of the adult male population of the Balkan country has decamped to the UK. Unlike Afghanistan, Iran and Ukraine, where refugees have fled by boat to Britain this year, Albania is a corrupt country, but not a repressive or war-torn one. While the UK is very slow to process applications, more than half of Albanian migrants whose applications are reviewed are granted asylum status, most after claiming to be victims of slavery gangs. This argument apparently falls flat in continental Europe: France accepts only 8% of Albanian asylum applications, and other west European countries admit fewer or none. Clearly, Britains recent Modern Slavery Act needs tweaking. Twelve thousand might not sound like a lot of people. Legal UK immigration runs to the hundreds of thousands. But across the West, state failure to stem migration rings alarm bells among the voters who fear that a trickle will soon become a flood. Often they are right. Its a difficult job at the best of times for governments to balance compassion to strangers with reassurance to voters worried about the effects of migration on jobs, housing, health and welfare services. And these are not good economic times. Neither the UK government nor the opposition are brave enough to own up to the hard choices and tradeoffs that migration decisions require. The British people are not racist monsters: Polls increasingly suggest they support immigration where it plugs gaps in understaffed health and social services or when it brings in dynamic entrepreneurs. But if politicians fail to follow this logic, they will reap the consequences in public mistrust. Advertisement Currently, both main parties are seeking crude political advantage from the chaos. The Conservatives regard immigration as a classic wedge issue that bolsters their support among Brexit-supporting former Labour voters. If the opposition fails to back their tough policies the government is committed to a scheme whereby asylum seekers are to be flown to Rwanda to have their applications processed then they will be seen as soft. Labour, by contrast, wants to portray Tory ministers as both heartless and incompetent. Both sides have it about right. The government has handled immigration incompetently the Rwanda scheme, for instance, has swallowed 140 million ($158.2 million) of taxpayer money so far without one asylum seeker being processed there and Labour hasnt much of a clue what to do. This should then be a promising moment for a new home secretary. But even many of Bravermans natural allies fear that she is not up to the job. Her competence first came into question when she was sacked from a brief stint in the same job by Liz Truss for sending confidential information by personal email to a fellow Tory MP. She had also called for cannabis to be classed as dangerous as heroin and opposed her bosss attempt to loosen restrictions on economic migrants. Advertisement Braverman describes the snails pace asylum-verification process as not fit for purpose. Right again. In 2004, the Home Office deported 21,000 illegal migrants. Last year, just more than 2,000 were sent home. Conditions at a holding camp for migrants in a former air force base are so squalid that they could be illegal too. Labour, however, is also right to lay the blame for the chaos squarely with the Conservatives. They have been in power since 2010, so if the system is broken, it is the Tories who have failed to fix it. Even on their own terms, the Conservative record is dismal. They wholly unrealistically pledged to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands when first elected in 2010, and have called for reductions ever since, always failing to hit their targets. Then the Tories had a stroke of luck with the Brexit referendum in 2016, as many voters believed that leaving the EU meant they had got back control of the borders. Advertisement Migrant numbers, however, went up. Legal arrivals no longer come from eastern Europe but largely from the Indian sub-continent and Africa. The governments promises have come back to haunt them as illegal migrants land in ever greater numbers on the southeast coast. Political scientist John Curtice, doyen of pollsters, believes the Tories are playing with fire. By putting immigration back to the top of the agenda, they draw attention to their own failures. Liberals will see them as heartless, while their own supporters will view them as useless. The art of politics is to control the political narrative to talk about things where you have a strong message, just as Boris Johnson did when talking up Brexit. But the government is succeeding only in talking up its failures. Only 7% of Tory voters think migration is under control. Bravermans answer is to double down on the Rwanda scheme by making deals with Peru, Belize and Paraguay to warehouse asylum applicants. There are also plans for Britain to withdraw from international agreements governing migrants and human rights. Advertisement All these ideas, however, are fraught with excessive complexity and the risk of backfiring. Sunak is currently reviewing all the promises he made about immigration during his own leadership bid in the summer. Less grandiose pledges would be a start. Tighter gatekeeping, balanced by granting work visas to fill vacancies, may be the unglamorous solution. It also has a better chance of working. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Martin Ivens is the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Previously, he was editor of the Sunday Times of London and its chief political commentator. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Mike Pences comments were also one of the clearest instances of the former vice president trying to set himself apart from Donald Trump, amid the expectation that Pence will challenge Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. MORE COVERAGE 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 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity. Chronicle of the 40th day of the Second Karabakh War: - President Aliyev gave an interview to the Spanish EFE news agency. - The fighting continued mainly in the direction of Aghdara and Khojavand. - Armenia violated ceasefire on the state border with Azerbaijan - Armenian armed forces shelled Goranboy, Tartar, and Aghjabadi. - A person injured as a result of Armenian aggression died in Barda. - The number of Azerbaijani civilians killed as a result of the Armenian aggression reached 92. - Armenian armed forces shelled the villages of Tartar and Aghdam districts. - A video of new military equipment abandoned by Armenian armed forces on the battlefield was released. - Video of the liberated villages of Fuzuli and Khojavand districts was released. - Video of the destruction of the Armenian military infrastructure in Tonashen village was released. - Armenian military column was ambushed and destroyed near Aghdara. - The battery of the 41st artillery regiment of Armenian armed forces was destroyed. An Iranian general on Monday acknowledged that more than 300 people have been killed in the unrest surrounding nationwide protests, giving the first official word on casualties in two months. The argument in workplaces goes something like this. We, of course, aspire to treating others equitably. This begs the question of how do we measure our aspirations? What measures can we put in place to ensure equity? Notice, here, the move from aspiration to accountancy. This is a mistake. Setting sail on the good ship equity we leave behind those petty sorts who cheat the system. But if we are not careful, we might run onto the rocks of accountability. The siren call of the bean-counting mermaids at a distance seem alluring. Frequently only when it is too late do we realise these mermaids are distinctly fishy. Who is not for fairness, impartiality and even-handed dealing? OK, OK, I get it you have already made a long list, including several previous bosses and organisations even. Or that bloke on the bus who deliberately takes up both seats to prevent other commuters sitting down. Or. Or. It is a mistake because the logic from this point on is inexorably perfused with measurement. For instance, having decided we wish to champion equity, we decide we must define what we mean by equity. Because we want to initiate measures, it follows that our definition must permit us to be able to measure whether or not we are achieving our goal of equity. Fairness seems a promising place to start. From there it is but a short step to declaring that everyone must be treated the same. But that does not seem very equitable given people differ in many (most?) things including their needs, their level of effort, their investment, their performance, their results, and a whole range of other factors. Loading Should all clients and customers be treated the same? What about accommodations for those who have particular needs? Does equity mean that everyone gets exactly the same experience? This is the McDonalds versus the local restaurant debate. I could walk into any gin joint or Scottish burger bar in the world and my Gordons will taste the same, as will my Big Mac. This is what commoditisation aims to achieve. Consistency of experience, product, and service. This consistency comes with some costs. Churning out the same old, same old is hardly a receipt for innovation or creativity. It robs consumers of the chance to experience the brilliance of a local chef or an artisanal distillery. It is conformity to the mean average in the name of equity. Too frequently this is a receipt for mediocrity. Pope Francis is studying a possible visit to Bahrain in November and said Thursday he is looking to reschedule his trip to South Sudan and Congo for February. Francis told reporters en route home from Kazakhstan that his strained knee ligaments still hadn't healed and that travelling was ``difficult.'' But the 85-year-old pontiff said he would undertake a next trip _ a reference to a three-day visit to Bahrain in early November that is currently under study by the Vatican, spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Francis had to cancel a planned July trip to South Sudan and Congo after his doctors said he needed more time to undergo therapy on his right knee. Francis has been using a wheelchair and cane for months since he strained the ligaments, and he was in visible pain during the three-day trip to Kazakhstan to participate in an interfaith conference. Francis has declined to undergo surgery, saying he had a bad reaction to anesthesia when he had a chunk of his large intestine removed in July 2021. The South Sudan leg of the Africa trip was supposed to have included the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the moderator for the Church of Scotland. Francis said Thursday he had recently spoken with Archbishop Justin Welby ``and we saw a possibility of going to South Sudan in February. And if I go to South Sudan, I'd go to Congo.'' Other papal trips expected in 2023 are closing out World Youth Day, scheduled for August in Lisbon, Portugal. Search Keywords: Short link: Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A little over a century ago, Louis Brandeis, who would go on to become a US Supreme Court justice, coined a phrase that sunlight is the best disinfectant. It would quickly become a household saying, but many of the influential men and women who sit on the boards of Australias biggest companies, are still learning Brandeis lesson in transparency when it comes to disclosure on sexual harassment and other discrimination within organisations. This month, the federal government will release guidelines for companies on the use of controversial non-disclosure agreements in workplaces, following the expected legislation in federal parliament of the Respect at Work bill. The Respect at Work bill was developed out of the work and the 55 recommendations made in Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins landmark Respect at Work report. The reports recommendations, and the bill once it becomes law, puts the onus on boards and companies to be proactive rather than reactive in tackling sexual harassment. Secrecy is now regarded quite badly. Kate Jenkins, Sex Discrimination Commissioner The legislation will state that boards and companies have a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination at their workplace, and disclose the frameworks they have put in place for employees to report incidents. It was fundamental to the operation of the Sex Discrimination Act that there should be positive duty on employers, explains Kate Jenkins. The external climate has made boards realise that even if you dont want to be disclosing details, or if you dont want to be monitoring sexual harassment, the community, the workforce and investors now expect more of organisations. Secrecy is now regarded quite badly. Jenkins says the issue of sexual harassment remains widespread within companies and society. Its a view shared by Louise Davidson, chief executive at the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), who describes it as endemic across every industry. Advertisement In the past few months, Davidson and ACSI staff have held discussions with public company boards ahead of the annual meeting season to learn what steps the nations biggest companies are taking to prevent and address sexual harassment. Some companies are definitely giving this a lot of focus and putting in place better information flow to the board, says Davidson. Others havent grappled with the extent of the problem that might exist in their organisation or that ultimately its the board that is accountable. They havent quite realised that this is a big risk for them. ACSI chief executive Louise Davidson wants companies to disclose data on their use of non-disclosure agreements, particularly around sexual harassment. Credit:Louise Kennerley ACSI has also been asking boards if their companies use non-disclosure agreements, particularly in sexual harassment cases. If so, then Davidson wants those organisations to make the data available publicly about how many NDAs they have put in place on an annual basis. ACSI represents the nations biggest superannuation funds that hold substantial shareholdings in publicly listed companies. In June last year, ACSI and the Sex Discrimination Commissioners office released a report, Equality across the board: Investing in workplaces that work for everyone, which surveyed 118 out the 200 biggest public companies. The report found that only one in five respondents from those 118 companies thought that their boards had primary responsibility and accountability for the prevention and response to sexual harassment. The report also pointed to the loss in productivity and profit that occurs when companies dont address sexual harassment but instead prefer to cover it up. A Deloitte Access Economics report has estimated the economic cost is as much as $3.8 billion, through lost productivity, staff turnover, absenteeism and other associated effects. Advertisement A handful of companies that are leading in transparency on misconduct matters such as sexual harassment, bullying and racism, include Macquarie, Commonwealth Bank, BHP and Rio Tinto. Macquaries 2022 annual report discloses that it had 82 incidents in its financial year, with 38 involving breaches of the companys code of conduct or workplace behaviour, while 44 incidents involved risk management and technology breaches. In one third of the 82 cases, staff were fired. While in almost half of the cases, there was disciplinary action taken as well as additional training, and also a 44 per cent cut to those employees profit share. Macquarie has a staff of 18,000. Nicola Wakefield Evans, a Macquarie board director, says such disclosure is important in sending a message. What were trying to do is say to our staff and external stakeholders, we take this stuff seriously, and these are the consequences if somebody breaches any of our conduct policies. Its the consequence management thats important because employees want to see that we take action. Macquarie director Nicola Wakefield Evans says providing data on misconduct at the organisation was linked to its culture of accountability. Employees want to see that we take action. Credit:Janie Barrett In its annual report, Commonwealth Bank, which has 49,245 full-time staff, said it had 1,071 incidents in its financial year. The bank did not break out what the misconduct was but said 76 employees were sacked of which eight were senior leaders. The bank has introduced a Speak Up program, through which 317 of those incidents were reported, while another 96 were from whistleblowers. BHP, which employs nearly 80,000 staff and contractors, reported 5,402 incidents in its recent financial year. Those incidents can include safety breaches, fraud, corruption, trade or sanction violations, bullying, racism or sexual harassment. BHP said that across its global operations 103 of those incidents were substantiated cases of sexual harassment. In all but two of those 103 cases the perpetrator was fired, resigned or was removed from the site if they were a contractor. BHP further outlined that 37 of those cases involved non-consensual kissing or touching of a sexual nature - none involved non-consensual penetration or intercourse. While 66 involved other forms of sexual harassment, including inappropriate comments of a sexual nature, unwelcome gestures or comments, sending inappropriate text messages or images, or other unwanted advances or invitations. Advertisement In 2018, the Australian Workplace Survey Report indicated that 70 per cent of women in the mining industry had experienced some form of sexual harassment. Fortescues deputy chair Mark Barnaba says the company has spent more time looking at these issues, and its operational and governance approach to them. This has always been top of mind for the Fortescue Board, however recent events have meant how we as a company address and prevent misconduct has become a far more intrinsic part of our governance model. Fortescues deputy chair Mark Barnaba says the company has spent more time looking at sexual harassment and discrimination issues, and its operational and governance approach to them. Credit:Philip Gostelow Earlier this year, Rio Tinto released a review of its workplace culture, which was carried out by Elizabeth Broderick, a former sex discrimination commissioner. The review found bullying, sexual harassment, racism and other forms of discrimination throughout the company. In September, Rio Tinto reported that one of its workers in the Pilbara in Western Australia was alleged to have sexually assaulted another co-worker and threatened her with a makeshift weapon, and is now facing criminal charges. The alleged perpetrator was removed from the site immediately, and the company informed its entire iron ore staff of the incident in a memo with the support of the alleged victim. Advertisement MinterEllison partner Amanda Watt, who specialises in employment law and has advised many major corporations, says she has witnessed progress by boards around disclosure and acting on sexual harassment cases. They understand that these behaviours often start with everyday sexism and a lack of respect, says Watt. The ones that are really doing well, they are holding their executive leadership teams to account on what Id say is proper data, so they can understand where to target their strategies to address the behaviours. Watt says transparency and disclosure of poor workplace behaviour is a good start, but agrees with Nicola Wakefield Evans that its what the organisation does next that is critical. Its here is our data and what have we learned from these cases, and what are we going to change in how we manage them in the future, says Watt. People know where the bad behaviour is, and theyre looking to the executive leadership team and the board to see whether theyre going to walk their talk. ACSIs Davidson says AMP was a catalyst for the change that is now occurring, while others have listed the #MeToo movement. In 2020, AMPs chair David Murray and board director John Fraser resigned after revelations by The Australian Financial Review that its AMP capital boss Boe Pahari was promoted after a sexual harassment claim made against him by a colleague was settled. AMP was a clear demonstration of how mismanaging a sexual harassment case could ultimately destroy value in a company, says Davidson. Advertisement If there is one common denominator to all sex cults, its the exploitation of women, with an estimated 40 per cent of female participants suffering sexual abuse, according to a new book called Cult Trip by New Zealand-based journalist Anke Richter. One of the myths Richter is keen to dispel is that those who become seduced by cults are gullible, New Age types easily manipulated by a charismatic leader or a sales pitch promising unparalleled personal growth and sexual liberation. Cult followers are not what we think theyre like. Theyre actually people like you and me who are out to improve ourselves, explains Richter in this weeks episode of Good Weekend Talks, a magazine for the ears featuring lively conversations with news-making people on the issues of the day. We all have blind spots, we all have something we can be infatuated about. In this episode, Richter describes her 10-year investigations into sex cults, which began with her own participation in a festival of sexual freedom. I went to a festival in Byron Bay called The Taste of Love Festival, a sort of neo-Tantric festival, and something for me clicked, she says. And I thought, Wow, actually, theres something here for me that I need to explore ... I fell in love with this ecstatic vibe. At that festival, Richter met a woman from New Zealand who had once been a member of Centrepoint, a sex and therapy cult that ran in that country for almost 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s. She said she was the commune concubine as a way of surviving that environment, says Richter. Later, when she left Centrepoint, she was completely lost in the real world. Centrepoint had demonised so much for her that she fell into alcoholism and prostitution and at some point tried to kill herself. She tried really hard to get her life back. Australia risks looking like a laggard when it comes to supporting a fellow liberal democracy under siege. In the past two weeks alone, lawmakers from Germany, Indonesia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and the European Union have visited Taiwan in public shows of solidarity. These rapid-fire rendezvous with the Taiwanese government come on the back of a slew of similar trips in recent months by representatives from Japan, Canada, the United States and France. Meanwhile, British parliamentarians are planning to visit later this year and Indian lawmakers have mooted a similar trip. A Taiwanese frigate fires an anti-air missile. Chinese and Taiwanese and Chinese forces have staged rival military demonstrations in the Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions. Credit:AP By contrast, its now been more than five years since a publicised visit from an Australian parliamentary delegation. However, like their counterparts in other democracies, Australian MPs have compelling reasons to make the trip to Taipei. Although Beijing seeks a world-class military capable of prevailing in any military clash in the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese government would still prefer to weaken and eventually annex Taiwan without the dangers of war. The Iranian-made drones that Russia sent slamming into central Kyiv this week have complicated Israel's balancing act between Russia and the West. Israel has stayed largely on the sidelines since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February so as not to damage its strategic relationship with the Kremlin. Although Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, it has refused Kyiv's frequent requests to send air defense systems and other military equipment and refrained from enforcing strict economic sanctions on Russia and the many Russian-Jewish oligarchs who have second homes in Israel. But with news of Moscow's deepening ties with Tehran, Israel's sworn foe, pressure is growing on Israel to back Ukraine in the grinding war. Israel has long fought a shadowy war with Iran across the Middle East by land, sea and air. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a military spokesman, said the suicide drone attack in Ukraine had raised new concerns in Israel. "We're looking at it closely and thinking about how these can be used by the Iranians toward Israeli population centers,'' he said. The debate burst into the open on Monday, as an Israeli Cabinet minister called on the government to take Ukraine's side. Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen have threatened Israel with the same delta-shaped, low-flying Shahed drones now exploding in Kyiv. The Iranian government has denied providing Moscow with the drones, but American officials say it has been doing so since August. "There is no longer any doubt where Israel should stand in this bloody conflict,'' Nachman Shai, Israel's minister of diaspora affairs, wrote on Twitter. "The time has come for Ukraine to receive military aid as well, just as the USA and NATO countries provide.'' His comments set off a storm in Russia. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram that providing military aid to Ukraine would be "a very reckless move'' by Israel. "It will destroy all interstate relations between our countries,'' he wrote. But Shai doubled down on Tuesday, while stressing his view did not reflect the government's official stance. "We in Israel have a lot of experience in protecting our civilian population over 30 years. We've been attacked by missiles from Iraq and rockets from Lebanon and Gaza,'' Shai, a former military spokesman, told The Associated Press. "I'm speaking about defense equipment to protect Ukraine's civilian population.'' The Israeli prime minister's office and Defense Ministry both declined to comment. For years, Russia and Israel have enjoyed good working relations and closely coordinated to avoid run-ins in the skies over Syria, Israel's northeastern neighbor, where Russian air power has propped up embattled President Bashar Assad. Russia has let Israeli jets bomb Iran-linked targets said to be weapons caches destined for Israel's enemies. Israel has also been keen to stay neutral in the war over concern for the safety of the large Jewish community in Russia. Israel frets about renewed antisemitic attacks in the country, with its long history of anti-Jewish pogroms under Russian czars and purges in the Soviet era. Over 1 million of Israel's 9.2 million citizens have roots in the former Soviet Union. Israel's former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett maintained strict neutrality after the invasion, refraining from condemning Russia's actions and even trying to position himself as a mediator in the conflict. As the U.S. and European Union piled sanctions on Russia, Bennett became the only Western leader to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. But in recent months, Israel's cautious stance has grown more fraught. Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who took over as caretaker leader over the summer, has been more vocal than his predecessor. As foreign minister, he described reports of atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine as possible war crimes. After Russia bombarded Kyiv last week, he "strongly'' condemned the attacks and sent "heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and the Ukrainian people," sparking backlash from Moscow. Tensions rose further when a Russian court in July ordered that the Jewish Agency, a major nonprofit that promotes Jewish immigration to Israel, close its offices in the country. Israel was rattled. A hearing to decide the future of the agency's operations in Russia is set for Wednesday. "Anything could happen,'' said Yigal Palmor, the agency's spokesman. Now, Israeli alarm about the Iranian drones buzzing over Kyiv has heightened the debate. "I think Israel can help even more,'' said Amos Yadlin, a former chief of Israeli military intelligence. He described Israel's "knowledge on how to handle aerial attacks," its "intelligence about Iranian weapons" and "ability to jam them" as potentially crucial to Ukraine. Iran is battle testing weapons that could be used against Israel's northern and southern borders, argued Geoffrey Corn, an expert on the law of war at South Texas College of Law in Houston. Iran backs Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Hamas in the Gaza Strip _ both of which have fought lengthy wars against Israel. If the drones prove effective in Ukraine, Iran will "double down on their development," Corn said. If they are shot down, Iran will have an "opportunity to figure out how to bypass those countermeasures.'' Israel's air defense system, the Iron Dome, has boasted a 90 percent interception rate against incoming rocket fire from Gaza. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out at Israel for not providing Kyiv with the anti-rocket system. Former Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, a onetime Soviet dissident, criticized his country's reluctance to help Ukraine in an interview with the Haaretz daily on Tuesday, deriding Israel as "the last country in the free world which is still afraid to irritate Putin.'' Still, some insist that Israel must not enter the fray precisely because it differs from its Western allies. "We are not Germany or France,'' said Uzi Rubin, a former head of Israel's missile defense program. "We are a country at war.'' Search Keywords: Short link: MILAN (AP) Italy allowed a humanitarian rescue ship carrying 179 migrants to enter a Sicilian port and begin disembarking minors early Sunday, while refusing to respond to requests for safe harbor from three other ships carrying 900 more people in nearby waters. Italy's new far-right-led government has closed its ports to rescue ship run by non-governmental groups and insists that the countries whose flag the ships fly must take in the migrants. It granted the Humanity 1 alone access to port to land minors and people needing medical attention. Officials at the German-run charity that operates the Humanity 1 challenged Italys move to distinguish vulnerable migrants, saying all were rescued at sea and that alone qualifies them for a safe port under international law. Italys only Black lawmaker in the lower chamber, Abourbakar Soumahoro, met the Humanity 1 at the port in Catania and decried the government's closure of ports to NGO ships as a shame. Right now, in the port of Catania there is a selective disembarkation under way, Soumahoro said on Twitter. Worn bodies of castaways already exhausted by cold, fatigue, trauma and torture are considered objects by the government of Giorgia Meloni. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said Friday that the Humanity 1 would be allowed in Italian waters only long enough to disembark minors and people in need of urgent medical care. The measure was approved after Germany and France each called on Italy to grant a safe port to the migrants, and indicated they would receive some of the migrants so Italy wouldn't bear the burden alone. No such provisions have been offered to the other three ships. The Norway-flagged Geo Barents, carrying 572 migrants, and the German-run Rise Above with 93 entered Italian waters east of Sicily this weekend to seek protection from storm-swollen seas, but without receiving consent from Italy or a response to repeated requests for a safe port. The Ocean Viking, operated by the European charity SOS Mediteranee, with 234 migrants on board, remained in international waters, south of the Strait of Messina. Is requests for a port also unanswered. We have been waiting for 10 days for a safe place to disembark the 572 survivors," said Juan Mattias Gil, head of mission for the Geo Barents, which is operated by Doctors without Borders. Operation chief Riccardo Gatti said that besides suffering from skin and respiratory infections, many on board were stressed by the prolonged period at sea. SOS Humanity, which operates Humanity 1, said it had made 19 requests for a safe port, all unanswered. The boat was carrying 100 unaccompanied minors as well as infants as young as 7 months, it said. Italys new government is insisting that countries whose flag the charity-run ships fly must take on the migrants. Speaking at a news conference late Friday, Piantedosi described such vessels as islands that are under the jurisdiction of the flag countries. Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, known for his anti-migrant stance, cheered the new directive that he signed along with Italy's defense and interior ministers. "We stop being hostage to these foreign and private NGOs that organize the routes, the traffic, the transport and the migratory policies," Salvini said in a Facebook video, repeating his allegation that the ships' presence encourages smugglers. Nongovernmental organizations reject that interpretation, and say that they are obligated by the law of the sea to rescue people in distress and that coastal nations are obligated to provide a safe port as soon as feasible. The Italian minister of interiors decree is undoubtedly illegal, sas Mirka Schaefer, advocacy officer at SOS Humanity. Pushing back refugees at the Italian border violates the Geneva Refugee Convention and international law." Most have traveled via Libya, where they set off in unseaworthy boats seeking a better life in Europe, often facing abuses by human traffickers along the way. While the humanitarian-run boats are being denied a safe port, thousands of migrants have reached Italian shores over the last week, either on their own in fishing boats or rescued at sea by Italian authorities. On Saturday, 147 arrived in Augusta, including 59 on the oil ship Zagara that also carried two bodies. The situation on the Rise Above, operated by the German NGO Mission Lifeline, was said to be particularly desperate, with 93 people packed aboard a relatively small 25-meter (82-foot) boat. Spokeswoman Hermine Poschmann described a very critical situation that ... led to very great tensions on board, because passengers saw land and didnt understand why they werent docking. The head of mission on the vessel, Clemens Ledwa, demanded a port of safety immediately, citing bad weather and the limited capacity of the small ship. This is not a wish. This is everyones right, he said Friday night. Emily Schultheis reported from Berlin. Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Russian authorities say a fire in a large cafe in the Russian city of Kostroma has killed 13 people and injured five others. The blaze erupted in the early Saturday after someone apparently used a flare gun. Rescuers were able to evacuate 250 people from the cafe, which saw its roof collapse in the fire. Kostroma is roughly 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of Moscow. A criminal investigation has been launched and a suspect has been apprehended for alledgedly firing a flare gun. The cafe's director is also being questioned. Iran's foreign minister said Monday that Tehran would not remain "indifferent" if it becomes evident Russia is using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine. His remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia ordered around 2,000 drones from Iran, the same kind that Kyiv says Moscow has been using in its recent attacks against Ukraine. "During the war in Ukraine... we are against arming both Russia and Ukraine," Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in video remarks published by local media. "We have not supplied Russia with any weapons or drones for use in the war against Ukraine," he continued, reiterating previous denials whilst acknowledging that the two countries have defence cooperation. Iran's top diplomat reaffirmed his country's willingness to hold direct talks with Ukraine on the matter, and said that he conveyed this to European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in the past days. "I stressed to Mr Borrell that if... it becomes clear to us that Russia has used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will definitely not be indifferent about this issue." Kyiv and its Western allies have repeatedly accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones in attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Iran has previously rejected allegations that it has supplied Russia with weapons "to be used" in Ukraine, while the Kremlin said Western countries aim to "pressure" Tehran. Earlier on Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani rejected US allegations that Iranian military personnel are on the ground in Russian-occupied Crimea to help Moscow carry out drone attacks in Ukraine. "We strongly reject this news," Kanani said in a press conference. The claim by Washington "aims to deviate public opinion from the destructive role they have in the Ukraine war by standing on one side of the conflict and heavily exporting weapons and equipment to Ukraine," he added. On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Iranian forces are "on the ground in Crimea" to assist Russia in its operations, adding that the personnel are trainers and tech support workers. Kirby said "Tehran is now directly engaged on the ground, and through the provision of weapons that are impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine". The United States, alongside Britain and the European Union, have already imposed sanctions on Iran over the issue of drones. Last month, Kyiv decided to significantly reduce its diplomatic relations with Tehran over alleged arms deliveries to Moscow. Search Keywords: Short link: PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) Representatives of the ethnic Serb minority in Kosovo on Saturday resigned from their posts in protest over the dismissal of a police officer who did not follow the government's decision on vehicle license plates. Earlier this week Pristina authorities dismissed a senior Serb police officer in northern Kosovo, where most of the ethnic Serbs live, who refused to respect the decision to change vehicle license plates in Kosovo to ones issued by Kosovo. The shift has ignited volatile issues about Kosovo's sovereignty, especially among its Serb minority, many of whom still want the former Serb province to be part of Serbia and not independent. Serbia itself has never recognized the independence of Kosovo. As the measure came into effect Tuesday, Kosovo authorities said enforcement would be gradual. In three weeks Pristina authorities will be issuing warnings to the ethnic Serbs who keep their old license plates. For the next two months they will be fined, and the next three months they can drive only with replaced temporary local plates. Ethnic Serbs have a government minister, 10 parliamentarians and other top posts in governing, police and judiciary in their four local communities. All resigned and senior police officers symbolically took off their uniforms Saturday. The effect of the mass resignation was unclear. Both Pristina and Belgrade toughened their language and accused each other of violating the deals they have reached at EU-mediated negotiations. The European Union has told Kosovo and Serbia they must normalize ties if they want to advance toward membership in the 27-nation bloc. Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani accused Belgrade of exerting pressure on Kovoso's ethnic Serb minority. Such a move urged from Serbia proves again what we have repeated many times, that Serbia is destabilizing Kosovo and the region because of its territorial and hegemonistic goals, said Osmani. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti called on the ethnic Serbs not to boycott the local institutions, not to fall prey of political manipulations and geo-political games. Kurti claimed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was lying to American and European envoys and often meets with and coordinates with the Russian ambassador to Belgrade." Not being a democratic country, Serbia is becoming a Kremlin tool, Kurti posted on social media. In Belgrade, Vucic attended a government session, met the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije, as well as the ambassadors of allies Russia and China, to discuss the situation in Kosovo. Vucic also spoke on the phone with the U.S. ambassador in Belgrade. Vucic said Serbia is determined to strongly defend its vital national interests. Serbias Prime Minister Ana Brnabic accused Pristina authorities of increasing attacks "on Serbs ... their property was illegally taken away, rare returnees were most brutally harassed and expelled again, innocent people arrested and convicted. Trouble brewed this summer over Serbias and Kosovos refusal to recognize each others identity documents and vehicle license plates. Kosovo Serbs in the north put up roadblocks, sounded air raid sirens and fired guns into the air. In August, EU and U.S. envoys negotiated a solution to the travel documents problem, allowing the situation to calm down. Pristina also postponed to Nov. 1 the decision to require vehicles holding old or Serbian license plates to replace them with Kosovar ones. That also meant that vehicles entering from Serbia had to replace Serbian license plates with Kosovo ones. For the past 11 years, the reverse has been required by Serbia for vehicles coming in from Kosovo. Kosovos 2008 independence has been recognized by the United States and most EU countries, while Serbia has relied on support from Moscow and China for its bid to retain the former province. - Semini reported from Tirana, Albania; Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade. - Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini POWDERLY, Texas (AP) Tornadoes tore through parts of Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, killing at least one person, injuring two dozens others and leaving dozens of homes and buildings in ruins. Tornadoes hit hard in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, in the southeastern corner of the state. Cody McDaniel, the county's emergency manager, confirmed one death although he didn't immediately provide details. The small town of Idabel saw a church, medical center and a school torn apart. There was total destruction on the south and east sides of Idabel, Steven Carter, an emergency management coordinator for McCurtain County, told the Texarkana Gazette. Carter told the paper people were still trapped late Friday. Gov. Kevin Stitt said search-and-rescue teams and generators were being sent to the Idabel area. Praying for Oklahomans impacted by todays tornadoes, Stitt tweeted. Keli Cain of the Oklahoma Emergency Management Office said at least three other counties were also hit by storms, with flash flooding in some areas. The National Weather Service said tornadoes also were reported in Texas and Arkansas and a storm system was heading toward Lousiana. In Texas, authorities in Lamar County said at least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed and 10 people were treated at one hospital, including two with critical injuries. No deaths were immediately reported. Judge Brandon Bell, the countys highest elected official, declared a disaster in the area, a step in getting federal assistance and funding. Bells declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county. One community hit hard was Powderly, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Idabel and about 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. Both Powderly and Idabel are near the Texas-Oklahoma border. The Lamar County Sheriffs Office and Emergency Management said the tornado touched down shortly after 4 p.m. and traveled north-northeast through the communities of Hopewell, Caviness, Beaver Creek and Powderly. Randi Johnson, chief of the Powderly Volunteer Fire Department, told The Paris News newspaper that she wasnt aware anyone had been killed but knew of injuries. Its going to take a long time to get this cleaned up, but the community came together, Johnson said. Its really heartbreaking to see. Churches opened their doors to serve as shelters for those whose homes were impacted. NEWTOWN, Pa. -- It's estimated that nearly 50 percent of college students experience food or housing insecurity. Now a school in Bucks County is taking matters into its own hands to help students in need. 20-year-old Lateefat Adewale is working towards a business degree, but for this Bucks Community College Sophomore, studying is just part of the curriculum. "College students are known as being the broke college student with a cup of ramen and things like that," said Lateefat. It's no different from a 2-4 year financial aid doesn't always help you out. Starting last year the college has helped students where financial aid doesn't. "It's at least 30% of students that need assistance while they're here." Christina McGinley says the privately donated Bucks Student Emergency fund offers up to $500 micro grants for students who can't pay for things like food, rent, gas, and emergency child care. 56 students were assisted last year. "We are trying to help our students graduate faster, stay enrolled, we don't want unexpected expenses to derail their educational plans," said Christina. It stems from the college's 2018 food assistance program. A campus food pantry is now offered. McGinley says the pandemic only exacerbated and expanded the need. As the need for the programs grows so does the need for funds to feed it. So this Saturday the college is hosting its first ever fundraiser at the Tyler mansion. The goal raise $50,000 for the micro grants. For Lateefat who's also the student government president, it's a way to calm the financial fears of fellow students. "When you think about it community college isn't just for students out of high school. It's about everyone wanting to come back and get degree one way or another," said Lateefat. Bucks County Community College President Dr. Felcia Ganther joined WFMZ to talk about how the program helps students. US President Joe Biden and Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday discussed the growing threat to Ukraine from Russia's Iranian-supplied war drones, as Israel comes under pressure to help Kyiv. Herzog told reporters at the White House after his talks that they "mainly" discussed Iran's nuclear program, the crushing of protesters demonstrating against strict Iranian religious laws, and the issue of Tehran's drone sales to Russia. The weapons are "killing innocent Ukrainian citizens," Herzog said. Israel has been reluctant to get involved in a US-led alliance helping pro-Western Ukraine to repel a bloody Russian invasion. But Herzog's trip to Washington underlined Israeli concern at the growing role of Iran in the conflict, with Tehran accused of supplying fleets of deadly drones used by Russia against Ukrainian civilian targets. On Tuesday, Herzog met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and announced he was sharing intelligence to prove that Iran has been supplying military drones to the Russians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed this Wednesday, saying "this is a positive trend in relations with Israel.... After a long pause, I see us moving forward." Biden and Herzog also discussed Iran's ongoing tussle with the international community over its nuclear program, which it insists has only civilian goals. Israel opposes a push by the Biden administration to salvage a deal that would reinstate international inspections in Iran in exchange for sanctions relief. "They consulted on a wide range of global and regional issues of mutual concern, including the threats posed by Iran and its proxies. The president emphasized his administration's pledge to ensure Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon," the White House said in a statement after the talks. Maritime border "breakthrough" Sitting alongside Herzog in the White House Oval Office, Biden praised Israel for reaching a long-delayed accord with Lebanon on their sea border. The deal was brokered by the United States. Biden hailed the "historic breakthrough." "It took a lot of courage for you to step up and step into it," he told Herzog. "It took some real guts. It took principled and persistent diplomacy to get it done." Biden said the newly agreed border would allow both countries to develop energy fields, and it would "create new hope and economic opportunities." However he pressed the Israeli president on the need to "deescalate" the violent standoff in the Palestinian West Bank and "underscored that a negotiated two-state solution remains the best avenue to achieve a lasting peace" with the Palestinians, the White House readout said. Biden "underlined the need to take continued steps to improve the lives of Palestinians, which are critical to peace, security and prosperity." Herzog indicated that Biden would be attending the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next month -- something not yet confirmed by the White House -- and said the climate crisis "can serve as a common denominator for so many nations." Herzog's visit comes days ahead of Israel's fifth election in less than four years. Hawkish ex-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had tense relations with Democratic US administrations, is seeking a comeback. It also comes less than two weeks before Americans vote in the midterm elections that are predicted to strip Biden's Democrats of their control of Congress. "We have elections in Israel and you're having midterm elections in the United States but one thing is clear -- I think this visit epitomizes that our friendship, our strong bond transcends all political differences," Herzog told Biden. Search Keywords: Short link: COTTAGE GROVE What started out as a mistake and blossomed into a business with a cult-like following is on the cusp of massive growth. Nutkrack, the candied pecan company with the surfer dude on the label, has moved its production and headquarters out of an apartment-size space on Atwood Avenue and into an 18,900-square-foot facility with a large commercial kitchen, offices, a breakroom, warehouse space, a loading dock and walk-in coolers. Nutkrack will still have a retail and shipping space at its Atwood location. The shop is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. In December it will also be open from 1 to 6 p.m. Mondays. The new building in the Cottage Grove Commerce Park was constructed five years ago for Atlantis Valley Foods, which built a larger facility across the street. Nutkrack officials believe their $2.3 million investment to buy and equip the building created an ideal space to expand its offerings beyond the Midwest and grow tenfold during the next five years. "It allows us to dream big," chef and co-founder Eric Rupert said of the new facility. "Our previous facility was 10 times smaller. This allows us to grow and to keep everything in house." Some of the proof can be seen in the warehouse, where 260,000 empty cans fill pallets along a wall with more on order. In the walk-in coolers, hundreds of boxes of pecans grown in New Mexico await processing, and there are plans for a $300,000 automated packaging line designed to vastly increase efficiency and eliminate filling and sealing cans one at a time by hand. Whole Foods has become one of Nutkrack's largest customers and Metcalfe's Market at Hilldale its top individual store "by far." Rupert is contemplating more flavors for the Nutkrack lineup. A happy accident The entrepreneurial explosion is coming just four years after the first cans of product were placed inside Fromagination, a cheese shop on the Capitol Square. Nutkrack, now with 11 employees, was born in about 2008, when Rupert, who has been a chef in the Madison area for decades, was making candied pecans for a salad. But during the process he accidentally dunked a pound of pecans in the wrong pot. It turns out, they were unlike anything Rupert had ever tasted. At first, he just gave the newfound concoction out as gifts at Christmas, but after some nudging by his family Rupert created a simple website. In 2018, he opened a small shop and production facility near the Barrymore Theatre on Atwood Avenue but kept his job at Epic Systems Corp., where he worked in the culinary department. Rupert's cooking resume, which began when he was 14, weighing hamburger and making patties at Dotty Dumpling's Dowry, also includes stints at Ovens of Brittany, L'Etoile, Atlas Pasta & Deli, the Opera House and a corporate gig at Sub Zero Wolf, where he trained dealers how to use the company's stoves, ovens and refrigeration units. Rupert went to Epic in 2008 but quit his job in 2020 to focus on the growth of Nutkrack. An evolution Central to Nutkrack's evolution is co-founder Jessica Benish, a former co-worker at Epic who is Nutkrack's chief operations officer. Sam McDaniel, a longtime food manufacturing consultant who has a track record of helping small companies monetize their concept, met Rupert through his wife, who worked at Epic. McDaniel began advising Nutkrack at its founding but became the company's CEO in 2019. "As far as Nutkrack is concerned, it's the best and easiest thing to sell that I've ever come across in 20-plus years of food," McDaniel said. "It's a well-positioned, incredibly high-quality product. It's sort of an innovation in the market without a change because everybody knows what candied pecans are, but these are just so much better." Sales doubled in each of the first three years and have slowed somewhat this year due to the economy, but the company is expected to crank out 125,000 pounds of product in 2022. The nuts are sold in Classic, Firecracker and Everything flavors in four-, eight- and 16-ounce cans and two-pound bags. A new flavor, Winter Mix, is one of three eight-ounce flavors in a new collectors tin being offered this holiday season. If the company hits its goals, production could easily surpass 1 million pounds by 2027. Nutkrack entered Whole Foods stores in the Midwest in the third quarter of 2021 and is eyeing other stores outside the region in the coming months. Nutkrack has upwards of 500 wholesale accounts around the country, but they are primarily in the Midwest. About 30% of the company's sales come from its website. Rupert has also hit the road serving up samples in 100 stores this year, McDaniel said. "We're a little bit old-fashioned as we're really focused on service to the accounts, even if we're selling through a distributor," McDaniel said. "We focus on that very much. We want to get to know people in the stores, and we want to have stores that are huge fans and advocates of the products." The process to make Nutkrack products is closely guarded. They are cooked in four-pound batches, seasoned in large aluminum mixing bowls and then placed in a single layer on large cooking sheets that are placed on racks in front of fans to speed up the drying process. Nutkrack is vegan, certified gluten-free and has just 7% sugar, compared with many other brands that can be as high as 50% sugar. The Firecracker flavor includes five different types of chili including Ancho, Guajillo and Pasilla, while the Everything flavor includes kosher salt, sesame and poppy seeds and dehydrated garlic and onion. Candied pecans have a foothold in the South but not so much in the Midwest. There are more than 90 brands on the market, and Rupert and his staff have tried them all. They believe the market has plenty of room for the offerings from Nutkrack, which is why they made the move to Cottage Grove and a facility that is 10 times the size of its previous location. "I've been around food for a long time, and this is the best thing I've ever made," Rupert said. "I knew it was going to be a journey, but I didn't know what the journey would look like. I've made a lot of good food over the years, and I've never seen people react to anything I've made the way they do to these." The student thespians and tech crew in the Reedsburg Area High School (RAHS) theater department are working to keep the lights on red, green, and yellow. Under the guidance of director Jeff Herschleb, more than 45 students are taking their production of One Stoplight Town to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Associations State Drama Theatre One Act Festival on Saturday, where a panel of judges will determine whether they take the show further down the road to state competition in Whitewater. The play, by Tracy Wells, centers, in six scenes, on a small town and the controversy among its citizens over a newly installed stoplight, the first in the town. Taking place across a 20-year time span, different characters take the stage to discuss their experience living in the town and their opinions on the changes happening. Between the two old ladies sitting on a bench and a resident handyperson/philosopher, Herschleb says audience members will be able to find a bit of themselves in the people on stage, telling many stories within the main story. Everybody in the audience that watches this show will be able to relate to somebody or one of the characters on the stage for sure, he said. Weeks of rehearsals and set building have led to the performances, culminating in a full grocery storefront, a functional stoplight and street lights, a bench, a curb and a sidewalk. Herschleb said he picked this show to highlight his students technical skills, which especially show through the lightboard made to control the prop stoplight and other stage lights. The set is absolutely amazing, said Herschleb. We have an incredible technical group of kids. Facing a 40-minute block of time between empty stage and empty stage, Herschleb says his students technical skills have truly reached new levels. Between setting up, performing, and taking everything down, the students are running an average of 39 minutes and 15 seconds. You have to put up your set, do your play, and then take your set down all in 40 minutes or less, he said. While Reedsburgs set is a tad more intricate than may be typical of such a time frame, Herschleb says the cast and crew like to push limits. Thats one of the main reasons I picked this particular show, he said. To showcase all of our students, our technical crew and our actors. RAHS senior actor Cameron Erickson says hes up for the challenge. A school theater veteran, One Stoplight Town is Ericksons seventh show, in which he goes by the name of Jim Matthews, a boy who falls in love with a girl named Sally as audiences watch the two grow older together, experiencing the changes of life. Its a really great show, and Im really looking forward to it, said Erickson. From our first read through, everyone has grown tremendously, and its such a great thing to see. Apart from his many roles onstage, he also serves as the secretary of the schools Drama Club. While taking part in all the extracurriculars may seem overwhelming on top of the everyday homework and tests of high school, Erickson says the time commitment is one hes happy to be making. Theatre is so much more than an experience to me, its more of a lifestyle, he said. Yes, a lot of time and commitment goes into these shows, but thats part of what makes it fun. Its a lifestyle Herschleb has lived for about two decades, and a commitment he says hes proud to see Erickson and other students making through five weeks of rehearsals and performances. The work ethic is huge, said Herschleb. We get a lot done in a short amount of time and we just dont waste time. The theater group takes its work to the one-act festival every other year, interspersed with fall musicals. Each spring, members also put on a full production. We like to vary it up a little bit so they get several different experiences, Herschleb said. Each kid gets the chance to be on stage two times a year. Among Herschlebs top priorities, he says, is ensuring his students are well-rounded, prepared for whatever comes their way post-high school. For students like Erickson, who hope to stick with theater after graduation, this means building experiences, giving them different types of performance and behind-the-scenes opportunities. Were giving them lots of different rounded experiences so that when they move on to the next level, they are well-rounded and have lots of different things that theyve experienced, said Herschleb. The Columbia County Aging and Disability Resource Center will be presenting Fortune Cookies, a short play that will give a wide range of people help when dealing with and discussing dementia and memory loss. The play, along with a complimentary dinner and community conversation, will be Nov. 16 at Northwoods Inc. of Wisconsin, N6510 Highway 51. The free event begins with dinner at 5 p.m., and the play starts at 6 p.m. This program takes a unique approach to building, sharing information, and inviting authentic community conversations about memory loss, ADRC director Sue Lynch said. Audience members come together for a meal and then watch the play together, followed by a facilitated conversation. The ADRC is working with professional actors to put on the one-act play with the help of The Remember Project. The actors will bring life to real issues caregivers, family members and individuals face when living with memory loss. Nellie Mueller is the dementia care specialist with the ADRC. She said memory loss, whether it is Alzheimers disease or dementia, is something that can touch anyones life. Memory loss, especially in its more serious forms of Alzheimers and dementia, effects all of us in one way or another, Mueller said. This event will be particularly useful for those with a dementia diagnosis or caregivers/relatives of somebody who has a diagnosis. Attendance may also be useful for staff who are public facing and may interact more often with those who suffer from memory loss, Mueller added. The play is about 30 minutes and will be followed by a community conversation lasting about an hour. Mueller said space is limited for the event, and people will need to sign up online at columbia-fortune2022.eventbrite.com or by calling 608-742-9726. Registration is required, with a maximum of 140 attendees. November is National Caregivers month, Mueller added. This event isnt the only opportunity for Columbia County residents to receive resources for dealing with dementia. Mueller provided this list of ways the ADRC can help those who need it. Dementia care specialists can help connect you with opportunities in your community to keep you active and involved. Your dementia care specialists goal is to help you maintain independence in your community as long as is safely possible. Dementia care specialists are able to help you connect with caregiver support groups, educational opportunities and resources available in and around your community. Dementia care specialists can help connect you with a list of upcoming Memory Cafes, which provide a comfortable space where caregivers and their loved one can socialize, listen to music and play games. Dementia care specialists can help you assess your current situation and help you safely plan for the future. Memory screens are a wellness tool that helps identify possible changes in memory and cognition over a period of time. These screens are offered at the ADRC for free or they can be completed in the privacy of your own home. Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Republican incumbent Ron Johnson did not respond. Mandela Barnes Party: Democratic Age: 35 Address: Milwaukee Family: Parents LaJuan and Jesse Job: Lieutenant governor Prior elected office: State Assembly, four years Other public service: Community organizer, 10 years Education: Communications media, Alabama A&M Q&A Why are you the best candidate for this office? Im running for the U.S. Senate to rebuild the middle class and give everyone a fair shot at the American dream. I was raised by a public school teacher and a third shift auto worker. Those jobs gave my parents a ticket to the middle class. Thats why Ill never stop fighting for everyone in Wisconsin to get the same opportunities my parents gave me. What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it? My focus is ensuring our economy works for working people. For too long, Ron Johnson prioritized tax breaks for billionaires and special interests while working people are left in the dust. I believe we can invest in working families and pay for it by ensuring the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share. How would you address the nations deficit and debt? My opponent Sen. Johnson supported a tax bill that added $2 trillion to the deficit and delivered millions in tax breaks to himself and his billionaire donors. I believe we should prioritize working people and middle-class families and ensure the wealthiest among us pay their fair share, and thats what Ill fight for in the U.S. Senate. Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain. In the Senate, I would support making Roe v. Wade the law of the land. I trust women and medical professionals to make these decisions, not politicians. I would also fight to ensure that the life and health of the woman is protected under the law. Unfortunately, Sen. Johnson co-sponsored an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the woman. How should the federal government improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement? My mother was a public school teacher for thirty years and Im a proud graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools. I believe every child should have access to a high quality education no matter their zip code. We need to make sure our schools are fully funded. In the legislature I fought for school funding and as Lt. Governor I helped deliver historic investments in education. How should the federal government address the countrys workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors? As your next United States Senator, I will level the playing field for small businesses to compete and address bad trade deals and anti-competitive practices to boost Wisconsin business and compete with China. Ill also help Wisconsin businesses attract workers, grow local jobs, and address supply chain issues by passing Senator Baldwins Made in America Act. RAYMOND Six months after voters cast their ballots in a Raymond School Board election, one of the campaigns hottest issues appears to have been decided belatedly in favor of defeated candidate Jillian Berman. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has ruled in Bermans favor on the issue of whether she was a legally registered voter in the Village of Raymond while running for school board. Raymond village officials, however, are appealing the ruling and continuing the debate over Bermans residency in a civil lawsuit filed against the state in Racine County Circuit Court. Bermans husband, Mitchell Berman, said Raymond residents should know about the expenses being incurred in an ongoing effort to challenge the couples residency and to prevent them from registering to vote. All in an attempt to disqualify my wife from getting a school board seat, they (village officials) illegally disenfranchised us for two elections and spent taxpayer money in doing so, Mitchell Berman said. His comments came in an email that he sent before village officials decided to continue the fight by suing the state. The couple declined to comment further. The Village Board has hired the Waukesha law firm of Arenz Molter Macy & Riffle in an effort to overturn the state election commission decision. The villages appeal was filed Oct. 21. Village President Kari Morgan defended the decision to file suit, while casting doubts on the state election commission, which is a bipartisan panel empowered by state lawmakers to implement election laws. Referring to the Village Board, Morgan said, The board is a big proponent of voting integrity, and we are ensuring that the laws are being followed as listed in the state statutes and not being interpreted by a commission that is not elected by the people. The dispute stems from the fact that the Bermans registered to vote at an address where they were building a new house in Raymond. The couple ran into construction delays and were staying temporarily with friends elsewhere, having already sold their previous home. Using their new address on Eight Mile Road, the couple enrolled their children for school, signed up for utilities, got new drivers licenses, started getting mail and licensed their pets. But when Jillian Berman filed to run for school board, fellow candidate Gwen Keller challenged Bermans voted registration and joined others in the community in stirring questions about Bermans residency. Keller ultimately came out on top in the April 5 election, while Berman finished out of the running and lost her chance to serve on the school board. Keller declined to comment about the election commission ruling dismissing her challenge. She also would not say whether she owes Berman an apology. Village Clerk Linda Terry conducted a hearing on the matter in February before agreeing with Keller and invalidating the voter registrations for Berman and her husband. The couple then appealed to the state election commission. The state commission found that the the village clerk wrongfully stripped the Bermans of their status as registered voters. The state ordered the village clerk to reinstate the couple as registered voters at the Eight Mile Road address. Noting that even homeless people in Wisconsin have a right to vote, the commission found that denying the Bermans registration in the Village of Raymond would make it virtually impossible for them to vote anywhere. The couple was not permitted to vote in the April 5 school board election, even though Jillian Berman was on the ballot. State commissioners said the village clerk based her decision on an erroneous interpretation of the law that ran contrary to the fact that the Bermans were physically at the Eight Mile Road construction site daily, and that they intended to reside there once the new house was finished. A difference on any of these points, the decision stated, could have changed the commissions decision. The ruling was issued Oct. 3. The Village Board held a special meeting three days later, voting to take the matter to court. The suit seeks an order overturning the election commission ruling or remanding it back to the commission for reconsideration. The suit also seeks reimbursement for the villages costs in the suit. No hearing has been scheduled yet in the matter. Terry, who has been the village clerk for 12 years, is named as the plaintiff, although the village is making the appeal and paying the costs. Terry said she has taken steps to reinstate the Bermans as registered voters, but she still defends her earlier decision to invalidate them. I feel that I did what I was supposed to do based on the information that I received, she said. Asked if her actions resulted in denying the Bermans their right to vote, Terry said, People can read it how they want to read it. The voter registration dispute contributed to residency questions that created a shadow over Bermans eligibility to join the school board during the April campaign. The school district considered removing her from the ballot, but officials decided against such a move. Keller was joined by school board member Art Binhack in distributing fliers that questioned Bermans legitimacy as a candidate. Another board member, Audrey Kostuch, expressed similar questions on social media. Besides the residency issue, the election was an exceptionally rare one for Raymond School. In the two prior elections, there had been no contested races. In 2022, there had to be a primary since there were six candidates that needed to be narrowed down to a field of four, of whom two were elected to the board in April. Voters on April 5 elected Keller with 535 votes and Janell Wise with 478 votes, while Binhack and Berman fell short with 464 votes and 334 votes respectively. School board members serve three-year terms at a salary of $2,350 a year. Kostuch declined to comment about the election commissions ruling, and Binhack could not be reached for comment. School Board President Jeremy Childers said he did not take sides in the debate about Bermans residency, and he does not know whether the issue affected the outcome of the election. Childers, however, said he hopes that Berman remains active in the school district, and that she considers running for school board again. It was pretty contentious back and forth on both sides, he said. Its unfortunate that she went through that. Pope Francis, leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, on Thursday began a trip to Bahrain aimed at fostering dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The first papal visit to the island nation is this pontiff's second voyage as pope to the Arabian peninsula, after a 2019 trip to the United Arab Emirates also aimed at inter-faith outreach. The pope, 85, who is using a wheelchair due to knee problems, used an electronic platform to board the plane and broke with his usual practice of greeting journalists on arrival. Uniformed guards on horseback and Vatican and Bahrain flags lined the route of his short journey to the lavish Sakhir Royal Palace, where he was greeted by a crowd of cheering children. During his trip, which lasts until Sunday, he will meet Bahrain's king, hold an open-air mass and lead a prayer for peace at a vast modern cathedral opened last year. Francis is set to conduct a courtesy visit with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa following a welcoming ceremony, and then give a speech to authorities, diplomats and members of civil society. On Friday, Francis will address the "Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence", organised by the UAE-based Muslim Council of Elders. 'Banner of dialogue' Afterwards, he will hold a private meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of the prestigious Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest Sunni institution. The two religious leaders signed a joint document pledging interfaith coexistence during Francis' UAE trip in 2019. The Argentine pope has made outreach to Muslim communities a priority during his papacy, visiting major Muslim countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, and most recently in September, Kazakhstan. On Tuesday, Francis asked the faithful assembled on Saint Peter's Square to pray for his upcoming trip, calling it "a journey under the banner of dialogue". Ahead of the voyage, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists that the pope's view "concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and known". 'Prayer for peace' Friday's "prayer for peace" will be held at the cavernous Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali, which seats more than 2,000 people and opened in December. It was built to serve Bahrain's approximately 80,000 Catholics, mainly workers from southern Asia, including India and the Philippines. On Saturday, Francis will lead mass at Bahrain's national stadium before a crowd of nearly 30,000 people, where workers on Wednesday were adding finishing touches, including a giant gold cross above Francis' chair. Francis will preside over a prayer meeting with Catholic clergy and others on Sunday before returning to Rome. Search Keywords: Short link: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei] BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Xi noted that Scholz is the first European leader to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and that it is also his first visit to China as the Federal Chancellor. Xi said the visit will further enhance the mutual understanding and trust between the two sides and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and gives the two sides an opportunity to plan for the growth of bilateral ties going forward. Xi stressed that China-Germany relations could not have reached today's level without the extraordinary vision and political courage of generations of Chinese and German leaders, mentioning this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations. The five-decade journey shows that as long as the two sides follow the principles of respecting each other, seeking common ground while reserving differences, maintaining exchanges and mutual learning, and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation, bilateral ties will keep going in the right direction on the whole and making steady progress, he said. Noting the complex and fluid international landscape, Xi underscored the need for China and Germany, two major countries with great influence, to work together in times of change and instability and contribute more to world peace and development. China will work with Germany for a future-oriented all-round strategic partnership and for new progress in China-Germany and China-Europe relations. Xi briefed Scholz on the 20th CPC National Congress, with a particular focus on the essence of Chinese modernization. He pointed out that modernization is an aspiration and goal shared by people in all countries. That said, countries should choose their paths to modernization in light of their own national realities. Xi said Chinese modernization has elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features unique to the Chinese context, because of China's unique national conditions, because of China's social system and governance philosophy, and because of understanding gained through decades of endeavors toward modernization. The president said China has been upholding and promoting world peace through its own development. In this process, the development of China and that of other countries have become more interconnected and mutually reinforcing. China will stay committed to advancing high-standard opening up, keep to the right direction in economic globalization, promote an open world economy, and expand converging interests with other countries. Xi stressed that political trust is easy to destroy but difficult to rebuild and that it should be nurtured and protected by both sides. He cited a quote which former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt used and which he appreciated, that political leaders should have the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can change, and the wisdom to distinguish between the two. "It is important that China and Germany respect each other, accommodate each other's core interests, adhere to dialogue and consultation, and jointly resist disturbance from bloc confrontation and attempts to see everything through the prism of ideology," Xi said. He called on both sides to keep to the overall direction of bilateral ties from a strategic height, pursue the biggest common ground in a constructive manner, and advance practical cooperation with an open mind to create conditions for long-term and steady growth of bilateral ties. "There should be no self-imposed restrictions or unrealistic expectations," Xi said. Noting the high degree of stability and consistency in China's policy toward Germany, he called on Germany to follow a positive China policy for the mutual benefits of both countries. Xi pointed out that over the past five decades, bilateral practical cooperation has kept deepening, with two-way trade growing by almost 1,000 times, serving economic and social development in both countries. "The two sides should make the pie of common interests still bigger," he said, adding that while exploring more cooperation potential in traditional areas, efforts should be made to energize cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence and digitalization. China will work with Germany and Europe to further deepen aviation cooperation, conduct exchanges and cooperation on COVID-19, increase interactions and mutual learning on green development and ecological conservation, and encourage more people-to-people exchanges, he said, calling on Germany to join China in resisting protectionism so that the fruitful bilateral cooperation can deliver more benefits to the two peoples. Xi pointed out that China-Europe relations bear on global stability and prosperity in Eurasia and should be maintained and developed with efforts from both sides. Xi said China always regards Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner, supports the strategic autonomy of the European Union and wishes Europe stability and prosperity. China maintains that its relations with Europe are not targeted at, dependent on, or subjected to a third party. The more complex and difficult the situation becomes, the more important it is for China and Europe to uphold mutual respect, mutual benefit, dialogue and cooperation, Xi said. "China will work with Germany and with Europe to step up coordination and cooperation in international affairs and jointly look for solutions for such global issues as climate change, biodiversity and food security." Scholz expressed his pleasure to visit China in a year that marks the 50th anniversary of Germany-China diplomatic relations and have an in-depth discussion with Xi on Germany-China relations and on important issues of mutual interest. He thanked Xi for the update on China's development outlook. He observed that in a complex and grave international landscape, Europe also faces unprecedented challenges. China is playing an important role on many global issues like climate change, biodiversity, COVID-19 response and food crisis. Germany wants to maintain communication and coordination with China to better safeguard regional and global peace and security. Scholz said China is an important trading partner for Germany and for Europe as a whole. Germany firmly supports trade liberalization, supports economic globalization, and opposes decoupling. Germany stands ready for closer trade and economic cooperation with China, and supports more mutual investment by Chinese and German businesses. Scholz said on issues where the two countries' positions diverge, Germany is willing to exchange views with China to increase mutual understanding and trust, and stabilize, cement and grow bilateral ties. A multi-polar world is needed in which the role and influence of emerging countries can be taken seriously. Germany opposes bloc confrontation for which politicians should be responsible. Germany will play its role in furthering Europe-China relations. The two leaders also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. Xi reaffirmed China's support for Germany and Europe to play an important role in facilitating peace talks and to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture in Europe. Under the current circumstances, the international community should support all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and call on relevant parties to remain rational and exercise restraint, start direct engagement as quickly as possible, and create conditions for the resumption of talks; oppose the use of or the threat to use nuclear weapons, advocate that nuclear weapons cannot be used and that nuclear wars must not be fought, and prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia; work together to keep global industrial and supply chains stable and forestall disruption to international cooperation in energy, food, finance and other areas and consequent damage to global economic recovery, especially the economic and fiscal stability of developing countries; and make joint efforts to tide civilians in areas affected by the crisis through the winter, and improve the humanitarian situation to avoid a humanitarian crisis on a bigger scale. After the meeting, Xi held a banquet for Scholz at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People. Wang Yi and He Lifeng were present at the events. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei] Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] (Source: Xinhua) Projections show substantial declines in future yields under unmitigated warming. The negative effect of climate change is not limited to staple foods. Production of fruits and vegetables is projected to decline sharply as climate changes. Importantly, these effects are uneven over space. Countries in the Global South --- where temperatures are already high --- suffer a disproportionate burden because extreme heat is much worse than moderate heat for crop yields. Egypt, like many other countries, faces the challenge of how to adapt the agricultural sector to climate change. Along these lines, Egypts Ministry of International Cooperation has launched the Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy Program (NWFE) to implement multiple projects targeting the water, food, and energy sectors. These investments have the potential to support programs and policies that trigger climate adaptation. But the policy approaches that we take should be based on rigorous on-the-ground evidence that studies both the efficacy of adaptation investments and the incentives that farmers face to take them up. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), where I am an affiliated professor, works with governments across the world to carry out randomized evaluations studying what works and what does not work for lowering poverty. Since 2020, J-PALs Middle East and North Africa office (J-PAL MENA), based at the American University in Cairo, has been working with the government, NGOs, and other stakeholders to use randomized evaluations for informing policy in Egypt and the broader region. The current climate crisis presents a similar challenge. Namely, what policies and interventions protect agriculture the most from climate change? Our goal should be to direct our adaptation investments to policies with proven effectiveness. At the same time, on the ground randomized evaluations should be done to tell us which of our adaptation investments are achieving the desired objectives. If not, we run the risk of investing in interventions that are either ineffective or less effective than competing approaches. Examples from randomized evaluations in several countries show how new technologies and policy interventions can lead to climate adaptation, particularly when there is an enabling environment that creates incentives for climate adaptation. In addition, these studies can tell us when something does not provide the adaptation benefits that we expected. As one example, some of my work in Bangladesh studies Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a water-saving technique in rice irrigation that is included as part of the countrys Nationally Determined Contributions. The technique serves as both adaptation and mitigation because in theory, it preserves water and reduces methane emissions from rice paddies (which are flooded fields used to cultivate rice). Significantly, the study finds that the AWD technique --- utilizing a simple plastic PVC pipe --- lowers groundwater use by about 20%! However, there are clear differences across farmers. Farmers who pay for water by the hour of pumping face incentives to adopt and save water. Farmers who do not pay for water, or who buy water with seasonal charges, do not adopt, and do not save water. In short, the benefits of climate adaptation were only realized in certain areas where there was the right enabling environment. This example of efficient water use in agriculture has relevance in Egypt. Research suggests that by 2100, the annual flow of the Nile could become more variable by 50%. This greater variability creates a need to maximize the efficiency of irrigation water use. But interventions that on the surface would seem to achieve this do not always preserve water in farmers fields. Farmers seek to maximize the profits from cultivating their land. Forms of climate adaptation that immediately contribute to their bottom line will likely deliver the greatest impact. Policy decisions in this space should be guided by randomized evaluations that rigorously measure which investments meet adaptation goals of more efficient water use. Extreme weather is predicted to become more common as the climate changes. Improved seed varieties that are more tolerant to droughts and floods provide a technological mechanism for farmers to adapt to climate change. Some of my work in India finds that new flood tolerant rice seeds from the International Rice Research Institute reduce yield losses during flooding. They also increase the investments farmers make on their plots. Researchers have found that drought tolerant maize seeds, when coupled with weather insurance, make farmers in Mozambique and Tanzania more resilient to bad weather events. But technologies for adaptation do not get adopted fast because it takes farmers time to learn. Some interventions help farmers learn and adapt faster. Others do not. It is not enough to assume that climate adaptation will happen automatically when lab results with new technologies are promising. These new technologies need to be tested with experiments with actual farmers. Evaluations often tell us more about how to improve learning and speed the uptake of adaptation technologies. As COP27 arrives in Egypt, climate adaptation will continue to be an important part of the discussion, as it has been in previous years. Like many countries, Egypt faces important challenges on how to direct investments targeted towards adaptation. The experience from other countries suggests that there is no one-size-fits all approach to climate adaptation. Rather, policies to trigger adaptation need to be evaluated in real-world settings with farmers. *The writer is affiliated professor at The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), and an associate professor of economics at Tufts University, USA Search Keywords: Short link: Weather Alert ...Gusty South Winds Today And Tonight... Winds will increase from the south this morning to between 15 and 25 mph. Wind gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range are likely from midday today through tonight. Locally higher gusts are possible in thunderstorms this evening. Drive with caution today and tonight. Handling of high profile vehicles could become more difficult. Loose objects such as trash cans and holiday ornaments may be blown into roadways. Super seven apprentices become first to graduate from innovative collaboration Seven apprentices have become the first to graduate from an innovative collaboration between a civil engineering firm and a college. Employer Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK and Coleg Cambria have modernised the approach to delivering higher apprenticeships in civil engineering. Traditionally, students would be on day release throughout the programme, spending four days of the week on site with the employer, with the fifth day at the college. Instead the apprentices alternated between blocks of time at Coleg Cambria, where there is a dedicated room at the Bersham Road campus in Wrexham and working on sites such as the worlds largest offshore wind farm, a 135m bypass, a 32m level crossing scheme, and complex landfill projects. Ruthin-headquartered Jones Bros has seen the first seven of the higher apprentices, who have completed a four-year civil engineering course that started with a Higher National Certificate (HNC) and finished with a Higher National Diploma (HND), graduate. The seven civil engineers, who are now working across a host of national projects for Jones Bros, are Gary Salisbury, Gwion Euron Lloyd, Hari Wyn Evans, Chris Hunt, Reece Davies, Sion Gwilym Williams, and Rhys Williams. Gary, who lives in Mold, said he was thrilled to be part of the first intake to qualify from the course. Its fantastic to be part of the first group to qualify, he said. The way the course was planned out, in terms of blocks of study followed by blocks of onsite work, was ideal. When you were in the classroom there were no distractions from those onsite, you could focus solely on your education for that period. Gary started life with Jones Bros as a general construction operative (GCO) before moving onto the course, which saw him work on the A49 link road in Wigan. The 24-year-old also worked on a gas power plant in Glasgow prior to heading to Dogger Bank, the worlds largest offshore wind farm, where he has increased responsibility as quality/engineering manager on the AC route section of works. He added: The projects I have worked on have provided invaluable experiences covering a variety of different aspects of civil engineering. The support we received from everyone associated with the course and those onsite was brilliant. Another of the successful intake, Gwion, from Harlech, cut his teeth on the 135m Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass. He said: I really enjoyed being part of the new-look course, which certainly helped me in terms of the blocks of learning and hands-on experience as there were no external distractions when you were learning. Then when you were onsite you could get stuck in, and it was rewarding to be part of the team that started and finished the Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass. To be able to work on drainage, kerb runs, surfacing, vehicle restraint barriers, and earthworks provided wonderful variety and gave me a real insight into life beyond the course. Gwion, who also spent four months at the Whinney Hill landfill in Lancashire, is now working on a job helping build a lorry park in Middlewich, Cheshire. Jones Bros training manager, Garmon Hafal, said: Jones Bros prides itself on providing young people with a chance of employment, learning skills, and recognised industry qualifications. This was the first time the course had been run in its current guise with blocks of learning followed by uninterrupted time onsite, and I am happy to see that it has been a success with seven of the intake qualifying. Pictured: L-R: Jones Bros apprentices Gary Salisbury, Chris Hunt and Rhys Williams at Coleg Cambria, Bersham Road, Wrexham The 27th session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change Conference (COP27) is set to kick off in Egypts Sharm El-Sheikh on Sunday with the participation of dozens of world leaders, international organizations, and environmental NGOs. The conferences first day will include a ceremony where president of COP26 Alok Sharma will hand over chairmanship of the conference to COP27 President Designate Sameh Shoukry. A summit of the world leaders will be held on Monday on Tuesday where heads of state will review their countries efforts to combat climate change and its impacts. The world leaders will also discuss climate finance and the outcomes of major climate reports. More than 120 heads of state have confirmed they will attend the conference and the number is expected to grow, said Egyptian Ambassador Wael Abul-Magd, special representative of the president-designate for COP27, in a press briefing Friday. According to the COP27 media committee, the COP27 presidency has identified a range of topics focused on enhancing climate action implementation and raising ambitions on a broad range of issues related to climate change. Several themed days for focused discussions have been designated, which will include side events, panel discussions, and roundtables. The themed days are Finance Day, Adaptation and Agriculture Day, Water Day, Decarbonization Day, Science Day, Solution Day, Gender Day, Energy Day, Biodiversity Day, Youth and Future Generations Day, and ACE and Civil Society Day. The summit will run from 6 to 18 November. Search Keywords: Short link: Thousands of Indian auto workers have joined militant protests over the past month against job losses, relentless management attacks, and repeated union betrayals, with these actions increasingly taking the form of open fights against the pro-corporate trade unions. This includes a rebellion on the part of a section of the thousands of workers who lost their jobs when Ford closed its assembly plant in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu with the agreement of the Chennai Ford Employees Union (CFEU). Workers at Yamaha Motors and Renault-Nissan plants likewise located in Tamil Nadus Sriperambatur-Oragadam industrial belt have mounted protests in opposition to pro-company unions that have long suppressed worker opposition to low wages, speed-up, and contract-labour and other forms of multi-tier employment. Meanwhile, victimized workers at Maruti Suzukis car assembly plant in Manesar in the north Indian state of Haryana are fighting for reinstatement. The betrayal of Ford workers Workers at the now shuttered Ford assembly plant in Chennai mounted a months-long militant struggle to oppose its closure and the sellout deal negotiated by the union which capitulated to the companys job cuts. This included a five-week strike initiated by younger workers over the heads of the CFEU based on the refusal of many workers to accept the final settlement [severance] package endorsed by the union after the plant was permanently closed in August. Well into last month, hundreds of the 2,600 permanent Ford workers continued to refuse to accept the settlement, insisting that their jobs should be restored. They did so despite Ford managements repeated threats that if they failed to sign the settlement they would receive only the pittance guaranteed under state labour law. To press their demand for the restoration of their jobs, workers staged multiple protests. However, under conditions where the labour federations, including the Stalinist-led CITU, isolated them, most have now signed on to the sellout Ford-CFEU agreement. Police arresting Chennai Ford workers on September 30 [Photo by RP, a Ford worker] Some of the Ford workers mistakenly turned to the Maoist-oriented LTUC for support, but, like the older, more established union federations, it refused to initiate a campaign to mobilise support from the hundreds of thousands of workers in the Sriperambatur-Oragadam industrial belt, including the tens of thousands of auto parts workers directly impacted by the Ford closure. Instead, the LTUC came up with the pathetic advice that workers hand a petition demanding permanent jobs to the right-wing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin. Stalin displayed his open contempt by refusing to even acknowledge their existence. Some of the most militant Ford workers have maintained contact with the World Socialist Web Site and agree that new rank-and-file organizations independent of the corporatist trade unions must be built to prosecute workers struggles, including the fight for secure, well-paying jobs. Maruti Suzuki workers Hundreds of Maruti Suzuki auto workers in Manesar, Harayana who were vindictively fired ten years ago by company management have mounted agitation to get their jobs back. Joined by thousands of other workers working in this industrial belt, they marched to the mini-secretariat in Gurugram, which houses government district administration offices. This agitation commenced earlier this year in July to mark the tenth anniversary of the July 18, 2012 management-provoked altercation in which workers were beaten by goons and a fire mysteriously erupted that led to death from smoke inhalation of Human Resources Manager Awanish Dev. Maruti Suzuki, Indias largest car maker, then turned to the state police force, who acted as the companys militia to round up hundreds of workers and torture them. Subsequently, 31 workers were convicted of various crimes, including 13 innocent workers who were sentenced to life in prison in 2017 for the murder of Dev. Twelve of the thirteen workers jailed for life comprised the entire executive of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, which workers had struggled to build in opposition to a government-recognized, pro-company union. Management also seized on the July 18 events to carry out a purge, firing 546 permanent and over 1,800 temporary workers, targeted for their militancy. The workers are demanding that at least the 426 permanent workers who were never charged with any crime be taken back. One hundred fifty of the workers recently undertook a hastily organized two-day hunger strike to publicise their struggle. The victimized workers have also been battling through the courts since 2016. As one of the workers told The Hindu: The matter has been lingering in the labour court for six years now and the end is not in the sight. It is a very long and tedious process. So, we decided to get united again and hold an agitation to press for reinstatement. However, as the experience of Maruti Suzuki workers has demonstrated, working through the existing union structures cannot achieve workers demands. Workers in this giant industrial belt need to harness their strength by forming rank-and-file action committees and shut down all production until all their demands are met. Yamaha workers rebel against company-imposed stooge union Several hundred Yamaha Motors autoworkers at a plant located in the Sriperumbudur Oragadam-industrial zone, known as the Detroit of India, went on a 10-day strike on October 11, 2022. They were rebelling against managements attempt to impose a stooge union, the Sudhanthiram India Yamaha Motor Thozhilalar Sangam (SIYMTS), which was hurriedly formed by management in the second week of October in close consort with a corrupt trade union leader, Velmurugan. The workers were demanding recognition of the India Yamaha Motors Thozhilalar Sangam (IYMTS) which was formed in 2018 after a massive 55-day strike. Although Velmurugan was the leader of the IYMTS at its formation, subsequently, in 2019, under his leadership, the union signed a rotten three-year wage deal with management which expired in March 2022. The workers have been working without a contract since then. Although the number of workers, including temporary and contract workers, is around 4,500, only the 1,095 permanent workers are represented by the union. Velmurugan, having been bribed by the management, agreed to hurriedly form the SIYMTS, which was registered as the sole bargaining agent by the company in blatant violation of the law. Velmurugan then negotiated another wage agreement, which was rejected by the majority of workers. Incensed by this development, a group of workers decided to fight back, while also reviving the demand for IYMTS to affiliate with the Stalinist CITU federation. The utterly rotten nature of the CITU was revealed when management, along with the deputy labour commissioner, invited the CITU to a conference to end the strike. The CITU called off the strike in exchange for a vague written promise to determine by February 2023 which union, IYMTS or SIYMTS, has majority support. Renault Nissan workers padlock union federation offices In another long simmering dispute, on October 12, around 350 permanent workers gathered outside the office of the United Labour Federation, unofficially associated with the Renault-Nissan India Thozhillalar Sangam (RNITS- Renault-Nissan India Workers Union), to demand salary hikes after working without a contract for the past four years. The lawyer who heads the ULF and is the official attorney for RNITS has been using the court for arbitration between the union and management. Several years of futile hearings have not resulted in workers gaining a single rupee in increased wages or satisfaction of any other of their demands. Some workers ended up padlocking the ULF office and pasted a notice stating that for the past three years, the ULF has made no progress in getting any benefits from the management. Workers said that this union is of no use for us. So, we workers are frustrated and as we pay dues to the union, we will lock this union office. After having undergone such experiences, a group of Renault-Nissan workers have turned to the World Socialist Web Site, with which they have been in contact, to form a new organization of struggle, a rank-and-file committee. They are convinced that this is the only way that workers can defend themselves and mount a counteroffensive against the constant management attacks. These workers will soon issue a founding statement for the Renault-Nissan Rank and File Committee and plan to initiate a campaign to build unity among workers at other plants in this pivotal industrial zone and to link up with their brothers and sisters internationally through the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). A week ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrats, SPD) made his inaugural visit to Athens where he met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of the right-wing conservative Nea Dimokratia (ND). The talks, held against the backdrop of the proxy war between NATO and Russia in Ukraine, focused on closer cooperation between the two countries in defence and energy policies. In both areas, Greece could play a leading role in the future, commented news broadcast Tagesschau. The previous week, the first six of a total of 40 German Marder tanks had arrived in Greece as part of the so-called backfill arrangements to arm Ukraine. This involves Berlin supplying state-of-the-art armaments to European states, which in return send Soviet-style weapons to Ukraine. Athens has handed over 40 old BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Kiev, which came from stocks built up in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Marder tank type 1A3 [Photo by Sonaz / CC BY-SA 2.0 The traffic light coalition of the SPD, Liberal Democrats (FDP) and Greens is using the Ukraine war for a comprehensive armaments offensive. Under the slogan the turn of the times, it has massively increased military spending and supplied weapons and other materiel to Ukraine. Since the spring, it has also been organizing backfill arrangements with other countries, which in addition to arming Ukraine allow it to push German arms deals throughout Europe. Mitsotakis announced that the new Marder tanks will be stationed along the Evros River on the border with neighbouring Turkey, of all places. Our forces assume that they will be most useful there, he said, explaining this provocative decision. Geopolitical tensions between NATO allies Turkey and Greece have further escalated with the Ukraine war. Mutual threats and nationalist war rhetoric serve both sides to distract attention from the serious social crisis at home. Scholz did not give the Greek government any directives as to where the tanks could be stationed. Even before his visit, he had backed Greece in an interview with the Greek daily Ta Nea and criticized Turkeys military threats. At the press conference in Athens, he kept a lower profile and called for dialogue based on international law. For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regards his regimes interests as being threatened by the arms build-up in Greece and calls for demilitarization of the Aegean islands. On October 28, the new German Marder tanks were presented at the annual military parade marking the so-called Ochi Day. The Greek national holiday commemorates October 28, 1940, when the pro-Hitler Metaxas dictatorship rejected an ultimatum from fascist Italy under Mussolini and called for national resistance. The Greek ruling class often uses this holiday as an occasion for nationalist propaganda. Chief of the General Staff Konstantinos Floros addressed an open threat to Turkey in his speech in the run-up to the parade. As in 1940, he said, the powerful armed forces stood ready to silence anyone who threatens, insults, derides or belittles Greece. These words from the highest-ranking military brass must also be understood as a warning to opponents of the war at home, who denounce chauvinist patriotism and gigantic military spending at the expense of the education and health systems. It was not long ago that the working class was crushed under the yoke of the Greek military dictatorship (1967-1974). In terms of energy policy, Greece could become a more important hub for Europe after Russian gas supplies have stopped, Professor Kostas Lavdas, a political scientist at Panteion University in Athens, told the Tagesschau. He also referred to the planned Eastmed pipeline, which was currently off the table, but had moved back within reach due to the war in Ukraine. The pipeline, which has not yet been realized, is intended to deliver natural gas and hydrogen from the Middle East to Greece and from there on to Italy. The northern Greek port of Alexandroupoli, which was recently expanded and serves as a transshipment point for NATO arms deliveries to Ukraine, is also becoming more important in the energy sector, according to Tagesschau: Via the southern gas corridoran interconnection of several pipelinesgas reaches Greece from Azerbaijan via Georgia and Turkey. From Alexandroupoli, in turn, the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline runs via Albania to Italy. In addition, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is being built at the port, which could supply the Balkan countries. German and other European companies are also investing in wind and solar energy. Greece is one of the closest allies of the US and Germany in the war against Russia. Even before the outbreak of the war, it was spending 3.59 percent of GDP on its military apparatusmore than any other NATO countryaccording to NATO figures in 2021. Military spending rose to about $8 billion in 2021 from $5.3 billion the previous year, according to figures from the peace research institute Sipri. Greek rearmament has the full support of the pseudo-left opposition Syriza party, which wants to distinguish itself as a better defence partner. A few days ago, party leader Alexis Tsipras met with managers of the Greek aerospace industry and expressed his pleasure at the success of the two arms programs we completed as a government under very difficult circumstances: the upgrade of 84 F-16 Viper fighters and four P-3 maritime reconnaissance aircraft. He then complained that of the last arms programs under the ND government, not a single euro went to the national armaments industry. This is a national crime. Greece, he said, must always maintain its armed forces as a deterrent and in constant readiness. If Syriza came to power, it would renegotiate the contracts and strengthen the Greek defence industry, Tsipras said. In recent months in particular, Washington has accelerated the expansion of military bases and the modernization of the Greek army. In September, US government plans to station forces in the port of Alexandroupoli became public. At a meeting on October 11, deputies from both defence ministries spoke about expanding the US military presence in Souda Bay and elsewhere in Greece and providing resilient access to NATOs Eastern Flank, especially to assist Ukraine, according to a US Defense Department press release. The German defence industry does not want to come away empty-handed in this development. According to data from Sipri, tiny Greece already ranked fifth among the biggest buyers of German arms exports between 2011 and March 2022 (after South Korea, the US, Egypt and Israel). Berlin is trying to rapidly expand German imperialisms position of poweralso in competition with the US and France. Rheinmetall and Greece The current intensified armaments collaboration with Greece shows once again the criminal traditions in which todays German great power policy stands. The backfill arrangements are being carried out by the same companies that were industrial leaders in Nazi times. Marder tanks are produced by Dusseldorf-based arms giant Rheinmetall, which reported record sales in the first half of 2022. As early as the mid-1930s, Rheinmetall-Borsig was heavily involved in secret arms deals between Greece and Nazi Germany. The Greek war minister at the time, General Kondylis, contacted Rheinmetall-Borsig in 1934 and presented the company with a long shopping list, according to historian Morgens Pelt, in an essay available online (in German). Negotiations took place in secret because Greece did not want to alienate Entente allies France and Britain; and Germany was not allowed to export war materiel after World War I due to the Treaty of Versailles. Because of these restrictions, Rheinmetall-Borsig created a shadow company, Waffenfabrik Solothurn in Switzerland, which undertook arms deals with several countries, including Greece, Italy and Bulgaria. Rheinmetall-Borsig was closely linked to the Nazi government. The president of its arms and sales headquarters, Major Waldemar Pabst, had ordered the assassination of revolutionaries Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1919 and enjoyed the trust of Nazi leaders. According to Pelt, Nazi Germany also saw the arms shipments to Greece as a welcome opportunity to undermine the French security system in Central and South-eastern Europe. On August 4, 1936, following the suppression of a major tobacco workers strike in northern Greece, fascist general and monarchist Ioannis Metaxas established a dictatorship. As a result, he intensified arms agreements with Rheinmetall-Borsig and increased dependence on German war materiel and armaments technologies. From the perspective of Hitlers Foreign Ministry, arms deliveries were an essential element for the protection of German interests in Greece, according to Pelt. After the Italian attack on Greece, which was initially repelled, the Nazis occupied the country in the spring of 1941 and waged a campaign of extermination against the civilian population, the Jewish community and the partisan movement. The plunder of economic resources (including chrome and nickel) benefited the German industrial machine. German Panzer IV tank near the Temple of Hephaestus, Athens, Greece, 1941-1942. [Photo by German Federal Archive/Teschendorf/bild 101I-175-1270-36 / CC BY-SA 2.0 Rheinmetall also profited from this policy of robbery; Greek forced labourers were made to toil in German armaments factories. The former director of Rheinmetall-Borsig in Athens, Walter Deter, became part of the economic staff of the Wehrmacht, Hitlers armed forces, in Greece. More recently, Rheinmetall raked in big profits in Greece via shady corruption deals. Between 2001 and 2011, the group had paid at least 42 million in bribes to Greek intermediaries to set up arms contracts (mainly air defence systems and Leopard tanks). When the scandal came to light in 2014, the company had to pay around 37 million in fines. Now, under the leadership of the Scholz government, German arms companies are officially making huge deals with Greece and other countries and are firmly integrated into Germanys politics of self-interest in southeastern Europe. In the process, the latest backfill arrangements with Athens have not only intensified the NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, but also the danger of another devastating war between Greece and Turkey. This escalation of war can only be stopped if workers in Turkey, Greece and worldwide unite in an international and socialist anti-war movement. Directed by Chinonye Chukwu; written by Chukwu, Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp Emmett Till was a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago, who, while visiting relatives in Mississippi, was brutally tortured and shot to death on August 28, 1955, for the crime of allegedly interacting with a white woman. His murderers, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, were tried and quickly acquitted by an all-white jury. For 67 years, every recounting of the Till story, in numerous songs, poems, paintings, books (fiction and non-fiction), documentary films and other media, has horrified and outraged popular consciousness. Jalyn Hall and Danielle Deadwyler in Till Till, directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu, is the latest dramatic rendering of the case. One of the new films co-writers is Keith Beauchamp, who directed the 2005 documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. Chukwus film opens with the playful, naive Emmett (Jalyn Hall), called Bobo, excited about his journey from his Chicago home to visit family in rural Mississippi. Emmetts doting mother Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler), who works as a civilian clerk for the military, is apprehensive because of the dangers he might face. She urges him to conform to the behavior of his cousins. Emmett travels by train with his Uncle Moses (John Douglas Thompson), called Preacher, and has his first experience with the Jim Crow system when all the black passengers are ushered into the back of the train as it crosses the Mason-Dixon line. He arrives in Money, Mississippi, in August 1955. Working in the cotton fields with his sharecropper relatives does not dampen Emmetts enthusiasm. After picking cotton all day, Emmett joins some local boys for a trip to Bryants Grocery and Meat Market to buy candy. There, he has an encounter with white shopkeeper Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett). An innocent wolf whistle causes a fatal chain of events. (Emmett contracted polio at age six, leaving him with a persistent stutter, which he tried to overcome by whistling.) During the night, Emmett is seized at gunpoint by Carolyns husband, Roy Bryant, and J.W. Milam, who break into Preachers house. Several black men are accomplices in the abduction. The murder of Emmett isnt shown, but agonizing cries suggest the heinous nature of the act. As a gruesome result, Emmetts disfigured and mutilated body is dragged from the Tallahatchie River. Local authorities want to rapidly bury the corpse, but Mamie insists on its return to Chicago, and further, refusing a closed casket, insists, The whole world has to see what happened to my son. Her parents, John Carthan (Frankie Faison) and Alma Carthan (Whoopi Goldberg), introduce her to a cousin Rayfield Mooty (Kevin Carroll), who works with the NAACP. Outside the church where the funeral is being held, Mamie speaks to the mourners: That smell is my sons body, reeking of racial hatred. Now I want America to bear witness. Mamie heads to rural Mississippi to testify at the trial. Defense attorneys claim that because the body is so deformed, it is in fact not Emmetts and that the NAACP, to advance its cause, has the live victim stashed away. Mamies trip south is a perilous one. Among her guards is Medgar Evers (Tosin Cole), who was himself assassinated by a racist eight years later. The trial at the Sumner County Courthouse is a monstrous travesty of justice. At one point the camera focuses in on a sign describing the town of Sumner as a A great place to raise a boy. Tills postscript mentions that only four months after the acquittal Look magazine published an article entitled The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi. Milam and Bryant received $4,000 for an interview in which they described in detail how they beat Till and then shot him in the head. A racist atrocity that affected millions globally fully deserves to be treatedbut the manner of its treatment is also an important question. What lessons are to be drawn from the crime? What was its ultimate source? Tills murder angered the most conscious and politically aware sections of the worlds population. He was the latest victim of a system of racial terror that had persisted since the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction more than three-quarters of a century earlier. As noted above, innumerable artists were appalled by the tragedy and impelled to represent it, in one fashion or another, including Langston Hughes, Harper Lee, James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Rod Serling, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Emmylou Harris, Dana Schutz and many others. For the most part, writers, poets and songwriters of an earlier day saw in the episode--not neglecting its specific component of race hatred--an event with a global significance, one that galvanized opponents of every form of oppression. The great weakness of Chukwus Till, corresponding to the contemporary obsession with race and gender, is that it treats the murder as an almost purely black issue, as a crime committed by a group of evil white peopleby implication at least, part of an never-ending struggle between blacks and whites in America. This essentially ahistorical and moralizing attitude has artistic and emotional as well as political consequences. It helps explain the films decidedly pedestrian and largely uninvolving character. One is not left with the idea that an event of genuinely world-historical significance is taking place. Till Mamie Till-Mobley had a broader outlook. (Mamies third marriage was to Gene Mobley, played in the film by Sean Patrick Thomas.) The film shows her explaining to a crowd, The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of all of us but for the most part rejects that stance in practice. The filmmakers are incapable of calling on the strongest dramatic forms, of drawing on the noblest ideasabove all, they are not interested in making a universal appeal. In the end, behind the Till murder lay the brutal character of class relations and the savagery of social and political reaction in America. Tills weakness is manifested in its inability to concretely explain what happened, i.e., to place the episode in its specific historical setting, and its tendency to treat the event in a timeless manner, as a murder-lynching that could just as well have taken place 20 or 50 years earlier. Chukwu advances a largely self-obsessed and racially exclusivist outlook. The director told EW that I didnt want to show what was physically done to Emmett. That is not the story. I didnt want to traumatize myself as a Black woman, and I didnt want to traumatize audiences. She continued along these lines, asserting that one of my greatest powers or strengths as a Black woman is my joy. Its resistance. And it is really trying to tap into a light inside of me that no form of oppression can take away from me. I think that that is very hopeful and inspiring and empowering. Its a source of empowerment that I hold onto to help me navigate a lot of the darkness that exists in the world. Chukwu commented further, Nobody can take away the beauty and the power and the light and the joy that exists within and amongst Black folks, no matter what kinds of atrocities were having to navigate. There can be community and love and empowerment alongside the inherent pain and frustration and sadness that comes along with being a Black person in the world. This type of cultural-nationalist and self-pitying approach works against treating the Till murder in all its objective social and historical seriousness. It drains the event of much of its dramatic content, which expressed the collision of great social forces. There is something passive and complacent about Chukwus willingness to bathe in her joy, while the world goes on unchanged. Again, the context of the Till murder and the unprecedented character of the response it evoked, unlike that generated by countless other lynchings, are important to grasp. The murder occurred during the post-World War II economic boom, as the WSWS explained in 2012, which brought with it a growth of the industrial working class. Masses of Southern blacks migrated to the North to secure better-paying factory jobs. The CIO unions such as the United Auto Workers reached their membership peaks, even as the pro-capitalist bureaucracy consolidated its grip on these organizations. Anger at discrimination and abuse, building up for decades, erupted under conditions of growing strength and confidence among black workers and continuing militancy among industrial workers as a whole. It should be obvious that Chukwus concerns lead in another direction. In fact, Till deliberately and damagingly narrows its perspective, encouraging the viewer to follow suit. It devotes an inordinate amount of time, for example, to lingering, ultimately pointless close-ups of lead actress Deadwylers visage. Chukwu defends these by arguing, I centered on the Black female gaze its also my own kind of small act of resistance by really staying on this Black womans face, on her journey and humanity in real time. Theres something really beautiful and special about that [which] Im really proud of doing. In fact, Till unhelpfully attempts to turn Mamie Till-Mobley into a saint, further limiting the drama. Although Deadwyler competently carries the weight of the narrative, that Chukwu pours almost everything into a single performance becomes a diversion and another expression of the fact the director cannot or does not want to deal with wider social issues. In presenting the killers and their defenders in Mississippi as the embodiment of a white supremacist society, the filmmakers are happy to leave it at that. But as the WSWS wrote in June 2004: More than 50,000 people filed past the body of Emmett Till as his open coffin remained on display in Chicago for four days, during the Labor Day weekend. Pictures of the young Chicago schoolboy with his face horribly swollen and disfigured appeared on the front pages of newspapers and magazines across the country and around the world. The acquittal was met with shock and repulsion throughout the world. In Belgium, France and Italy newspapers carried front-page articles denouncing the verdict, and the French daily newspaper Le Monde ran an article headlined The Sumner Trial Marks, Perhaps, an Opening of Consciousness. Unfortunately, Till is largely uninspired and uninspiring. The Emmett Till case helped bring into being the mass Civil Rights movement, which had the potential to shake capitalist America to its foundations. Rosa Luxemburg once argued against concentrating only on the suffering of the Jews, insisting on understanding anti-Semitism as part of the wider oppression. I am just as much concerned, she wrote, with the poor victims on the rubber plantations of Putumayo, the Blacks in Africa with whose corpses the Europeans play catch. ... I feel at home in the entire world, wherever there are clouds and birds and human tears. That spirit needs to be revived in American and global cultural life. Will Lehmans campaign is holding a final election rally on Sunday, November 6, at 2:00 pm EST. All workers are encouraged to register and attend. For more information on the campaign, visit WillForUAWPresident.org. On Friday, supporters of United Auto Workers presidential candidate Will Lehman spoke to workers at a Metalsa automotive parts factory in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, about the hazardous conditions that led to the death of a 24-year-old worker earlier this year. On June 7, Lance Winemiller was struck and killed by a heavy duty forklift at the plant, which is located 45 miles south of Louisville. Campaigners for Will Lehman at Metalsa plant [Photo: WSWS] The plant employs more than 2,000 workers, who manufacture the metal frames for Ford vehicles, including the F-150 pickup truck, the companys most profitable vehicle, generating some $49 billion in annual revenue. Starting wages for production workers at the plant are $15.53 an hour, with temps earning even less. Metalsa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monterrey, Mexico-based holding company Grupo Proeza, which has revenue of $1 billion a year. Sitting on its board of directors are executives from US-based automotive suppliers who have spent decades slashing labor costs and overseeing sweatshop conditions. In 2010, Metalsa bought 10 structural metal plants in the US, Argentina, Australia, Venezuela and Brazil from Dana Holding Corporation for $150 million. Before that Dana had colluded with the UAW to impose two-tier wages and other concessions in a bankruptcy restructuring that became the model for General Motors and Chrysler in 2009. Metalsa plant in Elizabethtown, Kentucky [Photo: WSWS] Metalsa has been repeatedly cited by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for serious and willful safety violations at its Kentucky plants. On June 17, 2020, 58-year old maintenance tech Michael Curcio was killed in Hopkinsville after he was crushed by falling equipment while performing maintenance inside a welding cell. OSHA also cited the company for the September 2021 death of a worker who contracted COVID-19 at the Glendale plant. Lance Winemiller was killed at the Elizabethtown plant in June while working the night shift in a yard where heavy forklifts load frames onto railroad trains. Asked about this incident, a temp worker told Lehmans campaign, They are sweeping it under the rug and acting like nothing happened. A young worker, James, described the circumstances of Winemillers death. Nothing is done to improve safety until someone dies. The worker who died was an outside repairman checking on the frames that were being loaded onto the trains. There were no rules set in place to be safe. He had a vest, but he was hit by a Taylor forklift. These are not the small forklifts, but big, heavy-duty ones that pick off the tin stacks and load them onto the trains. He was hit in the yard. We hear rumors, and we havent been given the facts, but we heard the worker was walking where he wasnt supposed to, but there are no clear stipulations. Another worker, Nadia, said, I attended the funeral. The family just lost their main breadwinner and the union wouldnt even pay for the funeral. I think that says it all about how much the union cares about us. Inside the building they hung up some raggedy-ass flowers over a picture of him the size of a flyer and called it a memorial. Metalsa workers in Elizabethtown, Kentucky show their support for Will Lehman [Photo: WSWS] In October, a 25-year-old worker was killed at a non-union Metalsa plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which supplies local Stellantis (Chrysler) plants. According to OSHA, the forklift she was driving tipped over when she took a turn, tossing her out of the vehicle and crushing her beneath it. We heard about the death of the worker in Detroit, an Elizabethtown worker told campaigners. They say the worker was not wearing a safety belt and she was tossed from the forklift before it fell on her. Its terrible. They are hiring a lot of very young people. They get a four-hour class and a short test drive. Then they get a certification, and the company says, Now drive a forklift and a tugger. A veteran worker who operates forklifts said, They just stick anybody on these jobs without giving them proper training. Sure you can drive a forklift after a quick course but that doesnt mean you can operate it safely. Referring to the lack of training for younger workers, a worker with seven years at the plant said, They dont walk you around and say, This is this, this is this. Instead, they say, Here you go, run this op here. Heres how to do it, now do it. They just throw you out in the field without good training. He continued, Its just bad management in my book. And, Ill be honest with you, the union doesnt work for us, they work for Metalsa. Just about anybody here will tell you that. After a campaigner explained that Will Lehman was saying that the workers on the shop floor, not the UAW apparatus, should be in charge of decision-making, including on health and safety, the worker replied, Right, exactly. I dont even notice there is a union here, except for [what they take from] my paycheck. Ford is controlling all of this, but they arent helping us out on wages. Campaigner speaks with Metalsa workers [Photo: WSWS] James, a young worker with four years at the plant said, The union holds meetings for workers to voice their opinion, but we never know whether this is told to management. A lot of guys opt out of the union because they dont see why its worth being in. He went on, Were paying three hours of our wages every month to the UAW. I figured it out, theres 2,500 workers in the plant and thats almost $2 million a year. We have no idea what our dues money is being used for. They throw a Christmas party that no one goes to and thats about it. Metalsa workers expressed widespread support for Lehmans campaign, taking leaflets and posters and posing for photos holding up campaign posters for the Mack Trucks worker and socialist candidate for UAW president. During the hour-long leafleting for Lehman, company security guards never approached campaigners. Shortly afterwards, however, two security guards ordered campaigners off of company property. When asked if they had been instructed by management or the UAW to remove them, the guards refused to say. It soon became clear who was behind this, however, when UAW Local 3047 Skilled Trades Representative Gary Parr followed Lehmans supporters to their car and photographed their license plate. UAW Local 3047 official Gary Parr [Photo: WSWS] When they told the UAW official that he was interfering with a federally protected UAW election activity, the union bureaucrat hurriedly left without saying a word. The UAW officials who oversee the poverty wages and deadly sweatshop conditions in the auto parts industry are well aware that workers have nothing but contempt for them. Their greatest fear is that Will Lehmans campaign is giving a voice and direction to the struggle of workers to put an end to the sacrifice of their lives and limbs to corporate profit. Will Lehmans campaign is holding a final election rally on Sunday, November 6, at 2:00 pm EST. All workers are encouraged to register and attend. For more information on the campaign, visit WillForUAWPresident.org. In his first campaign-style rally since the near-fatal attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former US president Donald Trump accused the Democrats of cheating in the midterm elections and called on his right-wing supporters to become poll challengers and poll watchers. Speaking Thursday night in Sioux City, Iowa, Trump did not back down from his usual violent rhetoric. He began his speech by telling the few thousand people in attendance, We are going to end crazy Nancy Pelosis political career once and for all. Neither Trump nor any of the other Republicans who spoke at the rally denounced the attack on Paul Pelosi, carried out by a fascistic Trump supporter who was targeting the House speaker. Either they ignored it or attempted to place the blame, by implication, on the Biden administration and the Democrats, calling it just another example of a crime wave caused by the supposed invasion of criminal aliens across the open southern border. It was also Trumps first speech since Bidens nationally televised address on Wednesday denouncing Trump and MAGA Republicans for inciting violence and refusing to accept defeat at the polls. Seeking to sow chaos and doubt before the midterm elections on November 8, Trump rehashed the same incitements and lies he has has been telling since the 2016 campaign. He claimed that his opponents were not just wrong, but sick, corrupt and evil. Trump claimed, without evidence, that mail-in ballots were inherently unreliable and susceptible to fraud. Instead of voting early, Trump called on his supporters to swamp the polling stations on Election Day. We need a landslide so big that the radical left cannot rig it or steal it, he hissed. If you care about election integrity, volunteer as an election worker, poll watcher, or poll challenger. We need you, he added. Former president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa on November 3, 2022. [Photo: C-Span.org (Screengrab WSWS)] Election integrity is a euphemism Trump and his right-wing supporters use to describe as fraudulent any vote not cast for Trump or his Make America Great Again loyalists. Trumps call for his supporters to show up in person at polling stations has been repeated on the far-right War Room podcast, hosted by former Trump special adviser Stephen Bannon. The moves by Trump and the Republicans to disrupt the vote and intimidate likely Democratic voters prompted the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the US Capitol Police and the National Counter-Terrorism Center to release a joint alert last week warning that domestic extremists pose a heightened threat to the 2022 midterm elections and that election workers and officials are attractive targets. Last month, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced charges against Iowa resident Mark Rissi, 64. Rissi was arrested for sending threatening messages to an election official in Maricopa County, Arizona. According to the DoJ press release, one of the threatening voicemails was for Clint Hickman, a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], youll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of sh*t, Rissi said, according to the DoJ. Youre gonna die, you piece of sh*t. Were going to hang you. Were going to hang you. The embrace of Trumps election lies by virtually the entire Republican Party, and the normalization of political violence, were most sharply expressed at Thursdays rally in comments made by Georgia representative and QAnon fascist Marjorie Taylor Greene, a regular at Trumps rallies. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene delivers a fascist tirade at the "Save America" rally in Sioux City, Iowa on November 3, 2022. [Photo: C-Span.org (Screengrab WSWS)] In her speech, Greene goaded the crowd into booing Paul Pelosi, who was only released from San Francisco General Hospital on Thursday. After blaming Democrats for the highest crime in decades, Greene complained that the only crime victim you hear about from Democrats in the media is Paul Pelosi. Paul Pelosi was brutally attacked by a drugged-out illegal alien that should have been deported, said Greene. Hailing Trump as the Republican Partys one true leader, Greene ended her speech by calling for a purge of all Republican officials who balk at declaring unconditional fealty to the would-be Fuhrer. We can no longer be the party of Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Dick Cheney, George Bush and Mitt Romney... or any other sellout weak Republican, she said. Giving the lie to Bidens claim in his address on Wednesday that MAGA Republicans comprise only a small part of the Republican Party, Trump and Greene were joined at Thursdays rally by the longest-serving member of the US Senate, Iowas Chuck Grassley. The 89-year-old senator is up for re-election and is currently leading his Democratic opponent, Michael Franken, a retired three-star Navy admiral, by roughly three percentage points, according to the latest polling. In his comments, Grassley thanked Trump for coming to Iowa and attacked Biden, who has bent over backwards to appease his Republican colleagues, for being divisive, i.e., raising the attempted coup of January 6 and warning of the ongoing conspiracy headed by Trump to establish a fascistic dictatorship. Speaking to Trump, Grassley said, You kept your word, while, Biden, who said he was going to unite America, has done everything to divide America. In her remarks at the rally, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds mimicked Trumps attacks on immigrants while boasting that as governor she banned mask and vaccine mandates. Showing no concern for the over 10,000 Iowans who have succumbed needlessly to the coronavirus, Reynolds boasted, We stayed open and got our kids back into the classroom! The Republican candidate for Iowa attorney general, Brenna Bird, received Trumps complete and total endorsement Thursday after she declared her support for Trumps stolen election lie. Bird began her speech by attacking her Democratic opponent, Tom Miller, for not supporting voter ID or election integrity. Biden and the Democrats impotent calls for the population to vote to defend democracy are completely hollow. According to CNBC, US billionaires have spent $880 million this election cycle buying their preferred candidates and policies in both parties. The figure, already 44 percent more than in 2018, according to Americans for Tax Fairness, is expected to exceed $1 billion sometime next week. Any attempts by workers to combat the attacks on the their living standards by striking for better wages, health care and working conditions are virtually outlawed, as seen in the struggles of rail, dock and airline workers in the US. Meanwhile, Trump and allies like Marjorie Taylor Greene are increasingly seeking to whip up anti-Semitism in line with their efforts to mobilize far-right forces. Trump now concludes every rally with piped-in music associated with the QAnon narrative of the storm that will sweep away the globalists, which is understood in those circles as a reference to Jews. Prior to Trumps rally on Thursday, the FBI office in Newark, New Jersey issued an unprecedented warning saying that the agency had received credible information of a broad threat to synagogues throughout the state of New Jersey. We ask at this time that you take all security precautions to protect your community and facility, a tweet from the agency read. On Friday morning, the FBI released another tweet saying that the agency had located the source of the threat. In a conference call with 500 Jewish leaders and New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, FBI special agent James Dennehy revealed that the FBI had identified and questioned for hours a man with radical extremist views who was the source of the threats. He expressed radical, extremist views and ideology, as well as an extreme amount of hate against the Jewish community, Dennehy said, according to a report in the New York Times. As of his writing, no other information has been released, including if the man has been arrested or charged. A report released last month entitled Fault Lines claimed to provide an independent review into Australias response to COVID-19. The independence and purported impartiality of the report was promoted by the media, which dubbed the document the Shergold Review after its lead author, Western Sydney University Chancellor Peter Shergold. These assertions, however, are far from the case. In reality, the review is essentially a political document. Its overriding purpose is to provide a retroactive justification for the lifting of virtually all COVID safety measures by Australias governments, regardless of the health consequences, and to insist that restrictions such as lockdowns never be imposed again in the ongoing coronavirus crisis or any future pandemic. Fault Lines: An independent review into Australias response to COVID-19. [Photo: John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, Minderoo Foundation, Paul Ramsay Foundation] The review was effectively funded by corporate sources. Three charitable foundations are listed as its sponsors. They are Minderoo, established by mining billionaire Andrew Forest, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, associated with one of the largest private healthcare providers in Australia, and the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation, founded by one of the countrys more prominent investment bankers. The opening section of the final report states that the review was conducted through consultations with over 200 health experts, public servants, epidemiologists, community groups, businesses, economists and many more. But none of its authors are senior health experts or epidemiologists. The only member of the review with any medical training was Isobel Marshall, a 24-year-old social entrepreneur and undergraduate medical student. The other three members of the panel are senior public servants with close ties to the political and business establishment. The review was released in a definite context. Australias governments, Labor and Liberal-National, have dispensed with virtually all safety measures that previously suppressed COVID transmission. Having reopened the economy, they have now done away with even the pretense of a whole-of-society public health response to COVID-19. The current federal Labor government, with the support of the entire political establishment, has presided over the ending of mandatory isolation and paid pandemic leave for those infected with the virus. It has abolished daily reporting of all indices related to the virus. In the two largest states, New South Wales and Victoria, it is no longer even mandatory to self-report infection to the health authorities. These policies, amounting to a social crime against the population, are well worthy of review and condemnation. But there is no such accounting in the Shergold Review. Instead, it is in line with calls from sections of the establishment, including the Murdoch press, for a denunciatory review into those safety measures instituted in a previous period which limited infections and deaths, not the criminal policies that have resulted in a tsunami of infections and unprecedented deaths. There is a clear contradiction at the heart of the Shergold Review. In an opening section, it states: Australia saw initial success in limiting COVID-19 case numbers and deaths, particularly compared to the rest of the world. Australia recorded only 1,097 cases of COVID-19 per million people during 2020. Restrictive measures targeted at limiting disease spread saw Australia record its lowest ever death toll. We had 137 fewer deaths than what we would normally experience from all causes (so called excess deaths) per million people (in age standardised terms). If we had recorded the same excess death toll as Canada (327 excess deaths per million), the UK (1,154) or the US (1,322), we would have had between 12,000 and 37,800 additional deaths during 2020. The review notes that the emergence of Omicron and the easing of restrictions resulted in increased infections and deaths in 2021, though still below most other OECD countries. And then: Cases and deaths have risen even further during 2022, dramatically reversing our early competitive advantage. As of 30 September 2022, Australia has recorded 378,617 cases per million people in 2022.6 That is more than double the OECD average. The latest available official data shows that by May 2022 excess deaths in Australia had spiked to almost 359 per million people in 2022, 16 per cent higher than the OECD average in 2022. The timeline is clear enough. In the early stages of the pandemic, governments, despite their inclinations, were compelled to institute safety measures, including lockdowns, as a result of the demands of teachers, healthcare workers and medical experts. While they were instituted falteringly and with a host of pro-business exemptions, these restrictions repeatedly succeeded in eliminating transmission, thus limiting illness and death. With the removal of those safety measures, fatalities, the fundamental metric of a health crisis, have soared, with more than 13,000 this year, compared with a little over 2,200 in the first two years of the pandemic. The clear conclusion from the timeline provided in the review is that the overturning of the safety measures was a disaster. But the review authors draw the opposite conclusion. A man receives a COVID-19 test in the eastern suburbs of Sydney last September. [AP Photo/Mark Baker] Lockdowns, it states were brutal, harsh and blunt. The mercenary pro-business motivation for these denunciations is evident enough. Lockdowns had a negative effect on economic activity and national morale. And Snap lockdowns and border closures left households and firms stranded. Already groaning supply chains were hobbled. The review states: [T]he balance between the costs and benefits of lockdowns swung towards costs long before governments were willing to lift them. In other words, lockdowns were an unacceptable impost on corporate profit-making activities. In fact, big business made a bonanza during the pandemic, in large measure as a result of the hundreds of billions of dollars in handouts from governments. But the essential message is that no measures, however successful in saving lives, are permissible that could impact production and consequent bottom lines. This thrust is most evident in one of the reports four key findings, which states: Schools should have stayed open. It was sensible to close schools where there was an outbreak and when little was known about how the virus spread. But it was wrong to close entire school systems, particularly once new information indicated that schools were not high-transmission environments. This was because: For children and parents (particularly women), we failed to get the balance right between protecting health and imposing long-term costs on education, mental health, the economy and workforce outcomes. The same applies to closing universities and vocational education and training centers. The social and economic costs were likely significant. Again, the preoccupation is above all with economic costs. The issue of the schools was so central to the reopening drive, because of the impact that school closures had on the workforce and business activities. As then Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated late last year during the reopening, face-to-face teaching had to be resumed because otherwise 10 to 15 percent of the workforce would be off due to parents remaining home to supervise their children. The assertion in the review that schools were not high-transmission environments is simply misinformation. Nothing is cited to back up this claim, which defies not only medical science, but also common sense. One does not need to be an epidemiologist to recognise that having hundreds of children and their teachers in crowded and badly unventilated classrooms, during an airborne pandemic, will result in the spread of the virus. The education authorities, governments and unions covered up school infection figures when face-to-face learning resumed at the beginning of the year. Then they ensured that accurate figures were not collected. But anecdotal evidence makes clear that infections have been recorded in most schools in the country. Teachers have recounted mass outbreak after mass outbreak. Serological studies, released this week, have found that an overwhelming majority of the population contracted COVID this year. Contrary to the claims that children are unlikely to contract and spread the virus, their rates of infection were higher than the general population. The WSWS reported yesterday: Nucleocapsid antibodies were detected in 64 percent of the paediatric survey participants. Among school-aged children and teenagers, the prevalence was slightly higher, at 70 percent for 1219 year olds and 67 percent for 511 year olds. Of those school-aged children who were unvaccinated, 75 percent were nucleocapsid positive, including 81 percent of teenagers. That the schools have functioned as vectors of the virus and have contributed to infections of parents and others who have died is beyond question. Two other aspects of the Shergold review should be noted. Firstly, it includes favorable references to the pandemic response in Sweden. That country was the testing ground for the herd immunity program of deliberately engineering mass infection, to ensure that economic activity continued at all costs. Some epidemiologists have aptly branded the Swedish response, which amounted to culling the elderly and jeopardizing the health of the entire population as a crime against humanity and a cruel medical experiment on a mass scale. The serious epidemiologically-grounded review of the pandemic would not reference Sweden, except to condemn its response in the strongest terms. But the Swedish model, of mass infection and death, is now the global policy of the ruling elites. Secondly, in all its discussion of the consequences of the pandemic, above all lockdowns, the review contains a solitary reference to Long COVID. The direct long-term impacts of COVID-19 remain largely unknown, but the evidence suggests that the prevalence of long-COVID is increasing, it states. In fact, studies have shown that anywhere from 10 to 40 percent of those infected with COVID, including in mild cases, could become afflicted with the series of conditions described as Long COVID. The virus can affect virtually every organ of the body, can be completely debilitating and the effects could last a lifetime. Their prevalence is one of the reasons experts have described the pandemic as a mass disabling event. The review is another indication of the irreconcilable conflict between science and the needs of the population on the one hand, and the imperatives of big business and the profit motive on the other. At various points, the review seeks to cover its essentially right-wing conclusions with platitudes about the inequity of the pandemic response, including the immense social difficulties facing working people. But those difficulties only underscore the fact that the fight for a scientifically-grounded program to eliminate COVID and end the pandemic must be connected to a broader reorganisation of society to meet social need, not private profit. In other words, a struggle for the political power of the working class and for socialism. That is one conclusion that the review, and its wealthy sponsors, were never going to draw. Seventy-five years after the UN vote to establish a homeland for the Jews on part of the Palestinian land administered under the British Mandate, Benjamin Netanyahu is set to form a government composed of the most reactionary forces in the country, including the fascistic and racist Religious Zionism Party, now the third largest party in the 120-seat Knesset. Former Israeli Prime Minister and the head of Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his wife Sara gesture after first exit poll results for the Israeli Parliamentary election at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. [AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov] It is a historical milestone in the crisis and rightward trajectory of the Zionist state. Netanyahus government will be made up of racists from the religious and ultra-nationalist parties pledged to Jewish supremacy and the implementation of measures synonymous with apartheid. Their vicious attacks on the Palestinians are aimed at driving them out of both Israels internationally recognized borders and the lands it has illegally occupied since the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war, in defiance of international law and countless United Nations resolutions. One candidate in line for high office is Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power faction within Religious Zionism. Ben-Gvir, a virulent anti-Arab who regularly incites violence against the Palestinians, chanting Death to the Arabs, has faced dozens of charges of hate speech. He used to hang a portrait in his living room of the Israeli-American terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who in 1994 massacred 29 Palestinians and wounded 125 others while they were praying in Hebron, in what became known as the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre. He never forgave Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for signing the Oslo Accords, which were presented as ushering in a mini-Palestinian state, saying in 1995, two weeks before Rabin was assassinated, We got to his car, and well get to him too, after he stole a car ornament from Rabins Cadillac. Ben-Gvir is a self-proclaimed disciple of the American-born fascist Meir Kahane, whose movement was banned in Israel and declared a terrorist organization by the United States. Religious Zionisms agenda includes Israeli rule over the West Bank, the expulsion of what it calls disloyal Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 percent of the countrys population, the demolition of the al-Aqsa Mosque to make way for the building of a Jewish Temple, the imposition of religious law and the destruction of the judicial system. Last month, Yaakov Katz, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, called Ben-Gvir the modern Israeli version of an American white supremacist and a European fascist. A government that includes him, Katz warned, will take on the contours of a fascist state. The Biden administration, despite its differences with Netanyahu, congratulated him on his victory. On Thursday, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides called Netanyahu, tweeting soon after: Good call just now with Benjamin. I congratulated him on his victory and told him I look forward to working together to maintain the unbreakable bond between Israel and the US. Europes far-right leaders were quick to welcome his return to power. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Netanyahu, tweeting that he hoped to open a new page in cooperation with the incoming government, a reference to the previous governments refusal to send Israels Iron Dome technology and other advanced systems to Ukraine in an effort to maintain relations with Russia. Those other bastions of right-wing reactionHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modilikewise lost no time in congratulating Netanyahu. Israels open turn to the politics of Jewish supremacy and fascist terrorism thoroughly exposes the attempts to equate opposition to the Israeli state with anti-Semitism. Indeed, by embracing a program of ethnic cleansing, based on exclusivist conceptions of racial, religious and linguistic hegemony, and identifying this program with the Jewish people, the Israeli ruling class provides grist for the anti-Semitic mill internationally. This week, more than 240 Jewish-American voters in Pittsburgh signed a letter denouncing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is closely aligned with both Netanyahu and Donald Trump, for spending millions of dollars to back more than 100 Republican candidates who voted to overturn the 2020 election, including lawmakers who have promoted the anti-Semitic Great Replacement conspiracy that helped inspire the murder of eleven members of the three synagogues housed at Tree of Life, which is located in Pittsburgh. It is a tragic irony of history that the same type of race and blood nationalism that was used by German fascism to exterminate 6 million Jews is being employed today by the Israeli ruling class against the Palestinians, while playing into the hands of those who seek once again to stoke up hatred of outsiders and cosmopolitans to target Jewish people. Within Israel itself, the stepped-up attacks on Palestinians will be accompanied by a mounting assault on the social and democratic rights of all workers, Jewish and Palestinian alike, as Netanyahu cracks down on political dissent on behalf of Israels plutocrats. How is this to be explained? There is, of course, the bankruptcy of the nominal opposition, which is an international phenomenon. Netanyahu was able to capitalize on the failure of progressive forces in the Bennett-Lapid-led government of change to put forward any alternative to alleviate the social inequality that is one of the highest in the OECD group of advanced countries. That failure reflects the class position which prioritizes the interests of Israels oligarchs over those of the working class, both Jewish and Palestinian. More fundamentally, the turn to openly racist policies is rooted in two major factors: the acute crisis of the Zionist state and the logic of Zionism itself. The establishment of a homeland for the Jews on the twin bases of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians already living there and a capitalist state was always a reactionary utopia, as the Fourth International explained in 1947. As the gap between rich and poor grew, due in no small part to the very economic policies required to carry out such a program, the state increased its reliance on right-wing settlers and extreme nationalist zealots, who provided the basis for the emergence of fascistic tendencies within Israel. Extreme nationalism was encouraged to divert growing anger over declining living standards and social inequality along reactionary lines. It is disturbing that a section of the Jewish people, who have long been associated with progressive movements and were the victims of the worst crime in history, are supporting political parties that can only be described as fascist. This is a product of the toxic political environment in Israel, long a beachhead for American imperialism in the Middle East. This reactionary outlook, however, is far from universally accepted. The Israeli working class has repeatedly sought a way out of this terrible conflict and a path towards peace with the Palestinians. But to do so means renewing the socialist and internationalist culture in which Jewish workers and intellectuals played such a central role in a previous era. In December of 1938, Leon Trotsky wrote with profound prescience: It is possible to imagine without difficulty what awaits the Jews at the mere outbreak of the future world war. But even without war the next development of world reaction signifies with certainty the physical extermination of the Jews Now more than ever, the fate of the Jewish peoplenot only their political but also their physical fateis indissolubly linked with the emancipating struggle of the international proletariat. Only audacious mobilization of the workers against reaction, creation of workers militia, direct physical resistance to the fascist gangs, increasing self-confidence, activity and audacity on the part of all the oppressed can provoke a change in the relation of forces, stop the world wave of fascism, and open a new chapter in the history of mankind. [Emphasis in the original] A new upsurge of the working class across the globe is beginning, pointing the way forward for Jewish and Arab workers alike in the form of a united struggle to overthrow and replace the Zionist state and the reactionary Arab bourgeois regimes, and forge the United Socialist States of the Middle East. This is the perspective fought for by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). It requires the building of sections of the ICFI in Israel and across the Middle East to provide the political leadership necessary to conduct this struggle against capitalism and for socialism. Following its victory in the Brazilian presidential election on October 30, the Workers Party (PT) has been confronted by the active efforts of the fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro to fatally undermine the new government of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Continuing the campaign waged throughout his four years in office to discredit the Brazilian democratic process, Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat to Lula and has publicly expressed support for what he calls a popular movement against the injustice of how the electoral process was carried out. Bolsonaros silence for almost 48 hours after the announcement of his defeat served as a backdrop for his fascist supporters to organize protests rejecting the election result. Sponsored by sections of the bourgeoisie and backed by police forces, they erected hundreds of roadblocks across the country and headed to Armed Forces bases demanding military intervention to prevent the PT president-elects inauguration. Brazil's president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressing supporters in Sao Paulo [Photo: Rovena Rosa/Agencia Brasil] After his speech on Tuesday afternoon, when he broke his silence, Bolsonaro maintained an ambivalent attitude toward the election results. While he has been careful to avoid directly blocking the transition of power to the new administration, he is keeping the avenues open to aggressively resume contesting the electoral process in the near future. In his newest statement on Wednesday night, the fascistic president called on his supporters to clear the roads. Instead, he oriented them, protest in other ways, in other places, this is very welcome. He concluded his speech: Well do what has to be done. I am with you, and I am sure you are with me. At the same moment, his sons, Flavio and Eduardo Bolsonaro, shared on their social media the video of a pro-coup demonstration in front of the Eastern Military Command in Rio de Janeiro. In the videos caption, Flavio wrote: Standing ovations to all Brazilians who are in the streets protesting, spontaneously, against the moral bankruptcy of our country! Trust the Captain [i.e., Bolsonaro]! Eduardo Bolsonaro, who was in Washington on January 6, 2021 to watch Donald Trumps attempt to overthrow the American elections, posted the video with a quote from his fathers speech: The current popular movements are the fruit of indignation and feeling of injustice with how the electoral process occurred. As Trump led the fascist forces that stormed the US Capitol, he also presented them as a popular and spontaneous movement over which he had no control. While Bolsonaros foot soldiers and closest political allies openly turn to the military demanding a coup, the Brazilian armed forces remain silent about the election. Folha de Sao Paulo reported about a private conversation with five active-duty generals in which the military avoided condemning the protests in front of the barracks which gained strength on Wednesday and called the demonstrations democratic and peaceful. The growing political instability and authoritarian risks are being responded by the PT with a desperate attempt to accelerate the process of governmental transition. Behind the backs of the Brazilian population, in closed-door meetings in Brasilia, they seek accommodations with right-wing forces in the state and military apparatus that waver over Bolsonaro. The vice-president-elect Geraldo Alckmin, former governor of Sao Paulo with the right-wing PSDB, was assigned by the PT to coordinate this task. The PTs choice was interpreted in the bourgeois media as an unequivocal gesture of subordination to the political right and to the market demands. An editorial in Folha summarized the choice of Alckmin as a sign of the president-elects disposition to form, as he promised in the campaign, a government that transcends the PT and opens itself to a wider range of collaborators and ideas. The MDB [the party that promoted the impeachment of PT President Dilma Rousseff], in fact, was invited to have a representative in the transition. On Thursday, during a visit to the Planalto Palace, Alckmin was invited by Bolsonaro to a private conversation in the presidential office. Without giving details, Alckmin told a press conference that the meeting was positive and consisted in summary, [in] reiterating the commitments regarding the transition. Asked about the protests demanding a military coup, supported by Bolsonaro, Alckmin replied that this is so unreasonable that it doesnt even deserve comment. The president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann, has been singled out as responsible for negotiating with allied parties to form the new governments coalition. She is now in an offensive to broaden the PT support among right-wing parties. Seeking to reverse the opposition majority in parliament, Hoffmann phoned Federal Congressman Silvio Costa Filho of the Republicans, asking his help to bring his far-right party, one of the main pillars of Bolsonarismo, over to the PTs side. While opening channels with the far right, the PT seeks at all costs to anesthetize the population about the dictatorial threats and stifle any political expression of the working class. Hoffmann promptly condemned the emergence of spontaneous workers confrontations with the fascist blockades and the demands from within the social movements linked to the PT to do the same. She responded that those responsible for stopping this pro-coup fascistic movement were the police and Bolsonaro himself! She declared: I want to remind you [that] who is the president of Brazil at this moment is Jair Messias Bolsonaro. ... He has to resolve this so as not to harm the population. This morning, Hoffmann spoke out presenting the coup movement against the PT president-elect as a solved problem. It seems to me that normality is already established, she declared. According to Estado de Sao Paulo, she ruled out even the possibility of going to court to demand measures against the organizers of the coup acts on the highways and, eventually, trying to hold Bolsonaro responsible for the instability that the country is experiencing since the close of the elections. It is remarkable how, at the same time that Bolsonaro closely follows Trumps coup political playbook, the spineless response from the PT resembles that of the Democratic Party towards the movement that sought to topple him from power. Changing Trump for Bolsonaro and Biden for Lula, the analysis published by the World Socialist Web Site after the US Capitols invasion applies perfectly to the current situation in Brazil: Normally, when confronted with an attempt to overthrow the constitutional regime, the political leader threatened by the conspiracy must immediately seek to deprive the traitors of all access to the mass media and a nationwide audience. But Biden, instead, called on Trump to appear on national television-to call off the insurrection he himself had organized! Biden concluded his remarks with the following clarion call. So, President Trump, step up. This bankrupt appeal to the would-be fascist dictator will go down in history as Bidens Hitler, do the right thing speech. As the WSWS wrote, the response, whether from the Democrats or the PT, to the fascist conspiracy is not dictated merely by cowardice or stupidity. Rather, as representatives of the financial-corporate oligarchy, they are frightened that the exposure of the criminal conspiracy and its political aims would ignite a mass response within the working class that would spiral into a movement against the capitalist state and the interests it serves. Recent events clearly show that the PT fears, much more than the real threat of a coup detat, the emergence of such a mass movement of the working class in Brazil, which would necessarily bring social demands that would implode Lulas political combinations with the bourgeoisie to return to power. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will participate in the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held in Egypts Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh November 6-18, Egyptian states news agency MENA reported on Friday, citing the German government. Scholz and Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi are scheduled to co-chair a roundtable titled "Investing in the Future of Energy: Green Hydrogen," Germany's Deputy Spokesman Wolfgang Buechner said. He added that this would be an opportunity for El-Sisi and Scholz to hold talks. Germany has urged all parties at COP27 to work on ensuring the success of the conference. We have suffered from climate change all over the world If we do not act now, we will miss a chance in history, German Ambassador to Cairo Frank Hartmann said in a Twitter video on Thursday. Ahead of the summit, Egypt and Germany signed two declarations of intent in the fields of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and green hydrogen to contribute to securing clean energy supplies, achieving sustainable development and confronting climate change. Egypt aims to produce green hydrogen at the lowest cost worldwide and become an export hub for Europe. They are expected to sign a partnership agreement on hydrogen and renewable energy with the European Union (EU) during COP27, the UAEs The National newspaper cited an EU official as saying on Friday. More than 120 heads of state have confirmed they will attend the conference and the number is expected to grow, said Egyptian Ambassador Wael Abul-Magd, special representative of the president-designate for COP27 in a press briefing Friday. The upcoming climate conference is expected to feature the participation of over 40,000 other participants, the highest number ever for a climate summit on the continent. More than 3,000 journalists and media professionals from around the world will cover the conference. Egypt has reiterated on more than an occasion that it hopes to turn climate pledges into actions on the ground during COP27, which will be held under the theme together for implementation. Egypt has also vowed to speak for Africas climate aspirations and push countries to fulfil their climate finance pledges. Egypts vision to advance climate action at COP27 involves collaboration between governments, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to focus on the issues of adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage and climate finance. Search Keywords: Short link: In the week since a deadly crowd crush took place in Seoul, South Korea on the night of October 29, the death toll has risen to 156. More information has also been revealed about the events leading up to the tragedy showing government indifference to the dangers involved. Rescue workers treat injured survivors of disastrous Halloween crush in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. [AP Photo/Lee Jin-man] The tragedy took place in Seouls Itaewon district, popular for its nightlife. Around 130,000 people had gathered for Halloween festivities, and with movement difficult, a large number of people became trapped in a narrow alley only 3.2 meters in width. By 10:15 p.m., the situation had spiraled out of control, leading to the major loss of life. While media reports have sought to blame individuals, including accusations that some deliberately pushed people, the deaths were primarily result of inadequate public safety measures and the failure of officials to respond to clear warning signs. At least 79 emergency calls were made Saturday night prior to the deadly event. According to released transcripts of the first call made at 6:34 p.m., a person described the alley where the crowd crush took place, telling authorities, I feel like I would be almost crushed to death here because people continued to come up [the alley] even though no more can go down. I barely escaped, but police need to control the area because the crowd is too big. Similar calls came in over the next four hours. The previous night, people also reported difficulty moving through large crowds in Itaewon. Yet, only about 200 police officers were deployed to the district the next night, and most were not tasked with crowd management. Underscoring their essential class function, police can be mobilized in huge numbers to suppress strikes and protests. In fact, more than 1,100 riot police were responding to rallies near the Yongsan presidential offices on October 29, less than two kilometers from Itaewon. An additional 3,700 riot police were deployed against demonstrators that day in other areas of the city. Acutely aware of broad public anger, the National Policy Agency (NPA) has launched a special investigation into the handling of the disaster. The head of the NPA Commissioner General Yun Hui-geun offered apologies and also pledged on Tuesday for an independent body to further investigate police conduct. On Wednesday, special investigators raided the offices of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the Yongsan Police Station, which is responsible for Itaewon, and six other locations. However, an internal NPA report issued on Monday revealed that the authorities were far more concerned with controlling public anger and politically protecting the government than in preventing future tragedies. The report stated, Some liberal-leaning civic groups are discussing how they will respond to the incident, calling it the biggest tragedy since the Sewol ferry disaster, under the notion that [the Itaewon tragedy] could possibly lead to demand for the current administration to resign. The sinking of the Sewol in 2014 caused the deaths of 304 people, mostly high school students. The anger over the sinking contributed to mass protests in 2016 and 2017 against then-President Park Geun-hye, who was removed from office for corruption before the protests could spread beyond the control of the establishment parties. Politicians have also responded with a predictable mix of crocodile tears and faux anger to deflect public criticism. The press reported that President Yoon Suk-yeol of the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) was enraged to learn that the police had failed to respond to the initial emergency calls about the size of the crowds. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hun apologized for the tragedy on Tuesday, claiming, From now on, the [city government] will do its best to remove the danger of safety accidents in places or events where many people gather. However, one look at the city and national governments response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic shows where they stand on public safety. The lifting of nearly all mitigation and safety measures while 40,000 people on average are still infected with a deadly and debilitating virus on a daily basis demonstrates their indifference. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DP) is playing its own role in deflecting public anger. DP leader Lee Jae-myung, who ran against Yoon in Marchs presidential election, stated on Tuesday, What happened in Itaewon is no doubt a man-made disaster, and it was caused by the incompetence of the administration in office. The DP has demanded the firing of the NPAs Commissioner General Yun in addition to other government officials. The DP is simply joining the hunt for convenient scapegoats to deflect public anger and sweep the matter under the carpet, while making at most cosmetic changes. The tragedy in Itaewon was not simply the responsibility of individual politicians, but of an entire ruling class that views public safety as an impediment to big business ability to churn out profits. By branding the current administration as incompetent, the Democrats are simply seeking to make political mileage out of the tragedy while covering up the underlying causethe profit system itself which they defend. In this, they are aided by their allies in civic groups as well as phony left-wing organizations, who orbit around the DP and parrot its criticisms of Yoon as incompetent. The DPs own history, including initiating the era of supposedly living with COVID under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, demonstrates where the party really stands on the issue of safety. Numerous deadly fires, workers strikes against unsafe conditions, and the brutal working hours of many public employees under the Moon government show that both parties of big business subordinate the lives of the public to profits. San Francisco-based Twitter began the first round of mass layoffs of its workforce on Friday under orders from billionaire owner Elon Musk, who took over the company one week ago. Elon Musk in May 2020. [Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls] Some Twitter workers received an email from the company late Thursday that they were being terminated and others found out about it when they lost access to online systems or were barred from entering company facilities on Friday. While the new leadership of Twitter did not disclose details of the job cuts, internal documents reviewed by Reuters earlier in the week said that Musk was planning to cut 3,700 of the 7,500 global workforce. The New York Times reported on Friday that four people with knowledge of the matter, confirmed that half of the Twitter workforce had been eliminated, adding, Rarely have layoffs this deep been made by a single individual at a tech company. Tweets from former employees on Friday showed that the layoffs on Friday hit staff members in engineering, marketing, communications, product development, content curation and machine learning ethics. Shannon Raj Singh, a lawyer who was running Twitters human rights department, tweeted, Yesterday was my last day at Twitter: the entire Human Rights team has been cut from the company. Senior Community Manager, Simon Balmain, tweeted, Looks like Im unemployed yall. Just got remotely logged out of my work laptop and removed from Slack. In Balmains case, he lost access to email and other systems eight hours before being informed that he was officially laid off and he told CNN that the message he received still didnt provide any details really about why he had been fired. Multiple news outlets reported that the email to Twitter staff was terse and said different things depending on geographic location. Reuters quoted a section of one of the message which read, In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday. Musks claims that his motivation to privately own Twitter was, to try to help humanity have been rapidly overtaken by a financial crisis resulting from a sudden drop in advertising revenue. Major advertisers, including General Motors, paused spending with Twitter last week because of content moderation concerns. Interpublic Group (IPG)which is responsible for $40 billion in marketing internationally for brands such as American Express, Walmart, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Mattelfollowed up GMs announcement with a pause in ad spending until they had confidence and clarity on the direction of the platform. Other major brands that have stopped advertising include Ford, Audi, General Mills, Pfizer and Volkswagen. The reality is that the layoffs at Twitter, accelerated by the Musk takeover, are part of the jobs massacre taking place at tech firms across Silicon Valley. As part of the intensification of the attacks on the jobs and wages of the entire working classand with financial performance declining and share values falling on Wall Streetcompanies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Lyft, Microsoft and others have announced either a hiring freeze of layoffs of their employees. Responding to the exodus of advertisers, Musk tweeted on Friday morning, Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists. He continued, Extremely messed up! Theyre trying to destroy free speech in America. Speaking at an investors conference in New York on Friday, Musk reiterated his claim that activist pressure was an attack on the First Amendment. The reality is that the private takeover of the micro blogging platformwhich has become a critical tool used by millions of people for instantaneous global announcements, news and informationby a billionaire oligarch is the greatest threat to democracy. An example of the social and political outlook of Musk and the billionaire elite was demonstrated in his exchange with Democratic Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter on Tuesday and Wednesday. Commenting on a plan announced by Musk to charge users $8 per month to continue using the verified account feature, the congresswoman tweeted, Lmao [laughing my a-- off] at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that free speech is actually a $8/mo subscription plan. Responding to the comment with a combination of conceit and bullying, Musk tweeted, Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8. This reply speaks volumes about Musks commitment to democratic rights and his proclaimed desire to make Twitter into a common digital town square. In response to a legitimate question about the future of speech on Twitter, Musk essentially told Ocasio-Cortezan elected member of the US House of Representatives who has repeatedly faced death threats from far-right and fascist individualsto shut up and pay me. The first week of Musks ownership of the social media platform with nearly 400 million monthly active users has, by any measure, been one of widespread and deepening crisis. He has used his pretense of free speech absolutism as a front for welcoming far-right and fascist individualssuch as offering to restore Donald Trumps accountonto Twitter to spread racism, xenophobia, white-supremacy and antisemitism on the platform. The mass character of Twitter, as well as social media generally as a technological phenomenon in the 21st century, is incompatible with the ownership of a single billionaire oligarch. The crisis unfolding at Twitter is part of the deepening economic, social and political crisis of the world capitalist system. On Wednesday, hundreds of police were deployed by President Ranil Wickremesinghes government stop a major rally in Colombo called by the pseudo-left, the trade unions and the opposition parliamentary parties. Hundreds of police and military personnel block protesters reaching Fort Railway Station in Colombo, 2 November, 2022. [Photo: WSWS] Thousands of protesters gathered at Maradana in Central Colombo and began marching towards the Fort Railway Station where they planned to hold a demonstration. About one kilometre from their destination, however, protesters were blocked by over 500 police officers, including from the Police Riot Unit and the notorious Police Special Task Force (STF), and military personnel, who had erected a barricade across the road. The protest was initiated by the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), trade unions, such as the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) and Ceylon Bank Employees Union and various civil organisations. The two parliamentary opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)decided to participate. The protests main demands were for the release of three detained activists from the FSP-controlled Inter University Student Federation and all other political prisoners, and the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. They also denounced the rising cost of living. Students and youth in Colombo demand the release of student leaders on 2 November 2022. [Photo: WSWS] Although organisers claimed they would bring 100,000 people to Colombo around 5,000 participated. The lower turnout, however, does not indicate any reluctance among workers, youth and the rural masses to fight the governments International Monetary Fund-dictated austerity. Rather, it underscores the fact that broad layers of the population have no confidence in those dominating the rally, particularly the widely discredited SJB and SLFP. All these parties, the unions and the pseudo-left FSP are committed to the IMF program, including the privatisation and restructuring of public sector firms, higher taxes, public sector job cuts and the slashing of social subsidies. The SJB and SLFP are calling for a general election and the formation of a new capitalist government that would implement these social attacks. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which shares this commitment to the IMF-dictated measures, did not participate in Wednesdays rally because it regards the SJB as its principal rival in any future election. The JVP held a separate protest of several thousand people in Hyde Park on October 27 to demand a general election. It complains that the Wickremesinghe government is incapable of implementing the demanded austerity measures as it lacks legitimacy. The FSP and trade unions, such as the CTU, have played a treacherous role in politically derailing the growing popular opposition against the Wickremesinghe government and attempting to tie it to the SJB and SLFP. A week before Wednesdays protest, FSP leaders and senior union officials visited SJB and SLFP offices and signed an agreement with these parties to organise the protest as a common front. These organisations all fear the rising opposition of the working class to the Wickremesinghe government and are attempting to establish another bourgeois government. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has consistently warned the working class about the political dangers of an alliance of the bourgeois parliamentary opposition parties, pseudo-left and unions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the SEP reviewed the bitter historical experience of the Sri Lankan working class with such fronts, beginning in 1964, when the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) entered a coalition government with the SLFP and betrayed the political independence of the working class and socialist internationalism. The SEP calls upon workers to reject the alliance of the trade unions and pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party with the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which are falsely claiming to oppose the governments attacks, the statement said. Once Wednesdays protest confronted the police-military barricade, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa climbed on top of a vehicle, demagogically denounced the government, and then called for an end to the rally. He was jeered by some protesters who demanded that the action continue and that they break through the barricade. CTU general secretary Joseph Stalin (left) with SJB leader Sajith Premadasa at Colombo protest on 2 November 2022. [Photo: WSWS] After SJB and SLFP leaders and their supporters left the demonstration, FSP and trade union leaders vowed to come back and the rally fizzled out. Addressing the crowd, CTU leader Joseph Stalin said, All the parties were united against the President and the government [I]n a few days, we will return to Colombo with a large group of people. In other words, Stalin and the FSP leadership will continue to promote their reactionary front with the SJB and SLFP as an alternative to the Wickremesinghe regime. The Wickremesinghe government has repeatedly unleashed state forces to break up public protests. Its reaction to last Wednesdays rally is another warning to the working class and the rural toilers that Colombo is preparing massive repression to crush the rising opposition to the IMF-dictated measures. On Wednesday, police sent a letter to the protest organisers declaring that no permission had been granted for the event because it could block the roads in Colombo and pose obstructions to the public. Police also claimed it would delay the shipping of freight containers expected to reach Colombo from the Biyagama, Wathupitiwala, and Kandy Economic Zones and thus impacting the countrys economy and the movement of tourists. The letter warned that if there is any traffic congestion or obstruction, necessary measures will have to be taken as per the Police Ordinance and other laws to remove such inconveniences caused to the public. A day before the protest, several major Sri Lankan business chambers demanded organisers call off protests of this nature that could undermine the efforts being taken to resolve the current economic crisis with the support of the international community Any act of destabilisation taking place at this time and any negative publicity arising from it would seriously derail actions that are being taken to revive the economy, including the efforts being taken to promote tourism. This intervention further underscores the immense fear of big business over the rising working-class opposition to the governments social attacks. The capitalist elites will not tolerate any disruption of their profit interests. Like their counterparts around the world, the Sri Lankan ruling class are determined to impose the whole burden of the countrys economic crisis, which has been deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the US-NATO war against Russia, on all working people. In an October 19 address to the nation, Wickremesinghe vowed that his government would implement the IMF reforms, warning that harder times are inevitable. At the same time, his government is providing concessions to big business and investors, including generous tax relief and infrastructure facilities. As Tuesdays SEP statement explained, There is no solution to the enormous social problems confronting workers and the poor within the capitalist framework, which is why the SEP calls for the building of independent action committees of workers and rural toilers to fight for their demands. The working class needs, as the statement outlined, a political strategy to consolidate its forces and go forward with the support of the rural masses to establish its own rule through a workers and peasants government committed to restructuring society on socialist lines. EgyptAir will operate on Saturday its first commercial flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport ahead of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) set to be held in the Red Sea city 6-18 November. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement that the move is part of its strategy for achieving sustainable development and reducing environmental pollution, which includes cutting carbon emissions. Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas said this strategy aims to make the aviation sector eco-friendly, drawing on the governments plans to increase reliance on new and renewable energy sources. The Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner will carry a delegation of participants in the UN climate conference. The national air carrier is one of the world's first airlines to use sustainable aviation fuel in commercial flights, the ministry said. Egypt has been working on reducing its carbon emissions through many projects, including introducing eco-friendly mass transportation that runs on electricity, such as light rail transit (LRT), the monorail, and bus rapid transit (BRT). Egypt plans to boost its green investments to 50 percent of the total public investments by 2024/2025, up from 40 percent currently. The UN climate conference will aim to cut carbon emissions causing climate change and deal with existing climate impacts. Egypt has repeatedly called for the necessity to commit to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as per the Paris Agreement signed during COP21 in 2015. COP27 is expected to feature the participation of delegations from around 200 countries, more than 120 heads of state and over 40,000 other participants, the highest number ever for a climate summit on the continent. Also, more than 3,000 journalists and media professionals from around the world will cover the conference. Search Keywords: Short link: By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli The EU commends the willingness of Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue efforts to address the border-related issues, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said on the results of the Brussels meeting between deputy prime ministers of the two warring nations. "The EU commends the constructive atmosphere in which the meeting was conducted, and the willingness of the parties to continue working on addressing border-related issues, as well as to improve the security situation," said the statement. Similarly, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that the Azerbaijani-Armenian border delimitation commission discussed delimitation issues, considered organizational and procedural issues during the Brussels meeting on November 3. According to the ministry, the third meeting of the commission under the chairmanship of Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Armenias Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan was held in Brussels. Prior to the meeting, Secretary General of the EU External Action Service Stefano Sannino greeted the delegations of both countries, wished success to the work of the commissions, and reaffirmed the readiness of the European Union to continue to provide assistance in the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two deputy prime ministers, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Council of the European Union for organizing the meeting. Taking into account the agreements reached at the level of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in various formats, the parties continued to discuss delimitation issues, considered organizational and procedural matters. In order to determine the legal framework for the joint activities of the commissions, the parties agreed to expedite work on agreeing on the procedure for joint activities of the State Commission on the delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and the commission on the delimitation and security of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. Further, the sides agreed to determine in working order the date and place of the fourth meeting of the commissions. This was the third meeting within the framework of the work of the delimitation and border security commission between Azerbaijan and Armenia. To recap, the first meeting between Azerbaijan and Armenian delimitation commissions was held on the border on May 24, 2022, and the second such meeting took place in Moscow on August 30, 2022. Egypt will announce its national strategy for green hydrogen production during the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which is set to kick off on Sunday in Sharm El-Sheikh city, the Cabinet said. Egypts green hydrogen strategy, implemented in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Arab Union for Sustainable Development and Environment (AUSDE), seeks to help Egypt contribute to 8 percent of the global hydrogen market, the Cabinet said in a statement on Saturday. Egypt is capable of producing green hydrogen at the cheapest price worldwide, the Cabinet said, noting that the hydrogen production cost is set to drop to $1.7 per kg by 2050 instead of $2.7 per kg in 2025. The strategy will increase Egypts GDP by $10-18 billion by 2025, create more than 100,000 job opportunities, and contribute to decreasing Egypts import of petroleum products and therefore reducing emissions, the government has said. Egypt recently signed a number of MoUs on hydrogen and green ammonia production with international partners as part of the country's efforts to attract foreign investments into green hydrogen production in order to become a transit route for clean energy to Europe. Late in August, the Egyptian government signed an MoU with Globeleq and Actis, two UK-based companies specialised in renewable energy, to develop green hydrogen. The project will be developed over three phases, totalling 3.6 GW of electrolysers and around 9 GW of solar and wind power generation. Globeleq seeks to produce 2 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually in Egypt, the Cabinets statement noted. Egypt is also set to have its first green hydrogen plant with a 100 MW capacity in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) at a cost of $5 billion, as per an MoU signed with Norways renewable energy solutions provider Scatec in March. The plant will have a production capacity of 1 million tonnes annually with a potential for an expansion to 3 million tonnes per year, the Cabinet said. The project, which is expected to start production in 2025, will mainly export green ammonia to European and Asian markets, according to a statement by Scatec on 10 March. This is in addition to similar MoUs with other partners over the past year, including Australias Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), Indian renewable energy firm ACME Group, German energy storage firm H2 Industries, and Saudi Arabias Alfanar company to build green hydrogen plants in Egypt. Egypt has intensified its green initiatives ahead of COP27 with plans to boost its green investments to 50 percent of total public investments by 2024/2025, up from 40 percent currently. The UN climate conference will aim to work towards reducing carbon emissions causing climate change and address existing climate impacts. Egypt has repeatedly stressed the necessity to commit to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as per the Paris Agreement signed during COP21 in 2015. COP27 is expected to feature the participation of delegations from around 200 countries, more than 120 heads of state and over 40,000 other participants, the highest number ever for a climate summit on the continent. Also, more than 3,000 journalists and media professionals from around the world will cover the conference. Search Keywords: Short link: Hundreds of climate protesters blocked private jets from leaving Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Saturday in a demonstration on the eve of the COP27 U.N. climate meeting in Egypt. Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion protesters sat around private jets to prevent them from leaving and others rode bicycles around the planes. Dewi Zloch of Greenpeace Netherlands said the activists want ``fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets.'' Military police said they arrested a number of protesters for being on the airport's grounds without authorization. Responding Friday to an open letter from Greenpeace, Schiphol's new CEO Ruud Sondag said the airport is targeting ``emissions-free airports by 2030 and net climate-neutral aviation by 2050. And we have a duty to lead the way in that,'' but conceded it needed to happen faster. More than 120 world leaders will attend this year's U.N. climate talks at the Red Sea coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh starting Sunday. Thorny issues up for discussion at the Nov. 6-18 talks, including further cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting financial aid for poor countries struggling with the impacts of climate change. Search Keywords: Short link: BAY COUNTY Nine Bay County schools have recently been named as Schools of Excellence for the 2021-2022 school year. Bay District School officials and school principals from the selected schools gathered Wednesday to discuss the Schools of Excellence designation and what it means to them. Denise Kelley, deputy superintendent for BDS, said parental involvement plays a key role in student success. We are very proud of all of our schools, Kelley said. Schools perform better when parents are involved, and we would like to thank our parents who are involved with these schools and for being that person to build a connection between school and home that students carry throughout the day. BDS Deputy Superintendent Denise Kelley met with Bay County school principals on Wednesday to discuss the Schools of Excellence program. How the Schools of Excellence program works Determined by the Florida Department of Education and Florida Statute, Schools of Excellence are schools that consistently achieve the maximum number of points possible in Floridas school-grade calculations. To qualify, schools must be in the 80th percentile or higher for schools comprised of the same grade groupings, such as elementary, middle or high schools. Related: Bay District Schools launched summer recovery to avoid COVID slide. Did it work? Also: Parker Elementary is first in Bay County to adopt Community Partnership Schools model In the 2021-2022 school year, 697 schools statewide were designated as Schools of Excellence. Of these schools, 310 maintained their designation, 333 renewed and 54 met the requirements for the first time. Non-charter schools that qualified Patronis Elementary School Surfside Middle School Tyndall Elementary School Bay Virtual Franchise Charter schools that qualified Bay Haven Middle School North Bay Haven Charter Middle School North Bay Haven Career Academy Rising Leaders Academy University Academy Larry Bolinger, CEO of Bay Haven Charter Academy Inc., said that the community and school system are what contributed to student success. 'Achieve efficiency and beyond' Bay County students have faced many challenges in the past few years that created obstacles in the classrooms, such as Hurricane Michael and the pandemic. Brooke Loyed, principal of Patronis Elementary, said her school had worked hard to close the learning gaps brought by those challenges. Story continues Even with all those interruptions, we worked hard each year to achieve efficiency and beyond. Im proud of every goal our students accomplished because theyve been so much, Loyed said. We couldnt do it without the support from our dedicated staff and families. Larry Bolinger, CEO of Bay Haven Charter Academy Inc., said the community and school system's support contributed to student success through the virtual learning process caused by the pandemic. We had parents that were there when they could be and teachers that would make sure our students were being held accountable for what they were learning and keeping learning as fun as possible, Bolinger said. Weve had very little learning loss, and we champion that. We have been consistent and strive to continue moving forward with our learning. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida names nine Bay district schools as Schools of Excellence President Biden said Friday he will have a direct conservation with oil companies soon, following his warning to oil giants earlier this week that they may face a higher tax on excess profits. Im working like hell to deal with the energy prices, Biden said in San Diego, Calif. Im going to have a little as they say come to the lord talk with the oil companies pretty soon. The president on Monday threatened to push Congress to impose a windfall tax on oil companies. His comments came after ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell reported high third-quarter earnings. What are the bills people have to pay every month, a lot of people? Well, guess what, every month a lot of people have prescription bills they have to pay on a regular basis, every month they have health care premiums, energy costs, cost of heating their homes, Biden said on Friday. And how much of that is critical to working- and middle-class families? What can you do about it? While analysts say the global oil market, not individual companies, set large portions of the price, Biden has ramped up his focus on record profits by oil companies ahead of Election Day, seeking to go on offense over an issue that polls have shown is a major topic for voters this fall. Biden administration officials have met with oil executives amid their push to lower gas prices this year. When pressed on why Biden himself doesnt talk to companies directly, the White House has said hes made his point clear. The Department of Energy has been in regular contact and have held meetings with these different companies, and theyll continue to have those conversations. Members of our team at the White House have also been in close contact, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week. When the president uses his bully pulpit, that matters. That does send a very powerful message a direct message and to this case, to the oil companies. Story continues Biden on Friday spoke in San Diego at Viasat, a communications company that focuses on hiring veterans as they transition to civilian life. At the event, he touted the passage of the PACT Act, which will expand benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins, and the CHIPS and Science Act, which boosts computer chip manufacturing in the U.S. He also rallied support for California Democratic Reps. Scott Peters and Mike Levin in the final stretch before the midterm elections. He said Peters is especially helping reduce the cost of drugs, as well as taking care of vets. Scott, your district is lucky to have you. This guys the real deal, hes the real deal. The president rallied for Levin at a reception on Thursday evening. On Friday, Biden said, Mikes a hell of a guy, a champion for his constituents, especially veterans who live here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman. SAG Awards/Shutterstock Remembering a legend. Two years after, Chadwick Bosemans unexpected death, filmmaker Ryan Coogler is looking back at their final memories together. My last conversation with him was calling to ask if he wanted to read [the script] before I got notes from the studio, the Black Panther director, 36, recalled during the debut episode of the Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther podcast, which dropped on Thursday, November 3. That was the last time we spoke. He passed maybe a couple weeks after I finished [writing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever]. Coogler remembered that the South Carolina native seemed tired during their phone conversation, noting that he and Denzel Washington had been trying to get a hold of Boseman for several days to no avail. I texted him [and said], Denzels looking for you too. So, he called me, and I could tell he was laying down when we were talking, Coogler somberly told podcast host Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote the original Black Panther comics, on Thursday. Simone [Ledward, his wife] was with him and he kicked Simone out because he told her he didnt want her to hear nothing that could get him in trouble with his NDA and she didnt want to leave, so I could tell something was up. The Oakland, California, native reminisced that Boseman was joking and laughing before asking about his upcoming South Carolina wedding plans and the arrival of his son, now 2, with now-wife Zinzi Evans. After their check-in, the Golden Globe winner ultimately decided not to read Cooglers script because he was too tired. Ryan Coogler and Chadwick Boseman on set of 'Black Panther.' Marvel/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock Coogler initially planned to feature Bosemans Black Panther in the Wakanda Forever sequel and do a deep-ish dive into this guy, however the actors death affected production. Instead, the film which premieres in theaters later this month will see the country of Wakanda grieve the loss of TChalla as a new hero takes on the superhero mantle. Story continues Its going to be interesting to surpass the cultural phenomenon that it was. Its going to be really interesting to see how we do that again, Angela Bassett, who plays TChallas mother Ramonda, exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2021. Its going to be phenomenal and its going to pay tribute and its going to carry on that legacy. Us previously confirmed in August 2020 that the 42 star had died at the age of 43 after a secret battle with colon cancer. It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman, a statement released via his Instagram read at the time. A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilsons Ma Raineys Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King TChalla to life in Black Panther. He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side. Coogler, for his part, was reeling when he learned the news. I was at [my] house. I got a call from [my manager] Charles King, the Creed director said during the Thursday podcast appearance. "He called and told me, and I didnt want to believe it, so I called Denzel, and I spoke to him, and we thought it might be a rumor, so I texted Chad, because you go through that denial. Coogler, who reworked Wakanda Forever as a tribute to his late pal, noted on Thursday that Boseman had been battling cancer the entire duration of their friendship. Everything about Chad was unique and how he lived and how he died was also unique," he remarked. "Looking back, I realize that my man was dying [while we shot the first film] and its, like, I cant quit [now because] if he did all that, [then I can keep going]. This is just grief, we gotta push through. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debuts in theaters on Friday, November 11. Its that time again, when Deadline decamps to New York City to bring you the latest installment of our Contenders Film series, with the lowdown on some of our favorite Oscar-season possibilities. Todays installment, live and in-person at The Times Center in Manhattan, offers some show-stopping talent (see the full lineup and schedule of panels below). More from Deadline RELATED: Contenders New York 2022: Deadlines Complete Coverage One of the juiciest much-awaited stories this season is Universal Pictures She Said, the Maria Schrader-directed telling of the investigation behind New York Times 2017 expose of Harvey Weinstein that launched the #MeToo movement in Hollywood. Based on the 2019 book by the story-breaking journalists Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey, Zoe Kazan will be here to talk about her role as Kantor, starring opposite Carey Mulligan as Twohey. As with She Said, stories based on truth tend to rank high among Oscar contenders, and this year is no exception. In Chinoye Chukwus Till, we get a devastatingly close-up look at the real-life lynching in 1955 of 14-year-old Emmett Till, and his mother Mamie Till-Mobleys trajectory toward life as a civil rights activist. Chukwu will speak about her work on the film from Orion Pictures and United Artists Releasing, joined on a panel with Danielle Deadwyler, who plays Mamie, and co-star John Douglas Thompson. RELATED: Contenders New York Arrivals Gallery: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Danielle Deadwyler, S. S. Rajamouli, Zoe Kazan & More Also taking to the Contenders stage in the true-life department is Netflixs The Good Nurse. Starring Jessica Chastain as Nurse Amy Loughren and Eddie Redmayne as her serial-killer co-worker Charlie Cullen, the film, penned by 1917 Oscar-winner Krysty Wilson-Cairns, explores how Loughren came to expose Cullens crimes. This ones also based on a journalists book Charles Graebers true-crime story. Director Tobias Lindholm and producer Scott Franklin join to discuss. Story continues Also from Netflix although fictional this time, based on the 1985 novel by Don DeLillo comes Noah Baumbachs latest, White Noise. The Marriage Story writer and director will be here to dig into this environmental disaster tale starring his frequent collaboratorand partner in lifeGreta Gerwig, along with Adam Driver and producer David Heyman. From fellow streamer Apple Original Films, we have Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence as an Afghanistan vet struggling to adjust to civilian life following a traumatic brain injury. Producer Justine Ciarrochi will join to discuss the film. Also from Apple, Reginald Hudlin will join in to talk about his Sidney Poitier documentary Sidney. As usual we have a smorgasbord of themes and genres on display including RRR, from director and co-writer S.S. Rajamouli, wholl discuss his Indian Telugu-language fictional story centering on a clash between historical leaders in the wake of a young girls kidnapping in India. Plus, well be taking a look at Italian mobster drama Nostalgia from director and co-writer Mario Martone, wholl be on stage with his co-writer Ippolia Di Majo to discuss the story about a longtime friendship divided by organized crime. Follow our coverage of the day on Deadline at on social media at #DeadlineContenders, and check back Monday when we launch out streaming site featuring video of all eight panels. Here is todays lineup (all times are ET and approximate): 9-10:20 am Breakfast 10:30 a.m. Opening Remarks ORION PICTURES/UNITED ARTISTS RELEASING 10:35-10:50 a.m. Till Chinonye Chukwu (Writer/Director) Danielle Deadwyler (Actor) John Douglas Thompson (Actor) APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS 10:53-11:08 a.m. Causeway Justine Ciarrochi (Producer) 11:09-11:24 a.m. Sidney Reginald Hudlin (Director) VARIANCE FILMS 11:30-11:45 a.m. RRR S.S. Rajamouli (Co-Writer/Director) UNIVERSAL PICTURES 11:51 a.m.-12:06 p.m. She Said Zoe Kazan (Actor) BREAKING GLASS PICTURES 12:09-12:24 p.m. Nostalgia Mario Martone (Co-Writer/Director) Ippolita Di Majo (Co-Writer) NETFLIX 12:30-12:45 p.m. The Good Nurse Tobias Lindholm (Director) Scott Franklin (Producer) 12:46-1:01 p.m. White Noise Noah Baumbach (Director/Writer/Producer) Greta Gerwig (Actor) Adam Driver (Actor) David Heyman (Producer) Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Li Qiang was appointed the second position in China's 7-man top brass, under only President Xi Jinping. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Li Qiang became deeply unpopular in Shanghai for imposing the city's two-month lockdown. Last month, he was named China's new premier, making him the second-most powerful man in China. They key to his success is his loyalty to President Xi Jinping, experts say. Spring 2022 was a bad season for Li Qiang. Desperate to keep Shanghai's COVID-19 cases under control, the party boss oversaw a grinding, two-month lockdown of the entire city, forcing everyone from ordinary, working-class citizens to billionaires and celebrities to stay home and barter for food with their neighbors. Throughout it all, as Shanghai's top leader, Li appeared on state media visiting hospitals and neighborhoods, repeating zero-COVID talking points. "We must resolutely implement the spirit of the important instructions by Party Secretary Xi Jinping and steadfastly persist in the dynamic-zero approach," he would tell residents, according to Reuters. But even as he continued to act as the face of zero-COVID, public discontent at the policies and Li flared. On social media, residents complained of food shortages, families being separated, and a lack of medical care. There were so many posts that China's censorship machine struggled to contain them all. During one public visit, he was stopped by several elderly ladies including a white-haired granny in a wheelchair who openly scolded him for his handling of the crisis. And in a gaffe showcasing his unfamiliarity with the lockdown's pains, Li was caught asking aides to explain the concept of a "group leader," a term used to describe a designated person who would organize groceries for their neighborhood block, The Financial Times reported. Li's growing unpopularity raised questions about his career progression, with experts wondering if the lockdown debacle might lead him to be passed over for promotion. But on October 23, Chinese President Xi Jinping made it clear: It didn't matter. When Xi announced the next generation of the country's top leadership, Li was named second-in-command. Story continues Angry residents confront officials from behind a fence erected in a neighbourhood compound in the Xuhui district of Shanghai on June 6, 2022. - Residents stuck inside a compound nearly a week after Shanghai's much vaunted reopening following a virus outbreak shouted at hazmat-clad officials on June 6, as fears grew that some city neighborhoods were being locked down again. HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images Li owes much of his career to Xi Jinping Li is now set to become the country's premier, the highest administrative position in the government and second in power only to Xi. It's a meteoric rise for a politician who wasn't even in the top seven positions that form China's uppermost brass, experts say. "What's notable is that he did not have a prior vice-premier position, which is a common prerequisite of being appointed as a premier," said Dylan Loh, a public policy and global affairs professor at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. "President Xi has in some ways diluted or removed this requirement so that he can appoint Li Qiang," Loh told Insider. "It indicates to me that there is a lot of political trust not only in his fealty but in his competence." Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, and other members of China's new top leadership walk in order of their rank. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Li's career has been closely tied to Xi's own rise in power, and he's one of the president's "most trusted proteges," per analysts from the Brookings Institution. He was Xi's chief of staff while the latter was the party boss of Zhejiang province from 2004 to 2007. At the time, Xi was climbing the ranks to stardom, and Li was climbing into the ranks of Xi's closest staff members. "He was so close to Xi Jinping. He was Xi's man when he was in Zhejiang, and he didn't make a lot of mistakes," Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore, told Insider. When Xi became China's paramount leader, he elevated Li to the role of the governor of Zhejiang in 2013. In 2016, Li went on to become the party secretary the top regional party role of Jiangsu, a wealthy, eastern province with enough GDP to be the world's 10th-largest economy if it were its own country. After another 15 months in Jiangsu, Li was appointed party secretary of Shanghai, a key position that often indicates the holder is earmarked for the upper echelons of leadership. Xi himself was posted to the role more than 10 years ago. "Having Li already established, Xi put him in an important position, and facilitated him to be promoted later on," Wu said. Li's greatest value is his loyalty to Xi Li has a history of being pro-business, sometimes even with the West. Under him, Shanghai worked with Tesla to build a "gigafactory" in 2018, even while the US and China grappled with a trade war. He also was one of the few top officials who pushed for Western MRNA coronavirus vaccines in China over relying solely on locally produced shots, going so far as to initiate discussions with German manufacturer BioNTech, per The Wall Street Journal. But his real value to Xi comes in the form of his loyalty to Xi, Wu said. An aerial view of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory on March 29, 2021 in Shanghai, China. Tesla Shanghai Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images As he's shown with his handling of Shanghai, Li has been willing to allow Xi's policies to supersede his own even if they differ widely. "Whether or not he will remain business-friendly remains to be seen," Loh said. "What this line-up tells us is that decision-making has been centralized to a degree that's probably never been done before." If Li's promotion had been based on performance, Wu said, the incoming premier would have already been removed from power for his handling of Shanghai's lockdown. When the coronavirus flared up in Wuhan and Hubei provinces, their party bosses were ousted in 2020. "He's a core loyal supporter. Xi Jinping doesn't look into other things. It's not about meritocracy," Wu said. Read the original article on Business Insider diptych of Democrat Senate candidates Cheri Beasley and Val Demings Cheri Beasley, Democratic Senate candidate in North Carolina, left; and Rep. Val Demings of Florida Credit - Melissa Sue GerritsGetty Images; Joe RaedleGetty Images When Quentin James saw a chart tallying some of his partys Senate spending this year, he was dismayed. The chart listed the combined spending of the Democratic Senate campaign armthe Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)and the Senate Majority PAC, which is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. It included spending in six battleground races through the end of September. James noticed the long blue bar dominating the top of the graph, representing the money spent to support John Fetterman, the Democrats nominee locked in one of the most high-profile races in the country in Pennsylvania. Another observation stood out: The two candidates at the bottom of the chartRep. Val Demings and Cheri Beasleywere both Black women. We understand there have to be decisions made to maximize resources, says James, the founder and president of The Collective PAC, which works to elect Black Democratic candidates. But it just seems as though Black candidates, Black woman candidates, always get the short end of the stick. Beasley and Demings are both running for Senate in states Donald Trump won twice: North Carolina and Florida. If either wins, they will be the first Black senator from their state. But as Election Day approaches, they both look like underdogs, leading some to suggest that the Democratic Party should have done more to support its Black women candidates. The DSCC says the chart James saw provides an incomplete picture of its spending. Outside of direct contributions, the committee has fundraised for Beasley and Demings through events and emails. And James says he later learned more about spending by the Senate Majority PAC in North Carolina that wasnt included on the graphic, making him more comfortable with its investment in Beasleys race. Nonetheless, he and others remain frustrated about the partys efforts on behalf of female Black candidates on the whole. Story continues Both Beasley and Demings quickly cleared their primary fields, but faced early pessimism about the viability of their candidacies. Throughout the year, they have managed to remain within striking distance of their opponents thanks to what Democrats widely regard as sparkling biographies and strong campaigns. Beasley, previously chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, lost her bid to keep that post in 2020 by fewer than 500 votes, and previously won two statewide elections. Demings, a former Orlando police chief who was on President Bidens V.P. shortlist, has made the Florida Senate contest surprisingly competitive. Both campaigns have posted eye-popping fundraising numbers. According to FEC records, Demings raised more than $70 million for her Senate bid as of mid-October, while her opponent, Sen. Marco Rubio, raised slightly more than half of that. In North Carolina, Beasley raised $34 million; her opponent, Rep. Ted Budd, brought in about a third of that. Both women have proven that Black women candidates are more than just viable in swing states or those trending red; they can be among the partys strongest. We know that candidates of color and especially Black women are competitive at the highest level, said Jessica Knight Henry, the DSCCs deputy executive director and chief diversity and inclusion officer, in a statement to TIME.The strength of these candidates and Democrats commitment to their campaigns has put Republicans on defense across the Senate map, and helped position Democrats to protect and expand our Senate majority. But with days to go until Election Day, both races remain Republicans to lose. Demings has trailed Rubio in nearly every public poll, often by more than a couple points. Beasleys race appears much closera poll conducted this week found her running neck-and-neck with Republican nominee Ted Buddbut she has trailed in most recent surveys as well. Black leaders argue that the polls have been wrong before. But they also warn that if both women lose next week, the Democratic Party will face a reckoning. The Democratic Party has an opportunity to help them get over the hurdle, says Rashad Robinson, a spokesman for the Color of Change PAC. Further adding to the criticism is the case of Georgia, which Democrats managed to flip in 2020, providing Biden with the electoral votes he needed to become President and electing Democrats in two pivotal Senate runoff elections. The work of activists like Stacey Abrams, who is now making her second bid for governor, and other Black women in registering and turning out Black voters was widely seen as central to the state turning blue. Robinson says the Democratic Party takes Black women for granted, repeatedly asking them to vote and raise their voices, but then be excluded from opportunities to actually lead. The Democratic Party has to understand that Black folks, Black women are not going to be okay simply being the foot soldiers to drive white candidates into power, he says. The lack of money has been whats most discouraging for Black leaders. With some of the partys mega-donors largely sitting out the midterms and Democratic Senate incumbents facing difficult races in Nevada and Georgia, other priorities have eclipsed the races where Black women are running. Still, despite the scarcity, groups affiliated with the party have invested millions in North Carolina. EMILYs list, an abortion rights group that backs female candidates, poured in almost three million dollars in September. An SMP spokesperson shared that the PAC has spent more than $22 million in total in North Carolina, including $15 million on TV, starting with a seven-figure ad in May countering a Republican attack. The investment continued with more than eight million dollars in the final month of the campaign. There has been no comparable spending in Florida. The Miami Herald reported last month on the frustrations of some strategists who believed that a cash influx could have helped Demings close the gap thereespecially in August, when Democrats prospects looked rosier and more outside groups were considering investing. It never materialized. If Beasley and Demings lose, Democrats will have to grapple with why, and what might make a difference for Black women who hope to make history in future elections. The same is true in the Georgia governors race, although few suggest more money would make a difference there. Abrams and her leadership committee alone have brought in over $100 million. The Democratic Governors Association was her largest donor this year, contributing nearly six million dollars. But Abrams is still trailing in the polls. Black leaders feel that she deserved moreif not money, then belief. While Abrams has often faced harsher media coverage than her fellow Georgia Democrat, Senator Raphael Warnock, much of the chatter about Georgia in Democratic circles has focused on the Senate contest. Its a feedback loop; the polls drive interest, which drive the polls. In the final weeks of the campaign, Abrams has drawn big name supporters including former President Barack Obama and First Lady Jill Biden. But in the eyes of some who have been watching her campaign for months, the effort feels half-hearted, especially in light of Democratic leaders for years hailing Black women as the backbone of the party. The party raises money from individuals, says Glynda Carr, co-Founder and president of Higher Heights, which works to grow Black womens political power. There are thought leaders, stakeholders, and partners that helped create the echo chamber around where were going to make decisions. You cant go, Oh, the [Democratic National Committee] didnt do this, the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] didnt do this. That is all interconnected. That interconnectedness makes it difficult to say who should be held accountable if all three candidates come up short this year. Abrams and Demings campaigns declined to comment for this story. Beasleys campaign did not respond to requests for comment about whether the party had done enough to support her. She did address the question while speaking to reporters in early October, after five polls found her even with, or within one point of, Budd. I feel really good about the support were seeing nationally and here in North Carolina, she said. A group backed by a former Rhode Island Democratic Party chairman and with ties to Democratic State House leaders is trying to help elect a Republican state Senate candidate in one of the higher profile General Assembly races this year. The group, called Real RI, this week sent mailers to Warwick voters warning them that Democratic Senate candidate Jennifer Rourke "wants to tax your clamcakes and doughboys" next to photos of Iggy's Doughboys and Chowderhouse. Rourke is running against Republican Anthony Deluca in Senate District 29. What tax are the mailers reference? If the red and yellow flyers look familiar, it is likely because similar versions were used in support of centrist and leadership-backed Democratic General Assembly candidates in the September primary. They took their inspiration from Senate President Dominick Ruggerio's campaign against primary challenger Lenny Cioe. Cioe floated an idea to cut taxes on businesses making less than $7 million per year, and pay for it by raising taxes on businesses making more than $7 million in gross revenue, which Ruggerio supporters dubbed the "Lenny Tax." And since Cioe is a member of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative, opponents of other Cooperative primary candidates accused them of pushing a new business tax, even though it wasn't a part of the Cooperative platform. The Real RI anti-Rourke mailer cites an April Cioe opinion piece in the Valley Breeze as the source of the "Rourke Tax" claim. "Reject Jennifer Rourke and her radical policies on Nov. 8," it said. In addition to the mailer against Rourke, a filing by Real RI Thursday with the state Board of Elections said it was also spending to defeat Republican Senate candidate Thomas Paolino of Lincoln, Republican Lincoln mayoral candidate John Cullen and three members of the Woonsocket City Council who are critics of exiled Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt. But in Paolino's Senate District 17 race, Real RI is not supporting Democratic candidate Cameron Deutsch, but independent former Rep. Jack Lyle Jr., a former Republican. (It is unclear why the campaign finance filing does not mention Deutsch.) Story continues Deutsch is not a Co-op member, but the Real RI mailer labels him "most likely to raise your taxes." Jennifer Rourke of Warwick, photographed in 2019, is a director of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative and is running for state Senate. So who is Real RI? The Board of Elections filing reporting a single $9,880 election expenditure to Printcraft on Post Road in Warwick identifies the spender as James Riley of East Providence. Reached Friday by phone, Riley said he'd like to talk about Real RI, but couldn't. "I am an artist and I have wet paint on a canvas," he said. "Once I open a can and start I cant stop." He promised to call back in 30 minutes, but didn't and did not answer the phone after that. (The Rhode Island Secretary of State's database lists a for-profit Real RI Inc., whose registered agent, attorney Robert Flaherty, has the same 70 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick address that appears on the "Rourke Tax" mailer.) The single $10,000 donation listed in the filing is from Progress RI in East Greenwich, an entity run by Democratic consultant and former state party chairman Guy Dufault. Dufault described Progress RI as a union-backed 501-(c)(4) nonprofit whose funders include the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers. Asked whether, as a longtime Democrat, he had any qualms about supporting a Republican over a Democrat on the ticket, Dufault said he didn't. "What I am concerned about is I have been fighting for working people for 40 years and I have great concerns about the 10% tax," he said referring to the proposal from Cioe, who lost to Ruggerio by 25 points and even backed away from a 10% tax over the summer. RIBCO president Richard Ferruccio said Thursday that his union opposes Cooperative candidates, but was involved directly in the Rourke mailer. Rourke is a co-founder of the Political Cooperative, which ran candidates on a platform of taking control of the General Assembly and called existing legislative leaders corrupt. She is one of three Political Cooperative Senate candidates on the ballot, none of them incumbents. "This is a leadership front group openly attacking a Democrat *in the general.* Yikes," Sen. Sam Bell, a progressive Democrat from Providence (though not a Cooperative member) tweeted about the Rourke Tax mailer. Asked whether Ruggerio and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi would advise voters to support the Democrat or Republican in Senate District 29, their respective spokesmen did not respond. Some of Shekarchi's House district overlaps Senate 29, which is currently represented by retiring Senate Majority leader Michael McCaffrey. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Real RI, a Democrat-backed group, sending mailers against Dem. Rourke Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan will take part in the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), which will kick off in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday and will run till 18 November. UAE Ambassador to Egypt Mariam Al-Kaabi said her country will take part in the international event with a high-level delegation, adding that the UAE is preparing to host COP28 next year. More than 100 heads of state are due to take part in COP27, in addition to 45,000 other participants. More than 3,000 journalists and media professionals from around the world will cover the event. A large number of media outlets will be broadcasting the conference proceedings from Sharm El-Sheikh, including Reuters, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg News, and Fox News, in addition to news agencies from Russia, Italy, China and others. French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be attending the conference. Search Keywords: Short link: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was reportedly passively mean to a student because she was Black and taught inaccurate information regarding the US Civil War when he taught high school early in his adulthood. The New York Times reported this week that Mr DeSantis spent his first year after graduating from Yale University teaching at Darlington School, one of the Georgias oldest and largest boarding schools. At least one student from his days teaching there, Danielle Pompey, claimed he treated her poorly, and she believes it was because of the colour of her skin. Mr Ron, Mr DeSantis, was mean to me and hostile toward me she told the Times. Not aggressively, but passively, because I was Black. She said once while he was teaching about the Civil War, she felt he was making arguments for the justification of slavery. Like in history class, he was trying to play devils advocate that the South had good reason to fight the war, to kill other people, over owning people Black people, she said. He was trying to say Its not OK to own people, but they had property, businesses. A Times reporter spoke with colleagues and students who knew Mr DeSantis during his year at the school during a 20-year Darlington class reunion. Mr DeSantis was only 23 when he began teaching at the school in 2001, and had a mixed reputation among those who remembered him. Some claimed he frequently reminded them that teaching was just a pit stop on his way to bigger and better things like a career in politics while others said he was an enjoyable presence who spent time hanging out with the seniors. That wasnt a sentiment shared by everyone at the reunion. Gates Minis, who graduated in 2003, said the now Florida governor was a total jock who could be arrogant. He was definitely proud that he graduated Ivy and thought he was very special, she said. Ms Minis was in the same class as Ms Pompey and said she also recalled those arguments during the Civil War section of the class. She said she didnt believe that Mr DeSantis was politically motivated, just that he was factually incorrect. Story continues She added that Mr DeSantis claimed that every city in the south was burned during the Civil War, but she knew her hometown of Savannah had not. She says she called him out on the inaccuracy. Another former student, who asked not be named for fear of retribution at his job, said Mr DeSantiss views on the Civil War were so well known that a parody video was made for the schools video yearbook. The Times reviewed the video, which includes a snippet of a student imitating Mr DeSantis saying The Civil War was not about slavery! It was about two competing economic systems One was in the North before the video cuts to a student dozing off in class. However, other students recalled Mr DeSantis fondly. He was definitely one of the cooler guys, Trip Barnes, a student whose mother taught at the school, told the Times. There were other young teachers who tried to be everybodys friend who didnt have nearly his mystique. He said Mr DeSantis was "charismatic" and "very smart," noting that "people liked him." Mr DeSantis does not speak or frequently acknowledge the time he spent at the school. His year there does not appear in many of his official biographies and there are few accounts of him speaking at any length about his time at the school. Other students recalled Mr DeSantis spending time at parties with seniors who lived in the town near the school. Those who spoke about hanging out with him at parties did so anonymously for fear of backlash. "As an 18-year-old I remember thinking, What are you doing here, dude?" a former student said. In addition to partying with students, others recalled him allegedly daring students to do stunts. One student, who requested anonymity, said Mr DeSantis challenged a student to guzzle milk, which caused the student to vomit. A spokeswoman for Darlington declined to comment about Mr DeSantis time at the school. The Independent has reached out to Mr DeSantis for comment. I spent 18 nights in Alaska on a family road trip, even though I hate driving. Garrett Ziegler I spent 18 nights in Alaska on a family road trip where we drove approximately 2,100 miles. I hate driving but a car offered more freedom than a tour and allowed us to see four national parks. We took four roads known for being very challenging. Here's how each one went and what we learned. This summer, I traveled to Alaska with my husband and son. We spent 18 nights exploring four national parks and drove approximately 2,100 miles. I went on a 2,000-mile road trip through Alaska with my husband, pictured here with me, and our child. Garrett Ziegler When my husband proposed exploring Alaska by car, I gamely agreed, even though I hate driving. While I've never been in an accident or even gotten a speeding ticket, I just prefer see the world on two feet. We also live in New York City with our eight-year-old son and take public transportation everywhere. In fact, before this trip, I hadn't driven a car in two years. But I agreed, because an Alaska road trip would give us the opportunity to get a sense of the state's massive scale, which covers 586,000 square miles of land, equivalent to one-fifth of the Lower 48. A car would also offer much more freedom and flexibility than a guided tour, I thought. Our itinerary had us on four roads known for their challenges. Google Maps While we intended to take plenty of paved, well-traveled roads, our itinerary would also take us on four roads known for being challenging: McCarthy Road, Glenn Highway, Denali Highway, and Dalton Highway. Many of these roads cut through a vast, largely uninhabited wilderness, and though we contemplated renting an RV, we decided instead on a smaller car and camping or staying in Airbnbs or hotels. My husband and I agreed to divvy up the driving, with our son riding shotgun, dug out our driver's licenses, and set off. Because of our planned route, we were unable to rent from any of the major chain car rental companies. The further we got from Anchorage, the fewer vehicles we saw. Garrett Ziegler Every aspect of our trip required meticulous planning. Our itinerary had us fly into Anchorage in August, where we would pick up our rental car. From there, we would drive to Seward, which would serve as a base for exploring the Kenai Peninsula and Kenai Fjords National Park. Then, we would take the Glenn Highway to McCarthy, along the McCarthy Road, to explore Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. From McCarthy, we would take the Denali Highway to Denali National Park and Preserve. We would then head north to Fairbanks on the Parks Highway. North of Fairbanks, we would take the Dalton Highway to Coldfoot, our base for exploring Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. We'd then drive back to Fairbanks, where we would return our rental car and fly home to New York. Story continues To make this trip come to life, we needed the right car. But none of the major car rental agencies Avis, Enterprise, and others allowed their fleet to travel on the state's infamous roads, including the Denali Highway or the Dalton Highway. This is because rental companies fear damage and accidents, and many of these roads are gravel, which is prone to erosion and requires experienced drivers. And, as we discovered firsthand, these roads are full of sharp rocks that can puncture or shred tires. After extensive research, we rented a car from GoNorth, which rents vehicles from Seattle, Anchorage, Fairbanks; and Whitehorse, Canada. Once we found our car rental company, we still had to take on significant research and pre-trip planning. Our Jeep Cherokee SUV car rental, aka, "Hobart the Great Stormrider." Garrett Ziegler At GoNorth, customers indicate how many miles they expect to travel and pay for those miles in advance. Accordingly, before we even left for Alaska, we spent a lot of time with Google Maps and "The Milepost," a guidebook to every road in Alaska, plotting out our estimated distances. As it happens, we came within 100 miles of our agreed-upon mileage of 2,100 miles. Based on my research, car rental companies charge different prices depending on the time of year. We went during the peak summer season and paid a base rate of $99 per day, plus around $700 for our estimated 2,100 miles of travel. GoNorth also requires customers without auto insurance to purchase coverage, and we chose the maximum, about $750 for our trip duration. We rented a mid-size Jeep Cherokee SUV that the company named "Hobart" and our child called "Hobart the Great Stormrider." This name proved prophetic as we encountered rain from drizzle to heavy downpours over the course of our trip. Throughout our drive, I was surprised to see so much mud everywhere, all the time, on every road. A muddy road near Clearwater, Alaska. Garrett Ziegler We decided to travel in late summer, following the height of mosquito season, which is generally from mid-June to early August, and before fall's first frosts in September. We did not foresee the near-constant rain. The rainy weather surprised every Alaskan we spoke to and it meant mud mud on the road, mud on the trails we hiked, mud on our clothes, mud in the car. To keep down the dust and minimize ice, Alaska's Department of Transportation (DOT) often treats gravel roads with calcium chloride. In our experience, heavy rain mixed with the treated gravel led to a cement-like muck that caused excessive slipperiness. Our rental car had a "mud/sand" driving mode that we could shift into to minimize the slipping and sliding. Four-wheel drive helped, too. But I never knew beforehand this would be a major aspect of driving in Alaska. One of the biggest lessons I learned while driving in Alaska is, don't rely on GPS. I think "The Milepost" is the number-one most important resource to purchase, pack, and use. My trusty copy of "The Milepost." Jessica Allen First published in 1949, a decade before Alaska became a state, "The Milepost" is an indispensable guide to Alaska's highways. I think it was hands down the best $39.95 (plus shipping) we spent on trip supplies. We ordered it online ahead of time, although I saw it for sale at the REI in Anchorage, as well as at various gas stations. At first, I thought relying on a 656-page paperback to navigate seemed quaint, a throwback to a time before Google and GPS. Yet given the incredible remoteness of our route, we rarely had cellphone coverage when we drove. Often, our GPS lost track of us entirely or simply said "forest." We would have been lost without this guidebook, truly. Highways in Alaska are marked with mileposts, indicating how far you are from one end of the highway. "The Milepost" describes routes in tremendous detail, down to the tenth of a mile, providing information ranging from the condition of the road to wildlife, and potential places to pull off to pick berries or take photos. I found it to be the best guidebook I've ever used on trips through five continents and think no one should visit Alaska without it. Our first major road was the Glenn Highway. I found driving on it to be scary, with tons of tight curves. The majestic Matanuska Glacier is visible from the Glenn Highway. Garrett Ziegler The Glenn Highway (AK-1 N) stretches from Anchorage to Tok and runs 328 miles. Of our four intense driving routes, I thought this highway was in the best shape as it was paved for the entire length we traveled on. However, frequent, tight curves and dramatic changes in the speed limit made our 189-mile trip from Anchorage to Glennallen the most nausea-inducing of our vacation. We'd be humming along at 60 mph, then speed limit signs would force us to drop back to 30 to go around a winding stretch, over and over again. I white-knuckled it the whole way. Was the scenery beautiful? I don't know, I only watched the road. My passengers, though, reported outstanding views of the Chugach Mountains and Matanuska Glacier. The US Department of Transportation agrees, naming part of the Glenn a "National Scenic Byway" in 2002. I thought the next portion, McCarthy Road, did not live up to its reputation of being a terrible road for driving. Big boulders mark the entrance to the McCarthy Road. Garrett Ziegler McCarthy Road connects the Edgerton Highway in Chitina to the tiny town of McCarthy and is one of the main routes into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, which is the US' biggest park. In fact, it's the equivalent of six Yellowstone National Parks. Based on my research, I learned that the McCarthy Road is known to be punishing on tires and drivers. The largely unpaved road is constructed atop a railbed of a defunct copper-mining train line, and is riddled with potholes, often narrowing to a lane-and-a-half width. Railroad spikes still occasionally turn up in the dirt and gravel. The National Park Service recommends that drivers exercise extreme caution considering the roads ruts, washboards, and what they term "unexpected hazards." At the end of the 59-mile road which is also devoid of services, so fill the tank in Chitina before starting is a footbridge over the Kennicott River, the primary means of accessing McCarthy, visiting the abandoned Kennecott Mines, tooling around Root Glacier, and catching bush planes deeper into Wrangell-St. Elias. As we turned onto the McCarthy Road, we passed through a gap in the rock blasted to make way for the old railroad. The two huge, craggy boulders leaned precariously close toward one another, and I thought of Dante's famous line: "Abandon all hope ye who enter here." Yet once I made peace with near-constant teeth clacking from all the bumps, I thought it actually wasn't so bad. In contrast to the Glenn Highway, the McCarthy Road is mostly flat, allowing us to maintain a 30-ish mph pace 35 mph is the posted limit. The road winds past lakes, meadows, forests, river valleys, mountains, and off-the-grid private residences, and I thought the smell of fresh pines, alder, and spruce coming in through our open windows beat any air freshener. While most of our drive on McCarthy Road went smoother than I expected, I became anxious when we had to drive over a one-lane bridge, which was the scariest part of the drive. Driving over the Kuskulana Bridge on McCarthy Road required steady nerves. Garrett Ziegler While most of McCarthy Road was not as intimidating as I feared it would be, that wasn't the case when it was time to cross the one-lane Kuskulana Bridge, which totters 238 feet above the Kuskulana River. We pulled up to the 525-foot-long bridge and then immediately pulled over. Not only did we have to steel ourselves to hit the gas and keep going, but we also had to make sure that no other vehicles were coming. Built as part of the railway in 1910, the bridge had missing, as well as visibly cracked, wooden boards, which we had to avoid as we drove. The bridge audibly, and terrifyingly, creaked as we drove over it, but we thankfully made it over without incident. Unlike McCarthy Road, I thought the Denali Highway was way worse than I expected it to be. I thought the verdant, lake-filled tundra surrounding parts of the Denali Highway made it feel as if dinosaurs had only recently departed. Garrett Ziegler Many people opt to take the Parks Highway from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Denali National Park, as this highway is paved and well-appointed. This highway also has a lot of traffic, which is why we instead chose the Denali Highway, which runs from Paxson to Cantwell. Mostly gravel, the Denali Highway offers a scenic 135-mile trip with jaw-dropping views of the Alaska Range. What it does not offer are gas stations, many places to eat and stay, or traffic. As we drove, I felt it looked as if dinosaurs could, at any moment, step into the lush, lake-filled tundra. We were also especially aware of the highway's remoteness when we blew two tires at the exact same time. What caused the flat tires is somewhat unclear. We did not drive over nails or tire spikes, nor were the tires slashed. Instead, as best as we can figure, we were going too fast on gravel, and sharp rocks damaged our rental car's already weakened tires. Rain also made potholes difficult to spot, and wet conditions likely worsened potholes and washboards. Conditions of all the roads depend on weather and how recently DOT maintenance crews have been through. Luckily, our trusty "The Milepost" showed that we were about two miles from one of the highway's few lodges, where we were able to get our tire situation sorted. The lodge's mechanic replaced one flat with our rental car's spare. Unfortunately, he didn't have another spare to replace the second flat and did not think a patch would prevent the tire from continuing to leak air. So we booked into the lodge for the night and contacted GoNorth, who sent a driver the next day with new tires, one to replace the second flat, and two for us to keep in the trunk, just in case. GoNorth charged $300 each for the replacement tires, but the insurance package we purchased from the agency erased the cost. Although we never got close to the speed limit, I think we should have been going even slower, given the rough road conditions filled with potholes. The lodge's mechanic recommended a speed of no more than 15 mph in the most degraded sections of the highway to avoid flats. For the remainder of our trip, we went far slower, edging around potholes with precision and care, and did not experience any further tire trouble. When we reached the Dalton Highway, driving there lived up to our expectations. The remote road required intense concentration, I thought. Our car was covered in mud after driving on the Dalton Highway. Garrett Ziegler You might have heard of the Dalton Highway, also known as the Haul Road because of its heavy industrial traffic, and from such episodes of "Ice Road Truckers" where it's referred to as "Accident Alley" and "Blood on the Dalton." The Dalton Highway begins about 80 miles north of Fairbanks, near the small settlement of Livengood. From there, it stretches 414 miles to the Arctic Ocean. Three-quarters unpaved, with only two service stations on its entire length, and traversed primarily by industrial vehicles heading to or from the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay, the Dalton is considered one of the most dangerous and demanding drives in the world. As the Alaska DOT puts it, the Dalton is "not your average highway." I thought it lived up to its reputation of being isolated, remote, and hilly. Indeed, there's a section that "The Milepost" refers to it as the "Roller Coaster," for being extremely bumpy. For most of the drive, cosmic quiet was occasionally punctuated by the high-pitched whine of 18-wheelers hustling north and south. We experienced patches of mud eight inches deep and fog banks that cut visibility to about a hundred feet. I thought "The Milepost" put it best when it said, "Not everyone . . . is meant for this drive." We made it through by taking the drive very, very slowly with frequent breaks. We drove defensively and pulled over any time we encountered a vehicle going faster. We took the Dalton Highway 175 miles to Coldfoot, which consists of a tiny airstrip, a truck stop, and the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, where we enjoyed dioramas and spoke with a wonderfully informative staff person who helped our son become a Gates of the Arctic Junior Ranger. At the Visitor Center, I thumbed through the Dalton Highway Traveler's Log Book, whose entries went back to 2004. "The environment is capable of making a professional photographer out of every amateur," wrote one visitor. "The size of the mountains always reminds me of how small I am," wrote another. On the Dalton Highway, we passed the Arctic Circle, but I did not think it felt markedly colder, and we did not see Santa. We kept our eyes peeled, but sadly did not see Santa during our time north of the Arctic Circle. Garrett Ziegler We passed approximately 50 vehicles in either direction while on the Dalton. We twice passed the same cyclist on a recumbent bike, as well as one person running while carrying the American flag. Often on the Dalton, we felt as if we were driving at walking speed, 3 to 4 mph, which to me served as a reminder of human migration routes more than 10,000 years ago. Sometimes we drove slightly faster, but we never went the speed limit of 50 mph. Long flat stretches meant we could see the potholes coming and swerve accordingly. The Dalton also abuts the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which is an incredible feat of engineering completed in 1977. The 800-mile pipeline brings oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Signs warn people away from touching, climbing, or otherwise getting too close to the pipeline. The Bureau of Land Management calls the Dalton "the Ultimate Road Adventure" and after driving here, I couldn't agree more. We learned many lessons on our drive, including that car maintenance is key, as is driving defensively. And if you see a group of cars pulled off to the side of the road, do it too, and think twice before getting out. The Dalton Highway gets a thumbs up from my son. Garrett Ziegler We learned the best way to avoid car problems in Alaska is to drive slowly, carefully, and defensively. We lost a day and night of our trip waiting for new tires after our mishap on the Denali Highway, and while our insurance covered the price of the new tires, our unexpected night at the lodge cost us $300. Looking back, we should have begun our journey with two full-size spares, and gotten a bigger car to accommodate them. After our tire trouble, we became especially cautious. Any time we stopped for gas, we checked the tire pressure. We navigated around potholes with the precision of a surgeon and the pace of a snail. We often pulled over to let just about anyone pass us. Other times, we saw groups of cars pulled off to the side of the road and learned to follow suit. Considering the secluded nature of Alaskan highways, seeing wildlife while driving is almost guaranteed. We spied eagles, bears, caribou, foxes, and moose. Clusters of pulled over cars are a signal that wildlife is in the area. As the National Park Service puts it, "If you're close enough for a selfie, you're definitely too close." Keeping a safe distance enables you to observe the animal without bothering it. If you want to see wildlife, use binoculars or a telephoto lens and only exit your vehicle if you're confident that doing so will not endanger you, the animal, or anyone else in the area. And be bear aware. There are signs about bear safety everywhere, so if you forget that both brown and black bears roam these lands, it won't be long before you're reminded to make noise and leave no trace. As for moose, the largest of deer species clock in at up to six-and-a-half feet tall and more than 1,000 pounds. They might seem like gentle giants, but according to Denali park rangers we spoke to, moose dislike people and will not hesitate to charge aggressively. Overall, I thought driving in Alaska added an additional layer of adventure to an already adventurous vacation and I'm so glad I did it. It's a gorgeous place if you can manage to enjoy the view from the road. My family had an amazing time in Alaska. Garrett Ziegler We had amazing experiences at the national parks we visited and had fun in the car, including epic games of Would You Rather and 20 Questions . While challenging, driving in Alaska encourages adaptability, self-reliance, reflection, and a can-do spirit. Despite our conservative estimates, every drive took longer than expected. But this trip reminded us that it's about the journey, not just the destination. I thought that saying proved especially true for Alaska road trips. My eight-year-old said, "There's a startlingly large number of trees in Alaska." He was right. I also learned there are a startlingly large number of potholes. Nevertheless, if you can glance up from the road, experiencing Alaska by car is gorgeous and unforgettable. Read the original article on Insider Tudor Dixon kneeled in the front row of a Catholic church in Rochester Hills, her eyes closed and hands clasped together in prayer. Seated next to the Republican nominee for governor was former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii as other worshippers lined up to receive Communion at St. Paul Albanian Catholic Church, which serves a growing Albanian American community in metro Detroit. "We're fighting with prayer," Dixon said after the Oct. 30 service led by the Rev. Fred Kalaj, an Albanian immigrant who had delivered a sermon that expressed support for conservative principles. Dixon thanked Kalaj for his story of faith and fleeing a repressive government and then spoke of her own beliefs, describing a "prayer warrior" who supported her at a debate last week with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. "Honestly, I can't tell you, the blessings that we have experienced on this campaign have been so amazing," she said after Sunday Mass. "And even going into the debate, we had one of our best prayer warriors in the room before with me. And going into that debate, I knew (the outcome of the debate) was not in my power, any way whatsoever. When I walked out, I looked at a woman who was with me and I said, 'It's because we have so many people praying for us that we are able to get our message out in the way that we have.' ... This is about our families. This is about protecting our children. This is about educating our kids. This is about bringing our communities back to a place of safety and filled with love." The scene reflected how religion and politics have often intermingled this year on the campaign trail in Michigan. Candidates in both parties were eager to gain the endorsements of prominent clergy and often visited houses of worship to drum up support in Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities, among other groups. The race comes at a time of national debate about the role faith should play in politics, with some raising questions about what they say is a rising Christian nationalism that threatens religious minorities. Others say such fears are overblown and unfairly attack Republicans. Story continues Dixon, an evangelical Christian, and Gabbard, a former Democrat and the first Hindu to serve in Congress, campaigning together at a Catholic church led by immigrants illustrates their diversity, Republicans said. "So many people are afraid with the cancel culture and the consequences of actually speaking the truth," Gabbard, a former Democrat who recently began campaigning with Republicans, told Kalaj, praising his sermon. "We find the courage in the word of God. We find the courage within our own hearts." Campaigning in churches is a bipartisan tradition. On the same Sunday when Dixon was in a church, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, campaigned in three large Detroit churches with predominantly Black congregations: Greater Grace Temple, Second Ebenezer Church and Triumph Church. Benson thanked on Twitter each pastor "for welcoming us and joining in our call to vote for democracy!" Also on that Sunday, Dixon, Republican attorney general nominee Matthew DePerno, and Republican secretary of state nominee Kristina Karamo spoke at a rally in Dearborn that was held in part to gain the support of the city's Muslim population, some of which has expressed concern about Democratic support for certain books in public schools that conservatives say are sexually explicit. Related:Dearborn divisions over LGBTQ books spur national debate as candidates compete for votes More:Book bans spreading across Michigan: What's driving them In addition, Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church in Bloomfield Township held a rally the same Sunday with other evangelical churches against Proposal 3, a statewide ballot measure that would protect abortion rights in Michigan. A few days earlier, on Oct. 27, Whitmer came to Dearborn to speak at the annual banquet of the Arab American Political Action Committee, posing for a photo with two prominent Islamic leaders on either side of her, Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights and Imam Mohammad Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. Whitmer has also frequented a number of different churches during the campaign, including large congregations such as St. John Armenian Orthodox Church in Southfield, Triumph Church in Detroit, and in Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, where she spoke to clerics in June about racism and threats to democracy at a meeting of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity. In July, she received the endorsement of Church of God in Christ (COGIC) leaders in Michigan and leaders with some other Black denominations. Governor Whitmer is focused on continuing Michigans historic progress and Michiganders of all different faiths and communities are essential to that movement," Whitmer spokeswoman Maeve Coyle told the Free Press. "The governor has partnered with faith organizations and community groups to bring people together from Monroe to Marquette and regularly worships with Michiganders of all denominations." Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at Liberty Temple Baptist Church in Detroit on June 28, 2022, in a dialogue with the Rev. Steve Bland, the church's pastor and president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity during a meeting of the council. Whitmer said racism is on the rise in Michigan. There are about 470 religious leaders in Michigan who have endorsed Whitmer, representing a wide variety of faiths and denominations, according to a list from the campaign. They include mainline Protestant, evangelical Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Shia Muslim, Sunni Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu clergy, and represent a diverse group of races and ethnicities. Over the past month, Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Gilchrist have attended more than 45 worship services across the state. And they hosted a statewide clergy breakfast with about 350 faith leaders. Some conservatives have attacked Whitmer for shutting down churches in 2020 during the pandemic, but that claim is not accurate as she gave exemptions to all churches and other houses of worship when issuing stay-at-home orders. "Governor Whitmer is proud to be endorsed by hundreds of religious leaders from across the state and will continue working to build a Michigan where every person can thrive," Coyle said. Dixon, who belongs to an evangelical church, has also been active in reaching out to faith communities. She has been more outspoken in talking about her faith publicly. Dixon is a member of Forest Park Covenant Church in Norton Shores, which is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination, founded in the late 19th century by immigrants from Sweden who broke off from the dominant Lutheran Church. The group says on its website it's a multiethnic denomination that supports immigrants. Whitmer is also a Christian, according to the National Journal, a Washington research group. It's unclear what denomination or church she may belong to; her office did not answer a question about her specific faith, but did answer other questions, providing information and a statement. Dixon's campaign did not respond to questions from the Free Press about religion and her campaign. More:Catholics in Michigan 'fight like heaven' against abortion ballot proposal More:GOP candidates join Dearborn residents in protest over LGBTQ books in schools Speaking last week at St. Clair United Methodist Church in St. Clair, Dixon criticized Whitmer for using words like "hell" in her remarks and campaign messages. Whitmer often says she will fight like hell to protection abortion rights. "I hear her on multiple occasions say shes fighting like hell," Dixon said at the rally, reported the Times Herald. "All of these terrible words. Well, were fighting with prayer, and that means we dont need as much money as them because we have a lot more power behind us." Dixon also said religious beliefs have "a lot do to with how we view the world and that conservatives need to get Christians out to vote. Dixon has expressed support for Muslim protesters in Dearborn, and wished the Muslim community a blessed Ramadan in an April tweet, but has drawn criticism from leaders such as Elahi for attacking Islamic headscarves in a 2018 interview, calling them "oppressive garments. ... This is not empowering." AG Nessel fears 'big threat' to non-Christians In September, Attorney General Dana Nessel spoke at an Indian American cultural event in Livonia celebrating Diwali and Navratri, two holidays celebrated in the fall by Hindus and other groups. In remarks posted on Facebook that have drawn criticism from some Republicans, Nessel said that non-Christians face threats from the GOP. "Let me talk about ... a big threat to us here in this room and here in America," Nessel said. "And those are people who are running for public office that believe ... America is a Christian nation, and that we only have room for people who are Christians in this nation." Some Republicans criticized Nessel's remarks, saying they were inappropriate for a cultural event and ruined the mood of the festive occasion. "We witnessed AG Dana drop a Debbie Downer Bomb center stage," wrote Ken Crider, a Republican State Senate candidate for the 6th District in parts of Detroit, Farmington Hills, Redford and Livonia. "This event was an upbeat, fun family event and AG Dana made a statement, after we were given an opportunity to speak, insinuating that there are people who only want Christians to live in the United States. ... Republicans are fighting to preserve the Constitution, and we believe that America's strength and beauty is derived from its acceptance of peoples from around the world combined with their faiths and cultures." Karamo said "Nessel is attempting to spread fear of Christians." Nessel's campaign office did not reply to questions about her remarks, nor to other questions about religion and her campaign. Nessel, who is the first Jewish person to be Michigan Attorney General, has spoken previously about how her Jewish background informs her work. The values that we learned at my temple had a lot to do with empathy and compassion for all people, caring about people who were different and who had been ostracized in society in a lot of ways, much in the way that the Jewish community historically has, Nessel told the Times of Israel in 2019 about her Jewish upbringing. Im the granddaughter of immigrants who fled World War II and fled the Holocaust and who were penniless and spoke no English and had no marketable skills, but they were allowed to come to this country, and just a few generations later, their granddaughter is the top lawyer in a state of 10 million people." Nessel has visited Dearborn several times in recent weeks, drawing derogatory attacks from some of the protesters in Dearborn who oppose LGBTQ books. "Let's get this drag queen out of office," shouted Hassan Aoun, of Dearborn, about Nessel at the Oct. 30 Dearborn rally as DePerno addressed the crowd. More:Dearborn Public Schools removes 7 books from libraries after parents complain Opinion:Opinion: I'm a queer Muslim. Dearborn schools pulling LGBTQ books puts kids in danger DePerno also has spoken about faith communities at times, talking often to Arab Americans in Dearborn in recent weeks and joining protesters at a Dearborn Public Schools board meeting on Oct. 13 that drew 1,000 people, most of them opposed to the controversial books. If elected, DePerno may be the first Michigan Attorney General of Arab descent, saying Sunday that he is part Syrian. At the rally, Muslim and Christian speakers accused liberals of trying to divide their communities. Conservative Christians have played an active role in Dearborn in fomenting protests against LGBTQ-oriented books. "Whether you are a Catholic, a Christian, a Muslim, a Chaldean, I stand with every single one of you," DePerno said in Dearborn at a campaign rally. "In the early 1900s, my family were immigrants. They came to Michigan, because it provided opportunity. They came to Detroit, half my family from Italy, the other half of my family from Syria. So don't tell me that I don't stand with the Dearborn community." DePerno's campaign did not respond to questions about religion and his campaign. Karamo responds to 'yoga is Satanic' remarks In recent months, Karamo has drawn attention for remarks she made a couple of years ago on podcasts, in which she railed against paganism, yoga, African religions, some Hindu gods and goddesses, Blacks Lives Matter, Beyonce, Jay Z, and Cardi B, calling them Satanic. With a master of arts in Christian apologetics from Biola University's Talbot School of Theology, Karamo describes herself as a Christian apologist on her LinkedIn page. On her podcasts, Karamo suggests paganism and non-Christian beliefs are responsible for cultural decadence. In an interview with the Free Press last month in Dearborn, Karamo said her remarks should be understood in their full context, and that she doesn't hate any group. Benson's office did not respond to questions for this article. "It was taken out of context," Karamo said of her earlier comments. "I'm a Christian apologist. And one of the things we do is we discuss our objections to other religious beliefs. So that was not meant to disparage anybody. ... I have friends who are Muslim, who are Buddhists, who are Hindu, they don't agree with my Christian faith ... I'm OK with the fact that they don't agree with my religious beliefs. So I have nothing negative about any person. People have a right to practice their religious beliefs. And we also have a right to disagree with each other's religious beliefs. And that's just something that's naturally going to come in a pluralistic society." She posted a tweet last month wishing a happy Diwali and attended a Hindu event this summer in Novi with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness that involves pulling a chariot known as Ratha Yatra. She recalls speaking with a man who said a Hindu sacred text changed his life. "A couple of months ago, I went to a chariot festival, which was a Hindu festival in Novi," Karamo said. "And I talked to a man who was really sharing with me how the Bhagavad Gita changed his life, and wanted me to come to one of his temples, and I appreciate him doing that. Because in that moment, I've talked to somebody who cared enough about me to share their faith, even though he knew I did not agree. And I said to him, 'Well, I'm a Christian, so I have a different perspective.' But I have so appreciated that he cared enough about me to share his faith with me, because he thought that it would benefit my life, the way it has benefited him. And I think that in America, we need to be OK with disagreeing with each other on religious matters, while still being friends and neighbors." The Times Herald contributed to this report. Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or Twitter @nwarikoo This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Religion, politics intermingle on campaign trail in Michigan Voters head to the polls in a matter of days and only one thing is for certain: The battle for the Senate is anyones ballgame as both sides look to sprint through the finish line with the majority at stake. The political winds are firmly at the backs of Republicans, but Democrats are continuing to count on a number of incumbent senators, buoyed by big money fundraising operations, to keep hold of the upper chamber. The late stages of the race have also brought some high-wattage politicos out to play as commanders in chief, past and present, are appearing in states across the board with the hope of driving voters to the ballot box. After a hectic week of campaigning and for the final time this season, heres a look at the seven Senate seats most likely to flip next week: Nevada (AP Photo) If Republicans are going to retake the Senate, a key first step would be to deny Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in her reelection bid against former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R). For months, the fight for the Battle Born State has been close, and that hasnt changed. But some surveys in the past week have shown Laxalt opening up an advantage over the incumbent Democrat, headlined by an Emerson College-The Hill poll showing the Republican up by 5 percentage points. Those numbers have Republicans feeling perhaps more confident about Nevada than any other battleground. Nevertheless, Democrats still believe a Cortez Masto win is well within reach. Its going to be really close. Really, really tight. I think theres some reason for optimism in early voting numbers, said one Democratic operative with Nevada ties, noting this is the first midterm contest where universal mail-in voting has been employed in the state. The steady drumbeat of grassroots events [and] surrogates coming into Nevada have helped draw a lot of interest, the operative continued, referring to former President Obamas visit to Las Vegas on Tuesday. Theres still cautious optimism that we can grind out a win. This race is nowhere near done. Story continues A win for Laxalt would likely mean a big night for the GOP in the state, as Republican gubernatorial nominee Joe Lombardo is running close polling-wise in his push to unseat Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D). Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Oct. 8, 2022, in York, Pa., left, and Mehmet Oz, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Republican Mehmet Oz has closed the gap between him and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), but the contest remains a close call as the hourglass winds down on election season. The situation has changed completely for Fetterman in recent months. After leading or being tied in survey after survey dating back to the May primary, multiple recent polls now show him behind his Republican challenger. Accordingly, the RealClearPolitics average of polls for the first time on Thursday has the former television doctor ahead. The latest developments come a little more than a week after the campaigns lone debate proved difficult for Fetterman, who struggled to string together words and sentences due to an auditory processing issue caused by the stroke he suffered in May. But political prognosticators caution that this is still anyones race. Its close. Theres overwhelming evidence its quite close. Anybody whos telling you they can clearly see this has broken one way or another, theyre probably exaggerating. A lot of currents are pushing up against one another, said Chris Borick, a political science professor at Muhlenberg College. The nip-tuck nature of the race has brought heavyweights on both sides to the state in the final days. Oz campaigned alongside former President Trump in Latrobe, Pa., on Saturday, while President Biden and Obama stumped for Fetterman in Philadelphia (in addition to an Obama appearance in Pittsburgh). While Republicans feel good about Ozs chances, the governors race featuring state Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) and state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) could threaten the GOP nominees chances. Shapiro is the heavy favorite, and if his margin of victory over Mastriano reaches double digits, that could spell trouble for Oz. Hes been a terrible candidate, said Rob Gleason, the former chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, about Mastriano. He cant raise any money. If he gets 40 percent, thats a victory for Trump. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., left, and Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker (AP Photo) The nations preeminent toss-up contest on the 2022 map is doing exactly what everyone thought it would: giving both sides agita, especially over the possibility that a winner in the race and of overall Senate control might not be ultimately known until early December. The race between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican Herschel Walker is airtight with days to go. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average of surveys, Walker leads by less than half a percentage point over Warnock. However, operatives on both sides of the aisle are expecting that Tuesday will not be the final word on the matter, with a runoff slated for Dec. 6 the most likely scenario. If that takes place, all bets are off. A whole new ballgame, one GOP operative involved in Senate races told The Hill. Where the Senate majority sits at the time is another factor. Really hard to predict with any real certainty what the shape of that runoff might look like. Another complicating factor for Republicans is that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is likely to win handily over Democrat Stacey Abrams on Tuesday, providing needed coattails for Walker in the Atlanta suburbs. In a runoff, though, Kemp wouldnt be on the ballot, making things thornier for the former University of Georgia star running back. However, national Democrats are indicating that the race continues to give them headaches. The state where were going downhill is Georgia, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told President Biden on the tarmac in Syracuse, N.Y., on Oct. 27. Its hard to believe that they will go for Herschel Walker. New Hampshire (AP Photo) If theres a Republican wave on Tuesday and the party secures Democratic-held seats beyond those in Nevada and Georgia, look for New Hampshire to be next in line. Republicans have played footsie with the Granite State in recent months as they have wondered whether Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) could be defeated without what the party considered a top-tier recruit in the race, having missed out on convincing Gov. Chris Sununu (R) to launch a bid. But Republican Don Bolduc has narrowed the gap against her. The Senate Leadership Fund, a group run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), spent $16 million in the state from early September until Oct. 24, when the group canceled nearly $6 million in ads and redirected it to Pennsylvania. This left the Senate GOP campaign arm and others to fill part of the gap. In short, Republicans view Pennsylvania (along with Georgia and Nevada) as crucial, while New Hampshire would be the cherry on the sundae. For Democrats, its a must-win, but one in which they remain confident. Everything points to a close outcome, but Hassan has always been leading this race, and shell win on Tuesday. Granite Staters take their elections seriously and as Gov. Sununu said, Don Bolduc is conspiracy theorist who simply cant pull together a winning coalition, one Democratic operative involved in Senate races said. If Im wrong, were in for a long night and a tough two years, the operative added. According to the latest Emerson College survey, Hassan leads Bolduc by 4 percentage points. Crucially, she also leads with independent voters, taking 50 percent to only 40 percent for the GOP nominee. Arizona (AP Photo) For months, the question about the Arizona Senate race centered on how big a victory Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) was going to score over Republican Blake Masters. Now its whether Kelly will simply win at all. The change came after a late and hard charge by Masters and national Republicans that has put him within striking distance of defeating Kelly, who is still considered the best Democratic incumbent on the Senate map this cycle. Masters has seen a number of things move in his direction over the past month. Most notably, the national environment and economic state of the country is buoying Republicans everywhere, and he is chief among them. In addition to Arizona being one of the top swing states on the map, meaning GOP voters were likely to start coming home closer to Election Day, Masters is also the main beneficiary of Republican Kari Lakes surge in the governors race against state Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D). What matters for Masters and Republicans is the margin of Lakes potential victory. If its narrow, advantage Kelly. But if its sizable, look out. If Kari Lake wins by 4 [percentage points], then its really hard for Masters not to win. But Im not sure what she actually wins by, one GOP operative said. Adding to the Masters momentum, Libertarian candidate Marc Victor dropped out early in the week and endorsed the GOP nominee, giving him a potential added boost. However, more than 1.3 million voters have returned their ballots as of Friday afternoon, limiting the potential impact of the maneuver. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., left, and Democratic Senate candidate and challenger Mandela Barnes (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Six years ago, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) secured reelection by coming from behind in the final week of the race to nab what was considered an improbable victory. The situation has changed drastically for the GOP this time around, however. Dating back to mid-September, the two-term incumbent Republican has led Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) or been tied in every single poll, allowing the party to breathe a little easier. The advantage is improbable to some in the party. I would have laughed, one Wisconsin-based GOP operative said. Wisconsins always been a toss-up state. Its always been close. Democrats set their sights on taking out Ron Johnson early in the cycle. They emptied the tank and they went incredibly hard at him. Still, Wisconsin remains seen as a battleground. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Johnson leads Barnes by a 3.2-percentage point margin. Despite the polling lead, political pundits in the state are still expecting a tight race, just as most races have been in the Badger State dating back to that 2016 victory, which also saw Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. This is purely a toss-up race at this point, said Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law School poll, which showed Johnson with a 2-percentage point lead having led by 6 percentage points in the schools survey in early October. If there was a little bit of a widening of the gap last time, theres now a tightening of the gap. Ohio Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, left, and Republican candidate J.D. Vance (AP Photo/Paul Vernon) Easily, the least likely of these seven seats to switch hands is in the Buckeye State, where Republican J.D. Vance holds a steady lead over Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is making a last-minute play for moderate GOP voters and independents to give him a shot on Tuesday. According to the latest Emerson College survey, Vance leads Ryan by 8 percentage points (51 percent to 43 percent), with that gap having grown since October when Vance led by a single point (46 percent to 45 percent). The winner will replace Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who is retiring after two terms in office. Vance has expanded his lead for a number of reasons, headlined by the national environment thats trending Republican and the darkening red hue Ohio has taken on over the past six years since Trumps 2016 victory. Simply, Ohio is not the swing state it was as recently as 2012 when Obama carried the state. However, the impact of the Ohio race will likely be felt in other parts of the map. By the end of June, Vance had only $600,000 in cash on hand and he has, in total, only posted $6.9 million a light amount for a Senate candidate, especially compared to the $44 million brought in by Ryan. That forced Senate Leadership Fund to engage in the race to the tune of $32 million to ensure he would be financially competitive, effectively taking away money that could have been potentially spent in Arizona or New Hampshire. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Florida Gators are pushing hard for five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks to close out the 2023 recruiting cycle. On Thursday, the IMG Academy product named UF as one of his three finalists along with Alabama and LSU. Ricks recently reclassified from the 2024 class, but his youth hasnt limited him in the recruiting space. The best of the best are going after him, and now hes narrowed things down to three SEC schools. Both Florida and Alabama missed out on the top-ranked cornerback in the class, Cormani McClain, recently, so Ricks reclassification provides a second shot at securing an elite defensive back. LSU might have the upper hand, though. Ricks is planning on visiting the Tigers this weekend for an unofficial visit, according to On3, and LSU will get the final shot at him on Dec. 16 for an official visit. The plan is for Ricks to decide on Dec. 23, which means hell be fresh off that trip when commitment day arrives. BREAKING: Five-Star CB Desmond Ricks is down to 3 Schools! The No. 2 CB in the 23 class will make his college decision on December 23rd. Ricks recently reclassified from the 2024 class, where he was ranked as the No. 2 player nationally (No. 1 CB)https://t.co/1Q1OQeEEMu pic.twitter.com/Oci2iSwm7q Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 3, 2022 Florida will get Ricks on an official visit Dec. 2, a week after hes planning on stopping by Alabama. He is the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2023, according to both the On3 consensus and 247Sports composite. Hes also ranked in the top 25 nationally on both sites. Related Florida falls in latest CBS Sports FBS 1-131 rankings after UGA loss Here are College Wire's Week 9 leaders in SEC play Updated recruiting rankings for Southeastern Conference football Jacksonville police, FBI investigating antisemitic messages at Georgia-Florida football game From best team to top freshmen, our SEC Superlatives through Week 9 Story continues List Social media reactions to Florida's three-score loss to Georgia List Good, Bad and Ugly: The best and worst from Gators' loss to the Bulldogs List Sunday Hash: Florida's loss to Georgia puts Gators' season on the brink List Here are the key takeaways from Florida's Week 9 loss to Georgia Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions. Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today! Story originally appeared on Gators Wire Its been over a month and we are still reeling from Hurricane Ian. Ian went from a tropical storm to a near Category 5 hurricane in little more than a day, taking many Southwest Floridians by surprise. Evacuation orders came too late as county commissioners dithered and traveled on the public dime. Our kids had school and we worked until two days before the storm. We were lulled into a false sense of security by our own pride and by leaders who thought it better to wish the hurricane away. We were trapped by their wishes before we were trapped by the storm. In the aftermath, politicians jumped in front of the cameras to save face with the dual efforts of playing hero and shifting blame. Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass made national news saying it was our fault if we stayed, but was it? The governor donned shiny white boots and handed out checks on Sanibel, while people in Harlem Heights sat in stinking flooded homes without jobs to go to. Byron Donalds voted against much needed FEMA funding days after Hurricane Ian but popped up empty-handed occasionally to listen to the plight of folks knowing his extreme stance on government spending meant that help was not coming. Cindy Banyai We will need a lot of help to recover from Hurricane Ian. The federal government has already provided $1.74 billion in emergency relief, but with an estimate $67 billion in damages that is a mere drop in the bucket. Looking forward, Southwest Florida will lose hundreds of millions of dollars to its economy because of the decimated tourism and fishing industries. With over sixteen thousand residential properties destroyed or suffering major damage in Lee County, the housing crisis wont be ending anytime soon. Job losses will compound the hardship of Southwest Florida families. Its a rough road ahead. More: Guest opinion: A freshwater future -- powered by nuclear energy Can we count on our leaders to do what is right and help the people? Their track record isnt very good. Most of our leaders subscribe to extreme fiscal policies that have cut investments in needed infrastructure and government programs. We cant count on Byron Donalds to secure needed federal dollars. He brought $0 back to Southwest Florida in the most recent budget. He is supported by Club for Growth (Super PAC funded by billionaire Dick Uihlein rewarding extreme fiscal conservatism including ending Social Security and Medicare), which requires a pledge of limiting government and opposing spending. Will Byron Donalds give up his 100% rating and millions of dollars from Club for Growth to provide Southwest Florida with the needed funds for recovery from Hurricane Ian? I wouldnt bet on it. Story continues We need new leadership in Southwest Florida. Leaders who will prioritize everyday Americans and work to make their life better. I promise to bring the funds necessary to rebuild Southwest Florida, to strengthen our economy, and to help families. I promise to work everyday to make your life better, not do the bidding of billionaires. A vote for me is a vote for us and the future of Southwest Florida. So, when you vote by November 8, make it count. Cindy Banyai is running for U.S. Congress (Florida's 19th District). This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: U.S Congress candidate promises hurricane recovery dollars Covering the anti-regime protests in Iran has taken a heavy toll on journalists across the country, as the Islamic Republic wages a ruthless crackdown. Since the protest movement erupted in September, when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being arrested for breaching Iran's strict dress code for women, Iranian authorities have detained, injured, and killed hundreds of protesters in an effort to snuff out the demonstrations. They have also targeted journalists and the free flow of information. PHOTO: A picture obtained by ZUMA outside Iran, reportedly shows protesters setting a fire as they clash with police on Oct. 20, 2022, in Tehran, Iran, during a protest over the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini. (Stringer/ZUMA Press) Globally, Iran ranks as the third-worst country for press freedom, according to Reporters without Borders. Some journalists in Iran told ABC News that internet disruptions and other restrictions have made it extremely difficult to access information and sources. They said they have received death threats and that they fear their online activity is being tracked, potentially putting them and their sources in danger. "Sometimes I am threatened [on social media that] Ill be killed in a fake accident or even in acid attacks by unknown agents," said one Iranian journalist, whom ABC News is calling Sahar rather than her real name due to security concerns. The perils of being a journalist in Iran According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 46 members of the press have been arrested since the protest movement began, with at least two of them -- Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi -- accused of espionage by Iranian authorities. Espionage is a serious crime in Iranian law, with punishment ranging from prison time to execution. Sahar told ABC News that Hamedi and Mohammadi are her "friends and colleagues." "We are so worried, we can't sleep," she said. PHOTO: A woman looks at a picture of Iranian reporters Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi posted on twitter, in Nicosia, Cyrpus, on Nov. 2, 2022. (Christina Assi/AFP via Getty Images) Both Hamedi and Mohammadi were arrested separately after reporting on Aminis death for Iranian newspapers. "It is tough to witness all the stories that happen around you without being able to even take a photo, because you know you'd be beaten and arrested immediately," she tearfully told ABC News, adding that she feels "useless." Story continues Thats why Sahar relies on social media, but even there she faces online threats, disinformation and surveillance. "The Islamic Republic has a big 'cyber army' who constantly bully independent journalists and spread disinformation to target their credibility," she said. Citizen journalists and the fight against disinformation With restrictions on the press, citizen journalists -- members of the public who are not professional journalists but disseminate information online -- as well as activists abroad have taken the lead in news coverage of the protests. But they face a "massive" amount of disinformation when trying to verify reports, according to Masoud Kazemi, an Iranian dissident journalist who spent years behind bars for his work and now lives in exile. "Nothing sets the ground for disinformation more than restricting the internet and damaging the credibility of journalists," Kazemi told ABC News. "[Iranian] intelligence services have been controlling the newsrooms over the last 10 years by assigning people close to the regime in the management and top editorial positions," he added. "Many people lost their trust in their content over the years." PHOTO: Iranian anti-riot police forces keep watch as protesters gather in front of the German embassy in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 1, 2022. (Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA via Shutterstock) Many Iranians have thus turned to social media for news, which has prompted the regime to "saturate it with disinformation," according to Kazemi. "It is a real hassle to verify what we get from social media," he said. "The trust in media and credibility of journalism is at stake." Internet restrictions and surveillance Mahsa Alimardani, a senior researcher for international human rights group Article 19, told ABC News that the Iranian regime uses different strategies to "block" people's internet access and to "track" their connections and movements whenever they do have access. That's why "having access to a safe VPN is of utmost importance," she said. In addition to blocking access to social media apps, including Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram, one of the ways the regime disrupts the flow of information is by limiting access to Google Play, which many Iranians use to download VPNs, according to Alimardani. With access to Google Play restricted, she said Iranians may unknowingly download VPNs developed by the regime to steal users' information. Even some local food delivery apps have been known to share the locations of protesters with authorities, according to Alimardani. One Iranian protester, who did not want to be identified for security concerns, told ABC News that she recently received a threatening message on social media saying she could be "prosecuted" if she continues to post content against the "security of the country." PHOTO: Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police last month, in Tehran, on Oct. 27, 2022. (Middle East Images via AP, FILE) Alimardani said the regimes strategies "vary" depending on the area. For instance, Iranian authorities have put in place a nightly, nationwide "curfew" on mobile connection, while some cities with mass protests are under a "complete internet blackout," according to Alimardani. "It significantly delays compiling, verifying and distributing information about casualties in those protests," she told ABC News, adding that this then "hinders the news cycle." Citizen journalists are especially in danger, Alimardani said, because they often send videos from protests to either Farsi-speaking TV channels based abroad, or to the social media accounts of 1500tasvir and Vahid Online, which aggregate and distribute the material. This online activity could be tracked by the regime. "I am aware of the risks I am taking. I know in the eyes of the regime I am a 'spy,'" an Iranian protester, who did not want to be identified for security concerns, told ABC News. "But I want the world to hear the voice of our revolution. I want the world to stop recognizing a regime that kills its own innocent people." ABC News' Riley Farrell and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report. Weary of crackdown, Iran's regime takes on citizen journalists originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The makeup artist died on 31 October (Laney Chantal/Instagram) American Celebrity makeup artist Laney Chantal, known for her appearance on the reality TV competition Face Off, has died. In a public obituary, Chantals family said she had passed away on 31 October from an accidental drug overdose in Milford, Michigan. Aside from her appearance on the Syfy makeup competition, Chantal whose full name is Alaina Chantal Parkhurst also worked as the lead makeup artist for Lil Nas Xs Montero (Call Me By Your Name), which won Video of the Year at MTVs Video Music Awards 2021. Alaina loved deeply, with all of her heart, her family wrote in the statement. Her family and friends meant the world to her and gathering with them during the holidays were some of her favorite and most anticipated times. Chantal got her start in the makeup industry in 2008, when she moved to Los Angeles, California to attend Cinema MAkeup School. Here, she received her creditation to work as a special effects makeup artist. Alaina put her whole self; body, mind and soul into her jobs, no matter the size, her family said. Her artistic ability and visions quickly set her apart from other artists in her field and her portfolio blossomed. Laney, as she was known by many, lived her life to the fullest, and accomplished more in her short time on earth, than most do in a full lifetime. Fellow makeup artist Gabriella Accarino also shared a tribute to Chantal, describing her as a beautiful soul. Her art and spirit are unparalleled, making the world a better place. My last memory with her was riding on four wheelers in the woods in Michigan until sunset, Accarino wrote on Instagram, alongside several photographs of herself and Chantal. Laney, you deserved the world and were loved by so many people. You forever changed my life and taught me, unconditional love. You were a gift and I cherish every moment spent with you. I will carry you in my heart forever. If you need someone to talk to, you can contact the Samaritans helpline by calling 116 123. The helpline is free and open 24 hours a day every day of the year. You can also contact Samaritans by emailing jo@samaritans.org. The average response time is 24 hours. People voting in polling place Getty Poll workers and election administrators are at once the most visible and unseen figures in United States elections. Never the stars of the show yet vital to the democratic process, their hard work is put on display for the world to see any time vote counts pour in during election week. Amid poll worker shortages and unwarranted distrust in the integrity of American elections, the job of election workers has become increasingly difficult. They undergo trainings and work long hours, understanding that in today's polarized political climate, they may face harassment and threats from people who are dissatisfied with how the electorate votes. As the U.S. prepares to wrap its first major election cycle since the riots that followed 2020's presidential vote count, scrutiny toward election officials has reached a crescendo. Still, hundreds of thousands of Americans will wake up early on Tuesday, head to work and ensure that fellow citizens' votes are seamlessly cast and accounted for. RELATED: 2022 Midterms: Every Senate, House and State Race Americans Should Follow In honor of Election Hero Day on Monday, Nov. 7, PEOPLE asked four nonpartisan election officials in various roles about the joys and challenges of keeping democracy intact. This year we celebrate Liana, a young woman born in Fiji amid a political coup whose vow to never take democracy for granted inspired her efforts to recruit college students as poll workers. We celebrate Armando, an immigrant-turned-U.S. citizen who aims to break down barriers that prevent eligible voters from casting a ballot. We celebrate Beth, a 31-year election veteran who tests voting machines and mentors chief election officers in the lead-up to Election Day. And we celebrate Tanya, who returns for her second time as a poll worker, ready to empower fellow members of her community. Liana, 21, Virginia Liana, election worker Courtesy of Liana When did you first get involved in election work? I ditched school on my 18th birthday ... to register to vote, and first signed up for information on poll working then. It wasn't until the pandemic hit, right before the June 2020 primaries, that I was actually at home from college and available to volunteer for the election. Story continues What motivated you to serve as a poll worker? Voting is great, but it's just the first step. The first election I worked was at the start of a global pandemic, and everyone was scared could they even come out and vote safely? Because most of the folks who work elections in my county are seniors, there was a concern that we wouldn't be able to get enough poll workers. In my mind, that meant that one of the best ways I could support democracy as a healthy 19-year-old back from college would be to volunteer as a poll worker and encourage my friends to do it with me. What is the hardest part of the role? Definitely misinformation about the integrity of election workers. It's heartbreaking. Poll workers don't get out of bed at 4 a.m. on Election Day because of the pay. These are some of the most patriotic and proud Americans I know, from recently naturalized citizens to lifelong residents of my street. Every election worker I know Republican, Democrat, independent, otherwise does the job because they believe deeply and unreservedly in American democracy and the electoral process. What do people misunderstand about the work that election officials do? How much of the job of a poll worker is just ensuring the accuracy of election counts through a series of thoughtful safeguards. Every step, from registering voters, to helping them fill out ballots, to submitting them to machines, to tallying them, is triple-checked by poll workers who validate that everything was correct in multiple ways. As a poll worker, so many of the rumors I've seen about how elections could have been manipulated almost make me want to laugh, because I know how impossible many of those suggestions are. Why is it vital that everyone casts a vote? I always tell people that in a state like Virginia, the phrase "every vote counts" isn't just an adage: It's a fact. In the 2017 House of Delegates race, the result of the 94th District was a tie, and so the seat was decided by literally picking a name out of a bowl (seriously, look it up), which ended up determining partisan control of the entire Virginia House in a 51-49 split. You never know when your vote and voice (or lack thereof) might matter enough to change the course of your community. Armando, 32, California Courtesy of Armando Courtesy of Armando When did you first get involved in election work? After completing my first semester at California State University, Sacramento, in 2009, I began searching for a job outside the food industry. Luckily, a friend who worked for the California secretary of state at the time informed me about an employment opportunity in its elections division. I immediately applied and was hired as an elections division student assistant on April 1, 2009. What motivated you to enter this line of work? What I initially thought was a college job ended up turning into a career when I transferred from the California Secretary of State's Office to the Sacramento County Office of Elections in 2014. It was here I had the opportunity to work in most, if not all, its election administration divisions. When I began this journey, I was a permanent resident with no voting rights. In December 2014, I became a naturalized U.S. citizen and had garnered knowledge, experience and a well-rounded understanding of election administration. Having experienced first-hand the importance of voting, it became the iron pillar of my work to help remove all barriers from people who are eligible to register to vote and encourage them to vote. This work has been the fuel igniting my desire to continue moving forward in this career path. My motivation and passion for what I do in elections work helped me land a role in my current county as the deputy of elections. We have a committed and determined team that helps ensure all county residents have the resources they need to participate in their civic duty. What is the hardest part of the job? Elections administrators face a myriad of challenges; however, based on my experience, there are two difficult parts of the job. First, the lack of staffing and financial resources for election administrators hinders the ability of smaller jurisdictions with smaller general fund accounts to create or expand election education and outreach programs or hire more staff to finish processes more efficiently. Second, the constant and consistent attacks election administrators have been facing since the 2020 election cycle have been exceedingly difficult to tolerate. The mistrust, misinformation and disinformation have created challenges in our line of work and have led many experienced and passionate elections employees to retire because it has been too much to cope with, not just for them, but also their families. For those of us, like myself, who are people of color serving as election administrators, it has made the situation more cumbersome. What do people misunderstand about the work that election officials do? Most people misunderstand the role, not just the line of work election administrators do, and that is mostly that this is a year-round job. We do not just work during an important election cycle or season, even though more attention sways in our direction during presidential elections. The most frequent questions I get asked are, "What do you do after election day?" or "What do you do during odd years when elections are less likely to happen?" The answer is: Election administrators work year-round to ensure that policies and procedures are updated, and we work on disseminating voter outreach materials and providing education. We also register and maintain the voter rolls, among other things. Everyone I have worked with through the course of my career, including now, are hard-working individuals doing their best to ensure that we are ready for the next election cycle. I genuinely believe that my job as well as for those who work in this field are the true protectors of democracy, and that makes my role ever so important and necessary in the land of the free. Why is it vital that everyone casts a vote? We live in a country that provides many freedoms, including freedom of speech. A vote correlates to a person's opinion toward who is getting elected, whether a state proposition should pass, or whether a local district measure should pass. Regardless of what is on the ballot, it is essential to note that decisions are being made that will have a direct impact on communities; therefore, your voice is your vote, and everyone, regardless of background, who is eligible should cast their vote to have their voice be heard! Beth, 57, Virginia Courtesy of Beth Courtesy of Beth When did you first get involved in election work? 1991. I had a Fulbright Scholarship in Romania. I was asked to serve with the International Election Monitor with the U.S. Department of State. Seeing the democratic process at work was fascinating I was hooked. What motivated you to enter this line of work? I'm an active member of my local League of Women Voters, which encourages our members to serve as election officers. I've now served in almost 20 elections rising through the ranks from assistant chief, to chief, and now as Route Rover. As Route Rover, I mentor other chiefs, working with them to prepare for Election Day. On Election Day, I will visit seven precincts to assist the chief election officers to administer fair and smooth elections. I also work extensively other election officials to test equipment ahead of the elections. What is the hardest part of the job? The long hours! On Election Day, I arrive at the precinct at 5 a.m. and often return home at 11 p.m. We also have to pay the closest attention to detail no errors! What do people misunderstand about the work that election officials do? That we have any control over the outcomes of the election. There are so many checks and balances in place so many signatures required, election officers overseeing and double checking the work, and tight security. Using paper ballots enables easy recounting and audits. The voters make the decisions we are here to ensure that they have the best experience possible so that they will return to vote in future elections. Why is it vital that everyone casts a vote? Election Day is the one day where the poorest citizen's say is equal to the wealthiest. We all need to do our due diligence to learn about the candidates and their positions as well as issues on the ballots like bonds or constitutional amendments, so that we can cast the most thoughtful vote possible. When more voters participate in elections we build a stronger society and nation that truly reflects our communities. Tanya, 46, Florida Courtesy of Tanya Courtesy of Tanya When did you first get involved in election work? I first got involved during the 2020 election between Trump and Biden after I got a text to easily apply through the Power the Polls website. What motivated you to serve as a poll worker? I wanted to be a part of the historical process for that election. After that, I stayed because I found it to be gratifying and inspiring. It's exciting to be there on Election Day! What is the hardest part of the role? Well, the set-up and break-down of the whole polling location can be a bit tiring. I try to do most of the work since I am younger than a few of the elders that work with me. But I feel the hardest part of the role is dealing with certain rules of law. For example, if someone did not register two weeks prior, unfortunately, they cannot cast their ballot. So we prioritize letting everyone know that they must be registered at least 2 weeks prior to election day to make sure their name is counted. What do people misunderstand about the work that elections officials do? I think people might feel that we have some hidden agenda towards certain candidates but everyone that I have met is just trying to make sure every single person regardless of party affiliation is counted. We all take great pride in making sure that everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone that is eligible to vote, gets their vote in on time election day. Why is it vital that everyone casts a vote? I feel one of the most important duties we have as people who live in a democratic country is to have each voice count. When someone doesn't vote it is like taking one important voice in the process away. No matter what party anyone belongs to we all are here to protect and honor the constitution of this nation. That's what makes our democracy so great! Check your voter registration, locate your polling place, and make a voting plan at Vote.org to ensure that your voice is heard this election season. Fourteen people were charged with and convicted on 122 counts, including felonies and misdemeanors, as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife closed the adjudication phase of one of the states largest white-tail deer commercialization cases. The list of charges included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, grand theft, falsification, tampering with records, possession of untagged deer parts, hunting with an illegal implement, and complicity to wildlife sales, according to ODNR. The case included the illegal taking of deer and selling venison, and focused on A&E Deer Processing in Gallia County. The defendants combined to pay $70,013.14 in fines and restitution, paid more than $6,700 in court costs and forfeited all the evidence seized during the execution of search warrants. Collectively, they received a hunting license revocation totaling 63 years. The maximum restitution to one individual was $20,000 with another paying $13,000. Multiple individuals received extensive hunting license suspensions. Also on FTW Outdoors: Duck hunter fined $4,000 for violating 1930s regulation In February 2020, five search warrants were executed in Gallia County by Division of Wildlife law enforcement with an additional search warrant conducted in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wildlife officers and investigators conducted 22 interviews in Ohio and three in Pennsylvania to verify the alleged violations. More from ODNR: During the execution of the search warrants, more than 1,000 items were seized, including venison and venison processing equipment, deer harvest records, deer mounts and antlers, and hunting implements. A stolen rifle, illegally possessed firearm suppressors, and a moonshine still were also discovered during the searches. The investigation revealed the owners and operators of the deer processing business falsely game checked deer, created false deer harvest records, falsified deer tags, exceeded deer hunting limits, and stole venison from customers who brought in deer for processing. Falsified records allowed the deer processors to take and have in their possession more deer than they were lawfully allowed. Stolen venison was stockpiled and laundered into summer sausage that was sold for profit. Over the course of two hunting seasons, investigators documented more than 2,000 pounds of venison that were either stolen from their 280 customers or taken by unlawful means such as jacklighting, taking deer out of season, and falsifying records. Story continues Generic photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. List The 50 best movies streaming on Netflix (November 2022) Story originally appeared on For The Win Sweden's foreign minister on Saturday sought to distance Stockholm from the Kurdish YPG militia, days before the Scandinavian country's prime minister is to visit Ankara hoping to secure support for its NATO bid. "I think it is important that there is a distance to this organisation from the Swedish side", Tobias Billstrom told broadcaster Sveriges Radio after he was asked about the YPG's track record. "We think there are doubts and problems regarding those who are damaging our relationship with Turkey," he said. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden dropped a decades-long policy of military non-alignment to seek NATO membership in May. But Turkey has held back on ratifying their applications -- focusing especially on Stockholm -- for what it describes as leniency towards the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and other Kurdish groups. The PKK has for many years staged an insurgency against the Turkish state which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and most of its Western allies. But the group's Syrian offshoot, the People's Protection Units (YPG), has been an important player in the US-led international alliance against the Islamic State group in Syria. While Sweden has in the past expressed support for the YPG and its political arm the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the country's new government appears to be changing that stance. "There is too close a link between these organisations and the PKK, which is a terrorist organisation listed by the EU," Billstrom said. Turkey will not formally approve Finland and Sweden's membership of NATO until the two countries take the necessary "steps", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg on Friday. All 30 NATO member states except Turkey and Hungary have ratified the accession of Sweden and Finland. New Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will visit Ankara on Tuesday to meet with Erdogan in a trip that Stockholm hopes will lead to Turkey's approval. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a weapon that Ukraine has been using to great effect against Russian forces. US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Beaux Hebert Russia has not destroyed a single HIMARS launcher to date, a defense official told Politico. The long-range rocket launchers have been a huge asset to Ukraine's war effort thus far. But Ukraine still needs much more artillery for the fight ahead, the official said. Ukraine's military prowess utilizing the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems provided by the US remains unmatched. The long-range, high-precision rocket launchers, also known as HIMARS, have proven monumental to Ukraine's ongoing war effort against Russia. With a range reaching up to 50 miles, Ukraine has used the rockets to effectively hit Russian positions and clear out before the enemy can retaliate. Russia has failed to destroy a single HIMARS launcher since Ukraine first began using them in June, a senior Defense Department official told Politico. No weapon system has had as big an impact on the fighting in Ukraine as the HIMARS especially given Russia's apparent inability to level the playing field. A $1.1 billion US security assistance package announced in September more than doubled the number of HIMARS on Ukraine's battlefield, adding an additional 18 systems, as well as the associated ammunition. Moscow's inability to put a dent in Ukraine's HIMARS supply is a likely source of frustration among the Russians, but a land-warfare expert told Insider last month that Russia's failure to do so is likely a result of military incompetence and outdated infrastructure. A military expert told Insider in July that the HIMARS are a "perfect" weapon for Ukraine because they exploit Russia's poor war planning. William Alberque, director of strategy, technology, and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies called the weapons "exactly the right system at the right time." Despite the HIMARS' power, Ukraine still needs more artillery for the fight ahead, the same defense official told Politico. Ukraine is firing anywhere from 4,000 - 7,000 artillery rounds every day compared to Russia's 20,000, the outlet reported. Story continues Ukraine is fighting to reclaim territory in Kharkiv and the Kherson region, but with winter on the way, updated infrastructure will be necessary. The Pentagon announced Friday that it will pay the Czech Republic to upgrade 45 Soviet-era T-72 tanks. The updates are part of an additional $400 million in military aid the Biden administration announced this week that also includes missiles for HAWK air defense systems in Kyiv, 250 armored vehicles, and 1,100 Phoenix Ghost drones. The US has now committed more than $18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office, according to a defense press release. Read the original article on Business Insider A Starbucks barista prepares a drink at a Starbucks Coffee Shop location in New York. Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images A coffee company filed a complaint claiming Starbucks adds potassium to its Dark French Roast coffee. The complaint says the alleged potassium levels means Starbucks is selling misbranded food in North Carolina. Starbucks said it doesn't add any potassium and the complaint is "without merit." Starbucks is pushing back against a North Carolina-based coffee company's complaint that claims the amount of potassium in Starbucks Dark French Roast coffee "significantly exceeds the levels of potassium" that naturally occurs in coffee. Starbucks said the complaint is "without merit." Puroast Coffee Company, a roaster and seller of low-acid coffee, filed the complaint with the North Carolina Consumer Protection Division in September claiming that independent laboratory test results show Starbucks Dark French Roast coffee sold in retail stores "is at over 14 standard deviations above the respective average" of potassium content in raw coffee beans. "Even at the extremes," the amount of potassium doesn't usually deviate beyond five or six from the average, the complaint said. "We are aware of the complaint Puroast has filed with the North Carolina Consumer Protection Division and believe it is without merit," a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement shared with Insider. "We do not add potassium to Starbucks Dark French Roast coffee. Potassium is naturally occurring in coffee. Further, we are confident that the labeling for our Dark French Roast coffee is fully compliant with all U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements." Kerry Sachs, CEO of Puroast, told Insider that the company discovered the amount of potassium in the Starbucks Dark French Roast during routine testing of different brands of coffee in the company's lab that it does about once a month. In March 2022, Sachs said a test showed an "abnormally" high level of pH in the Starbucks coffee. A higher pH level means the coffee has lower acidity, he said. While coffee usually has a pH balance around 5, the Starbucks coffee was allegedly showing a pH of 5.7 to 5.8, or about 70% less acid than regular coffee, Sachs said. Story continues "We thought it was a mistake, it was odd, it kept showing up," Sachs said. Puroast sent its results to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to confirm its results, which the university did, Sachs said. Taka Shibamoto, professor emeritus of environmental toxicology at the University of California Davis Coffee Center, told The New York Post that the finding in the complaint "is strange and hard to believe." "A company like Starbucks must know the regulations," Shibamoto told the NY Post, adding that if the findings of the complaint are true, potassium might have been added to the coffee for taste or to lower its acidity. The complaint accuses Starbucks of failing to disclose that potassium is added during production of its Dark French Roast coffee, and labeling it as "100%" coffee means the company has and "is currently selling and distributing, a misbranded food product within the State of North Carolina." The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is currently reviewing the complaint, a spokesperson for the department told Insider. Sachs said Puroast is calling on Starbucks to add a label disclosing any added potassium. He said he hopes the complaint encourages a standard to be developed for low-acid coffee. Read the original article on Business Insider Tornadoes in 3 States Leave 1 Dead and Nearly a Dozen Injured: 'Praying for Oklahomans Impacted' Dangerous tornadoes swept through three states Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas late Friday, leaving at least one person dead, a dozen injured and at least 50 homes destroyed. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who visited the site of the tornado storm damage on Saturday, confirmed there was one fatality, that of a 90-year-old man in McCurtain County, which is located in Idabel, Okla. The National Weather Service noted that there were reports of "widespread structural damage" in McCurtain County, including downed trees and power lines. "Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today's tornadoes," Stitt said on Twitter. "We will get all the help we can right down here to McCurtain County." Stitt said there were more than 100 businesses and homes destroyed, and his office would issue an executive order to declare an emergency for the counties impacted by the tornado, which include Bryan, Choctaw, and Le Flore counties. Mandatory Credit: Photo by LM Otero/AP/Shutterstock (13609768h) Logan Johnson, 11, carries a sign that reads "Thankful" after he recovered it from his family's destroyed home after a tornado hit in Powderly, Texas Severe Weather Texas, Powderly, United States - 05 Nov 2022 LM Otero/AP/Shutterstock RELATED: 2 Boys Drowned When 17-Year-Old Tried to Save His Brother, 6, from Flooded Canal After Hurricane Ian Texas also had extensive damage, particularly in Lamar County. The Lamar County Sheriff's Office said in a press release posted on Facebook that 10 people were being treated for injuries at Paris Regional Medical Center with two in critical, but stable condition and approximately 50 homes were "damaged or destroyed." Thus far, no deaths have been reported. Four houses in Hopkins County also sustained damage, according to a statement from the Hopkins County Sheriff's Office. Mandatory Credit: Photo by LM Otero/AP/Shutterstock (13610098b) Adela Cox looks at the Trinity Baptist Church that was destroyed by a tornado in Idabel, Okla Severe Weather Oklahoma, Idabel, United States - 05 Nov 2022 LM Otero/AP/Shutterstock RELATED: Fla. Woman's Lost Wedding Ring Found in Brush Pile After Hurricane Ian: 'A Sign That There's Hope' Texas Gov. Greg Abbott increased the readiness level of the state's Emergency Operations Center Friday morning in anticipation of the storm. "State and local officials are working around the clock to ensure resources are swiftly deployed to respond to impacted communities over the course of these storms," Abbott said in a statement. Story continues The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management confirmed to PEOPLE that there was also widespread damage across the state, which included buildings, homes and even chicken houses. The agency confirmed that electrical poles were also downed, but that there were no fatalities reported. 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. Nearly 20,000 people in Texas, approximately 3,600 in Oklahoma and 5,000 in Arkansas are still without power, according to the electricity tracking website, Poweroutage.us. The National Weather Service received 10 tornado reports from Texas, two from Oklahoma and three reports from Arkansas, amounting to 17 total tornado reports on Friday. As recently as October 24th, Ukraines military suffered a partial internet outage after 1,300 Starlink terminals went offline due to a funding shortage, reports CNN. The blackout occurred amid ongoing talks between SpaceX and the Department of Defense that continue despite Elon Musk having said his company would continue to foot the bill for the countrys Starlink usage. Negotiations are very much underway. Everyone in our building knows were going to pay them, a senior Pentagon official told the network, adding that the Defense Department wants to get something in writing because we worry hell change his mind. In September, SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon, asking the Defense Department to take over paying expenses related to Ukraines usage of its Starlink internet service. On October 15th, following public outcry, Musk appeared to backtrack on the decision to ask the US government for assistance. To hell with it well just keep funding Ukraine govt for free, Musk tweeted, later telling The Financial Times the company would do so indefinitely. According to CNN, last months outage was a huge problem for Ukraines military. In March, the country purchased the 1,300 terminals from a British company. SpaceX reportedly charged Ukraine $2,500 per month to keep each unit operational. The country eventually couldnt afford to pay the $3.25 million monthly bill anymore and asked for financial aid from the British Ministry of Defence. After some discussion, the two agreed to prioritize other military expenses. We support a number of terminals that have a direct tactical utility for Ukraines military in repelling Russias invasion, a British official told CNN. We consider and prioritize all new requests in terms of the impact contributions would have in supporting Ukraine to defend its people against Putins deplorable invasion. Should SpaceX and the US Department of Defense eventually sign an agreement, its unclear if the Pentagon will have greater control over Starlink service in Ukraine. The company currently decides where Ukrainian troops can use the terminals. The US has warned North Korea that a nuclear weapon attack against the US or its allies will result in the end of Kim Jong-uns regime as Pyongyang continued to test launch a barrage of missiles. The hermit kingdom has launched over two dozen missiles in the last two days in response to US-South Korean military exercises which began earlier this week and were extended till Saturday due to the escalation. US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean defence minister Lee Jong-sup, after meeting at the Pentagon, released a joint statement on Thursday, strongly condemning the Norths escalating military flexing. Any nuclear attack against the US or its allies and partners, including the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime, Mr Austin said according to a joint communique released by the defence department. Mr Austin said the test launches are destabilising to the region and called on the North to cease that type of activity and to begin to engage in serious dialogue. He insisted that Pyongyangs increased military aggression would not result in Washington permanently relocating troops and strategic assets to the region. Mr Kim would see additional US military presence there, he added. On Friday, a day after Mr Austin made the comments, South Korea said it scrambled fighter jets after detecting around 180 North Korean warplanes moving near the border between the two countries. Seoul scrambled around 80 jets, including F-35A stealth fighters, in response to the Norths sortie. South Koreas joint chiefs of staff said the Norths warplanes were detected in various inland areas along the countrys eastern and western coasts. On Thursday, the North had launched a suspected new type of banned intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), forcing Japan to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. The ballistic missile test was preceded by the test firing of at least 23 missiles and 100 artillery shells that were fired into an eastern maritime buffer zone on Wednesday. The missiles were all short-range allistic missiles or suspected surface-to-air missiles, the Souths military said. According to Seoul, one of the ballistic missiles was flying toward the countrys Ulleung island before it eventually landed 167km northwest of the island. Meanwhile, the US and South Korean forces separately conducted their Vigilant Storm combined aerial exercise, which involved nearly 240 warplanes. WASHINGTON Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija is the only Jewish player on an NBA roster. With the Brooklyn Nets suspending star Kyrie Irving at least five games without pay for refusing to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film titled Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America, Avdija spoke out. There needs to (be) consequences for the actions that players do. It needs to be known theres no room for words like that, Avdija, a third-year player, told reporters following Brooklyns 128-86 victory against Washington on Friday. Avdija, who was born in Israel to a Jewish mom and dad who was born in Yugoslavia, became the highest draft pick from Israel when the Wizards selected him No. 9 in 2020. Washington Wizards small forward Deni Avdija addressed the Kyrie Irving controversy on Friday night. I think he made a mistake, Avdija said. But you need to understand he gives an example to people and people look up to him. You can think whatever you want, you can do whatever you want, (but) I dont think its right to go out in public and publish it and little kids that follow, you see it, and generations to come after it to think like that because its not true. I dont think its fair. Hopefully, hes sorry for what he said. I love my culture. I love my country, and its a little upsetting to hear some stuff about your religion. Nike suspends relationship with Kyrie: 'We are deeply saddened and disappointed' Irving apologizes to Jewish community: 'I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain' The Wizards annually host a Jewish Heritage night and have Twitter and Instagram accounts in Hebrew for Israeli fans. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deni Avdija on Kyrie Irving controversy: 'No room for words like that' An Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train passes in front of pedestrians walking along a beach in Del Mar, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 13, 2021. Fully vaccinated Americans can do away with wearing masks, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, the most significant shift in federal guidelines since the start of the pandemic. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bing Guan/Bloomberg/Getty A beachgoer survived a shark attack Friday in Del Mar, California. Del Mar Lifeguard Chief Jon Elderbrock told FOX 5 that a juvenile white shark bit a 50-year-old woman on her leg shortly after 10 a.m. while swimming with a male companion in the Del Mar beach area past the surf line, an area that is frequented by recreational swimmers. The woman, who is in stable condition, was treated for punctures and lacerations at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, according to CNN. RELATED: Experts from Minorities in Shark Sciences Share Their Most Shocking Shark Facts Although lifeguards told NBC 7 that this was the first shark bite incident in the area, FOX 5 reported that the beach is expected to be closed for a mile in each direction for at least 48 hours. Elderbrock said in an interview with FOX 5 that "shark and human interactions are consistent daily," which makes it necessary for the area to be closely monitored. He noted that the appearance of a juvenile white shark is rare and makes Friday's incident "extraordinary behavior." RELATED VIDEO: 58-Year-Old Pennsylvania Woman Killed by Bull Shark While Snorkeling in the Bahamas: 'She Will Be Missed' He praised the swimmers for keeping calm through the event and for swimming together. "No matter what, anything can happen in the ocean," Elderbrock added. A study conducted by Australian researchers in 2021 found that juvenile white sharks, which are responsible for most of the great white attacks on humans, are either completely color blind or have a limited color perception, contributing to their inability to differentiate between humans, seals, and walruses. 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. On Tuesday, a juvenile white shark washed up dead in the San Diego area, near Torrey Pines, California, only three miles away from the scene of Friday's attack. The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve & State Beach revealed in a social media post that she died of injuries sustained from fishing activities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address on Friday that Russia is lying to its people about having completed its mobilization of reservists, saying that the country is sending its people to the meat grinder. Zelensky said in his remarks to the Ukrainian people that the Russian government is concealing the real number of troops it has lost from its civilians and tried to conceal their mobilization. The truth is, in the regions of Russia and on our occupied territory, they continue to collect people to send them to death, he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial call-up of up to 300,000 military reservists in September to replenish depleted Russian forces. The Kremlin later announced certain occupations would be exempt from the draft after widespread protests occurred across Russia. Russian officials announced earlier this week that the mobilization has concluded, but Zelensky said Russia is still gathering people to send to the battlefield in Ukraine. Zelensky said the absolute insane stubbornness of Russias leaders demonstrates that their claims to be open to negotiations that they have made to foreign leaders are false. When someone thinks about negotiations, he does not look for ways to deceive everyone around him in order to send tens or hundreds of thousands more people to the meat grinder mobilized or in the form of some mercenaries, he said. He said it is very good the world recognizes Russian rhetoric as a lie and only pays attention to what the country does, not what it says. Zelensky said Ukrainians are ready for peace and that the world knows his countrys position on what the end of the conflict should look like. He characterized Ukraines formula for such a peace as comprising respect for Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and the Ukrainian people, as well as punishment for all those who are guilty and full Russian compensation for damage incurred by Ukraine amid the war. Story continues Zelensky has insisted that a settlement of the war must include Russia completely withdrawing from Ukrainian territory, and he has expressed optimism about Ukraines ability to drive out Russian soldiers, including from the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia has occupied since 2014. Zelenskys comments come as White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan visited Kyiv on Friday to announce an additional $400 million military assistance package. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pennsylvania's staking its claim as center of the political universe this weekend as presidents past and present campaign for their candidates ahead of midterms Election Day. President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama teamed up Saturday to stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Senate candidate John Fetterman in Philadelphia. "This crowd is so loud I think they can hear us in Latrobe," Biden said in his opening remarks, taking a swing at former President Donald Trump's rally there later Saturday night. "They're going to hear us on Tuesday." "The power to shape that outcome is in your hands," Biden said. "Two years ago, you used your power not only to make Trump a former president, but a defeated president." PHOTO: US President Joe Biden speaks during a rally ahead of the US midterm elections, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 5, 2022. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump held a rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz, calling them both "great people." "You're going to elect the incredible slate of true America-first Republicans up and down the ballot," Trump said. On the Biden and Obama event at Temple University, Trump said, "I heard they had a little rally." "They don't call it the Keystone State for nothing," said David Dix, a Philadelphia-based political strategist who has worked on Republican and Democratic campaigns, about the 11th-hour attention from both sides. "Once again, Pennsylvania is the political epicenter of the country and the balance of the House and Senate weigh from here on Tuesday." "It's just another indicator that we are a deep purple state that makes up our mind late and oftentimes does split the ticket among Democrats and Republicans," Dix added. President Joe Biden stands on stage with Pennsylvania's Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro, second from right, former President Barack Obama, left, and Democratic Senate candidate Lt. ((AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)) MORE: Where political heavyweights Biden, Trump and Obama are campaigning ahead of midterms Pennsylvania's marquee Senate race could determine which party wins control of the chamber. Republicans need to gain just one seat to become the majority, as Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaker. Story continues "That race has been on the razor's edge for a long time," said Christopher Nicholas, a longtime Republican strategist in Pennsylvania. The margin between Fetterman and Oz is getting tighter by the day, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling average, with the two candidates separated by just 0.4 percentage points. "There's no quit in John Fetterman," Biden said Saturday. "There's no quit in Pennsylvania. There's no quit in America, we just have to remember who we are, we are the United States of America." Biden also took a shot at Oz, who was criticized for living in New Jersey until late 2020: "I've lived in Pennsylvania longer than Oz has lived in Pennsylvania, and I moved when I was 10 years old," Biden said. Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a rally featuring former U.S. President Donald Trump at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport November 5, 2022 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) In a message to voters on Saturday, Fetterman pitched himself as a lifelong public servant while accusing Oz of trying to "use" Pennsylvania and attempting to buy the seat. Oz, in a closing pitch at a rally in Elizabethtown earlier this week, described himself as an agent of change and encouraged attendees to tell neighbors about his message on the economy, crime and the border. "There are three topics that I have spent my campaign dwelling on," he said. "They are the kitchen table issues that every family in Pennsylvania has talked about." The gubernatorial race between Shapiro and Mastriano is another contentious race, and one of the biggest tests of Trump's election denialism on the ballot this cycle. Mastriano, a Republican state legislator, attended Trump's Jan. 6 rally just before the Capitol attack and has continued to spread the former president's lies about the 2020 election results. PHOTO: Trump campaigned at the rally for Pennsylvania Republican candidates including Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) FiveThirtyEight's polling average shows Mastriano behind in the race by roughly 10 percentage points. MORE: Doug Mastriano's opponents call him extreme, but his campaign may be resonating with conservatives Biden's campaigned heavily in Pennsylvania this year, and in this final stop in Philadelphia he and Obama aimed to boost Democratic enthusiasm in a key area of the state. Obama, citing his own midterm losses in 2010, told rally-goers to make sure their friends vote. "Democrats view it as crucial to get as high a turnout as possible in the city, especially among the Black community" said Nicholas. "That's always the target for them." Biden's success in the Democratic strongholds Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and their neighboring suburbs, ultimately led to his win there in 2020 over Trump. Trump last visited Pennsylvania in September, when he held a rally for Oz and Mastriano in Wilkes-Barre. The stakes are high for the former president, who is laying the groundwork for a 2024 campaign and could make an announcement as soon as the week of Nov. 14, according to sources. "Latrobe is essentially the epicenter of Republican turnout," Dix said, noting nearby Allegheny County probably has more registered Republicans "than anywhere else in the state." "I certainly understand the strategy and why the former president decided to rally there," Dix said. - ABC News' Will McDuffie contributed to this report. Biden, Obama and Trump hold dueling midterm rallies in Pennsylvania originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Men wearing protective clothing sit at the entrance of a residential building that has been surrounded by metal barricades as part of COVID-19 controls in Beijing, China, on June 14, 2022. Mark Schiefelbein/AP A 3-year-old boy died after a suspected gas leak in a quarantined residential complex in Lanzhou. Health workers monitoring the gates did not assist the boy, his father said in a blog post. The incident sparked outrage against China's restrictive approach to containing COVID, per reports. The father of a 3-year-old boy in Lanzhou, China, said his son died on Tuesday due to carbon monoxide poisoning after officials monitoring the gates of their residential complex failed to help seek medical assistance. The father, Tuo Shilei, shared his story via a blog post on Wednesday. The incident has since prompted criticism of China's "zero-COVID" policy, which could entail locking down entire neighborhoods or cities and severely limiting travel. Around noon on Tuesday, Shilei's wife fell ill and his son, Tuo Wenxuan, appeared to have collapsed due to gas poisoning, he wrote. According to The New York Times, police said there was a gas leak due to the "improper use" of a liquefied gas stove. In a span of three minutes, Shilei called for emergency assistance four times over the phone, The New York Times reported. On the fourth call, a dispatcher answered and told the man that he could only receive virtual medical help because he lived in an area with a "high risk" of COVID-19. Shilei then attempted to seek help from officials who monitor the gates of the residential compound, which was sealed due to a virus outbreak. The Los Angeles Times described the officials as health workers. But, Shilei wrote, the staff refused to help. They told Shilei to seek assistance from someone else and provide a COVID-19 test, the newspaper added. Shilei resorted to tearing down a fence that surrounded the neighborhood and got another person's help to call a taxi to get to the hospital, according to his post. Shilei wrote that doctors couldn't resuscitate his son who died of gas poisoning. Shilei added that his wife recovered. The child's death has attracted public outrage against China's restrictive strategy for combating coronavirus outbreaks, according to multiple reports. Story continues Using a "zero-COVID policy" approach, the country can employ strict lockdowns in entire cities and severely bar people from movement outside of their neighborhoods in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus. China has used this strategy for the past three years during the pandemic, keeping infection rates and deaths lower than that of other countries including the US. According to The New York Times, the strategy also has widespread public support. However, critics have pointed out the economic toll of the approach, while some residents in lockdown areas have said they were restricted from buying basic necessities such as food, BBC reported. According to The Los Angeles Times, one commenter on Weibo, a Chinese social media app, said that the measures should be used "to protect life and health, not to confront those who need to be rescued with obstacles!" Another comment noted that "three years of pandemic was his entire life," CNN reported. Lanzhou's Mayor Zhang Weiwen pledged to "open up the 'last mile'" of the quarantine borders so that people could seek medical treatment, The Los Angeles Times reported, citing Lanzhou Daily, a government newspaper. Following the outcry, district health authorities promised to "deeply learn from the painful lessons of this accident," according to The New York Times. Read the original article on Insider Iran's foreign minister on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that his country has supplied Russia with drones, insisting the transfer came before Moscow's war on Ukraine that has seen the Iranian-made drones divebombing Kyiv. The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian come after months of confusing messaging from Iran about the weapons shipment, as Russia sends the drones slamming into Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets. ``We gave a limited number of drones to Russia months before the Ukraine war,'' Amirabdollahian told reporters after a meeting in Tehran. Previously, Iranian officials had denied arming Russia in its war on Ukraine. Just earlier this week, Iran's Ambassador to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani called the allegations ``totally unfounded`` and reiterated Iran's position of neutrality in the war. The U.S. and its Western allies on the Security Council have called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to investigate if Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians in Ukraine. Even so, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has vaguely boasted of providing drones to the world's top powers. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has extolled the efficacy of the drones and mocked Western hand-wringing over their danger. During state-backed demonstrations to mark the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover on Friday, crowds waved placards of the triangle-shaped drones as a point of national pride. As he acknowledged the shipment, Amirabdollahian claimed on Saturday that Iran was oblivious to the use of its drones in Ukraine. He said Iran remained committed to stopping the conflict. ``If (Ukraine) has any documents in their possession that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide them to us,'' he said. ``If it is proven to us that Russia used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will not be indifferent to this issue.`` Search Keywords: Short link: Now is the time for peak foliage. Getty Images/Sean Pavone If West Virginia is almost heaven by default, then come autumn, which lingers into November here, its all out nirvana. Falls fiery painters palette licks its flames across mountainsides and paints snaking valleys golden, and an idyllic cabin escape with a side of soft family adventure awaits. Follow our lead for some of the sights you wont want to miss in West Virginia this fall. Hike Along Long Point Trail Kid-friendly hikes abound in the Mountain State. But one of the best, the Long Point Trail, takes you along a moderate 1.6-mile trail (one way) through the forest to a rocky outcropping thats wide enough to walk across without getting vertigo (but youll still want to squeeze those little hands tightly). The reward? Incredible views overlooking the New River Gorge Bridge in the distance and the flaming hues of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve all around. The vistas you get on this relatively easy hike are usually reserved for far more challenging adventures, and the reward is extra sweet when younger family members can share it with you. Afterward, join the cyclist crowds at Arrowhead Bike Farm, a sweet little spot with picnic tables and fire pits near the trailhead parking lot. Order a West Virginia craft beer (we suggest the Wild Trail Pale Ale) and a ginormous Bavarian-style pretzel. Getty Images/Ali Majdfar Stay at a State Park Lodge Why should the western part of the U.S. have all the fun when it comes to cozy state park lodges? Visitors to West Virginia are often surprised to learn that the state holds its own when it comes to state parks offering lodge-style stays that bring good old fashioned family fun to the plate, naturally. In the southeastern part of the state, Pipestem Resort State Parks McKeever Lodge has 111 rooms and suites, many of which overlook the gorge. Guests can enjoy a heated indoor pool year-round and take an aerial tram ride to the gorge floor as well as outings to nearby Bluestone State Park for picnics with lake views. In West Virginias Eastern Panhandle, Cacapon Resort State Parks lodge, the newest in the West Virginia State Parks system, has an onsite spa and a cozy fireplace that calls for board games and relaxing after outings in the cool autumn air. Other state park lodges to put on your radar? North Bend State Park Lodge, popular with the mountain biking crowd and for its family-friendly vibes, and Tygart Lake State Park Lodge, a more boutique stay with just 20 rooms overlooking a lake. Story continues Support Appalachian Makers Fall is certainly better than December for getting a head start on your holiday shopping. And to make sure your gifts skew more unique than the usual purchases ordered in last-minute holiday haste, head to the beloved Tamarack Marketplace near the historic coal-mining town of Beckley. Here, you can browse Appalachian makers stalls for everything from glass ornaments blown in a studio on-site to fine art, wood sculpture, and bespoke lighting crafted by a West Virginia metalworker. The center operates as a non-profit organization and showcases works by artists from across all 55 counties in West Virginia. Theres even a cafe where you can taste Appalachian favorites like West Virginia rainbow trout and fried green tomatoes. An underground tour of the Exhibition Coal Mine, nearby, is worth a detour in the area, too. Retired coal miners act as guides as you explore the dark tunnels aboard carts that roll along the original tracks. Relax in Harpers Ferry Just an hours drive from the Capital Beltway, historic Harpers Ferry in West Virginias Eastern Panhandle is the perfect destination for a weekend cabin escape surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. Hiking trails and forested fall and water views abound at every bend in the road in this scenic spot at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Stop for very West Virginian eats, like a pepperoni roll from H. B. Snallygaster's General Store & Cafe, or the giant cinnamon buns loaded with caramel, bacon, and walnuts at Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee. Getty Images/Ali Majdfar Go Camping at Coopers Rock Take in Morgantowns college town vibe with some brewery hopping (Chestnut Brew Works for artisanal West Virginia ales) and a University of West Virginia Mountaineers football game, before making a break for some of the states most dramatic views at Coopers Rock State Forest, near the Pennsylvania and Maryland border. The rock itself is a massive sandstone outcropping from which you can enjoy dramatic and colorful fall views overlooking the Cheat River Gorge, a superlative canyon that shimmers a dizzying distance below. There are 50 miles of hiking and biking trails to explore in the state forest as well as a six-acre pond stocked with trout if youre tempted to toss out a line. McCollum campground, which stays open through December, is a beautiful spot to set up your tent surrounded by fall foliage. Mountain Creek Cabins has four cozy walls (complete with hot tubs and panoramic views) if you prefer something more solid. For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. One of the most valuable aspects of the VA home loan is that qualified buyers can purchase a home with no money down. From the outbreak of the Mexican American war in 1846 to campaigns being waged this very day in multiple countries around the world, New Mexico servicemen and women have bravely defended Americas Constitution and way of life. With that service came a long list of benefits, one of which is the VA home loan guarantee. The third-most popular benefit was used by 746,090 U.S. veterans in fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2022), according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. A total of 5,259 of those loan guaranties were issued to New Mexico veterans. Of that number, 801 were utilized to purchase, refinance or upgrade a home in Dona Ana County, according to Jesus Rodriguez, public information officer for the VAs Phoenix Regional Loan Center in Arizona. The objective of the VA Home Loan Guaranty program is to help eligible Veterans, active-duty personnel, surviving spouses, and members of the Reserves and National Guard purchase, retain, and adapt homes in recognition of their service to the nation, according to the VA website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/. The website also details the Native American Veterans Direct Loan Program, which helps Native American Veterans or Native American non-Veterans finance the purchase of homes on Federal Trust Lands. The VA has entered into memorandums of understanding with 110 participating Native American tribes. During FY 2022, VA closed 40 loans under this program. Since its inception, VA has made 1,205 loans to Native American Veterans. Gary Sandler The concept behind the program is simple. Veterans who have decent credit and a steady source of income can use their benefit to purchase a home in Dona Ana County with no down payment. There is no longer a maximum purchase price for Veterans wishing to use a VA loan. Veterans can obtain a loan for any amount they can qualify for based on their credit and income. Key lending criteria include no maximum debt ratio, no minimum credit score and no mortgage insurance, although VA does oblige lenders to make sure the veteran has the ability to repay the loan. Most Las Cruces-area banks, credit unions and mortgage companies offer VA loans. With the exception of disabled vets and their surviving spouses, the VA charges the veteran a one-time funding fee for purchase loans between 1.4 and 3.6 percent of the loan amount, depending on whether the buyer opts to utilize a down payment. This fee helps pay for the administrative costs of the program. A side benefit to a VA loan is that it is assumable, which is to say that a qualified buyer can assume the veterans loan. Buyers who assume VA loans dont have to be veterans and are not required to live in the home. Unfortunately for the veteran, his or her eligibility remains tied up in the home until the new borrower pays off the loan. Veterans can retain their eligibility, however, if another veteran assumes their loan. Veterans who assume a VA loan and substitute their eligibility for the eligibility of the original borrower frees up the original veterans benefit to be used again. The veteran who assumes the loan must occupy the home as their principal residence. VA loans may add value to a property in the future. Lets say a veteran with an existing VA loan at 3.5 percent decides to sell his home after living in it for 5 years. Lets also say the homes value appreciated by 4.0 percent each of those years, resulting in equity of around 20 percent. Equity is the difference between the value of a property and whats owed against it. Would a buyer with 20 percent down be better off financing his purchase with a new 30-year loan at 7 percent, or by utilizing the 20 percent to assume a VA loan at 3.5 percent that has 25 years remaining? The answer is almost assuredly yes. New Mexico was home to 158,994 New Mexico veterans as of November 2020, according to the NM Department of Veterans Services. According to the Department of Defenses Defense Manpower Data Center as of December 31, 2021: 13,914 New Mexicans were on active duty, along with 4,774 military spouses, 8,385 active-duty children, 7,824 National Guard reservists, 3,215 National Guard spouses, and 5,116 National Guard reserve children. For the thousands of New Mexicans eligible to apply, this valuable benefit may be worth exploring. For more information, contact your Realtor; the VAs Phoenix Regional Loan Center at 800-827-1000 or Phoenix Regional Office, Regional Loan Center - Phoenix Regional Office (va.gov), or your local lender. Thank you for your service! Gary Sandler is a full-time Realtor and president of Gary Sandler Inc., Realtors in Las Cruces. He loves to answer questions and can be reached at 575-642-2292 or Gary@GarySandler.com. Others are reading: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: 6,971 NM veterans utilized VA home loans last year Catherine Zeta-Jones isnt afraid to shout her love for her husband of over 20 years, Michael Douglas, from the rooftops. Whether it be a head-turning red carpet appearance or a rare PDA moment, these two are still so in love like its the first date still. And this new photo proves that their love hasnt wavered even a shred over the years. On Nov 3, Zeta-Jones uploaded a series of rare photos to her Instagram page, updating fans on her and Douglas newest excursion with the caption, Paris..AmourJadore. More from SheKnows In the first photo, we see Douglas giving Zeta-Jones a loving peck on the forehead, with Zeta-Jones smiling to the camera. We can really feel the love exuding from this photo, and Zeta-Jones hinted that the pair are in love and in Paris with a photo of the Eiffel Tower. In love and in Paris? These two are really living a fairytale life. Now, were not the only ones losing it over the rare PDA snapshot, because fans cant get enough of this loving pair. One fan wrote, Your smile says it all bless you both in Paris Catherine & Michael , and another added, I adore Paris!!! The best place to go with your hubby . Click here to read the full article. The pair met back at the Deauville American Film Festival in France in August 1998, after being introduced to one another by none other than Danny DeVito. They didnt hit it off immediately, but soon, after Douglas kept trying, they fell in love (and have been in love ever since!) They married two years later in Nov 2000, welcoming two children named Dylan, 22, and Carys, 19. In 2021, the Chicago star told WSJ Magazine in a super-rare interview about the secret to her and Douglas long marriage. She said, My husband is 25 years older than me; thats not a secret. With any relationship, it wouldnt be normal if there werent any ups and downs. The constant is love and respect. Story continues Before you go, click here to see celebrity couples with significant age differences. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. More than a month has passed since Hurricane Ian struck the country, killing at least 119 and potentially causing more than $100 billion in damages. Many survivors are now facing a gut-wrenching question. Should I stay or should I go? In the aftermath of such natural disasters, residents and politicians alike often declare they will stay and rebuild. For Ian, that message is coming all the way from the top. "The key here is building back better and stronger to withstand the next storm," President Joe Biden said in September as he surveyed damage in Fort Myers, Florida, alongside Governor Ron DeSantis. But inevitably, some residents will throw up their hands and walk away. Others plan to hedge, like Cindy Smith, a North Port, Florida resident who told a reporter she'd buy a mobile home after her home was flooded out by Ian. That way I can flee, she reasoned. The question of what to do after disaster strikes is becoming increasingly perilous for the nation. For decades, many experts have warned that too many Americans are living in harm's way: in floodplains and coastal marshlands, in mountainous terrain where the threat of wildfires looms, in desert landscapes vulnerable to drought. Millions have continued to move to such areas anyway, and the costs to recover from major disasters now regularly reach into the billions of dollars, much of it paid for with taxpayer money. Once rebuilt, communities are often still vulnerable the next time water or fire reaches their doorsteps, costing billions more. But with climate change bearing down, how much longer can the system hold? In the aftermath of Ian, USA TODAY interviewed more than a dozen economic and environmental experts about how the changing climate is impacting where Americans live and what the future could bring. Some feel the status quo is likely to continue: the federal government effectively underwriting the costs of natural disasters, in part because cutting off relief funding remains politically unpalatable. Story continues But others warned they see the nation headed toward a reckoning, if one hasn't already begun. Costs are swiftly rising, cracks in insurance and real estate markets are showing, and risks of a potential 2008-style correction lurk. At some point, somebody will realize there are too many zeros in the costs, said Mindy Lubber, CEO of Ceres, a Boston-based sustainability nonprofit. There just isn't enough money to keep fixing things and rebuilding things. Even now, limitations are evident and not every community is made whole after a disaster. More than seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina struck, New Orleans has yet to fully recover its population. The citys demographics have also shifted, with fewer Black residents, replaced by a wealthier and whiter population in a city fortified by new levees. The story is similar in Paradise, a northern California town nearly wiped off the map by the 2018 Camp Fire. As the town rebuilds, the more expensive cost of fire-resistant structures appears to be making Paradise less affordable and less diverse, researchers at the nearby California State University, Chico found. In North Carolina, state transportation officials finally gave in to mother nature this summer and shuttered a coastal highway facing regular inundations of sea and sand. They replaced it with a 2.4-mile, $145 million bridge to connect key tourism communities on the Outer Banks. Meanwhile, cities like Kinston in downtrodden parts of the state continue to reel from the damages wrought by several hurricanes. A view of an overwashed NC 12 with Rodanthe in the background. Experts say these kinds of under-the-radar stories of communities changed in the wake of disaster may prove to be the drumbeat of climate change. While a risk of precipitous collapse in populations and in real estate values remains one possibility, perhaps more likely is a gradual erosion. One by one, insurers go belly up, businesses relocate, government budgets strain and disaster-prone landscapes transform. Homeowners and communities with financial means or political connections fortify, while the vulnerable migrate. Many who leave may not even comprehend that the planet's changing climate led to their decision. The reasons that people move are always multifaceted. They rarely ever point to an environmental reason, even after a disaster happens, said Linda Shi, an assistant professor in Cornell University's city and regional planning department. Friendship, kinship, livelihoods, stages of life, planning ... all of these different things end up propelling people to make a decision to move. Florida residents flee Hurricane Irma as traffic backs up on I-75. Costs growing from billions to trillions, with taxpayers on the hook Looking across the country, many experts say there's little indication of any large break in America's build-destroy-rebuild habit. But others see cracks in the foundation as the economic burden deepens. Since 1980 and adjusting for inflation, the U.S. has typically experienced about eight disasters each year that exceeded $1 billion in economic costs, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show. Over the past five years, the number has more than doubled to nearly 18 annually. Total costs from those disasters have also grown. The yearly average used to be less than $50 billion. But 2005 made history as the first year to break $100 billion following Hurricane Katrina. Sandy did it again in 2012. Now it's happening nearly every year: 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021 each eclipsed the $100 billion mark, as will 2022 should the estimates for Ian hold. Much of these costs are now borne by taxpayers. Experts say insurance rarely fully compensates property owners. Over time, public disaster aid has sought to cover the gap. But it's widening, leaving taxpayers on the hook for more. More: Insurance and aid aren't covering the cost of disasters in America. Is it time to relocate? Prior to Katrina in 2005, the federal government used to pay for about 17% of hurricane damages. Now it averages 62%, according to a 2016 Congressional Budget Office report, including a high of nearly 80% for Hurricane Sandy. Experts say that while its understandable to want to offer aid to fellow citizens following a disaster, it often exacerbates the problem by removing disincentives to build and rebuild in dangerous areas. Under this regime, key actors like lenders and investors bear little risk, warping the real estate market. A 2021 study by Milliman, an international actuarial firm based in Seattle, modeled the financial losses that lenders should theoretically incur following a disaster. It found in the real world, they fared much better than expected after storms like 2017's Hurricane Irma. The authors concluded that's likely due in large part to federal and state programs providing a significant buffer against credit losses. Another study found that in many cases, communities actually come out economically better off following a disaster, after copious amounts of public aid flow in and literally build the town back better. It all adds up to a lack of evidence that anything's amiss. This risk is very large and it could be there, but it's not in the historical data, said Jonathan Glowacki, a principal and actuary at Milliman. So it's kind of like convincing people to diet and exercise. I know it's good for me ... But I've made it so far without really having to focus." Santa Rosa resident Paula Lindsay, 56, who lost her home in the 2017 Tubbs wildfire, stands in a lot at the Oaks at Fountaingrove development that was leveled by fire. Rebuilding began with a year. Researchers at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, analyzed credit agencies and investors and found they held a pervasive belief that the federal government will continue to finance disasters, providing a key justification not to price climate risk into their calculations. That allows insurance premiums and interest rates for building in disaster-prone areas to remain lower than they would otherwise and opens the door for populations to keep piling into dangerous areas. With the country quickly moving into uncharted fiscal territory, some wonder just how long government can continue to underwrite the system. Total federal payouts have reached at least $593 billion since 2005, much of it through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An agency projection of $160 billion in disaster aid over the past two years alone [Dwarfs] any previous two-year period in [the program's] history, William Painter, an emergency management specialist at the Congressional Research Service, told a panel last year. Other research has found such figures may actually only be the tip of the iceberg. In a 2017 study, Tatyana Deryugina, an environmental economist at the University of Illinois, calculated that federal costs following some hurricanes are five-to-seven times larger than what's accounted for by FEMA, after factoring in social welfare programs like unemployment and medical expenses for victims. That would mean accumulated costs to taxpayers may well have reached into the trillions over the past two decades. Members of the US Army National Guard load supplies into the back of a pick-up at a drive-through distribution point handing out food, water, and ice to local residents in need, three days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. If the costs haven't already breached that threshold, it's only a matter of time. Last year, Brookings researchers calculated what would happen if the disasters of today occurred under the expected climatic conditions at the end of the century. In that world, they estimated, annual FEMA payouts could rise a thousand-fold, reaching into trillions of dollars just for coastal cities like Miami and New York, let alone the rest of the country. While federal bailouts for disaster-prone communities, Might have been tolerable in an era of modest impacts from natural disasters, researchers concluded, That era is ending. Inequity the hallmark of change Anyone looking for an inflection point need not look decades into the future. Changes are happening now. Prior to Katrina, the population of New Orleans was 494,000. That dropped by more than half after the storm and has since only risen back to about 377,000, Census data show. There are bright spots: pockets of the city like the Central Business District have recovered, home prices in many neighborhoods are booming, and suburban growth has pushed the population of the overall metro area back to pre-Katrina levels. But as The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported last year, the recovery is unequal. Four public housing complexes in the city were torn down for lower-density development. Mom-and-pop rental units never came back. There were inequities in government payouts for shuttered homes, the paper reported. The overall effect is a whiter city. Black residents were more likely to be cast out in diaspora, and wealthy residents moved in and drove up real estate values. In turn, that forced even more long-term residents out. The recent outmigration now appears to be driven by low-income workers who can no longer afford to live in the city, the paper concluded. Two sections of new floodgates are shown in the down position in New Orleans' London Avenue Canal during a demonstration near the city's central business district. The gates reduce the strain on the levee walls from surges of water from Lake Pontchartrain. (Bill Haber, Associated Press) Inequity is a hallmark of many post-disaster recoveries, and one that could increasingly dominate the landscape as climate change bears down. The logic is straightforward: after a storm, some people have the means to stay, while others don't. Often, the wealthier group can also use its resources to better access government relief, furthering the divide. "What's going to happen is that the communities that are organized and capable are going to fight back," said David Victor, a professor of innovation and public policy at UC San Diego. "And lower income communities and places already on the edge are going to empty out." The aftermath of the Camp Fire, which devastated Paradise in 2018, offers a more recent example. Following the fire, Paradise's population dropped 83%, with many residents relocating to nearby Chico or fanning out across the country, researchers at CSUC found. As Paradise rebuilds, elderly residents on fixed incomes are conspicuously absent and diversity has dropped. Abandoned walkers covered in ash left behind during an emergency evacuation of a nursing home in Paradise, California, during the 2018 Camp Fire. Insurance industry stretched As more and more California communities face fates like Paradise, the state's insurance industry is being pushed to the limit, driving up costs, exacerbating inequity and risking potentially catastrophic economic effects. Seven of the top 10 most destructive fires in the states history have all come in the last five years. Thats led to billions in losses for insurers, who have tried to respond by raising rates or dropping coverage. But that has brought them into conflict with state regulators, who are trying to keep consumer costs down and slow an enrollment surge in the California FAIR Plan, a public insurance pool for homeowners who can find no other coverage. Experts say its a delicate dance. Neither state officials nor the insurance industry want providers to leave. But neither want to go bankrupt either. In the latest development, the state is trying to thread the needle by requiring insurers to offer a discount when residents fireproof their homes. California is an example of a market thats on the brink, said Nancy Watkins, a principal and actuary at Milliman. In Louisiana, the state's insurance industry is also in crisis after four hurricanes struck the state in the last three years. Ten providers have gone under. That's saddled a state-chartered bailout program with 26,000 claims to pay out, which officials plan to finance through an unprecedented issuance of $600 million in bonds. In addition, the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state's public insurer of last resort, has seen its policies grow from 36,000 to 102,000 in just two years. Regulators now seek a 63% rate hike, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports. Experts are now intently watching Florida to see if a similar fate will befall the state's insurance industry in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. In recent years, insurers were already stretched thin and homeowner premiums were on the rise due to past storms and associated fraud and litigation issues. Jesse Keenan, a climate adaptation expert and professor at Tulane University, said he expects several companies to fail or exit the Florida market in the months ahead and place enormous weight on Citizens, the state's public insurer of last resort. That would set up a battle between the state and insurance industry similar to the one taking place in California. It's going to be a game of chicken, Keenan said. Homes are flooded by the rising waters of the Peace River east of North Point after Hurricane Ian on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. Benjamin Keys, a professor of finance and real estate at the University of Pennsylvania, agrees insurance troubles are where the rubber meets the road. And the situation in Florida underscores the fact that Americans in disaster-prone areas are running out of runway. We've had insurers bearing substantial amount of climate risk. And the question is how long can they continue to bend but not break? Keys said. All these paths suggest to me that eventually this burden is going to be borne by more than just insurers. You're going to see effects in the market. A sudden collapse? Some say this lineup of dominos looks familiar. Nouriel Roubini, a New York University economics professor who predicted the 2008 financial crisis, sees climate change fueling a new bubble with exposure reaching throughout the country. There will have to be a massive migration from the south and the coastlines, in the decades ahead, Roubini predicted in a recent Bloomberg podcast. Therell be trillions of dollars of real estate assets that are going to be damaged by essentially global climate change. Experts differ on the scale and likelihood of such a correction. In 2007, economists say, the U.S. housing market was overvalued by about $8 trillion, as mortgage providers and homeowners overextended themselves financially. By comparison, Milliman calculates that current unaccounted for flood risks equate to about $520 billion in overvaluation of homes, primarily concentrated in coastal counties. But floods aren't the only risk. Wildfires are increasing across the west. With some storms, wind can cause nearly the same level of damage as flooding, even to inland areas. And drought and extreme heat may stress traditionally fast-growing metro areas like Phoenix. The really pernicious threat here is heat. That's what's a real killer, Victor said. Communities will empty out. Homes being constructed in Phoenix, AZ on July 11, 2022. Calculating the total economic risk is challenging, if not impossible. Experts say that's partly because climate change is a relatively new threat that financial institutions have not had to account for in the past. There is now an arms race taking place among insurers and lenders to develop new technologies to accurately predict disaster risk and future conditions. In a 2021 report for the nonprofit Research Institute for Housing America, researcher Sean Becketti concluded that at present, The ability to quantify climate risks is likely to fall short of the existing standards for determining traditional risks to lenders, metrics like the credit scores of buyers. Government role is key Homes leveled by the 2018 Camp Fire at Ridgewood Mobile Home Park in Paradise, California. But perhaps the most significant uncertainty in how the economic risks of disasters will play out is what government does next. Many who doubt a significant change is coming say thats largely due to a belief Congress will never choose to stop underwriting the costs. "Congress wants to do things for people, and people after disasters are in need," Victor said. But Victor says that adds a "moral hazard" in actually encouraging people to move into disaster-prone areas and risking further death and destruction. History shown little indication of a change in course. Between 2010 and 2020, the population of nearly 90% of the 225 coastal counties in the nation grew, a USA TODAY analysis found a total increase of about 7 million people. Some, like St. Johns County in northeast Florida, saw population jumps of 40% or more over the decade. More: Climate change makes living at the coast riskier. But more people keep coming. Because few private insurance companies offer flood insurance due to the high levels or risk, the vast majority of flood policies in such coastal areas are issued through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. Experts say the program has historically underpriced premiums, leaving it billions in debt ever since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In 2012, Congress passed legislation to fix the problem, but gutted it just two years later after facing a political backlash over increased costs to homeowners. In 2017, lawmakers instead wrote off $16 billion in debt to the flood insurance program. Today it still remains approximately $20 billion in the red, according to the Congressional Research Service. There's good reason to be pessimistic about our ability to get the incentives for development in high-risk areas correct, Deryugina said. Even trying to phase them in slowly may be met with a lot of resistance, so it seems like lawmakers have quietly given up trying. But others say they see signs of change coming from the executive branch during both the Trump and Biden administrations. Less than a year before Ian struck, FEMA adopted consequential updates to the way its flood insurance program assesses risk, with the effect of adjusting rates on millions of policyholders across the country. While many homeowners saw their rates decrease, those in areas of substantial risk saw steep increases. More: Flood-prone homeowners could see major rate hikes in FEMA flood insurance changes, new study finds FEMA has also proposed a rule that would tighten the criteria for states to obtain a federal disaster declaration and access to relief funds. The agency, along with other government programs and the 2021 infrastructure bill, is spending more money to buy out properties in hazardous areas and restore natural defenses. Were not seeing a line drawn in the sand to not rebuild in certain areas, said Laura Lightbody, project director of the Pew Charitable Trusts' Flood-Prepared Communities initiative. Though there is over the past five years or so, the most investment by the federal government in mitigation weve ever seen buyouts of properties, using nature-based solutions, putting in living shorelines. Whitesboro, New York, Mayor Bob Friedlander speaks to residents about potential grant money available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for home buyouts. The agency told USA TODAY it budgeted a "historic" $3 billion in spending for such mitigation efforts in 2022 and also adopted a new building codes strategy to "advance the adoption and enforcement of hazard-resistant building codes and standards" in agency work. In line with independent analysis, the agency says it expects climate change to continue to increase costs, although it may fluctuate from year to year. "Thats why FEMA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration are using every lever at our disposal to ensure that we are better prepared for the threats we face today, along with the ones that will come tomorrow," FEMA press secretary Jeremy Edwards said via email. Elsewhere in the federal government, the Securities and Exchange Commission is working on a rule that would require financial institutions to disclose climate-related risks, which experts say could help correct market distortions by discouraging investors from placing their money with entities holding copious amounts of flood or fire risk. And perhaps most significant are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, federally-backed mortgage companies whose $7 trillion in holdings represents 60% of U.S. mortgage debt. As Freddie and Fannie typically do not assess disaster risk to properties when deciding whether to purchase their mortgages, analyses have found they often serve as a dumping ground for private lenders to offload mortgages for fire or flood-prone properties. Officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Freddie and Fannie, have acknowledged the problem and last year held listening sessions on how to address climate risks. Keenan believes change is coming. Fannie and Freddie are extremely active in this area, Keenan said, adding he, Fully anticipates that a top-to-bottom transactional system for climate risk assessment is going to be rolled out, probably in the next year or two." Change inevitable? Regardless of whatever steps policymakers and Congress take next, experts see signs some markets are already starting to move on their own. In a study published last month, Keenan and colleagues found evidence that businesses are relocating from Tampa Bay to inland communities on higher ground, snatching up cheap land in lower income neighborhoods, which Keenan labels climate gentrification. If trends continue, the dynamic could drive substantial migration and displacement. A lot of businesses are not stupid ... they're much more sensitive to banking and lending and credit constraints and other things than consumers are, Keenan said. They're going to take jobs with them, they're going to take taxes with them, they're going to take a lot with them. Steven Pimentel, owner of Warren Auto Body in Providence, Rhode Island, talks about the flooding problems around his business, which his father started in the 1980s. In turn, Keys' research has found modest corrections on the prices of high-risk Florida homes. By studying coastal Florida communities most at risk from sea level rise, he and researcher Philip Mulder found the resale value of homes had dropped more than 5% by the end of 2019, compared to those in less-at-risk communities. Such changes could snowball as seas continue to rise and storms like Ian drive up insurance rates and test the market's financial underpinnings. Even those optimistic about the resiliency of markets on the Florida coast believe some level of change is inevitable. Shahid Hamid, finance department chair at Florida International University, says he himself was drawn from Maryland by the states promise of blue seas and bright sunshine. Following a preliminary post-Ian analysis of the Citizens program and the state's insurance industry, Hamid believes the overall system has enough resources to endure Ian, particularly if legislators solve the fraud and litigation problem. Sanibel Island, Florida, was partially collapsed during Hurricane Ian. Longterm, Hamid believes the allure of Florida will continue to attract buyers who can engineer homes to better withstand winds and rising seas. But he says that would mean homes will look different and be more expensive to build. Added to the rising costs of insurance, the prospect raises fresh questions about who will ultimately be able to afford living there. If you want to live in so-called paradise, Hamid said. You have to be willing to compromise. Kyle Bagenstose covers climate change, chemicals, water and other environmental topics for USA TODAY. He can be reached at kbagenstose@gannett.com or on Twitter @kylebagenstose. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Climate change and US housing: Taxes fund disaster rebuilding cycle Why do so many people believe malarkey? I am having difficulty understanding why the United States electorate has so many ill-informed people who believe in all manner of lies, conspiracies and ideas. For example, a poll shows that 49 percent of Republicans and 52 percent of Trump voters believe that Democrats were involved in sex trafficking and pedophilia, a QAnon conspiracy that Trump recently embraced. Trump is a known liar with 30,000 lies recorded during his presidency by the Washington Post. Lee Miller Yet millions still believe he tells them that the 2020 election was stolen and that he is the legitimate president, not Joe Biden. He tells this lie despite the fact that former Cyber Security Director, Chris Krebs said it was one of the most secure elections ever. Politifact reported in June that repeated polls show that about 70% of Republicans say they dont think Joe Biden is the legitimate winner of the 2020 election. Analysts: Disinformation is a midterm elections threat that could keep millions of voters at home The scary thing is that 299 of these election deniers are running for office in the midterm election according to the Washington Post, others put the number at more than 300. This includes Senate, House and key statewide offices. Those that are in safe Republican districts number 173 and likely will easily win. Another 52 will appear on the ballot in tightly contested races so if half of them win it means 200 election deniers, i.e., malarkey believers, will hold office. Republican voters in three states nominated election deniers in all federal and statewide races according to the Washington Post. This Trump election lie led to a horrible Jan. 6 insurrection attack on the nations Capitol that has forever tarnished our democracy. Another poll in June 2022 revealed that 61 percent of Republicans believed that the events of Jan. 6 were a legitimate protest. One-hundred forty Capitol police were injured and some died in this attack to overthrow election results. Quite a protest but definitely illegitimate as several hundred insurrectionists have gone to prison for participation. Story continues Dig deeper: How QAnon and other dark forces are radicalizing Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic rages and election looms Political tensions are growing: What is the state of American democracy? Trump has claimed that former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya. Obama finally produced a long birth certificate in April of 2011 showing he was born in Hawaii. Despite this proof, a survey in 2014 found that 39 percent of Americans still believed that Obama was not born in the U.S. A 2019 survey cited by David Corns My Land newsletter found that 56 percent of Republicans said it was possibly true or definitely true that Obama had been born in Kenya. Then there is the Alex Jones Infowars program, which has a national audience of nearly 3.5 million who listen to his radio show broadcasts on 100 stations nationwide. His followers suck up lie after lie. He was fined nearly $50 million in the first trial for his allegation that the Sandy Hook School massacre was a staged event followed by a fine of $965 million in the second trial. Propaganda of the digital age: How memes are weaponized to spread disinformation Another noteworthy lie claims that actors staged the Parkland High School shooting and that the Federal Government staged the 9/11 attacks. Jones was also a proponent of the Pizzagate hoax which claimed that there were tunnels beneath a Pizzeria in Washington, D.C., where powerful Democrats including Hilary Clinton sanctioned a web of child trafficking, pedophiles and murder. Edgar Welch believed this lie and came to rescue these sex slaves. He fired an assault gun in the restaurant for which he received a 36-month prison term. California election: What to expect on election night in high-stakes midterm races One political conspiracy theory and political movement on the far right advocates a nonsensical conspiracy known as the Great Replacement theory which is the bizarre idea that people of color will replace the white race. Unfortunately, people have been murdered as a result of this belief. An 18-year-old killed 10 elderly Blacks in a supermarket in Buffalo, NY, and 33 people were murdered in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. QAnon is one of the premiere spreaders of lies and conspiracies . They were big in spreading lies about pedophilia among Hollywood elites and Democrats and were in on the Pizzagate lie. The scary part in all of this is that so many people believe this malarkey. We definitely need a more informed electorate and a reason-grounded Republican Party like it was once upon a time. I hope that someday we dont say once upon a time we had a democracy. Lee W. Miller is a retired biologist supervisor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and a contributing writer to the "The Whats Growing On" garden column in The Record. This article originally appeared on The Record: Election deniers, QAnon: How people believe so much misinformation ATLANTA Malik Rhasaan can often be found at his popular southwest Atlanta restaurant, Che Butter Jonez, where the menu and other items take a decidedly Black and Northern flair. The borough of Queens is emblazoned on what appears to be a New York City street sign. Other artwork around the restaurant features the legendary Hip Hop group Run-DMC, also of Queens. On the menu, theres the Who Wants Beef, Son ?! burger. New York can be felt everywhere in the Georgia establishment, and yet it is hundreds of miles away and a place he hasnt lived for decades. Rhasaan left his hometown for Atlanta because it was the Blackest place Ive ever been, and it offered him career growth and other opportunities. With New York costs compared to Atlanta, Georgia, you could just kind of get things started a little faster, he said. Its a little easier to get momentum here. GEORGIA 2020 MIDTERMS: In the tight race for Georgia governor, Black men emerge as Stacey Abrams' key voters ELECTIONS: Gov. Brian Kemp, Democrat Stacey Abrams spar in Georgia gubernatorial debate over education, crime Rhasaan, 50, is part of a wave of Black people who have left Democratic strongholds such as New York City and Detroit to move to Georgia, helping to change the political landscape of the Bible Belt that remains fertile ground for conservative politics. And going into the midterms Tuesday, the political coalition built between these new Black migrants who tend to vote blue, long-time Black Southern residents and others could help fuel progressive policies and Democratic candidates in Georgia in the future. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker are in a tight race, polls show. Democrat Stacey Abrams is in a rematch with Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after losing to him by fewer than 60,000 votes in 2018. Story continues These contests are partially being powered by the new Great Migration, researchers said. The trend is a reversal of the Great Migration, which saw anywhere from 5 to 6.5 million Black people leave the South searching for political and economic opportunities in the North and Midwest between 1910 through 1970. The Black population in Georgia has roughly doubled since 1990, moving from about 1.7 million to more than 3 million in the 2020 census. Voters wait in line for up to two hours to early vote at the Cobb County West Park Government Center on October 18, 2018 in Marietta, Georgia. New Great Migration hits Georgia midterms Roughly half of all Black Southern migrants come from the Northeast, according to census research complied by the Brookings Institution. In contrast, fewer than two-fifths of white migrants from the Northeast chose destinations in the South. The Black population in Atlanta alone is larger than that of African Americans in Chicago, the city that helped launch the political career of former President Barack Obama and is sometimes called by scholars the Political Capital of Black America. Black voters make up a third of eligible voters in Georgia, according to the Pew Research Center. In North Carolina, they make up about 23% of the electorate. The number of Black voting-age residents in the South has grown by 15% since 2010, while it grew by 3% among white residents, according to a Pew article from 2019. Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Maryland are among the states that gained the highest number of Black migrants for most years since the Great Migration, as was Virginia, according to census data. William Frey, a demographer at Brookings, said these trends will continue. The demography change brought by the Black migration of the second and third generation Black migrants will have a lot more to do with the Democratic vote in a place like Georgia than whatever small voting change patterns that might happen among Blacks, he said. Charlie Maxwell, a member of the Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, votes as part of the Souls to the Polls at Midtown Shopping Center on West Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. Souls to the Polls Sunday is a historically energized day across the nation for congregations of Black churches to vote early together. Keneshia Grant, a political science professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., said Black voters can be the deciding factor when whites, for instance, remain evenly split. "When there is a unified Black vote, it makes it the case that politicians have to speak to those voters," she said. Even with the demographic change, she emphasized that demographics are not results. Turnout, voting rights laws and voter engagement will also play a role in the midterms. Heading into the 2022 midterms, Rhasaan sees fewer Warnock signs along the streets near the restaurant than he did in 2021 a possible indicator of less engagement in politics compared to when protests following George Floyd's death helped electrify the electorate, he fears. Rhasaan, founder of the advocacy group Occupy the Hood, expects more statewide representation, particularly among young people, will emerge in the South because of the demographic changes that have already happened. "I see in the next 10 years or so, more (Black) people running, more people having an influence," he said. "That's just a no-brainer." Hundreds of people wait in line for early voting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. Eager voters have waited six hours or more in the former Republican stronghold of Cobb County, and lines have wrapped around buildings in solidly Democratic DeKalb County. 'You can't ignore them all' Since the beginning of the nation's history, the South has been the home to most Black Americans. Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina and other localities are where nearly nine in 10 Black people were confined, forced into chattel slavery, then ushered into sharecropping and menial work, research shows. By the 1900s, the first wave of Black migrants left the South, pulled by the prospect of less grueling Northern and Midwestern jobs and simultaneously pushed by the realities of Jim Crow segregation laws, political disenfranchisement and other discrimination. By the second wave, which started in 1930 and ended by the 1970s, Blacks moved in more significant numbers, drawn by the prospect of jobs opened by World War I and further restrictions on immigration. "Their migration fundamentally altered the American demographic landscape by shifting almost half of the Black population from primarily Southern and rural places to the urban North," according to Grants book, "The Great Migration and the Democratic Party." In their new homes, their Black children could be educated. They had greater access to the ballot, drastically changing the electorate in those states, pushing civil rights issues to the fore and leading to increased Black representation. In Detroit, for instance, the Black vote accounted for nearly 3% of the total voting-age population in 1915 and 43% by 1970, figuring in white flight and other factors, according to Grants book. "There are some instances where either the number of Black people in a community or the way that communitys political system is organized makes it such that white politicians, in particular, can ignore them for a little bit longer," said Grant, the Howard University professor. "By the time we get to 1965, 1970, the numbers in what I call the Great Migration cities Chicago, New York, Philadelphia their numbers are so high that you can't ignore them." In 1970, the Great Migration drew to a close as deindustrialization took hold, leading to the end of Black manufacturing jobs that would never return. Moreover, segregation and discrimination were still barriers in the North. Seeing opportunity and kinship in the South, Black people slowly moved back over the next few decades. Democratic strategists often point out Cobb County as an example of how demographic changes have taken hold in Georgia. Just north of Atlanta, Cobb County was a former conservative stronghold that has become bluer as the population grows more diverse. In 2020, the county's sheriff, a Republican, was replaced by a Democrat. The same shift happened to the district attorney and the county commissioner. All three of the winners were Black. Previously, the Sixth Congressional District, which includes parts of the county, was picked up in 2018 by Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath, a gun control advocate and mother to Jordan Davis, who was killed in 2012 by a white man at a Florida gas station for playing loud music. In the 1990s, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a conservative, was the representative for the district. Tharon Johnson, a Democratic strategist in Georgia, said the appeal for Cobb is multifaceted for people of color. You have a well-educated workforce of individuals who are Black and Brown, who choose to go there for the improved school system and quality of life, Johnson said. A drumline from East High School performed at the Town and Country shopping center on the East Side of Columbus as the Black Voters Matter bus tour stopped to engage with Black voters and raise awareness on issues impacting Black communities on Nov. 1, 2022 in Ohio. Michael DuHaime, a Republican strategist and former Republican National Committee political director, said the trends are concerning, particularly as the nation diversifies. He said Republicans need to recruit more Black voters and candidates. When (former President) Donald Trump came in, I think progress that Republicans have made, you know, was pushed back a number of years and there was too much of a nativist strain within the Republican Party, he said. My hope is that will go away at some point." Hope is bringing us back For many Black migrants, Georgia represents better opportunities and a changing environment. After being raised in Detroit and living in other cities, Willie Davis and his fiance considered relocating to Atlanta as Georgia moved purple during the 2020 presidential elections. He and fiancee, Anna Nettles , who is white, had been searching to find a place where they could both thrive. They wanted to be closer to his mother and sister who lived in Florida. Willie Davis, a 36-year-old real estate professional who recently moved to Atlanta with his fiance, Anna Nettles, from Detroit. Now, as a real estate professional working in both Detroit and Atlanta, Davis, 36, helps relocate many people of color from Detroit to the South. He said those clients often point to the Southern weather and opportunities within their fields of work. In a lot of these areas like Atlanta, like Houston, I'm seeing greater opportunities for Black people," he said. "And I'm also seeing greater opportunities for Black people and people of color in places and spaces that were not there before." Many new residents are more likely to be college-educated Black Americans looking for more opportunities, Brookings said in research. And so, many of the advantages may not trickle down to struggling longtime Black Atlantans, advocates say. LaTosha Brown, right, and Cliff Albright, with Black Voters Matter, speak during a Fight for the Vote Rally at the state capitol steps in Montgomery, Ala., on Friday March11, 2022. While the South still has high poverty rates, especially in many Black communities, it is also a place where Black people can successfully tackle the structural racism that often drives these issues, activists said. Weve got blood that is still saturated in this ground for what Black folks have done to bring wealth to this country, said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, an Atlanta-based advocacy group. So if there is anywhere that literally rightfully is a space for Black prosperity we believe it is in the South. We have paid for this space with our blood, sweat, tears. Fear had us leave; hope is bringing us back, she said. Clinton Vicks, owner of The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery in Albany, Georgia. He grew up in Albany but moved away from the region to pursue a career in the arts. He moved back during the pandemic and purchased the property. That change can also be felt outside the confines of metro Atlanta. Today, Clinton Vicks is known for The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery in Albany, Georgia. But as a young man, he left behind his hometown and moved to the North to pursue a career in the arts. He found success. But after nearly a decade in New York, he felt the call of the South, much like his parents who moved to Detroit and back in the early 1970s. During the pandemic, he started The Vicks Estate, Farm, & Fishery at a then-dilapidated nearly six-acre estate. He hopes to make a more significant role in his community, possibly sitting on an economic board in the historically Black side of the area. For other African Americans looking to find their Black mecca, he said they need not search too far. You have something in you that you dont have to find, he said. You take it with you. Tiffany Cusaac-Smith covers racial history for USA TODAY. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @T_Cusaac. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A new Great Migration: Black voters moving South could affect midterms Jack Dorsey says he can understand if current and former Twitter employees blame him for the state of the company under Elon Musk . The co-founder and former CEO of Twitter took to the platform on Saturday to say he was to blame for the situation. Folks at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment, Dorsey said on Saturday . I realize many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologize for that. Folks at Twitter past and present are strong and resilient. They will always find a way no matter how difficult the moment. I realize many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologize for that. jack (@jack) November 5, 2022 Dorsey went on to add he was grateful to everyone who had ever worked at Twitter. I dont expect that to be mutual in this moment or ever and I understand, he wrote. Dorsey posted the apology after The New York Post published a story earlier in the day claiming he is now hated at Twitter. Many employees reportedly blame him for Musks takeover and the company-wide layoffs that will see about 50 percent of Twitters workforce cut. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Alamy Jordan Peterson sees totalitarianism everywhere he looks. The clinical psychologist and professorturned best-selling author and self-help guru to disaffected young males and, now, right-wing culture war commentatorargues that vaccine mandates, gender-neutral pronouns, and excesses of compassion (a possible symptom of female totalitarianism) are all nudges toward an inescapable descent toward absolute state control. Petersons latest anti-totalitarian campaign focuses on the tyranny ofprofessional services and accounting firms. In a recent article for The Telegraph titled, Peddlers of environmental doom have shown their true totalitarian colours, Peterson envisions a dystopian near-future in which the international accounting firm Deloitteworking in conjunction with governments and international institutionsimposes a suffocating and economically cataclysmic regimen of eco-mandates around the world. Grifter Really Is the Only Word to Use for Jordan Peterson Deloitte is a behemoth with numerous and far-reaching tentacles, Peterson grimly informs us, and its part of a global cabal of utopians operating in the media, corporate, and government fronts, wielding a nightmarish vision of environmental apocalypse. Peterson knows a thing or two about nightmarish visions of apocalypse, as he conjures them for a living. In this case, Deloitte is part of an international Tower of Babel (along with nefarious globalist institutions like the EU) bent on destroying the global economy and rebuilding it around clean industry. Petersons piece focuses on a recent Deloitte report titled, The Turning Point: A Global Summary, which he regards as representative of elite groupthink causing social upheaval and economic chaos around the world. The report is a typical example of corporate research: heres a problem, heres how much damage it can cause, and heres why our services are part of the solution. But Peterson doesnt entertain this innocent interpretationinstead, he views The Turning Point as a manifesto for globalist repression and domination. Story continues For example, the report states that a transition to cleaner industry would require governments, along with the financial services and technology sectors to catalyze, facilitate and accelerate progress; foster information flows across systems; and align individual incentives with collective goals. This is the sort of vague aspirational language common in corporate reports, especially public oneslong on ambition, short on detail. But Peterson regards it as a mission statement for the coming international eco-dictatorship: A clearer statement of totalitarian inclination, he writes, could hardly be penned. Peterson presents this screeching alarmism and paranoia as a form of egalitarianism. In response to Deloittes claim that people who are most exposed to the economic damages of unchecked climate change would also have the most to gain from embracing a low-emissions future, Peterson says: Really? Tell that to the African and Indian populations in the developing world lifted from poverty by coal and natural gas. Free-Speech True Believer Dave Rubin, the Top Talker of the Intellectual Dark Web, Doesnt Want to Talk About His Own Ideas Peterson doesnt bother addressing the argument that people in the developing worldespecially places vulnerable to rapid sea level risewill suffer the consequences of climate change most acutely. He rejects the idea that regulation has any role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change: Help replace dirty energy with clean, if you must, but do it on your own dime. He says advocates of government action on climate change should take personal steps to reduce their consumption. While they ride to work on their bicycles, Peterson sneers, Ill splash you with icy and salty slush as I drive by, in my evil but warm Ford Bronco SUV, and help you derive the consequent delicate pleasure of your own narcissistic martyrdom. In his 2018 bestseller, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Peterson urges readers to assume ignorance before malevolencea rule he never follows. He doesnt believe Deloitte consultants and like-minded centralists are trying to do whats best for the world. They want enforced privation. They want to steal and destroy the energy that makes our lives bearable. In response to the centralisers, sacrificers of the wealth and property of others, and Machiavellian pretenders and virtue-signallers, Peterson declares that he refuses to blindly follow your diktats and cede to you all the extant power. He simply wont allow such evil peoplethe people who work at Deloitteto assume omnipotence and omnipresence. Peterson accuses the peddlers of environmental doom of attempting to terrify people into adopting their worldview. In response, he terrifies people with hallucinations of a global totalitarian superstate run by Deloitte researchers, progressive politicians, and climate change activists. Trevor Noah Schools Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson on Blackness He says Deloitte is in no position to predict the future, but apparently believes hes a competent enough forecaster to warn of an imminent global plunge into totalitarianism. He constantly derides his political opponents as narcissists, but is there anything more narcissistic than the grandiose claim that youre a dissident in an imaginary global dictatorship and the voice of poor and marginalized people around the world? Citizens are waking up to this, Peterson warns. Dutch farmers and fishermen are rising up, Canadian truckers are pushing back. Such protests are spreading, and increasing in intensity. Throughout the piece, Peterson also cites the yellow vest protesters in France, Trump voters, and Brexit supportersall allies in the fight against the dictatorship administered in Brussels and Deloitte boardrooms around the globe. He appears to believe that populists everywhere are united in the campaign against globalist totalitarianism, and he has appointed himself their official representative: Leave us alone. Or reap the whirlwind. And watch the terrible destruction of what you purport to save, in consequence. For an intellectual who purports to be so concerned about the power wielded by others, Peterson sure seems comfortable issuing grave threats on behalf of millionsbillions?of people. And in doing so, he produced a piece of work more fatalistic and hysterical than anything a corporate consultant could imagine. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Win McNamee/Getty Images; Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo; Insider Rep. Ashley Hinson is running against Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. The 2nd District covers 22 counties in Iowa's northeast corner. Hinson has significantly out-fundraised and out-spent Mathis. Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson faces off against Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. Iowa's 2nd Congressional District candidates It's a battle between two former Iowa broadcast journalists to determine who represents Iowa's 2nd Congressional District: Hinson is a former anchor and reporter for KCRG-TV 9 in Cedar Rapids, while Mathis is a former anchor and reporter at both KCRG-TV 9 and KWWL News 7 in Waterloo. Hinson, first elected in 2020, serves on the House Committees on Appropriations and Budget. She has been accused by Mathis of supporting a nationwide ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. However, Hinson, during her time in the Iowa State House, supported such exemptions when voting in favor of the "fetal heartbeat law" in May 2018. Prior to her time in the US House, Hinson served the 67th District in the Iowa State House from 2017 to 2021, the first woman to represent the district. She and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks running for reelection in Iowa's 1st Congressional District are the first Republican women to represent Iowa in the US House. Mathis, Hinson's challenger, has been an Iowa state senator since 2011. She serves on the Senate Agriculture and Appropriations Committees and serves as the legislative liaison to the Iowa Department of Public Health. In an interview with a local radio station, Mathis said she will work to support abortion rights and codify Roe v. Wade if she is elected. Voting history for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District Iowa's 2nd Congressional District covers 22 counties in Iowa's northeast corner, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, and Mason City. President Donald Trump had a 3.4 percentage point margin of victory over Joe Biden under the district's previous boundaries in 2020 before the once-in-a-decade redistricting process following the 2020 Census made it slightly more Republican. Story continues The money race According to OpenSecrets, Hinson has raised $6.7 million, spent more than $5.9 million, and has $881,000 cash on hand, as of October 19. Her challenger, Mathis, has raised nearly $4 million, spent about $3.3 million, and has $668,000 still left to spend, as of October 19. As of November 4, a dozen super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups have together spent about $3.1 million to advocate for or against candidates in this race, including during the race's primary phase. Almost all the money has benefitted Hinson. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican hybrid PAC that backs Hinson, has alone accounted for about two-thirds of the race's outside spending. What experts say The race between Hinson and Mathis is rated as "tilt Republican" by Inside Elections, "lean Republican" by The Cook Political Report, and "likely Republican" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider We're not in Montana any more! Actress Kelsey Asbille, who portrays Monica Dutton on the hit Paramount Network show, hit the red carpet for the New York premiere of Yellowstone season 5, and there are not enough fire emojis to throw at her look. The 31-year-old actress has had many show-stopping fashion moments during the off-season from Yellowstone, from awards shows to Paris Fashion Week, but we're declaring this look to be her best yet. Dia Dipasupil The actress posed alongside costars Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Gil Birmingham, and Cole Hauser. The men of Yellowstone cleaned up nicely for the event, but we can imagine that all eyes were on Kelsey. Roy Rochlin For the event, Kelsey wore a slinky lingerie-inspired Saint Laurent dress with sheer panels and a daring low-cut neckline. She opted to go without jewelry to keep all eyes on her gown. The look showed off her dramatic new short hairstyle. She shared photos from the event with her fans on Instagram and was greeted with enthusiastic comments. "stunnnnnning !!! jaw dropped." "Omg you are the hottest thing in the universe!!!!!!" "You look and looooove the dress!" "Holy smoke show Kelsey!!!" "This could cause traffic accidents" Cole Hauser's wife, Cynthia, chimed in with, "I cant handle this look ," and fellow Yellowstone star Wendy Moniz (a.k.a. Governor Lynelle Perry) wrote, "Gorgeous girl!!!" We agree with all these comments, but we're expecting to see Kelsey back in jeans and boots when Yellowstone returns on November 13. You Might Also Like Scores of Syrian refugees headed home Saturday from eastern Lebanon in the second convoy in less than two weeks as Beirut attempts to organize a mass refugee return to the war-torn country. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the ``voluntary return'' Saturday included 330 Syrians who left from the eastern Bekaa Valley to Syria's western Qalamoun region. Qalamoun borders Lebanon and years ago witnessed some of the worst fightings of Syria's 11-year conflict. On Oct. 26, some 500 refugees returned to Syria, becoming the first group to return home in more than two years. After living in Lebanon for years, many Syrian refugees have decided to go back home after being affected by the country's historic three-year economic meltdown that pushed three-quarters of Lebanese into poverty. Since the economic crisis began in late 2019, some Lebanese politicians have blamed the refugees for the crisis. Lebanon has given shelter to more than 1 million Syrian refugees but many claim the number is far higher. The U.N. refugee agency has registered about 825,000 Syrians but stopped counting them in 2015 at the request of Lebanese authorities. Earlier this year, officials touted a plan to return 15,000 refugees a month, which has so far failed to materialize. In 2018, Lebanon began organizing ``voluntary return'' trips. Syrians would register to go back, then the list would be run by Syrian security officials to see if anyone on it was wanted for arrest or deemed a security threat to Damascus. Those names would be rejected and the original list whittled down to final names. The returnees represent just a tiny fraction of the massive population of refugees who remain in Lebanon as the United Nations maintains that Syria is not safe for mass returns. ``The returnees have received guarantees from the Lebanese and Syrian authorities to return,'' Lebanon's caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar told reporters near the Syrian border on Saturday. He added that the international community should encourage such returns and if not then they ``should be neutral in this case.'' The trips back were halted in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. At that point, some 21,000 refugees had returned to Syria this way, according to Lebanese officials. UNHCR says at least 76,500 Syrian refugees returned voluntarily from Lebanon since 2016, some in government-organized trips and some on their own. Syria's conflict that began in March 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the country's pre-war population of 23 million. Search Keywords: Short link: Vladimir Putin, then Russia's prime minister, with a replica Kalashnikov rifle in April 2012. ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/GettyImages Kalashnikov, the famed weapons maker behind the AK-47, has reported a spike in small-arms sales. The Russian company says there's been a boom in exports and sales to civilians overseas. The increase comes as Moscow calls up troops who will likely be armed with Kalashnikovs to fight in Ukraine. As many Russians suffer in the pursuit of Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, one beneficiary seems to be emerging. Kalashnikov, maker of the legendary AK-47, is reporting a huge increase in small arms sales. Though the company is attributing the boom to increased overseas exports and sales to civilians, the fact that it is happening alongside the war in Ukraine seems more than coincidental. Russia has already suffered an estimated 65,000 dead and is drafting 200,000 or more men who are being sent to the front with little training. Many of those troops are already complaining about being issued old and rusty AK-47s dating to the Cold War. Many of the new rifles these reluctant conscripts will inevitably need will come from Kalashnikov, which manufactures most Russian small arms. A Ukrainian military instructor with Kalashnikov rifles and wooden replicas in Kyiv on February 6. SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images "The Kalashnikov Concern increased the production of small arms by 40 percent," the company said. "A significant increase in the production of small arms in 2022 was achieved through export contracts for the supply of military products and an increase in the export of civilian weapons. Already in September, actual exports of civilian weapons were equal to the total figure for 2021." Kalashnikov says its production goals are at a 20-year high. "This year, we see an increase in demand on the market for civilian small arms compared to last year," said company president Alan Lushnikov. "That is why our production capacities are quite intensively loaded this year." Kalashnikov, which comprises a group of manufacturing firms, provides 95% of Russian small arms. The firm is partly owned by Russia's state-owned Rostec arms conglomerate. Lushnikov a former Russian deputy transport minister who acquired a 75% stake in the company in 2020 has previously said that 79% of revenue comes from military orders and the remainder from civilian purchases. Story continues Small arms, big sales A Kalashnikov AK-12 on display at an international military forum outside Moscow in June 2015. VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP via Getty Images In addition to the AK-12, a 5.45 mm weapon that is the Russian military's standard assault rifle, Kalashnikov makes sniper rifles, shotguns, anti-aircraft missiles, drones, laser-guided artillery shells, assault boats, and armored vehicles. The US government banned imports of Russian-made Kalashnikovs after Russia seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. In August 2021, the US State Department banned importation of Russian-made ammunition after opposition politician Aleksey Navalny was poisoned by Russian security services. But the weapons are still available through Kalashnikov USA, a separate company that manufactures the weapons in America. "Originally an importer of Russian-made firearms, the company began manufacturing its own guns based on the Russian specifications after the US government banned their importation," says Kalashnikov USA's website. "Today, the company produces a wide variety of semi-auto AK pattern rifles, shotguns and pistols for the US civilian marketplace." Firearms sales have soared both in the US and globally in recent years, with most weapons owned by civilians rather than the military or law enforcement. Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the AK-47, with an AK-74 on the 55th anniversary of the release of the first Kalashnikov gun in November 2002. Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images US-based research firm Small Arms Analytics estimated that at least 12.7 million guns were sold in the US between January and September 2022 down from the same periods in 2021 and 2020 but well above the 9.7 million sold in 2019. The Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based nongovernmental organization, estimated in 2020 that "the global stockpile has increased over the past decade, largely due to civilian holdings, which grew from 650 million in 2006 to 857 million in 2017." Like the US, European nations have banned imports of Russian arms. Nonetheless, in addition to domestic sales in Russia, there are plenty of other nations some with AK-47s on their national flags that might still order Kalashnikovs because of price, familiarity, or nostalgia. Ironically, what's good for Kalashnikov may not be good for Russian soldiers. The deadliest weapons in Ukraine have been artillery, tanks, and missiles, and Russia is running out of them. Sending ill-trained conscripts onto a modern battlefield without the support of those heavy weapons will get many of them killed no matter how new their rifles are. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian President Vladimir Putin sitting in the cockpit of Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber in August 2005. Vladimir Rodionov/Getty Images Putin's repeated nuclear threats during the Ukraine war have raised alarm worldwide. But Jack Barsky, a former KGB agent, threw cold water on the possibility Putin would use a nuke. "Vladimir Putin is not a suicide bomber. Vladimir Putin wants to live," Barsky told Insider. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made repeated nuclear threats since he ordered the Ukraine invasion, sparking backlash and concerns across the world. Putin could even decide to attack Ukraine with a tactical nuclear weapon if he gets desperate enough, Western governments and top Russia analysts have warned. But a former KGB agent is throwing cold water on the worries that Putin a KGB officer during the Cold War who is now extremely powerful and reportedly a multibillionaire would use such a devastating weapon. "During the Cold War, it was pretty tense and we got pretty close to nuclear war a couple of times. But the Soviet leaders were not suicidal. They didn't wanna die. This was guaranteed mutual destruction. Vladimir Putin is not a suicide bomber. Vladimir Putin wants to live," Jack Barsky, who served as an undercover agent in the US for the KGB during the last decade of the Cold War, told Insider. Barsky, who was born Albrecht Dittrich in East Germany before getting recruited by the KGB, said that Putin might be a "maniac" but he's not suicidal. "He's still working on his legacy, and he pretty much knows that if he explodes a nuke he's toast. That's not the kind of legacy that he's interested in," Barsky said of Putin, adding, "Putin may pretend to be very spiritual because he wears a cross, and he now goes to church. But he's a rational thinker. And for him to start something that pretty much guarantees his demise is highly unlikely." Barsky served during the same era at the KGB as Putin and has interacted with one of the Russian leader's former KGB bosses, Oleg Kalubin. Barsky eventually became a US citizen and consulted the FBI and NSA offering insights on the KGB after being exposed as a former sleeper agent in the 1990s. Story continues Barsky also questioned how the use of a tactical nuclear weapon whose explosive force can range from conventional blasts to ones larger than the US's 1945 attack on Hiroshima, Japan would fundamentally change the war and benefit Putin. "How do you get more territory by exploding a nuke and killing a hundred thousand people?" Barsky said, going on to say that such an attack could backfire by also exposing Russian troops to potentially deadly radiation. Shortly after the war began, Putin claimed to have placed Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert. He's consistently made references to Russia's nuclear arsenal, which is the largest in the world, in public remarks on the war on Ukraine. "This is not a bluff," Putin said in September after making a veiled threat to employ nuclear weapons while vowing to defend Russia's "territorial integrity." Top Russian military officials recently had conversations on the circumstances under which Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to recent reports citing new US intelligence. But Putin was reportedly not involved in the discussions, and a report from CNN suggests that US officials are divided over the intelligence and aren't sure what to make of it. Some officials were quite alarmed by the intelligence and are worried about the desperate actions Russia might take as it becomes increasingly frustrated in Ukraine. But other officials believe that the intelligence may have been taken out of context and isn't a sign that Russia is taking steps to use such a weapon, CNN said. Putin in late October also tamped down the nuclear rhetoric somewhat, suggesting using such a weapon in Ukraine would serve no purpose. "We see no need for that," Putin said in remarks at a conference attended by foreign policy experts, per the Associated Press, adding: "There is no point in that, neither political, nor military." Top Russia and military experts have also assessed that there is not an imminent risk of Putin employing a tactical nuclear weapon, but have underscored that the Kremlin's threats should be taken seriously and that the risk will go up as Russian forces continue to suffer losses and Ukraine's forces recapture territory. Read the original article on Business Insider An Iowa sex trafficking victim who killed her rapist and was sentenced to probation in September escaped from a women's center in the early hours Friday. Pieper Lewis, now 18, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and willful injury after killing Zachary Brooks, a 37-year-old father of three, in June 2020. She said Brooks had sexually assaulted her multiple times. On Sept. 13, Polk County Judge David M. Porter gave Lewis a deferred judgment and ordered her to spend five years on probation at the Fresh Start Women's Center in Des Moines. Well, Ms. Lewis, this was the second chance you asked for. You dont get a third. Do you understand that? Porter asked Lewis Sept. 13. According to a probation violation report, at approximately 6:19 a.m. Friday, someone opened a door at Fresh Start, setting off an alarm and alerting a residential officer on duty. The officer saw Lewis exiting the building, the report said. The report also says Lewis' GPS monitor was cut off at some point on Friday. As of Sunday afternoon, Lewis was not in custody at the Polk County Jail and no other reports indicated she had been apprehended. From MondaySearch for Iowa sex trafficking victim Pieper Lewis continues following her escape The Polk County Sheriffs Office and the Des Moines Police Department had been notified of Lewiss escape. The Brooks family was also notified and a warrant was issued for her arrest. The probation report asked for her deferred judgment to be revoked and her "original sentence imposed." Lewis could face up to 20 years in prison. From 2021A homeless Des Moines teen who killed her alleged rapist faced 20 years in prison. She's a victim, too, her attorneys say. Report: Pieper Lewis had previous citations during probation The report indicates Lewis received citations for either failing to take a direct bus route home or for getting an unapproved private ride. After failing to report back to the facility at the expected time on Oct. 16, officers found Lewis outside Broadlawns Medical Center. She later admitted to a residential officer that she had contact with someone she dated in high school. Officers prohibited Lewis from having any further contact with the person, according to the violation report. Story continues The report said Lewis had been unaccounted for a total of four hours and 16 minutes over the course of three weeks. Prosecutors had recommended Lewis be placed on probation and not sent to prison after two intense days of testimony during her sentencing hearing on Sept. 7 and Sept. 23. Lewis' attorneys asked for the deferred judgment. The judge ordered Lewis to serve 1,200 hours of community service, which would cover more than $4,000 in fines. Iowa law also required Lewis to pay $150,000 in compensation for the death of her victim. A GoFundMe fundraiser raised more than $560,000 to cover the restitution and pay for her other needs. Before killing Brooks, Lewis ran away from what she said was an abusive relationship with her mother early in 2020. Eventually she came to live with a 28-year-old Des Moines musician she called her "boyfriend," whom she said forced her to have sex with older men, including Brooks, for money. Prosecutors acknowledged that Lewis was sexually trafficked. Her alleged trafficker has not been charged. From SeptemberWhat's next for Pieper Lewis, the Des Moines teen convicted of killing her alleged rapist? Philip Joens covers public safety and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-443-3347 at pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens. Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at@francescablock3. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pieper Lewis, sex trafficking victim, escapes and cuts off GPS monitor Image via Getty/MEGA The artist formerly known as Kanye West demanded Adidas relocated Yeezy staff to work at a remote Wyoming ranch which closed within six months. As reported by Bloomberg, Adidas agreed to relocate some of its staff dedicated to the Yeezy brand to a facility near his $14 million ranch in Cody, Wyoming. An employee for the German sportswear company, who agreed to speak under the condition of anonymity, said the move required millions of dollars worth of machinery and extensive staff relocation to pull off. However, the facility closed just six months after Yes demands were met. He purchased the ranch in 2019, and announced plans to develop the property into a Yeezy campus of sorts. Later that same year, he revealed plans to move the Yeezy headquarters once again from Cody to Calabasas, California. Last year, he abruptly put one of his two Wyoming ranch properties up for sale with a list price of $11 million. Then a year later, he took the ranch off the market, per New York Post. Its not clear at what point his plans for Yeezy facilities in Wyoming fell apart, but it was before Adidas broke off ties with the multi-hyphenate on account of his anti-Semitic comments. Following the termination of his contract with Adidas, with whom he launched the partnership in 2015, Ye is no longer a billionaire. More recently, he reportedly pulled up to the Skechers headquarters in Los Angeles unannounced and uninvited. Its unclear if he was attempting to build a relationship with the sneaker brand now that no major company wants to be associated with him. Regardless, it sounds like he was a nightmare to work with even when he wasnt sharing white nationalist talking points on the regular. Related Articles Story continues More Complex Sign up for the Complex Newsletter for breaking news, events, and unique stories. Follow Complex on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok Ryan Walters, candidate for state school superintendent in Oklahoma, described what he said was a Ryan Walters, candidate for state school superintendent in Oklahoma, described what he said was a "legitimate " school faculty meeting to discuss giving students the option of using cat litter instead of toilets. (Photo: via Associated Press) A man who wants to run Oklahomas school system has pushed a claim about liberals supposedly installing litter boxes in schools to accommodate students who identify as cats, even though its been debunked as a myth. Republican Ryan Walters comments appeared in a video posted by The Lost Ogle, an Oklahoma blog. The site said Walters was talking to a group of fellow right-wing voters earlier this month at a meeting in Stillwater. I got a call over the weekend from a former colleague and he said, Ryan, Im telling you right now... Walters said, before his voice trailed off a bit. Have you heard about the litter boxes stuff? he then asked the audience. This was a legitimate faculty meeting where the counselors and administrators were talking to the staff are you ready? about whether they should allow litter boxes in the bathrooms for kids that identify as cats, he said. An unseen audience member can be heard among the audible reactions saying, Oh my God. Walters then finished up the anecdote by returning to his former colleagues reaction. And my buddy said, Hey, Im just going to tell you, Im not teaching anymore if that happens. Like, I love teaching, its my passion, but Im out of here. Like that is such a sense of, like, nonsense, I cant pretend that thats right. Im out of here, Walters said. That is not an issue at McAlester Public Schools.Dr. Robert Steeber, superintendent of McAlester, Oklahoma, public schools The idea that school children are identifying as cats and demanding to be allowed to use cat litter instead of toilets has been debunked repeatedly as essentially an urban legend. Nonetheless, it has been repeated by several Republican candidates for office at various levels. Even podcaster Joe Rogan said he had heard the same thing, before recently taking it back. Story continues An analysis by NBC News looked at 20 of those reports, and the districts named either told the outlet or stated publicly that no such incidents had occurred. Reuters, The Associated Press and USA Today have also debunked the idea. While it was not clear if Walters was saying someone he knew had seen or attended such a meeting or that he had, the candidate presented it as a real thing to the audience in the video. Emails to a Walters campaign website and to his official email at his secretary of education post an appointed position as part of Gov. Kevin Stitts cabinet were not answered. The video also left it unclear where Walters former colleague worked, but Walters taught for eight years at McAlester High School, according to his campaign bio. There he was a finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 2016. Asked if McAlester had held such a meeting like that or one that could have been construed in that manner, the district superintendent, Dr. Robert Steeber, told HuffPost, We have not. That is not an issue at McAlester Public Schools, he said. After narrowly winning the Republican nomination to replace current state superintendent Joy Hofmeister, Walters has been locked in a closer-than-expected fight with Democrat Jena Nelson, the 2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, for the superintendent slot. While Walters current appointed post gives him responsibility for various education-related boards and commissions, the superintendent in Oklahoma heads up the state Department of Education. Jena Nelson, the Democratic candidate for state school superintendent, may be seeing her candidacy benefit from having the current superintendent, Joy Hofmeister, running for governor. (Photo: via Associated Press) Jena Nelson, the Democratic candidate for state school superintendent, may be seeing her candidacy benefit from having the current superintendent, Joy Hofmeister, running for governor. (Photo: via Associated Press) The closeness of the race may be a reflection of Hofmeisters efforts to rally teachers in her race for governor, as well as concerns by some about Walters, who lists critical race theory and teacher salaries as issues on his website, but also features abortion, gun rights and immigration. Walters is by no means the first Republican candidate to make the false claim about cat litter Don Bolduc, the GOP candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, also made the claim but he may be one of the first candidates running for a statewide education-related office to do so. At McAlester, he taught Advanced Placement classes in world history, U.S. history and U.S. government. Guys, Walters added to the crowd, if we dont push back on the craziness, its not going to end. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Russia may experience a goodwill gesture near Kherson, Reznikov said The term goodwill gesture is a reference to a Russian excuse for their evacuation from Snake Island, in the Black Sea, on June 30. Read also: Ukrainian military believes disappearance of Russian flag from Kherson likely a trap According to minister, in order for this goodwill gesture to come to fruition, the Russian troops will have to lose some of their potential due to the appropriate actions of our Armed Forces. Their habit of goodwill gestures has long been known to us, Reznikov said. Yes, there was a goodwill gesture when they liberated the territory of Kyiv Oblast, then Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts thanks to the decisive actions of the security and defense sector. Later, there was Zmiinyi (Snake) Island another goodwill gesture. I think theyre potentially ready for another goodwill gesture regarding the left bank of the Dnipro River, namely outside the city of Kherson in Kherson Oblast. Read also: Ukraine reportedly destroys enemy outpost in Kherson Oblast Earlier Reznikov said that rainy weather has slowed down Ukraines offensive in Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said the operation to liberate Kherson is likely to last until the end of November. Satellite images show that Russian invaders in Kherson Oblast are urgently transferring military equipment and personnel to the other bank of the Dnipro River. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Flag of Slovakia The newspaper presents a list of thousands of items, including bearings, engines, electronics, equipment for the production of tire components. They can be used in production of tanks, armored vehicles, missile systems, or intercontinental ballistic missile launcher systems. Some of these items were supplied to subsidiary companies of Russias state-owned military-industrial complex. Read also: Slovakia to repair, modernize military equipment for Ukraine, says Slovak defense minister In April, a Slovak manufacturer of light aircraft exported its Rotax 912 engines to Iran. These engines are installed on Iranian Mohajer-6 drones, used by the Russian military. The report avoids naming the companies involved; some of them may be businesses from other EU countries, which would be in violation of EU sanctions. The Slovak customs authorities probably didnt classify the exported goods as dual-use goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, the report says. Read also: Russia trying to get weapons from Iran, North Korea, China has not helped Kremlin, says Pentagon According to Dennik N., dual-use goods need the approval of the ministries of economy and foreign affairs before being sent abroad, which in this case wasnt received. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday announced that the US government is providing a new $400m defence assistance package to Ukraine which will include refurbished Soviet-made T-72 tanks, aerial drones and refurbished surface-to-air missile systems to augment the man-portable air defence systems the US has already provided. Mr Sullivan made the announcement following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov, according to a statement released by the National Security Council. The visit by President Joe Bidens top national security aide was meant to underscore the United States steadfast support to Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity, the White House said. Also listed among the equipment to be transferred to Ukrainian forces as part of the aid package are refurbished MIM-23 HAWK missile systems, which will be provided under Mr Bidens drawdown authority allowing him to provide allies with existing stocks of weapons. The HAWK system which stands for Homing All The Way Killer would be an upgrade from the Stinger man-portable air defence system which Ukrainian forces have been employing against Russian jets and cruise missiles. Although HAWK dates back to the Vietnam era, the systems have recieved multiple upgrades over the years and although it was last fielded by the US Marine Corps in 2020, it has remained popular with US allies and is currently employed by Turkish and Iraqi defence forces. The White House also said Mr Sullivan affirmed the continued provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to Mr Zelenskys government in addition to the defence assistance package. George Rudy / Shutterstock.com In a survey from CNN in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, 9 out of 10 surveyed adults said they believe theres a mental health crisis in the United States. More than 1 in 5 adults surveyed described their own mental health as fair or poor. Over the course of the past year, one-third of all adults surveyed said they felt often or always anxious while 1 in 5 adults said they were often or always depressed or lonely. The Future of Finances: Gen Z & How They Relate to Money See: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now Nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing mental health continues to be a challenge for teens and adults. The answer is not always as simple as finding a therapist either. Many individuals do not have sufficient health insurance to cover the full cost of therapy sessions. Some may also be without health insurance, increasing the difficulty in finding affordable mental healthcare. The good news is there are low-cost and even free mental health resources available to individuals of all ages. Explore these options if youre looking for affordable mental healthcare now. Sliding Scale Therapists While this is not necessarily a free option, it is possible for those seeking mental health support to find it in sliding scale therapists. If you need to pay out of pocket for therapy sessions because your insurance does not cover the full amount, you may want to find a sliding scale therapist. A therapist who works on a sliding scale is able to adjust their hourly fees. This allows clients to better afford their therapy sessions. Need to find an affordable in-office or online therapist? Look up available therapists through networks like Open Path Psychotherapy Collective. Enter your city name or ZIP code and search to find available therapists in your area. Session costs range between $30 and $60 for individuals and between $30 and $80 for couples and families. Take Our Poll: Do You Believe in Quiet Quitting? Community Mental Health Clinics Depending on where you live, you may be able to visit a local organization with mental health expertise. Story continues Some of these resources may be found as quickly as visiting HealthCare.gov to find low-cost healthcare in your community and locate the nearest community health center. Even more organizations can be found by visiting MentalHealth.gov. Here you can find out which organizations offer peer and family support and services and treatment for mental health issues. Some of these organizations include Active Minds, The Jed Foundation, The Trevor Project, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to name a few resources. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) Your employer may offer employee assistance programs (EAP) that allow employees to receive mental health benefits. Reach out to your human resources department or consult your employee handbook to see which types of services or programs are available and what you need to know about EAP benefit options. Visit a College Health Center College health centers can be a helpful space for students, including undergraduate and graduate students, to visit for mental health assistance. There are several colleges that have mental health practitioner programs that provide low-cost therapy treatment. If youre not sure what your college offers, students can call the psychology department to learn more about these services and determine which sessions are available for their needs. Call or Text a Mental Health Hotline Support is one call or text away. Crisis connection hotlines are available in your state of residence as well as at a nationwide level. A full list of hotlines can be found at pleaselive.org providing resources for those struggling with crises at any age. Remember these hotlines are free, confidential and available to call 24/7. If youre not sure where to start, text HOME to 741-741 from anywhere in the United States. You will be able to connect with a crisis counselor through the Crisis Text Hotline. A trained, live crisis counselor will receive the text and respond to provide free, 24/7 support that moves you from a hot moment to a cool moment. In the event of a true medical emergency or where there is immediate danger of harm, it is strongly advised you get help immediately. Dial 911 to seek support for a mental health crisis or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Options for Affordable Mental Healthcare Supporters of Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio, who has said that he helped obtain federal funding for state law enforcement, in Dayton, Nov. 3, 2022. (Brian Kaiser/The New York Times) In the final stretch of the midterm campaigns, Democrats are straining to defend themselves against a barrage of crime-focused attacks from Republicans, forcefully highlighting their public safety credentials amid signs that GOP messaging on the issue may be more potent than usual in some critical races this year. Democrats have enlisted sheriffs to vouch for them, have outspent Republicans on ads that use the word police in the month of October, and have been using the kind of tough-on-crime language that many on the left seemed to reject not long ago even as some Democrats worry that efforts to inoculate the party on a complex and emotional issue are falling short. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who is being criticized over a 2018 video in which he called ending cash bail a top priority, aired an ad in which an officer declared him a tough-on-crime lawmaker who confronted those who wanted to defund the police. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., has long highlighted her pro-law enforcement credentials, including with an ad featuring a police chief praising her record of being tough on crime. And Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, whose history on criminal justice issues is being denounced by Republicans, sounded pro-law enforcement notes at a senior center Friday as he discussed his tenure as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, saying he was proud to work with our police departments, and funding the police. Nationwide, Democrats spent more money last month on ads that used the word police than Republicans did, according to AdImpact, a media-tracking firm. But heavy Republican spending on crime ads earlier this year has helped define the final weeks of the campaign in states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. National crime trends are mixed and complex, and Republicans have often reached for arguments about crime or border security, with varying results. Some party strategists doubt the issue will be decisive this year, with many Americans far more focused on economic matters. Story continues But a Gallup survey released late last month found that Americans are more likely now than at any time over the past five decades to say there is more crime in their local area than there was a year ago. The issue, fanned and sometimes distorted by conservative news outlets, has been especially pronounced in liberal-leaning states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Wisconsin, where big cities have struggled with concerns about violence and quality of life over the last few years. But the topic is at play in many tight Senate, House and governors races. Celinda Lake, a veteran Democratic pollster, said the most effective responses had come from candidates who formulated a message on crime early. Too many Democrats waited until the attacks on crime happened, she said. Were never going to win on crime. We just have to answer it strongly enough to be able to pivot back to other issues to show were in touch. Some Democrats fear that their party has fallen short. In an article Thursday for The American Prospect, a liberal magazine, Stanley B. Greenberg, a longtime Democratic pollster, warned that the party was still struggling with a branding problem, even though many Democrats distanced themselves long ago from the defund the police movement that gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Defund is a very small segment of the party, Greenberg said in an interview. But the whole party owns it. Steven Law, the CEO of the Senate Leadership Fund, the leading super political action committee for Senate Republicans, said concerns about public safety contributed to the idea that the country is going in the wrong direction a problem for the party in power. Crime has an outsized ability to define Democrats as being liberal instead of moderates, more than any other issue, he added. Democratic officials have tried to address the issue head-on. The partys Senate campaign arm encouraged candidates to challenge Republicans over opposing measures that would combat gun violence, a committee aide said, and to use law enforcement officials in their advertising. Its not just trying to be more Republican than the Republicans, said Aimee Allison, the founder of She the People, a political advocacy group focused on women of color. People are interested in how to make communities safer. And a memo this spring from the Democratic House campaign arm laid out a guide, advising candidates to reject the notion of defunding the police, to highlight law enforcement funding they had secured and to rely on members of law enforcement to endorse their records. It also urged Democrats to stand up for racial justice. In 2020, the Republican lies were so outrageous, some candidates thought they could ignore them, said Maloney, the chair of the House Democratic campaign arm. In 2022, we know better. It is evident that many Democrats are following aspects of that playbook while also slamming Republicans over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol another issue the memo noted. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who is facing a difficult Senate race, has claimed credit for helping to obtain federal funding for state law enforcement. He has also criticized his Republican opponent, J.D. Vance, over sympathetic statements he made toward rioters at the Capitol, where about 140 police officers were injured. Over the summer, Ryan ran an ad in which a sheriff called the claim that Democrats want to defund the police ridiculous and said he trusts Tim Ryan to keep our community safe. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., a moderate, made national headlines two years ago for her critique of her party on a leaked postelection call, which included concerns about the defund the police movement. This year, Spanberger said in an interview, Democrats could point to votes serving as proof points that they are serious about crime. Were appropriating significant money to local police departments, she said. In one of Spanbergers television ads, a Republican police chief endorsed her while criticizing her opponent, Yesli Vega, for defending rioters who attacked the Capitol. Vega, an auxiliary deputy with the Prince William County Sheriffs Office, called the rioters a group of Americans exercising their First Amendment rights. In Pennsylvania, the Fetterman campaign said it had put out 16 ads mentioning crime or public safety, including at least one featuring the sheriff of suburban Montgomery County, who vouched for Fetterman. This week, a Monmouth University poll showed that voters trusted both Fetterman and Mehmet Oz, his Republican rival, equally when it came to handling crime. The poll also noted that Fettermans edge on the issue had evaporated. Fetterman has defended himself primarily by pointing to his tenure as the mayor of Braddock, outside Pittsburgh, where for five years a scourge of murders came to a stop. The issue has also played a prominent role in other Senate races, including in Wisconsin and, to some degree, North Carolina. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin and Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, the first Black woman to serve as chief justice of the state Supreme Court, have also showcased supporters with law enforcement backgrounds in their campaigns. In Wisconsin, mail advertising from Republicans has darkened Barnes skin, one stark example of the ways attacks on crime can propel issues of race to the forefront. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said, Clearly, the message was not just one of crime. It was one of racism. And like other Democrats, he alluded to the Capitol riot. They claim to back the blue, and in reality, theyre backing the coup, he said. You cant pretend to support law enforcement but then selectively decide which law enforcement that youre going to protect. 2022 The New York Times Company Two German-run migrant rescue ships carrying nearly 300 rescued people were waiting off the eastern coast of Sicily on Saturday, one with permission to disembark its most vulnerable migrants while the other's request for a safe port has gone unanswered despite ``critical'' conditions on board. The situation describes the chaos and uncertainty resulting from the decision by Italy's far-right-led government to close its ports to humanitarian rescue ships. Nearly 1,100 rescued migrants are aboard four ships run by European charity organizations stuck in the Mediterranean Sea, some with people rescued as long as two weeks ago amid deteriorating conditions on board. Both the Humanity 1 and Rise Above ships, run by separate German humanitarian groups, were in Italian waters: the Humanity 1 carrying 179 migrants has received permission to disembark minors and people needing medical care, but the Rise Above's request for port for its 93 rescued people has so far gone unanswered. By Saturday afternoon, there was still no word on when the Humanity 1 evacuations might start, or on safe ports for the other ships. The Humanity SOS charity challenged Italy's move to distinguish ``vulnerable'' migrants, saying they were rescued at sea, which alone qualifies them for a safe port under international law. Italy's only Black lawmaker in the lower chamber, Abourbakar Soumahoro, said he would join migrants on the ship if Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni's government did not act soon to aid all those blocked at sea. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said Friday that the Humanity 1 would be allowed in Italian waters only long enough to disembark minors and people in need of urgent medical care. The measure was approved after Germany and France each called on Italy to grant a safe port to the migrants, and indicated they would receive some of the migrants so Italy wouldn't bear the burden alone. No such provisions have been offered to the other three ships, and both the Geo Barents, carrying 572 migrants, and the Rise Above have entered Italian waters without consent despite repeated requests for a safe port. The Ocean Viking with 234 migrants remained in international waters, south of the Strait of Messina. ``We have been waiting for 10 days for a safe place to disembark the 572 survivors,`` Juan Mattias Gil, the head of mission for the Geo Barents said. Operation chief Riccardo Gatti said besides suffering from skin and respiratory infections, many on board were stressed by the prolonged period at sea. SOS Humanity, which operates Humanity 1, alone said it had made 19 requests for a safe port, all unanswered. The boat is carrying 100 unaccompanied minors as well as infants as young as 7 months. Italy's new far-right-led government is insisting that countries whose flag the charity-run ships fly must take on the migrants. Speaking at a news conference late Friday, Piantedosi described such vessels as ``islands'' that are under the jurisdiction of the flag countries. Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, known for his anti-migrant stance as interior minister from 2018-19, cheered the new directive that he signed along with Italy's defense and interior ministers. ``We stop being hostage to these foreign and private NGOs that organize the routes, the traffic, the transport and the migratory policies,`` Salvini said in a Facebook video. Nongovernmental organizations stridently oppose that interpretation, and say they are obligated by the law of the sea to rescue people in distress, no matter how they learn of their plight, and that coastal nations are obligated to provide a safe port as soon as feasible. ``The Italian Minister of Interior's decree is undoubtedly illegal,'' says Mirka Schaefer, advocacy officer at SOS Humanity. ``Pushing back refugees at the Italian border violates the Geneva Refugee Convention and international law.`` Most have traveled via Libya, where they set off in unseaworthy boats seeking a better life in Europe, often being subjected to torture by human traffickers along the way. While the humanitarian-run boats are being denied a safe port, thousands of migrants have reached Italian shores over the last week, either on their own in fishing boats or rescued at sea by Italian authorities. The situation on the Rise Above was particularly desperate, with 93 people packed aboard the relatively small 25-meter boat. Spokeswoman Hermine Poschmann described a ``very critical situation that ... led to very great tensions'' on board, because passengers saw land and didn't understand why they weren't docking. The head of mission on the vessel, Clemens Ledwa, demanded a port of safety immediately, citing also bad weather and the limited capacity of the small ship. ``This is not a wish. This is everyone's right,'' he said Friday night. Search Keywords: Short link: (Photo: Philip Thurston via Getty Images) (Photo: Philip Thurston via Getty Images) A pod of dolphins was found off the coast of South Africa swimming with the body of a missing drowned teenager, officials said. The 15-year-old girl, whom authorities did not identify, was apparently washed off the rocks of Llandudno Beach, near Cape Town, and into a rough sea last week. Rescue workers discovered her body floating on the water surface accompanied by a pod of dolphins near the rescue craft about half a mile from shore, said National Sea Rescue Institute spokesperson Craig Lambinon, according to TimesLive. Marine mammal experts differ on why this might have happened. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and social, and have been known to help humans in difficult situations at sea. There are stories of dolphins protecting humans from sharks. They also clearly have a sense of death and loss, Simon Elwen, marine mammal specialist at Stellenbosch University in the western Cape, told South Africas Independent Online. Dolphins have been shown to display mourning behavior for their own calves, and ... carry the calf around for a few days. So it is possible that the dolphins recognized the situation with the dead teen as some kind of loss, he added. Olaf Meynecke, a whale and dolphin researcher at Australias Griffith University, told Newsweek: I am certain they would recognize a dead human body in the water. But while whales and dolphins have been known to exhibit altruistic behavior toward other species, a close encounter with people is often simple curiosity, he noted. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... (AP) Most people who attended Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fettermans rally with former president Barack Obama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania seemed unbothered by his stroke recovery despite Democrats raising concerns after his debate. The Democratic nominee is locked in a tight race with television physician Mehmet Oz in the Keystone State. The rally at Schenley Plaza across the street from the University of Pittsburgh had a massive line. The rally was the first of two events for Mr Fetterman and Mr Obama. Later in the day, they will head to Philadelphia with President Joe Biden and Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for governor. Mr Fetterman easily beat his opponents in the Democratic primary in May. But right before then, he suffered a stroke, and is still in the process of recovering. Mr Fetterman still struggles with auditory processing and as a result, uses closed captioning. After his interview with NBC News last month, many in the press questioned whether voters would be comfortable voting for him when he needed such accommodations. Similarly, he used captioning during his first and only debate with Dr Oz. Many Democrats fretted about Mr Fettermans performance, where he occasionally struggled to offer answers to questions, had delayed responses or mushed together words. Late last month, a hot mic caught Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer telling Mr Biden that the debate didnt hurt us too much in Pennsylvania. But Mr Fetterman seemed undeterred by concerns about his recovery on Saturday. Heres a pro-tip: If youre going to give a speech after youve been recovering from a stroke, you really dont want to have to come after Barack Obama as the GOAT, he said, in reference to the acronym for the greatest of all time. Polling is decidedly mixed about how much Mr Fettermans performance in the debate affected their vote. According to Monmouth Universitys poll released this week, only three per cent of voters said that Mr Fettermans performance affected their vote. In addition, 62 per cent of voters in a Suffolk University/USA Today poll showed Mr Fetterman with a lead but also showed that 7 per cent of voters said they would have voted for him if he had not had the stroke. Story continues Meanwhile an Emerson College poll showed that half of voters said that the debate performance worsened their opinion of Mr Fetterman and a Fox News poll showed that 51 per cent of registered voters said the Fetterman-Oz debate was a factor in their final decision. On the ground, however, many voters were undeterred. When asked about whether Mr Fettermans stroke would impact her vote, Shawnna Crago, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said: I think my thoughts are, anytime anybody has a stroke, it definitely takes time to heal. Its a process that doesnt actually affect anybodys intellectual capacity. Ms Cragos colleague, Tina Geyer, added that she thinks it would make him a better advocate for ADA compliance, in reference to the Americans with Disabilities Act. During the rally, Mr Fetterman also highlighted his own push to get better. This is what recovery looks like, he said. In January, Im going to be much better in DC. Throughout his speech, Mr Fetterman was interrupted by cheers and connected his experiences with other people. We need to expand health care, the exact same health care that saved my life, he said. Mr Obama alluded to Mr Fettermans ongoing recovery during the rally and said that it showed that he knew what it was like to struggle. Johns stroke did not change who he is, it did not change what he cares about, it didt change his values, his heart, his fight Mr Obama said at the rally. It didnt change who he will represent when he gets to the United States Senate. Hell represent you, and thats what you deserve. Helen Fallon, a professor of journalism at Point Park University, told The Independent at the rally that she was optimistic about Mr Fettermans recovery. After the rally, Mary Pat Donegan told The Independent that she suffered four strokes and faced challenges speaking like he did. In time, really, within about a year, I was able to recover and I believe he will too, she said. And its difficult. Im amazed at the recovery hes made. The rally with Mr Obama and Mr Fetterman came hours before Mr Trump and Dr Oz were set to hold a rally with Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor, in nearby Latrobe. At 11:12 p.m. on Friday in Marshalltown, four young people were in a car that struck a utility pole, causing the vehicle to burst in flames, according to a report from the Iowa State Patrol. All four died, the report said. The events leading to the crash were under investigation, the state patrol said. All four people in the car were minors. The victims were Adrian Lara, 13, Isacc Lara, 16, Linette Lopez, 15, and Yanitza Lopez, 17. "Our hearts go out to the Lara and Lopez families. This is a tragedy for our entire community. We know the community will stand strong in support of everyone affected," said Marshalltown Chief of Police Michael Tupper. All of the children attended Marshalltown schools. "The students lost include three Marshalltown High School students and one Miller Middle School student," the district said in a statement. Adrian and Isacc Lara were siblings as were Linette and Yanitza Lopez, the district said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the students families, friends and our entire school community." The district said it would make mental health support available to family, friends and school community members Sunday and throughout the week. Two GoFundMe fundraisers were set up on Saturday morning to raise money for the families. By Sunday morning, the GoFundMe for the Lopez family had raised $24,000, and the GoFundMe for the Lara family had raised about $21,000. At a Saturday evening candlelight vigil at St. Henrys Catholic Church in Marshalltown, Father Alan Dietzenbach said: What happened last night was an accident. A horrible accident, no one is to blame. Pointed fingers are better spent folded in prayer for the Lopez and Lara families. For us, for their siblings, for their families and our Marshalltown community, according to the Marshalltown Times-Republican. The state patrol separately reported that Amy Finnell, 56, of Chariton, died in a Lucas County crash after her car and another collided head-on Friday evening. The driver of the other car was treated for minor injuries, the report said. Nina Baker is a news reporter at the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at NBaker@gannett.com or on Twitter @Nina_M_Baker. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fiery Marshalltown, Iowa car crash kills 4 people The Good Nurse director Tobias Lindholm and producer Scott Franklin joined Deadlines Contenders Film: New York awards-season event to talk about their Netflix pic and especially the films two Oscar-winning stars: Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. Based on Charles Graebers crime thriller book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder and adapted by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917), the film centers on Amy Loughren (Chastain), a nurse who starts to believe that her colleague Charlie Cullen (Redmayne) is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths. She risks her own life to uncover the truth. More from Deadline Noah Emmerich, Nnamdi Asomugha and Kim Dickens also star. RELATED: Contenders New York 2022: Deadlines Complete Coverage Lindholm said he had been waiting a long time almost a decade in fact to work with Chastain, who won the Best Actress Oscar last year for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Since seeing her in Kathryn Bigelows Zero Dark Thirty, its my dream to find something to do with her, he said. Jessica brings a honesty, and humanity, which is what I really love. In The Good Nurse, Chastains Amy has to choose between her job and her dignity, or to protect the hospital. It really humanizes her and indicts the system, Franklin said about one of his favorite aspects of the film. The fact that she gets a pat on the back by protecting the hospital and letting him go even though hes a killer and you seen the blood drain from her face. Its one of the most powerful moments in the movie. RELATED: Contenders New York Arrivals Gallery: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Danielle Deadwyler, S. S. Rajamouli, Zoe Kazan & More Lindholm meanwhile, said he got Redmayne to unleash the beast. His character Charlie is seen as the quintessential nice guy/hard worker until one particular interrogation scene when Redmayne lets loose, showing a side of the character that had not been revealed previously. Story continues We shot that scene in a small room. As we got there I felt I needed to do something else to make sure that he couldnt do what he had prepared I needed him to react to something else, Lindstrom said. Then I talked to a detective who had done a lot of these cases and he suggested I cuff him to the table and I said lets do it! Lindholm said that what he wanted to get across with The Good Nurse is the critique of the American health-care system. Its always interesting to me that these systems weve built that should be making our lives easier turn against us, he said. Check out the panel video above. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Iran acknowledges drone shipments to Russia before war, Kyiv says Tehran is lying FILE PHOTO: A view of drones during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran (Reuters) -Iran acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that it had supplied Moscow with drones but said they were sent before the war in Ukraine, where Russia has used them to target power stations and civilian infrastructure. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said a "small number" of drones had been shipped a few months before Russia's Feb 24 invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Tehran of lying, saying Kyiv's forces were downing at least 10 of the unmanned aerial vehicles every day. In Iran's most detailed response to date, Amirabdollahian denied Tehran was continuing to supply drones to Moscow. "This fuss made by some Western countries that Iran has provided missiles and drones to Russia to help the war in Ukraine - the missile part is completely wrong," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. "The drone part is true and we provided Russia a small number of drones months before the Ukraine war," he said. In recent weeks Ukraine has reported a surge in drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, notably targeting power stations and dams, using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. Russia denies its forces have used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. In a video address, Zelenskiy dismissed talk of limited Iranian supplies to Russia, saying Ukraine had downed 11 drones on Friday alone. "If Iran continues to lie about the obvious, it means the world will make even more efforts to investigate the terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes and what Russia pays Iran for such cooperation," he said. Separately, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley tweeted it was untrue that Iran had sent a few drones. "They transferred dozens just this summer and have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them," he said. Zelenskiy, who has repeatedly pressed allies to provide more defences against aircraft and missiles, said he expected "good news" in coming weeks but gave no details. Kyiv, he added, would next week launch a fund-raising campaign to buy marine drones. Story continues Last month, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters Iran had promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones. IRNA quoted Amirabdollahian as saying Tehran and Kyiv had agreed to discuss allegations about the use of Iranian drones but the Ukrainians did not show up for talks. In a response on Facebook, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said Amirabdollahian was spreading "insinuations about an alleged refusal by the Ukrainian side". Amirabdollahian repeated Tehran would "not remain indifferent" if it were proven Russia had used Iranian drones against Ukraine. The European Union last month agreed new sanctions on Iran over drone deliveries, and Britain imposed sanctions on three Iranian military figures and a defence manufacturer. (Reporting by Gulf newsroom; Additional reporting by Dan Peleschuk and David Ljunggren; Editing by Jon Boyle and Jonathan Oatis) The Florida Gators went into College Station and walked out of Kyle Field victorious after a hard-fought battle against a weakened Texas A&M team. The game started off very competitively, with both offenses firing on all cylinders. Each club scored on their first three drives, and Florida found itself trailing 24-21 at the half. Much like what happened in the Georgia game, the Gators defense came out of the half inspired and held the Aggies scoreless through the final 30 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, Anthony Richardson and Co. picked up right where they left off and scored three more touchdowns to secure the 41-24 victory. This is the best Floridas offense has looked all year, and that might be true for the defense as well, especially in the second half. Now 5-4 with South Carolina and Vanderbilt up ahead, the Gators control their own destiny. A New Years Six game might be out of the question, but winning out would put Florida in a nice spot to finish out Year 1 of the Billy Napier Era. Here are five major takeaways from Floridas win over Texas A&M and what it means for the teams future. Anthony Richardson has all the tools to be great Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] was great in this one. He completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns while adding 78 yards and two rushing touchdowns on seven carries. The completion percentage is still a little low, but Gators fans will gladly take this version of Richardson over the one that struggles to make a read against a middle-of-the-pack defense. Perhaps the most exciting statistic of the afternoon was Richardsons clean bill in the turnover department. He hasnt thrown an interception since Oct. 8 and kept the ball off the ground this week. Nipping the turnover bug would be big for Richardson, especially in the eyes of NFL scouts. Richardson is starting to look like the player everyone in Gainesville expects him to be, but another year in the Swamp might benefit him. He certainly has the tools necessary to succeed at the next level a rocket arm and the ability to scramble for a 60-yard touchdown but refining those skills and gaining a bit more consistency would go a long way once he gets to the league. Story continues Trevor Etienne is the future of Florida football Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports As great as Richardson was, [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] might have been even better against a porous Texas A&M defense. Johnson went for 100 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, and Etienne racked up 80 yards on 17 carries. When you add in Richardsons 78 yards and receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag]s 34 yards on three carries, Floridas rushing attack totaled 291 yards and three scores. Those numbers are solid enough to stand alone, but it would be criminal not to give these guys a bit more attention. While Johnson is the more experienced player and was the 100-yard rusher against the Aggies, Etiennes upside as a true freshman cant be ignored. Hes explosive with a low center of gravity that allows him to make devastating cuts and get into the open field. Dare I say theres a little Barry Sanders in his game when hes at his best? Etienne could be a national phenomenon next season, and Johnson will still be around as a third-year player knocking on the door of the NFL draft. Floridas running game is bordering on elite during a down year, but it could be even better if Napier revamps the offensive line through the transfer portal. No Cox, no problem Tim Warner/Getty Images Billy Napier dismissed starting JACK linebacker [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. at the start of the week, and there was some concern over how an already weak defense would fare without an NFL-bound talent on the field. There were probably a few who figured that things couldnt get any worse on that side of the ball, but no one expected the Gators to have one of their better defensive performances of the season on the road against Texas A&M. Coxs replacement, [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag]., finished tied for second on the team with six tackles (three solo), provided one of the teams two sacks on the day and forced a fumble. Thats a pretty solid outing, even if Texas A&M was down a ton of starters due to injury and sickness. [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] also stepped up at defensive end, hurrying King Hayes twice and picking up the other sack for the team. Make no mistake, Coxs dismissal was a net loss for the team, at least in terms of talent, but the production isnt exactly dropping off in the fallout of his departure. Florida's defense still has work to do, though Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images As much fun as it is to praise a strong defensive effort, Floridas defense wasnt playing well until the second half of the game. Texas A&M scored in four of its first five drives before running into the wall and letting the game get away from it. Evan Stewart who could have been a Gator if the last staff was half as enthusiastic about recruiting as Napiers is looked every bit of a five-star caliber athlete and torched Floridas secondary for 180 yards on eight catches. Let the record show that he was targeted 17 times throughout the afternoon, so Florida had its fair share of decent coverage. Slot receiver Moose Muhammad III nearly broke the 100-yard mark (99 on seven catches), and running back Devon Archane put up 122 yards on 16 carries. Had the Aggies had a little more depth to fall back on in the second half, Florida might have struggled a bit more to shut down what started as an incredibly potent attack. This is the second game in a row that Floridas defense has come out of the half with some fire, but the Gators are going to need a full 60-minute effort if theyre going to make any noise down the stretch. So you're saying there's a chance? Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images This was the end of Floridas tough stretch, and now the Gators get South Carolina at home, Vanderbilt on the road and Florida State in Tallahassee to close out the season. If UF can win out, the team will finish the regular season with an 8-4 record and be in a decent spot to play in a bowl game. Theres been a bit of gloom and doom surrounding the program in recent weeks, but this win should boost the teams confidence in a major way. Winning at Kyle Field isnt easy, and Jimbo Fishers seat is significantly hotter than Billy Napiers following this win. Napier was never in danger of losing the job after a single year at the helm, but fans did begin to get concerned after falling to 4-4 overall and 1-4 against the conference. Breathe, Gators fans. This season can still be a success, and the team might have some fun along the way. Lets see if this win can snowball and turn into something great. Read more [listicle id=95371] [listicle id=95353] [listicle id=95331] [vertical-gallery id=94769] Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions. Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today! Story originally appeared on Gators Wire Isaac Apodaca, 25, and Kiara McCulley, 19 (Santa Fe Police Department) A New Mexico couple was arrested after allegedly stabbing to death his ex-girlfriend with a 3ft sword and attempting to decapitate her. Kiara McCulley, 19, and her boyfriend Isaac Apodaca, 25, have been charged with murdering Grace Jennings, 21, in the garage they lived in together at his mothers home in Santa Fe. When police arrived at the building they reportedly found the body of the victim, which showed several injuries consistent (with) being cut or stabbed with a sharp object and injuries consistent with attempts to decapitate. A bloody sword was also found inside the garage, a criminal complaint states. The pair are also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and Ms McCulley is charged with tampering with evidence. Prosecutors say that Mr Apodacas mother told police that her son said he had found his girlfriend killing another female in the garage. Mr Apodaca then called 911 and told dispatchers that his girlfriend had killed someone with a sword. Investigators say that the suspects and the victim had shared a bed together the night of the killing and the criminal complaint states that the suspects had both had a previous relationship with the victim. Grace Jennings (GoFundMe) Ms McCulley told police that she did not remember killing the victim because of her undiagnosed multiple personality disorder. McCulley stated she was partially hopeful Ms Jennings was dead but could not remember what happened to her, the complaint stated. Mr Apodaca told police that Ms McCulley had planned to kill the victim for several years. But according to The Santa Fe New Mexican police searched his phone and allegedly found messages in which the suspects discussed killing the victim. The messages... described how Mr Apodaca and (McCulley) would clean up the mess by using hydrogen peroxide and an ice washer to get it out, the complaint stated. Ms McCulley told police that her boyfriend had told her that if she killed his ex-girlfriend she would rise in a secret organisation she belonged to called Ghost. Neither suspect has yet entered a plea. A Nashville man was found guilty of first-degree murder Friday in the 2021 deadly shooting of an Mt. Juliet resident, according to the district attorney's office. Johnathan Van Duncan, 38, was found guilty by a Wilson County jury in the shooting death of Mt. Juliet's Ellis Sanders on May 20, 2021. The shooting occurred at a Lebanon apartment complex. The jury found Duncan guilty of premeditated first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and first-degree murder in the commission of a robbery, Duncan is sentenced to life in prison, according to the district attorney's office. A judge's gavel Sanders, 27, was shot multiple times and died as a result of his injuries at the Rollingwood Apartments in Lebanon, the district attorney's office said. The shooting occurred because Duncan believed that Sanders stole drugs from him in Nashville, according to prosecutors. Duncan was indicted In June 2021 as investigators presented the case to a special called grand jury. Duncan was taken into custody in Catoosa County, Georgia. The Lebanon Police Department investigated the case. Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles. The trial began on Tuesday morning and saw multiple citizen and expert witnesses testify during four days of proof. District Attorney General Jason Lawson credits the work of Lebanon Police Detectives and prosecutors in his office with obtaining justice. This was a very difficult case, from both the investigative and prosecutorial components. It took excellent detective work by LPD Detectives Jeremy Drennon and Stephen Huddleston to put together the pieces of what happened in this case to solve the crime. And I cant say enough about the job that Deputy District Attorneys Justin Harris and Tom Swink did in their presentation of the case to the jury in court. Both I and the people of this district are very blessed to have them as a part of my team. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Wilson County jury finds Nashville man guilty, Mt. Juliet man's death Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki and the Justice Department are fighting an effort to force her to testify in a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment by pressuring social media companies to block or remove certain content about the coronavirus pandemic and election security issues. Lawyers for Psaki filed a motion Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, Va., seeking to quash a subpoena the states of Missouri and Nebraska issued to her in connection with the suit they filed in May against Psaki and a slew of other administration officials. Last month, a federal district court judge in Monroe, La., Terry Doughty, issued an unusual order requiring Psaki and six other officials to sit for sworn depositions about federal authorities interactions with social media firms. The order was rare because it came as the suit remains at an early stage, with the states pushing for a preliminary injunction that would prevent the administration from trying to encourage the social media platforms to limit some speech. Its also uncommon for courts to require high-level federal appointees to testify. Now, Psaki and the Justice Department are asking the federal court in Virginia to essentially countermand Doughty, an appointee of President Donald Trump, and excuse Psaki from testifying. Psaki, who left her White House post in May and is preparing to host a new show on MSNBC, said requiring her to testify in the case would be extremely burdensome for her. Among other things, I understand that I would need to devote several days preparing for the deposition, as well as attending the deposition itself, and that would be highly disruptive to both my work and my family, Psaki said in a declaration filed with the Alexandria federal court. Psaki has retained a high-powered attorney to represent her in the court battle, Jeannie Rhee, a veteran of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Justice Department attorneys have also weighed in, arguing that if her deposition proceeds it will almost certainly to lead to a prolonged fight over executive privilege, due to her role as a top adviser to President Joe Biden. Story continues If permitted to proceed, the deposition of Ms. Psaki would inevitably set the Executive and Judicial Branches on a collision course through adjudications of executive privilege, thrusting the court into the awkward position of evaluating the Executives claims of confidentiality and autonomy, and difficult questions of separation of powers and checks and balances would quickly be pushed to the fore, Justice Department lawyers wrote, quoting from a 2004 Supreme Court case involving Vice President Dick Cheney. Plaintiffs have not identified any evidence showing or even suggesting that Ms. Psaki ever communicated with any social-media company in her capacity as Press Secretary about misinformation, much less that she exercised coercive power to compel a social-media company to take any action,the DOJ brief says. Under federal court rules, Psaki is permitted to ask the Virginia-based court to quash or limit the subpoena because she lives in Virginia. Her motion was assigned to Judge Patricia Giles, a Biden appointee. In recent years, such motions have often been transferred to the court handling the original suit, but the Justice Department said it opposes such a move this time. DOJ lawyers also noted that Psaki is no longer a defendant in the suit, since she was replaced by Karine Jean-Pierre when Jean-Pierre took over in May. The issuing district has not addressed arguments Ms. Psaki may raise as a nonparty regarding undue burden, Justice Department attorneys wrote. Justice Department officials have agreed to make some current and former officials available for depositions but they have asked a New Orleans-based federal appeals court to block Doughtys order requiring testimony from three officials: Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Jen Easterly and White House director of digital strategy Rob Flaherty. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on the request. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, whos running for the U.S. Senate, is spearheading the suit, joined by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Former President Donald Trump filed three similar suits against the major social media firms last year, but has not managed to get discovery in connection with any of them. Rhee, Psaki and Schmitts office did not respond to messages seeking comment on the dispute. A pipeline of projects compatible with the Paris Agreement and tackling the challenges of adaptation and mitigation has been created following five regional roundtables conducted jointly with the UN, the COP27 Presidency, and climate champions. A total of 400 submissions were filtered by the technical teams to around 150 projects, or 10 per region, which will be showcased during the conference while the rest of the projects will be updated and available to regional economic commissions and on the website of COP, said Mohieldin. Some of the projects, he stressed, are already being considered by potential investors, and are in different countries, of different sizes, and at different stages of development. Together, they offer an answer to the long-standing plaint, often voiced by developed nations when asked about their climate finance promises, that we have the money but where are the projects. These, and other opportunities for investment available at the Egyptian local level, currently exist, pointed out Mohieldin. On 3 November, under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the National Initiative for Smart and Green Projects will announce 18 winning projects presented by various governorates. The hope is, through engagement with the UN system, that Egypt brings this initiative to the global stage, Mohieldin said, adding that the issue of ownership of climate action is not just about the leaders and the big businesses coming and attending, it is answering the simple question what is in it for us. The 18 projects include three each from six categories women-led projects, youth startups, community development non-profit projects, and small, medium and large projects. The winners were selected from among more than 6,000 submissions. Egypt plans to continue the contest annually, Mohieldin said, because it is one of the best examples of drawing a dynamic map for projects in our governorates. On top of these, Mohieldin believes more opportunities in such areas as mitigation and decarbonisation will emerge during the course of the conference in the form of solar and wind projects, green hydrogen production, the manufacturing of electric vehicles, and desalination projects. Though acknowledging that the energy crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine has slowed the green transition and undermined efforts to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, noting that the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) expects fossil fuel use to rise in the short term to secure a stable supply, he nonetheless believes the risks to the stability of energy supplies highlighted by the current crisis will support the global shift away from polluting fuels in the medium term. On the contentious loss and damage file, Mohieldin believes it was wise to assign Germany and Chile to work on seeking mutual understanding between the developed and developing countries and to reflect the voice of small island nations, many of which face existential threats that are not going to be just fixed just by decarbonisation or mitigation. He argues that countries that have already suffered substantial loss and damage from climate events need immediate and cheap liquidity. He stressed that it is important that the worlds most vulnerable countries receive financing without adding to their debt. According to the IMF, 60 per cent of low-income countries are now at high risk of, or already in, debt distress and there is a danger that vulnerable developing countries will enter a vicious circle in which greater climate vulnerability raises the cost of debt and diminishes the fiscal space for investment in climate resilience. On finance, Mohieldin points to the importance of a report that will be launched at COP27 identifying the links between climate and development and highlighting that there are more synergies than tradeoffs when it comes to development and climate finance. According to the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), total climate finance has increased steadily over the last decade, reaching $632 billion in 2019-20. However, he said, this is nowhere near enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with the CPI estimating that climate finance must increase by almost six-fold to $4.35 trillion annually by 2030 to meet climate objectives. For climate consideration to be fully integrated in sustainable development finance there will be real progress in the mobilisation of funds, to which end Mohieldin advises governments, which now more than ever face budget constraints due to the economic crises brought on by Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, to encourage investment from the private sector alongside multilateral organisations and financial institutions. The success of COP27 will be measured on the basis of multiple criteria, says Mohieldin: for small islands success will be associated with substantive progress in the loss and damage file, while for many others it involves resolving the false dichotomy between climate and development finance and the mobilising of funds from the private and public sectors in more substantive ways. Projects in green hydrogen and desalination will provide relief in a world facing multiple water and energy crises, helping resolve issues while furthering the adaptation agenda, a major concern for Africa. Success will bring change to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, opening up opportunities and partnerships in Africa and furthering African ownership of COP27. Mohieldin also underlines the importance of academic and research networks as the world moves the climate agenda forwards, pointing out that Egypt has already created an academic network among its universities and research institutions coordinated by the president of the National Academy of Science, Mahmoud Sakr. Universities around Egypt are also part of an initiative spearheaded by the minister of higher education which involves supporting joint research and partnerships between universities, businesses, and local communities on climate-related matters. For the first time, a core network of research centres, including the Economic Research Forum, the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies, the Institute for National Planning and the Centre for Economic and Financial Research and Studies (CEFRS), is instigating joint and complementary activities and partnering with the World Bank, a process Mohieldin hopes will be translated in the future into research and supporting knowledge-sharing not just in Egypt but beyond. *A version of this article appears in print in the 3 November, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Democrat Jevin Hodge, left, faces off against Republican Rep. David Schweikert, right. Matt York/AP Photo; Insider Rep. David Schweikert is running against Democrat Jevin Hodge in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. The 1st District is located in the region east and northeast of Phoenix. Trump-endorsed Schweikert is the only Republican in Arizona's congressional delegation who voted to accept the state's election results. Republican Rep. David Schweikert faces off against Democrat Jevin Hodge in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. Arizona's 1st Congressional District candidates Democratic Rep. Schweikert is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He was the incumbent in Arizona's 6th Congressional District, but is running in the 1st due to redistricting. Schweikert surprised the GOP base when he clinched former President Donald Trump's endorsement ahead of the primary he's the only Republican in Arizona's congressional delegation who voted to accept the state's election results. The six-term congressman, first elected in 2010, grew up under adoptive parents after his unwed, teenage birth mother decided against abortion and put him up for adoption, an experience he's said has shaped his opposition to abortion. Prior to his time in Congress, the 60-year-old Republican served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives and worked for several years as the Maricopa County Treasurer. In Congress, Schweikert has advocated for tribal communities in Arizona, having lived alongside them for most of his life. Hodge, Schweikert's challenger, is the president of the board of directors for the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to child development. If elected, Hodge, 28, would be the state's first Black congressman and the second youngest Black congressman in the country. In June, he was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" program. Voting history for Arizona's 1st Congressional District Arizona's 1st Congressional District includes Scottsdale and parts of north and central Phoenix. It's the only competitive House race in the state that's currently held by the GOP. Story continues Trump had a 4 percentage point margin of victory over Joe Biden under the district's previous boundaries in the 2020 presidential election. The district was redrawn to take in nearly 75% of the region that was part of its previous boundaries in redistricting following the 2020 Census, giving it a slight Republican edge. The money race According to OpenSecrets, Schweikert has raised $1.6 million, spent $1.5 million, and has $244,577 on hand, as of September 30. His opponent, Hodge, has raised $1.9 million, spent $1 million, and has $855,517 cash on hand, as of September 30. As of late October, several dozen super PACs, national party committees, politically active nonprofits, and other non-candidate groups have together spent about $2 million to advocate for or against candidates in this race, including during the race's primary phase. What experts say The race between Schweikert and Hodge is rated as "lean Republican" by Inside Elections, a "toss-up" by The Cook Political Report, and "leans Republican" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Floridas two most powerful Republicans will be far apart on Sunday. And thats how they want it. Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally Sunday in Miami as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is campaigning at competing events hundreds of miles away, exposing the simmering tension between two potential political rivals just days before the midterm election. Multiple people familiar with the planning around Trumps rally, which will feature Sen. Marco Rubio and is part of a four-city tour, said DeSantis wasnt invited and didnt ask to attend. Underscoring the perceived slight, DeSantis campaign declared that the governor will tour 13 Florida cities in the remaining days of the 2022 midterms, including three on Sunday, just days after Trump announced his gathering. They did not invite Ron, which I do think was stupid, said one of the Republican consultant with knowledge of the rallys planning. Why not try and avoid the appearance of the fight? But in their defense, I dont know that he would have come even if he was invited. Outgoing Florida GOP state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who is among the most vocal Trump supporters in the Florida Legislature, said the former presidents team is handling the rally appropriately and are simply trying to help Rubio, who is facing Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) in his bid for a third term. Most polls show Rubio well ahead of Demings. Other top Republicans who will attend include Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). He can do what he wants, but Trumps team made DeSantis, Sabatini said of the governor. He would have lost [in 2018] by 10, 20, maybe 30 points without Trumps endorsement. He definitely owes him. Big time, he added. Both sides have publicly downplayed any conflict between Trump and DeSantis, but interviews with nine GOP consultants, advisers and party officials say hostilities between the two potential 2024 opponents remain. Several were granted anonymity so they could speak freely about the dynamic. Story continues Behind-the-scenes friction, however, burst into the open Saturday night when Trump publicly attacked DeSantis during a rally in Pennsylvania, calling the governor Ron DeSanctimonious and lumping him in with other potential Republican 2024 rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). Trump cannot help himself and Ron knows that. So I think what youve seen is him strategically take jabs without taking direct jabs at Trump, said a former DeSantis campaign staffer. Ron's very smart, whatever he does hes going to be calculated and diligent about it." As the 2022 midterms come to an end and the next presidential election cycle begins, Trump and DeSantis lead the GOP pack of likely presidential hopefuls, a group that includes Pence, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and others. Trump consistently polls ahead of DeSantis and has a fervent following among conservatives, but DeSantis is often praised by the GOP as a more disciplined and less chaotic leader who has garnered national attention for his fights against Covid-19 mandates. DeSantis, who rode Trumps endorsement to the governors mansion in 2018, is likely to win re-election easily and will be sitting on nearly $100 million after the midterms as his national profile continues to grow. Few people expect him to be deterred if Trump runs in 2024. Republican political advisers and consultants close to Trump say DeSantis is jealous that the former president remains the titular head of the national Republican Party. DeSantis is still looking for Trumps affection in a lot of ways, and I think for them to get miffed about not getting invited shows how big of a force Trump is during the midterm elections, said a person close to Trump. Even with a candidate who looks like hes going to win, theyre upset they were not invited to the rally? The person said they thought it was overblown and more staff hand-to-hand combat than any direct animosity between the two. There have, however, been increasingly open spats between the men in recent months, many instigated by Trump world. A day after DeSantis debate against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, Trump posted a clip on Truth Social, his social media platform, formerFox News host Megyn Kelly saying that the Florida governor cant overcome Trump in a GOP primary. DeSantis also recently endorsed Colorado GOP Senate candidate Joe ODea, a move Trump called a big mistake after accusing ODea of having moderate positions. In late September, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kusher criticized DeSantis-funded flights sending Venezuelan asylum seekers from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, arguing the Florida governor was using them as political pawns. Trump is Dr. Frankenstein coming to Florida to try and kill the monster that has gotten out of control, said a Florida GOP strategist in the governor's orbit. Its a fight over control. I think he [Trump] has picked his enemy. In his mind, they are running against each other. But a person close to DeSantis campaign said the Florida governors staff planned the 13 rallies more than a month ago well before Trump announced his Miami event. DeSantis campaign, the person added, didnt take it as a snub and characterized it as Trump is doing Trump and DeSantis is doing DeSantis. Another Florida Republican with ties to DeSantis even warned of the risks the Florida governor faced if he attended Trumps rally, saying that the former presidents off-the-cuff remarks could put DeSantis in an awkward position. Its a dangerous place to be. If he [Trump] goes off script and says something like can you believe this guy hasnt endorsed me yet on stage, its a bad spot for Ron. Something hed want to avoid, the person said. Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich, however, said Trump has reshaped Florida's electoral politics and is making traditional Democratic strongholds like Miami turn Republican. The Miami event puts some of the states other prominent Republicans in a difficult spot of choosing between Trump or DeSantis events on Sunday. Among the statewide Republicans running for re-election are Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody, while Senate President Wilton Simpson is running for agriculture commissioner. Each has been expected to easily defeat Democratic challenges, but they must now navigate between Trump and DeSantis, both of whom are politicians with well-worn reputations for grudge holding. Simpson, for example, is attending the Trump rally. A press release announcing the DeSantis campaigns final 13-city tour, which starts Friday, said special guests will include Moody, Patronis and Simpson, but did not specify which events they will attend. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who helped run DeSantis 2018 campaign but is speaking at the Trump and Rubio rally in Miami, said he doesnt think either DeSantis or Trump care about the other statewide elected Florida Republicans. I dont think the prizefighters care about the undercard, he said. Nov. 4Tuscola senior Eva Rinker signed her national letter of intent with West Virginia University to compete in cross country and track on Nov. 2. Rinker will join WVU's championship-caliber team, which came in second place in the Big 12 Cross Country Championships held Friday, Oct. 28. "We're here today to celebrate a milestone in the life of a student-athlete," Tuscola head track and field/cross country coach Kevin Fitzgerald told the crowd. "Eva has had a lot of support, particularly from her family." A cohort of Rinker's family attended the signing: mother Joanne, father Jeremy, sister Gracie, her grandparents Phil and Eileen Chieppa and Grandmother Jean. "And Papa Frank has been watching over Eva from heaven for the past 377 days," Fitzgerald added. Fitzgerald said Rinker approached him in the spring of 2020 and asked him if he would help her to improve her running so she could qualify for the state meet. "I agreed, and that began a partnership that endures to this day. Her goals changed; she set her sights on running in college, and with today's signing, she has achieved that goal and is going to the next level," Fitzgerald said. With support from her coach, family and teammates, Rinker qualified for the state meet in 2020. "Let me be perfectly clear about one very important thing; while many of us have supported Eva, there is only one person who is solely responsible for today, and that is Eva Rinker. Period, exclamation mark," Fitzgerald added. Rinker's accomplishments are lengthy: In cross country, she's been the number one player on the team for three consecutive years. In 30 races, she's come in first 11 times, second six times and third once to make the podium 18 of 30 attempts. She's a three-time all-conference runner, a two-time all-region runner and a three-time state meet qualifier. Rinker was 65th in the state as a sophomore, 19th last year, and will run in the state meet this Saturday. Story continues In track and field, she was the number one 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 runner on the team. She was all-conference last year, finishing first in the 800 and the 1600 races. She won regional honors by finishing first in the 800 and anchoring the 4x400 and 4x800 to fourth place. At state, she finished third in the 800-meter run at the 3A state championships. "I'd like to start by thanking all of you for coming today," Rinker told the crowd. "It means a lot. Thank you for celebrating this special moment with me. There's one person I'd especially like to thank, and that's coach Fitz." Rinker said over 50 Division I, II and III schools contacted her about competing for their programs. She said Fitzgerald led the communication between herself and WVU's coaches. "[Which led] me to continue my athletic and academic career at WVU." "I'm really excited for her," said Rinker's dad, Jeremy Rinker. "West Virginia has been Eva's number-one choice for quite some time now. Her mother and I both graduated from there. We've taken her back numerous times, and it's a place that feels comfortable to her." Jeremy Rinker said his daughter attended camps at WVU and fell in love with the school on her official visit. He believes the timing of her college signing is fortuitous. "By doing this signing, she is going to run free, with all that weight lifted of what her future holds. I'm excited for her to compete this weekend, represent Tuscola and run with her teammates," Jeremy Rinker said. Rinker said her goal is for her team to finish third. "We've got to beat the right runners to be able to finish third," she said. At WVU, Rinker plans to major in exercise physiology and double-minor in Spanish and math. Ukrainian soldiers drive a T-72 tank on the front line in eastern Ukraine on July 13, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images The US and the Netherlands will pay for the Czech Republic to refurbish 90 T-72 tanks for Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesperson said they will be "the most technically advanced tanks on the battlefield." The pledge comes as part of the US's latest $400 million military-aid package. The US and the Netherlands are paying for the Czech Republic to technically upgrade 90 T-72 tanks for Ukraine, the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon said Friday. The Pentagon is paying for the refurbishment of 45 Soviet-era T-72 tanks, and the Netherlands is matching the commitment for the cost of an additional 45. Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary for the Pentagon, said in a briefing on Friday that the first tanks will begin arriving in Ukraine by the end of the year. She said the refurbishment would add new optics, communications, and armor, and the tanks will become "the most technically advanced tanks on the battlefield." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter on Friday that Ukraine was "sincerely grateful" for the tanks, which he said were "significant and much-needed support." While other NATO countries have previously sent older T-72s to Ukraine, this is the first time the US is paying for the Czech Republic to upgrade the tanks, Singh said. Ukraine has been lobbying for newer tanks, such as the American-made Abrams or the German Leopard, but neither country has pledged to send any. Singh said that supplying tanks like the Abrams would be costly and require training for the Ukrainians, unlike the T-72s, with which they are already familiar. The Czech Republic's defense industry will carry out the work to upgrade the tanks, she said. The US is funding this as part of its latest $400 million military-aid package for Ukraine, which includes improved American Hawk air-defense missiles. It has a longer range than the Stinger missile systems that the US has already supplied to Ukraine. The air-defense systems will help Ukraine defend against attacks from Russian drones and missiles that have terrorized its cities and targeted its energy infrastructure, Singh said. Read the original article on Business Insider 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. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Twitter Inc temporarily closed its offices on Friday after telling employees they would be informed by email later in the day about whether they are being laid off. The move follows a week of uncertainty about the company's future under new owner Elon Musk. The social media company said in an email to staff it would tell them by 9 a.m. Pacific time on Friday about staff cuts. "In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday," said the email sent on Thursday, seen by Reuters. Musk, the world's richest person, is looking to cut around 3,700 Twitter staff, or about half the workforce, as he seeks to slash costs and impose a demanding new work ethic, according to internal plans reviewed by Reuters this week. The company's content moderation team is expected to be a target of the cuts, tweets from Twitter employees suggested on Friday. Musk has promised to restore free speech while preventing it from descending into a "hellscape." Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Twitter employees vented their frustrations about the layoffs on the social network, using the hashtag #OneTeam. User Rachel Bonn tweeted: "Last Thursday in the SF (San Francisco) office, really the last day Twitter was Twitter. 8 months pregnant and have a 9 month old. Just got cut off from laptop access." Responding to the #OneTeam thread, Twitter's Head of Safety & Integrity Yoel Roth, said: "Tweeps: My DMs (direct message routes) are always open to you. Tell me how I can help." Roth was the most senior executive to message publicly with a tweet of support for staff who are losing their jobs. He also appeared to still have his job. Last week, Musk endorsed Roth, citing his "high integrity" after he was called out over tweets critical of former U.S. President Donald Trump years earlier. Roth did not respond to a request for comment. Elon Musk taking ownership of Twitter has had a multi-pronged effect on the social media world. There having multiple reports of celebrities deleting their account, reports of the price for ownership of a blue tick on the social media platform, and others. Similarly, the takeover has had a similar effect or reaction from the automotive industry. After Tesla's CEO became the owner of Twitter, multiple auto brands stopped their advertisements on the social media platform or are considering doing so. The latest company to join the list of such brands is the Volkswagen Group. Based on the reports of Reuters, Volkswagen Group is telling its brands to pause advertising on Twitter. "We are closely monitoring the situation and will decide about the next steps depending on its evolvement," Volkswagen said in a statement, per Reuters. Aso read: Tata Motors announces price HIKE on Safari, Harrier, Nexon: Cars to become more expensive A day before the VW Group statement, Audi of America, a division of the VW Group brand Audi, announced that it had suspended its paid Twitter advertising. Audi of America will "continue to evaluate the situation," according to Reuters. Volkswagen (passenger cars), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Skoda, SEAT, Cupra, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, and Ducati are the brands now included in the Volkswagen Group. The VW Group includes numerous subsidiaries, including the Bugatti-Rimac, but we suspect the carmaker will order those businesses to stop advertising on Twitter temporarily. On the other hand, Ford acknowledged that before Musk's takeover, it had stopped running advertisements on Twitter. As soon as the news about Musk and Twitter initially surfaced in April of this year, Fisker, on the other hand, took a harsher action, with the company's CEO and the owner immediately deactivating his Twitter account. Citroen responded to the Musk-Twitter controversy with a one-liner tweet. On the eve of the COP27 U.N. climate conference in Egypt, hundreds of climate activists prevented private jets from departing Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Saturday. Protesters from Greenpeace and the Extinction Rebellion sat around private aeroplanes to stop them from taking off, and some others circled the planes on bicycles. Dewi Zloch of Greenpeace Netherlands said the activists want "fewer flights, more trains, and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets.Military police said they arrested a number of protesters for being on the airports grounds without authorization. Also read: Kenya Airways pilot strike leaves 10,000 passengers stranded at airports, over two dozen flights cancelled Responding Friday to an open letter from Greenpeace, Schiphol's new CEO Ruud Sondag said the airport is targeting emissions-free airports by 2030 and net climate-neutral aviation by 2050. And we have a duty to lead the way in that, but conceded it needed to happen faster. More than 120 world leaders will attend this years U.N. climate talks at the Red Sea coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh starting Sunday. Thorny issues are up for discussion at the Nov. 6-18 talks, including further cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting financial aid for poor countries struggling with the impacts of climate change. With inputs from agencies Despite the government's requests for them to end their strike, the pilots of Kenya Airways PLC, one of Africa's largest airlines, went on strike on Saturday, cancelling more than two dozen flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Business and vacation travellers will be impacted by the strike, which began at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), at one of Africa's most significant aviation hubs. The management of the airline, according to the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA), refused to consider their suggestions for how to address their complaints. "No KQ (Kenya Airways) aircraft has departed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport flown by a KALPA member from 6 a.m. this morning," the union said in a statement. "The strike is fully in force."Kenya Airways apologised to passengers in a statement and said it would do its best to minimise the inconvenience, which could include rebooking them onto alternative flights. Before the action, the company had called the planned strike unlawful and warned it could jeopardise its recovery from the pandemic, saying it could lose at least 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) daily" Also read: Bengaluru Airport recovers from Covid-19 slump, passenger traffic back to pre-pandemic levels "It is about 10,000 passengers affected so far, and if the situation continues like this, the impact on the other sectors of the economy, tourism, will be severe," the minister said, adding more than two dozen flights had been cancelled so far. A stranded passenger at the airport in the capital Nairobi, who identified himself as Lawrence, said he had arrived at 5 a.m. to take a flight to Johannesburg in South Africa, but "unfortunately, they've just told me that it's cancelled due to the strike." Other passengers told Reuters early on Saturday that the previous night was chaotic as people sought to travel before the strike started. Hundreds of passengers who had arrived in transit were trapped inside the airport as their connection flights failed to take off, they said. The pilots union had said it would call a strike over a dispute on pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay for its members after a 14-day notice had passed without the airline's management addressing their grievances. With inputs from agencies The international airport in Mopa in Goa will be inaugurated after December 8 depending on the schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the facility, the CM said it was 95 per cent complete and the remaining work would be finished in the next 15 days. "The date for commissioning of the airport will be decided depending on the availability of the Prime Minister. Tentatively, it would be inaugurated after December 8. The arrival and departure areas, baggage facility etc are ready. The airport has also received licence for its aerodrome," Sawant informed. An official of GMR, which would be running the airport, said only domestic flights would be operated immediately after inauguration in December, while international services will take off and land from January 2023 onwards. "The airport has the capacity to handle 4.4 million footfalls annually. This will be increased depending on demand. We have also installed a 25,000 ton Temparature Control Facility at the airport to handle pharma, fruits, floriculture, horticulture items etc," the official added. Earlier, General (Retd) VK Singh, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, stated that the Central government has no plans to close the current airport in Goa. The minister further emphasised that the Goa Dabolim airport will run concurrently with the state's brand-new airport. VK Singh made the comments at the CANSO conference in Goa, which was organised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Goa International Airport is an under-construction greenfield airport that is being built at Mopa in Pernem taluka of the North Goa district. GMR Goa International Airport Limited is currently developing the airport with a cost amount of around Rs 3,000 crore. With agencies inputs New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan is working on Tamil director Atlee's first Bollywood film 'Jawan' and fans cannot wait for it. The film also marks the Bollywood debut of Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Yogi Babu and Priyamani. It also features Deepika Padukone, Sanya Malhotra and Sunil Grover in pivotal roles. Most-awaited film 'Jawan' will hit the big screens in June next year. But, the film landed in trouble whilst the shooting continues. A complaint has been filed with the Tamil Film Producers Council, accusing the makers of plagiarism. According to News18, it has been reported that the story of 'Jawan' is similar to that of Vijayakanth's 'Perarasu', released in 1990. Manickam Narayanan provided financial support to the company after Kaja Mydeen passed away, he owns the rights to the film. He has recently filed a complaint with the Tamil Film Producers Council, alleging that Atlee has copied Jawan's story from Perarasu, the rights of which belong to him. The executive body of the council is expected to hold a hearing on the complaint on November 9. Earlier, when the first teaser of Jawan, featuring Shah Rukh Khan with bandages on his face was released, it drew comparisons with the 1990 superhero Hollywood movie Darkman, starring Liam Neeson. KYODO NEWS - Nov 5, 2022 - 07:22 | All, World The U.N. Security Council remained split Friday over how to deal with North Korea's continued launches of ballistic missiles, failing to overcome the gap among veto-wielding permanent members. The United States noted during a session that 13 of the 15 members of the council have moved to take punitive action against North Korea, which has continued with test-launches of ballistic missiles in defiance of the council's past resolutions. But Pyongyang has enjoyed "blanket protection" from the two other members of the council, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, in reference to China, a key benefactor of North Korea, and Russia. "This moment demands council unity," she said. China and Russia argued that joint military drills by the United States and South Korea have increased tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula. "The DPRK's recent launch activities did not happen in isolation, and they are directly linked to the words and deeds of relevant parties," Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun said, using the acronym of North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kimihiro Ishikane, the U.N. ambassador from Japan, urged the Security Council to act as one, saying North Korea's violations of past resolutions "followed the council's long inaction due to the negative attitude of some council members." Since North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006, the Security Council has adopted resolutions prohibiting the country from conducting any ballistic missile launches. Pyongyang has been test-firing various missiles at an unprecedented pace, with Thursday's launches marking the 30th such occasion this year. Last month, the council failed to take coordinated action, such as adopting a statement, after North Korea fired a ballistic missile that flew over Japan into the Pacific Ocean. In May, China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution aimed at strengthening economic sanctions on North Korea. Related coverage: Japan, U.S., South Korea condemn North Korea after launch of suspected ICBM North Korea keeps firing missiles, including suspected ICBM New Delhi: Telecom operators are pushing the European Union to implement new laws that would make Big Tech pay for network costs, following Australia's example, according to four sources close to the matter. Europe's telecoms operators have lobbied for a financial contribution from U.S. tech firms such as Alphabet's Google, Meta's Facebook and Netflix, saying that they use a huge part of the region's internet traffic. ALSO READ | Explained: What is Climate Financing that India demands from rich nations The latest proposal, which hasn't been reported, is being discussed within the telecoms lobby group GSMA, an association that represents more than 750 mobile operators. "GSMA is coordinating a proposal that speaks to Big Tech contribution to European infrastructure investment," said John Giusti, GSMA's chief regulatory officer, without elaborating on the content of the proposal. ALSO READ | YouTube soon to allow creators to go live with a guest on phone; Check details A letter will be sent to EU industry chief Thierry Breton in the next five to six weeks, Giusti said. Google, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The proposal comes ahead of the 27-country bloc's consultation on a so-called "fair share" contribution from the likes of Google, Netflix, Meta and Amazon, which account for more than half of the internet traffic. These platforms dismiss the idea and consider it an internet traffic tax. Australia's recently-adopted laws in its own spat with Google and Facebook have emerged as the most-favoured weapon for telecoms operators in their dispute with Big Tech companies, the sources said. The rules, first aimed at compelling tech giants to pay for news content online, allow an Australian government-appointed arbitrator to set fees if Big Tech companies and news publishers fail to find a common ground over copyright. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp reached last year a content-supply deal with Meta's Facebook in Australia under the rules, helping to put an end to a dispute that saw the social media giant briefly shut down thousands of pages in the country. Under Australia's binding so-called "final-offer arbitration", the parties have to negotiate in good faith. But if a deal can't be struck between them, they have to present their offers and defer to an arbitrator to choose one. The goal is to encourage tech giants and news publishers to reach an agreement before being compelled to go for this last resort procedure. The telecoms operators that are part of GSMA, including some of Europe's largest such as Orange, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica agree that the Australian way is the best approach, the sources said. No formal document has yet been sent to Breton, the sources said. Officials are discussing whether the proposal will be made directly by the GSMA or from a group of chief executives, one of the sources said. Breton has said he will seek feedback from both sides before drafting legislation. New Delhi: Indian tech company Wipro has announced to release 100% variable pay to team leader levels for Q2 for this fiscal year. The company said the variable pay will be released along with the November salary. ALSO READ | Explained: What is Climate Financing that India demands from rich nations "For Bands A to B3 in all units/functions, the pay-out is linked to company-level performance and a few other colleagues in higher bands," according to an Internal mail to its employees. The company further added that the variable pay will be given for bands A to B3 for the September-ended quarter. However, Wipro said the rest of the employees will get the payout based on their unit's target achievement. "The variable pay as per company policy performance comes to 93.5%. ALSO READ | Twitter head Musk hints THIS MUCH compensation will be given to ex- employees "For all others, the pay-out is based on their unit/function target achievement as per policy. And will receive a higher pay-out if they have exceeded their units target or lower if not," it added. Wipro Q2 Result/FY23 The companys revenue grew by over 5 per cent to Rs 22,362.9 crore in Q2FY23 as compared to Rs 21,285 crore in the previous quarter of the same year. In dollar terms, Wipros IT Services Segment Revenue grew by 2.3 per cent to $2,797.7 million, as against $2735.5 million quarter-on-quarter. While its margins came stable at 15.11 per cent in Q2FY23 as against 15 per cent in the earlier quarter of the current financial year. New Delhi: The 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) of UNFCCC is going to be held at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt from November 6 to 18. Its a United-Nation backed platform where global heads and leaders meet and discuss political steps and strategies together to combat the rising threat of climate challenge and to create a sustainable world. ALSO READ | Twitter sacks an Indian employee, His reaction wins netizen hearts India called on rich countries on Friday to live up to their promise of providing $100 billion in annual climate finance to developing nations and urged them to increase the amount for future years at next week's U.N. climate conference. This years COP27 summit will be even more crucial in the backdrop of several extreme weather events typhoons in Bangladesh, unprecedented floods in Pakistan, heatwaves in Europe, wildfires in North America, dry rivers in China, and droughts in Africa. ALSO READ | 'Outfit that spreads and spews lies': US President slams Musk's twitter buy Lets try to understand what is climate financing and how it will work in the global scenario. What is Climate Financing? Climate finance refers to local, national, or transnational financing, which may be drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing. Its a major and quintessential tool to combat climate change because countries need to make large-infrastructural investments for addressing carbon emission and pollution. Countries especially less developed ones dont have enough fund to investment in large-scale projects such as solar panels, electronic vehicles, etc. Therefore, Climate financing helps to pool enough wealth to invest in better technologies and resources. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation, for which significant financial resources will be similarly required to allow societies and economies to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of climate change. Why do we need it? According to the New Climate Economy Report, which was issued in 2018, the bold climate action could yield a direct economic gains of US $26 trillion through to 2030 compared with business-as-usual- a conservative estimate. This becomes important when the issue of development and climate change is in a conflict state. Governments and leaders want to focus more on development at economic and societal level for a better society. However, in normal cases, it happens at a cost of environment desolation. Laying down roads, constructing dams and ports, and producing large amount of products would definitely harm the environment. Less developed countries cant afford to sidetrack their funds for reducing poverty, malnourishment, illiteracy, etc. for the projects that might dont have direct impact. (With Agencies Inputs) New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also claims to be the largest political party in the world, has resorted to using a `thug` to attain political mileage, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Saturday. Addressing a press conference here, Bhardwaj launched a scathing attack on BJP, saying that a `thug` by the name of Sukesh Chandrasekhar has become the brand ambassador of the saffron party ahead the Assembly elections in Gujarat and the municipal polls in Delhi. "Elections in Gujarat and Delhi are pushing the BJP into a fear zone; they`re piggybacking on a conman like Sukesh Chandrasekhar for political mileage. Chandrasekhar has become BJP`s star campaigner ahead of the elections," he said. "Ever since the Assembly elections in Gujarat and the civic polls in Delhi were announced, the BJP has become very nervous. This can be gauged by listening to the speeches of its national spokespersons and senior leaders. Also Read: Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar makes EXPLOSIVE allegations against Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendra Jain in new letter - Read here "It is absolutely shameful that to falsely defame the Aam Aadmi Party in this election season, the BJP is taking the support of a thug called Sukesh Chandrasekhar," Bhardwaj said. BJP Sukesh Chandrashekhar , Star Campaigner Sukesh Chandrashekhar Ranbaxy Shivender Singh , Amit Shah 215 Crore , ? @Saurabh_MLAgk pic.twitter.com/J4yLNEvAmO AAP (@AamAadmiParty) November 5, 2022 Jailed conman Chandrasekhar recently alleged that he is being threatened by AAP leader Satyendar Jain and ex-DG (Prisons) of Tihar jail after his complaint to the Delhi L-G went public. In the letter, Chandrasekhar had claimed that Rs 50 crore was paid to AAP as he was promised an important party position in south India. Also Read: Kejriwal Massage Centre: BJP puts up poster to MOCK AAP over conman Sukesh Chandrashekhars 'extortion' claim "Mr Kejriwal, I am the country`s `biggest thug` according to you. Then why did you receive Rs 50 crore from me and offer me Rajya Sabha seat? What does that make you ? `maha thug`?" he had written in the letter. Chandrasekhar is presently lodged in Delhi`s Mandoli jail for allegedly extorting money from high-profile people and celebrities. New Delhi: A day after a huge political episode centred around Delhis air pollution and stubble burning, when Delhis Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal indirectly blamed the neighbouring states for stubble burning and contributing to air pollution in the whole of North India, farmers in Haryana are claiming of not burning stubble as the government is buying it for Rs 5000/kg. Rohtaks local farmers are reportedly opting to convert stubble into fodder, thereby reducing the number of stubble-burning incidents in the state. Correction | Haryana: Farmers in Rohtak opt for converting stubble into fodder, reducing the number of #StubbleBurning incidents in the state We won't burn stubble now; it led to pollution. Govt is buying our stubble at Rs 5000/acre*. We can buy fertilizers, seeds: Local farmer pic.twitter.com/Q8IFDCXgN0 ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Big relief for farmers A local farmer told the media that they can buy fertilizers and seeds with the profit they are getting by selling stubble to the BJP-led Haryana government. We won't burn stubble now; it led to pollution. Govt is buying our stubble at Rs 5000/kg. We can buy fertilizers, seeds with this profit, a local farmer told media. Stubble-burning cases reduced According to the District Collector of Rohtak, the governments collective efforts have led to a reduction of stubble burning cases by 23-24% in the last 3-4 years. The DC also warned of imposition of compensation charge if found burning stubble in the area. Also Read: Delhi Air Pollution: 'Wear masks, because Kejriwalji is busy MAKING...': Union Health Minister ATTACKS Arvind Kejriwal Haryana govt's efforts in the last 3-4 years of providing alternate uses to farmers have led to the reduction in #StubbleBurning cases by 23-24%... Environmental Compensation charge will be imposed on anyone engaging in any fire incident - it's standard practice, Rohtak DC said. This comes a day after Arvind Kejriwal signalled of not solely blaming Punjab for stubble-burning instances, and said that it is the collective result of several neighbouring states, like Haryana, and Rajasthan. Air quality 'severe' Air pollution is causing a serious health hazard in Delhi-NCR with the Air Quality Index crossing 600-mark in several areas, leading the air being severe. Delhi`s air quality remained in the severe category for the third day in a row on Saturday. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday remarked that pollution is not Delhi`s but North Indias problem, urging the Centre to take specific steps to relieve the region from the problem. Kejriwal also said that the Delhi government is mulling whether the odd-even scheme for vehicles should be implemented. He went on to announce that the primary schools in Delhi will be shut from Saturday onwards till the pollution situation in the National capital improves. New Delhi: Amid the row over conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar`s letter mentioning Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of receiving money, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief attributing him as the "guru of all thugs". Addressing a press conference, Bhatia said, "Arvind Kejriwal is the guru of all the thugs. There is no friend whom Arvind Kejriwal has not cheated. The sins and misdeeds of Arvind Kejriwal were exposed by the letter of misdeeds by the letter from Sukesh Chandrasekhar." "The letter says the way Arvind Kejriwal takes Rs 50 crore from the great thugs and discusses sending such persons against whom there are many criminal cases to Rajya Sabha. Today, the role of three people becomes clear in this, the first is the biggest thug and kingpin Arvind Kejriwal, the second is Satyendra Jain, and third is Kailash Gehlot," he added. Bhatia said according to the letter, Kejriwal told Sukesh Chandrashekhar that he had given Rs 50 crores and asked him to bring 20-30 more businessmen like him and gave a target of Rs 500-600 crore. The BJP leader said that Kejriwal`s promise of a clean Delhi has failed and people in the national capital are suffering from severe air quality. Attacking Kejriwal, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir said, "The biggest thug is not the one who is sitting in jail but the one who is sitting on the chair of Delhi and cheating the entire Delhi and the people of the country. He has already made Delhi dirty. Now he wants to make Rajya Sabha dirty. Delhi has neither clean water to drink nor clean air to breathe." Also Read: BJP people! So scared of elections: Manish Sisodia on ED raids In a letter that has been confirmed by his lawyer, Sukesh, who is currently lodged in Delhi`s Tihar Jail and facing several cases of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Money Laundering Act, alleged, "Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and ex-Tihar DG are threatening me after my complaint to Delhi`s LG went public".Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sukesh fired questions at him." Kejriwal Ji why you forced me to bring 20-30 individuals to contribute Rs 500 crore to the party in return for seats," he claimed. Sukesh further asked why did the Delhi Chief Minister receive Rs 50 crore from him and offered him a Rajya Sabha seat." Kejriwal Ji, I am the country`s biggest thus according to you, then why on what basis you received Rs 50 crore from me and offered Rajya Sabha seat to me? So what does that make you?" the letter alleged. He further asked the Delhi Chief Minister and jailed Minister Satyendar Jain to "stop threatening and intimidating" him through the jail administration and said that nothing will stop him from seeking a detailed CBI probe. Also Read: 'People will do Jai Ram ji in Himachal...: Chhattisgarh CM hits out at BJP "Kejriwal ji and Satyendar Jain Ji, stop threatening and intimidating me through the jail administration. Nothing will stop me from moving ahead and seeking a detailed CBI probe," the letter stated."After my arrest in the year 2017, I was imprisoned in Tihar Jail and Satyendra Jain visited me several times. The secretary had asked me to give Rs 2 crore per month as protection money," Chandrashekhar stated in his letter. New Delhi: Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in a letter to his lawyer on Friday (November 4) wrote that the Delhi minister Satyendra Jain and Tihar Jail's former DG is threatening him after he complained about the latter to Delhi LG. In the letter, Chandrashekhar wrote, "Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain and ex-Tihar DG are threatening me after my complaint to Delhi's LG went public." The conman also asked Delhi CM Kejriwal why did he force him to bring 20-30 people to contribute 500 crore rupees in return for a seat in the party. Sukesh Chandrashekhar asked his lawyer to use the letter written by him as a press release as he wanted to answer the questions of media persons after the hearing. Chandrashekhar in his letter also stated that he will file a defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal as the latter called him the "country's biggest thug." "Mr Kejriwal tweeted saying that I'm country's biggest thug which to me sounded like a joke as well as going to attract a defamation suit which I would be next week against Mr Kejriwal," he stated in the letter. "Kejriwal Ji why you forced me to bring 20-30 individuals to contribute Rs 500 cr to the party in return of seats," reads Sukesh Chandrashekhar's letter that has been confirmed by his lawyer pic.twitter.com/ykRxNsJbyz ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Making big revelations Conman in his letter alleged that he gave Delhi CM Kejriwal Rs 50 crore for a seat in Rajyasabha. "Kejriwal ji if I'm country's biggest thug according to you then on what basis you received Rs 50 cr from me and offered Rajya Sabha seat to me? So what does that make you? Maha thug?" Chandrashekhar wrote in the letter. Sukesh further alleged that Kejriwal attended his dinner party at along with Satyendra Jain in 2016 at Hyatt Bhikaji Kama Place where he was staying after the delivery of 50 crore Rs which he paid to Kailash Gehlot on Delhi CM's instructions. Chandrashekhar further wrote alleging that Kejriwal force him and kept following him to make sure that Bhaskar Rao, ex-commissioner Bengaluru joins AAP. Chandrashekhar made an explosive revelation alleging that in 2017 Kejriwal spoke to him when Satyendra Jain went to visit him in the Tihar Jail-1. Conman stated in his handwritten letter that Arvind Kejriwal's number on Satyendra Jain's "black I-phone" was saved as "AK-2." "Kejriwal ji why you constantly ask me if everything was OK and if anything is there to inform toMr Jain ? in 2017 after my arrest in 2 lead cases?" Chandrashekhar further wrote. Conman in his letter stated that Kejriwal will now be answerable to the law as he will submit "all the evidence of every transaction and communication" between him, Kejriwal and all the associates of AAP convener. Earlier, Chandrashekhar has made an explosive revelation that jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain had extracted Rs 10 crore as protection money to protect him in the Tihar Jail. Sukesh Chandrashekhar made these claims in a letter addressed to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in which he also said that he knew the AAP leader since 2015. In his letter, the incarcerated conman said that a total amount of Rs 50 crore was paid to Jains party AAP which promised to offer him an important party position in south India. After my arrest in 2017, I was lodged in Tihar Jail and was visited multiple times by Satyendar Jain, who held the portfolio of jail minister... In 2019 again, I was visited by Jain, whose secretary asked me to pay Rs 2 crore every month as protection money and to get basic facilities inside the jail, Chandrashekhar claimed in his hand-written letter. New Delhi: Two years after the major riots wrecked North-East Delhi, which claimed 53 lives in the national capital, Delhi Court on Friday, November 5, 2022, framed charges against the key accused of riots, ex-Aam Aadmi Party Councillor Tahir Hussain, along with 7 others for alleged attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly. The Court concluded that the defendants were provoking people to teach Hindus a lesson and hurt them. North East Delhi Violence | Delhi court framed charges against ex-AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain and 7 other accused for alleged attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly. The court said that accused were instigating others to teach Hindus a lesson and harm them. ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Yesterday, Karkardooma Court also framed the ex-AAP councillor in a money laundering case under section 3 which is punishable under section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. North East Delhi Violence | Karkardooma Court orders framing of charges against ex-AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain in money laundering. Court says, there is sufficient material on record, prima facie, creating grave suspicion against the accused for framing charge against him. ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2022 The court observed that there was sufficient material on record against Tahir Hussain, dragging him into grave suspicion of instigating riots. Further trial in the case is also announced. The matter has now been listed for hearing on November 14 for formal framing of charges. Statutory bail denied Statutory bail has also been denied to Hussain by the court. According to the court, he was a part of a plan to fraudulently take money from the accounts of certain companies owned or controlled by him through fake and fraudulent activities. On February 23, 2020, clashes broke out between anti- and pro-CAA demonstrators in Karawal Nagar, Maujpur Chowk, Babarpur and Chand Bagh. Police lathi-charged and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The following afternoon, violent clashes broke out in several areas of Northeast Delhi, including in the Gokalpuri and Kardampuri areas. Clashes were marked by arson, vandalism of property, stone pelting and burning of places of worship which claimed 53 lives and injured several. Lucknow: Amid the rising dengue cases in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday chaired a meeting with officials of the state health department and directed nodal officers to make field visits and ensure time-bound implementation of measures to contain the spread of the vector-borne disease. The chief minister also instructed the health officials to step up surveillance in the affected areas. "All municipal corporations and local bodies of the state should conduct special campaigns on cleanliness, fogging and anti-larva spray," he said. Also directing officials to ensure the availability of doctors and medicines at all times, the chief minister said all patients must receive proper medical care on being admitted to hospitals. Earlier, on October 26, the chief minister had advised the health officials to take extra precautions amid the rising dengue cases. Also Read: 'REACH school 15 minutes before students, OTHERWISE...': CM Yogi Adityanath warns UP teachers The chief minister also issued instructions to open isolation wards in each district hospital and assure the availability of medicines and other necessary provisions like beds. In addition to issuing directions to health officials to be proactive in their dengue prevention efforts, the chief minister also advised the citizens to be watchful and take necessary precautions to avoid catching the vector-borne disease. Dengue cases have been on the rise across the state in the recent past, with unconfirmed reports putting the toll in Prayagraj district at over 36. However, none of the government agencies concerned had made any data available on the number of deaths due to dengue. Sundernagar (HP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the people of Himachal Pradesh had made up their minds to retain the BJP in power, saying rapid progress and a stable government was necessary in the hill state. Addressing a poll rally at Sundernagar in Mandi district PM Modi said, "The Himachal polls this time are special because the votes cast on November 12 are not just for the coming five years. Every single vote on November 12 will define the state's development journey for the next 25 years." Mandi is the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who also addressed the rally. "A few weeks ago, India completed 75 years of independence. When India celebrates 100 years of its independence, closer to that, HP will also complete 100 years of its formation. Therefore, the next 25 years are going to be very crucial," the prime minister pointed out. Targeting Congress over its poll promises, PM said, "Making false promises and giving false guarantees has been an old trick of Congress. Congress never gave priority to the development of Himachal. BJP has fulfilled its promises made to the people." Also Read: 'BJP has no intention to give jobs': Priyanka Gandhi promises 1 lakh jobs to youth ahead of Himachal Pradesh elections "We gave free vaccines. If there was a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, then vaccines would have reached Himachal Pradesh at last. You (public) voted on the right button and that's why so much development happened", PM Modi said. We gave free vaccines. If there was a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, then vaccines would have reached Himachal Pradesh at last. You (public) voted on the right button and that's why so much development happened: PM Narendra Modi, in Mandi#HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/5YcylSBZmQ ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Stressing that it was necessary to achieve rapid progress and a stable government in Himachal Pradesh, Modi said, "I am happy that the people of Himachal, its youth, mothers and sisters understand this very well." Also Read: Congress will CANCEL AGNIPATH SCHEME if...': Priyanka Gandhis BIG announcement in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh Modi claimed that the people knew the BJP stood for stability, "sewa baav" (service), "sam-baav" (equanimity), and accorded highest priority to development. "Therefore, in the people of Himachal Pradesh have decided to bring the BJP to back power," he said. (With agency inputs) By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Turkiye have discussed future cooperation in the insurance sector, Azernews reports. The discussion took place during a videoconference between Azerbaijan's Central Bank Governor Taleh Kazimov, Turkiye's Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Authority Head Mehmet Akif Eroglu, and Turkiye's Insurance Information and Monitoring Center CEO Serkan Avci. Other representatives of the above institutions also participated in the meeting. "Today we met through video conferencing with Mehmet Akif Ero?lu, Head of the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Authority, #Turkiye (@seddkofficial) and Serkan Avci, CEO of the Insurance Information and Monitoring Center, #Turkiye (@sbmkurumsal) and representatives from both institutions. We discussed current and future cooperation issues between our institutions," Taleh Kazimov tweeted. Azerbaijan and Turkiye collaborate in a variety of economic sectors and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP. In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defense cooperation, promoting regional stability, and prosperity through establishing new transport routes. The two countries set up a goal of bringing 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 keen on involvement in the restoration of Azerbaijans liberated territories. KYODO NEWS - Nov 5, 2022 - 21:36 | All, World, Japan The United States and Japan conducted joint air drills Saturday involving fighter jets in the airspace over the East China Sea northwest of Japan's southern island of Kyushu, the Defense Ministry said. The bilateral exercise conducted by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.S. Armed Forces was held in response to increasing provocative actions by North Korea including its repeated launches of ballistic missiles, and is intended to show the close level of cooperation between the two allies, it said. The aircraft involved in the drills were five F-2 fighter jets from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and two B-1B strategic bombers and two F-16 fighters from the United States, according to the ministry. Japanese and U.S. forces conducted an air exercise on Oct. 4, the same day North Korea launched a missile that flew over the northern part of Japan's main island of Honshu. Related coverage: North Korea fires 4 short-range ballistic missiles off its west coast U.N. Security Council remains split over North Korea missiles issue Japan, U.S., South Korea condemn North Korea after launch of suspected ICBM New Delhi: Congress party released its Himachal Pradesh election manifesto. This state has had three Chief Ministers from the Congress party. Yashwant Singh Parmar was the state's first chief minister. Virbhadra Singh and Thakur Ram Lal are the other two Congress CM of the state in past. However, no consecutive government has been able to hold office in this state in the last few years. Every year, the government is replaced. In its manifesto this time, Congress has made five major promises to the people of Himachal Pradesh. The party has stated that it will run in the November 12 election under a collective leadership and that the chief ministerial candidate will be chosen following discussions with elected MLAs and the party's high command. 5 BIG promises in Congress manifesto Congress has promised in its manifesto for Himachal Pradesh Polls, that it will be reviving the old pension scheme, 300 units of free power, a Rs 680-crore StartUp fund, one lakh jobs and Rs 1,500 per month for women between 18 to 60 years "This is not just a poll manifesto but a document prepared for the development and welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh," Congress' poll manifesto committee chairman Dhani Ram Shandil states. Also Read: In Himachal, PM Narendra Modi's 'vote-for-me, not candidate' appeal to voters "We will again write to the Central government and seek legal advice to implement the old pension scheme," he said. Rajeev Shukla stated that the party created this manifesto after consulting with people from all walks of life. It promised to establish an anti-drug enforcement agency led by a retired judge to combat the state's drug problem. The manifesto was presented to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. AICC Himachal Pradesh in-charge Rajeev Shukla, former Congress state unit chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, and AICC secretaries Tejinder Pal Bittu and Manish Chatrath were also present.--Baghel stated that Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had written to the Central government to return the people's money to the National Pension System to implement the old pension scheme, but they refused. Also Read: 'I saw a lot of MONEY coming, BUT Kejriwal SIGNALLED...': Indranil Rajguru's BIG claim after resigning from AAP More promises made by Congress All transfers made by the Jairam Thakur government to harass officials will be revoked, Shukla said, adding that an agriculture and growers committee with apple grower representation will be formed to determine the price of fruits and crops. The Congress promised to provide loans at nominal rates to taxi drivers and to extend the permit period from 10 to 15 years, he said while reading the manifesto. The manifesto promised a pension for journalists, a reduction in gun licence fees, and a reduction in the state's debt burden. The Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor and urging voters in the state not to re-elect the BJP. Dhani Ram Shandil further added that the BJP has failed to meet people's expectations and has failed to keep promises made five years ago. (With agencies inputs) New Delhi: As the new CM face for Gujarat was announced, Indranil Rajguru resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party. He previously served in the Gujarat legislative assembly. Rajguru claimed that the AAP had already decided on the CM's face. He mentioned that he saw a lot of money coming in while he was at the party. Rajguru questioned both CMs, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, about the money. He stated unequivocally that AAP deceives people, so he decided to return to Congress. Isudan Gandhvi has been named Gujarat's chief ministerial candidate. He is a former journalist who entered politics only in June 2021. Even Congress released the first list of 43 candidates on Friday (November 4, 2022) Indranil Rajguru quit AAP & rejoined Congress After leaving AAP he said, "After I returned to Cong, AAP alleged I wanted to be CM face&demanded tickets for 15 people. CM's face was pre-decided...I was told not to insist & that list comes from Kamalam(Gujarat BJP HQ)& they've to go with it..." Indranil Rajguru was a big leader in the Aam Aadmi Party. After naming Gandhvi as the CM face, Kejriwal may face some more resignations in the party as per sources. I also saw a lot of money coming & asked where is it from. Both CMs(Kejriwal & Mann)had come to Rajkot & it was then that I asked about it, they signaled (shows an airborne aircraft) & said that's how. It's a party that befools people. So, I returned to Congress, states Indranil Rajguru I also saw a lot of money coming & asked where is it from. Both CMs(Kejriwal & Mann)had come to Rajkot & it was then that I asked about it, they signaled (shows an airborne aircraft) & said that's how. It's a party that befools people. So, I returned to Congress: Indranil Rajguru pic.twitter.com/mGX976sxED ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 BJP, AAP- candidate list The ruling BJP has not yet announced its candidates, but the newcomer AAP has announced its candidates for 118 seats. The Congresss list was announced following a meeting of the party's central election committee (CEC) chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge here. Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi participated in the meeting virtually, while the rest of the participants gathered in person at the AICC headquarters here. The Congress Party is attempting to depose Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power in Gujarat, where the BJP has been in power for more than two decades. Elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place in two stages next month, on December 1 and 5, respectively, and will be counted on December 8, 2022. Also Read: BJP Leader Uma Bharti RENOUNCES family, will now be known as 'DIDI MAA' - Read the full story HERE Details of the Congress list Arjun Modhwadia, a senior leader and former MLA, has been nominated from the Porbandar seat, which he lost to the BJP's Babu Bokhiriya in 2012 and 2017. Yagnik has been chosen to run for the Ghatlodia seat in Ahmedabad, which is currently held by Chief Minister Patel. Only one of the 43 seats for which the opposition party has declared candidates are currently held by it, Jhalod (ST) of Dahod district.Instead of Bhavesh Katara, the party has chosen Mitesh Garasiya of Jhalod. Garasiya served as a Congress MLA from 2012 to 2017. Yagnik is one of seven women on the first list of candidates. This time, some former MLAs were also able to obtain tickets. Also Read: 'Kejriwal turned Delhi into gas chamber like Hitler': BJP puts up shocking poster Narendra Ravat's wife is the leader of the opposition in the BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Amee Ravat has been elected to the city seat of Sayajigunj. Bholabhai Gohel, a former Congress MLA from Jasdan, has been re-elected to the party's ticket. Gohel joined the BJP after being denied a ticket in 2017 but rejoined the Congress in 2018. Kanubhai Kalsariya, a senior party leader and former BJP MLA from Bhavnagar's Mahuva seat, has been chosen by the Congress for the same seat. He ran as an independent in the 2017 election but was defeated by the BJP's Raghav Makwana by nearly 5,000 votes. (With agencies inputs) Solan (Himachal Pradesh): Launching a scathing attack on Congress ahead of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Congress means the guarantee of "corruption and selfish politics" PM highlighted the development strides and policies of the `Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)`s double-engine government in the state. Addressing `Vijay Sankalp Rally` in Solan, PM Modi said, "Himachal Pradesh needs a BJP government that will provide stability to it. For 30 years, there was instability in Delhi. Governments came and went while thousands of crores of rupees were wasted in elections that happened repeatedly. In 2014 people voted for a stable government." Urging support for the BJP in the upcoming state Assembly polls, Prime Minister said, "You need not remember the BJP candidate, only remember the symbol of `Lotus` when you go to cast your vote. I have come to you with `Lotus`. Wherever you see the symbol of `Lotus` that means it is the BJP and that Modi ji has come to you."Himachal Pradesh is all set to go to polls on November 12, the results of which will be declared on December 8. Also Read: 'Himachal assembly elections 2022 crucial for its development over next 25 years': PM Narendra Modi "During Congress`s rule, there were various groups that had a vested interest in unstable governments. Small states were the target of such self-centred groups. These groups worked only for their own interest. The people of Himachal know that Congress means the guarantee of corruption and selfish politics. BJP`s work and resolve are strong while in Congress there is indecisiveness, uncertainty and anarchy," he said. HP | You need not remember the BJP candidate, only remember the symbol of 'Lotus' when you go to cast your vote. I've come to you with 'Lotus', wherever you see the symbol of 'Lotus' that means it's the BJP & that Modi ji has come to you: PM Modi while addressing a rally in Solan pic.twitter.com/J9rgyWZ3OY ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Referring to States like Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, PM said many such small states now have stable governments. He said a similar trend has now been observed in Uttar Pradesh where people broke the tradition and brought back the Yogi government again. Prime Minister attributed the fight against terrorism and Naxalism to the BJP government at the Centre. He said, "The decisive battle against corruption and the corrupt began when a stable government was formed at the Centre...When a stable government was formed at the Centre, terrorism and Naxalism came under control and peace was established in the North East. Also Read: 'Cong against 'National Security', took money in every defence deal': PM Modi in Himachal Those people who call themselves `kattar imaandaar` (staunch honest) are the most corrupt. These people hatch conspiracies to break society and the unity of the country. Himachal has to save itself from such selfish groups."PM said the double-engine government of BJP transformed the lives of farmers in Himachal. "Rs 2,000 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers of Himachal Pradesh through PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Its benefit has reached 9 lakh farmers. We have to bring urea from abroad, one sack of urea costs us Rs 2,000 but we give it to our farmers for less than Rs 270. Our government bears the rest of the expenses. Some people who give Rs 100 subsidies spend Rs 1,000 for publishing advertisement regarding it," he said. New Delhi: The Indian Navy is on alert after a Chinese research ship entered the Indian Ocean region. "The Indian Navy has been closely monitoring the Chinese research vessel as soon as it entered the IOR. Indian Navy's assets which are Mission deployed in the IOR and the aerial surveillance capabilities ensure that the Navy maintains a comprehensive maritime domain awareness in the region," defence sources told ANI. The Indian Navy will monitor the Chinese surveillance ship's activity through its aerial and maritime assets. The Indian Navy keeps an eye on any such activity in its area of responsibility through its aerial and maritime assets, the sources said. The Chinese research vessel is still quite a distance from the Indian seas. Its presence comes during a time when India's Defence sector tests its missiles. India had issued a Notice to Airmen which announced its plan to test a missile over the Bay of Bengal region from 10-11 Nov. These research ships are also sent by the Chinese to follow their satellite launches, but this time, it may be to track upcoming missile launches by the Defence Research and Development Organization in India. (With agency inputs) Jammu: A live mortar was defused at a forward village near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, officials said. Some labourers found the unexploded mortar shell while digging at Ajote village and informed the police, they said. A bomb disposal squad was rushed to the village and the explosive device was safely defused, they said. The mortar shell had apparently landed in the village during cross-border shelling by Pakistan some years ago, the officials added. Also Read: 2 migrant labourers shot by terrorists in J&K's Anantnag, one critical Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Army foiled a major infiltration bid by killing three terrorists along the Line of Control in the Poonch district of Jammu. While the body of one of the terrorists was recovered by soldiers, the bodies of the other two, lying across the LoC, were taken back by villagers of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said. Jammu & Kashmir | Indian Army Bomb Disposal Squad and Police defused an old live 120mm mortar bomb found in a field in Ajote village, Poonch pic.twitter.com/fxgg5osjMS ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 Jammu-based defence spokesman Lt. Col Devinder Anand said, "At about 1000 hours, the alert soldiers of the Indian Army observed suspicious movement of some individuals along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector, wherein they were trying to infiltrate across the Line of Control, into the Indian side." Adding he said, The alert troops challenged the infiltrators and the (terrorists) fired on their troops, he said, adding, In the ensuing firefight, One ( terrorist ) body has been recovered along with Two AK -47 Rifles, One Pistol and other war like stores. The soldiers challenged the infiltrators who opened fire on them, he said. In an ensuing firefight, three terrorists were killed, the officials said. The villagers in PoK carried back the bodies of the other two terrorists, the officials said. The operation continues and a massive search operation was on Thursday launched by the Army in the areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: In a shocking revelation days after the tragic incident of Morbi bridge collapse, which led to the killing of at least 140 people, the loopholes of the full and final renovation by the Oreva company are coming to light. According to the police probe, the company used only 6 per cent of the total budget allocated for the renovation of the 143-years-old suspension footbridge. Incomplete renovation Oreva company, known for wall clocks, was given a 15-year contract of Rs 2 crore for the refurbish the suspension bridge. However, the company used only Rs 12 Lakh of the total money allocated and reportedly did not renovate the bridge as assigned. Initial reports by Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) revealed that the cable of the bridge was rusting away and only the flooring of the bridge was done. The cables were not changed and oiling-greasing was also not done. The investigation has revealed that the bridges renovation was subcontracted to a local enterprise, which has no expertise to carry out such heavy renovation work. Also Read: Gujarat Assembly Election 2022: Morbi Municipality's chief officer suspended days after bridge collapse What police said According to media reports, a police officer who is part of the probe panel said that the sub-contractor has merely applied some painting, greasing and conducted other superficial works. Some rust-free paint was applied at the corroded places. The aluminium sheets that replaced the footings at some places were of inferior quality, the officer said. The Oreva company has also not provided the break up of the Rs 2 crore spent on the renovation of the bridge, according to police. Opposition outcry Several opposition leaders across the country have condemned the mishap and expressed their dismay over the misgovernance of the BJP in the state. On Friday, November 4, the BJP-led Gujarat government suspended Morbi Municipality's chief officer Sandipsinh Zala. GT Pandya, the District Collector of Morbi, stated that the Chief Officer has been delegated to the Resident Additional Collector of Morbi. At least 140 people, including women and children, were killed and over 100 injured after a cable suspension bridge in Morbi town collapsed on Sunday, november , plunging people into the Machchhu River. Gandhinagar: The BJP has decided not to give tickets to the relatives of sitting MPs and MLAs for the next month's Gujarat Assembly elections, its state unit chief C R Patil said here on Saturday. Patil's statement came after Bharuch MP Mansukh Vasava demanded an Assembly ticket for his daughter. Some other MPs and MLAs of the party have voiced similar demands. The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided not to give tickets to the relatives of sitting MPs and MLAs," Patil told reporters. The ruling party is currently selecting panels of three probable candidates for each of the 182 Assembly constituencies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is chairing the meetings of the state election committee of the BJP since Thursday. On Saturday, the last day of the meetings, the committee discussed candidates for 77 seats, party sources said. The saffron party on Saturday also launched the `Agresar Gujarat' (Gujarat First) campaign to collect people's suggestions for its manifesto. People can drop their suggestions in suggestion boxes kept in public places or mail them to agresargujart.Com website. Suggestions will be accepted till November 15, a party release said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Himanshu Vyas joined the BJP on Saturday. Vyas was welcomed by BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave into the party fold. Also Read: 'People will do Jai Ram ji in Himachal...: Chhattisgarh CM hits out at BJP Ranchi: Income tax raids continued for the second day in a row at the Ranchi home of Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh. Officials from the IT department were spotted at the residence of the Congress leader. Jaimangal Singh has brushed off the allegations and said that the Income Tax Officers have not found anything and have been forcefully keeping him confined at his residence. He also alleged the BJP of misusing the agency against him for opposing them and accused BJPs Babulal Marandi, Nishikant Dubey and HB Sarma of sending IT officers to raid his residence. Jharkhand | Raids were conducted at my residences in various places. They got some papers & Rs 600 from my Patna residence. They are yet to find anything at Ranchi home. They're just sitting here & are forcefully keeping us confined in the home: Congress MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh https://t.co/GsIzcRy5tQ pic.twitter.com/HHrnZCM5Qy ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 The raids came after Chief Minister Hemant Soren requested a three-week extension from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before the agency for questioning in the illegal mining case. They didn't get anything despite raids. How will they save me from disrespect & Naxal attacks, or will save my children from kidnapping attempts? They're here on the diktats of their seniors, Jaimangal Singh said. Accusing the BJP for sending IT officers at his home, Singh said, We have been against BJP that's why we were raided. None of the income tax officers gave any info that I have Rs 1 crore assets. My relatives are being harassed too. IT officials are being sent at the behest of BJP's Babulal Marandi, Nishikant Dubey, HB Sarma. Raids were conducted at my residences in various places. They got some papers & Rs 600 from my Patna residence. They are yet to find anything at Ranchi home. They're just sitting here and are forcefully keeping us confined in the home, he added. Earlier on November 4, Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of being afraid of Congress and its supporters. "I believe that Narendra Modi is the first PM of independent India who is afraid of Congress and its supporters and is trying to subdue its (Congress`) voice with the help of central agencies," Sinha said. Soon after the Income tax department started its raids at the residence of MLA Kumar Jaimangal Singh in Ranchi, the Congress spokesperson said, "Yesterday only, the CM was summoned by the ED and today Congress MLAs are being raided by IT, which proves that it is an attempt of BJP to demolish a democratic government in Jharkhand, which will never be successful in the state." "I want to add that the people of Jharkhand are with the Mahagathbandhan government and you cannot establish your government in this state till 2029," said Sinha. Reacting to the allegations, BJP MLA CP Singh said that the opposition was getting agitated as the country is moving on the path of development under Prime Minster Modi`s leadership. "People in the opposition are agitated because the country is on its path to becoming Vishwaguru and is continuously developing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," BJP MLA CP Singh said. (With ANI inputs) New Delhi: This time in Gujarat Assembly elections, thousands of Pakistani Hindu refugees who were granted citizenship in the past 5 years will come out to vote. This has sparked discussions and debates on the influence their votes will bear on Gujarat poll results. As per media reports, the Ahmedabad Collector's Office has provided Indian citizenship to 1032 Hindus from Pakistan since 2016. Hindus being a minority in Pakistan often face persecution and many flee to come to seek refuge in India. Who has the authority to grant citizenship to refugees? The Collector's Office has the ability to issue Indian citizenship documents to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and Parsis who have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The process will only be completed if the Centre and State Intelligence approve it. Earlier in August, State Home Minster Harsh Sanghavi had issued certificates of Indian citizenship to 40 Hindu refugees from Pakistan. One of the refugees Dilip Maheshwari, while speaking to Times Of India, said that he was delighted to vote in India for the first time and elect a new government in Gujarat. Gujarat elections For 89 seats, the voting will be held on 1st December and 93 seats will go to the polls on 5th December while the counting of votes in Gujarat will be held on December 8 along with Himachal Pradesh. Various political parties have made intense preparations for the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to save its government in the state. On the other hand, Congress is preparing to return to power after 27 years. PSEB Board 2022 Result: Punjab School Education Board, PSEB Class 10th Supplementary Result 2022 is released PSEB announced the matriculation supply result 2022 on November 4. Candidates who appeared for the exam can check and download the result from the official website--pseb.ac.in or on indiaresults.com. To access the Punjab Board Metric Supplementary Result 2022 candidates would be required to key in their roll number. According to the official notification, the controller of Examinations said that the certificates of the examinees who have appeared in this examination will be uploaded on DigiLocker. Candidates who have applied for the hard copy of the certificate will be sent their certificates within 15 days. PSEB Class 10th suplementary result- Steps to check scores Visit the official website indiaresults.com Select the state of Punjab Click on Punjab School education board Click on the link that reads Matriculation supplementary result, September 2022 Key in your name or roll number Your result will appear on your screen Check and download for future purposes Candidates who are not satisfied with the result can apply for rechecking till Nov 18, 2022. As per the official notice, candidates will have to submit Rs 1000 per answer sheet as a revaluation fee. This is to be noted, only theory papers can be sent for reevaluation and not practical papers. KYODO NEWS - Nov 5, 2022 - 10:44 | All, World Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu has called for an increased U.S. military presence in Europe, stressing that a Ukrainian defeat in the war with Russia would result in "an existential threat to our statehood" and the European security architecture. There were 300,000 U.S. troops on the continent in the closing period of the Cold War when Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, but now, "despite the war going on, with additional U.S. units sent," the U.S. military presence is three times smaller, Reinsalu said in a recent online interview. He said European countries need to "invest more into the military, into new weapon systems and capabilities," but they "also need more U.S. military presence in Europe." With current sanctions not achieving their goal of pressuring Russia to "stop this aggression and leave the Ukrainian territory," Reinsalu also stressed the need for the Group of Seven industrialized nations to step up sanctions against Moscow. "The Estonian philosophy," he said, is that "we will support a full trade embargo against Russia...including the energy source." Reinsalu additionally called on other countries to back an international tribunal to deliver a judgement on Russia's "crime of aggression" against Ukraine, saying, "No people, no person in Europe can in the current context sleep overnight in peace" while Russian President Vladimir Putin remains in power. The Estonian parliament in October adopted a statement declaring Russia a "terrorist regime." The Baltic state was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. Recalling the history, Reinsalu said, "There is no Estonian who hasn't imagined that this kind of attack could happen also against our country." Estonia belongs to both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, and Reinsalu expressed support for Ukraine joining the two organizations in the future. Related coverage: OPINION: Ukraine war end game a matter of interpretation Ukraine needs firm backing to end Russia invasion: Lithuania minister No concessions to Russia on Ukraine crisis: Estonia foreign minister New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has sent a proposal to the home ministry recommending that non-consensual sex with wife aged between 15 to 18 years will amount to rape and punishable under the Indian Penal Code, according to Delhi Police sources. It will also remove the discrepancy between the POCSO Act, which is applicable to offences against anyone up till 18 years and the prevailing provisions of the IPC, they said. "Saxena has sent a proposal to the MHA recommending striking down of Exception 2 of Section 375 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), that provides if a girl child between 15 and 18 years is married, her husband can have non-consensual sexual intercourse with her, without being penalised under the IPC," the sources said. "If the recommendation is incorporated and the IPC amended, non-consensual sex with a wife between 15 to 18 years will amount to rape and will be punishable under IPC. Also Read: 'Never been ABUSIVE to Arvind Kejriwal': Delhi L-G office clarifies, says 'on the contrary...' "It will also remove the discrepancy between the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which is applicable to offences against anyone up till 18 years and the prevailing provisions of the IPC," they added. The proposal to this effect was moved by the Delhi Police and Law Department in response to a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The home ministry had asked for the city government's opinion on the subject in light of a Writ Petition in the Delhi High Court, challenging the validity of Exception 2 of Section 375 of IPC on the grounds that it violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and is also not in harmony with the provisions of the POCSO Act, which defines a child to be a person below the age of 18 years. Since the subject matter criminal law is in the concurrent list and enforced by the state/Union Territories, in the light of its far-reaching consequences, the MHA had sought views/comments from all state governments/Union Territories. In good news for defence staff, the central government has extended pension benefits to some personnel who have completed at least 10 years of service. In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry of Defence said that it has extended pro-rata pension benefits to Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO)/Other Ranks with 10 years of service and who join PSUs. "Ministry of Defence (MoD) has extended the benefit of the provision of pro-rata pension to JCOs/ORs of the Defence Services, having not less than 10 years of qualifying service in Defence Service, who join/joined Central Public Enterprises/Central Autonomous Bodies/ Central Public Sector Undertaking on permanent absorption/employment. Earlier this benefit was limited to the commissioned officers only," said the ministry. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved a proposal of the Department of Ex-servicemen in this regard and the Ministry issued necessary order dated 04.11.2022. JCOs/ORs with not less than 10 years of qualifying service in Defence Service will be entitled to receive pro-rata pension in accordance with provisions of this order. The order reads, "The pro-rata pension of JCOs/ORs who get absorbed/appointed in Central public enterprises/central autonomous body/central public sector undertaking will be calculated as per provisions applicable for calculation of pension of regular JCOs/ORs at the time of absorption. Death-cum retirement gratuity, based on the length of qualifying service of a JCO/OR till the date of his/her absorption will be admissible, as calculated under the DCRG Rules as applicable before absorption." It is notable that the provisions will apply to those JCOs/ORs who are absorbed/appointed in Central Public Sector Enterprises / Central Public Sector Undertaking (on or after 06.03.1985) or Central Autonomous bodies (on or after 31.03.1987). However, the financial benefit in past cases will be allowed prospectively from the date of issue of this order. New Delhi: Chip-maker Qualcomm has confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy S23 series will be powered by a Snapdragon processor globally. Samsung`s Galaxy smartphones have traditionally used Qualcomm`s Snapdragon chipsets, which were available in select markets such as the US, while other markets get the Exynos variants. According to Android Central, chief financial officer Akash Palkhiwala, during Qualcomm`s recent investor call, confirmed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 models would be powered by Snapdragon chipsets globally. ALSO READ | Explained: What is Climate Financing that India demands from rich nations Palkhiwala also pointed out that 75 per cent of the Galaxy S22 models on the market were powered by Snapdragon chips. Qualcomm`s President and CEO, Cristiano Amon, backed Palkhiwala, saying that future flagship Galaxy phones worldwide will use Snapdragon chips. "In handsets, we entered into a new multiyear agreement with Samsung, expanding the use of Snapdragon platforms for future premium Samsung Galaxy products globally," Amon was quoted as saying. ALSO READ | European Telcos push EU to make big tech giants pay for 'network cost' Samsung and Qualcomm have signed a multiyear agreement that calls for Snapdragon chipsets to be used in upcoming Galaxy flagship models, according to the report. An unlocked US version of the Galaxy S23+ running on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor appeared on Geekbench shortly after Qualcomm announced its partnership with Samsung. As per the benchmarking results, the phone packs at least 8 GB of RAM and runs on Android 13, reports Android Central. Samsung to roll out new firmware for Galaxy S10 Samsung has rolled out a new firmware update for Galaxy S10 series which will provide improvements to Bluetooth, stability, and camera. According to SamMobile, new update is available for Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+ across Europe. The update is also available for Galaxy S10 5G in Switzerland. The official changelog mentions stability improvements in the Camera app, improved connectivity and stability over Bluetooth, and better overall stability. Galaxy S10 users should be able to download the update upon receiving a notification. Users can also download the update by opening the Settings app, selecting "Software update," and then "Download and install" on their devices, according to the report. The update also has October security patch and is 1 GB in size. Meanwhile, Samsung recently rolled out the updates for its other Galaxy devices. Last month, Samsung released stable Android 13 update for unlocked Galaxy S22 devices in the US. According to SamMobile, the latest Android update was limited to Asian and European countries. In the US, the stable update was also rolled out a few days later to the carrier-locked Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra. New Delhi: Shalin Bhanot, one of the most talked about contestants in Bigg Boss this season is a man of many words and you'll usually catch a glimpse of him baring his heart with some candid conversations. In unseen footage where the actor seems to be engrossed in a deep conversation with Abdu, Shalin spoke about his near-death experience a couple of years ago, while he was traveling in the Gulf country of Oman. Though it did take him a while to explain the story to Abdu who seemed to struggle with the understanding they eventually got there. From the excerpts of the chat, Shalin shared that while he was on a vacation & hopped on a cruise to party with 50 other people, the ship halted right in the middle of the sea. Many enthusiasts took a dive into the wide sea followed by Shalin too. Though a good swimmer, Shalin began to feel he was drowning & being pulled below & was gasping for breath as he tried to remain afloat on the surface. He said there came a time where he thought his death was certain & just then a rescue boat swiftly came by & got him out of the deep waters. Talk about getting second chances at life, Shalin sure did get literally & metamorphically! KYODO NEWS - Nov 4, 2022 - 14:27 | All, World, Japan The leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea are planning to meet in mid-November in response to rising tensions over North Korea, government sources said Friday. The leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of ASEAN-related gatherings in Cambodia or the summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Indonesia. It would be their first trilateral meeting since they met in June in Spain. The proposed talks emerged as North Korea has been ramping up ballistic missile launches at an unprecedented pace, with fears growing that the country may conduct its seventh nuclear test, the first since September 2017, in the run-up to the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are slated to focus on ways to enhance defense cooperation to intensify pressure on North Korea, according to the sources. The three leaders are likely to share their concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs, and discuss measures for its complete denuclearization. Citing heightened tensions over the Korean Peninsula, one source said, "A Japan-U.S.-South Korea summit meeting is of the highest priority." Kishida will also request that Seoul and Washington assist Tokyo's efforts to immediately resolve North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. After the June summit, the three countries on Sept. 30 held anti-submarine drills in international waters off the Sea of Japan for the first time in five years. The exercises involved the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan. North Korea under leader Kim Jong Un has recently conducted a spate of missile launches, including one that flew over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years on Oct. 4, increasing regional tensions. On Thursday, North Korea launched three ballistic missiles in the early morning and a further three overnight. One of the first three launched during the early hours is believed to have been a Hwasong-17, an intercontinental ballistic missile. The others are all believed to have been short-range ballistic projectiles. All six missiles fell into the Sea of Japan. The launch of the ICBM apparently failed, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said, citing a defense source. During talks in Germany on Thursday, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned North Korea's actions, calling its series of ballistic missile launches an incontestable and serious challenge to the international community. In a meeting at the Pentagon the same day, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong Sup agreed to further strengthen the bilateral alliance's capabilities, so as to better deter and respond to North Korean threats. Lee said he and Austin affirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea, including the use of tactical nuclear weapons, would result in the "end of the Kim Jong Un regime by the overwhelming and decisive response of the alliance," referring to the country's leader by name. Related coverage: North Korea keeps firing missiles, including suspected ICBM U.S., South Korea warn North Korea any nuke attack would end Kim regime Japan, U.S., South Korea agree to beef up deterrence against North Korea After North Korea's ballistic missile launches recently, the United Nations Security General Antonio Guterres condemned the launches and urged for denuclearization talks. India's Permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj also said the launches are a violation of resolutions of the Security Council relating to Democratic People's Republic of Korea. She said, "These launches constitute a violation of the resolutions of Security Council relating to the DPRK. They affect the peace and security of the region and beyond. India calls for full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions relating to North Korea." Kamboj further said, "We also reiterate our continued support for denuclearization towards peace & security in the Korean Peninsula is our collective interest. We'll continue to support dialogue & diplomacy as the means to resolve issues in Korean Peninsula." We also reiterate our continued support for denuclearization towards peace & security in the Korean Peninsula is our collective interest. We'll continue to support dialogue & diplomacy as the means to resolve issues in Korean Peninsula: Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Rep to UN pic.twitter.com/piIQPc2cfT ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2022 North Korea missile tests Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile. After North Korea launched the missiles, the US said this action underscores the need to implement North Korea's related UN Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prohibit the country from acquiring the technologies needed to carry out missile tests. United Nations Security General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the launch of a ballistic missile of intercontinental range by North Korea and urged it to resume denuclearization talks, according to the statement released by the spokesperson for the UN Chief. (With ANI inputs) If the media briefing by ISI over the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif was supposed to present a united Army against Imran Khan, it clearly failed in that objective because the Army continues to be divided on how to deal with the former Prime Minister, media reports said. The reason why the ISI had to go public was because of the divide within the military establishment in terms of its support to Imran Khan. Former DG, ISI Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed and currently Corps Commander is a supporter of Imran Khan. It is well-known fact, reported Geneva Daily. Whereas, there are other Corps Commanders also who are sympathetic to Imran Khan, but not as openly as Gen. Hammed. This makes the Army vulnerable to disunity. It is something General Bajwa does not want during his tenure as Chief, ahead of his retirement. The presser by Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, Director General, Inter-Services Intelligence (DG, ISI), who generally keeps a low profile, indicates there is more to the incident than meets the eye. The presser comes following allegations by Imran Khan that he had asked Arshad to leave Pakistan and that his killing was a targeted one, reported The Geneva Daily. The ISI presser was a classic example of killing two birds with a stone. It served the twin purposes of attacking former Prime Minister Imran Khan and deflecting attention on the Arshad Sharif targeted killing in Kenya.One way to deflect the attention from Arshad Sharif`s killing was to articulate that Imran Khan had offered Pakistan Army Chief General Bajwa an `indefinite extension` in March 2021 and that Bajwa declined the offer. Moreover, the deep state has tried to stifle Imran Khan with court cases and other charges. However, in this matter, Imran Khan has been lucky as despite all this he was able to kick off the long march to Islamabad.With stories doing the rounds that an ISI assassination squad bumped off Arshad Sharif in Kenya, the ISI chief was forced to take the public stage to explain the position of the Agency.ISPR chief Lt. Gen. Babar had said, "It is necessary to determine the factors through which a particular narrative was formed and the people were misled." Regretting the Army Chief was also targeted he said, "An attempt was made to create a divide in the society." The cypher conspiracy was also evoked in the presser. DG ISPR pointed out that Arshad Sharif had met the then Prime Minister Imran Khan several times and conducted interviews on the diplomatic cypher issue.The military spokesperson clarified that the Army "did not have any negative sentiments about him [Arshad] and there are no such feelings now".Gen Nadeem went on to say that Imran Khan`s outburst was because the Army Chief refused to do the "unconstitutional act". The DG, ISI chief opened his remarks by stating, ".....I am not here for myself but for my institution, whose soldiers and officers sacrifice their lives every day for this country. Especially, I have come here for my agency, whose officers` and agents all over the world protect this country 24 hours a day."The real reason for the presser thus becomes clear in that Gen. Anjum was told to present himself before the media to deflect attention from charges that the Army was responsible for the killing of Arshad Sharif, reported Geneva Daily. Islamabad: Pakistan military called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan`s allegations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a major of the Army for plotting his assassination as "baseless and irresponsible." Pakistani military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement issued in this regard, said that the "baseless and irresponsible allegations by PTI chief against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for," Dawn reported. Imran Khan shot at anti-government march Imran was shot on Thursday evening when he was at his container when his party`s `Haqeeqi Azadi` march reached Wazirabad`s Allahwala Chowk. The former premier has held Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior intelligence official as being responsible for the bid to assassinate him and demanded their resignations. PTI senior leader Umar Asad has demanded that all three people -- the premier, the interior minister, and the senior military officer -- should be removed from their offices. Addressing the nation for the first time since the assassination attempt earlier today, Imran described the attack in Wazirabad. He especially urged Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to hold the "black sheep" in his institution accountable. WATCH IT HERE: "What happened in East Pakistan. The largest party that won, they took action against it...', says Imran Khan as he draws parallels between 1971 & 2022 in his country. pic.twitter.com/GPRDGiFPyk Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) November 4, 2022 Meanwhile, the Punjab police have confirmed that seven people were injured and a person was killed during the firing incident. As per the police, the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz. The suspected shooter who opened fire during the rally was caught by Punjab police where he admitted that he wanted to kill Imran Khan because "he was misleading the public." "I thought of this as there was Azaan going on and on the other side, Imran Khan is taking out his container and making noise. My conscience did not approve of this. I decided this suddenly... I conspired against Imran Khan when he kicked off his long march from Lahore. I made up my mind that I will not leave him alive," the shooter said according to a video shared on social media. Responding to whether there was someone else in the conspiracy, the shooter said, "I have conspired this alone and no one else is involved in this. I came on a bike and I parked it at my uncle`s shop. He has a motorcycle showroom." Hours after the assassination attempt against Imran Khan, people held protests in front of the Corps Commander House in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in an inflammatory address on Friday shifted the blame of the assassination attempt on PTI chief Imran Khan onto the former prime minister for what he described as "crossing the red lines of religion", the dawn reported. He expressed these views during the National Assembly (NA) centering on yesterday`s assassination attempt on the former prime minister, which he alleged was being used to further "political objectives". Imran, who has been leading an anti-government protest march to the capital for almost a week, survived a gun attack on Thursday in Punjab`s Wazirabad. He sustained a wound in his shin when the container was hit by a volley of bullets. Lahore: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday, November 5, 2022, slammed Imran Khan for undermining national institutions and requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a full court commission to investigate his allegations. "Imran Niazi habitually uses baseless allegations and lies to spread anarchy. Government has decided to request the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a full court commission to investigate his allegations. Let the people see through his game plan to undermine national institutions," Shehbaz Sharif tweeted. Shehbaz Sharif wrote a letter to the Supreme Court to constitute a full-court bench to investigate the allegations made by the PTI Chief Imran Khan and also the investigation of the Arshad Sharif murder case, ARY News reported. He made these remarks while addressing a press conference in Lahore. This comes two days after Imran Khan was shot during his long march. Shehbaz wished Imran and others injured a speedy recovery however did not fall short of attacking him for Imran Khan`s "false and cheap conspiracies." PM Shehbaz also urged the PTI chief to present evidence to support his allegations. Also Read: TV channels in Pakistan banned from airing Imran Khan's speeches, media talks for THIS reason "The attack is condemnable, however, when the nation is being pushed towards devastation by false narratives it is my responsibility that I play a positive role to protect the people," Shehbaz said. During the presser, Shehbaz Sharif played a video which showed Imran Khan making statements about the armed forces since 2011. In a strong statement, Shehbaz Sharif said that if Imran Khan succeeds in proving that he was behind the attack during his Haqeeqi march, then he would resign from his Prime Ministerial post immediately. "Imran Khan`s tales are full of contradictions. I cannot, for even a moment, waste my time thinking that this man - who was granted a new life by Allah - is lying day and night. Today, he is attacking the Pakistan army in a way an enemy would do," the PM said. Condemning the PTI government, Shehbaz Sharif said, "He damaged institutions, the economy, and foreign relations. I have certain secrets regarding the country`s foreign relations buried in my heart which, if I share, would leave you shocked. But I will not talk about it because I am faithful. I will not sacrifice Pakistan`s interest for personal gains," reported ARY News. Nepal's former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has glared at the fact that if his party returns to power in the November 20 parliamentary elections, it will regain the Himalayan territories claimed by India. Oli said this while inaugurating his party's nationwide election campaign in Darchula district in far-west Nepal near the Nepal-India border. It is also worth noting here that during Oli's tenure for two years, the Nepal government had issued a disputed map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territory. To which India had strongly objected. Oli's Controversial Remark Parliamentary elections are going to be held in Nepal on the 20th. The election campaign has reached its peak. KP Sharma Oli, former prime minister and leader of the Communist Party of Nepal, participated in the election campaign in Darchula District in the western part of Nepal. He said, "If our party wins this election and comes to power, we will recover and bring back our Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas occupied by India in the Himalayas. Our party is committed to protecting the country. We will not give up even an inch of land of our nation." Statement of the Nepal PM Meanwhile, Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said that efforts are on to bring back Nepal's encroached lands on the basis of diplomatic initiatives and mutual relations. Deuba made the remarks while launching his election campaign in his home district of Dadeldhura in far west Nepal. His statement came after Oli's remarks. Addressing the election campaign, Deuba said the issues of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura and other areas would be resolved through diplomatic initiatives. However, former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has asked Oli not to make national integrity an agenda for elections. Dr. Baburam Bhattaria tweeted, "No one should use the issue of national unity for an election. No party or person should use the border areas of the country for electoral gain." ! ! ! November 4, 2022 India-Nepal Dispute India-Nepal relations have long been cordial. But after Sharma Oli became the Prime Minister of Nepal, there was a slight crack in the relationship between the two countries. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the road between Libulek and Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8, 2020. Since then, the Nepalese government has been claiming the areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as their own and accusing India of occupying them. Not only that, the Nepalese government hastily published a map after this incident, showing the areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura within their country's borders. India strongly opposed this and said that Nepal should not publish any map arbitrarily and cannot accept the artificial occupation of the territory. ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Anteneh Desalegn, 41, who was directly affected by the two-year conflict in Northern Ethiopia, is cautiously optimistic that the ceasefire agreement signed between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) would potentially end the devastating conflict and lead to lasting peace. Desalegn's hometown, the once-peaceful mountainous town of Sekota in Ethiopia's Amhara region along the border with the Tigray region and some 870 km from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, has been one of the epicenters of the two-year conflict. For the past two years, Desalegn, a father of two, witnessed recurrent conflict, as the government and regional Tigray forces repeatedly exchanged control of the area over the course of the conflict. "You can imagine how hard life would be without electricity and other basic necessities for two years. This is in addition to the devastating impact and damage caused by the fighting on our people and infrastructure," Desalegn told Xinhua on Thursday. Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF since November 2020, which left thousands dead and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. FIRST STEP TOWARD LASTING PEACE As the conflict in Northern Ethiopia marks its second year on Friday, the Ethiopian government and TPLF had on Wednesday announced an agreement to end the conflict. The ceasefire agreement is igniting optimism among Ethiopians from all walks of life who have been yearning for an end to the conflict. Desalegn, recalling the shock and distress that the conflict inflicted on his life and those of millions of others, said the peace agreement would only count if it ensures lasting peace on the ground. "Our area is among the areas that were highly affected by the conflict. So, we are very happy that they have agreed to end the conflict and eventually bring an end to our continued suffering," Desalegn said. "Even though it is unfortunate that the peace agreement was achieved after many people had died and countless others impacted by the conflict, we are very delighted and happy that they have agreed to end the fighting." The peace accord was signed in the South African capital Pretoria, days after an African Union (AU)-led negotiation, which was facilitated by Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU high representative for the Horn of Africa and former president of Nigeria, along with the former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, and former deputy president of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities and orderly disarmament, Obasanjo said at a press briefing on the outcomes of the negotiation. The deal also includes restoring law and order, restoring services and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, he said. Tewodros Beshah, a private employee in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, argued that even though the ceasefire is highly welcomed, its effective implementation is "much more critical." "For many reasons, I was very surprised the moment I heard about the ceasefire agreement. For one, many of us were anticipating the worst, that it was going to be a protracted war due to the conflicting parties' extreme positions before they headed to South Africa," Beshah said. Noting the fragile overall security conditions in Northern Ethiopia, Beshah said the agreement is the start of the right path to establishing lasting peace. "As we in Ethiopia say - the most difficult step ever is the first step as it comes with doubts, uncertainties and fears. Now that we have embarked on the path to peace, we all should strive for its success as we do not have a second option or chance," Beshah said. ROAD TO RECONCILIATION Many experts and analysts argue that the conflict - in addition to causing a humanitarian crisis across the three affected regions of Ethiopia that are Afar, Amhara and Tigray, has seriously jeopardized the social fabric in Ethiopia. They emphasized that in order to achieve a lasting solution to the conflict, targeted reconciliation initiatives should be implemented so as to heal the bond that existed for generations among the affected neighboring communities. Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, a professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, said that if the East African country is to realize the core aspirations of the peace agreement, the affected communities should be at the center of the peace process. Desalegn, who was left out of work due to the conflict, has highlighted the crucial importance of providing psycho-social and related support to the affected people. "People in the conflict-hit areas were highly affected by the fighting, their lives were shattered, and their future still remains uncertain. The peace process should encompass addressing these challenges and restoring the affected people's lives and livelihoods," Desalegn said. WIDESPREAD CALL TO RESTORE PEACE Following the much-anticipated peace pact by the warring parties, calls are mounting for the two sides to capitalize on the milestone accord to restore durable peace. The AU, which described the agreement as "an important step in efforts to silence the guns," said the agreement provides a solid foundation for the preservation of Ethiopia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who welcomed the agreement for the cessation of hostilities, said the move is a "fundamental step" towards a possible end to the conflict. Guterres called the agreement "a bold step" taken by both sides, and invited both Ethiopians and the international community as a whole to support the pact. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) - an East African bloc, said the agreement is an opportunity for the people of Ethiopia to establish a long-lasting peace. He called on the parties to the agreement to implement its provisions. COLOMBO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 5.7 million Sri Lankans, or 26 percent of the country's population, need humanitarian aid, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday, warning an ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka was likely to deepen the situation. The OCHA said in a statement that without immediate humanitarian assistance and upstream interventions to address the fragility of systems, services and facilities, this number will multiply and the consequences will deepen in the South Asian country. "Food security and livelihoods have suffered directly because of the economic crisis, while access and availability of basic services such as education and healthcare, including hospital maternity care, and sexual and reproductive health services have been disrupted," it said. "A serious decline in domestic agricultural output brought on by an unsuccessful agricultural transition to organic farming has deepened the crisis," the UN agency added. At the community and family level, the OCHA said the macroeconomic collapse in Sri Lanka had translated into a complex humanitarian emergency, as millions of people were increasingly suffering, with severe shortages of food, fuel, cooking gas, medicine, and other essentials. Ninety-six percent of households in the survey had been affected by the current crisis and the three main priority needs at the household level concerned food, health and livelihoods. Sri Lanka has been facing one of its worst economic crises as the country suffers a shortage in foreign currency, which leads to a shortage of essential supplies and even food items. GENEVA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Climate change is dramatically affecting vulnerable people across the globe, particularly those who live in conflict situations or do not have sufficient access to basic health care, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Friday. In a joint statement issued with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), ICRC said that of the 25 countries most vulnerable to climate change, the majority are also experiencing armed conflict and a lack of access to basic healthcare. "When climate shocks occur in countries with limited food, water and economic resources, people's lives, health, and livelihoods are threatened," the statement said. Somalia has experienced an erratic cycle of droughts and floods in recent years, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation due to three decades of armed conflict. Humanitarian organizations have also been responding to flooding in South Sudan and across the Sahel, devastating cyclones in Madagascar and Mozambique, and severe drought in the Horn of Africa, the statement said. The climate crisis is also worsening health and humanitarian crises, it added. "As humanitarians, we are alarmed by the current reality and projections for the future. We see droughts, floods, insect plagues and changing rainfall patterns which can all jeopardize food production and people's means of survival. We see more extreme and more powerful weather events such as cyclones which destroy essential health infrastructure. We see changing patterns of deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue and cholera," the statement said. In a world that has already warmed 1.2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, additional warming will lead to disastrous consequences unless urgent and ambitious mitigation measures are taken, it added. Adequate support must be mobilized for the most severely affected countries, so they can adapt to growing climate risks. Representatives from across the world will gather in Egypt's coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) from Nov. 6-18. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for multilateralism and diplomacy to make the COP27 a "turning point for hope." SHENZHEN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of Huawei devices equipped with HarmonyOS, the operating system developed by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, has exceeded 320 million, up 113 percent year on year, the company said on Friday. On Friday afternoon, the company held its Huawei Developer Conference in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province. The HarmonyOS operating system has matured gradually and has become an ecological base with vitality after four years of development, according to the company. HarmonyOS, or Hongmeng in Chinese, is an open-source operating system designed for various devices and scenarios, including intelligent screens, tablets, wearables and cars. It was first launched in August 2019. Fabrice Haenni, CEO of the Swiss distillery Louis Morand & Cie SA, presents the products in Martigny, Switzerland, Oct. 24, 2022. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is probably the best way for Swiss companies to show their high-quality products to potential Chinese clients, and get to know the Chinese market and gain new customers, a Swiss distillery executive has said. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) GENEVA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is probably the best way for Swiss companies to show their high-quality products to potential Chinese clients, and get to know the Chinese market and gain new customers, a Swiss distillery executive has said. Distillerie Morand, one of the leading Swiss distilleries, is a four-generation family-run business which was established in Martigny since 1889. It boasts a reputation for their excellent "eau de vie" brandy and syrups. At this year's 5th CIIE, Distillerie Morand presents six references of their products. Among them is the Williamine, a spirit with 43 degrees alcohol and a fantastic fruit flavor, which is famous both in Switzerland and in Europe. Located in the scenic Alpine canton of Valais, abounding with fruits and in the heart of the alps, Distillerie Morand produces fruit spirits from the finest local pears and apricots. "This is our second year at the CIIE," said Fabrice Haenni, CEO of the Swiss distillery Louis Morand & Cie SA. "I think such a high-quality fair as CIIE is probably the best way for a Swiss firm to get to know the Chinese market and to be in contact with various people from China so that we could have new clients, new customers, and a brand new market," he told Xinhua in a recent interview. Morand is represented in China by the Swiss Centers, a non-profit organization founded in 2000 which concretely supports Swiss companies to develop their business in China. Haenni sees the CIIE as a unique opportunity to strengthen the trade relationship between Switzerland and China. "It's probably the best way for a Swiss company to present their products to the Chinese market," said Haenni. "The whole world is working with China. And over the years, China and Switzerland have built up a good relationship," said Haenni. "We believe the Chinese people will be interested in the high-quality products from the Swiss Alps," he said. Haenni perceived the Chinese market as important in terms of population and opportunity. "China owns great bars, great hotels and great restaurants," he said. "For a company producing high-quality spirits like us, it is important that we can find our products in such great places." He also deemed the Chinese market one of their key opportunities in terms of further development. "We are looking forward to working with the Chinese market," said Haenni. " China is very important to us since we want to develop our business abroad." The China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world's first import-themed national-level expo, has opened its fifth edition in Shanghai. A total of 145 countries, regions and international organizations are joining this year's expo. For exhibitors, the CIIE has become a good platform to showcase their latest products and expand their presence in the Chinese market. Produced by Xinhua Global Service BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has made relentless efforts in wetland protection and restoration and witnessed remarkable progress over the past three decades, official data showed. China now boasts 56.35 million hectares of wetland, including marshes, beaches and lakes, according to the latest land resource surveys. The country also has 64 wetlands of international importance and 29 wetlands of national importance, as well as 901 national wetland parks. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China joining the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental agreement dedicated to the conservation and rational use of wetland ecosystems. Over the past thirty years, China has strived to practice the concepts of sustainable development and ecological civilization, and worked hard to promote the protection and restoration of wetlands, said the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Since 2003, the central government has spent 19.8 billion yuan (about 2.73 billion U.S. dollars) on over 4,100 projects to advance wetland protection and restoration across the country. In June this year, China's new law on wetland protection took effect, marking a new stage of law-based wetlands conservation in the country. China last month also released a plan for wetland protection for the 2022-2030 period, aiming to increase its wetland protection rate to 55 percent by 2025, while increasing the number of wetlands of international importance and national importance by 20 and 50, respectively. By 2030, China is expected to have significantly improved ecosystem functioning and biodiversity of wetlands, and to have become a key participant, contributor and leader in global wetland protection and restoration, according to the plan. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Assistant Administrator for USAIDs Bureau of Europe and Eurasia Erin E. McKee is on a visit to Azerbaijan as part of a broader trip to the South Caucasus region, Azernews reports via the US Embassy in Azerbaijan. McKee visited the Alley of Martyrs in Baku to express support for the independence of Azerbaijan and honor the memory of the dead. During the trip, McKee will be joined by Alexander Sokolowski, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. The agenda of the visit includes meetings with Azerbaijans Deputy Minister of Agriculture to discuss US-Azerbaijan relations, and USAIDs partnership with the Azerbaijani government, as well as with the Director General of the Port of Baku on transportation routes and related issues. Besides, McKee will meet Azerbaijani women entrepreneurs and talk about expanding economic opportunities. Since 1991, USAID has provided over $427 million to be conducive to improving the lives of Azerbaijani people. The USAID Private Sector Development Project (2019-2024) aims to increase the sustainability of Azerbaijan's economy, create an even more favorable business environment for entrepreneurs, improve the competitiveness of the private sector and the capacity of business service providers, and remove barriers to the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, and involve women in economic activity. ISTANBUL, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies from a wide array of sectors have received "intense attention" at an international trade expo being held in Turkiye's biggest city Istanbul, a Turkish business leader said on Friday. A total of 32 Chinese companies and business groups have participated the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD) Expo, a four-day event that started in Istanbul on November 2. "One of the broadest participation in the expo this year comes from the Chinese companies," Halit Kerim, vice president of MUSIAD Export Development Commission, told Xinhua. "Attention towards the Chinese firms is intense, thanks to companies such as Huawei and ZTE, which are well-established in (the Turkish) market. MUSIAD Expo acts as a bridge between Chinese and Turkish firms, aiming to strengthen the existing trade relationship with new forms of cooperation," Kerim said. Other notable firms from China at the expo include the Turkish branches of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China, China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), China Telecom, China Tianchen Engineering Corporation, train car manufacturer CRRC, and Sinovac. Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccines are widely popular in Turkiye's national vaccination campaign. This year's MUSIAD Expo aims to generate a trade volume of around 5 billion U.S. dollars through new business deals and connections, according to Kerim. Representatives from more than 100 countries, including Azerbaijan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Iran, participated in the event. MAPUTO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Over 800 ex-combatants of Renamo, Mozambique's main opposition party, have been demobilized and returned to civilian life in the past four weeks, which brought the number of demobilized individuals to about 90 percent of the final goal, said a UN envoy in a statement on Friday. It was a significant achievement, and the continuation of steady progress on the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process is highly encouraging, said Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Mozambique Mirko Manzoni, who also serves as the president of the International Contact Group supporting the peace process in Mozambique. Two additional Renamo bases in the districts of Mocuba and Sabe, located in the province of Zambezia, have also been closed, according to the statement. "We commend the continued collaboration and commitment to dialogue demonstrated by the government and Renamo in reaching yet another significant milestone in the implementation of the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation," said the envoy. Manzoni said they are approaching the end of the demobilization and disarmament phase, and the effective reintegration of DDR beneficiaries into civilian life is critical to the sustainability of the process. He called on all stakeholders to play a positive role in advancing peace in Mozambique. Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, addresses the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun) WUHAN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese legislator Shen Yueyue on Saturday reiterated China's commitment to global wetlands conservation. Shen, vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14). Since its accession to the convention in 1992, China has faithfully fulfilled its due responsibilities, taken part in international exchanges, and engaged in extensive cooperation with contracting parties. It has become a firm supporter and active participant of global wetlands conservation, as well as a significant promoter, Shen said. She noted that China will join hands with all contracting parties and make greater contributions to the construction of a community for all life on Earth. The meeting kicked off on Saturday in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, and Geneva, Switzerland simultaneously. TEHRAN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday called on the United States to prove its "real will" in the negotiations aimed at the revival of 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, according to the Foreign Ministry's website. The United States should prove that it would not "violate" its obligations by imposing sanctions, Amir-Abdollahian said at the first meeting of the national coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday. He pointed to Washington's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, saying that it showed Washington's "disregard for its international obligations and its clear violation of the resolution approved by the United Nations Security Council." It is unfortunate that the incumbent U.S. administration, despite its promises and claims, still maintains the course of "hostile actions ... and continuation of the failed policy of maximum pressure" against Tehran, he said, adding that instead of making up for the mistakes of the previous government, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden "adopts hypocritical positions." The Iranian foreign minister stressed that his country adheres to the continuation of nuclear negotiations for the revival of the nuclear agreement, while emphasizing its inalienable right to use peaceful nuclear energy in all its dimensions, including uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, "America must prove that it has good intentions and real will and does not intend to use the negotiations to waste time and find another excuse to continue violating its obligations and continue the sanctions that this country is unfortunately very addicted to," he noted. Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that his country had "absolute readiness" to conclude nuclear talks "as soon as possible." On Wednesday, the top Iranian diplomat said an Iranian delegation would travel to Vienna, Austria in the coming days for talks on enhancing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran signed the JCPOA with major countries in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for removing sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact. The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough was achieved after the latest round of talks held in early August this year. ISTANBUL, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck western Turkiye's Izmir on Friday, causing a panic in the city that killed one person and wounded 64 others, local media reported. The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority reported that the earthquake struck at 3:29 a.m. local time (0029 GMT) in the namesake city of Izmir province. Citing the emergency authority's warning, the Hurriyet daily reported that the quake's epicenter was in Buca district, with a depth of about 14 km, followed by multiple minor aftershocks. According to local media, one person died from a heart attack during the panic. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted earlier in the day that 64 people were wounded. A mosque minaret has been toppled, and at least 20 buildings suffered from minor damages, according to the NTV broadcaster. Sitting on the top of major fault lines, Turkiye experiences a fair share of earthquakes. In 2020, more than 110 people were killed in a nearly 7-magnitude quake in the Izmir Province. Produced by Xinhua Global Service YAOUNDE, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Cameroon's war-torn English-speaking region of Southwest said on Friday that the army has killed a "dreaded and notorious" separatist commander in the region. Chamberlain Ntou'ou Ndong, a senior government official of the division, said the commander, who called himself "General Gideon," was killed by troops along the Kumba-Buea highway on Thursday. "He was notorious for his terrorist activities and dreaded by the population. This is his end. The population needs to continue collaborating with the army to fish out more terrorists," Ndong told reporters. The army has been clashing with separatist fighters since 2017 in Cameroon's Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest, where separatists want to create an independent nation. TEHRAN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Saturday that Iran had given "a limited number" of drones to Russia months before the start of the Ukraine conflict. "The drones we gave Russia are from months before the war in Ukraine, and if it is proven to us that Russia has used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will not be indifferent to it," Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted Amir-Abdollahian as saying on the sidelines of the first meeting of the national coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, which kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday. "We have agreed with the Ukrainian foreign minister that if they have any documents showing Russia has used Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide it to us," said the Iranian top diplomat. He also rejected the Western "media hype" over the delivery of Iranian missiles to Russia, saying that "what they have said about the missiles is completely wrong." Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran's position on resolving the Russia-Ukraine crisis and called for political dialogue between the countries involved. TEHRAN, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranians on Friday held massive outdoor rallies to mark the seizure of the U.S. Embassy to Iran in 1979, showing defiance against U.S. hegemony. Iranians marked the National Day of Fighting Global Arrogance on Friday, with people in Tehran taking to the streets leading to the building of the former U.S. embassy and gathering outside the building, waving flags and chanting anti-U.S. slogans. Similar protests were held in roughly 900 cities countrywide, according to Iranian media. Participants demonstrated "their disgust at the hostile policies of the hegemonic system at the head of America," the official news agency IRNA commented. On the same day 43 years ago, Iranian university students took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Every year on this day, the Iranians commemorate the seizure of the embassy with anti-U.S. demonstrations. On Friday, Iranian demonstrators also walked over and set on fire the U.S. flags during the ceremony in the capital which featured Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's speech. Addressing the public on this special day, Raisi said "if a list of crimes and injustices in the world is to be presented, America is at the top of this list." Throughout history, he noted, the United States participated in hundreds of wars and armed conflicts, and plotted or staged dozens of coups against elected leaders, adding some of "the deadliest wars in the history of the world, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam are part of the list of U.S. crimes." Military intervention in other countries in the name of fighting terrorism, supporting separatist movements and terrorism in many parts of the world, and the launching of sanctions against other countries, especially Iran, are "examples of America's arrogant actions," said the Iranian president. Echoing Raisi's speech, Tehran municipality has also set up banners of U.S. crimes on Taleghani Street showing Abu Ghraib prison torture during the Iraq War and the killing of defenseless Iraqis. Meanwhile, the standing images of martyrs like Iran's late top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike near the airport of Iraq's capital Baghdad in January 2020, were also placed in commemoration, with which students took photographs. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for strengthening cooperation on wetlands conservation and scaling up wetlands action across the world. He made the remarks while delivering a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14). In his speech, Xi noted that it is important to build global consensus on prizing wetlands, show respect for nature, minimize disruption and damage caused by human activities, and protect the ecological security of wetlands in order to leave the beautiful wetlands to future generations. "It is important that we advance the global process on wetlands conservation, redouble efforts to preserve authenticity and integrity, include more important wetlands in nature reserves, improve cooperation mechanisms and platforms, and increase the coverage of wetlands of international importance," Xi said. He also called for enhancing people's well-being globally by leveraging the role of wetlands in promoting sustainable development, tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity, and delivering more benefits to people around the world. Historic achievements have been made in wetlands conservation in China. The country has increased the area of wetlands to 56.35 million hectares, put in place a protection system and enacted a Wetlands Conservation Law, according to Xi. The president further noted that China will pursue a modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and promote high-quality development in the wetlands conservation cause. China has recently drawn up a layout plan of national parks. Under the plan, China will designate a number of national parks, accounting for about 10 percent of the country's land area. About 11 million hectares of wetlands will be incorporated in the national park system, with a focus on developing wetland national parks including the Three-River-Source National Park, the Qinghai Lake National Park, the Ruoergai National Park, the Yellow River Estuary National Park, the Liao River Estuary National Park and the Songnen Plain Crane Homeland National Park. A national wetlands conservation plan and major conservation projects will be implemented, Xi added. China will promote international exchanges and cooperation to protect the four bird migration routes passing China and to build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen, Xi said, adding that China supports the convening of a conference of the World Coastal Forum. "Let us join hands to write a new chapter in global wetlands conservation," said the Chinese president. Themed "Wetlands Action for People and Nature," the COP14 is scheduled to run from Nov. 5 to 13 in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. Citizens ride bicycles at Donghu Lake scenic area in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) Citizens have fun at Donghu Lake scenic area in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Citizens ride bicycles along Donghu Lake in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) A woman rides at Donghu Lake scenic area in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Journalists visit the Wetlands Photography Exhibition in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin) Citizens camp at Donghu Lake scenic area in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Students paint at a wetland park in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 5, 2022. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) This photo taken on Nov. 5, 2022 shows the scenery of Donghu Lake in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) kicked off Saturday in China's Wuhan and Switzerland's Geneva. It is the first time the conference is held in China, as the world's most populous nation highlights the harmony between humanity and nature while pushing for modernization. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Infinity Power Holding, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar and Egypts Infinity, has announced that the solar photovoltaic plant it had developed in Sharm El Sheikh is now fully operational ready to provide clean, renewable energy to COP27, the United Nations climate change conference taking place in the Egyptian city. Masdar said the 6 MWp plant will be able to generate as much as 11,723 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy per year, enough to power more than 5,000 homes while cutting CO2 emissions by over 4,000 tonnes. It will continue to operate after the conference, providing clean energy to the city for years to come. Two other solar plants of equivalent size have also been developed ahead of COP27, it added. Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, said: "Masdar is fast developing as the partner of choice for many of Egypts most important clean energy projects, and I am proud that we are able to deliver clean energy to support COP27 through our Infinity Power platform." "The UAE and Egypt share a common commitment to expanding the supply of renewable energy and supporting sustainable economic growth," he stated. Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: "COP27 represents a vital opportunity to turn positive words into impactful actions, so it is important that we do what we can to reduce its carbon footprint and showcase sustainable solutions to the world." "This solar power plant will help deliver clean energy to the conference and will also provide a legacy of sustainability for the people of Sharm El-Sheikh in future years," he added. Infinity Power Chairman Mohamed Ismail Mansour said: "We are delighted to be able to support COP27 in Egypt, by delivering clean, renewable energy-based solutions to power the event." "We will continue providing sustainable energy solutions to Sharm El-Sheikh for years to come through our solar plant, providing clean power to a city with an important role in Egyptian diplomacy and international relations," he noted. Infinity Power, which has been named a Principal Partner for COP27, was established in 2020 to target power generation projects through renewable energy sources, including solar and wind technologies on utility- and industrial-scales in Egypt and Africa. With current projects located across Egypt, South Africa, Senegal and Ghana, Infinity Power aims to eventually expand its operations across all 54 African countries, enabling electricity across all locations in Africa that are in most need of power. CEO Nayer Fouad said the solar power plant will not only contribute towards powering COP27 but also provide sustainable energy, making an invaluable contribution towards Sharm El-Sheikhs growing infrastructure. "We look forward to delivering similar solutions to other cities in Egypt and across Africa, as we move forward in our journey to provide sustainable energy solutions to the entire continent," he added.-TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's top procuratorate has ordered the arrest of Cao Guangjing, former vice governor of central China's Hubei Province, for suspected bribe-taking. The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said in a statement on Saturday that Cao's case was transferred to procuratorial authorities for prosecution following the conclusion of an investigation by the National Commission of Supervision. Further handling of the case is underway. RAMALLAH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian was killed and another seriously injured on Saturday in clashes with Israeli soldiers northeast of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian health ministry and eyewitnesses said. The ministry said in a press release that Mos'ab Nafal, 18, from the village of Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah, was killed after he was shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers. Eyewitnesses in Ramallah said Israeli soldiers opened fire at the two men while they were throwing stones at Israeli military vehicles near the village. One of them succumbed to his wound after being taken to hospital and the other was arrested by the soldiers, they added, noting the Palestinian medical teams were unable to reach the two men. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Israeli soldiers shot two Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli settlers' vehicles on the main road near the village of Sinjil, adding one was killed and the other injured and arrested. On Thursday, four Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, including Farouq Salameh, an Islamic Jihad militant Israel accuses of being behind the killing of an army officer several months ago. The incidents come amid heightened tension between Palestinians and Israelis, especially when the final count of votes in Israeli elections this week has shown former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right bloc will return to power. TEHRAN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Saturday test-launched the three-stage solid fuel Qaem-100 satellite carrier, Iranian official IRNA news agency reported. The first-stage engine of the Qaem-100, which completed its ground test in January, has undergone its first sub-orbital flight, said the IRNA report. The rocket is capable of placing satellites weighing 80 kg into an orbit of 500 km above the earth's surface. After the relevant tests, the Qaem-100 is now ready to send into orbit the Nahid satellite manufactured by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, according to the report. In August, Iran launched a Khayyam satellite into an orbit 500 km above the earth's surface, using a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Russia-operated Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan. The satellite is used to monitor the country's agricultural productivity and mining and mineral discoveries, and to deal with deforestation and natural or environmental hazards. A Chinese doctor takes a blood sample from a patient in Bangou, Cameroon, Oct. 29, 2022.(Photo by Kepseu/Xinhua) by Arison Tamfu YAOUNDE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- As early as 6:00 am, Berline Fangan had already taken her seat at a makeshift but comprehensive Chinese clinic just outside Bangou sub-divisional hospital in Cameroon's West region. The mother of two was nervous and in pain as she explained that her untreated 10-year-old joint pain was wearing her down. She said she had been treated by doctors over the years, but the prescribed drugs were not effective. "It (drug) relieved me a bit...but five minutes later the pain comes back," the 53-year-old widow told Xinhua as she and hundreds of Cameroonian residents of Bangou and Bamendjou sub-divisions of the Upper Plateau division of the region waited for a team of Chinese specialized medics who had arrived at the region on Friday for a two-day free consultation and treatment campaign. Bangou and Bamendjou, with a population of over 100,000, are surrounded by many rural communities with abundant wildlife and dispersed settlements, and have only two hospitals. Villagers are often troubled by such health problems as gastritis, typhoid, malaria, cataract, rheumatism. But most of them cannot afford medical services. "My brother informed me of the health campaign. I left Douala (Cameroon's commercial hub, more than 200 km away from Bangou) at midnight and arrived here at 6:30 in the morning," said the retired history teacher and father of five who said he has been suffering from nerves and cramps since 2016. Martine Kouamo stood looking dejected as she watched her 10-year-old son Christian Djomo who was suffering from testicular pain. His twin sister was suffering from neck strain, and one part of her body was not stable, she said. "I tried to use traditional medicine (on Djomo) for three years in vain. I think Chinese doctors will help because they work well," Kouamo said. As the sun rose over Bangou and Bamendjou, a good number of patients began taking turns to register, consult and then receive treatment from doctors in various departments, who were here as members of the 22nd Chinese medical team to Cameroon. Fangan was among the first patients to be consulted. She was carefully administered an acupuncture treatment, an ancient Chinese method of treatment in which fine needles are inserted through the skin at specific points to treat various physical conditions. "As I speak to you the pain is gone," Fangan said after the treatment. "I feel better. In the morning I couldn't swing my neck like this...but now I can swing behind, left and right without problem." After being examined, little Djomo was given medicine that he hoped would heal him. "I feel about better," he said. For the first time since 2016, Justin Kouamou, 71, felt relieved when his sickness was detected through an echography. Before this, he had visited doctors several times, but results were not satisfactory. "The Chinese doctors inserted needles in my skin and it magically alleviated my pain. I am still amazed by the wonders of that treatment," Kouamou told Xinhua two days after he was administered an acupuncture treatment. Over 1,600 patients were consulted and treated during the campaign that ran from Oct. 29-30, said Paul Sikapin, mayor of Bangou council. "I asked firmly that such a campaign should be organized next year," Sikapin said. Fabrice Dubila, a medical doctor in Bangou sub-divisional hospital, said Cameroonian and Chinese doctors worked shoulder to shoulder in treating patients and offering much-needed medical services during the campaign. "This is a great opportunity to learn from our colleagues overseas. So far we have collaborated on the diagnosis of some patients and I have also learned some other diagnostic techniques I can use to diagnose some particular diseases notably lipoma and other pathologies. I think it is a very good opportunity to have witnessed acupuncture here in Bangou," Dubila said. Theodore Datouo, deputy speaker of Cameroon's National Assembly who is also a member of parliament of Upper Plateau constituency, said, the campaign was a mark of friendly relations between Cameroon and China. "China has always assisted Cameroon in the health sector and this time it is the turn of West region to benefit," said Datouo, the main organizer of the campaign. "This campaign is for the wellbeing of the population, the health of the population and when the population is healthy, economic development will follow. We thank China for this cooperation and the Chinese medical team in Cameroon," he added. Guo Jun, head of the Chinese medical team in Cameroon said, China has already dispatched 22 medical teams and 736 medical professionals to Cameroon since 1975 to diagnose diseases, relieve patients' pains, improve local health conditions and local medical level. "Today's free clinic is just an example. In the future, we will further deepen cooperation, contribute to promoting medical assistance projects and stimulating China-Cameroon friendship," Guo said. Besides the free clinic, the Chinese medical team, along with Beijing Urban Construction Group, donated drugs and protective materials to local hospitals. A Chinese ophthalmologist checks a patient's eyes in Bangou, Cameroon, Oct. 29, 2022.(Photo by Kepseu/Xinhua) This photo taken on Oct. 29, 2022 shows Justin Kouamou speaking to Xinhua in Bangou, Cameroon.(Photo by Kepseu/Xinhua) CAIRO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Egypt is counting on the upcoming 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) to obligate developed countries to honor their commitments to finance climate change projects and mitigate the effects of harmful climate changes, a COP official said on Friday. To tackle climate challenges, some 120 world leaders will gather in Egypt's coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6 to 18 for the COP27. "We need to find a space to discuss funding arrangements...then the climate finance," Special Advisor of the COP27 President-Designate Wael Aboulmagd said during a virtual press briefing. He said he hoped everyone could focus on the important agenda of COP27, which is to put forward a strong work program by the end of the conference to facilitate climate change mitigation. "We need to deliver a very strong message at COP27 on the global goal and adaptation," he stressed, adding a discussion on the funding arrangements for loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change was necessary. "We will have more than 120 world leaders here. They will not just deliver plenary style statements, but attend six round tables to discuss various important things," Aboulmagd said. The themes of discussions will include transition, water, food, vulnerable communities, green hydrogen, innovation and finance, he noted. "These round tables will not only be attended by world leaders, but also by representatives of the private sector and financial institutions as well as Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). Every relevant stakeholder will be represented," he added. The COP Presidency will work hard to ensure the COP27 agenda include the issue of "loss and damage" associated with the adverse effects of climate change, according to Aboulmagd. "Negotiations are difficult. They depend on an agreement reached by more than 190 members...but people will realize that we can work together to push the needle forward," Aboulmagd said. He stressed that developed countries had constantly fallen short of their commitment to contribute 100 billion U.S. dollars a year, pointing out that the COP Presidency will urge developed countries to fulfil their commitment at the upcoming COP27. Aboulmagd said he hoped to see real contributions to the negotiations, initiatives, projects and commitments for climate change. ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The recently signed peace accord between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) would potentially reverse the multifaceted conflict-induced socio-economic challenges, an Ethiopian scholar has said. Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, a professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, told Xinhua that the armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia, which erupted in November 2020, has affected human development across all the affected areas, resulting in "heavy losses of lives, livelihoods and physical infrastructure." He recalled the Ethiopian government's reports saying that the impact of the armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia has had "a devastating effect on the nation." Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the TPLF for the past two years, which left thousands dead and millions in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The peace accord was signed in the South African capital Pretoria, days after an African Union (AU)-led negotiation, which was facilitated by Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU high representative for the Horn of Africa and former president of Nigeria, along with the former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, and former deputy president of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities and orderly disarmament, Obasanjo said at a press briefing on the outcomes of the negotiation. The deal also includes restoring law and order, restoring services and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, he said. Noting the conflict has "scared investors away from the Ethiopian market, especially recently after the political and security situation worsened," Costantinos said the peace accord is potentially seen as a good news with regard to foreign direct investments inflow into the country. "Global companies closed their operations in Ethiopia," he said, adding that the companies' decision was encouraged by the U.S. administration's suspension of Ethiopia's membership in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) due to allegations of gross human rights violations during the current conflict. He emphasized that the new peace deal would also solve challenges concerning foreign aid interruption, loans and debt servicing. Costantinos said "Interruption of international aid can be a deadly measure for Ethiopia," adding "The suspension caused a huge loss for Ethiopia which relied on foreign aid to fund various development projects across the country. He recalled Moody's Investors Service decision to lower Ethiopia's sovereign credit rating, a sign of the country's deteriorating economy and growing concerns over the country's ability to pay off debts. According to him, the Ethiopian economy has endured critical challenges emanated from the conflict. Costantinos further cited the 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report on the Ethiopian Economy that indicated the Ethiopian economy has been subject to multiple shocks over the past two and a half years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, drought, conflict in the north of Ethiopia, and the Ukraine crisis. "This has created significant macroeconomic and humanitarian challenges," said Costantinos, who also served as an economic adviser to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Costantinos argued that the worsening economic situation was leading to social unrest, adding risks to the economy, and the conflict has led to death, displacement as well as the destruction of decades of progress on healthcare. He said the signing of the peace pact between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF - the de facto ruler of Ethiopia's northernmost Tigray region, would help deal with the conflict-induced socio-economic challenges and the resumption of efforts to address similar challenges as well as climate-related impacts of the conflict, as armed conflict often exacerbates vulnerability to climate change. MOSCOW, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen people were killed and four more were injured and hospitalized after a fire in a cafe early Saturday in Russia's western city of Kostroma about 350 km northeast of Moscow, Russia's TASS news agency reported. A total of 250 people were evacuated due to the fire, which had been put out and was likely caused by fireworks a visitor set off in the cafe, according to a preliminary investigation, TASS said, citing local emergency services. The fire reached an area of 3,500 square meters, and the roof of the cafe caved in during firefighting, TASS said. ATHENS, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- China continues to play a leading role in the world economy and the China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a landmark initiative for international trade, a Greek official told Xinhua on Saturday on the occasion of the opening of the fifth edition of CIIE in Shanghai. "For Greek exporters, China's fast-evolving economy remains a key market, and our growing bilateral trade underpins the longstanding commercial relationship between our two countries. That is why Greece and Greek companies have been active participants in the CIIE since its inception," said Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece, the official trade and investment promotion agency of Greece. Both countries are vested in the global trading system and share a vision of sustainable prosperity for their people and for the world, the official added. "We have a long history of cooperation from shipping to supply chains, and we in Greece look forward to cultivating the commercial relationship with our Chinese friends even further in the future," he said in a written statement. The fifth CIIE, which will run until Nov. 10, attracted representatives from 145 countries, regions and international organizations, among them, including more than 280 industry-leading or the world's top 500 companies. HOUSTON, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed with multiple people injured as tornadoes on Friday ripped across parts of south central U.S. states, causing significant damage, authorities have said. One person was killed in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, according to county emergency manager Cody McDaniel. In southern Oklahoma, a truck driver was hospitalized after his semi was blown over and a woman was hit by a falling tree as she was heading to a storm shelter. "Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today's tornadoes," Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt tweeted Friday night, noting that additional flash flooding occurred in some areas. In Lamar County, Texas, "there has been quite a bit of damage and some injuries," Travis Rhodes, the county's Constable, told local media. Fire and rescue officials were investigating reports of multiple people trapped inside their homes amid the rubble left behind. In neighboring Hopkins County, Texas, at least four houses were damaged by a tornado, the county's sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. More than three inches of rain fell at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, setting a daily rainfall record since 1956 and forcing hundreds of flights canceled on Friday. Dozens of homes were damaged in the area, local media reported. "Atmospheric conditions are favorable for severe storms," said the National Weather Service for Fort Worth. An early winter blast met record autumn warmth on Friday, creating the biggest tornado threat the country has seen in more than five months, according to CNN meteorologists. As of Friday midnight, more than 60,000 homes and businesses were without power in Texas. That number stood at roughly 35,000 in Arkansas and 4,000 in Oklahoma at the same time, data from the PowerOutage.us showed. Nine twisters formed in Texas, four in Arkansas, and one in Oklahoma, according to a preliminary count by the U.S. Storm Prediction Center. Thunderstorms are now moving eastward into Arkansas, Louisiana and southeast Texas and are expected to sweep through overnight with the threat of damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes, said a report from the weather.com. People look at a llama at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People visit a food stand at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Pigs are seen during a junior swine show at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Breeders display their cows during a junior beef heifer show at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) A boy has a VR experience of grain harvest at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) People look at giant pumpkins on display at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, on Nov. 4, 2022. As a combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition, the ten-day annual event kicked off here on Friday to celebrate its 100th anniversary. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua) Dubai national carrier Emirates has announced the resumption of its operations to two South American destinations - Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina) - which were previously suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Brazil ranked the 9th most visited destination in South America, and 32nd in the world, recording 6 million tourist arrivals in the same year. Rio de Janeiro took the top spot amongst most visited cities in Brazil and reached the 99th place of the world's most popular cities with 2.33 million tourists. Argentina has long been a popular tourist destination for global travellers and in 2019 was ranked the 4th most visited destination in South America, and 28th in the world, in terms of visitor numbers, according to Worlddata.info. In 2019, Argentina recorded 7.4 million tourist arrivals, out of which Buenos Aires ranked 88th place of the world's most popular cities with 2.77 million visitors mainly encompassing leisure, business and VFR travellers. The Flight EK247 (operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft) will depart from Dubai four times a week at 8.05am and land in Rio de Janeiro at 3.25pm the next day. Then after a 1 hour and 45 minute stopover, the flight continues to Argentina at 5.10pm, landing in Buenos Aires at 8.40pm. The return flight, EK248 will take off from Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires at 10.20pm and arrive in Rio de Janeiro at 1:10am the next day, after which it departs again at 2.55am, flying to its hub city of Dubai with a scheduled arrival time of 23:35. With the resumption of services to Argentina, which was first launched in 2012, Emirates said it has restored over 90% of its pre-pandemic network, comprising over 130 destinations including Dubai. The Flight EK247, which resumed its operations to the South American destinations, received a warm welcome on landings in Brazil and Argentina last week. Rio de Janeiros RIOgaleao organized a traditional water cannon salute to mark the airlines return to the Brazilian city, said a statement from Emirates. Passengers and crew were greeted with samba dancers who put on a lively cultural performance in the presence of the airports management team, it added. Emirates executives incluidng Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Americas; and Stephane Perard, Manager for Brazil marked the resumption of the Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires route with a symbolic ribbon-cutting before boarding the flight for Buenos Aires. On landing at Ezeiza's Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, the flight EK247 was greeted by Argentinian officials including Alexis Raul Guerrera, Minister of Transport; Matias Lammens, Minister of Tourism; Paola Tamburelli, Director of Civil Aviation; Sebastian Villar Guarino, General Manager Ezeiza Airport. The welcome event in Buenos Aires was marked by a dramatic tango dance performance, courtesy Argentina Tourism Board (Inprotur) which was attended by senior officials including Oscar Suarez, Director of International Markets, Improtur and Saeed Abdulla Saif Joula Alqemzi, Ambassador of the UAE to Argentina.-TradeArabia News Service One of the honorees addresses the awarding ceremony at the 18th Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Nov. 4, 2022. (Xinhua) by Julia Pierrepont III LOS ANGELES, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 18th Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival kicked off here Friday evening. Several hundred elegantly gowned and tuxedoed Chinese and Hollywood celebrities and guests assembled in Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel for the cultural event, which aims to promote film and television industry exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States. More than 400 film and television works will be screened at the festivals. A total of 10 films won the Golden Angel Award at the event this year, including "My Country, My Parents," "Nice View," "Schemes in Antiques," "Sunshine of My Life," and "Between Us." The festival awarded the Most Popular U.S. Films in China awards to Universal Pictures' science fiction action film "Jurassic World Dominion" and the animated comedy film "The Bad Guys," Legendary Pictures' epic science fiction film "Dune," and Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy film "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore." Zhang Ping, Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, said at the opening ceremony that the event was an important platform for film and television industry exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. In her speech at the opening ceremony, U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, praised the "incredible" organizers of the event which shows the power of film and culture. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion that declares the month of November 2022 as Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American Television Festival Month in the most populous county in the United States. Founded in 2005 by EDI Media Inc., the annual event is usually held in November in Los Angeles. Taipei: Including Taiwan in the fold is the only way Beijing can achieve long-term peace with the island and prevent Taiwan from being invaded by a foreign power, according to a new book authored by prominent Communist Party figures. The book had an article which said, "It is only through the complete reunification of the homeland that the compatriots on both sides can be completely freed from the shadow of civil war and jointly make lasting peace in the Taiwan Straits and can share." Huh." The document serves as the party's official justification for last month's constitution change. The article continued, "We can only defeat efforts by outside forces to engage China and protect national sovereignty, security and development interests by uniting with Taiwan and preventing Taiwan from being re-occupied by foreign countries." Also Read: Interview: CIIE presents huge opportunity for Africa to diversify export base -- Ethiopian scholar The hidden danger of "isolating China" by Taiwan's independence forces can only be eliminated by unification, it further said. The article served as justification for the party's choice to include "opposition and inclusion of Taiwanese independence" in its constitution last month, the first time such an explicit reference had been made to ease tensions surrounding the island. built into the text. About 20 prominent party thinkers contributed to the question and answer book of the 20th Party Congress Constitution Amendment, led by three current members of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee: Wang Huning, Zhao Lizhi, and Ding Zhuxiang, President Xi's Chief of Staff Jinping. On 28 October, the Party Building Books Publishing House, a division of the Central Organization Department, the party's primary body for hiring and educating party members, released the book. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August sparked increased hostility and loud rhetoric from Beijing about the situation in Taiwan, but it is unusual for the Communist Party to be so clear in its justification. Although the book did not specify how Beijing would unite with Taiwan, Xi said in his work report presented at the 20th Party Congress last month that Beijing would do everything possible to unite Taiwan peacefully but not using force. will not. will never leave. The most recent article specifically mentions the US, claiming that "out of a supremacist and Cold War mindset," some forces in the US see mainland China as a main strategic rival and long-term challenger. Also Read: China's ICT giant launches fund to develop innovation leaders in Zambia "These forces make every effort to control and suppress China, using Taiwan to subdue China," the statement said. The US claims it favors a one-China policy rather than Taiwan's independence, but some forces are at work within the country. in the opposite way. They strengthen official ties with Taiwan, plan military sales, and strengthen military ties between the US and Taiwan." Stating that the mainland is "pressurising," "threatening," and "unilaterally changing the status quo," the article claimed that these forces were using Taiwanese independence forces to stir up unrest in the Taiwan Straits. were doing for supported their efforts. According to the authors, these works were destined to fail. The article stated that "Taiwan independence" was going against historical trends and was a dead end, while "unification" was the right course of action. When Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, Beijing considered it a violation of its sovereignty and relations between the US and China fell to their lowest level in fifty years. Beijing responded with harsh condemnation and days of live-fire drills around Taiwan, including dozens of incursions along the midline in the Taiwan Strait, a de facto border that stood by that time. Beijing had repeatedly warned against Pelosi's visit. Beijing views Taiwan as a part of its territory that must be reclaimed if necessary using force. Most nations do not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, including the US. However, Washington opposes any attempt to capture the island by force. Also Read: Update Xi meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Since the party's founding in 1921, its constitution has been changed at each National Congress. It now includes the political philosophies of every major party from Mao Zedong to Xi, and the 1982 amendment includes personality defects. Tollywood's well-known actress Anushka Shetty is widely known today, she always remains in discussions due to something or the other. At the same time, Anushka Shetty is celebrating her birthday today i.e. on November 7. Yes, we are talking about Anushka Shetty, who plays Devasena in the 'Bahubali' series. Today is Anushka Shetty's birthday. She has given many superhit films in her career that you must have seen. Anushka is a South actress and she has dominated the South industry. Not many know that her real name is Sweety Shetty and she changed her name before getting into films. By the way, Rajamouli, who directed her in 'Bahubali', still calls her Sweety. Anushka was a teacher before coming to films and she used to go to teach children after graduation. After becoming a teacher, she thought that she would do the same in the future, but it could not happen and she became an actress. By the way, after becoming a teacher, she learned yoga. She took yoga training from well-known yoga teacher Bharat Thakur and became a yoga instructor. After that, once a film director saw her doing yoga and gave her a film. After that Anushka's luck shone and she became the top actress. Today, seeing Anushka, people get fascinated by her. By the way, Anushka's name has been associated with Bahubali's Bahubali i.e. Prabhas, although both of them have never confirmed their affair. Both of them have appeared with each other many times and in many films and the pair of both is also a super hit but to date both are bachelors. At the moment, we wish Devsena aka Anushka a very happy birthday. After the criticism, Adipurush makers are reworking on Films VFX! Rajinikanth is all set to play a cameo role in Daughter Aishwaryas this film Watch, Women in Bikinis chanting Bole Ram Hare Ram, complained against musician Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland seen as frontrunner for NATO head, says NYT 5 November, 11:47 AM Chrystia Freeland (Photo:REUTERS/Blair Gable) While NATO states are actively discussing the candidacy of Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergs successor, in the U.S., the prime candidate is considered to be deputy prime minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, The New York Times wrote on Nov. 4. Stoltenbergs mandate expires in the fall of 2023. According to the NYT, the EU is considering a female candidate from its member states for the position. Among them are the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, the President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova and the ex-President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. Video of day UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace, who had previously turned down submitting his candidacy for the post of prime minister, may also apply for the role. As negotiations have just begun, the initial roster of candidates will typically be filtered out as part of deliberations between member states themselves. The NYT adds that the U.S. usually does not nominate itself, since an American general commands the NATO forces in Europe. Freeland, who has Ukrainian roots, holds several advantages for candidacy: fluency in several languages (English, French, Italian, Ukrainian, and Russian), her ability to hold press conferences, and the fact that she has managed complex agencies, such as government ministries, previously. She could become the first woman and the first Canadian to hold the post of NATO Secretary General. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Puma-22 military exercises begin in Poland 5 November, 04:38 PM Military personnel from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Great Britain and the USA participate in the Puma-22 training (Photo:Poland MOD/Twitter) The Puma-22 military exercises began in Poland on Nov. 4, consisting of units from the Visegrad Group of countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic), as well as from the U.S. and UK, Ukraines Defense Ministry reported on Facebook on Nov. 5, citing the Polish PAP news agency. These exercises will incorporate lessons learned from Russias full-scale war against Ukraine, the Ministry added. Read also: Training exercises using HIMARS to be held in Latvia Nearly 2,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment will be participating in the exercises. The main Polish unit involved is the 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade, but other units from the 18th Separate Mechanized Division are also participating. The exercise focuses on armored and mechanized units of the Polish Ground Forces, but gunners, sappers, chemists, anti-aircraft guns, and scouts are all involved. Video of day The purpose of the exercises is to improve the interoperability of the forces participating, as well as to test the ability to plan, organize and conduct tactical operations in cooperation with allies, Major Przemysaw Lipczynski told PAP. It is the command and headquarters that work out the decisions regarding what will happen in the theater of operations. Major Lipczynski said the exercise scenarios will include: Conducting maneuverable defense; Forcing a water obstacle on the San River; Elimination of pollution by chemical units; Verification of artillery (Call For Fire) and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) procedures; Integrated fire extinguishing. Concurrently with the Puma-22 exercises, which are the largest military maneuvers of the Visegrad Group countries this year, the System-22, Gepard-22 and San-22 command and staff exercises are taking place. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Russian conscripts arrive in Belarus, says General Staff 5 November, 10:47 AM Russian military (Photo:Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/Telegram) Some Russian units are receiving resupply and reinforcements in Belarus, Ukraine's General Staff in their morning summary on Nov. 5. The Republic of Belarus continues to support the Russian war against Ukraine, hosts and accomodates Russian servicemen, and provides training grounds," the military reported. Russian units are expected to spend two to three weeks in combat training and coordination exercises, they added. Meanwhile, the General Staff noted that the situation in the Volyn and Polissia directions remains without significant changes. Video of day Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko ruled out the possibility of sending the Belarusian troops to fight against Ukraine on Nov. 4. Read also: New group of Russian military personnel arrives in Belarus At the same time, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has been firing its missiles at Ukraine from the territory of Belarus. Throughout the war, Russia has been using Belarus as staging grounds to first invade northern Ukraine in February-March, and subsequently to launch air and drone strikes at Ukraines civilian infrastructure. However, on Oct. 4, Lukashenko admitted that Belarus is involved in the war against Ukraine: "As for our participation in the special military operation in Ukraine we are taking part in it, he said. We do not hide it. But we do not kill anyone. We do not send our military anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News (Bloomberg) -- Last November in Glasgow, the worlds climate leaders were locked in a fierce debate over whether the final draft of the summits agreement should include a pledge to phase-out or phase-down coal. Most Read from Bloomberg Since then, the more appropriate term would probably be phase-up. Even as the globe is increasingly battered by floods, droughts and storms caused by climate change, the fuel that contributes most to planet-warming emissions is undergoing a renaissance. Global coal power generation could set a record for a second-straight year and remains the worlds biggest source of electricity. Consumption has surged in Europe to replace shortfalls in hydro, nuclear and Russian gas, while top producer China is extracting record volumes from mines to insulate itself from volatile global energy markets. Prices of exported coal have skyrocketed to records and futures contracts suggest theyll remain at historic highs for years to come. And while plans for spending on new mines and power plants are a fraction of what they were a few years ago, that companies are still investing in new projects at all is alarming to climate scientists who say the fuel needs to be phased out by 2040 to avoid the worst effects of climate change. As politicians and activists gather in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh this weekend to consolidate the work of Glasgow, Paris and other past COP summits, coals resilience demonstrates the mountain the world still need to climb. Its very much hanging in the balance at the moment about whether coal will set a new record this year, whether gas will set a new record and whether power sector-emissions will set a a new record, said Dave Jones, a lead analyst at the climate think tank Ember in London. The power sector is the most important that you need to be seeing emissions reductions from this decade. That means that this is far more than a blip. This is a moment where governments have got to get serious. Story continues For coal titans whove grown accustomed to being a punching bag for environmentalists, this year has not only been profitable but also a rare and welcome chance to remind the world of the value of the cheap and reliable energy they provide. Decarbonization is necessary, but it must take place in a responsible and coordinated way and we continue to maintain that this is a journey that will take decades, not years, Mark Vaile, chairman of Australian miner Whitehaven Coal Ltd. said at an Oct. 26 investor meeting, after the producer posted record annual earnings this year. Traditional energy sources like coal are critical to providing a reliable baseload of energy. Coal has long been mired in controversy. Cheap to mine, easy to transport and simple to burn, it powered the world into the industrial age as it blackened skies and choked lungs. Even after technology reduced direct air pollution, coal continued to be the leading source of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as it releases more carbon dioxide than oil or natural gas, and mining it unleashes torrents of even-more-potent methane. In order for the world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the International Energy Agency says coal power plants need to be eliminated in developed nations by 2030 and in the rest of the world by 2040. And yet hundreds of billions of dollars are forecast to be invested in new coal assets through the middle of the century, and key nations like China and India are forging ahead with plans to roll-out vast new power plant capacity. Last year was supposed to be the beginning of the end for the dirty fuel. Consumption had declined in both 2019 and 2020. Alok Sharma, president of the United Nations-led COP26 climate conference, spent the year urging world leaders to consign coal to history when they met in Glasgow in November. Instead, a strong industrial rebound from the pandemic drove coal consumption to a record. Widespread power outages in the worlds top coal users China and India made leaders there double-down on ensuring supplies of the fuel were available to keep their economies humming. And in Scotland, a tearful Sharma apologized to delegates when a pledge to phase-out coal was changed to phase-down at the last-minute, on the insistence of Beijing and New Delhi. Things havent gotten much better this year. Coal power generation rose about 1% over the previous year through August, according to data from Ember. In Europe, its been needed to replace Russian gas to help overcome lower output from nuclear and hydropower. In China, a historic drought in July and August sapped reservoirs of its massive dams, requiring a surge in coal consumption to fill the void. In the US, coal power plant retirements are being delayed and production of the fuel will increase 3.5% this year as miners seek to meet surging demand from around the world and take advantage of record prices. One of the ironies of the rise in coal use this year is that its been tied to droughts that have reduced hydropower generation and left river levels too low for nuclear power plants to operate at full capacity. And in the two countries that burn 70% of the worlds coal, work is underway on even more power plants that use the fuel. An executive from Chinas top engineering firm said he expects the nation to approve more new coal plants through 2025 than the entire fleet of nations like the US. Meanwhile, India plans to expand its coal fleet by about a quarter through the end of the decade unless theres a substantial drop in the cost of storing electricity. The result is that even as investments in wind and solar generation jump to records, its very possible that emissions from the power sector rise to a new high this year, according to Ember. UN climate scientists have warned that they have to be cut in half by 2030 to be on path to limit rising temperatures to about 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial times. Emissions from US power plants will increase 1.5% in 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration. Read more: The Worlds Biggest Source of Clean Energy Is Evaporating Fast Surging demand has boosted prices for coal to record levels, with benchmark Newcastle coal futures trading around $360 a ton, about six times higher than they were two years ago. Forward contracts are currently trading at above $260 a ton through 2027. Not a single forward contract was above $75 just two years ago. Thats meant a windfall for miners like commodities giant Glencore Plc, which reported first half earnings from its coal unit that surged almost 900% to $8.9 billion more than Starbucks Corp. or Nike Inc. made in an entire year. Coal India Ltd., a top global producer, saw profit nearly triple. Chinese companies that extract more than half the worlds coal posted first-half earnings that more than doubled to a combined $80 billion. Investors have paid attention. Shares for miners like Glencore and Australia-based New Hope Corp. have risen to records this year. Analysts have even suggested giving them a break on environmental-social-governance grounds, arguing theyre doing a social good by providing electricity that keeps families warm, businesses open and workers employed. Even so, investments in coal have been dwindling as shareholders and banks increasingly refuse to approve new spending on projects either on ethical grounds or because of concerns theyll be forced to shut long before they can generate a profitable return. Urgewald, a German nonprofit environmental and human rights organization that tracks active coal projects, said about 473 gigawatts of new coal power plants are still in various stages of planning, compared to about 1,600 gigawatts in the pipeline as recently as 2017. Still, if all the operations still planned are built that would increase the global fleet by nearly a quarter. The point may be not so far away when retirements outweigh new additions and the fleet stops growing, said Heffa Schuecking, director of Urgewald. The real problem is if we want to cut emissions in half by 2030, then something like half the fleet would have to be retired. Plans to expand coal power generation in places like China and India may not make state-owned utilities there happy. With coal prices so high, companies that burn the fuel to generate electricity sold at regulated rates have seen profits ebb. New wind and solar power is far cheaper than coal in both countries, according to BloombergNEF data. Power firms are caught in the middle of deciding whether to take advantage of the brief window of looser coal power expansion rules, or focusing more on narrower profits on high costs, said Zhang Mohan, an analyst with CITIC Futures. Outside of China and India, plans for new production capacity are limited. Along with expectations that gas will remain costly after Russias invasion of Ukraine, that should keep prices high as supply wont be able to catch up with demand. The world cant just turn off all of its coal powered generation, said Robert Bishop, chief executive officer of New Hope, which is aiming to lift production and studying potential coal sector acquisitions. Its going to take some time and there just isnt enough supply response coming on, so we think prices will remain elevated. Still, the year hasnt been devoid of hope for those working to reduce emissions. Even as China invests in new coal mines and power plants, its putting even more money into clean electricity and energy storage that could eventually crowd fossil fuels out of the grid. The US Inflation Reduction Act promises to speed investments in wind and solar in a market thats been a laggard relative to its wealth and emissions profile. And in Europe, the looming energy crisis and surging fossil fuel prices have boosted demand for renewables, with imports of solar panels from China on the continent more than doubling over the first half of the year. The risks of relying on Russian pipeline gas have accelerated plans to also reduce overall use of that fuel, a factor that could over the medium-term offset emissions from coals recent revival, academics at Princeton University wrote in a paper published last month. Germanys top utility RWE AG said in October that while it would boost coal use in the short-term through the winter, it would bring forward by eight years to 2030 its exit from the fuel. It all suggests only a brief reprieve for coal, as companies and nations keep a close watch on their emissions trajectory. If we burn more now, we need a deeper dive afterward, said Sebastian Roetters, an energy campaigner with Urgewald. (Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News, committed $500 million in 2019 to launch Beyond Carbon, a campaign aimed at closing the remaining coal-powered plants in the U.S. by 2030.) --With assistance from Qian Chen, James Fernyhough, Will Wade and Todd Gillespie. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Akshata Murthy, wife of new British PM Rishi Sunak, has a big stake in Infosys, the company founded by her father. Samir Hussein/Getty Images Infosys, founded by Rishi Sunak's father-in-law, is still operating in Russia, The Guardian reported. The IT firm still has staff in Moscow and is paying two subcontractors, per the report. Infosys, which pays the PM's wife 11.5 million in dividends, said it would leave Russia in March. Infosys, the company owned by the UK prime minister's billionaire father-in-law, is still operating in Moscow, eight months after it said it was pulling out, The Guardian reported. The Indian IT firm said it was exiting the Russian market in March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, yet it still has a staffed office in the Russian capital and is paying subcontractors to carry out IT services for a global client, according to the newspaper. The Moscow office of Infosys still has a company plaque outside on a wall, per the report. Company sources told The Guardian that some administrative staff were still working there as part of the process to leave Russia. Those sources said staff still in Moscow were removing computer equipment and offloading it in a "sustainable" manner ahead of a move to India. A spokesperson told The Guardian that it was seeking to end the arrangement and had taken measures to "suspend its operations in Russia". They said employees working on client projects "have been transitioned out" and that Infosys was still paying two Moscow-based subcontractors to carry out work for a client. The spokesperson added: "Infosys does not have any active relationship with local Russian enterprises. The process of transitioning a few remaining partner and administrative staff is under way." Akshata Murthy, the wife of the UK's prime minister, receives annual dividends worth 11.5 million ($13.1 million) from her 0.91% stake in Infosys that is worth about $785 million. Murthy, daughter of the company's founder, N.R. Narayana Murthy, this year agreed to pay tax in the UK on her dividends after it was revealed that she didn't do so due to her "non-domiciled" status. Story continues A Downing Street spokesperson told The Guardian: "Neither Akshata Murty nor any members of her family have any involvement in the operational decisions of the company." Infosys didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider SHANGHAI, November 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CIIE, which has been widely hailed as the premiere platform for foreign businesses to tap into the myriad opportunities in the Chinese market, will be held in Shanghai for the fifth time from Nov 5 to 10. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221105005029/en/ The National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue for the China International Import Expo (CIIE), in East China's Shanghai. Photo by chinadaily.com.cn A total of 145 countries, regions and international organizations have confirmed their participation, according to Sun Chenghai, deputy director-general of the CIIE Bureau, who made the remarks at a press conference on Nov 1. The world's first national-level import-themed trade fair launched in 2018, the expo will once again comprise a business exhibition, a country exhibition and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum. Eight countries - Nicaragua, Djibouti, Mauritania, Comoros, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Iceland will attend the country exhibition for the first time. In addition, all member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will have companies taking part in the expo. A total of 284 of the world's top 500 enterprises and industry giants will be present at the business exhibition, and hundreds of new products, technologies and services will be exhibited at the six major exhibition areas - Food and Agricultural Products, Intelligent Industry and Information Technology, Medical Equipment and Healthcare Products, Consumer Goods, Trade in Services, and Automobiles, Sun said. In line with the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and targets through 2035, the event has established special subsections for the crop seed industry and artificial intelligence, optimized the special subsection for low-carbon energy and environmental protection technology, and expanded the innovation and incubation subsection. More than 150 startups specialized in technological equipment, consumer products, and the medical and automotive fields will present their products and services at the innovation and incubation subsection. Story continues An integral part of the CIIE, this years Hongqiao International Economic Forum will focus more on topics related to global openness, with the number of sub-forums expanding from 14 to 24. Some parallel sessions will be co-hosted by ministries and commissions, think tanks and a number of international organizations, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, and the United Nations Global Compact, etc. Five of these forums will have keynote speeches delivered by Nobel laureates. Nearly 20 authoritative reports, including the World Openness Report 2022, will be released during the forum. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221105005029/en/ Contacts Ms. Cui Yan Tel.0086-21-968888 Emailciie2022@ciie.org Websitehttp://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/ Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ciieonline Twitterhttps://twitter.com/ciieonline Reuters Musk's Twitter Cost Cut Plot Could Impact Google Cloud Services As He Orders To Cut Infra Costs By $1B Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has ordered Twitter Inc's teams to find up to $1 billion in annual infrastructure cost savings raising concerns that Twitter could go down during high-traffic events like the U.S. midterm elections. Twitter must find between $1.5 million - $3 million a day in savings from servers and cloud services, Reuters reported citing Muck's Slack message, which referred to the project as the "Deep Cuts Plan." Vonage Bows Down Before FTC Directive; To Pay A $100M Penalty Communications firm Vonage agreed to pay $100 million to resolve a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit. FTC prosecuted Vonage for failing to provide a simple method for customers to cancel their telephone services and imposed "junk fees," the agency said. Vonage also agreed to offer clear disclosures about recurring charges and a simple method to stop recurring payments or avoid increased costs. Nissan, Renault Talk About Restructuring Their EV Partnership Nissan Motor Co, Ltd's (OTC: NSANF) (OTC: NSANY) discussions with Renault SA (OTC: RNLSY) (OTC: RNSDF) on revamping their alliance focused on competitiveness as equal partners and getting value from their investment in electric cars. Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said the goal was to improve the automakers' ability to compete during economic uncertainty and as the industry shifted to electric vehicles. But, over the years, Nissan executives have had issues over the unequal ownership structure, with Renault owning 43% of Nissan and the Japanese automaker holding only a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. Bloomberg Toshiba Buyout's Japan Industrial Partners-Led Bidder For May Miss Deadline To Secure Financing A consortium led by Japan Industrial Partners Inc might miss the November 7 deadline to secure financing for Toshiba Corp (OTC: TOSBF) (OTC: TOSYY) at a valuation of about 2.4 trillion ($16.1 billion). Four banks, including Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, were considering whether to issue loans to the consortium. They have decided not to proceed before the cutoff date set by Toshiba, the people said. Story continues Boeing's Jeppesen Unit Sees Potential Ransomware Attack, Causes Flight Planning Disruptions Boeing Co's (NYSE: BA) unit Jeppesen was impacted by a cyber incident affecting access to its flight planning software. Jeppesen, a U.S.-based firm, provides analytical services to air carriers. "Our subsidiary, Jeppesen, experienced a cyber incident affecting certain flight planning products and services," Boeing spokesman Yukui Wang said in an email. Lyft To Let Go Of 13% Of Workforce, Divest Vehicle Business To Beat Slowdown Lyft Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT)said it would cut 13% of staff, equivalent to 683 employees. The ride-hailing company chose to downsize as it struggled to cope with a complex economic backdrop. Lyft will also divest its first-party vehicle service business and expects the buyer will offer workers in that division positions. Apple Lures China iPhone Customers With Deep Discounts But Sales Stutter Amid Domestic Weakness Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 14 sales in China are taking a hit as consumers tighten their purse strings amid economic uncertainties. iPhone 14 sales in China, since its launch on Sept 7, have declined about 33% compared to the sales of iPhone 13 models in a comparable timeframe, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee said in a recent note. The high-end iPhone 14 models Pro and Pro Max have also seen a dip in sales, the analyst said. Benzinga Dogecoin Sinks 10% As Elon Musk's Twitter Reportedly Suspends Work On Crypto Wallet Twitter is reportedly halting its plan to launch a cryptocurrency wallet, days after Elon Musk announced a plethora of changes since taking over the microblogging platform. The news appears to have significantly dented Dogecoin (DOGE/USD). According to Platformer, a recently revealed plan to build a cryptocurrency wallet for Twitter appears to be on pause. As a result, DOGE tumbled 10.86% in the last 24 hours. Alibaba Comes Back Strong Against US Sanctions; To Power 20% Operations By In-House CPUs By 2025 Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) plans to power 20% of its operations with its homebrew CPUs by 2025. Alibaba showcased its Yitian 710 server-class CPU in 2021. In early 2022 the operation started trials of the devices and offered more info about their specs. The features included 128 Armv9-compatible CPU cores, a clock speed of up to 3.2GHz, eight DDR5 channels, and 96 PCIe 5.0 lanes, all cooked up on a 5nm process. Illumina's Q3 Profits Hit By Impairment Of Almost $4B, Cuts Annual Guidance Illumina Inc (NASDAQ: ILMN) posted Q2 revenue of $1.12 billion, up 1% Y/Y and up 3% on a constant currency basis, almost in line with the consensus. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.34 compared to $1.45 a year ago, beating the consensus of $0.30. During the quarter, GAAP diluted loss per share of $(24.26) includes a goodwill impairment of $3.91 billion related to the GRAIL segment. Amgen Reports Q3 Higher Profit, Despite Slight Fall In Topline Growth Amgen Inc's (NASDAQ: AMGN) Q3 revenue reached $6.65 billion, down 1% Y/Y, due to 8% volume growth offset primarily by a 5% lower net selling price and a 2% negative impact from foreign exchange. Analysts estimated sales of $6.56 billion. The company reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $4.70, up 15%, beating the consensus of $4.44. For FY22, Amgen narrowed its adjusted EPS outlook to $17.25-$17.85 on revenue of $26-$26.3 billion. Hershey's Beat On Q3 Earnings, Expects Sweetened Holiday Season, Boosts Annual Guidance Hershey Co (NYSE: HSY) has reported Q3 sales of $2.73 billion, an increase of 15.6%, beating the consensus of $2.61 billion. The company reported adjusted EPS of $2.17, beating the consensus of $2.10. Hershey expects full-year 2022 net sales to grow between 14%-15%, compared to the previous forecast of 12% to 14% growth. See more from Benzinga Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better. 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Dubai's low-cost carrier flydubai has announced plans to launch new flights to key destinations including Milan and Cagliari (Italy), Corfu (Greece), Pattaya and Krabi (Thailand) from next year. Also the airline has unveiled plans to resume its flights to the Saudi city of Al Hofuf on November 24. Since the start of 2022, flydubai began launching flights to more than 20 destinations, including Pisa and Catania in Italy, Osh in Kyrgyzstan as well as Samarkand and Namangan in Uzbekistan. The addition of these six routes will see the flydubai network expand to 113 destinations in 53 countries, representing a significant milestone as it is the largest number of destinations the carrier will serve since it began operations.-TradeArabia News Service Nuclear weapons must not be used over Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday, offering Beijing's clearest response yet to Russia's invasion of the former Soviet state, amid mounting concerns that the war might go nuclear. "The international community should ... jointly oppose the use or threats to use nuclear weapons, advocate that nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought, in order to prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia," Xi said during a meeting in Beijing with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xinhua's readout of the meeting did not target any country for criticism nor mention Russia. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Xi Jinping with Olaf Scholz at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Photo: dpa alt=Xi Jinping with Olaf Scholz at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. Photo: dpa> Xi's statement repeated China's pledge made in January - alongside nuclear-armed France, Russia, Britain and the United States - to use atomic weapons only for defensive purposes. "A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought", the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, or the "P5", had said in their joint statement. China maintains a stated policy that it will not use nuclear weapons first and not threaten non-nuclear states with those weapons. But Western governments remain concerned because of a lack of transparency over the Chinese nuclear programme. Xi also told Scholz that China supported Europe's important role in pushing for peace talks over Ukraine, and in creating a "balanced, effective and sustainable" European security framework, according to Xinhua. Western countries supporting Ukraine's war efforts have been worried about Moscow using nuclear weapons, after President Vladimir Putin said in September that Russia would use "all weapon systems available" if its territorial integrity was threatened. Story continues But last month, Putin denied having any intentions of using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, saying there was no need for this from a political or military standpoint. Russia has also accused Ukraine of planning a "dirty bomb" attack - referring to the use of radioactive explosive intended to contaminate rather than cause heavy casualties. But UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency dismissed the Russian claim on Thursday following an investigation. Scholz, the first Group of 7 and western European leader to visit China since the Covid-19 pandemic began, said Berlin and Beijing agreed that threatening nuclear attacks was irresponsible and dangerous. "I have said to President Xi that it's important for China to exert its influence on Russia - it's about the principles of the UN Charter that we have all agreed on, and asserting these principles like the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every country. These are important issues for China as well," Scholz said during a joint press conference with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday. In an opinion piece for Politico ahead of his one-day trip, Scholz said China bore a "special responsibility" as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. China is not known to have given direct military support to Russia or recognised annexed Ukrainian regions as Russian territory. However, it has repeatedly criticised the West for ignoring Moscow's security concerns and the sanctions they imposed in response to the invasion. Chinese media have also repeated the Kremlin's narrative on the war and not described it as an invasion. "Scholz will see China's public opposition to the use and threat to use nuclear weapons as a victory," said Noah Barkin, a China expert at Rhodium Group, a New York-based research firm. "But we don't know whether that will have any effect on Vladimir Putin, nor whether an escalation in Ukraine would lead Beijing to distance itself from Moscow. The lessons of the past year are that Xi will stick with Putin through thick and thin." Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping at a regional summit in Uzbekistan in September. Photo: AP alt=Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping at a regional summit in Uzbekistan in September. Photo: AP> Xi also highlighted to Scholz the need for Germany and China to work together for the global good. "We must work together to ensure global industry and supply chains are stable and prevent interferences to cooperation in global energy, food and finance that will harm global economic recovery and, especially, the economic and financial stability of developing countries," Xi said, according to Xinhua. For China, economic development and national security go hand in hand. Xi's national security doctrine says development can ensure security, while security in turn ensures the continued development of nations. National security, as China sees it, is not only about the protection of territorial integrity but also ensuring a supply chain remains safe from foreign sanctions and developing self-sufficiency in food, energy and technology. Additional reporting by Stella Chen This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. By Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas and Diego Ore CARACAS/MEXICO CITY, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Venezuela's government and the country's opposition plan to resume dialogues in Mexico as soon as this month after a long delay, and are expected to focus on negotiating conditions for a presidential election, four sources close to the talks said. Last year, delegations representing President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition led by Juan Guaido made no progress on resolving the nation's deep political crisis, which has stoked a sometimes-chaotic migration wave of over 7 million people. "We are working on resuming the dialogue process in November," said one of the people familiar with the arrangements. Maduro and Colombia President Gustavo Petro said in a joint statement on Tuesday they hoped for "a successful return" to the dialogues. The renewed talks, again facilitated by the Norwegian government, would cover the election, status of hundreds of political prisoners, U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and a "social agreement" that would enable distribution of $3 billion in goods and investment for humanitarian aid from a U.N.-administered fund. Resumption of the dialogue has repeatedly been delayed by disagreements on terms, especially elections, a topic that may again force last-minute changes, including possibly postponing discussion to a second meeting, one of the sources said. Venezuela's information ministry, opposition's envoy Gerardo Blyde, the Norwegian government and Mexico's foreign affairs ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Several parties warned Washington in October they are unwilling to support U.S.-backed Guaido's interim government in 2023. This makes resumption of talks crucial for the opposition coalition, which has been diminished by exile, imprisonment of leaders, internal fractures and lack of funds. The talks were abandoned by Maduro's envoys a year ago after disagreements over the extradition of an ally of the Venezuelan president who faces money laundering charges. Story continues Maduro had said his government would not return to talks unless all U.S. sanctions were lifted, while the opposition has insisted on guarantees for a fair and transparent presidential vote, supervised by foreign observers, in late 2023 or 2024. The U.S. government has tried to encourage dialogue, easing some sanctions and freeing two relatives of the Venezuelan fist lady, who were jailed on drug trafficking charges. Maduro also released six former executives of U.S.-based refiner Citgo Petroleum. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, trying to increase global oil supplies to bring down prices that have surged since Russia invaded Ukraine, has said the dialogue progress could trigger sanctions relief, including a license for U.S. oil company Chevron to expand operations in Venezuela. A growing influx of Venezuelan migrants to the United States is also prompting Washington to look for solutions to the South American country's crisis. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Deisy Buitrago and Diego Ore Writing by Marianna Parraga; Editing by David Gregorio) A man accused of shooting another man to death earlier this year at a Stafford County motel was denied bond Friday in Stafford Circuit Court. George Lee Pearson III, 45, of Stafford is charged with murder and two firearms offenses. He is accused of killing 47-year-old Leo Franklin of Oxon Hill, Maryland, on June 29 at the Red Roof Inn on U.S 17. Franklin was shot in the chest. Defense attorney Lauren Whitley argued that Pearson deserves a bond despite the seriousness of his charges, but Judge Michael Levy ruled otherwise. Prosecutor Jay Chichester said Pearson shot Franklin in the motel parking lot. Chichester did not discuss the reasons for the shooting, but said Pearson showed the aftermath to his wife via Facetime. Pearson left the scene before police arrived and went to the Falmouth Bridge, Chichester said, where he had threatened to commit suicide. He was heading south on Interstate 95 when police contacted him by telephone and urged him to pull over. He stopped on an exit ramp in Hanover County and was taken into custody by Hanover deputies and Virginia State Police. He has been in custody ever since. A preliminary hearing for Pearson is scheduled for Dec. 27 in Stafford General District Court. Men and women who have served in the U.S. armed forces will be honored on Veterans Day. A variety of programs, meals and special deals are planned for Veterans Day on Nov. 11 as a way to say thank you to area veterans. The following is an area Veterans Day roundup. All events will take place on Nov. 11 unless otherwise noted. School programs Fremont High School All veterans and active service men and women are invited to attend a program in their honor from 11-11:30 a.m. in Fremont High Schools Al Bahe Gymnasium. The keynote speaker will be Cpl. Richard Jule (RJ) Riggs. Riggers serviced as a United States Marine from 1969-70 in the Vietnam War. He received the Purple Heart in 1969 and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for Valor in 1969. Riggs was granted the Meritorious Service Award for service in battle from 1969-70. Those planning to attend the program are asked to call the high school office, 402-727-3050, by Tuesday or Wednesday so the school can have appropriate seating accommodations in place. Trinity Lutheran School A Veterans Day program will take place from 1:30-3 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran School, 1546 N. Luther Road, in Fremont. Arlington Public Schools Veterans will be honored during a program at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov, 9, in Arlington High Schools main gym. Coffee and rolls will be served prior to the event. Cedar Bluffs Public Schools A Veterans Day program will begin at 10 a.m. at the Cedar Bluffs High School gym. The community is invited to attend. The program will include a speaker and music. Logan View Public Schools An event paying tribute to area veterans will begin at 9 a.m. at the Logan View High School gym. Mead Public Schools The annual Veterans Day program at Mead Public Schools will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Mead High School gym. Music will be performed by Mead music students. The program also will include the Color Guard and a guest speaker. Everyone is welcome to attend. North Bend Central Public Schools North Bend area veterans are invited to North Bend Central at 10:55 a.m. for the annual Veterans Day program. The program in Tiger Arena will include patriotic songs performed by the NBC band (Ryan Baldwin, director). The program will be presented by the NBC social studies department and members of the American Legion. The annual K-1 veterans program will begin at 2:30 p.m. at the North Bend Central Elementary School gym. Cookies and drinks will follow in the lunchroom. All veterans and community members are invited. Scribner-Snyder Community Schools All Scribner-Snyder veterans are invited for coffee and cookies at 9 a.m. in the SSCS Commons. The schools Veterans Day assembly will follow in the gym at 10 a.m. The school and Scribner Chamber of Commerce will be providing a lunch for veterans (with guests) and auxiliary following the program. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by calling 402-664-2567 or 402-664-2568. Hy-Vee Homefront Every November, Hy-Vee salutes the nations veterans and active-duty military through the Hy-Vee Homefront initiative, which includes several company efforts, including: Hy-Vee Homefront Round Up This is Hy-Vees annual fundraiser in which the company teams up with customers to raise money to support veterans, active-duty military members and their families. The fundraiser is being held now through Nov. 13 at all Hy-Vee stores and Dollar Fresh Market stores across its eight-state region. Hy-Vee will match all customer donations up to $100,000 and Coca-Cola will additionally match up to $50,000 with all proceeds benefiting Hope for the Warriors, Operation First Response, American Red Cross and the Puppy Jake Foundation. Veterans Day Dine-In Breakfast Hy-Vee will be offering a free breakfast to all veterans and active-duty military members on Nov. 11. A buffet-style breakfast will be served from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Hy-Vee stores. Free doughnuts and coffee will be offered to all veterans and active-duty military members at all Dollar Fresh Market locations on Nov. 11. Veterans and active-duty military also will receive 15% off their grocery purchase on Veterans Day when they shop at Hy-Vee in-store, through Hy-Vee Aisles Online or at Dollar Fresh Market locations using promo code HOMEFRONT15. Hiring Heroes This is Hy-Vees recruiting initiative that actively recruits veterans and active-duty military to work for Hy-Vee and its subsidiaries. Hy-Vee holds special events throughout the year for veterans and service members returning to civilian life to learn about career opportunities across its eight-state region. The company provides specific benefits for veterans, such as a paid day off on Veterans Day, relocation assistance and hiring bonuses based on eligibility. McDonalds breakfast Nebraska McDonalds restaurants will be offering free breakfast to all veterans, active duty military and military families on Veterans Day. All former, active duty and military families can receive a free meal during breakfast hours on Nov. 11. The breakfast includes a choice of an Egg McMuffin, Bacon Egg Cheese Biscuit or Sausage Biscuit. All options include a medium-size soft drink, tea or premium roast coffee and a hash brown. The offer is valid with military ID or in military uniform. Applebees meal This Veterans Day, all veterans and active-duty military members will receive a free entree from a special menu on Nov. 11 at Applebees. The choice of entrees include: classic bacon cheeseburger, chicken tenders platter, fiesta lime chicken, oriental chicken salad, 6 oz. USDA Select top sirloin, double crunch shrimp, and three-cheese chicken penne. The free entrees will be available at participating Applebees only, and for dine-in only. Beverage and gratuity are not included. U.S. veterans and active-duty military must show proof of military service. Proof of service includes: U.S. Uniformed Services ID Card, U.S. Uniformed Services Retired ID Card, current Leave and Earnings Statement, veterans organization card (i.e. American Legion, VFW), photograph of yourself in uniform, wearing uniform, DD214 and citation or commendation. There is a limit of one meal per U.S. veteran or active-duty military. Since 2008, Applebees has served 10.8 million free meals to its neighborhood military heroes. Free admission In honor of the Veterans Day holiday, The Durham Museum in Omaha will open its doors free of charge to those who have served in the military. Admission is free for veterans and their family members from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11. The Durham also will offer free hot dog meals for veterans at the Soda Fountain that day. Nebraska students are invited to participate in the Nebraska Scholastic Writing Awards, a state-wide writing contest designed to honor young creative voices. Students that are at least 13 years of age and currently in grades 7-12 are eligible to enter. The entry deadline for this year is Dec. 15, 2022, with a $10 entry fee per submission and a $30 fee for a portfolio submission. The program is designed to honor a wide variety of writing, with several genre categories available. Students can submit entries in the following categories: personal essay and memoir, critical essay, journalism, short story, flash fiction, novel writing, humor, science fiction and fantasy, poetry and dramatic script. For details on the program and how to submit entries, go to hastings.edu/writingawards. As an affiliate partner of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Hastings College encourages all student writers to participate in this unique opportunity. Entries will be judged by Hastings College faculty and students, and all will have the opportunity to earn Honorable Mention, Silver Key or Gold Key awards. Awardees will be notified in January 2023, and invited to campus for an awards ceremony later in the spring. Award-winning entries at the regional level will appear in the annual Best Nebraska Teen Writing anthology, published by Hastings College Press. Gold Key work will advance to national adjudication to compete for gold or silver medals. National medalists works are published in national publications and on the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers website. Select writing is published in The Best Teen Writing annual anthology. Nationally honored students also have the opportunity to receive scholarships and cash prizes for their work. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program was founded in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, the founder of Scholastic Inc., with this year marking the 100th annual call for submissions. This program identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic or literary talent and brings their work to a national audience. The Fremont Fire Department reminds community members to change their smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries, when then turn their clock back on Sunday, Nov. 6. According to the National Fire Protection Association, three out of five fire injuries take place in homes without working smoke alarms. And 71% of smoke alarms that failed to operate had missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Smoke detectors give advance warning in a fire situation where minutes can mean the difference between life and death. The fire department wants to help members of the community who are unable to purchase a new battery and/or change their old one. If you would like assistance with your detectors, contact the Fremont Fire Department at 402-727-2688. If you have family or neighbors who might need assistance, the department asks you share this information. A lawsuit filed by a longtime employee of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture can go forward alleging the department discriminated against him for coming forward as a whistleblower. Richard Herchenbach of Lincoln sued the department in 2019 saying he had been passed over for a promotion to program manager that year for making internal complaints about not being allowed to report animal neglect and cruelty to local law enforcement. As an inspector in the departments Commercial Dog and Cat Program, he said, he had an obligation to make such reports. In 2017, Herchenbach met with the state personnel manager and an attorney with the Department of Agriculture about the department's refusal to allow him to make the reports, his attorney, Jon Rehm, said in the lawsuit. He said Herchenbach sought protection as a whistleblower under the State Government Effectiveness Act and filed a complaint with the Office of Public Counsel, which in a preliminary investigation found reasonable grounds to conclude wrongdoing by the department in failing to report allegations of animal neglect and cruelty. At a hearing last month, the Department of Agriculture's attorney, Jarrod Boitnott, made several arguments that the case shouldn't be allowed to go forward. Chief among them, he disputed that the department prohibited inspectors, like Herchenbach, from making reports. Boitnott said the policy "merely requires inspectors to 'check in' with their manager or other supervisor before reporting violations to local law enforcement." In a brief, he said there was no evidence Herchenbach was told he could not report animal mistreatment, "because it simply does not exist." In his order Thursday, Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte said, to the contrary, Herchenbach testified in a deposition that several people within the department told him that and he listed more than 10, all the way to then-director Greg Ibach. Otte said the Ag Department strongly disputes Herchenbach's allegations, but he isn't deciding who is more credible. At this stage, he only needs to show that he reasonably believed his employer's actions were unlawful, not that it was, the judge said. In a news release, Rehm said: Rick is a dedicated professional who strives to ensure the laws protecting dogs and cats in this state are properly enforced," and they look forward to pursing the case further. He said complaints by members of the animal rescue community are long-standing about the Dog and Cat Program, which was established by law in 2000 to crack down on puppy mills in the state. Rehm said members of the animal rescue community largely believe that the department does not properly enforce the law. U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, right, talks with a constituent at the Arvada Democrat's final Government in the Grocery event on Aug. 27, 2022, at a Safeway in Lakewood. Perlmutter, who has represented Colorado's 7th Congressional District since 2007, announced in January that he wouldn't seek a ninth term. During his tenure in Congress, he held 105 of the events. A School District 49 board member is facing calls for her resignation after quoting Adolf Hitler in a social media post. Ivy Liu posted the quote on Facebook before proceeding to challenge deceptive critical race theory concepts that she alleged are hidden in schools social emotional learning programs. He alone, WHO OWNS THE YOUTH, gains the future. Adolf Hitler, her post begins. PARENTS!! GET INVOLVED AND FIGHT LIKE YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES DEPEND ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES! Critics and board members interpret the post as a slap at teachers and principals, an accusation Liu has rejected. Shes implicitly accusing our teachers of harming our kids, straight-up, said parent Lindsey Lee, who serves as the co-chair for community organization Neighbors for Education. Its hard for me to imagine that any educator would want to come into this district or stay in this district under that kind of hostility. District 49 responded on Friday with a message from board president John Graham, who said a majority of the board finds Lius post unacceptable and that her actions outside of a board meeting do not speak for the district. He urged Liu to retract or clarify her statement. However, the post was entirely within Lius First Amendment rights, Graham said. The district has a social media policy for employees, but such policies do not apply to school board members, who are essentially volunteers as elected officials. You would think that we hold ourselves to a higher standard, so we would be more careful, Graham said. Not everyone agrees with that. The school board follows a code of conduct that is regularly updated and clarified, but its disciplinary actions are limited for violators. In the past, a 3-2 vote removed Lius officership and liaison roles after she allegedly attacked other board members via social media, Graham said. Such moves serve as little more than reprimands. The next, most severe step is a formal censure, in which violating board members receive a letter notifying them of their continued failure to comply with policy. Even a censure, Graham said, is nothing. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Some people continue to misbehave and look at a censure as a badge of honor, Graham said. Many people communicate to me their feelings about a particular board member, and I tell them that I have no authority to remove a board member. I have no authority to prevent them from voting, and I have no authority to keep them from speaking. Aside from a board member choosing to resign on their own terms, the power to remove an elected board member lies solely with voters. The next school board election is in 2023. Voters also can opt to remove an elected official at any time in a complicated process known as a recall. Such an effort requires an application with support from 25% of the votes cast in the last election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. You dont invoke the mastermind of the Holocaust and expect there to be no consequences, said Lee, a parent of a fourth- and a seventh-grader in D-49. Liu said her intentions behind the post have been misconstrued. Shed recently heard the Hitler quote in a documentary and intended to point out toxic ideologies and indoctrination that national experts say have been filtering into Americas education system. The whole point of the post was NOT to allow history to repeat, Liu said in an email to The Gazette. The continual personal attacks by a small segment in the D-49 district as well as fellow board members who dont share my views have been painful. A grandmother of five, Liu said her driving motivation is to help children of families who dont have the option of home-school. As a volunteer, she said, there is no incentive other than doing right for future generations. She has received nothing but support from the community except for less than 10 emails from almost the same people. Whats more, Liu asserted Grahams public statement was itself a violation of the state's Open Meetings Law, since it was released without board consensus. But for parents like Lee and the roughly 900 members of Neighbors for Education, the entire board has been a distraction from what really matters. Her military family has traveled to many states, but D-49 marks that first time shes paid attention to a school board. We absolutely love our schools. The educators, the administrators; it has been a really great experience, Lee said. The school board is a whole different story. Its been nonstop manufactured outrage after distraction since we got here in 2020. None of the infighting pertains to what their kids need in schools, she said. Moving forward, she hopes to see each of the board members publicly calling for Liu's resignation and refocusing their attention on the children not each other. The Place Youth Shelter in downtown Colorado Springs and the organizations daytime drop-in center at 2708 E. Fountain Blvd. are temporarily closed due to an insurance mix-up, said Executive Director Shawna Kemppainen. The Place last week shut down its 20-bed shelter for homeless youth ages 15-20 under what Kemppainen calls an unexpected and extremely unusual situation. "Back-office machinations" over insurance coverage for parts of campus operations in Colorado Springs led to the decision, she said. It was the most reasonable thing to do to temporarily stop some services, Kemppainen said Friday. This is a business insurance issue; it will be resolved soon. Anyone needing overnight shelter or other services for homeless teens and young adults can call the organization's 24/7 hotline, (719) 205-7129. Each persons needs will be individually evaluated and handled based on the situation, Kemppainen said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "Youth are safe for now," she said, with other shelters and organizations that work with the homeless population pitching in to help, including City Hope, Homeward Pikes Peak and Urban Peak in Denver for ages 15-17 and Springs Rescue Mission for ages 18 and over. Street outreach case managers are available to youth by phone at (719) 244-3959. Although buildings are closed, The Places programs and services remain open, with staff working remotely, Kemppainen said. The organizations housing programs for clients are continuing to operate as usual, she said. The Place is licensed through the state as a youth shelter. Business insurance for the type of work we do is complex and were navigating through that, Kemppainen said. Meanwhile, Youth are getting the help they need, she said. Supporting youth is our top priority. Residents in a north Colorado Springs neighborhood woke up Tuesday morning to antisemitic flyers strewn about their yards. Art Cooper, who lives in the Sunset Ridge neighborhood, said his wife found two flyers located on his property. Although not a member of the Jewish community himself, he quickly notified the police. If youre gonna do that crap, you dont wanna do it around me because Im gonna fight you tooth and nail, Cooper, an Air Force veteran, said. Im more than willing to stand up against things that are wrong. Thats what we all need to do when this kind of stuff happens." The flyers came sealed in plastic bags containing a handful of rice to prevent them from blowing away. Every single aspect of Disney child grooming is Jewish, they read, with 10 Disney executives pictured with Stars of David placed squarely on their foreheads. The paper also contained what Cooper called a hidden message with a large rainbow-colored star of David and pentagram pictured prominently at the top, likely a nod to the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite the inflammatory content, police did not investigate the incident further since the flyers were not threatening in nature, according to Colorado Springs Police Department spokesman Robert Tornabene. To investigate matters such as these, a threat of some type would have to be made to meet the burden of probable cause to investigate, Tornabene wrote in an email to The Gazette. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. According to CSPD data, there have been eight hate crimes against the LGBTQIA+ community this year. However, there have been no hate crime cases against the Colorado Springs Jewish community, down from three anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2021. Incidents such as the flyers are not tracked as hate crimes unless they meet the burden of probable cause. Hate is nothing new to the Jewish community, according to Rabbi Boaz Vituk of the Chabad of Colorado Springs. Its been their story for about 3,000 years. Local synagogues have implemented many security measures to keep hate from turning violent on their property, Vituk said. While faith leaders handle safety concerns, he said each individual can take matters into their own hands in one simple way: bringing light to others. By acting as a teacher and showing others the good in humanity, he said, they will push away the darkness and hate. We are not concentrating on the negative, Vituk said. We are not living in the mindset of victims, oh, my gosh, somebody will attack me. Youre gonna go crazy like this. You cannot live life like this and be a happy person. Sunset Ridge residents identified five flyers in all, which Cooper believes were thrown randomly late at night while the usually active neighborhood watch was asleep. CSPD could not verify whether other neighborhoods were targeted. These people to me are nothing but modern-day Nazis. Its like, dude, how can you even believe this kind of stuff? Its just crazy nonsense, Cooper said. These are little baggies of hate. Colorado Springs police are investigating the death of a woman on the city's west side Thursday night. Police responded to "an urgent call for service" around 11:30 p.m. Thursday at the 1200 block of West Colorado Avenue. When police arrived they discovered a deceased female "suffering obvious trauma and external injuries." According to Gazette news partner KKTV, the death is being investigated as a shooting fatality. The name of the victim was not released as of late Friday morning. Police said that this is an active investigation, and no arrests have been made. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Also on Thursday, police said one person died after a stabbing at Dorchester Park, south of downtown. Police responded to a call around 7:15 p.m. of a reported stabbing. If both deaths are classified as homicides, they would be the 41st and 42nd to be investigated by police in the city, according to spokesperson Robert Tornabene. In 2021, 44 homicides were reported in Colorado Springs, Tornabene said. Editor's note: This story has been updated multiple times. There were maybe as many laughs as tears, as hundreds came to the state Capitol on Thursday for a memorial service honoring the life of the late Hugh McKean of Loveland the House Minority Leader who died on Oct. 30 at age 55. - Advertisement - The Director of Exploration and Production at Petrobras (PETR4), Fernando Borges, said today (4) that the state-owned company is complying with all the conditions established by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) to carry out a simulation in the area of the Brazilian equatorial margin, which includes the basins of Foz do amazonPara-Maranhao/Barreirinhas and Potiguar. The work, according to the director, has been going on since the environmental licensing process for the block was transferred to the company, in January 2021, when it took over its entirety. The block is situated between the states of the amapa and For. - Advertisement - The Brazilian equatorial margin will have eight wells, of which six wells will be on the dividing line with French Guiana. During the simulation, scheduled for next December, the drilling units emergency plan will be tested, as well as compliance with the requirements of the licensing process. - Advertisement - The operation is supervised by Ibama and constitutes a prerequisite for the issuance of the drilling operation license. The drilling rig should head to Amapa this weekend, with arrival expected around November 17th. Five large vessels will participate, three helicopters, one for aeromedical rescue, involving about 450 people. All to give an example of an accident where there could be an oil leak. The funds are actually used to prove the effectiveness of our contingency plan, she said. After completing this stage of the simulation, Fernando Borges said that the expectation is to have the license and continue drilling on the equatorial margin. It is a very big challenge in terms of water depths a little greater than 2,500 meters and where we have all the expectations of opening a new exploratory frontier. From the use of technologies state-of-the-art, he believes that interference with the environment can be minimized in terms of the number of wells, generating resources and development for the region. Follow Money Times on Instagram! Connect with the market and have access to exclusive content about the news that enrich your day! Every day a summary with what was important in the Minuto Money Times, interviews, lives and much more Click here and follow our profile now! With 72 hours left in their respective campaign circles, Iowa Senator Liz Mathis and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken made an appearance together in Mason City on Saturday. Franken, who is running against long-serving incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Mathis, who is facing off with Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson for the District 2 U.S. House seat, each spoke briefly at a canvassing event at the Cerro Gordo County Democrats' headquarters. Mathis said during a previous visit to North Iowa that one of the biggest challenges to be met was informing constituents of the redistricting that took place, landing them in District 2 as of 2023. This visit, however, she noted most of her interactions with voters regarded her political stances. "They asked me more questions about what I stand for again you know, protecting Medicare and Social Security is such a big issue for this district," Mathis said. "We have a lot of elderly population and the people are very concerned. They don't want it to go away; they don't want it to be cut, and I will preserve that for them." As of Oct. 17, a Des Moines Register poll showed Mathis enjoying a very narrow lead at 48% over Hinson's 46%. Franken is closing in on Grassley, with only 3% separating the two. "We're stroking along," said Franken. The crowds we're getting are huge ... I'm getting people from all walks of life. A plethora of Republicans for Franken and Independents who are turning out, which we were hoping for." Franken also took issue with a rally last week in Sioux City at which former president Donald Trump stumped for Chuck Grassley. "I also believe that the Republicans are doing some interesting acts of desperation in brining in such, you know, let's face it odd characters such as Representative (Marjorie Taylor) Green and The Pillow Guy (pundit Mike Lindell,)" Franken said. "So vote what's in your best interest." souvik101990 wrote: Official Solution: The existence of West Berlin, a conspicuously capitalist city deep within communist East Germany, "stuck like a bone in the Soviet throat," as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev put it. The Russians began maneuvering to drive the United States, Britain and France out of the city for good. In 1948, a Soviet blockade of West Berlin aimed to starve the western Allies out of the city. Instead of retreating, however, the United States and its allies supplied their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the Berlin Airlift, lasted for more than a year and delivered more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and other goods to West Berlin. The Soviets called off the blockade in 1949. After a decade of relative calm, tensions flared again in 1958. For the next three years, the Soviets emboldened by the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite the year before and embarrassed by the seemingly endless flow of refugees from east to west (nearly 3 million in the decade since the end of the blockade, many of them young skilled workers such as doctors, teachers and engineers) blustered and made threats, while the Allies resisted. Summits, conferences and other negotiations came and went without resolution. Meanwhile, the flood of refugees continued. In June 1961, some 19,000 people left the GDR through Berlin. The following month, 30,000 fled. In the first 11 days of August, 16,000 East Germans crossed the border into West Berlin, and on August 12 some 2,400 followed the largest number of defectors ever to leave East Germany in a single day. Which of the following is supported by the passage? A. Around 300,000 people on average left East Germany annually in the decade following the blockade B. August 1961 recorded the largest number of monthly defectors to have left East Germany in a month C. There was no hostility in West Berlin between 1949 and 1958 D. Doctors, teachers, and engineers wanted to defect because there were more opportunities for young skilled workers in the west in 1959-61 E. The Berlin Airlift forced the Soviets to call off their blockade in 1949 The passage states "nearly 3 million in the decade since the end of the blockade, many of them young skilled workers such as doctors, teachers and engineers" - this means about 300,000 people left every year on an average during the decade after the blockade. Answer: A I assumed A was incorrect because of the language used. Can the word "following X" not mean "since the inception of X", rather than explicitly meaning "after the end of X"?For example - "Following the transfer ban imposed by UEFA, Chelsea was unable to buy players in the transfer window." This would mean that the transfer ban came into the picture and as a result, Chelsea was unable to make a signing (this wouldn't mean that Chelsea was unable to make a signing after the transfer ban ended).Can you please help in pointing out the flaw in the logic here? The 2022 election season culminates Tuesday with voters choosing among local and congressional candidates and, in Pittsylvania County, whether they want to increase the sales tax to pay for school renovations. After a proposed 1% sales-tax increase was defeated by 14 votes last year, county officials hope to succeed in getting it passed this time around. Im getting positive responses from people in the community, said Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent Mark Jones. There are eight schools in the county that were built in the 1960s and earlier and in need of a total of $70 million in updates, Jones said. Those schools include Brosville, Stony Mill, Union Hall, Southside, Kentuck, Chatham, Mount Airy and Hurt elementary schools. Renovations would include adding classrooms to eliminate mobile units, new heating-and-air systems, replacing old windows and adding double-entry systems in schools to make sure visitors are buzzed into a second set of doors before they are allowed into the building, Jones said. We have 26 mobile units that need to be replaced and bring those children inside, Jones said. New roofs are also needed, he said. Officials also want to add programs at the Pittsylvania Career and Technical Center, including welding, auto tech, EMT and health sciences and industrial maintenance, Jones said. Martha Walker, head of the group that has led the effort to get the proposal approved, Pittsylvanians for a Brighter Future, pointed out that the county has very few financial resources. Unlike an increase in the real estate tax, a bump in sales tax distributes the tax burden more fairly among everyone, supporters said. They [county officials] can generate funds for capital improvements from the real estate tax, they could borrow money, but this 1% sales tax gives an opportunity for equitable taxation for not only everyone who is a resident of Pittsylvania County, but everyone who comes into Pittsylvania County as a guest, Walker said Friday. Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram agreed. The beauty of this 1% sales tax ... is that we are allowing others that pass through that dont live here to help pay for the renovations of our schools, Ingram said. Its a tax on purchasing items, so those who dont want to pay it can choose not to buy, he added. Its a tax by choice, Ingram said. Though he doesnt like taxes, they are needed to enable the countys system to operate, he said. Revenue generated from the tax increase would enable the county to spend the money on school renovations without dipping into the general fund, Ingram said. That frees up general fund money for distribution among county departments, he added. The county had to get permission from the Virginia General Assembly to have the question put on the ballot. Last year, voters narrowly rejected the same proposal and 2022 is the countys second and last chance to seek approval for the tax increase. If it fails, it cannot be re-entered onto the ballot. Increasing the sales tax would bring it up to 6.3%, which is less than the 6.75% to 7.5% charged in North Carolina and on par with that of Danville. Voters in Danville approved a 1% sales tax increase in November to fund school projects. The question on the ballot ballot asks: Should Pittsylvania County be authorized to levy a general retail sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent (1%), provided the revenue from the sales tax shall be used solely for capital projects for the construction or renovation of schools in Pittsylvania County and that the sales tax shall expire by September 30, 2042? The duration of the sales tax increase would be 20 years, instead of the proposed 30 years that was on the November 2021 ballot. If approved, the tax increase would generate an estimated $3.3 million in annual revenue. Supporters are more optimistic that voters will approve the tax question this year. Weve had great support from industry and business leaders and civic groups in the county, Jones said, adding that school officials and others campaigning for the tax have met with parents as well. Walker said her group and other supporters had more time to prepare for the campaign, unlike last year. We really didnt get organized until the end of August [2021], Walker said. That gave us nine weeks. Also, everyone was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made people reluctant to meet in groups to talk, she added. Her group knocked on doors in Gretna and Hurt this year, and has attended every sporting event, Walker said. I think the voters are better informed, she said. The voters understand that this is serious, that our children need this to create a better educational environment. I think the voters are going to respond positively. Lower voter turnout As for local and Congressional races, registrars are busy preparing for Tuesday. In both Danville and the county, early voting turnout from late September through most of last week has not been as heavy as last year. Were not quite as high as I had thought, but we have still been busy, said Pittsylvania County Registrar Kelly Keesee. As of early last week, 2,300 had voted in-person early in the county and 1,096 had cast a ballot by mail so far, for a total of 3,396, Keesee said. Thats down from 3,801 and 913 early votes last year, respectively, or 4,714 total. Voters in Danville have shown a similar decline in interest in early voting so far this election season. The city had 4,531 early voters (3,117 in person and 1,414 by mail) in 2021, the first year early voting was an option in Virginia. We can only compare [this years turnout] to last year, said Danville Registrar Peggy Petty. This year, there have been just 3,475 voters casting early ballots, with 2,088 in person and 1,387 by mail, Petty said. As for expected turnout in the city, Petty predicts 48% of the citys 28,736 registered voters to participate this year. Danville had 45.5% turnout last year, when the governors seat was up for grabs. Keesee anticipates about 40% of the countys 45,620 registered voters to participate Tuesday. A form of voter ID such as a drivers license, utility bill, paycheck stub or a bank statement with a name and address is required for a voter to cast their ballot. Photo identification is not required. Ballot items Voters in the Dan River Region will choose who will be their next congressional representative for the 5th District and pick among candidates in their respective local contests. Republican incumbent Bob Good and Democratic challenger Josh Throneburg face off in the congressional race. On Danville City Council, Mayor Alonzo Jones, Vice Mayor Gary Miller and Danville City Councilmen James Buckner and Bryant Hood are all running to keep their seats. Two challengers, Petrina Carter and Maureen Belko, are also on the ballot. On the Danville School Board, three seats are in contention as well as a fourth seat vacated by Renee Hughes, who resigned in November 2021. A special election will be held for filling out the remainder of her term. Keisha Averett, who is currently in Hughes former seat after being appointed, is running for a full four-year term on the school board. Takessa C.S. Keisha Walker also seeks to take Hughes place. As for the three full-term seats, incumbents Crystal Cobbs and Brandon Atkins are not running for reelection, but TyQuan Graves is on the ballot to keep his position on the school board. Kushana Galloway, Keith Silverman and Michael Pritchett are also on the ballot for the three full-term seats, Petty said. In Pittsylvania County, voters in the towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt will pick who they want to represent them on town council. County voters in the Banister District will cast ballots to fill in a seat on the county school board vacated by Raymond Ramsey. Willie Fitzgerald, who was appointed to fill that slot until the special election Tuesday, is running to serve out the remainder of Ramseys term. In Chatham, Alisa Bradford Davis and Irvin Perry are vying for the mayoral seat currently held by William Pace, who did not run for reelection. Three council positions are also up for election in Chatham. Incumbents Janet Royster Bishop and William Black seek to hold on to their seats on Chatham Town Council, and challengers Tommie-Jo Lewis and Teresa Easley are also running for a council slot. Easley has previously served on council. Council member Andrew Wall did not seek reelection. In Gretna, Mayor Keith Motley is running for reelection, as well as three incumbents who seek to keep their slots on town council Michael L. Bond, Deborah P. Moran, and Michael D. Burnette. Hurt Town Council incumbents Gary N. Poindexter and Shirley M. Barksdale-Hill are running to keep their seats. A third seat held by Donney Johnson, who is not running for reelection, is being sought by Robert W. Majure. Christopher L. Perdieu, an incumbent, is also running in a special election to serve out the remainder of the previous office holders term on Hurt Town Council. GREENSBORO Voters have the chance to shape Guilford Countys Board of Education at a time when the districts priorities are up for a reset. The moment comes amid a push by some conservatives in Guilford County and across the country to remold local school boards. Five seats on the nine-member school board are up for election on Tuesday. Four of those races are contested, including the at-large seat. All Guilford County voters can cast a ballot in the at-large race; the other races are restricted to voters in the geographic districts the seats represent. With a new superintendent in place and the boards prior set of goals expired this year, board members will have the opportunity to weigh in on the strategic direction the district should now pursue. They will lead the district as it grapples with helping students recover from pandemic-era learning loss and implementing $2 billion worth of school construction and renovation over the next seven to 10 years. Guilford County Board of Education elections are partisan, and this years races will determine which party holds the majority on the board. Currently, the split is six Democrats and three Republicans (This paragraph has been updated to correct the number of Democrats 11/11/2022 10:27 a.m.) All the Republicans on the general election ballot have been endorsed and supported by the group Take Back Our Schools-GCS since before the May primaries. As it looked for and found candidates it wanted to support to run for the school board, Take Back Our Schools kept up a daily drumbeat on social media criticizing the school districts administration and board leadership. Thats included accusations of dishonesty and mismanagement and complaints about topics including finances, school discipline, COVID-19 policies, how race is taught in schools and what books are in the libraries. The boards Democratic leaders have at times dished out criticism on Take Back Our Schools as well. Among other things, they have accused the group of sharing false information and stirring up racist animosity, and have criticized them for unnerving some board members and staff by shouting and banging just outside the school administration building at a rally during a board meeting last year. Candidates in this years school board races vary widely in the factors that led them to run and the goals theyd like to see for the district, but one pair of opponents especially stand out as opposites. Republican Demetria Carter and Democrat Alan Sherouse are both running for the at-large seat. The winner will take the seat now filled by Democrat Winston-McGregor, who decided not to run again. Sherouse is in his 10th year as pastor of First Baptist Church in Greensboro. Carter worked as an attorney, manager and in other capacities for the federal government for about 40 years, before retiring in 2019. Carter said one thing that led her to run for the school board was reading about parents standing up and confronting their local school boards across the country. Another factor, she said, was reading N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinsons F.A.C.T.S. Report in which he collected what the Greensboro Republican said were examples of indoctrination of children in public schools across the state. That alarmed me a lot, actually, she said. Those experiences eventually led her to agree to run for the at-large seat, after being asked multiple times by members of Take Back Our Schools who participated with her in the Greater Greensboro Republican Womens Club. (This paragraph has been updated to correct the name of the club. 11/09/22 2:25 p.m.) Sherouse said he was inspired to run out of a desire to be of service to the community and the students, but that he was also motivated by seeing, all of our schools threatened, by a larger regressive movement targeting schools that he sees as represented locally by Take Back Our Schools-GCS. He said that before running for the board, he was part of counter-protests along with some other clergy. I feel thats turning our schools into a cultural battleground, he said. I want to commit to the values of equity and inclusion and not see those reduced or characterized as simple political correctness. Carter said that the top three goals shed like to see for the district in the next five years include instilling academic excellence in the schools, becoming more accountable and transparent to parents and the community, and getting politics out of schools. To her, that means things like making sure there are no Pride or Black Lives Matter flags or emblems displayed in classrooms, and that teachers do not reveal their sexual orientation to their students or talk about political issues unless its a civics class. Sherouses preferred goals include continuing to decrease the graduation gap between white students and students of color while continuing to move toward greater equity in the system. He also looks to see the district efficiently execute the priorities of its facilities master plan and to trust, empower and fairly compensate the districts teachers, educators and staff. District 2 Two former teachers are vying against each other for Guilford Countys District 2 school board seat. The winner will take the seat now held by Republican Anita Sharpe, who did not run for reelection. Republican Crissy Pratt said she is a former fifth, sixth, and seventh grade teacher and previously taught in schools near Washington, D.C. More recently, shes worked in online education, including as head of curriculum for a global company. She also said she is director of instructional design for a company called Pansophic Learning, for whom she is managing the production of K-5 online math classes. Pratt said shes not a fan of party-line votes on the school board and that more time built in for discussion could lead to more cross-party persuasion. She said concern over district academic performance results also helped motivate her to run. Democrat Amanda Cook taught dance at Southwest High School and was the lead dance teacher for the district from 2019 to 2021, when she left to prepare to run for the board and to start The Teachers Edge, a small nonprofit that aims to provide connection and leadership development for teachers. She is currently substituting for the district. Part of her motivation for running for school board, Cook said, was to try to improve the way that the district handles communication with employees who have complaints, concerns and other input. I wanted to give teachers hope that they had people advocating for them, she said. Pratt said the endorsement shes most proud of as a candidate is from NC Values Coalition. According to its website, the groups mission is to be a positive ambassador of Jesus Christ that creates a culture in North Carolina where human life is valued, marriage & families flourish, and religious liberty thrives. Cook said she is most proud of support from the Guilford County Association of Educators, Equality NC and Run for Something. Equality NC is a statewide organization, dedicated to securing rights and protections for the LGBTQ community, according to its website. Run for Something is a national organization supporting young progressives running for office. Pratt said the top goals she would like to see for the district in the next five years include revamping the districts discipline policy to strengthen consequences for misbehavior, significantly increasing the districts scores on state academic tests, and improving the basic safety and learning environments of school facilities. Cooks desired goals include putting in a comprehensive communication plan, addressing school meals nutrition and quality, and widening the range of locations where the board meets and holds events. District 4 Linda Welborn, the Republican incumbent for the District 4 seat, is a school board veteran who is looking for change and hoping this election sweeps in some like-minded reinforcements. Pastor Deon Clark, the Democratic challenger, thinks the board is doing a good job overall, but that it would be better with Welborn replaced. Welborn was first elected to the board in 2012. For the next five years, Welborn said, the districts goals should include, getting kids to read and do math, expanding career and technical education and focusing on school culture. Welborn also said she wants to see the school board stronger in guiding its direction and in serving as a check and balance on the choices of the superintendent and school administration. She said she sees the potential for a shift on that front, and progress on issues like combatting learning loss and dealing with violence in schools if shes elected alongside the conservative newcomer candidates she helped to recruit. I dont want to be on that board by myself, she said. Clark said he got interested in running for the school board through his work with the district. That includes serving as a PTA president and vice president at his childrens schools, taking part in district committees, speaking at school boarding meetings and advocating for the school bond referendum, he said. He said he wants to continue the work of the board in supporting students, and to work to make teachers feel supported and valued. In the next five years, hed like to see the district improve its recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers and staff and to raise the bar on their pay. The district, he said, also needs to focus on mental health support for both students and teachers during that time. He disagrees, he said, with some of the votes Welborn has taken on the board, especially her vote against asking the commissioners to put the $1.7 billion school bond referendum on the ballot. Thats not supporting education, he said, arguing that students in District 4 and across the county need the building and equipment upgrades the bond money is set to provide. We cant have them learning where we dont have the right technology. Welborn said she voted against the bond because she did not believe the school board can actually accomplish $1.7 billion in school construction and upgrades in the next five to 10 years or get through the list of future projects to which that money was tied. She also said shes concerned about people hurting from property taxes being used to pay down the bond debt and lacked confidence in the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. When I put my name on something, I plan on delivering on it, she said. If I tell voters Im going to do something, Im going to kill myself to do it. She also talked about the time she had spent and the experience she gained before being on the board, advocating for the $457 million school construction bond that voters approved in 2008. Change, she said, is possible through persuasion. I always said fight on the issue; dont make it personal, she said. Make a logical argument. District 6 In District 6, a school board member and longtime education advocate is facing off against a logistics project manager hoping to bring his management experience to the board. Democrat Khem Irby has served on the board since 2018. She previously worked in the districts afterschool care program and has held leadership roles with education advocacy groups such as Parents Across America and The Mothers Agenda of New York. Republican Tim Andrew is a logistics project manager at General Dynamics Mission Systems and a retired Marine Corps officer. He said he got interested in running for the board after watching how the school district functioned during the pandemic. Irby said her decision to run again came from wanting to continue doing the work of the board. She pointed to voters approval of a $1.7 billion school bond in May as another factor in her decision. The bonds passage, she said, provides the opportunity to build new schools for children where needed, and to address crowded schools. Andrews goals for the district in the next five years include getting bond construction projects moving forward correctly, enhancing district career and technical education programs and, doing whatever we can to make teaching a career that people want to do. Irbys goals for that time include continuing to advocate for teacher pay and staff salaries, continuing to expand student choices as far as what schools and programs they can attend, and continuing to close the gap on the literacy learning loss accrued during the pandemic. High school was among the best two years of Isabel Beasleys life that she can remember. COVID-19 started during Beasleys sophomore year. She blinked and is now a senior at Capital High School. I very much need to interact with people to survive, (so the isolation of COVID-19) was really difficult. Junior year felt very much like a fresh start, stated Beasley. I hardly remember anything from my freshman year because Covid just put a dent in it, like nothing before Covid basically happened. It feels so much farther away than it was. Beasley has been nominated by teachers and staff at Capital as October's high school student of the month. Each month, a different high school will have the opportunity to nominate a student to be featured in the Independent Record. Isabel is active in student council and excels in choir as evidenced by her recent selection to All-State Choir, stated Capitals Principal Brett Zanto on Beasleys nomination. She is an energetic and positive influence upon Capital High School! During her junior year, Beasley moved to Montana from Dallas and a 6A high school of about 3,000 students. Capital is less than half that size at 1,360 students for the 2022-2023 school year, according to Capitals website. It was a very big shift moving that far away, but Capital was this place where instantly I felt very welcomed here, said Beasley. ... It was a very different environment than living in a very big suburban area. It worked out really well in the end, and I just love this school and all the opportunities it has given me. Speaking of opportunities, Beasley is Capitals student body president. When not setting up events, dances and fundraisers with student government, she works as president of Key Club, participates in the math club and does choir and jazz choir. She came in and took the bull by the horns. Her extroverted side really came out. She was a little intimidated at first but found community and clubs She absolutely flourished, said Barb Kipping, Beasleys mom. ... Were so proud of her with as much work as shes put into different organizations and the community. Shes extremely humble. Sometimes we have to let her know that this is a symbol of her accomplishments. An achievement of mine was just getting student body president because I have this very big fear that I was like I just moved here. But Mrs. Goody, my college algebra and statistics teacher who ran student council last year was like, No, you should run. You should do it. and all my friends told me to do it, said Beasley. When I actually got it, I was like Oh, that's kind of crazy. In addition to Mrs. Goody, another teacher who has impacted Beasleys high school experiences as a Bruin has been English teacher Mr. Ward. (Mr. Ward) really valued my writing, said Beasley. He really pushed me, and I felt like I became a better writer for it. When Beasley isnt at school, shes busy reading, snowboarding, hiking, hanging with friends, doing homework and more. She recently just shifted from working at Target to becoming a barista at Starbucks a couple of weeks ago. Her favorite drink to drink and make is a Frappuccino. Beasley is the middle child of three with a brother on each side of her. Shes independent but not too independent. Shes always been empathetic and tuned in with others' feelings. She can read a room, said Kipping. Shes got the most contagious laugh ever, even as a baby, and she still has it. She laughs with her whole heart and being. In my eyes, theres definitely so many people who make me who I am. I look up to them for that, said Beasley. My parents, my stepdad, my little brother who has autism, and my older brother (whos in the Air Force), theyve done a lot for me and made me who I am I feel like everyone in their own way has a way of making you better. Beasley is planning on switching from brown and gold to maroon, as she is looking to attend the University of Montana. She wants to enter into the honors program and study psychology to become a developmental psychologist in the future. So my little brother has autism and its the idea where I want to figure out ways where a kid whos lived in an environment or has this disability has the ability to live life to their fullest potential. I feel like there can be so much more research done, said Beasley. ... I know theres a way to do it, and I so badly want to do it because I feel like in some ways or not we end up putting people (with autism) in a box. I dont want that for my little brother or for anyone. I want to find a way where you dont have to be that label youre given. Beasley wouldnt go back and change anything about her high school experience -- except maybe the pandemic part. I really try to look at life as it happens for a reason, and I dont want to look back and be like, 'I should have been in more clubs or I should have done this,' said Beasley. I try to take it one day at a time, and be like, 'That was good. That was high school.' I dont want to regret anything, and I dont think I would change the way it was. Recent testing of Helena's drinking water revealed a contaminant level that was above accepted levels from July to September, the city's public works department announced. A water transmission main break in May resulted in large amounts of organic material pouring into the system, causing a reaction with the treatment chemicals and driving up levels of haloacetic acids, or HAA5. Helena's Environmental Regulation Pretreatment Manager Leea Anderson said in an interview Friday that temporarily elevated levels of HAA5 do not pose a risk to residents. Anderson said the maximum contaminant level for HAA5 is based on long-term exposure lasting 30 years or more. "Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL (maximum contaminant level) over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer," a city news release on the topic states. This is the first time the city has violated the MCL for HAA5. The city's public works department has been performing hydrant flushing to remove natural organic matter that may be contributing to the issue and expects to return to compliance during upcoming monitoring periods. The city monitors its water supply in four different locations: the Delta Hotel, Helena Motors, Shodair Children's Hospital and the Green Meadow Market kitchen. "We saw increases (of HAA5) throughout the system, but the Green Meadow location is the only one we saw an exceedance in," Anderson said. The accepted amount of HAA5 in drinking water is 60 micrograms per liter. In quarter two of this year, that location saw a spike in HAA5 up to 106 micrograms per liter. The average over the past four quarters has been about 66 micrograms per liter. Anderson said the last check at the Green Meadow Market location showed a level of 56 micrograms. The city news release states "boiling your water will not improve your water quality. The City is also not recommending you use an alternate water source." The news release further encourages people with specific personal health questions or concerns related to elevated HAA5 to contact their health care provider. Anderson said the city gave information regarding the violation to Lewis and Clark Public Health that in turn passed it along to health care providers in the area to better answer questions from the public. There is also a frequently asked questions page at BeHeardHelena.com, providing more information on the water quality violation. People can also submit their own questions via the webpage. "This is not something to be worried about," Anderson said. Lewis and Clark Public Health announced the temporary closure of its COVID-19 Community Testing Clinic at the county fairgrounds due to a staffing shortage. "Due to a family emergency, our COVID-19 Community Testing Clinic is closed today," the Friday LCPH news release states. "At this time, we are unsure when the clinic will reopen." LCPH Disease Control and Prevention Division Administrator Laurel Riek said in an interview Friday that the closure "is short term." "We'll do our best to get this location up and operational again as fast as we can," Riek said. The clinic conducted 62 tests in the last 30 days, according to LCPH data. A list and map of area testing locations is available on LCPH's COVID-19 Hub. The local health department suggests that people exhibiting symptoms should contact their primary care physician for guidance. At-home COVID-19 test kits are available at local pharmacies. An LCPH employee runs the clinic, and Riek said there is no one on staff available to cover for that employee. Though the health department's website lists the level of community spread for the disease as low, there are 28 active cases that the county knows about. "The disease is still out there and still very contagious," Riek said. "If we're not vigilant in staying home when we're sick and knowing if we have the disease through testing, it can raise the number of cases in a hurry." She also said those who test positive at home should report the results to LCPH to receive guidance and help the county track the disease. The human spirit is the essence of who we are, our soul, and without it we are animals driven solely by instinct. The human spirit can be the source of evil in the world, as well as the source of all that is good in human history. The transformation of the human spirit is fundamental to religious aspiration and the centerpiece of the Christian faith. Christians claim that in Christ we are transformed into the image of God. Paul spoke of this in his letter to the Christian community in Rome in advance of his first and only visit to Rome. He advised this congregation to avoid being transformed to the patterns of the world and to be transformed by the renewal of your mind. He added that we will be changed from inside out. The transformation process is defined differently among faith traditions. In my United Methodist tradition, transformation is expressed as a life-long spiritual journey during which we learn to see the world as God sees it, to love like Jesus loved, and to embrace all people as children of God. Others define it in terms of an ecstatic experience. John Wesley experienced spiritual transformation as a warmed heart in the midst of spiritually devout people. But how does transformation happen? Christians often point to the puzzling story in the Gospel of John relating an encounter between Jesus and a mythical character Nicodemus. Nicodemus appears as a devout member of the Jewish Court system. He is referred to only in the Gospel of John, the other two references involving Nicodemus voicing support for Jesus at the latters trial, and his bringing spices to anoint the body of the crucified Jesus. In his encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus acknowledges the influence of Jesus, seemingly curious about the source of Jesus influence. Jesus abruptly proclaims that one must be born again of the spirit, in other words, a spiritual transformation. The essence of this conversation is that is that those whose spirits are reborn in the image of God discover the fullness of life that every human, religious or not, seeks. The literalist Nicodemus is bewildered. How is this possible? We too might find the concept of rebirth bewildering. The church has traditionally defined this process as developing a personal relationship with Jesus. But, again, how is this possible? How does one have a personal relationship with Jesus? After all we live in a world driven by evidence-driven science and technology that leaves little room for spiritual transformation. Recently I had an a-ha thought about this. Maybe we develop a personal relationship with Jesus in the same way we have personal relationships with others. When we think about it, each of us is transformed by one or more relationships we have with other people. Of course, this transformation could be for the good or bad, depending on our relationships. But relationships are the bedrock of the human experience. A life without relationships is like a life without food. The human spirit withers and dies, and with it the body dies. Relationships fuel our own spirits. These connections often inspire and transform our own lives. Being close to another can result in an uplifting and transformation our own spirits and lives. Likewise, being close to another can result in a deflating of our own spirits, depending on the nature of the relationship. My inspiration for living from day to day often comes from relating to others. These include my spouse, my child, a friend, a parishioner whose personal life experiences transform mine. In witnessing how they navigate the complexities of their lives, I find hope and strength for navigating my life. In essence, in relating, I am continuously transformed. Perhaps in pursuing a personal relationship with Jesus, we have overlooked the obvious those whose lives were transformed by a personal encounter with Jesus. We have been taught to focus on Jesus in these stories his love and compassion. But have we overlooked the spiritual transformation that takes place in others who encounter Jesus? What if we place ourselves in their often-miserable lives and try to experience the new life and hope resulting from their encounters with Jesus? What if we try to find ourselves in their lives and imagine their transformation? Is it possible that we can develop a personal relationship with Jesus by walking in the shoes of those were transformed in their personal relationship with Jesus? Will we find re-birth through relating to them? I am thinking of the woman with the alabaster jar, a woman of the night, she who crashes a staff meeting between Jesus and his disciples and fell to Jesus feet anointing them with precious oil. She left that encounter knowing that in-spite of her rotten life, there was hope, finally someone cares. We recall Jesus conversation with the woman at the well. She came to the well guilt-ridden over the life choices she had made. Yet she departed from that conversation with the knowledge that God cares more about her future life rather than her past life. Or, there is the blind beggar on the street whom the disciples begged Jesus to ignore because he was unclean. Jesus ignored them and blessed the life of this dispirited man who learned for the first time that maybe he had value after all. These stories about people whose lives are transformed by their encounter with Jesus abound in the Gospels All Jesus did was embody love and acceptance in relating to others, and their spirits were transformed. In seeking a personal relationship with Jesus, what if we find ourselves in the lives of those who encountered Jesus, resulting in the renewal of their lives? By relating our lives to the lives of these, might we experience what they experienced and thus find transformation in our own lives? What if our lives are indeed transformed by their transformed lives? What if in these examples and many more, we also can be transformed by identifying with these transformation experiences and find hope in transformed lives of our own. Perhaps In their lives we find hope in ours. We too carry guilt and regret on our backs like a heavy sandbag. We too experience the agonizing pain of rejection by others and aloneness? We too have fears about the future and what will become of us. We too wonder sometimes if anyone cares about us and understands what we are experiencing. We too might live our lives differently if we had the chance. After all, our lives are not much different from theirs, except we live them in a modern world that gives little credence to matters that cannot be defined by microscopes or digital algorithms or legal calisthenics. We too can experience the full measure of what Jesus offered them in the transformation of our lives if we try to walk in their shoes and experience their spiritual exhilaration in relating to Jesus. Perhaps re-birthing and relating are two sides of the same coin. Todays business owners and operators know that hiring and retaining a great workforce is as challenging as it has ever been. Recruiting and keeping talent is at the heart of the Montana Top Workplaces program, which is underway for the third year. Any organization with 35 or more employees in Montana is eligible to compete for 2023 Top Workplaces recognition. The program identifies the best employers in the state as determined by the people who know best: the employees. Its an ideal way for employers to stand out in the job market, and its a way to make sure employers and employees are on the same page. Nomination deadline is Dec. 9. Anyone can nominate any organization, whether it is public, private, nonprofit, a school, or even a government agency. To nominate an employer, just go to https://topworkplaces.com/nominate/montana or call 406-206-9789. Workplaces are evaluated by employees using a short 24-question survey that takes about five minutes to complete. Before surveying employees, Energage contacts employers to verify they choose to participate. Montana companies will be surveyed from October to February. Energage, the Pennsylvania-based survey partner for the project, conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 59 markets nationwide and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 organizations in the past year. After gathering data from employee questionnaires, Energage crunches all the numbers from across the state and informs those employers who have earned the distinction of being named a Montana Top workplace. Through the Top Workplaces survey process, organizations get the data they need to recruit the right talent and the insights they need to retain that talent, said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. If COVID taught us anything, its that asking questions and listening to employees is critical to navigating this new world of work. More than ever, you need to be more intentional about your culture. In 2022, we spotlighted 11 companies as Top Workplaces in Montana. In 2023, the top companies will again be honored in a virtual event broadcast statewide and featured in a special print section that will be inserted into the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Montana Standard in Butte, the Missoulian, and the Ravalli Republic in Hamilton. More than 2,700 employees were invited to take the survey last year, and 1,846 responded. For the 2023 campaign, the results will be published mid-year. Why participate? Its more than just the well-deserved bragging rights that come with the honor, though impressing your clients and competitors is a great benefit. Being selected a Montana Top Workplace also will raise an employers profile and serve as a strong recruiting tool. The survey reveals the passion of employees for their jobs and gratitude for their employers. Here are some examples: I am appreciated for the work that I do and the effort that I put in to help the company succeed. I work with good people who care about doing their job well. My manager works hard and truly cares about me personally and professionally. -- An employee from Computers Unlimited. I have the freedom to share my thoughts and feel heard and appreciated. I feel like an important and valued part of the team. An employee from Frontier Psychiatry. I feel respected, valued, and empowered to reach my fullest potential. My supervisor is supportive and motivating. The company culture encourages me to be my true self and doesn't make me feel like just another employee. An employee from Water & Environmental Technologies, Inc. The honor allows winners to celebrate that recognition with its employees, building their pride in their workplace. Love where you work? We welcome your entry. Its time for Montana to spotlight its best. TAYLORVILLE Charges have been filed against three individuals in connection with separate threats at two Christian County schools, officials said. The Illinois State Police announced the arrest of two juveniles they say are responsible for two separate threats at Pana High School. Taylorville police announced an individual was arrested for a similar threat at Taylorville High School. All three have been charged in Christian County Circuit Court with disorderly conduct threat of violence. On Wednesday, Pana School District officials reported the finding of a note that read There is a shooter in the school right now on a high school bathroom stall. The note led to the evacuation of the school and the junior high being placed on lockdown. The threat prompted a massive response from emergency officials who conducted a thorough sweep of the building and campus that turned up no identifiable threat. A second note was found in a bathroom stall on Thursday. Police said they determined this note was separate from the one found the day earlier. ISP takes threats of school violence seriously and individuals found responsible for making such threats will be held accountable for their actions, an Illinois State Police news release announcing the arrests said. Also on Thursday, Taylorville police were called to the high school in response to an active shooter threat there. Taylorville police learned that someone wrote on one of the bathroom toilet stall walls, There is a School Shooter in the Building with a gun help, a department news release said. Police said a student reported finding the note to school staff. After further investigation, looking at the video, we learned that the student that observed the threat was the one that wrote the threat, a release said. His motive was to get attention and for school to get out early. Payton L. Chronister, 18, of Taylorville has been charged in connection with this incident and a preliminary hearing set for Dec. 12. In the news release, Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler warned students to stop this nonsense; they will end up in jail. It is not worth it; this student wanted the attention he has now. DECATUR The Decatur school board extensively discussed the need to keep plans for a new Dennis School confidential and under wraps during closed session meetings held from October 2021 to June 2022. Recordings of those closed sessions were released Friday morning after the Illinois Attorney General reviewed the recordings and deemed the discussions were a violation of the Open Meetings Act. The board voted Nov. 1 to release the recordings after the district was given 35 days to do so or challenge the ruling. This is the second time in recent history the Decatur board has been cited for violations of the Open Meetings Act. The attorney general's office in March 2021 cited the board for closed session discussions the prior fall regarding the district's organization chart, how an agenda item should be handled, how board meetings are structured, political considerations and the ability to prevent a document from being released through the Freedom of Information Act. The board was also required to release those recordings and voted to do so in April 2021. The Open Meetings Act allows a board to meet in closed session only for certain specific discussions. Permitted topics include personnel-related matters such as hiring and compensation, collective bargaining negotiations, the purchase of real estate, pending litigation and student disciplinary matters. Regarding the most recent violations, the released recordings include the board president, then Dan Oakes, reading aloud the formal statement listing the allowed exemptions to the Open Meetings Act prior to the beginning of the closed meeting. Those exemptions are also read aloud prior to open session meetings. Several times, board members stressed the importance of secrecy as they discussed potential locations and using federal COVID relief funding for a new building for Dennis School to replace the two campuses it now occupies. Todd Covault, who has since retired as chief operational officer for the district, said in the recordings that the board should keep confidential the possibility of buying back the former Woodrow Wilson Junior High and surrounding houses. If people know you're interested in buying the properties, it's suddenly worth a lot more money, Covault said on Oct. 12, 2021. Bobbi Williams, then interim superintendent, said during the Nov. 16 meeting, A lot of this has to stay under wraps or it will get out, but there are things we need to do before it gets out. Former Vice President Andrew Taylor said rumors were already floating around the community. BLDD (Architects) isn't sniffing up our skirt for nothing, said Taylor, who is now the board president. People know. They know we're building something so it's not going to stay in the box forever. Covault and Williams referred to the fact that several meetings were held among board and administration members, representatives of the city of Decatur, the Decatur Park District, and Macon County Title attorney Andrew Chiligiris. In order to keep the school district's interest in properties quiet, Covault told the board members in the Nov. 16 meeting that Chiligiris had agreed to be the face for negotiations for houses adjacent to the Woodrow Wilson property, if the board decided that should be the location for the new school. The Woodrow Wilson site and Kiwanis Park were ultimately rejected as unsuitable. Lincoln Park was first suggested as an alternate location on Feb. 8. The park district wanted to divest itself of some of its property but was not interested in a land swap, Buildings and Grounds Director Mike Curry told the board during a Feb. 22 meeting and discussion centered on the district leasing the Lincoln Park property from the park district. A sale would have required a referendum. The board learned in a closed meeting on April 22 that the General Assembly had passed a bill that included language to allow the Decatur district to use CARES Act funds to build the school. Plans for the new school in Lincoln Park were shared with the public on June 27. They were immediately opposed by residents of the surrounding neighborhood, who began a campaign against the move. Critics of the plan voiced their concerns during meetings of the school board, park board and Decatur City Council, as well as in social media posts and letters to the editor. Park district leaders in July announced that they had decided against moving forward with the plan. The school board has since decided to pursue a new building on the site of the former Oak Grove School, which had already been demolished. That the new building will be for American Dreamer STEM Academy instead of Dennis School. Federal COVID relief funds will be used for that building. I am happy that the Attorney General found that the District 61 School Board violated the Open Meetings Act, and that the recordings must be made available, said Lee Ann Clary, who filed the request with the Attorney General to review the board's actions. However, the punishment does not deter further violations. They had this same issue two years ago with the same punishment. That did not change the Boards behavior. I see no reason it will happen again. We as District 61 citizens must remain vigilant. The next violation should cause the AG to impose the monetary fine which is available. DECATUR With Illinois midterm election just days away, some Central Illinois residents are asking voters to consider abortion access as they head to the polls. Roughly a dozen residents took part in the Central IL Abortion Coalitions (CIAC) rally outside the Decatur Civic Center on Saturday. The protestors argued that just one election could threaten the future of abortion access and other reproductive rights in Illinois. In the state of Illinois, we have protected rights right now. Come a couple of days, that may not be the case, said Jennifer Ellis, a spokesperson for the group. Because of elections, the rights that we currently have are being threatened. Interim CIAC Chairperson Reed Sutman said they're concerned abortion rights could be threatened if Illinois elects a Republican governor, especially considering the legislation restricting abortion in neighboring states. Rachel Berry, a nurse and veteran from Washington, Illinois, said she felt similarly. We're an oasis in the Midwest right now, Berry said. I think a lot of women in this state take our freedom for granted and don't realize one election can change that, she said. We can be Ohio. We can be Missouri, we can be Indiana. People just need to wake up and pay attention. Berry attended the rally with her husband, Tony, who described restrictions to abortion access as government overstep. They dont have any business regulating what you can and cannot do, especially when it's a healthcare issue, he said. Because then what's next? Rachel Berry said her experience both as a veteran and a nurse have helped shape her views. I love this country and what it can be, not what it has been becoming, she said. Freedom is very important to me. So this is a huge issue, not just as a female, but as a veteran. I'm also a nurse, primarily an ICU nurse, and abortion is healthcare. It should be between a woman and a doctor and not anybody else, and not the government. Ellis said ensuring people have the ability to make reproductive choices is a priority for the coalition. We're not necessarily for abortion, we're pro-choice, she said. We want individuals to have the right to make their choice regarding their own body. No anti-abortion counter-protestors attended the rally. Multiple CIAC members acknowledged that conversations about abortion are difficult, especially between people who disagree on the issue. Alina Hale of Decatur said it feels like no one can talk to each other anymore. Hale, who is running as a write-in candidate for Macon County Board District 5, said she tries to approach conversations about abortion and other heated topics by attempting to understand other peoples views before she shares her own. While she hopes she can help some people expand or change their views on abortion, Hale said its also important to be patient and respect when people stand by their beliefs. At the end of the day, thats all we have, she said. DECATUR When Jackie Bullard retrieved her mail earlier this week, she found what appeared to be a local newspaper amid the ads and flyers. The free publication arrived under the banner Macon Reporter and promised Real data. Real value. Real news. But when Bullard looked closer, she said, she found the stories inflammatory and saturated with bias. "Unless you were looking for something serious, it would look like a regular newspaper to folks, and the thing that bothered me was first, how easy a lot of people could be tricked by it, and the effect it would have on people with their confirmation biases," said Bullard, one of several residents who contacted Lee Enterprises with concerns about the mailings. She received two editions of the publication, which contained headlines about crime, sex education in schools and other hot-button issues. In the days leading up to the Nov. 8 election, copies of similar publications have appeared in mailboxes across the state. The publications resemble local newspapers, but their content explicitly attacks Democrat candidates and praises Republican candidates. The publications have been connected to conservative talk radio host Dan Proft, whose political action committee was also responsible for similar publications highlighted by a 2018 Chicago Tribune investigation. Proft did not respond to attempts to contact him for this story. Experts say the mailings are misinformation campaigns and orchestrated attempts at purposely trying to mislead people. Joseph Zompetti, a communications professor at Illinois State University whose research involves persuasion, civic advocacy and rhetorical strategies in political conversation, said the publications are a source of disinformation that in the current political climate and just days before midterm election is much more potent, it's much more volatile, and it amplifies and exacerbates that polarization that already exists. With names like the Macon Reporter, Sangamon Sun, McLean County Times and Peoria Standard, the publications are tailored to each region. Some Central Illinois residents, like Bullard, said they initially thought the mailings were a free version of their local newspaper that had been tucked in among free advertising mailers. When they looked closer, they said, they knew something wasnt right. While the publications claim to be a source of state and local policy news, the majority of the eight-page publication focuses on Chicago and Cook County issues. Most of the quotations used are taken from local and statewide TV and radio news outlets and social media rather than from original reporting or interviews. It did feel like I just picked up a paper from the 40s, said Jose Perez, a Bloomington resident. Every single person who was of color, and typically all of them were African American, they're always framed in a very bad light. Any white person that is featured in a picture, it is a very positive story about that person. And there's no medium, it is only those two extremes. Perez said he believes that was intentional, created by someone trying to create fear but associate that fear with people of color causing that fear to come into your community and be worse. Carla Campbell-Jackson, first vice president of the Bloomington-Normal branch of the NAACP, said the organization has received an influx of calls and messages from people expressing their concerns about the mailings. She described them as propaganda containing dangerous narratives and rhetoric. That's problematic because, as we know, any type of divisive language or hate speech, it tends to breed intolerance, and this is not the best that we can do as Americans, she said. We have an obligation to each other, because what's included in the papers, unfortunately, it's demeaning to a certain category of people. It's derogatory, and we must demand better. Murky origins The publisher is identified as Local Government Information Services. Its website lists 34 publications spread across the state, from north of Chicago to the southernmost tip in Alexander County, and from Quincy to the Indiana border. The Tribune reported in 2018 that a nonprofit organization called Think Freely Media and a PAC called Liberty Principles helped to fund these publications. Proft, who identifies himself as a news personality, is a Liberty Principles backer and currently the chair and treasurer of the People Who Play By the Rules PAC. On his radio show, he has said the latter PAC helps to underwrite the LGIS publications. Proft has previously called the Tribunes coverage of these publications little more than leftist propaganda. Gov. J.B. Pritzker in September attacked similar mailings that were circulating in the Chicago area, characterizing them as "complete hogwash" and calling Proft a "racist political consultant." In an interview on Profts radio show aired in September, Bailey spoke in support of the LGIS publications. These newspapers that are circulating the state are full of fact and truth and Gov. Pritzker has the gall to call it a lie, he said. Zompetti said the publications' purposeful resemblance to legitimate newspapers is dangerous. They appear to be based upon the notion of objective journalism. I think the average reader who doesn't really know any better will potentially fall prey to this disinformation, and that's what's really, really alarming to me, he said. Zompetti said some explicitly liberal-based publications exist, but not nearly to the extent or the scale that the use of conservative newspapers are getting. The LGIS publishers use of numerous local names and the papers' dissemination across the state, coupled with disinformation campaigns online, on podcasts and even in text messaging, shows a more coordinated sort of comprehensive network of information thats being doled out in an inaccurate manner, Zompetti said. The average person is probably going to feel that that information is accurate, when in reality, it's all coming from the same source, not two different sources, which creates that illusion of accuracy or objectivity, Zompetti said. This orchestrated campaign and network campaign of disinformation is what's really frightening and alarming to me. The Twitter accounts linked to the Macon Reporter and McLean County Times have been suspended. Perez said people have grown fatigued from the morality issues that have been pushed and pushed and pushed to the point where people are exhausted, trying to fight back for what's right. He called the publications guerrilla media that add hateful mantras and ideology that can wear at people trying to see right from wrong and truth from propaganda. People's fatigue over trying to discern what is real and what is not is something that I think they're exploiting. And when we tend to be worn out, it's easy to be made afraid, he said. If you can successfully make people afraid, then you have their ear, and they know that. 'No place in civic discourse' No obvious pattern has been seen regarding where in each community the publications were sent, as not every address received them. Residents in various parts of Decatur, Bloomington, Normal and Hopedale told Lee Enterprises Central Illinois they received at least one edition. This doesnt respect the IQ of the community or their level of awareness. This is insulting to both the left and the right, said Mary Campbell, a Normal resident. Campbell said if misinformation came out from the left, she would call that out, too. Tim Hunt, another Normal resident, said the conservative politics are not what bother him about the publication. That's not the issue. This is lying, deceit, fearmongering, he said. It offends me and it has no place in our civic political discourse. Several Central Illinois residents told Lee Enterprises this week that they are now trying to find a way to ensure they dont receive any more of the publications. My wife said she felt violated; she felt threatened and violated, Hunt said. He tried calling the phone number listed in the publication. That leads to an automated message asking about the callers age and enrollment in Medicare. If the caller answers that they are 65 and older and enrolled in Medicare, an actual person answers, making further offers. If the caller selects the option for under 65, an automated voice offers a free medical alert device. If the caller doesnt speak in response, the automated voice says it is unable to help further and says it will transfer the call, ending with a dead line. An email sent to the provided address received no response. That struck me as a scam, Hunt said. Whether this thing is just a fascist rag trying to hyperventilate and scare people to death before the election, or whether it's a fascist rag masquerading in these ways in order to scam people and harvest phone numbers and go wherever, I could not tell you because I did not go deeper. Lee Enterprise reporters Drew Zimmerman and Brendan Denison and The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 78F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 45F. NW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. Sullivan County officials and residents met with Taylre Beaty, the broadband program director at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Friday to discuss possible routes the county can take to expand its broadband accessibility. Beaty explained the state was made aware recently at a workshop that the information shown on the current version of the Tennessee Internal Accessibility Map, regarding Sullivan County accessibility is inaccurate. It was brought to our attention that Sullivan County says that on a lot of the maps that theyre almost completely covered with broadband service, but thats not necessarily the case, Beaty said. So we want to make sure that were partnering with you and can capture the areas in your county that are not covered. Jeffrey Salyers, a Sullivan County resident, described how complicated and expensive it has become for his neighbors to get broadband access, in large part due to local providers being too hesitant or unwilling to invest in the infrastructure needed to expand the broadband footprint. Ive got it at my house, but its because I paid for it. I basically talked Spectrum down from $10,000 to $3,500, which I paid out of pocket, which is ridiculous at any amount, Salyers said. The guy that lives straight across the street from me, they want $4,000 from him, and he is literally across the street, and that is ridiculous. The Department of Economic and Community Development, or TDECD, announced $446 million in funds in September allocated for the expansion of broadband infrastructure statewide, with the possibility of additional funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law coming in the near future. Beaty highlighted that the amount they receive from the bipartisan infrastructure law depends on the new FCC maps, which are set to be released in December. We know that were going to get a minimum of $100 million for broadband, but it could be closer to a billion dollars, which I know is quite a range, Beaty said. We wont know exactly which of those it is until the new FCC maps come out because that determines our allocations. Beaty highlighted that in anticipation of the federal funds, her team will be working on a five-year plan aimed at providing broadband to every household and business in Tennessee. My office will be required to create a five-year plan on how were going to get the entire state of Tennessee served. So like every household, every business, and if at the end of that five or six years were turning around and finding households unaccounted for, weve failed, Beaty said. Broadband isnt a luxury. Its a necessity. Beaty also informed Sullivan County officials and residents about the federal governments Affordable Connectivity Plan the county can apply for. The program aims to incentivize local providers through a 7030 cost split to expand broadband access. She also highlighted the Broadband Ready Community list, which is in the process of being revamped. Sullivan County has not signed up for that program. Essentially, this shows us that the conversation has been had at the county level that we need broadband, and were supportive of that deployment, Beaty said. This is a great conversation starter with providers. A lot of times, they will go to the county and talk about this. The reason why is because a provider will get 10 extra points on their application if they apply in a county thats a broadband-ready community. At the end of the meeting, Sullivan County Commissioner Mark Ireson proposed introducing a resolution at the next Sullivan County Commission meeting that would add Sullivan County to the Broadband Ready Community list so Beaty can work with interested providers on grants. Lets get our resolution together for the Broadband Community (list). Then once we have that, thatll be the carrot to the providers to go out and talk to them and say, Hey, were a Broadband Ready Community, Ireson said. It kind of gets us at least on a path, I think, of how to start. I spent Wednesday and most of Thursday calling folks all over Damascus, Virginia, to talk to candidates in this years town election. But, when I told my phone to call the Barrett House, in search of one candidate, I ended up with a wrong number. Only, the lady I accidentally called made a point to call me back intrigued by the name Lee Enterprises which popped up on her caller ID. Lee Enterprises is the media company that owns the Bristol Herald Courier and that name is what youll see on your caller ID if I call you. This lady called back and wondered if I had anything to do with Lees Pest Control, because she had been waiting for a phone call from that company. No, I said. Im a newspaper reporter working on a story about town council elections in Damascus, Virginia. Oh, this is such a small world, she said. We own a house that we rent as an Airbnb in Damascus. Wait a minute, I said. Where are you? Melanie Chessers reply: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma about 1,200 miles away. Whoa! Turns out, my conversation with Chesser must have been heaven sent, because she gave me another perspective into a pesky situation. You see, some folks in Damascus are concerned that there are now so many rentals in the town that Damascus could lose its neighborhood community feel and population. That town is a tourism town, Chesser told me. Of course, youre going to need transient housing. To meet that, theres probably not even enough Airbnbs in town. Chesser, 55, has family in the Damascus area and plans to retire in the house her family now rents In the meantime, we rent it out through Airbnb to help pay for that home, she said. So maybe rentals will actually lead to Damascus being a retirement community. The Virginia Creeper Trail brought this town to life and now they want to do away with places for tourists to stay? Chesser said. Abingdon would be more than happy to receive them. And we would like for the money to stay in Damascus and not go to a neighboring town. CHARLESTON While Coles County voters have no county-wide offices up for grabs in Tuesday's election, the same can't be said when it comes to the county board. Five of the county's 12 county board seats are contested. Those given a pass in the election are incumbents Darrell Cox in District 1, Jeremy Doughty in District 4, John Doty in District 5, Nancy Purdy in District 7, Rick Shook in District 8 and Denise Corray in District 9. All are Republicans. Current board chairman Brandon Bell isn't seeking reelection in District 2. Republican Michael Clayton is running unopposed for the seat. With seven secure seats, the Republican party will retain control of the board. Of the five remaining district races, four of them feature incumbents. Stan Metzger isn't seeking reelection in District 10, leaving two newcomers in a race to fill the seat. This is how those races are shaping up. DISTRICT 3 Incumbent Mike Watts is one of two Democrats on the current board. He is being challenged by Republican Andrew Shick. Watts has been a Coles County resident since 1986, when he moved to Charleston to be director of the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University. He is married to a retired Charleston paraprofessional, and they have one adult son. In the community, he has been involved with the Charleston Rotary Club, the Charleston Tourism Advisory Board, Coles County Historical Society and Coles County Arts Council, among other organizations. Shick is a lifelong Charleston resident who earned a bachelors degree in sociology from Eastern in 2012. He has worked for the Coles County Sheriffs Department and the Coles County Probation Department, two positions that he says have given him inside knowledge of how the various county departments operate. Shick is the son of Coles County Judge Mitchell Shick and the father of five young boys. He works as a sale manager for I-57 Roofing. Watts says he jokes that serving on the board was never on his bucket list after being appointed to fill a vacated seat, but he finds his work on the board gratifying. I have found the work to be rewarding, even with its challenges and the time required to attend the meetings and do the homework, Watts said. I decided to run to hold my seat for two more years in part because some experienced county board members are not running for reelection, and I think my two years of experience can be of value. He said he is most proud of the committee work that has allowed him to be part of the financial decisions of the county, and helping to revise the countys wind ordinance. My goals are the same now as they were upon being appointed to the CCB to work with the other members of the board to make Coles County the best place possible to live, work, raise a family, and get an education, and to do this while being as fiscally responsible and fair-minded as possible, Watts said. If elected, Shick said he would like to do whatever he can to help maintain a balanced budget, keep taxes low and support the work of those in county offices. The last thing I want to do to all of us here is raise our taxes and have more families have that burden put on them. But at the same time, I want to make sure that the departments that are there, like probation and sheriff's department, that are vastly important to the community safety, are OK, Shick said. I don't want to put anybody in jeopardy by having to make cuts ... (or) put the officers in jeopardy by making them work crazy overtime because the departments aren't fully funded. DISTRICT 6 Republican incumbent Lisa Jaco seeking to retain her seat. She is being challenged by Robb Perry, who is running as an independent. Jaco is a retired special education administrator from Mattoon, and aside from a few years teaching outside of the county, she is a lifelong Coles County resident. She is married with two children and holds degrees from both Lake Land College and Eastern. Jaco said if she retains her seat she would like to continue her efforts to keep the board fiscally responsible. I want to see economic growth in our county. I want us to look out for ways that we can expand job opportunities for the citizens of Coles County, Jaco said. But I also want to support our departments that are within Coles County, like our sheriff's department, our circuit clerk and our county clerk. Perry is a lifelong resident of Coles County and is a Mattoon small business owner. He is a landlord and owner of Great Food and Spirits. He is also a founder of the Concerned Taxpayers of Coles County. Perry is a fixture at Coles County Board meetings, often speaking in favor of fiscal responsibility and in opposition of board decisions. He ran an unsuccessful primary campaign for the same seat in 2018. Since then, he said he has more knowledge of the board that can help him be a successful member. He said he has three top priorities if elected: making sure people are paying their fair share of taxes, ensuring law enforcement officers are fully funded and equipped with the proper tools to protect citizens, and creating strong conversations among the county board members on the issues they vote on. These concerns are highlighted by Perry when he speaks during the public comment session of board meetings, as well as in legal action he has taken against the county. In the past, Perry has requested a quo warranto lawsuit, a lawsuit that determines if someone has a legal right to hold a public office, from former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan regarding a private contractor allegedly doing the work of the Supervisor of Assessments. If you've done something that's wrong and you're proven wrong, shame on them, Perry said. Jaco said she thinks Perrys disagreements with the board could make it difficult for him to work with other members. DISTRICT 10 In the absence of Metzger, the incumbent, voters are guaranteed to elect at least one new member to the board. It will be Tad Freezeland, a Republican, or Robert St. Gemme, a Democrat-backed write-in candidate. Freezeland has lived in Coles County most of his life, working for the sheriffs department before his retirement. He then went on to be chief of the Arcola Police Department, from which he has also retired. He said as chief deputy for the sheriffs department, he gained plenty of experience working with the board. St. Gemme is a longtime Coles County resident. He is a retired pharmaceuticals sales representative and is married to a retired Charleston teacher. He is an Eastern graduate with a bachelors degree in economics. Freezeland said he believes every person should do what they can to serve their fellow citizens. I think that we all are kind of obligated to serve our community when we can," he said. Being retired, it gives me the time to do it and to be able to put in the hours and do the research on the issues that are coming up. He added he would like to continue the boards excellent tradition of maintaining a balanced budget. St. Gemme said his business experience would be an asset if he is elected. He said he is concerned the board members are not doing their homework before voting. I'm under the impression that a lot of the people on the board right now pretty much go with one or two people's suggestion and they all vote for it and don't do their homework, St. Gemme said. I'm not there for political reasons. I'm there to help out and offer my suggestions and do my homework. Those interested in voting for St. Gemme should be aware they must locate the county board race on their ballot, print his full name on the write-in line and fill in the oval next to his name to successfully cast their vote. DISTRICT 11 In this district, incumbent Republican Robert Bennett is being challenged by Matt Titus, a Democrat who is a former Charleston School Board member. Bennett, a lifetime resident of Coles County, is a married father of four daughters. He is also a 25-year member of the Lincoln Fire Protection District. Bennett said he has no axe to grind. He just wants to continue the work he has been doing for the county since his appointment. Im not trying to burden anyone with looking for every tax increase opportunity, but to sustain within the budget that we currently have that works for the people, Bennett said. He said he hopes to stay engaged with committees so he can focus in on various areas of the county. Titus is also a lifelong Coles County resident who graduated from both Charleston High School and Eastern. He recently married and said he was proud to have planned his wedding with local vendors. If elected, Titus said he hopes to focus on economic development in the county. Since I'm a hometown kid, I have seen so many of my classmates from both CHS and EIU leave after graduation, and thats sad. I want Coles County to be a place that high school and college grads want to stay, Titus said. He said it is an exciting time to live in Coles County as local schools, city governments and community organizations are making investments to further the county. Bennett said he believes his stick to it attitude will help him be successful on the board. It's going to help me focus on business-like success for the county to maintain a fiscal budget that would look out for everyone that's a resident here, Bennett said. Titus said his interest in bringing the county together would make him successful as a board member. I'll be looking for more opportunities to get past the old rivalries. They don't help us anymore, they hold us back, Titus said. "And I'll be ready to work with anybody from any corner of this county that wants to get things done for the people with this. DISTRICT 12 Incumbent Gail Mason, the second Democrat on the board, is facing a challenge from Republican Kyle Barrow. Mason has lived in Charleston for all but 12 years of her life and has raised two children with her husband in Charleston. She is a retired Eastern communication studies professor. Mason has been a member of several organizations at Eastern and in the community. She believes that experience has helped her be successful as a board member. At 30 years old, Barrow is the youngest candidate on the ballot. He attended Eastern for two years before leaving to take over a Charleston business, Olmstead Brothers Insulation, and has since settled in the community with his new wife. Barrow said he believes his interests in local business and politics will help him be successful on the board. Mason said one of the most important issues to her is keeping the county board transparent. It's easy to try to do things behind the scenes, because then you're not held accountable. But I also believe in accountability. So, I believe in transparency and I believe in accountability, Mason said. I want to continue to do my research, to ask the questions I asked the board and to also ask board members or anyone connected to our issues to help clarify and reduce any confusion that citizens might have with those. Barrow said he would like to see what the board can do to with the countys budget, specifically regarding pay for county employees. In comparison to the surrounding counties, our first responders, in particular, are among the lower paid, Barrow said. So, we definitely want to look at finding ways to compensate our first responders. Mason said this election is about more than politics for her. We're in a tough time, where truth and facts are being questioned daily. We need to have people who are committed to the community, for the communitys sake, not for their own sake or own aspirations, and we need to hold ourselves accountable and hold our other board members and other community members accountable for their behaviors and their actions, Mason said. Barrow said he stands firm in his personal beliefs, something that will guide him if he is elected. We're Christians and we believe faith first and family second, and then you know, Barrow said. We definitely support all of our police, our fire guys and all of them. An arrest warrant levying charges of femicide was issued in the case of Shanquella Robinson, ABC News reported late Wednesday, citing a prosecutor in Mexico. The name of the suspect who is said to be the direct aggressor has not been released, both ABC News and WSOC, The Charlotte Observers news partner reported. The FBI field office in Charlotte which has an open investigation would ... Two men were shot and wounded Friday in northeastern Winston-Salem, authorities said Saturday. Winston-Salem police responded at 6:12 p.m. to a reported shooting in the 2600 block of Horizon Lane, police said. Before they arrived at that location, officers learned a gunshot victim had been placed in a blue Honda sedan that left the scene. Officers then found evidence of a shooting that had occurred in the parking lot of 2630 Horizon Lane, police said. A short time later, Adrian Lamaar Sides Jr., 34, and Antonio Christopher Moore, 29, arrived at local hospitals in separate vehicles, police said. Sides sustained a gunshot wound to his upper legs, and Moore sustained a gunshot wound to his lower leg. The victims injuries are considered to be non-life threatening, police said. Investigators determined that Sides, Moore and a suspect, known as Charlie, and other men were hanging out and playing cards near vehicles in the parking lot of 2630 Horizon Lane, police said. During the card game, an argument ensued and the suspect revealed a gun and shot Sides and Moore, police said. The suspect left the scene in a red Chevrolet Impala before officers arrived. Police are investigating. Anyone with information about this incident can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook. The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police. There are 4 days until polls close on Election Day. Here's what to know, including the top stories of the day, the latest polls and key races in focus. STORY OF THE DAY VP Harris fights for Democrats' future and her own BOSTON (AP) Ruby Brown beamed with excitement in a community college gymnasium as she waited for Vice President Kamala Harris to take the stage at a political rally for the Democratic ticket in Massachusetts As soon as her name was announced, I said I had to find a way to go, said Brown, 58. The midterms are just days away, with control of Congress and statehouses across the country up for grabs, but Brown and her friends were really hoping for a hint of what might happen a few years down the line. Thats why were here, said Lisa Palmer-Glover, 56. To see whats next on the plate. The comments are just a glimpse of the expectations and special scrutiny that Harris faces as the first person of color and first woman to be vice president and someone who campaigned for the top job before agreeing to be Joe Bidens running mate. Full story here: *** MORE ELECTION 2022 COVERAGE *** *** WATCH *** SENATE IN FOCUS: ARIZONA Republican momentum in Arizona deepens Democratic worries over Senate Nowhere in the country has the struggle between election denialists and democracy defenders played out in more vivid detail than in Arizona, w Real Clear Politics polling average: Sen. Mark Kelly (D) 48.2%, Blake Masters (R) 47.2% *** HOUSE IN FOCUS: VIRGINIA'S 2ND DISTRICT Luria makes final case for democracy, vies for Black voters Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria is spending the closing days of her reelection campaign in the new parts of her Virginia district to gain the support of Black residents whose votes could well determine if she gets a third term. The church visits and front yard barbecues are different settings for the former Navy commander, who has often campaigned with a military backdrop. But Luria finds herself in a dead heat with her Republican challenger as she tries to make the closing argument that this race is a referendum on democracy itself. *** PODCAST *** WE EXPLAIN EXPLAINER: Threats to US election security grow more complex Top U.S. election security officials say current threats to the nation's voting systems are more complex than ever. The task of protecting those systems has become increasingly more difficult as next week's midterms loom. That's partly because millions of Americans embrace unfounded conspiracy theories about supposed election-rigging. Election officials are girding for harassment, intimidation and even physical violence at polling places and elections offices during and after voting, as ballots are counted and results certified. Making matters worse, global rivals are expected to deepen disinformation efforts. Experts say a disruptive cyberattack also is possible. Russia, Iran and China may have fewer qualms these days about destabilization-inducing aggression. *** BATTLE FOR THE SENATE A Facebook trend began last week in the days following the death of Brad Stewart, who spent the last eight years building a weekly Sunday night comedy show into something special. The stand-up comedians many of them regional comics, but dozens representing all corners of the United States began changing their profile pictures to ones with them performing on the Zoo Bar stage, the downtown Lincoln nightspot that hosts Zoolarious. "It was so great to see people start doing that. It warmed the heart," said Omaha comedian David Shaun, who then laughed at how Stewart would have reacted to such a gesture. "He would be rolling his eyes watching this." That epitomizes Stewart, 48, who died Oct. 24 after a short and aggressive bout with pancreatic cancer. He worked selflessly to promote the comedy show and the comics he brought to the Zoo Bar, and was reluctant to take any of the credit for what he created. On Sunday, the Zoolarious stage will be lit one more time partially to honor its founder while fulfilling the final date of bookings in Stewart's calendar. "Zoolarious is done as of Sunday," said local comic Sadie Bolte, who will co-host Sunday's 8:30 p.m. show with Jake Gardner. "There will be people who want the show to continue, but that legacy is Brads. "Zoolarious will stay with him." The final show will feature Shaun and be headlined by Donny Townsend, a native of Davenport, Iowa, who has built a regional following. "It cant help but have sort of an interesting vibe," said Gardner, a native of Salt Lake City who came to Lincoln for college, discovered comedy and after a few years in New York moved back. "I dont want it to devolve into some sort of elegy, because its a comedy show, you know. It will be a fun, funny good time." As cliche as it sounds, that's just what Stewart would want. He launched Zoolarious in 2014, two years after returning to Nebraska from Southern California to tend to his ailing father, who had contracted Lou Gehrig's disease. Prior to his return, the native of Arapahoe had carved out a decade-long comedy career and got his big break when he toured with and opened for the late Joan Rivers. When he got back to Lincoln, he found a downtown that was devoid of any kind of comedy community. Seeing the need, he approached Zoo Bar owner Pete Watters, who most weeks planned no musical acts on Sundays. Watters gave the go-ahead, expecting nothing and getting so much more. He put his heart into it and it was amazing to watch, Watters said. He was relentless in building it up. He kept going and going. Suddenly, Lincoln had a comedy community. "He really kind of stirred up the whole comedy scene here," said Tammy Rice, Stewart's life partner of the last seven years. "There wasnt much going on in Lincoln prior to him getting the ball rolling." Make no mistake, that ball didn't start rolling on its own. It took a lot of pushing from Stewart to gain some forward momentum. "He was always promoting it. His goal was to run the most professional show every week," Rice said. Perhaps the best example of that came on the evening Stewart died a Sunday night as it were. Rice said as he lay in a hospital bed with his body shutting down, "his system failing," he still tweeted three times and sent a text to Tom Ryan, that show's headliner, to promote the show. "We were in shock that he was still, to the bitter end, all about making sure the show was good," Rice said. With time, Zoolarious grew into a comedy showcase that could attract some of the best stand-up comics in the industry to Lincoln. Let that sink in. While most of Lincoln was home, gearing up for the start of a new work week, a Sunday night comedy show was beginning to gain traction. "Its kind of unfortunate that once he got Zoolarious into that sweet spot, he passed," Rice said. Over the years, Stewart used his connections to attract national comics such as Eddie Pepitone, Derek Sheen, Ben Roy and Alonzo Bodden. If You Go Zoolarious the final show When: 8:30 p.m. Sunday Where: Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St. Hosts: Sadie Bolte and Jake Gardner. Headliner: Donny Townsend. Ticket information: zoobar.com. More important, he was constantly attending the open-mic nights in Omaha and Lincoln to cultivate local talent for Zoolarious. When he found someone, he became their mentor. "I was very lucky to have someone take me under their wing and mentor me," said Gardner, who co-hosted the show for three years after coming back from New York. "Brad showed me the ropes." Bolte's story is similar. She was tending bar at Panic when Stewart was struck by her sense of humor. "He assumed that I was a comedian," the Columbus native said. "I was too shy to actually do it. But he pushed me. He was the one who pushed me to do things like that." Bolte did two open-mics before Stewart invited her to do a Zoolarious set in 2017. That set her on her way to regular gigs in the area. And as local comics began to emerge and flourish, Zoolarious slowly started to gain the attention of both the industry and Lincoln. "When I got back from New York (in 2017), there was a comedy scene here," Gardner said. "There was some interesting, cool stuff going on. That was thanks to a lot of people, but a lot of that was Brad's doing. "I could tell back then (Zoolarious) was by far the coolest thing to do on a Sunday in Lincoln." So what happens now? There has been talk of another comedy show filling the void. Clearly, there is a need, Gardner said. It might even take place at the Zoo Bar on Sunday nights, although at this point, everything is still only in the discussion stages. The only thing for sure is that it won't be called Zoolarious. "Zoolarious was Brads show," Shaun said. "It was his baby. Nobody else could ever carry that torch." IDABEL, Okla. (AP) Residents in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas began assessing weather damage Saturday, working to recover and thankful to have survived after a storm stretching from Dallas to northwest Arkansas spawned tornadoes and produced flash flooding, killing at least two people, injuring others and leaving homes and buildings in ruins. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt went to the town of Idabel to see the damage. He said on social media that all the homes had been searched and a 90-year-old man was killed. Keli Cain, spokesperson for the states Department of Emergency Management, said the mans body was found at his home in the Pickens area of McCurtain County, about 36 miles (58 kilometers) north of Idabel. Morris County, Texas, Judge Doug Reeder said in a social media post that one person died as a result of a tornado in the far northeastern Texas County, offering no other details. Reeder and other county officials did not immediately return phone calls for additional comment. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also reported a 6-year-old girl drowned and a 43-year-old man was missing after their vehicle was swept by water off a bridge near Stilwell, about 135 miles (217 kilometers) north of Idabel. The drowning has not been officially attributed to the storm and will be investigated by the medical examiner, Cain said. Saturday afternoon Stitt declared a state of emergency for McCurtain County, where Idabel is located, and neighboring Bryan, Choctaw and LeFlore counties. The declaration is a step in qualifying for federal assistance and funding and clears the way for state agencies to make disaster-recovery related purchases without limits on bidding requirements. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said damage assessments and recovery efforts are under way in northeast Texas and encouraged residents to report damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. I have deployed all available resources to help respond and recover, Abbott said in a statement. I thank all of our hardworking state and local emergency management personnel for their swift response. National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Darby in Tulsa said the far-reaching storm produced heavy rain in the Stilwell area at the time, around 4 inches (10.16 centimeters). Idabel, a rural town of about 7,000 at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, saw extensive damage, Cain said. There are well over 100 homes and businesses damaged from minor damage to totally destroyed, Cain said. Trinity Baptist Church in Idabel was preparing to complete a new building when the storm ripped apart their sanctuary and flattened the shell of the new structure next door, according to Pastor Don Myer. The 250-member congregation was to vote after the Sunday service on whether to move ahead with he final work to complete the building, Myer told The Associated Press. But we didnt get to that. Every vote counts and we had one vote trump us all, Myer, 67, said. We were right on the verge of that. Thats how close we were. Myer said the congregation is going to pray on what happened, see how much their insurance covers and work to rebuild. On Saturday morning, a few members of the church took an American flag that had been blown over in the storm and stood it upright amid the wreckage of the original church building. Shelbie Villalpando, 27, of Powderly, Texas, said she was eating dinner with her family Friday when tornado sirens prompted them to congregate first in their rented homes hallways, then with her children, aged 5, 10 and 14, in the bathtub. Within two minutes of getting them in the bathtub, we had to lay over the kids because everything started going crazy, Villalpando said. Ive never been so terrified, she said. I could hear glass breaking and things shattering around, but whenever I got out of the bathroom, my heart and my stomach sank because I have kids and it could have been much worse. ... What if our bathroom had caved in just like everything else? We wouldnt be here. Terimaine Davis and his son were huddled in the bathtub until just before the tornado barreled through Friday, reducing their home in Powderly to a roofless, sagging heap. We left like five minutes before the tornado actually hit, Davis, 33, told The Associated Press. Me and my son were in the house in the tub and that was about the only thing left standing. In their driveway Saturday morning, a childs car seat leaned against a dented, grey Chevrolet sedan with several windows blown out. Around back, his wife, Lori Davis, handed Terimaine a basket of toiletries from inside the wreckage of their house. The couple and the three kids who live with them did not have renters insurance, Lori Davis said, and none of their furniture survived. Were going to have to start from scratch, she said. They hope to stay with family until they can find a place to live. The next few days look like rough times, Terimaine Davis said. Judge Brandon Bell, the highest elected official in Lamar County where Powderly is located, declared a disaster in that area. Bells declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county. Powderly is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Idabel and about 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Dallas and both are near the Texas-Oklahoma border. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth confirmed three tornadoes - in Lamar, Henderson and Hopkins counties - Friday night as a line of storms dropped rain and sporadic hail on the Dallas-Fort Worth area and continued to push eastward. The weather service's office in Shreveport, Louisiana, said it was assessing the damage in Oklahoma. Weather service meteorologist Bianca Garcia in Fort Worth said while peak severe weather season typically is in the spring, tornados occasionally develop in October, November, December and even January. Its not very common, Garcia said, but it does happen across our region. Miller reported from Oklahoma City. Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report. Residents in northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma began assessing damage and working to recover Saturday after tornadoes tore through the region. Shelbie Villalpando of Powderly, Texas, said she and her family took cover in a bathtub while the rest of her home caved in as the tornado hit Friday. Authorities in Oklahoma say at least one person died when a twister hit McCurtain County. Gov. Kevin Stitt toured the town of Idabel Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth on Saturday confirmed at least three tornadoes in northeast Texas while the damage in Oklahoma was being assessed by the weather service's Shreveport, Louisiana, office. Residents in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas began assessing damage and working to recover Saturday after tornadoes tore through the region and killed at least two people. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt toured the town of Idabel Saturday where buildings were flattened and a 90-year-old man was killed in nearby Pickins. In Morris County Texas, County Judge Doug Reeder said one person died as a result of the storm. Oklahoma authorities say a 6-year-old girl drowned and a 43-year-old man is missing after their vehicle was swept off a bridge near Stilwell but the death has not yet been officially attributed to the storm that also produced hail from Dallas to northwestern Arkansas. It's Saturday, Nov. 5. Get caught up what's going on around the nation and world today. Residents in northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma began assessing damage and working to recover Saturday after tornadoes tore through the region. Authorities in Oklahoma say at least one person died when a twister hit McCurtain County Friday. Gov. Kevin Stitt toured the town of Idabel Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth on Saturday confirmed at least three tornadoes in northeast Texas while the damage in Oklahoma was being assessed by the weather service's Shreveport, Louisiana, office. Barack Obama has warned anxious Democrats that abortion rights, Social Security and even democracy itself is at risk should Republicans seize congressional majorities next week. The former president was in Pittsburgh on Saturday and he said, Sulking and moping is not an option." He is scheduled to stump among politics biggest stars in an effort to energize voters in the weekend of campaigning before Election Day on Tuesday. North Korea has added to its recent barrage of weapons demonstrations by launching four ballistic missiles into the sea while the United States sent two supersonic bombers over South Korea in a dueling display of military might. North Korea has test-fired more than 30 missiles this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan. Check out more of the latest news from around the world: At the beginning of the school year, Margret Hinze was both a special education teacher for grades six to 12, and a contestant in the Miss Racine Scholarship Competition. One of her students joked that if she did not win, Miss Hinze could not be their teacher anymore. It looks like they get to keep their teacher. Madison businessman Eric Hovde will not be joining the GOP race for governor this fall, but instead is considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2024 for the seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. 1. Yes. Using marijuana odor to determine probable cause is vital to police investigations. 2. Yes. As the ordinance is written, it targets police; that shouldnt be allowed to stand. 3. No. The council should leave the ordinance alone and respect the will of the voters. 4. No. The council should repeal the ordinance altogether. It conflicts with state law. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the council should proceed on addressing the ordinance. Vote View Results Copperas Cove, TX (76522) Today Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 37F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Killeen, TX (76540) Today Morning clouds will give way to afternoon sunshine. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 38F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Thirty years ago, there was hope that a warming world could clean up its act. It didn't. The United States helped forge two historic agreements to curb climate change, then torpedoed both when new political administrations took over. Rich and poor nations squabbled about who should do what. During that time, Earth warmed even faster. Hope melted, along with 36 trillion tons of ice, scientists calculate. Since 1992, when world leaders first came together to address global warming, humanity has spewed more than a trillion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from fossil fuels into the air. The world got 1.1 degrees (0.6 degrees Celsius) hotter. As climate negotiators gather in Egypt this week to try to limit future warming to just a few more tenths of a degree, long-time officials and historians see recurring themes in past efforts that still echo today. Those themes involve the outsized footprint of the United States and the tug-of-war between nations that got rich thanks to fossil fuels and yet-to-develop countries that feel disproportionate pain from climate change and are being told not to develop much coal, oil and natural gas. "The U.S. has been the absolute dominant force throughout all of this," said climate negotiations historian Joanna Depledge of the University of Cambridge in England. "I'm afraid the U.S. has been both the best and the worst thing, really, about negotiations." It started on a high note. In 1992, five years after a historic environmental agreement to ban ozone-munching chemicals, world leaders signed a treaty in Rio de Janeiro at the "Earth Summit. " It started the formal United Nations process to negotiate dial back carbon emissions. The world recognized that climate change "is going to affect us all and we all have to deal with it," recalled the first UN climate secretary, Michael Zammit Cutajar. Oren Lyons, faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation in New York, decades later called it the greatest meeting he attended: "There was a huge feeling of well-being, of being able to do something There was a lot of hope there." Inger Andersen, a young United Nations development official at the time, said the summit got three different programs going and nothing was going to stop them. "I mean this was it. We fixed it," recalled Andersen, now the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. "I mean that was it. It was amazing, right?" The Cold War had just ended and "the global environment was seen as a way of bringing previously warring countries together," said Depledge. "It was seen as a kind of benign, you know motherhood-and-apple-pie way of cooperating." "Yes it was naive, but it could have been done," Depledge said. "Such innovative, exciting proposals were put forward in the early years, which if they had been implemented, we would be in a so much better situation." That included an insurance fund for mass disaster idea that would have been just ideal for Pakistan's devastating flood this summer that put one-third of the nation under water, Depledge said. Running through negotiations was the idea of differentiated responsibilities, with developed countries taking the lead. The key country that had to accept this was the No. 1 emitter at the time: the United States. "When I look back on that now, not just then but beyond then, I see the negotiation very much as an effort to bring the U.S. on board and keep it on board, right through," Cutajar said. In 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, the United States negotiated a deal that would have developed nations reduce their heat-trapping gas emissions to 1990 levels and below. Cutajar had the most hope of his career. It was a step in the right direction that would be followed by even more steps, he figured. "The flexibility that defines the Kyoto Protocol was very much designed in the USA," he said. "That optimism lasted for quite a long time the real hammer blow to it all, was the decision by President (George) W. Bush" to scuttle the Kyoto deal, Depledge said. "It really did sound the very slow death knell of that all important legally binding treaty, which we had thought would be the beginning the beginning of a long lasting solution to climate change." The Kyoto deal limped along, Cutajar said. Finally a new non-binding deal, where every country came up with its own emission targets, was forged in Paris in 2015, after a side agreement between the United States and China. Again, the U.S. took a leadership role. The Paris deal was delicately worded so that the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate wouldn't need to ratify it. Negotiators literally danced in celebration. Again, a new Republican administration, this time the president was Donald Trump, pulled out of the deal. Then Joe Biden put the U.S. back in again and negotiations resume with the United States now balking about the idea of paying for the damage done to poorer countries that didn't spew much carbon pollution, like Pakistan. "U.S. continues to be a difficult but essential partner," Cutajar said. Longtime climate change activist Bill McKibben said "the one thing I couldn't have predicted was how little our society would react when faced with a clear warning from scientists about the greatest danger we ever faced, that we would conspire to do almost nothing for 30 years. Chalk it up to the extraordinary work of the fossil fuel industry." Extensive academic and other research has credited the fossil fuel industry with slowing or stopping climate change fighting efforts, particularly in the United States. Cutajar, long retired and living in Switzerland, no longer has that hope that blossomed in the 1990s. "I can't say I'm optimistic," Cutajar said. "The human race is not going to be wiped out, but there's going to be displacement movement of people on a historical scale. There already is. There will be more." The federal government has launched its first confirmed investigation of an alleged denial of an abortion to a woman experiencing a medical emergency. In late October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services opened an investigation at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Missouri, under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, department spokesperson Lisa Cox told Kaiser Health News. It was authorized by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which contracts with state agencies to conduct EMTALA surveys. The case involves a woman whose water broke early in her pregnancy, but the hospital refused to let doctors perform an abortion. She eventually sought medical help outside the state. The Biden administration in July had reminded hospitals and physicians in the 13 states that have outlawed most abortions that federal law requires them to provide life- or health-saving medical services including abortion, if necessary to patients experiencing emergency pregnancy complications. The Missouri investigation is significant because EMTALA is one of the governments strongest tools to ensure that patients with pregnancy complications receive needed abortions following the Supreme Courts June ruling erasing the constitutional right to abortion. The 1986 EMTALA law requires hospitals and physicians to provide screening and stabilizing treatment in emergency situations. The July policy guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services stressed that EMTALA supersedes any state law barring abortion, and that hospitals and physicians who dont comply with the federal mandate could face civil fines and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. HHS cited several emergency pregnancy situations in which abortion might be required to prevent permanent injury or death, such as ectopic pregnancies, severe blood pressure spikes known as preeclampsia, and premature rupture of the membrane causing a womans water to break before her pregnancy is viable, which can lead to serious infections and threaten her life. Other EMTALA investigations of hospitals and physicians alleged to have denied medically necessary emergency abortions have been opened in Texas but havent been publicly reported, said Greer Donley, an associate law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, who studies abortion issues. CMS does not disclose EMTALA investigations before they have been completed and findings and penalties have been finalized, and states generally dont publicize them either. But patients or hospital staff members might talk, particularly on issues like abortion if they strongly object to the alleged denial of services. The Missouri investigation involves the case of Mylissa Farmer, 41, who went to Freeman Hospital on Aug. 2, after her water broke nearly 18 weeks into her pregnancy, followed by bleeding and cramping. Physicians there reportedly recommended terminating the pregnancy because it was not viable, Farmer had lost amniotic fluid, and she faced a risk of serious infection. Her case is described in detail in an Oct. 19 article in the Springfield News-Leader, which Farmer, in a brief interview with KHN, said was accurate. Farmer confirmed she was contacted and questioned in October for the EMTALA investigation. According to the newspaper article, Farmers physicians, after consulting with Freeman Hospitals legal team, told her they could not offer her the standard procedure to terminate the pregnancy dilation and evacuation due to Missouris law banning all abortions, which took effect June 24. That position was different from what Farmer said the physicians told her. My doctors said it was an emergency, and I felt it was an emergency, she told KHN. Even though the law includes an exception for medical emergency, the doctors and hospital lawyers allegedly determined that her case did not qualify for that exception. Providers found to violate the law can be prosecuted for a class B felony, as well as have their license to practice revoked. The burden of proof is on the providers to show that the abortion was performed because of a medical emergency. Abortion opponents argue that most state anti-abortion laws include adequate exceptions for the health and life of the pregnant woman. But physicians and hospital lawyers say the exceptions are vaguely worded, and what really matters is how prosecutors in these conservative states interpret them. Physicians say they need flexibility in deciding when there is an emergency that requires a pregnancy to be terminated and that its dangerous to have politicians and lawyers looking over their shoulders. This is medicine, not law, and its very complicated, said Dr. Kim Puterbaugh, a Cleveland OB-GYN who is a past president of the Society of OB/GYN Hospitalists. Setting arbitrary limits on blood pressure or bleeding when determining if a pregnancy is in distress, thats ridiculous. There are too many variables. Democratic lawmakers in Missouri have pushed the governor, the attorney general, and state health officials for a clearer definition of the exception for medical emergencies. Farmer and her boyfriend, who both wanted a child, called multiple hospitals in Kansas and Illinois to see whether she could deliver safely but were repeatedly told that the pregnancy wasnt viable and that her health was at risk. She eventually got an appointment at the Hope Clinic for Women, across the state border in Granite City, Illinois, where she went into labor and received a procedure to end the pregnancy Aug. 6. Freeman Hospital officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The Missouri statute puts doctors and providers between a rock and a hard place, said Genevieve Scott, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York. It creates an extreme deterrent to providing care in medical emergencies, given the risk of providers facing prosecution and losing their livelihood. That clearly threatens the health and lives of every pregnant person in the state. KEARNEY Today voters will have their say. As far as local races, most eyes will be fixed on school board contests. At the statewide level, a regional race for the Nebraska Board of Education and a tug-o-war for the Nebraska Public Power District Board of Directors have garnered the attention of Kearney area voters. Although the Kearney Board of Education race has been an attention getter because at least two new members will join the board, school districts around Buffalo County also are witnessing contested races. Those districts include Elm Creek and Pleasanton, with a full slate of six candidates for three open positions; and Amherst and Ansley, both with five candidates for three open seats. Contested races also are unfolding in Gibbon, Ravenna, Shelton and Sumner-Eddyville-Miller. With three seats up for grabs and just one incumbent left in the field, the Kearney Board of Education will have at last two new members after Tuesday. Drew Blessing is the lone incumbent on the KPS ticket, and hes being challenged by Paul Hazard, John D. Icenogle, Derek Meyer and Jacob Reiter. Blessing, Hazard, Icenogle, Meyer, Reiter and incumbent Wendy Kreis survived the May primary, however, Kreis announced in August that she had decided not to run and abruptly withdrew from the race. Kreis is the current chair of the KPS Board. Kreis said health and business matters were issues, and she was frustrated by the political climate. Another seasoned KPS leader, Alex Straatmann, decided not to run for re-election and never filed. Kreis had filed, but her withdrawal announcement was too late to remove her name from the KPS ballot. When voters go to the polls, Kreis name will be on the ballot, but she no longer is a candidate. If voting turns out as it did in May, two challengers and the lone remaining incumbent would be elected. With 3,372 votes, Hazard was the leading vote-getter in May, followed in second place by Icenogle with 3,323 votes and the incumbent, Blessing, with 2,998 votes. Rounding out the field were incumbent Kreis, with 2,634 votes, and challengers Derek Meyer with 2,036, and Jacob Reiter with 1,968. The top three vote-getters elected on Tuesday will join board members Kathy Gifford, Dave Brandt and Steve Gaasch. At the statewide level, Sherry Jones of Grand Island is battling Danielle Helzer for the District 6 seat on the Nebraska Board of Education. Incumbent Melissa Freelend is campaigning for reelection but faces a tough challenge from Derek Rusher. The winner will represent south-central Nebraskas District 6 on NPPDs 11-member board. Thirty-six years ago today, Nebraska provided a national first when two women candidates competed in the governor's race: Republican Kay Orr, 47, and Democrat Helen Boosalis, 67. Orr won, becoming the first elected woman Republican governor in the country. As the first women nominated as candidates for governor in Nebraska, Orr and Boosalis added to the previous "firsts" they'd had in their political careers. Then-Gov. Charles Thone appointed Orr as state treasurer in 1981, and she was elected in 1982 to a full term as treasurer, becoming the first woman elected to a statewide office in Nebraska. Boosalis was the first woman mayor of Lincoln, serving from 1975-1983, and first woman mayor of a city of 100,000 or more in the U.S. Orr won the Nebraska governorship by squeaking out a tiny edge in normally Democratic Douglas County, by running stronger than expected in southeast Nebraska and by winning big in the western part of the state. Overall, she got 53 percent of the vote; Boosalis received 47 percent. After conceding, Boosalis called the race "an open, honest forthright campaign." Orr said of her opponent, "We want to recognize Helen Boosalis, who devoted her life to serving her community." In an interview after her election was ensured, Orr also said: "I think I can serve the people and make a difference." In July, the legislative committee of Dunn County approved a referendum question that is unprecedented in rural America. The question asks Congress and the U.S. president to nationalize health care. Now its chances look good and the Nov. 8 referendum could make waves in Wisconsin. Generally, attempts such as these come from large urban areas. They might come with a left-leaning agenda. But residents in Dunn County, in interviews, seem to support the effort. This referendum is the result of dozens of locals working together, year after year. They say they dont care if you are blue or red or opaque. They just want you to have some say in whether you have good, reliable health care. Their goal is to let the public decide if the federal government should cover health care costs for all, rather than just Medicare and Medicaid. The Dunn County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to add this question to the November ballot. Politically speaking, some of them are incredibly conservative. Others lean in the opposite direction. Yet, members voted to allow this question to go to referendum. Officials said they simply want to make sure that Americans are heard, that residents have a chance to give their opinion about health care in the United States. You know, people are going to see that its on the ballot, and theyre going to start asking questions. What does it mean for the federal government to have universal health care? said Monica Berrier, a Dunn County supervisor. So why does this matter? If the referendum passes, it wont immediately affect national policy. However, it would tell the state and federal governments that residents of Dunn County want new national health care options. John Calabrese has spent about 40 to 50 hours per week over recent months having conversations about the referendum with locals. In addition, he and other volunteers have been leaving literature at peoples doors, for those who arent home to discuss the issue. Its nice weather so people are out and about. Sometimes we chat about it. Whats really unique is that its one of those issues, perhaps the only one, where I have yet to hear one person say to me, Our health insurance system is great in this country. Calabrese said he doesnt see any organized opposition to the referendum. And thats surprising in such a conservative region of Wisconsin. I wouldnt be surprised if it passes. I wouldnt be surprised if it got 60% or 65% approval next week, he said. Although there might not be any organized effort to undermine the referendum, there are residents who oppose it. Harold Johnson, a resident of Otter Creek in Dunn County, said hes concerned about big government and federal regulations. Listen, its not that I dont want to pay less for health care. Of course I do. But I dont like the idea of people in Washington controlling me, what I can and cant do, he said. I fought for this country in Vietnam. Id die for this country. And sometimes that means not allowing a communist state to take over. Im hesitant, you know, to allow this referendum to happen. There are other counties in Wisconsin, including Douglas and Ashland, that are looking to add this referendum with the same wording and sentiment to their ballot for the spring of 2023. So, if its just Dunn County, I dont see it having that much of a direct impact, Berrier said. However, what I hope is that this discussion in Dunn County will inspire other counties to do the same. And I think that if other counties across Wisconsin, and even into other states start doing that, I think that the federal legislators are really going to have to start to pay attention. But for now, it is a waiting game. What Dunn County and its voters do on Nov. 8 could very well influence what happens across the state and the country. I think its really exciting that Dunn County is breaking ground here and being the first county in the state to do this, said Berrier. And I think its really important for us, and the local government, to give the people a voice on national issues as much as we can. Berrier, who was elected to the Dunn County Board of Supervisors in April and represents District 13, spoke in the public comments during the July meeting, which focused on whether the county would put a question to referendum. Thats more than a little unusual to speak in the public comments on an issue as a citizen, when a microphone is available to you to say your piece as an elected official. But thats what Berrier did. Im the county supervisor for District 13. So, like the others, Im speaking today, regarding the referendum for national health care, she said in July. A question has come up about whether this is really county business, and I want to make the argument that it really is in the countys interest to be advocating for a better health care system. Berrier said she wanted to make the argument that this should be a referendum question through the perspectives of budget and whether the current system is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars. For now, Calabrese is knocking on doors and trying to get the word out. We just need people to be informed and to vote, he said. I was a little surprised to get, like, wholehearted support from the Dunn County Democratic Party, just because their leadership in Washington are not in favor of a single-payer health system. But theyre supporting us. The bigger thing, though, is everyone with a Trump flag in their driveway who are also supporting us. Not to sound like Im saving the world or anything, but its really positive. I wonder how many people remember a whole generation of veterans in the deep twilight of their lives. Of course, I am talking about our WWII veterans and now our Korean Veterans. In 2020 I was elected as a vice president of the 70th Division Association. It is comprised of 70th Division soldiers, their spouses, their children and their grandchildren. To the best of my knowledge the youngest member is 95 the oldest is 104. My dad was with the 70th Division. I became a member after a late-night email in 2002. I had come back from an ambulance run and it was too late to go back to sleep and too early to be getting up. As luck would have it after emailing the webmaster, I was contacted by a group of people who knew my dad and invited me to join the association. Twenty years later there is only one person who remains that knew my dad and he is going to be 99. There is a very common misconception that veterans of WWII and Korea received a huge welcome home or were given national attention. The truth was more like this. The army being the army discharged soldiers, when as in the case of WWII, they had received a certain number of service points. WWII ended in Germany on May 8, 1945. My dad, being short of points, was retained in Germany until early March of 1945. When reaching enough points, he was placed on a ship that crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in New York. From there he received a train ticket to Chicago where he was met by his family. From there he changed trains to arrive at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. He was processed out and took the train to Marshfield where he was greeted by my mom and her family. There was no parade, no local welcome home celebration in Owen, just my mom and dad beginning life again. What I learned from the original members of the 70th Division Association was that was the case of 90% of returning soldiers. Of course, you may have seen pictures of the ticker tape parade in New York led by General Eisenhauer or January 1946, 13,000 men of the 82nd Airborne but that was a huge exception to the rule. I grew up with a group of veterans in my neighborhood. A B17 pilot, a combat surgeon, a Navy Lt. Commander and an air crewman. Neighbors knew neighbors then. But at holiday parties and summer gatherings there was very little talk about WWII. All of the veterans did agree that the military was a very strange place and most of the time it was FUBAR. I really dont know how my dad and other veterans would react to the phrase thank you for your service. At that time in history, in that place you were expected to do your duty to defend your country. The enemy was obvious; the threat to the country was very real. Most of the veterans I knew growing up did not join the VFW or the American Legion. My dad was drafted when he was 28; at the end of the war my dad was 33. When approached by the VFW in Loyal, Wisconsin, in the summer of 1948 to join the group, he simply explained that he had walked half way across Europe and that was far enough. No more parades for him. As to the war, its legacy to us was that he forbade any firearms in the house, except when I was 14 a BB gun. He warned me not to shoot my eye out. He would not have used his military record to run for political office. He was a lifelong conservative Republican and growing up Chicago knew all about machine politics. He thought General Dwight Eisenhauer should have stayed out of politics. He was convinced that Navy Lt. Commander Richard Nixon, at the end, was indeed a crook. As to the events of Jan. 6, 2020, he would have horrified. For you veterans out there, I appreciate your commitment and devotion to serve your country. Best wishes to you. Melanie Sue (Palmer) Locklear passed away suddenly on Sunday, October 30, 2022 at her home which she shared with her husband, Breck (Lock) Locklear, in Wrightstown, New Jersey. She was 21 years young. Melanie and Breck were solidified in their unconditional love on September 4, 2021. Melanie graduated from Cochrane Fountain City High School in 2019. After heavy discussion (or ribbing) with her Marine dad, Darrin, she more than proudly joined the Air Force and was stationed in Minot, North Dakota. In Minot is where she met Breck. Besides her mom, there is gnome one she loved more than her husband, Breck. Their shared love of video games, comfy pants, scary movies and hiking is where they took their next level of love. He loved her every step of the way. Melanie loved working on missiles and B-52s. Her and Breck were re-stationed to New Jersey, where she was promoted to Senior Airman. Melanie always knew what she wanted and never feared. The coordinates of her roots can be found at her grandparents farm. On this farm her brother and cousins taught her the life skill of fearlessness and bravery. Her family taught her unconditional love. Melanie loved drawing, painting, music and spending time with her dog Bandit. She was very quick witted, and she loved to learn. She is leaving our lives way too soon. Family and her husband were everything to Melanie. Melanie found great joy in spending time with her husband, her mom and dad in Cochrane, and her brother. She had a very special, unique bond with her mother, dad and brother that will never be broken. Melanies easygoing attitude made anyone feel at ease, yet her keen sense of awareness made you feel safe and protected. As we celebrate our blonde haired, blue eyed beauty, may we never forget the fire in her that lit the life in us. Melanie will be missed beyond measure. Her soul will continue living through her mother, Cindy. She is survived by her husband, Breck, her mom and dad, Cindy and Darrin Dillinger, her brother, Trent, her bio-father Eric, and his wife, Wendy and their children, Jordan and Jaelyn, grandparents, Mel and Sharon Edelbach, Leo and Vicki Hager, Harlan and Elaine Dillinger, Jeff and Tricia Palmer, also by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends. A visitation will be held at Talbot Funeral Home in Alma, Wisconsin on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM immediately followed with a graveside service with full military honors at Buffalo City Cemetery. We will further celebrate the life of Melanie at the VFW, Post 10406 in Cochrane after the graveside service and military honors. Life is but a stopping place. And while she stopped here with us, we all loved her. Deeply. Everybody who knew her loved her, which is why we will never get over the loss. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund is being established in Melanies name. The aphorism birds of a feather flock together describes the fact that people tend to prefer associating with others who are similar to themselves. The phenomenon goes by different names: Sociologists call it homophily, psychologists call it in-group favoritism and political scientists call it affective polarization. Its observed in a wide range of demographic and social characteristics including sex, race, religion, age, education and political party. But what about parental status? Do parents prefer other parents? What about child-free people who dont want to be parents? Do these preferences even matter? Pronatalism, a set of beliefs and political policies that promotes and favors human reproduction, is common in many countries. Therefore, its not surprising that people tend to have more positive attitudes about parents than they do about child-free people. For example, people generally perceive parents as kinder and more psychologically fulfilled than child-free people. Additionally, people express feelings of admiration toward mothers and feelings of disgust toward child-free women. However, these are general attitudes and dont tell us about how people feel about others who have made the same reproductive choices as themselves. Thats why, in a 2022 study of 1,500 Michigan adults, we asked parents how they felt toward other parents and toward child-free people. We also asked child-free people how they felt toward other child-free people and toward parents. We found that parents strongly favored other parents, but child-free adults didnt necessarily favor other child-free adults. That is, parents exhibit in-group favoritism, but child-free adults dont. Measuring interpersonal warmth A feeling thermometer question is one common way to measure how people in one group feel about people in their own group or in other groups. This question asks a person to rate how warmly they feel toward a group on a scale from 0, or very cool, to 100, or very warm. For example, in 2017 the Pew Research Center asked people how they felt about members of their own religion and members of different religions. White evangelicals reported feeling very warm toward other white evangelicals, with an average warmth score of 81. Likewise, atheists reported feeling very warm toward other atheists, with an average warmth score of 82. This is evidence of in-group favoritism. At the same time, evangelicals reported feeling very cool toward atheists, with an average warmth score of only 33. Likewise, atheists reported feeling very cool toward evangelicals, with an average warmth score of only 29. This is evidence of whats called out-group derogation people dislike members of other groups. We used the same approach to compare parents and child-free adults, and discovered three important patterns. First, child-free people feel about the same toward other child-free people as they do toward parents. This was surprising because usually people feel warmer toward members of their own group, but we saw no evidence of in-group favoritism among child-free people. Second, parents feel much warmer toward other parents than they do toward child-free people. This is a classic example of in-group favoritism parents like other parents. Finally, both parents and child-free people feel about the same toward child-free people. This is important because it means that although parents really like other parents, they dont dislike child-free people. That is, we saw no evidence of out-group derogation. Does it really matter? Although these results werent as extreme as comparisons between evangelicals and atheists or between Republicans and Democrats, they may still matter. In a related 2022 study, we surveyed 1,000 adults living in rural, suburban and urban areas throughout Michigan, asking them how satisfied they were with their neighborhood. We found that child-free adults were significantly less satisfied with their neighborhoods than both married parents and people who were planning to become parents. The strong in-group favoritism among parents might help explain why. Although we did not observe evidence that parents dislike child-free people, their strong preference for other parents could still lead them to inadvertently exclude their child-free neighbors. For example, when its time to plan a neighborhood event like a block party, parents may be more inclined to recruit other parents to help. This could lead child-free people feeling out of place in parent and child-focused neighborhoods. When neighborhoods are focused on parents and children, as commenters increasingly suggest they should be, they are often described as being family-friendly. As a result, there are websites offering advice about how to find a family-friendly neighborhood. However, these neighborhoods may be more friendly toward some types of families than others. With both fertility and marriage rates declining in the United States, the numbers of child-free people are likely to increase. As this new family type becomes more common, its important to rethink who neighborhoods are for and what it means for a neighborhood to be family-friendly. But it also means rethinking other areas of life too, including workplace work-life balance policies and government tax credits. ___ Zachary P. Neal receives funding from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. Jennifer Watling Neal receives funding from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. ___ I would respect Derrick Van Orden if he had condemned Trump and the January 6th incident. I would respect Sen. Ron Johnson if he did not make so many ridiculous statements during COVID or hand Vice President Pence an alternate of electoral college candidates. President Biden said that he would unify the country and then turned the government over to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Sanders. He ignored military advice and turned the departure from Afghanistan into a debacle which rattled our allies. His international and domestic policies, especially considering oil and gas, are intertwined and totally incoherent. Apparently, both Brad Pfaff and Mandela Barnes think he is a doing a great job since they think his policies are great. We know, when we go shopping and to the gas station, that is far from the truth. I do respect the Republicans who came out and denounced Trump even if it cost them their re-election bid. I do respect Sens. Manchin and Sinema since they withstood a lot of criticism for their positions from their own party. It is too late this election cycle but we need to choose individuals that will put country above party. The political parties that we are stuck with are not correct or incorrect 100% of the time. We need candidates that will make the tough choices regardless of the party position. What we have this time is what we have had for decades; party hacks running for office. Nicholas Berry La Crosse New Leash on Life Dog Rescue will host its ninth annual Paws at the Pub fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at Fox Hollow Banquet Hall, N3827 Hwy. OA, Barre Mills. The family friendly event will feature live music by local rock/blues band Tabasco Cat, food for purchase from Fayzes, a cash bar, large ticket raffle, bucket raffle, 50/50 raffle and a silent auction. All proceeds help New Leash on Life in its mission of saving more dogs lives, getting them proper veterinary care, and finding them their furever homes. The La Crosse-based organization works with local shelters, takes local owner surrenders, and rescues dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds from high-kill shelters in other states. New Leash on Life operates solely on adoption fees and donations, with much help from volunteers and foster homes. Admission is $10 per person, $25 for a family, and all donations are tax deductable. Only cash or checks will be accepted at the event, where people interested in adopting or fostering dogs also can pick up an application. For more information on the organization and available dogs, visit www.newleashdogrescue.com. Family, fans bid adieu to music icon Jerry Lee Lewis FERRIDAY, La. (AP) Family, friends and fans bid farewell Saturday to rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis at memorial services held in his north Louisiana home town. Lewis, known for hits such as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On, died Oct. 28 at his Mississippi home south of Memphis, Tennessee. He was 87. Lewis' cousin, TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, brought a bit of laughter to the service, reminiscing about their childhood together. Swaggart described Lewis as One of the greatest entertainers who ever lived" and noted that when he passed he lost the brother I never had. It's that time: Daylight saving time out, standard time in WASHINGTON (AP) A transition is coming this weekend across most of the United States, and it has nothing to do with the election: Daylight saving time is out, standard time is in this weekend. Standard time begins at 2 a.m. local time Sunday and lasts until March 12. Relish the chance to catch up on sleep and remember to set clocks back an hour before going to bed Saturday night. The time change means darkness will arrive earlier in the evening but it will be lighter earlier in the morning than now. Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. Russia cafe blaze north of Moscow kills 13, injures 5 MOSCOW (AP) Russian authorities say a fire in a large cafe in the Russian city of Kostroma has killed 13 people and injured five others. The blaze erupted in the early Saturday after someone apparently used a flare gun. Rescuers were able to evacuate 250 people from the cafe, which saw its roof collapse in the fire. Kostroma is roughly 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of Moscow. A criminal investigation has been launched and a suspect has been apprehended for alledgedly firing a flare gun. The cafe's director is also being questioned. Closest known black hole to Earth spotted by astronomers CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Astronomers have discovered the closest known black hole to Earth, just 1,600 light-years away. Scientists reported Friday that this black hole is 10 times more massive than our sun and it's three times closer than the previous record-holder. It was confirmed by a telescope in Hawaii by observing the motion of its companion star, which orbits the black hole at about the same distance as Earth orbits the sun. The team initially identified the black hole using the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft. Nike splits with Kyrie Irving amid antisemitism fallout Nike has parted ways with Kyrie Irving. The shoe giant has announced that it will halt its relationship with the Brooklyn guard, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs. The Nets made that move Thursday, and a day later, Nike made its decision as well. Irving tweeted a link to a film that contains antisemitic material and repeatedly refused to apologize until the Nets suspended him. New calculator tackles inequality in missing persons stories NEW YORK (AP) The Columbia Journalism Review has unveiled a tool that allows you to guess how much attention you would get from the public if you go missing. It's an attention-getting device in itself, done to highlight "missing white women syndrome." That's a reference to the media's tendency to pay extra attention to missing young, white women. The late Gwen Ifill coined the term to describe it two decades ago, and Columbia says there are few indications that news organizations have changed their habits since then. The online tool is based on actual statistics of missing people and stories devoted to them. Warren Buffett's firm reports $2.7B loss on investment drop OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Warren Buffett's company reported a $2.7 billion loss Saturday as the paper value of its investment portfolio fell during the third quarter, but most of its operating businesses performed well with the notable exception of Geico. Buffett has long said Berkshire Hathaway's operating earnings are a better measure of its performance because they exclude investment gains and losses, which vary widely. By that measure, Berkshire's operating earnings jumped 20% to $7.76 billion and easily topped Wall Street expectations. Geico's performance was hurt by the soaring cost of used cars and car parts that it had to pay for in its claims. Authorities say 5 dead in Maryland murder-suicide LA PLATA, Md. (AP) A Maryland sheriff's office says a 28-year-old man is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, her brother, her mother and another man inside a Maryland home before fatally shooting himself. The Charles County Sheriff's Office on Saturday named Andre Sales as the suspect in the killings. The five bodies were found in a home in La Plata south of Washington, D.C. on Friday afternoon when an unidentified homeowner arrived after work. Investigators and forensic personnel were still processing evidence Saturday and interviewing family and friends to establish a motive. Autopsies will be performed to confirm the cause of death for each person. Climate activists block private jets at Amsterdam airport EDE, Netherlands (AP) Hundreds of climate protesters have blocked private jets from leaving Amsterdams Schiphol Airport in a demonstration on the eve of the COP27 United Nations climate meeting in Egypt. Protesters sat around private jets to prevent them leaving and others rode bicycles around the planes in the demonstration Saturday. Dewi Zloch of Greenpeace Netherlands said the activists want fewer flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private jets. Military police said they arrested a number of protesters for being on the airports grounds without authorization. DA to review cases involving LA cop accused of CBS tip off LOS ANGELES (AP) Los Angeles County prosecutors will try to decide whether criminal cases were tainted by a former LAPD captain who allegedly leaked a confidential sexual assault report to an accused Hollywood mogul. The district attorney's office said Friday that it will examine cases in which Cory Palka was a witness to determine if they need review. Palka's credibility may have been damaged by allegations that he tipped off former CBS executive Les Moonves that a woman had filed a report accusing him of sexual assault. The LAPD and the state attorney general's office also are investigating. Palka hasn't responded to requests for comment. A former Milwaukee elections official charged Friday with sending fake military ballots to a Republican legislator who has advanced election fraud conspiracy theories told investigators she did it because she wanted to expose what she saw as vulnerabilities in Wisconsin elections, according to a criminal complaint. Prosecutors charged Kimberly Zapata, who was fired earlier this week, with felony misconduct in office and three misdemeanor counts of election fraud. She could face up to five years behind bars if convicted of all four counts. Her attorney, Michael Maistelman, declined comment. The charges come just four days ahead of Election Day and as election officials are increasingly concerned about threats from within their own agencies. Officials in battleground states like Wisconsin are seeing record numbers of partisan poll worker nominations that could land skeptics on the front lines of polling places. Zapata took over as the Milwaukee Elections Commissions deputy director this past summer. She told investigators that commission workers have been dealing with threats, harassment and accusations that theyre lying and hiding things and she was feeling overwhelmed, the complaint said. On the morning of Oct. 25, she made up three names with fake Social Security numbers and requested military absentee ballots in those names through MyVote Wisconsin, the states voter database, the complaint said. Under Wisconsin law, someone requesting a military absentee ballot does not need to register to vote or provide any photo ID to obtain an absentee ballot. Any request automatically results in a ballot being issued, according to the complaint. Zapata told investigators she used her government access to MyVote Wisconsins voter registration records to find state Rep. Janel Brandtjens address and had the ballots sent to her home in Menomonee Falls, the complaint said. Multiple recounts and court rulings have confirmed that Biden legitimately defeated former President Donald Trump by almost 21,000 votes to win Wisconsin. The complaint said Claire Woodall-Vogg, the Milwaukee Election Commissions executive director, sent Zapata an article on Monday about someone applying for military ballots and sending them to Brandtjen. She sent Zapata a statement from Brandtjen in which Brandtjen remarked about how easy it was to receive military ballots, to which Zapata responded She has a point, according to the complaint. Zapata told Woodall-Vogg on Tuesday that she created the fake voters and had the ballots sent to the lawmaker to show how easy it is to commit fraud in this manner, the complaint said. Zapata did this because she wanted to make a point that there is fraud in existence, the complaint said. She stated she wanted the truth to come out so that they could focus on actual problems. In response to the incident, the conservative Thomas More Society filed a complaint on Friday asking the Waukesha County Circuit Court to order the state to sequester all military absentee or mail-in ballots before Tuesdays election. The purpose of this is to verify that those ballots are authentic and non fraudulent, the group said in a press release. Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe on Thursday called Zapatas alleged action a deeply unfortunate violation of trust but said election fraud remains extremely rare and is quickly discovered. The commission said it has safeguards to catch fraudulent absentee ballot requests. The elections commission staff monitors the statewide voter registration system for indications of unauthorized requests. The MyVote website also requires a person requesting a ballot to verify that they are the person asking for it, along with a warning about potential penalties for committing fraud. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Thursday that Zapata was fired immediately after city officials learned of her alleged misconduct. The case against Zapata mirrors one against a Racine man who requested and received absentee ballots in the names of legislators and local officials in July. That man, Harry Wait, also said he wanted to expose vulnerabilities in the states elections system. He faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted on two misdemeanor counts of election fraud and two felony counts of identity theft. State Journal reporter Olivia Herken contributed to this report. LaRouche Activists Call Out Neocon Mike Pompeo: Your Policies Have Led Us to Nuclear War Nov. 4, 2022 (EIRNS)Two LaRouche movement members, Kynan Thistlethwaite and Jose Vega, intervened on former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at an event for the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program at Yale University, sponsored by the Young Americas Foundation. In his speech Pompeo had remarked that an individual had described him as the worst Secretary of State in American history, which provoked Thistlethwaite to reply, Yeah, and youre right. You are the worst Secretary of State in history! Thistlethwaite had stated that the Pompeos policies implemented had brought the U.S. to the brink of thermonuclear war with Russia and China, including the Jan. 3, 2020 assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq. Russian President Vladimir Putin had referred to the assassination at the Valdai Discussion Club on Oct. 27, demonstrating the Anglosphere has no scruples about anything they do while proclaiming the moral authority of their rules-based order. After security took Thistlethwaite out, Vega stood up after and shouted at Pompeo that he should be in jail for his treatment of Australian journalist Julian Assange, and for the thousands of dead children in Syria and the Middle East which Pompeo caused through brutal interventions and sanctions. You are no different than Obama, Vega charged, You are no different than Bush. Youre the exact same apparatus. Their friend, Ben Smith, who recorded the intervention, spoke up next, calling Pompeo the swamp monster Donald Trump was trying to purge. Pompeo responded to the protesters that the murder of Soleimani and other genocidal interventions he supervised in Syria had saved countless lives. Reporters of Yale Daily News, reached out to Vega about the purpose of the intervention, despite his not being a Yale student. Vega replied that he views himself as a citizen foremost, with the responsibility to call out evil when he sees it. People like [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and Ilhan Omar are on the same side as Mike Pompeo on the NATO war in Ukraine, Vega said. Its up to the students of Yale to stand up right now and stop us from going into nuclear war. The video is available on Vegas Twitter account and has been retweeted by prominent figures, including Max Blumenthal, Sabrina Salvati, Stef Zamorano, MintPress News, The Peoples Party, and Dont Extradite Assange (DEA), the official U.K. campaign to stop the extradition of journalist Assange. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2022 A Nuclear War Cannot Be Won and Must Never Be Fought. Walking the World Back from the Brink Nov. 4, 2022 (EIRNS)On Saturday, Nov. 5, Executive Intelligence Review will host the press availability, A Nuclear War Cannot Be Won And Must Never Be Fought. Speakers will include Diane Sare, LaRouche independent candidate for U.S. Senate, New York; Ray McGovern, former Senior Analyst, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency; Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and head, international Schiller Institute; Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector, U.S.MC intelligence officer, and military analyst; Jacques Cheminade, president Solidarite et Progres party, France; Col. Richard H. Black (ret.), former head of the U.S. Armys Criminal Law Division at the Pentagon, former Virginia State Senator; and others. Zepp-LaRouche and Sare, from the vantage point of their multiple interchanges with international media and institutions over the past ten days, determined that the pace at which the world continues to careen toward thermonuclear war has not lessened. With the recent naming of the names of some of the British operatives alleged to have supervised the attacks on Russia, despite Britains denials, the world has become even more dangerous. It is a too-well-kept open secret that the Socratic method of discourseinducing, by means of an idea, a form of creative tension in the mind of the participants, intended to lift them, through the shock of thought, above the tragic swamp of particular, even justified, but lower-order causes, to wage battle on behalf of the cause of humanity as a wholeis incompatible with geopolitics. Because of global events this October, and this year, it has now become essential to ask: 60 years later, who is prepared to talk mankind back from the precipice of thermonuclear war? One thing is surethat who, does not include the geopoliticians. Potential developments now unfolding in China, in discussions with German industry and Germanys Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and in the ongoing interaction between Russia and NATO member Turkey on feeding the world, tell us that, in limited but important ways, it is recognized by those on the side of sanity that geopolitics, of any variety, has become incompatible with humanitys continued existence. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder of the international Schiller Institute, appeared on the China Plus World Today podcast today and was asked for her evaluation of the significance of the visit of Scholz to China. (Indeed, there is great tensionnot necessarily Socraticbeing expressed about the nature and potential outcome of that leader-to-leader discussion, and its deeper strategic implications.) She discussed that one does not have to see China as a systemic rival. Some 150 countries do not see it that way, but rather see China as a partner to overcome colonialism, and if the German media would report about the actual tremendous progress that has occurred in China, people would have a completely different view of the country. There is definitely room for improvement in Chinas relations with Germany, and with Europe. President Xi Jinping has offered cooperation to the United States many times; he has talked about how important it would be for the worlds two greatest economic powers to have good relations. If they did, this would solve many problems. A spontaneous, perhaps unwanted episode of Socratic dialogue unfolded at Yale University, Nov. 3, when neo-con fundamentalist and former CIA Director Mike Last Days Pompeo plumply pontificated to his adoring 400-person Yale audience that others, commenting unfavorably about The Great Ones stint as Secretary of State, had bitterly complained about him. They say that Im the worst secretary of state in history. He was then interrupted by an unexpected and approving Yes! You are right! You are the worst secretary of state in history! The reason is, because of the policies you implemented, we are on the brink of nuclear war with Russia and China. The unscheduled speaker was associated with Lyndon LaRouche and the new LaRouche Youth Movement. Howls began to arise from the audience members, some of them Halloween leftovers eager to get to the after-party at the Skull and Bones Club. Importantly, Pompeo was also denounced for his and the United States policy of publicly-acknowledged assassinations policy. When asked why he killed Irans Qassem Soleimani, which itself could have, if indirectly, provoked World War III at that moment, Pompeos response was, We saved countless lives, my friend, echoing the we had to destroy the village in order to save it Operation Phoenix/Vietnam War school of military strategy. And these are the people, like former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who may well have known of the British covert actions against Russia now being revealed, that are prepared to use the Big One, if necessary in a pre-emptive first strike? Not if we can help it. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. Martin Luther Kings words about Socratic tension, from his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail, echo the policy of a new strategic and development architecture put forward by the Schiller Institute, to draw down the final curtain on geopolitics, before geopolitics draws down a thermonuclear curtain over civilization as a whole. We present the short story "A Retrieved Reformation," by O. Henry. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State. In the prison shoe-shop, Jimmy Valentine was busily at work making shoes. A prison officer came into the shop, and led Jimmy to the prison office. There Jimmy was given an important paper. It said that he was free. Jimmy took the paper without showing much pleasure or interest. He had been sent to prison to stay for four years. He had been there for ten months. But he had expected to stay only three months. Jimmy Valentine had many friends outside the prison. A man with so many friends does not expect to stay in prison long. Valentine, said the chief prison officer, youll go out tomorrow morning. This is your chance. Make a man of yourself. Youre not a bad fellow at heart. Stop breaking safes open, and live a better life. Me? said Jimmy in surprise. I never broke open a safe in my life. Oh, no, the chief prison officer laughed. Never. Lets see. How did you happen to get sent to prison for opening that safe in Springfield? Was it because you didnt want to tell where you really were? Perhaps because you were with some lady, and you didnt want to tell her name? Or was it because the judge didnt like you? You men always have a reason like that. You never go to prison because you broke open a safe. Me? Jimmy said. His face still showed surprise. I was never in Springfield in my life. Take him away, said the chief prison officer. Get him the clothes he needs for going outside. Bring him here again at seven in the morning. And think about what I said, Valentine. At a quarter past seven on the next morning, Jimmy stood again in the office. He had on some new clothes that did not fit him, and a pair of new shoes that hurt his feet. These are the usual clothes given to a prisoner when he leaves the prison. Next they gave him money to pay for his trip on a train to the city near the prison. They gave him five dollars more. The five dollars were supposed to help him become a better man. Then the chief prison officer put out his hand for a handshake. That was the end of Valentine, Prisoner 9762. Mr. James Valentine walked out into the sunshine. He did not listen to the song of the birds or look at the green trees or smell the flowers. He went straight to a restaurant. There he tasted the first sweet joys of being free. He had a good dinner. After that he went to the train station. He gave some money to a blind man who sat there, asking for money, and then he got on the train. Three hours later he got off the train in a small town. Here he went to the restaurant of Mike Dolan. Mike Dolan was alone there. After shaking hands he said, Im sorry we couldnt do it sooner, Jimmy my boy. But there was that safe in Springfield, too. It wasnt easy. Feeling all right? Fine, said Jimmy. Is my room waiting for me? He went up and opened the door of a room at the back of the house. Everything was as he had left it. It was here they had found Jimmy, when they took him to prison. There on the floor was a small piece of cloth. It had been torn from the coat of the cop, as Jimmy was fighting to escape. There was a bed against the wall. Jimmy pulled the bed toward the middle of the room. The wall behind it looked like any wall, but now Jimmy found and opened a small door in it. From this opening he pulled out a dust-covered bag. He opened this and looked lovingly at the tools for breaking open a safe. No finer tools could be found any place. They were complete; everything needed was here. They had been made of a special material, in the necessary sizes and shapes. Jimmy had planned them himself, and he was very proud of them. It had cost him over nine hundred dollars to have these tools made at a place where they make such things for men who work at the job of safe-breaking. In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and through the restaurant. He was now dressed in good clothes that fitted him well. He carried his dusted and cleaned bag. Do you have everything planned? asked Mike Dolan. Me? asked Jimmy as if surprised. I dont understand. I work for the New York Famous Bread and Cake Makers Company. And I sell the best bread and cake in the country. Mike enjoyed these words so much that Jimmy had to take a drink with him. Jimmy had some milk. He never drank anything stronger. A week after Valentine, 9762, left the prison, a safe was broken open in Richmond, Indiana. No one knew who did it. Eight hundred dollars were taken. Two weeks after that, a safe in Logansport was opened. It was a new kind of safe; it had been made, they said, so strong that no one could break it open. But someone did, and took fifteen hundred dollars. Then a safe in Jefferson City was opened. Five thousand dollars were taken. This loss was a big one. Ben Price was a cop who worked on such important matters, and now he began to work on this. He went to Richmond, Indiana, and to Logansport, to see how the safe-breaking had been done in those places. He was heard to say: I can see that Jim Valentine has been here. He is in business again. Look at the way he opened this one. Everything easy, everything clean. He is the only man who has the tools to do it. And he is the only man who knows how to use tools like this. Yes, I want Mr. Valentine. Next time he goes to prison, hes going to stay there until his time is finished. Ben Price knew how Jimmy worked. Jimmy would go from one city to another far away. He always worked alone. He always left quickly when he was finished. He enjoyed being with nice people. For all these reasons, it was not easy to catch Mr. Valentine. People with safes full of money were glad to hear that Ben Price was at work trying to catch Mr. Valentine. One afternoon Jimmy Valentine and his bag arrived in a small town named Elmore. Jimmy, looking as young as a college boy, walked down the street toward the hotel. A young lady walked across the street, passed him at the corner, and entered a door. Over the door was the sign, The Elmore Bank. Jimmy Valentine looked into her eyes, forgetting at once what he was. He became another man. She looked away, and brighter color came into her face. Young men like Jimmy did not appear often in Elmore. Jimmy saw a boy near the bank door, and began to ask questions about the town. After a time the young lady came out and went on her way. She seemed not to see Jimmy as she passed him Isnt that young lady Polly Simpson? asked Jimmy. No, said the boy. Shes Annabel Adams. Her father owns this bank. Jimmy went to the hotel, where he said his name was Ralph D. Spencer. He got a room there. He told the hotel man he had come to Elmore to go into business. How was the shoe business? Was there already a good shoe-shop? The man thought that Jimmys clothes and manners were fine. He was happy to talk to him. Yes, Elmore needed a good shoe-shop. There was no shop that sold just shoes. Shoes were sold in the big shops that sold everything. All business in Elmore was good. He hoped Mr. Spencer would decide to stay in Elmore. It was a pleasant town to live in and the people were friendly. Mr. Spencer said he would stay in the town a few days and learn something about it. No, he said, he himself would carry his bag up to his room. He didnt want a boy to take it. It was very heavy. Mr. Ralph Spencer remained in Elmore. He started a shoe-shop. Business was good. Also he made many friends. And he was successful with the wish of his heart. He met Annabel Adams. He liked her better every day. At the end of a year everyone in Elmore liked Mr. Ralph Spencer. His shoe-shop was doing very good business. And he and Annabel were going to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, the small-town banker, liked Spencer. Annabel was very proud of him. He seemed already to belong to the Adams family. One day Jimmy sat down in his room to write this letter, which he sent to one of his old friends: Dear Old Friend: I want you to meet me at Sullivans place next week, on the evening of the 10th. I want to give you my tools. I know youll be glad to have them. You couldnt buy them for a thousand dollars. I finished with the old businessa year ago. I have a nice shop. Im living a better life, and Im going to marry the best girl on earth two weeks from now. Its the only lifeI wouldnt ever again touch another mans money. After I marry, Im going to go further west, where Ill never see anyone who knew me in my old life. I tell you, shes a wonderful girl. She trusts me. Your old friend, Jimmy. On the Monday night after Jimmy sent this letter, Ben Price arrived quietly in Elmore. He moved slowly about the town in his quiet way, and he learned all that he wanted to know. Standing inside a shop, he watched Ralph D. Spencer walk by. Youre going to marry the bankers daughter, are you, Jimmy? said Ben to himself. I dont feel sure about that! The next morning Jimmy was at the Adams home. He was going to a nearby city that day to buy new clothes for the wedding. He was also going to buy a gift for Annabel. It would be his first trip out of Elmore. It was more than a year now since he had done any safe-breaking. Most of the Adams family went to the bank together that morning. There were Mr. Adams, Annabel, Jimmy, and Annabels married sister with her two little girls, aged five and nine. They passed Jimmys hotel, and Jimmy ran up to his room and brought along his bag. Then they went to the bank. All went insideJimmy, too, for he was one of the family. Everyone in the bank was glad to see the good-looking, nice young man who was going to marry Annabel. Jimmy put down his bag. Annabel, laughing, put Jimmys hat on her head and picked up the bag. How do I look? she asked. Ralph, how heavy this bag is! It feels full of gold. Its full of some things I dont need in my shop, Jimmy said. Im taking them to the city, to the place where they came from. That saves me the cost of sending them. Im going to be a married man. I must learn to save money. The Elmore bank had a new safe. Mr. Adams was very proud of it, and he wanted everyone to see it. It was as large as a small room, and it had a very special door. The door was controlled by a clock. Using the clock, the banker planned the time when the door should open. At other times no one, not even the banker himself, could open it. He explained about it to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer seemed interested but he did not seem to understand very easily. The two children, May and Agatha, enjoyed seeing the shining heavy door, with all its special parts. While they were busy like this, Ben Price entered the bank and looked around. He told a young man who worked there that he had not come on business; he was waiting for a man. Suddenly there was a cry from the women. They had not been watching the children. May, the nine-year-old girl, had playfully but firmly closed the door of the safe. And Agatha was inside. The old banker tried to open the door. He pulled at it for a moment. The door cant be opened, he cried. And the clockI hadnt started it yet. Agathas mother cried out again. Quiet! said Mr. Adams, raising a shaking hand. All be quiet for a moment. Agatha! he called as loudly as he could. Listen to me. They could hear, but not clearly, the sound of the childs voice. In the darkness inside the safe, she was wild with fear. My baby! her mother cried. She will die of fear! Open the door! Break it open! Cant you men do something? There isnt a man nearer than the city who can open that door, said Mr. Adams, in a shaking voice. My God! Spencer, what shall we do? That childshe cant live long in there. There isnt enough air. And the fear will kill her. Agathas mother, wild too now, beat on the door with her hands. Annabel turned to Jimmy, her large eyes full of pain, but with some hope, too. A woman thinks that the man she loves can somehow do anything. Cant you do something, Ralph? Try, wont you? He looked at her with a strange soft smile on his lips and in his eyes. Annabel, he said, give me that flower you are wearing, will you? She could not believe that she had really heard him. But she put the flower in his hand. Jimmy took it and put it where he could not lose it. Then he pulled off his coat. With that act, Ralph D. Spencer passed away and Jimmy Valentine took his place. Stand away from the door, all of you, he commanded. He put his bag on the table, and opened it flat. From that time on, he seemed not to know that anyone else was near. Quickly he laid the shining strange tools on the table. The others watched as if they had lost the power to move. In a minute Jimmy was at work on the door. In ten minutes faster than he had ever done it beforehe had the door open. Agatha was taken into her mothers arms. Jimmy Valentine put on his coat, picked up the flower and walked toward the front door. As he went he thought he heard a voice call, Ralph! He did not stop. At the door a big man stood in his way. Hello, Ben! said Jimmy, still with his strange smile. Youre here at last, are you? Lets go. I dont care, now. And then Ben Price acted rather strangely. I guess youre wrong about this, Mr. Spencer, he said. I dont believe I know you, do I? And Ben Price turned and walked slowly down the street. Download activities to help you understand this story here. Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. Are you a bad person just because you break the law? Can a bad person become a good person? Let us know in the comments section. Quiz Quiz: A Retrieved Reformation Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz Activities This document has a variety of activities to help students understand the story. Among the strategies taught is Prediction. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story shop n. a building or room where goods and services are sold or worked on safe(s) n. a strong metal box with a lock that is used to store money or valuable things coat n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry cop n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests lovingly adv. done in a way that shows love proud adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own or someone you know or are related to cake n. a sweet baked food made from a mixture of flour, sugar, and other ingredients corner n. the place where two streets or roads meet ________________________________________________________________ The famous American expert on manners, Emily Post, died in 1960. But two of Posts family members have updated her book of advice for the 21st century on the 100th anniversary of the first edition. Etiquette is a word describing the rules for acceptable behavior among members of a society. But different societies and cultures have different rules. I think mostly that its really easy to paint etiquette and manners as tools for elitism, tools for secrecy, tools for exclusion," said Lizzie Post. She is Emilys great-great-granddaughter and co-writer of the latest Emily Posts Etiquette. "But when were using etiquette and manners as a tool for self-reflection and awareness of others, I think were really going to have a chance to make the world a nicer place," she said. Post published her first version of the etiquette book under a different name in 1922. The book has been changed over the years, but the 20th edition, which was released in October, is its biggest update. The new book still has advice for setting dinner tables and dressing up for different events. There is also advice on how to give gifts and how to give extra money to food servers. But Post, and her cousin and co-writer, Daniel Post Senning, are interested in modern issues. They have included ideas from people who called in to their Awesome Etiquette podcast program. Some of the issues have been made timely by the COVID-19 pandemic and the #MeToo movement, which reacted against sexual abuse. The book covers issues like handshakes, and seeking permission to hug or kiss on the cheek actions that once were common. There is also advice on how to handle failed marriages and separations. Avoid trying to push or suggest the right decision for a friend, the Posts write in the new book. It's especially important to be careful what you say around children whose parents are separated or divorcing. The book also deals with subjects that were not described in Emily Posts time, like mourning a miscarriage. You do not want to say things like Next time it'll happen,'" or `This just wasn't your time,'" the book advises. Emily Post grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and New York City. But through her travels, Emily learned more about the lives of those outside her social status. The younger Posts also deal with the subject of privilege. In the book they write: Privilege can be and sound like many different things, butit mostly comes across as a lack of awareness that you have benefited in a way others may not have." Modern-day manners on gender pronouns, like he and she, are also discussed in the new book. Using the pronoun a person wants to be called is a way to show to support and respect, the book says. You might think someone's pronouns are easy enough to tell just by looking at them, but the reality is this isn't always the case, the Posts wrote. In her books, Emily Post grew more inclusive over the years, said the Lizzie, her great-great granddaughter. Emily Posts etiquette became based more on education than wealth, she said. For that, Lizzie Post said, I'm happy. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story manners n. a right or good outcome that is given to some people but not to others elitism n. giving special treatment to people because they are rich or powerful exclusion n. to prevent someone from doing something or being party of a group reflect v. to think about it a deep way miscarriage n. a condition where a mother loses her unborn baby because of a problem with the pregnancy privilege n. something that some people have that others do not benefit v. to receive a good result gender n. related to male or female sex Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between still and yet. Question: Dear teacher, I am delighted to write you this email. I am hoping that I will get some good explanations about using similar words such as still and yet. Looking forward to reading the answer! Thank you, Arios from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Answer Dear Arios, Thank you for writing to us. We still have not covered this subject. Still and yet have very different meanings and uses, yet in some situations, they can be used in the same way. Let us begin by looking at still. Still Although still can be an adjective, noun or verb, we often use it as an adverb. As an adverb, still describes an action that began in the past and continues into the present. We often use it before the base verb. For example, She still talks with her college friends years later. I have been eating all day, but Im still hungry! Using still in negative statements means that the action should change, but it has not. I still haven't finished cleaning. There is just too much to do. Let's move on to yet. Yet Yet can be either an adverb or a conjunction, which links two clauses together. As an adverb yet refers to an action that has not happened but is expected. Someone might be waiting for it to happen. We often use it with negative statements. As a conjunction yet means but at the same time. Let us look at a few examples: You want to get the project done, yet you also want to be fair with everyone involved. They aimed to honor the establishment of the policy, yet it had many shortcomings that left members unsure. Both of these sentences contain two clauses involving action that is taking place at the same time. Other uses as a conjunction can show difference: The sun is out, yet it is very cold. Yet is used to create a contrast and combine the clauses into one sentence. Yet can also be used as an adverb: I have yet to receive my package. In this case, the person is waiting for their package to arrive. Have you made dinner yet, Faith? No, I havent. Ive been too busy working. Yet is often used at the end of the statement or question. Yet and still Both yet and still can be used in the same way when talking about situations in the past using negative statements that continue into the present. He still has not returned my phone call. He has not returned my phone call yet. Note that still goes before the verb and yet is at the end of the sentence. Some native speakers notice a slightly different tone when saying these words aloud. If still is used, this could be a sign of being upset or impatient with the situation, especially if still is emphasized while speaking. As in: He still has not returned my phone call. Please let us know if these explanations have helped you, Arios! What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com And thats Ask a Teacher. Im Faith Pirlo. And I'm Jill Robbins. Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. ________________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story negative n. a word or statement that means no or that expresses a denial or refusal clause n. grammar: a part of a sentence that has its own subject and verb contrast n. a difference between things or the act of comparing two things to show their differences tone n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing impatient adj. not willing to wait for something or someone; not patient emphasize v. to place special attention to something or add urgency to something said ________________________________________________________________________ Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Oregon is home to hundreds of mushroom species and is one of the most diverse places in the world for fungus. In the Mid-Willamette Valley, there is no shortage of mushroom enthusiasts. A photo provided by Joseph Johnson showing water bubbling beneath the paint in his Shadow Creek apartment before he moved out. Former tenants are speaking out about what they say are poor living conditions at Shadow Creek Apartments on Daniel McCall Drive. Residents of Shadow Creek Apartments are speaking out about what they say are poor living conditions and bad management by the business. Tenants told The Lufkin Daily News about electrical shortages, plumbing messes, a failing privacy fence, broken security gates, poor pest control, missing appliances, poor security lighting, air conditioning problems and other issues, all of which they complained about to management but were not addressed or repaired by the complexs management. 0:09 Leak inside apartment This video shows a leak inside a Shadow Creek apartment. Residents who spoke to The Lufkin Daily News said they have left the property because their complaints went unheard or unresolved for at least the last year and said the complex has filed with collection agencies against them. The Lufkin Daily News made multiple attempts by phone and email to reach the company for comment about the residents complaints, receiving automated messages in all instances. Representatives of the newspaper also visited the complex and were asked to leave the premises. I cannot help yall, the woman at the front desk of the complexs administration building said to the reporter. I have been told by legal not to help yall. Yall are going to have to leave the property. They told me that if you show up, to tell you that I cannot help you and you have to leave the property. Shadow Creek on its Facebook page describes itself as among the finest in the city and currently the only property with limited-entry access gates. The complex offers floor plans ranging from one to three bedrooms with prices ranging from $855 to $1,435 per month, according to the complexs website. The apartments are advertised to feature a fully equipped kitchen, plush carpeting and stylish two-tone paint. The complex advertises an outdoor barbecue and picnic pavilion, state-of-the-art fitness center, pool and a car care center. The residents Joseph and Amanda Johnson and her children moved into a three-bedroom apartment at Shadow Creek. We were very impressed, Amanda said. Its a gated community, it has the pool, it has all these other things. It was beautiful. The Johnsons were shown a model version of the apartment they were to move into and signed a lease before moving in with three children in March 2021. The couple paid between $1,300 and $1,500 each month in rent for a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. The couple had planned to stay only a short time while building their home and said the manager at the time advised them to choose a year-long lease. Safety concerns and constant flooding led the family to break the lease after 10 months. The couple said collection agencies have been calling regularly for several months as the apartment complex seeks more than $7,000 from them. Tasha Barker is a working professional in Diboll whose home base is near Austin, where her family lives. She moved to Shadow Creek after living at another Lufkin complex. Barker said she was happy to leave Shadow Creek on Oct. 15 with a month remaining on her lease. Leslie Bowman lived at Shadow Creek II for almost two years. Bowman paid a little over $1,000 a month in rent. The complex is seeking more than $8,000 from Bowman for terminating her lease early. Barker and Bowman, both single women living in one-bedroom apartments at the complex, were excited about Shadow Creek being a gated community because it made them feel more safe. I chose to live there because when I was looking for a place, that was the nicest one around in my opinion, Bowman said. Bowman loved the complex and had a great relationship with the manager when she moved in. However, the manager was promoted and moved to Nacogdoches. After she left, literally everything went to (expletive), Bowman said. Not to be rude about it, but it did. Going downhill Troubles at the apartment began almost immediately for Barker and the Johnsons, they said. It was night and day, Joseph said. Nothing was what they said or made it out to be. Inside the Johnsons apartment, certain outlets did not work, the family struggled with roaches, the air conditioner accumulator was disconnected from the unit and leaked frequently and the apartment suffered from leaks from other sources, Amanda said. The family had to set up buckets and trash cans to collect the water leaking into the apartment, Joseph said. In pictures and videos, the Johnsons show signs of leakage into the paint, causing bubbles to form below the elastic surface. Pictures of the hallways feature large wet puddles and multiple towels soaked through. The couple said maintenance told them it would dry Its Texas, staff reportedly said. In response to Josephs online review, the company said he left the community owing rent and that if he needed any assistance, he should contact the leasing office. We broke our lease because of crappy living conditions the AC not working, the apartment above us flooded us twice and they said, Dont worry about it. Its Texas. It will dry, Joseph said. We had complained about all these things, but every time we would get dismissed, Amanda said. The complex has been given 2.2 stars in Google reviews with 22 different posts. Many of them list problems with electrical shortages, plumbing messes, a failing privacy fence, broken security gates, poor pest control and more. Barker said she was immediately upset the apartment did not mirror the model she was shown whatsoever. Despite advertising a fully equipped kitchen, a microwave was not provided, and other appliances, such as her refrigerator and toilet, also had problems. Bowman had grown accustomed to receiving help from the management office, which is why it was shocking when she could not receive help when her air conditioning went out, the dishwasher flooded and a cleaning lady she hired found mold in the living room. Pest control and air filters were rarely maintained in the last year or so she lived there. Barker had the same issue with her air conditioner accumulator as the Johnsons, a problem for which she repeatedly notified the office. Then one day her air conditioner stopped working altogether, she said. This happened in the heat of summer, and the complex replaced it with a window unit, she said. My apartment was usually about 80 degrees because (the window unit) was not built to cool that size of an area, she said. The window unit also made her nervous because, despite living on the second floor, she said it would not have been difficult for someone to crawl in through her now open bedroom window. The lights near Bowmans breezeway stopped working, and she was told by the front office the light bulbs had to be special ordered, she said. So she reached out to the former manager, who said that was a lie, Bowman said. Amanda said Joseph bought lights to put outside in the breezeway so nobody would fall down the stairs in the darkness. Barker said she went round after round with the manager working there when she moved in but had met three different property managers by the time she left. She threatened to end her lease multiple times, citing Texas renters rights, due to safety concerns about the lack of lighting on her breezeway. Those lights were fixed by the complex shortly afterward, she said. Barker and Bowman both said they hated how the gates were always broken, saying it made them feel unsafe. Bowman had chosen a more expensive apartment because she knew one for $600 a month would not be as safe as she would like, she said. Security for a single woman is as important to me as Im sure it is for other people, Bowman said. Moving out When Bowman decided to move out, she reached out to the front office. She said she was told she needed to give them 30 days advance notice to break her lease, so she did. Nobody ever said anything to me that I had to pay $1,500 up front, two to three days after giving notice, she said. Theyre coming after me for $8,000. She said she is paying about $40 more to live at a different complex in Lufkin and she knows the gates work. Any time they do not, the complex communicates with residents and is transparent, she said. Barker said she asked repeatedly to be let out of her lease. After a call to the regional manager, the office told her no. Barker found a new place with one month left on her lease. I have the funds that I can move somewhere else, she said. There are people there that are on government assistance who dont have that luxury. I feel like theyve been taken advantage of and shouldnt have to live in the conditions theyre living in. When the Johnsons decided to move, they said they told management which was new at the time what they intended to do and cited the issues with the apartment. They said they gave notice and followed the complexs requirements. We started getting collection calls, Amanda said. They kept our deposit. It was almost $3,000 that I paid for our deposit. They kept that, and in addition to that, they want $7,644 in damages. At first, they received no explanation about the bill. But Amanda said she was eventually able to ask where the company arrived at the figure for damages. She said the company was charging a subletting fee, rent for the remainder of the couples lease and a fee for a stain on the carpet. Even if there was a stain, how do you still manage to get thousands of dollars from one stain? she asked. Finding a solution Bowman wants the collections agency to stop calling, for her credit to be fixed and to be rid of the complex. Ideally, Amanda would have preferred to see the deposit come back and be done with the complex, she said. The issue has lingered for months, and she wants to see the report taken off her credit score. Joseph said he is considering legal action against the business. They messed our credit up, he said. The couple said they reported the complex to the Texas Attorney Generals Office and the Better Business Bureau. Barker said she filed a complaint with the attorney generals office and was told she should cite the Renters Bill of Rights. Thats a joke, she said. Theres no teeth in this. The apartments know this there is no enforcement. Braisin Hussies came out on top of the citys annual food cart review process this year, beating out 31 other carts. The cart, which chef/owner Michael Sollinger describes as a modernist diner with comfort foods from around the world, also won in 2019, the last time the review was conducted. Its always a nice feeling, Sollinger said Friday, minutes after the results were announced. I try to keep this review thing in perspective. The first idea is to get a good spot for my business in both the Farmers Market on Saturdays and my regular spot on the Square. The highest-rated carts are given priority in choosing a location on Capitol Square or State Street Mall. This years review ran Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, with 37 carts applying and 32 completing the review process. There were 25 community volunteer reviewers. Rounding out the top 20, in order, were: Taquitos Marimar, Surco Peruvian cart 1, Surco Peruvian cart 2, El Burrito Loco, Fresh Cool Drinks, Teriyaki Samurai, Curts Gourmet Popcorn, Curd Girl, Bulgogi Korean Taco, Common Pasta, Ernies Kettle Korn, Pagoda Smoothie, Caracas Arepas, Toast, Petes Pops, Hibachi Hut, Caracas Empanadas, Cultura Cali and Natural Juice. Madison street vending coordinator Meghan Blake-Horst said there were no reviews in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were fewer applicants this year than in 2019, Blake-Horst said, with only three new carts participating in this years review. Some carts with owners who also have restaurants didnt participate in the review this year to focus on their brick-and-mortar establishments, she said. For other cart owners, staffing shortages and supply chain issues were reasons they didnt apply for this season or had to pull out of the review, Blake-Horst said. In 2019, 51 carts applied with 43 completing the review process, she said. Last year, Blake-Horst said, the city allowed only eight carts to have sites on State Street Mall under an emergency order. Seven of them went through this years review and one closed. New this year is the city allowing full-size food trucks and larger food trailers citywide, although carts larger than 56 square feet arent eligible to vend on State Street Mall, she said. Braisin Hussies Sollinger, 54, said he puts a lot of effort into his food and buys top ingredients. For instance, hes been using local Fox Heritage Farms chicken, pork belly and bacon since he opened in 2016. They bring me quality product that Im very proud of. And so they have earned my devotion, he said. When he puts braised pork on top of rice and black beans, Sollinger said, he doesnt have to worry about whether its a good dish or not. When I get busy, the product quality is baked into the cake and I can just concentrate on serving the food with a smile and hopefully at some type of speed and not worry about, Oh, is this pork a little dry? Has it been sitting in the steam table too long? And that kind of peace of mind for me is worth a little extra expense, he said. Buying high-quality ingredients makes him proud of the food hes selling. Hopefully thats been coming across. Not to just the judges. The judges are important, but to my clientele, Sollinger said. His cart can be found on Main Street near King Street on the Square, in front of Walgreens, a spot he got in the beginning of 2019. On Saturdays during the Dane County Farmers Market, his cart is at the top of State Street. In 2018, he began serving a vegetable menu along with a meat menu, and that changed the demographic of his customer base, Sollinger said. He said he still sells more meat items than vegetable items, but he gets a lot of feedback on his vegetable menu. I have a pretty solid regular client base, he said. I would have a hard time taking one menu item off and replacing it with something else because I have people who like the chicken dish or people who really like the pork dish. People would throw metaphoric snowballs at me if the pork belly didnt show up. Sollinger said he has some regulars who experiment with his entire menu, and others who always order the same dish. Once in a while, somebody will come up and not know what to make of his menu of slow-cooked grain, rice and noodle bowls, because its not the most straightforward concept, he said. Sollinger grew up in Champaign, Illinois, but has lived abroad for most of his adult life. He opened several restaurants in Warsaw, Poland. He said he told his mom he wanted to be a chef when he was 10 or 11, and went to culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Thats all I wanted to do. Ive been working in the restaurant business since. When he began considering a mobile food business, Madison was one of a handful of cities where he thought hed like to live. His sister moved to Madison in 2010 and his brother-in-law is from Wisconsin, he said. I love Madison, especially in the spring and summertime, Sollinger said. And then you realize that this is a city that cares about its mobile food businesses. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) The call went out from leaders in the medical marijuana industry: Money was needed for a Missouri ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. Their colleagues responded. Marijuana farms, manufacturers and retailers provided millions of dollars that footed a petition drive to put the proposal on the November ballot and promote it to voters. The deep-pocketed outpouring highlighted the depth of the emerging industry's roots in the traditionally conservative state, as well as its tremendous potential for growth. All told, marijuana legalization campaigns have raised about $23 million in five states Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. The vast majority of that has been in Arkansas and Missouri, where more than 85% of contributions have come from donors associated with companies holding medical marijuana licenses, according to an Associated Press analysis of the most recent campaign finance reports. The biggest donor is Good Day Farm, which describes itself as the largest licensed medical cannabis producer in the South with facilities in Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana. It gave a combined $3.5 million to legalization campaigns in Arkansas and Missouri. And when the Missouri campaign needed help gathering petition signatures, Good Day Farm paid an additional $1 million directly to the firm circulating the petitions. Its kind of the cost of doing business, I guess," said Alex Gray, chief strategy officer at Good Day Farm. "This is something that is a positive for the industry, but its also a positive for the state. Licensed medical marijuana businesses affiliated with Greenlight have given a total of about $1 million to legalization campaigns in Arkansas, Missouri and South Dakota, according to the APs analysis. If the ballot measures pass, Greenlight CEO John Mueller said he expects to easily double a workforce of about 370 people at Greenlight-affiliated cultivation farms and dispensaries in Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota and West Virginia. Obviously, your consumer base goes up when you go to adult use, said Mueller, a self-described activist who encouraged industry colleagues to contribute to the legalization campaigns. Provisions in the proposed constitutional amendments in Arkansas and Missouri would give established medical marijuana licensees a leg up in the new recreational marketplace. But Mueller said the measures dont merely enrich the industry. Its more jobs, more tax revenue get it off the black market, he said. Marijuana legalization efforts elsewhere have not eliminated illegal dealers. California voters approved recreational marijuana use in 2016 following a $36 million campaign for it, and the first retail stores opened in 2018. Yet a vast illegal market remains more than double the legal sales, by some estimates. Medical marijuana was authorized voters in 2016 in Arkansas and North Dakota, in 2018 in Missouri and in 2020 in South Dakota. Like elsewhere, it took a while to get the programs up and running. But in less than two years since Missouris stores opened, medical marijuana dispensaries have reported about $500 million in sales. The Arkansas campaign to legalize recreational marijuana for adults has raised over $13 million, including more than $8 million in October alone, while the Missouri effort has raised more than $7 million. Campaigns in other states have raised less than $1 million each. Maryland's initiative has been particularly low-profile, raising a little over $300,000 amid presumed broad public support. In Arkansas and Missouri, resistance has come from an unusual alliance of public safety groups, social conservatives opposed to legalization and some marijuana advocates who believe the ballot initiatives are still too restrictive. The Arkansas opposition is the best funded among the states. Uline CEO Richard Uihlein and Mountaire Corp. CEO Ronald Cameron each contributed $1 million to the Safe and Secure Communities campaign committee. Its ads have asserted that legalizing marijuana for adults will cause a spike in traffic fatalities and illegal use by youths, among other things. Other critics contend the Arkansas measure is structured to benefit only a limited number of dispensaries, noting it lacks provisions allowing adults to grow marijuana at home or expunging past convictions. This amendment is not a start, said Melissa Fults, executive director of Arkansans for Cannabis Reform. It is a brick wall. Missouri's legalization measure which does expunge many past marijuana arrests and convictions has drawn opposition from Pro-Choice Missouri. The abortion rights group said it backs cannabis legalization and expungement as an issue of reproductive justice but believes the measure doesn't do enough to address the historic harms from the racist criminalization of cannabis. A total of 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana for adults since voters in Colorado and Washington state first approved ballot measures in 2012. Those early efforts were heavily funded by wealthy individuals, such as former Progressive Insurance CEO Peter Lewis. Tech billionaire Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, ranked among the top donors to California's legalization campaign. But philanthropic funding for legalization campaigns has fallen as the marijuana industry has risen. The philanthropists who really got this movement off the ground are either are "ready to move on to other issues or they dont think its their place to support this movement, given that the industry is now mature and many of these businesses are making a lot of money, said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. Schweich moved to South Dakota to run this year's legalization campaign. The Marijuana Policy Project also is providing staff support for the North Dakota campaign. But it isn't as deeply involved Arkansas and Missouri, where there are greater industry resources. New Approach, another D.C.-based drug policy group, has directed more money to psychedelic mushrooms than to marijuana this year. It's poured $4.2 million into a campaign to make Colorado the second state, after Oregon, to allow adults 21 and older to use hallucinogenic chemicals found in some mushrooms. Meanwhile, New Approach has contributed a total of around $700,000 to marijuana legalization campaigns in Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. As the medical marijuana industry has grown, the organization has refined its targets. Our focus in recent years has been on initiatives in traditionally red states, in part because that is what we see as the most effective way to continue to move toward broader acceptance of cannabis policy reform, said New Approach Chief of Staff Taylor West. Learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections. And follow the APs election coverage of the 2022 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. Associated Press writer Andrew DeMillo contributed from Little Rock, Ark. Harjai, who reported from Los Angeles, 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. Two men have been charged with homicide in the carbon-monoxide poisoning death of their mother/grandmother at her Dodgeville home. Aric L. Way, 51, of Glendale, and Philip G. Schmidt-Way, 28, of Loveland, Colorado, have been charged in Iowa County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide as party to a crime in the murder of their mother/grandmother in Dodgeville on July 19, 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation said. The woman, who was not named, was found dead in her Dodgeville home on July 19, 2021, and an autopsy determined that carbon monoxide poisoning was a contributing factor to the cause of death, the DOJ said. According to the criminal complaint, the woman had recently agreed to sell the family farm, which Schmidt-Way was set to inherit upon her death. The complaint states that there were no obvious sources to explain elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the home, Way purchased products known to react together to create carbon monoxide, and Schmidt-Ways vehicle was seen on camera at the womans home on the night of her death, the DOJ said. The case was the result of an investigation by the Iowa County Sheriffs Office and DCI with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Dodgeville EMS, Dodgeville Fire, Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Larimer County Sheriffs OfficeColorado, UW Hospital, Glendale Police Department, Eastern District of Wisconsin U.S. Marshals Service, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. These charges are the result of a collaborative effort among several agencies working to get justice in this case, Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. Thank you to the many people involved in this investigation and prosecution. This was a challenging case to work and took a really concentrated effort from all of the agencies involved to move it forward, Iowa County Sheriff Steve Michek said in a statement. My sincerest thanks to everyone who has worked on this case. Most students at West High School wont be able to vote in Tuesdays midterm elections. But theyre already engaged citizens. Funded by a $1,000 grant from the Madison Civics Club, a new student group named Sifting and Winnowing invited several local political leaders to participate in a discussion with the student body Friday. Hundreds of students gathered to hear leaders such as Madison School Board member Nicki Vander Meulen and state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, talk about youth civic engagement, school lunches, amplifying diverse voices and more. Sifting and Winnowing has also been working with the League of Women Voters to help new voters register and advise students who want to work the polls on Tuesday. The club plans to hold another civics program in the spring. Those that are turning 18, you must get out and vote, Stubbs said during the panel. Because if you dont vote, you dont have a say. Most of the members of the new club were inspired by a freshman class they took with social studies teacher Carolyn Bohman last year. They decided to launch the club this year to increase interest in local politics, with Bohman as their faculty adviser. She helped them apply for the grant. She was a phenomenal teacher. She taught me so much just about life and about civics, said Luke Olson, a West High sophomore and club member that helped moderate the panels. She taught me that an engaged voter is an actual voter who has a say. And if youre not engaged, you cant really be an active voter and an engaged voter. The Madison Civics Club has been awarding youth grants for more than a dozen years, funding youth-led service activities. On Friday, the speakers highlighted how valuable youth voices are. Engagement, the leaders said, should start in the classroom or community before it brings people to the voting booth. I expect change to happen, because now youre in the room, Stubbs said during the afternoon session. Stubbs joined former Ald. Arvina Martin, who is now executive director of Emerge Wisconsin, an organization that trains Democratic women to run for office. The panelists answered student-submitted questions throughout the day. The program wasnt about promoting engagement in general, though, but about being engaged in local issues specifically. Local leaders such as City Council members, School Board members and state representatives, Olson said, make the most decisions that impact my life. He said that students should read local news and engage with local issues more. I dont think very many people would walk away from this event saying, This is the one moment that got me engaged in civics. But hopefully people take this away as sort of an opportunity to start, he said. Maybe try to start thinking about: What can we do? And one of the most powerful things young people can do, the panelists and organizers said, is vote. According to an analysis by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, the youth vote could decide Wisconsins midterms. Voters between the ages of 18 and 29 make up about 16% of the states electorate. And because they are a more diverse population, they are more likely to vote, the study said. Additionally, the analysis said that young people are becoming more motivated to vote as Wisconsin continues to have highly competitive races. A growing number of young people have been registering to vote heading into Tuesdays midterm, too. According to a voter registration report from the Wisconsin Elections Commission released earlier this week, there were 287,951 voters between the ages of 18 and 24 registered already. Thats more than the 256,632 registered at this same time in 2018 and the 284,130 in 2014. Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Josh Kaul Party: Democratic Age: 41 Address: Madison Family: My wife Lindsey and I have two sons, Simon and Henry. Job: Attorney general Prior Elected Office: Wisconsin attorney general, 2019present Other Public Service: Assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Maryland; law clerk to the Honorable Michael Boudin, then-chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Education: Yale University; Stanford Law School Eric Toney Party: Republican Age: 38 Address: Fond du Lac Family: Not married Job: Fond du Lac County district attorney Prior elected office: Ive served as the Fond du Lac County district attorney since January 2013. Other public service: Current President of the WDAA; served as chairman of the Legislative Committee and Communications Committee; volunteer judge and trainer for Teen Court; board member of the Fond du Lac Running Club and ASTOP (sexual assault survivor advocacy nonprofit); member of the Fond du Lac County and Eastern District of Wisconsin bar associations Education: Bachelors degree in history and political science from St. Norbert College; law degree from Hamline University Q&A Why are you the best candidate for this office? Kaul: I am the best candidate because of my experience, my priorities and my track record of getting results for Wisconsinites as AG. I was a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, where I worked on complex investigations and prosecuted murderers, gang members and drug traffickers. As an attorney in private practice, I went to court to challenge laws that restricted access to voting. Under my leadership, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has investigated and prosecuted some of the most serious offenses in the state. DOJ launched a statewide sexual assault kit tracking system, and I successfully fought to get the legislature to make changes to the law that will help prevent a future backlog of untested sexual assault kits. My administration has worked to hold opioid companies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, helping to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the fight against the opioid epidemic in Wisconsin. DOJ has also worked to make our schools safer during my time as AG, including by launching the Speak Up, Speak Out program, which provides an option for reporting school safety concerns. Toney: Ive seen our justice system as the son of a cop, a criminal defense attorney, and now in my 10th year as a District Attorney. I have prosecuted every type of case imaginable from cold case homicide, violent gun crime, sexual assault, drug conspiracies, drug deaths, domestic violence, and racketeering. I have personally used the resources that our DOJ has to offer and know how to work with our cops to best deploy them. I am respected by my peers and serve as the president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, a bipartisan group. Im law enforcements choice for attorney general with bipartisan endorsements of more than 100 sheriffs, district attorneys and police chiefs, along with the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police, the Wisconsin Troopers Association, and the Milwaukee, West Allis, Kenosha and Racine Police Associations. I will stand with our cops, prosecute crime and defend the rule of law to ensure equal justice under the law for all. What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it? Kaul: Public safety is the most important issue in this election. The criminal justice system in Wisconsin has been underfunded for decades, and, throughout my time as attorney general, I have supported additional funding for the justice system. While some notable progress has been made on this issue in the last four years, including the addition of approximately 70 Assistant DA positions across the state and an increase in funding for law enforcement training, much more needs to be done. I support increasing shared revenue so local governments are better able to fund critical services, including local law enforcement. The Safer Wisconsin plan I proposed last November would invest $115 million into public safety, including through funding for, among other things, community policing and prosecution; law enforcement officer recruitment, retention, and wellness; violence prevention and victim services programs; and mental health crisis response programs. The crime-fighting budget I proposed for DOJ for the next biennium likewise includes grant programs to improve public safety, as well as additional funding for the Wisconsin State Crime Labs and for special agents in DOJs Division of Criminal Investigation, among other things. Toney: Public safety will always be my number one priority. I refuse to accept the historic violence and drug epidemic as the new normal and we will end it. I will work with the legislature to obtain original prosecution authority in Milwaukee to take on cases the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office is unable or unwilling to prosecute. By protecting Milwaukee, we protect all of Wisconsin because that crime spreads across our state. I will fight to improve our cash bail laws to ensure judges must consider the dangerousness of criminals when bail is set and fix our statutes to ensure we can also hold dangerous criminals with no bail. I will fully fund police and prosecutors at the DOJ to better assist local law enforcement. My opponent has said he wants to eliminate cash bail, he has defunded the police and prosecutors at our DOJ, and mismanaged our crime labs by testing thousands of less items and taking longer to test categories of items, including DNA. Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases, or something in between? Explain. Kaul: I am pro-choice. The decision whether to have an abortion is deeply personal, and should be made by women together with their doctors. For the freedom, equality, and health of women in Wisconsin, we must restore access to safe and legal abortion. To do that, we must repeal or block enforcement of the 19th century criminal abortion ban. As attorney general, Ive been leading the fight in court to block enforcement of Wisconsins abortion ban with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. I have called for the state legislature to repeal that draconian 19th century ban, and I will not divert Wisconsin DOJ resources from investigating and prosecuting serious crimes to investigating and prosecuting doctors, nurses, or anyone else for potential violations of the ban. Toney: Im proudly pro-life and I will defend the rule of law, regardless of my personal opinions. If the governor signs exceptions into law, I will defend them as attorney general. Unlike my opponent, I will not pick and choose when to enforce the rule of law based on my personal beliefs. The rule of law is what separates America from so much of the rest of world and we dont pick and choose when to enforce it based on personal opinions. It is the responsibility of district attorneys to address any violations of this law and I trust them to enforce the law while using their discretion on a case-by-case basis as they do with any other violation. Students: How would you use $200 to help someone in need? Let us know by Nov. 21. As it does each year, the Wisconsin State Journal is inviting children and teens to write a brief letter about someone in their community who could use a helping hand during the winter holidays. Readers ages 18 and younger are asked to explain what they would do if they had $200 to help someone else. Helping Hands coordinators will choose some of these letters and help carry out the writers plans to aid a classmate, friend, neighbor or community member. Letters are carefully screened to make sure these gifts are being sent to people who are among those who need them the most. The selected entries, edited for length and to avoid identifying recipients, will be published in the State Journal in December. Heres how to submit a letter to Helping Hands: Email it to helpinghands@madison.com, or mail it to: Helping Hands, Attn: Gayle Worland, Wisconsin State Journal, P.O. Box 8056, Madison, WI 53708. Families, classes or other groups may submit entries individually or in a single envelope. Include the following: The writers first and last names, age, grade, school and community/city name, plus a parent/guardians name, email address and phone number in case we have questions. Teachers and group leaders, please also include your name, email address and phone number so we can contact you. Whenever possible, please include the name and city of the person or family described. This information will not be published. The deadline for entries is Monday, Nov. 21. All emails and postal mail should be received by that date. Please email your questions to helpinghands@madison.com. Were happy to help. The Helping Hands program is supported by the State Journals Empty Stocking Club and the generosity of our readers. To support Helping Hands, please donate online at emptystockingclub.com or mail a check to Empty Stocking Club, Wisconsin State Journal, P.O. Box 8056, Madison, WI 53708, and write Helping Hands in the subject line. BEIJING (AP) In a much-scrutinized meeting Friday with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged China to exert its influence on Russia, while the Chinese leader repeated a call for talks between Moscow and Ukraine and warned against the conflict going nuclear. Scholz was in Beijing for a one-day visit that has drawn criticism over Chinas tacit support for Russia, lingering controversies over economic ties and human rights issues, as well as the timing of the trip. It comes after Xi further cemented his authoritarian rule at a major Communist Party congress last month and as China continues to refuse to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Scholz's visit reflects the importance of Germanys trade ties with China, the worlds second-largest economy, particularly in the auto and manufacturing sectors. Mercedes Benz alone sold 758,863 cars in China last year, more than in any other country. Scholz, who traveled with several top German business leaders, received a formal welcome from Xi, who was recently reappointed head of the ruling Communist Party for a third term, at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing. At present, the international situation is complex and changeable," Xi was quoted as telling Scholz by state broadcaster CCTV. As influential powers, China and Germany should work together in times of change and chaos to make more contributions to world peace and development." On Ukraine, Xi pointed out that China supports Germany and the EU in playing an important role in promoting peace talks and promoting the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework," CCTV reported. That was apparently a nod to Russia's anger over NATO's eastern expansion. The international community should create conditions for the resumption of negotiations (and) jointly oppose the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons," Xi said. Scholz is the first leader from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to meet with Xi since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first detected in China in 2019, and the first European leader to visit China since Russias invasion of Ukraine, which Germany has strongly opposed. The diplomatically delicate trip came as Germany and the European Union are working on their strategy toward an increasingly assertive and authoritarian China. Meanwhile on Friday, G-7 diplomats met in Germany to rally support for Ukraine and coalesced around suspicion of Chinas increasing assertiveness amid a wide range of global crises. Beijing has provided Moscow with diplomatic backing by repeatedly calling for peace talks while refusing to support measures at the United Nations criticizing Russia's invasion. It has also accused the U.S. and NATO of provoking the attack and scathingly criticized economic sanctions imposed on Russia. In his opening remarks, Scholz referred directly to the conflict that has created millions of refugees and upended world food and energy markets, saying, We come together at a time of great tension." In particular, I want to highlight the Russian war against Ukraine, which poses many problems for our rules-based world order, Scholz said. Scholz also touched on global hunger, climate change and developing-world debt as important issues. At a later news conference, Scholz said he told Xi that its important for China to exert its influence on Russia." He gave no details on what the West wanted China to do. President Xi and I agree that nuclear threats are irresponsible and highly dangerous. By using nuclear weapons, Russia would cross a line that the international community has drawn together, he said. Scholz also said he brought up human rights and market access, and told Xi that any change in the status of self-governing Taiwan can only happen peacefully and by mutual agreement. China claims the island republic as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. In an apparent reference to European lawmakers and the Baltic state of Lithuania that China has banned and boycotted over their relations with Taiwan, Scholz said, It is also important to be clear that economic measures against individual EU member states are directed against the entire EU single market, and sanctions against EU lawmakers are not acceptable for us. Scholz has come under criticism for making the visit to China so soon after Xi's triumph at last month's congress, at which he promoted allies who support his vision of tighter control over society and the economy and a more confrontational approach to the West. The visit is also occurring amid rising tensions over Taiwan and follows a U.N. report that said Chinese human rights violations against Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in its Xinjiang region may amount to crimes against humanity. Scholz was accompanied by about a dozen top German business leaders, including the CEOs of Volkswagen, BMW, BASF, Bayer and Deutsche Bank, most of which are doing a thriving business in China. That has some German observers questioning whether the country is becoming overly reliant on the Chinese market, just as it did with Russia for energy supplies. VW's China head, Ralf Brandstatter, said Scholz's visit was important during politically and economically challenging times like these." China is Germanys most important trading partner, with 5,000 German companies active in the country and hundreds of thousands of German jobs tied to the Chinese market. More than 14 million jobs in China depend on business with European companies, Brandstatter said. Scholz also met with Premier Li Keqiang, who nominally has responsibility over China's economy. At home, some have criticized Scholz for normalizing China's behavior. While his nearly year-old government has signaled a departure from predecessor Angela Merkels firmly trade-first approach, his trip follows domestic discord over a Chinese shipping companys major investment in a container terminal in Germany's crucial port of Hamburg. With China still imposing tough COVID-19 restrictions, his delegation moved in an anti-virus bubble, undergoing testing and not staying in Beijing overnight. At just 11 hours, it is the shortest trip ever to China by a German leader. German officials say the trip sought to probe where China is going and what forms of cooperation are possible. Associated Press reporter Geir Moulson contributed to this story from Berlin. Sixteen former African Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers have launched a solemn appeal from Tangier demanding the expulsion of the pseudo-SADR from the African Union (AU). The Tangier Appeal, issued at the end of a round-table held as part of the MEDays Forum, organized by Amadeus Institute November 2-5, stresses the need to correct the historical anomaly, legal aberration and political misunderstanding that is the illegal and illegitimate admission, and then the unjustified maintenance within the continental organization of the pseudo-SADR and its negative operational impact. The former African officials who signed the document believe that the accession of the puppet entity to the AU is in violation of Articles 3(b) and 4(b) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, noting that the so-called Sahrawi Republic is an artificial entity imposed on the sole Organization of African Unity/African Union, against all legitimacy and legality. According to the document, this artificial entity does not fulfil any of the constituent elements of a state, namely a territory, a population and an effective government, nor does it enjoy sovereignty, independence, or international legal responsibility. This puppet entity is without added value for the continent, the appeal signatories note, stressing that on the contrary it hinders the effectiveness of the AU and threatens African unity and political and economic integration of the continent, while threatening regional stability and security. The signatories of the document ask the Amadeus Institute and its African think tanks partners to elaborate a White Paper compiling the analyses and recommendations made at this round-table as well as those by conferences and meetings held previously in several countries of the continent. The signatories also established a Contact Group entrusted with presenting the Tangier Appeal, and the planned White Paper to the African Heads of State and decision-makers of the African Union. The Contact Group vowed to remain mobilized for the realization of this objective that is necessary for the credibility of the AU, and consequently for the future of the continent. According to its initiators, the Tangier Appeal is inspired by the ideals of the Founding Fathers of Pan-Africanism, mainly promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and effective economic cooperation among the independent and sovereign states of Africa. The Appeal is also meant to commemorate the historic work of the Casablanca Group, its Pan-Africanist ideals and the memory of its illustrious host, the late King Mohammed V. Similarly, the Tangier Appeal warmly welcomes the solemn return, in January 2017, of the Kingdom of Morocco, a founding member state of the Organization of African Unity, to the African Union and the sustained efforts, commendable initiatives and sincere contributions that the Kingdom has not ceased to make, since then, to fulfil the objectives and actions of the continental organization. The Contact Group of the Tangier Appeal is composed of the former Prime Ministers of Djibouti, Dileita Mohamed Dileita, and of the Central African Republic, Martin Ziguele; and by the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Eswatini, Lutfo Dlamini, Liberia, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Gabon, Regis Immongault Tatangani, Malawi, Francis Kasaila, Senegal, Mankeur Ndiaye, Guinea, Mamadi Toure, and Kenya, Rafael Tuju. The Tangier Appeal is also supported by several other personalities, including the former Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Augusto Antonio Artur da Silva; and the former Foreign Ministers of Somalia, Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud; of Burkina Faso, Alpha Barry; of Benin, Jean-Marie Ehouzou; of the Comoros, Fahmi Said Ibrahim El Maceli; of Cape Verde, Luis Felipe Lopes Tavares; and of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Leonard She Okitundu Lundula. This 2014 photo made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a feeding female Anopheles funestus mosquito. The species is a known vector for malaria. The parasitic disease killed more than 620,000 people in 2020 and caused 241 million cases, mainly in children under 5 in Africa. Credit: James Gathany/CDC via AP Research in Africa found a one-time dose of an experimental drug protected adults against malaria for at least six months, the latest approach in the fight against the mosquito-borne disease. Malaria killed more than 620,000 people in 2020 and sickened 241 million, mainly children under 5 in Africa. The World Health Organization is rolling out the first authorized malaria vaccine for children, but it is about 30% effective and requires four doses. The new study tested a very different approachgiving people a big dose of lab-made malaria-fighting antibodies instead of depending on the immune system to make enough of those same infection-blockers after vaccination. "The available vaccine doesn't protect enough people," said Dr. Kassoum Kayentao of the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies in Bamako, Mali, who helped lead the study in the villages of Kalifabougou and Torodo. In those villages during malaria season, other research has shown, people are bitten by infected mosquitoes on average twice a day. The experimental antibody, developed by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, was given by IVdifficult to deliver on a large scale. But the encouraging findings bode well for an easier-to-administer shot version from the same scientists that's in early testing in infants, children and adults. The U.S. government research was published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a medical meeting in Seattle. The antibody works by breaking the life cycle of the parasite, which is spread through mosquito bites. It targets immature parasites before they enter the liver where they can mature and multiply. It was developed from an antibody taken from a volunteer who received a malaria vaccine. The research involved 330 adults in Mali who got either one of two different antibody doses or a dummy infusion. All were tested for malaria infection every two weeks for 24 weeks. Anyone who got sick was treated. Infections were detected by blood test in 20 people who got the higher dose, 39 people who got the lower dose and 86 who got the placebo. The higher dose was 88% effective, compared to the placebo. The lower dose was 75% effective. Protection might last during the several months of a malaria season. The idea is to someday use it alongside other malaria prevention methods such as malaria pills, mosquito nets and vaccines. Cost is uncertain, but one estimate suggests lab-made antibodies could be given for as little as $5 per child per malaria season. Lab-made antibodies are used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and COVID-19, said Dr. Johanna Daily of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, who was not involved in the study. "The good news is now we have another, immune-based therapy to try to control malaria," Daily said. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SATURDAY, Nov. 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Its time for time to fall back an hour, but fortunately that change is more in line with humans circadian rhythm than springing forward. This provides an opportunity for people to fix their circadian rhythm, that 24-hour body clock that regulates hormone release and temperature, said an expert from Baylor College of Medicine who offered some tips. While the end of daylight saving time in November disrupts the sleep cycle, ultimately it is more in alignment with our circadian rhythm, said Dr. Annise Wilson, an assistant professor of medicine pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In addition to gaining an extra hour, theres more light in the morning and its darker at night, so the time change in the fall is easier to adapt to than it is in the spring. For those who seek to fix their circadian rhythm to help improve mood disorders and reduce negative impacts on heart health, thinking skills and other bodily functions, start with keeping a consistent meal, exercise and sleep schedule throughout the week. Also, prioritize morning light exposure, limit evening light exposure, and avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime. If napping, stick to the early afternoon and nap for no longer than 20 minutes, Wilson advised. Try to shift your bedtime 15 to 30 minutes later a few days prior to the end of daylight saving time, and wake up 15 to 30 minutes later on those days. It may take up to a week to adjust to the time change. The end of daylight saving time does allow us to catch up on sleep debt. It is recommended that we get seven to nine hours of sleep each night, Wilson said in a college news release. The key to maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is a consistent routine. Shift workers, especially those who work overnight, often feel the effects of a disrupted circadian rhythm, which leads to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, mood disorders and cancer. Certain strategies can be taken to readjust their circadian rhythm, Wilson noted. If the shift work is short-term, then on their off days shift workers can go about their regular routine and should normally adjust, Wilson said. If it is long-term, we recommend simulating nighttime when they go home in the mornings by wearing dark glasses and using blackout curtains. When returning to their shifts at night, shift workers should expose themselves to a lot of light at the beginning of the shift. Children are also sensitive to changes in sleep schedules, Wilson said, because they are still in developmental stages. Teens typically sleep later, so springing forward can exacerbate their sleep deprivation and negatively impact their development. Parents can help create consistency in sleep schedules, mealtimes and sleep routines, Wilson suggested. By trying to force adolescents to go to sleep earlier than they normally would and having them wake up early to go to school and then factoring in daylight saving time, they've become chronically sleep-deprived, Wilson said. Being chronically sleep-deprived in a developing body is not ideal. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on circadian rhythms. SOURCE: Baylor College of Medicine, news release, Nov. 2, 2022 Protesters angered by strict anti-virus measures have called for Chinas powerful leader to resign. That's an unprecedented rebuke. It came as authorities in at least eight cities struggled to suppress demonstrations Sunday that represent a rare direct challenge to the ruling Communist Party. Police using pepper spray drove away demonstrators in Shanghai who called for Xi Jinping to step down and an end to one-party rule. Hours later, people rallied again in the same spot. Police again broke up the demonstration, and a reporter saw protesters under arrest being driven away in a bus. The protests began Friday and have spread to cities including the capital, Beijing, and dozens of university campuses. They are the most widespread show of opposition to the ruling party in decades. FRIDAY, Nov. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Getting an updated booster for COVID-19 is likely to boost protection substantially, according to a new study released by drug company Pfizer on Friday. The news affirms a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the bivalent booster without first requiring human testing, the Associated Press reported. The booster was tweaked to target the now dominant omicron variant along with the original virus and was cleared based on studies of a similar shot targeting an earlier variant, according to the AP. The new data "reassures us that this was a good decision to move to this bivalent vaccine," FDA vaccine chief Peter Marks, M.D., told the AP. "Right now is the time for people to consider going out and get the updated" booster. To study the new booster, Pfizer compared results for adults who received it to those who received a fourth dose of its original COVID-19 vaccine. The new booster combines vaccines for the original COVID-19 strain and the now-dominant omicron BA.5 strain. The results showed that people 55 years and older who received the new Pfizer bivalent vaccine had antibody levels four times as high as those who were given another dose of the original vaccine, the AP reported. Those 55 years and older who received the new booster had antibody levels 13 times higher than before getting the shot. Younger adults who had not received a vaccine in about 11 months also saw improved antibodies, about a 9.5-fold increase. Pfizer said it is too soon to know how much real-world protection the antibodies provide and how long the protection will last. The study is continuing. FRIDAY, Nov. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Vigorous physical activity (VPA) is associated with reduced mortality, and increasing the intensity of physical activity is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to two studies published online Oct. 27 in the European Heart Journal. Matthew N. Ahmadi, Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, and colleagues conducted a prospective study in 71,893 adults from the U.K. Biobank with wrist-worn accelerometry to examine the association between VPA and mortality and disease incidence. The researchers found that during a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, the adjusted five-year absolute mortality risk was 4.17, 2.12, 1.78, 1.47, and 1.10 percent for no VPA, >0 to <10 minutes, 10 to <30 minutes, 30 to <60 minutes, and 60 minutes per week, respectively. The optimal dose was 53.6 minutes/week, with a hazard ratio of 0.64 compared to the 5th percentile reference (2.2 minutes/week). Paddy C. Dempsey, Ph.D., from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the role of physical activity intensity in relation to incident CVD among 88,412 U.K. Biobank middle-aged adults without prevalent CVD who wore accelerometers for seven days. The total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) was estimated using population-specific validation. The researchers identified 4,068 CVD events during 584,568 person-years of follow-up (median, 6.8 years). Higher PAEE and higher fraction of PAEE accumulated from moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (percentage MVPA) was associated with lower rates of incident CVD. CVD rates were lowest for combinations of both higher PAEE and percentage MVPA. "Boosting the intensity of activities you already do is good for heart health," Dempsey said in a statement. "For example, picking up the pace on your daily walk to the bus stop or completing household chores more quickly." ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) President Joe Biden said Friday he was feeling really good about Democrats' chances in the midterm elections, even as he traveled to the Chicago area to support two House members who are facing more competitive reelection battles than expected. Folks, Im not buying the notion that were in trouble, he told the crowd at a political reception in a hotel for U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super political action committee, or super PAC, aligned with the GOP House leadership, this week announced a $1.8 million ad buy against Casten, who represents an Illinois district that Biden won by about 11 percentage points in 2020. Before a crowd of roughly 50 people, the president ticked off his administration's signature legislative achievements on infrastructure, climate and lowering the cost of prescription drugs, efforts he said were achieved in collaboration with Underwood and Casten. Sean and Lauren have been great partners with all of this across the board, he said. Of Casten, he said, "Sean is smart, effective and is one of the most honorable men Ive ever served with. He touted Underwood's ability to work across party lines, calling her a champion of families. The stops outside Chicago and earlier Friday in California and events to come in Joliet, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New York this weekend are all part of Bidens down-to-the-minute efforts to shore up shaky ground that had once been reliably predicted to go for Democrats, in an effort to blunt the impact of projected losses in congressional seats and in governors races across the country in Tuesday's midterm elections. I feel really good about our chances, he told reporters as he boarded Air Force One for Illinois from Southern California. I think were going to keep the Senate and pick up a seat, and I think we have a chance of winning the House. So, I feel optimistic. In Carlsbad, California, Biden toured a communications company that was expected to benefit from his push to bolster American semiconductor manufacturing. He took along embattled Rep. Mike Levin for the visit to Viasat, as the president highlighted his CHIPS and Science Act, a $280 billion legislative package, and the work his administration has done for U.S. veterans. Mikes a champion for his constituents, especially veterans who live here," Biden said, noting throughout his remarks that he got signature bills passed with Mike's help. Levin, a two-term congressman representing a San Diego-area district that was once a Republican stronghold, is locked in a tight race with former San Juan Capistrano Mayor Brian Maryott. Biden headlined a rally Thursday night in Oceanside, California, for Levin. Coronavirus pandemic-era supply disruptions and a dearth of domestic chip manufacturing hampered Viasat, which relies on such components for services it provides to industrial customers and the U.S. military. The company also makes a point of hiring returning veterans. Biden on Friday spoke of how the CHIPS act will help Viasat and other companies reduce their reliance on overseas chip manufacturers. It's a game-changer," he said of the ability to have chips readily available in the U.S.. Thanks to this law, this company hopes to significantly grow its global business and hire more workers in the next five years. Saturday morning hes to deliver remarks in nearby Joliet, Illinois, on Social Security and Medicare, before heading to Philadelphia to join former President Barack Obama to stump for Senate candidate John Fetterman. From there, Biden will travel to Westchester County, just north of New York City, to campaign for Gov. Kathy Hochul, who's in a tough race with Republican Lee Zeldin. If we just keep fighting, keep the House and Senate, were going to be okay, but if we lose the House and Senate, its going to be a horrible two years," Biden said, briefly abandoning his signature optimism before adding, The good news is I'll have the veto pen. ___ Long reported from Washington. The work of three local deaf art students has been chosen to represent a statewide marketing campaign. The students artwork will be used to promote a program called NC ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) on its website and in a statewide social media advertising campaign. NC ABLE is a state program which allows people to create tax-deferred savings accounts for people with disabilities. Withdrawals from these accounts are tax free if used for qualified disability-related expenses. Most people have heard of a 529 plan for college savings, said North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell. Its sort of like that. Its a way of putting money away on a tax-deferred basis for the long-term needs of somebody who has disabilities without it impacting their Social Security income. The artists, Ereka Mickles, Lhis Costa and Autumn Rudiger, were honored by Folwell for their work during his visit to the school on Monday, Oct. 31. I just felt really happy, excited and inspired that people will be inspired by my artwork, Mickles said. All three students said it was particularly satisfying to know their work will be used to inspire other people with disabilities and promote resources that can help them achieve their goals. Folwell told The News Herald this is the second year his office has partnered with North Carolina high school students with disabilities to promote the program. Most state agencies, when it comes to an ad campaign like this, they would go hire some advertising agency, he said. We had the thought internally, why not take advantage of the artistic talent that sits here in our high schools, so thats what we did. The students posters depict people with different disabilities and are designed to demonstrate that people with disabilities can still achieve their goals and live a successful life. Mine is a picture of a deaf child, somebody learning sign language, Rudiger signed to the assembly when presenting her poster. It shows that we do have the ability to do anything we want, and we can help children live the life they want. NCSD art teacher Jennifer Willet said she is proud of her students for the hard work they have put into their posters. They all worked really hard on this, and Im really excited to see their art, she said. Its really a neat opportunity for them. Shes the best. Shes amazing, Costa said about their teacher while the other two students nodded in agreement. In addition to honoring the three art students who helped create the posters for the campaign, Folwell took the opportunity to share some information about his life and career, the treasurers office and state government with NCSD middle and high school students. He also encouraged students to work hard and never let anybody else determine what they are and are not capable of achieving. Success is more about I will than about IQ, Folwell told the group. At the end of the program, Folwell presented NCSD School Director Mark Patrick with a check for $4,512.36 found through the N.C. Cash program. N.C. Cash, also run through the State Treasurers Office, allows North Carolina residents and businesses to search unclaimed property records to see if they have any money or property in the system. By law, businesses and individuals are required to turn these funds over to the state and the treasurers office enters them into the database. Folwell said there is currently more than $1 billion of unclaimed property in the database. The N.C. School for the Deaf was thrilled at the presentation of unclaimed funds, said Patrick. We cherish the opportunity to utilize the funds in a way to empower our students to continue to be lifelong learners. For more information on N.C. Cash, visit www.nccash.com. For more information about NC ABLE, including program benefits and requirements, visit https://savewithable.com/nc/home. Next Match: Augustana 11/5/2022 | 2:00 p.m. Next Match Full Schedule Nov. 05 (Sat) / 2:00 p.m. Augustana History Mankato, Minn. The Minnesota State women's volleyball fell in four sets to #2 Wayne State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action at home 3-1 (25-15, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20). With this loss, Minnesota State is now 6-21 overall and 5-14 in NSIC play while #2 Wayne State improves to 28-1 overall and 18-1 in NSIC action. Minnesota State was led offensively by sophomore Sophie Tietz with 14 kills followed closely by sophomore Toryn Richards and redshirt freshman Elizabeth Dille with 13 kills each. Sophomore Kiya Durant led the team with four blocks while Tietz added three. Sophomore Brooke Bolwerk had 46 assists for the Mavericks. Senior Brenna Hesse recorded a carreer-high of 31 digs. Wayne State's offense was led by Taya Beller with 18 kills. Rachel Walked had 46 assists for the Wildcats while Jessie Brandl posted 31 digs. Minnesota State concludes its season on Saturday as it hosts the Augustana Vikings at 2:00 p.m. Vietnam among worlds top 12 affordable honeymoon destinations Magazine Travel+Leisure of the United States has named Vietnam among its top 12 perfect honeymoon destinations that wont break the bank. Magazine Travel+Leisure of the United States suggests that couples who like to hike should visit Fansipan Mountain in Sapa According to the magazine, boasting several places which are generally less-expensive than Thailand's famous tourist destinations, Vietnam is home to a little something for every kind of honeymooner. Travel+Leisure therefore suggests that couples who like to hike should visit the Valley of Love in Da Lat or enjoy the vast scenic views of the Muong Hoa Valley located 10 km southeast of Sa Pa, or head to Fansipan, the highest mountain in the country. For those looking for a honeymoon filled with food and culture, the magazine recommends that couples should book a stay at the luxurious Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, a place where they will find an oasis sat amid the centre of a buzzing city. Honeymooners searching out beaches, spa, and relaxation will want to head to Con Dao, a group of islands off the coast that offers an affordable honeymoon filled with white-sand beaches and scenic trails, it added. Travel+Leisure also advises lovebirds to check out Con Dao's Six Senses resort, a place which is also a protected national and marine park that boasts a long beachfront. Rounding off the list of the top 12 most affordable honeymoon destinations are Belize, Key Largo of the US, Bermuda, Jamaica, Napa and Sonoma of the US, Mexico, Honolulu of Hawaii, Costa Rica, Portugal, Niagara-on-the-Lake of Ontario in Canada, and Guatemala. Six men appeared in court Friday afternoon on allegations of trying to entice minors for sex following a sting operation in Missoula this week, officials report. The operation started on Wednesday and stretched late into Thursday evening. It was led by the Montana FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, according to a press release from the Missoula County Sheriffs Office. Jeffrey J. Barilla, 40, is charged with one count of sexual abuse of children with a victim under 16 years old along with one count of attempted prostitution involving a child over 12 years old. Both are felonies. His bond was set at $250,000 Cody A. Harrington, 28, is charged with one count of sexual abuse of children with a victim under 16 years old and one count of attempted prostitution involving a child over 12 years old, both felonies. Hes being held on a $100,000 bail. Andrew D. Phillips, 23, is charged with one felony count of sexual abuse of children with a victim under 16 years old, a felony. Hes in custody pending the posting of a $100,000 bond. Kyle D. Lindgren, 33, is charged with one count of sexual abuse of children with a victim under 16 years old and one count of attempted prostitution involving a child over 12 years old, both felonies. His bail is set at $25,000. Zhiqiang Lin, 31, is facing one count of sexual abuse of children with a victim under 16 years old and one count of attempted prostitution involving a child over 12 years old. He was released on his own recognizance. Nathan M. DonGilli, 43, is charged with one felony count of attempted prostitution involving a child over 12 years old. He was released on his own recognizance. Charging documents explain that authorities worked undercover placing ads offering commercial sex on various online websites and also created fake social media accounts of underage girls. All suspects were ordered to have no contact with minors and are barred from using social media or dating websites. The six individuals will appear on Nov. 14 for their arraignments in Missoula County District Court to enter pleas to the charges. Missoula County Justice of the Peace Alex Beal presided over all six cases on Friday. The press release stated the task force is composed of law enforcement agents from various jurisdictions in Montana, along with federal officers. This is the first time in recent years that the task force has focused their efforts in Missoula, it read. The Task Force is focusing their efforts throughout Montana in areas where there is a concentrated population base. To taste, or not to taste. That is the question Rock Island High School staff asked themselves Thursday as they participated in the Hot Shakes Challenge to raise money for the annual River Bend Food Bank Student Hunger Drive competition. Staff ran the gamut of tasting increasing hot levels of hot sauce flavors as they simultaneously tried to read Shakespearean excerpts ranging from love stories such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet to tragedies such as Macbeth and Julius Caesar. Rockys Drama Club collaborated with the Student Hunger Drive committee to organize the event, which took place in the high schools auditorium. Audience members were charged either $1 or two nonperishable food items, all of which went toward the schools Student Hunger Drive efforts. It was a new idea and just another way to get people excited for the upcoming events, said Kaiya McKinley, the schools Student Hunger Drive ambassador. It was a lot of fun and a great idea. Having something new like this, throughout the years I think we can better it and make more people want to come more to these things. Ten Rocky staff members began the challenge, provided with gloves and chips to dip into the hot sauce samples milk and water were offered to staff as lifelines as heat levels increased. Principal Jeff Whitaker was one of the first to visibly struggle but to him, the heat was worth it. Its all for a good cause, raising money and collecting goods for people that need it, he said. Obviously, choking through the first couple of them and then regaining it was kind of tough but it was all for a good cause again, so I dont mind a little heat. Though Whitaker lasted until Round 7, audience members could see him walking it off to recover from the heat. I saw the word habanero on it [sauce sample]; I think it was more mental than anything else, he said. But I think its a great event; all the credit goes to Dori Foster, one of our great English teachers here. She had this great idea to try and raise funds and collect canned goods. The fifth round queued runny noses for several staff members. Engineering and welding teacher Jason Kitterman was the first to tap out after Round 6, adding the phrase in my mouth to the famous Macbeth quote: Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble. The end of Round 7 marked the end of the road for Whitaker and English teacher Ann Boege. At least my sinus congestion is going away, Boege remarked before embarking on what would be her final round of the challenge. By the end of the challenge, six staff members remained many of whom were either visibly shaking, red-faced or watery-eyed at this point. One of the last standing was science and special services teacher Caitlin Clough who tackled the challenge with a strategy. I tried to eat my chip nice and slow, she said. And then I tried to read ahead of time, so I was really more focused on the words than the sauce itself. Though staff participation in the challenge was optional, Clough said she thought of it as an easy way to help her students and community out. The Student Hunger Drive is definitely something I want to support, she said. If it brings awareness to the students and raises funds, then Im all for making a fool of myself for feeling the heat. For those who missed Thursdays event, the high schools student council is hosting a drive-thru food drive from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Rocky Stadium, gathering more donations for the Student Hunger Drive. Starting at 1 p.m., Rocky Stadium will also hold the senior and junior girls Powderpuff Game. Admission is $2 or five cans, also toward the Student Hunger Drive. For those on the Iowa side of the Quad-Cities, Bettendorf High Schools student council will be door-to-door canvasing for canned or jarred food, seeds and monetary donations from 9 a.m. to noon today in surrounding Bettendorf neighborhoods. The drop-off location for donations is at the high schools main entrance. As the Nov. 8 election approaches, candidates for public office across Napa County have updated their campaign finance reports. Spending for ballot measures has also been updated. American Canyon City Council and Measure J Measure J, on the ballot in American Canyon, asks voters to add 157 acres to the city growth boundaries. The owners say the soils are too salty to continue growing grapes and the land would fit in the city like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece. Opponents say the land should remain farmland, rather than open the door to industrial development near wetlands and a popular wetlands trail. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The Yes on Measure J campaign reported raising $86,230 during the Sept. 25 to Oct. 22 reporting period. All of the $80,440 in cash contributions came from the lands owner, Green Island Property, LLC. Non-cash contributions which refer to donations of services and goods came from David Gilbreth, who is part of the group. Expenses include $67,815 to CleanSweep Campaigns for campaign consultation, campaign literature and mailing, lawn signs and voter data. For the year, the Yes on J campaign reports raising $218,021, of which $113,940 is cash contributions and the rest non-monetary. Three candidates are running for two open seats. Incumbent Mark Joseph on Oct. 22 reported raising $13,076 this year. Major contributions include $4,900 from Peter and Kimberly Stravinski of the Stravinski Development Group a $2,500 contribution from the Napa Valley Casino, and another $2,500 from WineDirect. The other current councilmember on the ballot, David Oro, reported receiving $31,322 as of Oct. 22 and another $4,000 by the end of the month in contributions. Major contributions include $4,900 from Raj Sidhu, owner of the Crown Hill Stone Supply of Napa Valley, $4,900 from Peter Stravinski, $3,900 from David Hanna, $2,500 from Napa Valley Casino and $2,500 from WineDirect. Jesse Corpus, also running a council seat, reported contributions of $8,027. Major contributions include $1,500 from Jacob McLamon and $500 from several individuals. Calistoga Mayoral and City Council races Two current Calistoga City councilmembers, Don Williams and Gary Kraus, are running for mayor. There are also three candidates for two up-for-grabs Calistoga City Council seats: Scott Cooper, Kevin Eisenberg and Curt Winslow. Kraus on Oct. 22 reported raising $18,177 for his campaign this year, with $8,070 raised from Sept. 25 to Oct. 22, and $10,106 from July 1 through Sept. 24. He reported a $2,500 contribution from Calistoga Spa Inc., as well as $1,000 contributions from Solage Owners LLC, Seiberlich Systems, Napa Valley Brewing Co., and several individuals. Kraus also reported a roughly $1,450 non-monetary contribution from Napa Valley Brewing Co. for providing food and allowing the campaign to use its site. Williams reported receiving $7,547 in campaign contributions overall on Oct. 22., and reported $7,187 in expenditures. All but two of the contributions to Williams campaign were from individual donors, most from Calistoga, in amounts ranging from $100 to $300. (Williams himself was the highest contributor, giving $450 to his campaign.) Christophers Inn & Arbors contributed $150 to his campaign, and Charlottes Goats vs Fire contributed $300. Calistoga City Council candidates Cooper and Eisenberg filed Form 470s with the city, meaning they anticipated receiving and spending less than $2,000 on their campaigns. Candidate Winslow hasnt filed any campaign finance forms with the city, according to Calistoga City Clerk Marni Rittberg. Yountville Mayoral and Town Council races There are four candidates for the Yountville mayor this year: Marjorie Mohler, Pam Reeves, Ken Clarke and Robert Moore. There are also three candidates for two seats on the Yountville Town Council: Robin McKee-Cant, Scott Owens and Hillery Trippe. Mohler, a longtime Yountville councilmember, reported loaning her campaign a total of $3,730. She reported no other contributions. Reeves, a former member of the Yountville Town Council, reported a total of $5,180 in contributions. Prominent contributors include Altamura Winery Inc., which gave $1,500 to Reeves campaign, and the Ad Hoc Restaurant, which hosted a meet the candidate luncheon at the nonmonetary cost of $2,880. Reeves also reported contributions from many local residents, ranging from $50 to $500 Moore and Clarke each filed Form 470s, which means they anticipated receiving and spending under $2,000 on their campaigns. Trippe, the council candidate, also filed a Form 470. In the Town Council race, Owens reported raising $3,079, and spending $2,734, this year through Oct. 31. Of the contributions, Owens loaned $900 to his campaign. Other contributions include $500 from Thomas Keller and Sandra Hernandez president of the California Health Care Foundation. McKee-Cant reported receiving $3,200 total in contributions this year, all from individual donors. Register reporter Barry Eberling contributed to this report. Developers, contractors, architects and others that received millions of dollars for past Napa Valley Unified School District construction projects have been spending big to support the school bond measures that city of Napa and American Canyon voters are considering this election season. Those donors may also win big, through forming additional contracts with the school district, if the bond measures pass and open up more money for school construction. The measures up for the vote the $200 million Measure A1 for city of Napa voters and the $25 million Measure A2 for American Canyon voters would bring in money that could only be spent on the districts facilities needs in those local areas. The funds would essentially be spent updating and improving NVUSDs aging inventory of schools, many of which were built over 60 years ago, according to the districts plans. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. But bond measures are essentially paid for through an increase to local property taxes that lasts for decades. Measure A1 and A2 would add on $20 per $100,000 of assessed property value to annual property tax bills, on top of what residents are paying for other taxes. For the average-valued home, this is about $86 in additional taxes per year. The reason California school districts regularly pursue school bond measures is because the state of California doesnt typically provide funds for facilities. (The NVUSD has previously estimated that need amounts to roughly $500 million, but the two bond measures were purposefully developed with a lower ask because the district had concerns about tax sensitivity among local residents.) The districts most recent and largest bond measure, the $269 million Measure H, barely passed in 2016. That funding brought about several new campuses and campus modernization projects, along with much more, and a variety of contractors carried out that work. Friends of Napa and American Canyon Schools a committee organized to support the passage of Measures A1 and A2 reported $157,475 in campaign contributions this year as of Oct. 22, which includes contributions from several contractors that worked on Measure H projects. According to California Fair Political Practices Commission, contributions to ballot measure committees are not subject to monetary limits. Van Pelt Construction Services which has contributed about $31,500 to the Friends of Napa and American Canyon was paid several million dollars by the district to assist with program and construction management for Measure H projects, according to its website. Atlas Peak Construction, which worked on a variety of Measure H projects including the Irene Snow School, has contributed $15,000 to supporting the bond measures. Several more vendors that have worked on NVUSD projects such as Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, which helped design American Canyon High School and Willow Elementary School, and BHM Construction, which worked on River Middle School each gave $10,000 to the bond measure campaign. And several others have contributed smaller amounts, in the thousands. Like many voters across California this fall, those in Hayward and Fremont have been flooded with mailers targeting the two Democrats tussling for a seat in the state Legislature. Fremont Mayor Lily Mei is slammed for her role in a secretive severance payout to the former city manager, who has been charged with embezzlement. Her opponent in the state Senate race, Aisha Wahab, a Hayward city councilmember, is accused of elder abuse for supporting a landlord who evicted older tenants. One thing the mailers have in common: They are funded not by the candidates, but by outside interests. Independent expenditure committees political spending groups that are legally required to be unaffiliated with the candidates theyre trying to support have spent nearly $40 million since Sept. 1 trying to influence competitive legislative races across California. With voting through Tuesday, thats 25% more than what independent expenditure committees, or IEs, spent on Assembly and state Senate general election races in 2020, nearly twice as much as was spent in 2018, and just slightly below 2016. While the IE spending is a relatively small share of all the political cash now sloshing around California, the mailers and ads financed by these committees concentrated into just a handful of competitive races in the final weeks of the campaign can play an outsized role in shaping key voters perceptions. Because these committees are often given innocuous names that do not mention their funders, the average voter may not know who exactly is behind a particular ad. As a result, IEs often specialize in the dark arts of negative campaigning withering and occasionally fact-bending critiques of targeted candidates. When the mudslinging is coming from an independent group, its less likely to tarnish the image of the favored politician, whose own campaign can focus on positive messaging. And unlike donations made directly to a candidate, spending by these IE committees are not subject to campaign contribution limits. That allows some of the states biggest economic interests to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into a single legislative race, whereas contributions to campaign-run committees are capped at $4,900 per election. Often, IEs will spend more boosting a candidate than their own campaign. In the 10 legislative races with the most IE money this year, spending has reached nearly $30 million since June. Contributions made directly to the 20 candidates in those races is less than $19 million. Most of these races pit one Democrat against another for a spot in the Legislature, where Democrats hold two-thirds super-majorities that enable them to pass tax increases and take other actions without any Republican votes. This outside spending is a perennial feature of California elections, but this year the stakes may be especially high for industries, labor groups and others with an interest in the legislation that comes out of Sacramento. Thanks to a wave of incumbents hitting their term limits or announcing early retirements earlier this year, California voters are being asked to fill 31 open seats in the Assembly and the Senate, of the 100 spots in the Legislature up for grabs on Tuesday. The first orders of business for this new class of legislators are likely to include picking the next Assembly speaker and voting on Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposal to tax the windfall profits of oil and gas producers. Every cycle we always say its an unprecedented level of spending, said Doug Morrow, a former Democratic Assembly staffer who publishes a daily tracker of independent expenditure. I think we are going to meet that without a doubt. No surprise, the biggest sources of outside spending in legislative races so far are oil and gas companies and electric utilities. Together, those groups have spent more than $7.6 million, roughly one-fifth of the total. Most of that spending has been unleashed since Newsom announced his oil tax plan; the oil industrys flagship IE committee dropped nearly $5 million into seven legislative races on Oct. 10 alone. Other big spenders include: DaVita and Fresenius, the dialysis companies combating Proposition 29, a third union-backed proposition to regulate their clinics, and who have fended off similar attempts in the Legislature . Davita has spent $2.3 million directly, and since July the two companies together have contributed another $1.4 million to separate committees that have spent $5.4 million in state legislative races. The Service Employees International Union, one of the largest union umbrella groups in the state, has contributed $2.8 million to independent expenditure groups through its local chapters and its statewide council. The largest of those, Nurses and Educators California, which also received a small fraction of its funding from unionized school workers, has spent more than $1.5 million on legislative races. Realtors, both through the state association and individually, have channeled more than $2.6 million through nine IE committees. A bid to become the next Assembly speaker has sprinkled more than $550,000 into 15 open Assembly seats. That doesnt put the PAC in the top 20 list of big independent spenders this year, but it is drawing a lot of attention. With all the committees funding from sitting lawmakers who might otherwise route those funds through the state Democratic Party, its seen by many as a . A barrage of attacks In the East Bay Senate race, Keep California Golden, one of several IEs opposing Wahab, has spent more than $700,000 so far in the race, with roughly a quarter going toward ads and polling to back Mei and the remaining 75% being spent attacking Wahab. Other anti-Wahab spenders include Keeping Californians Working, funded by charter school advocates, the parent company of Southern California Edison and other business interests; Jobs PAC, sponsored by the California Chamber of Commerce; and Housing Providers for Responsible Solutions, a coalition of Realtors, landlords and developers. Since Sept. 1, 17 committees have spent a total of $2.3 million to help Mei and $1.5 million to benefit Wahab. They do that by either boosting their preferred candidate or tearing down her opponent. More often than not, theyve opted for the latter. One mailer paid for by Keep California Golden claims that Wahab endorsed Sajid Khan, who lost in the June primary for Santa Clara district attorney. Khan argued that criticizing the sexual assault sentence handed down to former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner as too lenient would be harmful to communities of color. While Wahab took part in campaign events sponsored by the local Democratic Party and the Working Families Party alongside Khan, she didnt officially endorse him. Wahab says shes disturbed that the mailers would use victims of sexual assault for political gain; her campaign has sent a cease-and-desist letter trying to stop the mailers. The people that even came up with these lies genuinely should be ashamed of themselves, and they should be fired and never work in politics again, she told CalMatters. There should be some recourse for people dealing with IEs that literally can say whatever they want and then hide behind the First Amendment. Mei, who has been attacked in mailers from IEs backing Wahab, condemned the barrage of attacks in the race. Women should be allowed to run on their merits not attacked based on gossip or guilt by association, Mei said in a statement from her campaign. Attacks like these devalue our lived experience as leaders committed to public service and making a difference in the community. Some local political watchers say the bevy of attack ads has set the terms of the debate. Its unfortunate that the overall tone of the race has been so negative, said Al Mendall, a former city council member from Hayward. I wish the debate was focused more on issues and less on extraneous issues and negative attacks. Meis biggest supporters are charter school advocates and DaVita. Opportunity PAC, a committee funded by teachers unions, SEIU and other organized labor umbrella groups, has spent more than $663,000 opposing her. For the entire campaign, independent expenditure committees have put in $4.3 million to either support Mei or oppose Wahab, far more than the $1.1 million Mei has raised for her own campaign. And IEs have invested $3 million to back Wahab or attack Mei, while Wahab has raised $1.8 million. Strange political bedfellows For the average voter, the path a dollar takes from a corporations treasury or unions political fund to the attack ad mailer in their inbox can be hard to follow. Keeping Californians Working, one of the groups boosting Mei, isnt funded by a single source or industry group, but represents several different spenders. California law requires the committee to list its top three contributors from the prior 12 months who have donated more than $50,000. In the case of Keep Californians Working, thats Farmers Group, a PAC funded by employees of the Farmers Insurance company, Uber and Edison International. But thats only the top three. To learn about the other major contributors the states largest charter school advocacy organization, DaVita, trade groups for soda manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, and the owner of SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric a voter would have to dig through the committees filings on the states rickety campaign finance data portal. And finding out who funds the funders the Charter Public Schools Political Action Committee, for instance, received more than 40% of its money this general election from Walmart heir Jim Walton requires yet another layer of digging. That lack of transparency has its benefits for funders, said Dan Schnur, a political analyst who teaches at USC and who used to lead the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the states campaign finance regulator. The average voter isnt going to spend a great deal of time digging into the identity of these large-scale funders, and so an innocent sounding name of an independent committee is a very effective shield, he said. But if voters dont know who funds the IEs, the candidates do. The candidate is going to care a lot more about who funds these efforts than the average voter. So theyre going to know and theyre going to remember. A double-edged sword From a candidates perspective, a flood of friendly spending from outside groups has its obvious benefits. But it can also come with its costs. In the states most expensive legislative race, Democrat Angelique Ashby has been the beneficiary of nearly $2 million in spending by oil and gas companies and utilities. That includes spending by the oil and gas industrys flagship independent expenditure committee, the Coalition To Restore Californias Middle Class, to support Ashby and oppose Dave Jones, her Democratic opponent for the state Senate seat representing Sacramento. But it also includes energy industry money routed through other committees. That gusher of money has helped elevate Ashby while bashing Jones. But the IE spending has also opened Ashby up to the criticism made regularly by Jones and his allies, including in multiple mailers funded by a labor-backed IE committee that she is the candidate of Big Oil. Ashby has denounced that support, while pledging to work with Newsom on his proposal to cap windfall profits and out-of-control gas prices. Jones supports the governors plan. Also supporting Ashby, with more than $1.1 million in spending, is another IE Fighting for Our Future Committee, funded by the Realtors, the California Building Industry Association and California Apartment Association that has sent mailers calling Jones a career politician who wants to take away Medicare because of his support of single-payer health care while state insurance commissioner. In the overlapping state Assembly race, Eric Guerra, a Sacramento City Council member, has been buoyed by nearly $1 million in outside spending by the committee funded by Realtors, landlords and developers. During his primary campaign, he also got some outside financial help from charter school advocates and a committee largely funded by the soda industry. Guerras campaign distanced itself from that IE spending. We may not have done things the way theyve done them, but thats really not our choice. What they put out is not our responsibility, said Michael Terris, Guerras spokesperson. But Terris did note that Guerras Democratic opponent, Stephanie Nguyen, an Elk Grove City Council member, is backed by the same oil industry committee that supports Ashby. When Big Oil has come in with over 1 million for Stephanie Nguyen, we wonder about that, Terris said. Guerra has been pounding at Big Oil on gas prices and has vowed to support the governor in efforts to rein in the price at the pump. Nguyens campaign told CalMatters she supports giving families relief from high gas prices, and wants to see more details from Newsoms proposal. For her part, Nguyen was hit by an IE mailer about a tax lien on her business, a nonprofit that helps Asian immigrants. Andrew Acosta, spokesperson for her campaign, said that attack caused a drop in donations. The nonprofit has sent a cease-and-desist letter on the mailer. Thats the real-word implications, he said. These ads that people think, This is a nice hit on her, is wrong. Amar Shergill, chairperson of the California Democratic Partys Progressive Caucus and a critic of what he sees as the partys dependence on oil industry spending, said that candidates should have to either defend the financial company they keep, or forcefully renounce the money. Saying that I dont have control over independent expenditures isnt enough, he said. They should be asked to explain what their policies show that would attract that kind of expenditure. A glut of outside spending can also make a candidates life more difficult even after Election Day. For someone who might be earnestly skeptical of Newsoms proposal to tax oil companies, for example, a surge of oil industry support could call into question the sincerity of that future no vote. Morrow, the independent expenditure tracker, recalls the possibly apocryphal quote from former Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh about the relationship between lawmakers and special interests: If you cant eat their food, drink their boozeand then vote against them, you have no business being in the Legislature. In the December special session on the windfall tax, newly elected legislators are going to be put to the test for that, said Morrow. I dont think they asked for Chevron to come in and help push them over the line, but naturally, if they vote the wrong way, theyre going to get slammed. EDB: Dollar exchange rate to Armenian dram will significantly grow in 2023 and 2024 Ukraine embassy in Baku publicizes video in honor of Azerbaijani soldiers who liberated Karabakh (VIDEO) Iranian authorities say more than 300 dead in protest One of 2 Artsakh soldiers wounded by Azerbaijan is discharged from hospital EU ambassador: It's time for Armenia to ratify Istanbul convention Azerbaijan statement on Karabakh army firing at Shushi, Martuni, Martakert, Askeran regions is disinformation Gold prices are up Armenia National Security Service exposes new case of high treason Turkey strikes 19 settlements in northern Syria Armenia ambassador-at-large: Azerbaijan agreed in Prague to continue meetings in quadrilateral format Armenia Security Council chief meets with France officials US man shoots his lover, 3-year-old son in order not to pay alimony Newspaper: Years end to be exceptionally rich with Armenia parliament special sessions MOD: Azerbaijan army fired at Armenia positions Stop killer robots! Lobbyists fight to save Europe from bad AI U.S. green subsidies increase fears about German industry NATO's looming fault line: China Estonian FM calls on European countries to double defense spending because of war in Ukraine Cavusoglu says Sweden and Finland have not yet fulfilled Ankara's requirements for NATO membership Police crack down on European cocaine super cartel Ardshinbank is the exclusive sponsor of Vladimir Spivakov's charity concert (PHOTOS) Japan's prime minister orders to double defense spending to about 2% of GDP in five years U.S. is considering sending 150-mile strike weapon to Ukraine EU countries resumes talks on introducing price ceiling on Russian oil Participants of international forum 'New stimuli for millennial relations' visit 'Tsitsernakaberd' Volcano eruption kicks off in Hawaii Condition of servicemen wounded as result of Azerbaijan's violation of ceasefire is satisfactory Russia and Iran sign memorandum on car exports Tokayev: There are issues in relations between Russia and Kazakhstan that require negotiations FT: Global inflation peaks but will slow in future 2 soldiers injured after Azerbaijan shells Artsakh defense army positions Japan to build constellation of 50 military satellites Azerbaijan hands over to Armenian side bodies of 13 Armenian servicemen Iraqi PM announces return of part of $125 million stolen from state Inaugural Divine Liturgy served at first Armenian church in Spain Russia and Kazakhstan intend to increase CSTO potential Process of US granting market economy status to Armenia is discussed (PHOTOS) Borrell says NATO has enough threats and challenges besides China Azerbaijani government-controlled media announces change in Baku's foreign policy Reuters: Turkey ready for ground invasion in northern Syria Cavusoglu: Turkey may appoint an ambassador to Egypt in the coming months Dollar, euro go up in Armenia Indian political analyst: Pakistan supported Azerbaijan during aggression against Karabakh Belgian police officers protest after officer killed Citizens of Western countries arrested in Iran for participating in riots Seyran Ohanyan: Drawing CSTO into our region in matters of use of force may cause serious conflict in future Armenia parliament opposition leader: Its not that we, as opposition, like everything in CSTO Political analyst: Cooperation with Yerevan becomes more important amid contradictions between powers New Ecuador ambassador presents copy of credentials to Armenia deputy FM Erdogan: Realization of the grain deal showed the possibility of diplomacy in Ukraine Armenia parliament speaker to head for Qatar, to watch World Cup match from stadium Toivo Klaar: Many challenges remain; restraint, strong political will be needed by Azerbaijan, Armenia Armen Baibourtian: Armenia-India cooperation on North-South road corridor started back in 2000s Armenian envoy: India becoming more sensitive about Azerbaijan ambitions towards Armenia India MFA: Cooperation with Armenia should be further deepened Deputy FM: Armenia can make use of progress with India to increase its security level Armenia Kurdish community staging protest outside UN office Pashinyan: Armenia attaches importance to development of cooperation with Albania Azerbaijan president receives Philip Reeker MP: Tourists visiting Armenia have difficulty making purchases over 300,000 drams at duty free shops Marukyan: 2 years ago Azerbaijan president signed ceasefire agreement where Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned 5 times US diplomatic mission reveals details of CIA head with Naryshkin Karabakh army did not open fire at Azerbaijani positions in occupied territories UK intends to maintain military assistance to Ukraine in 2023 Copper prices falling World oil prices falling Gold falls in price Armenia PM, wife attend charity concert in support of soldiers undergoing treatment Azerbaijan army fires towards Armenia positions Eurasianet: Azerbaijan's Russian natural gas deal raises uncomfortable questions for Europe The Hill: Will a strong dollar trigger a global recession? Stanislav Zas: CSTO proposed several measures to help Armenia MOD: Artsakh Defense Army did not fire at Azerbaijani positions Princess Diana was 'murdered' because she was pregnant with Dodi Al Fayed's baby, claims his father Israel will fall apart, says Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps chief Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan leaders summit to be held in Ashgabat Elon Musk announces he will support Ron DeSantis if Florida governor runs for US president Armenia MOD dismisses Azerbaijan disinformation Baghdad ready to help Tehran-Riyadh negotiations resume, Iraq FM says Russia presidential spokesman: Attempts to interfere with CSTO work will continue Protests staged in Shanghai over China COVID curbs Iran parliament approves law on country's membership in Shanghai Cooperation Organization Worlds biggest nuclear-fusion project faces delays due to component cracks Erdogan announces Turkeys Bayraktar UAV fighter manufacture by end of 2023 Venezuela authorities and opposition resume talks, eyeing US sanctions relief Azerbaijan's Armenophobia policy to be presented in Australia (PHOTOS) Armenia FM: I am deeply shocked by news of Vladimir Makei's death The New York Times: Artillery breaking in Ukraine, becoming problem for Pentagon Karabakh MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement Americans spend record $9.12bn on online shopping on Black Friday North Korea aims to have world's strongest nuclear force, Kim Jong Un says What is best age to seek jobs? Scholz says Germany will allocate another 10 million to ensure grain supplies from Ukraine Azerbaijan opens fire on Armenian border positions Parapolitika: U.S. drone base is being set up near the Greek city of Larissa Belgium to send to Ukraine 100 instructors who fought in Afghanistan U.S. household spending up $433 for the year Authorities of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine signs Declaration of Lublin Triangle PMs CIS Executive Committee says they agreed with CSTO, SCO on combining anti-terrorist exercises Over 10 people are missing in Italy after landslide YEREVAN. Hraparak daily of Armenia writes: After the Russo-Ukrainian war, when the West imposed economic sanctions on Russia, they began to carefully monitor to what extent Armenia adheres to the regime of these restrictions. The main target was the Armenian banking system, and the main supervisorthe US ambassador to Armeniawho, according to news, regularly visited the Central Bank [(CB)], met with bankers and the CB governor and warned them not to work against the sanctions, not to help the strategic ally from below, to join the anti-Russian sanctions. As a result of that, the banks [in Armenia] increased transaction commissions, started creating obstacles for those coming from Russia and their bank transfers. The governor of the CB, Martin Galstyan, saw a "yellow" tone in this question of ours and said: "As for the meetings with the US ambassador, the ambassadors of Russia, France, Italy and other countries, it seems to me that the principle of parity is preserved. They are meetings that take place once or twice a year; that is, I believe that I have met with the Russian ambassador more than the ambassador off America. Former Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Artak Beglaryan has been appointed as an advisor to the newly appointed Minister of State of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan. Beglaryan informed about this on Facebook Saturday. He wrote as follows: Dear compatriots, Yesterday, by decree of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, I was released from the position of State Minister of Artsakh, handing over the reins to Ruben Vardanyan. 1. I would like to thank President Harutyunyan for this opportunity to serve the state and our people. 2. I assumed the powers of the State Minister under difficult conditions, months after the disastrous war, aware of the extent of the responsibility before our people, the President, my colleagues and the next generations. 3. In these critical conditions, within the framework of my powers and abilities, I have done everything possible in the direction of finding operative and systematic solutions to problems. Let the people, the President and colleagues evaluate how far I have succeeded and failed, however, I think that in that hard situation important and extensive works have been done by the Government with the Presidents leadership. I have presented my brief assessments of what I did and what I didn't do in yesterday's press conference: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsakhGovernment/videos/1781121835619902/ 4. During my tenure, I was guided by the Constitution, the legislations of the Republic, my conscience, values, principles and national and state interests. Although I am not fully satisfied with the results of my activity, my conscience is clear and my heart is at peace that I have devoted myself unreservedly and contributed to the maximum of my potential. 5. I apologize to all my compatriots for any of my omissions and any disappointments that I may have caused. Be sure that the reasons were not my indifference and indolence, but the limitations of resources, capabilities and functions. 6. I am glad that the president and Ruben Vardanyan made this decision. Mr. Vardanyan has undertaken a mission with extended powers to solve internal and external problems facing Artsakh. I am sure that new hope is ahead, and we must build our future ourselves with the participation and assistance of all Armenians. 7. I have decided to continue my service and dedication to the state and the people, accepting Ruben Vardanyan's proposal to be part of the team. Therefore, I will serve as an advisor to the State Minister, which is the lowest possible position discussed with the President and Mr. Vardanyan, but is the most optimal option for the effective realization of my potential at this stage. As Ive reiterated for me it is not the status that is important, but the values and the results. In addition to the efforts of ensuring smooth transition, I will assume specific powers and functions in solving both urgent and strategic problems. ARTSAKH WILL BE ARMENIAN, MORE DEVELOPED AND STRONGER. LETS GET TO WORK! Opposition rally participants' has issued a statement, which was read out by Professor Gurgen Melikyan. The statement reads in part: "We welcome the collective will of our Artsakh Armenian brothers and sisters to continue the struggle. Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan; this idea is the basis of the Armenian declaration of independence, and we will defend it at any cost. The policy implemented by the Armenian authorities threatens Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the realization of the provisions set forth in the Declaration of Independence of Armenia, endangers the existence of Artsakh, the exercise of the inalienable rights of Artsakh Armenians, drags our country into a geopolitical adventure, harms our relations with allied and friendly countries, brings new wars, losses and capitulation. Armenia must not be in the middle of a conflict between Russia and the West. It is extremely dangerous and inadmissible to base the resolution of the Karabakh conflict on a policy of external reference points. We are for the normalization of Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, but without preconditions, force or the threat of it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani demand of Zangezur corridor has no legal grounds. Azerbaijan must fulfill its obligations, return Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees and withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia. Turkey should not speak to Armenia in ultimatums. Our primary tasks should be to ensure public solidarity, to restore the army, to ensure the security of Armenia and Artsakh and the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity. According to the decision of the Supreme Council of Armenia dated July 8, 1992, any international or interstate document which refers to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic within Azerbaijan is unacceptable for Armenia. At present issues of principal and vital importance to us are being discussed behind the back of the Armenian people. Completely violating their pre-election promises and the program of their government, the current authorities of Armenia are negotiating settlements which put under question the sovereignty of Armenia and the existence of Artsakh. These talks contradict the principles of international law, as they are held under the use and threat of force by Azerbaijan. We declare that in violation of the domestic legal procedures of the Constitution of Armenia and the norms of international law the written or oral statements, promises, agreements of the acting authorities of Armenia have no legal force and will be considered invalid immediately after the inevitable change of power. We believe that Armenia should act with a new negotiator in international relations. We urge the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian people not to succumb to disappointment and pessimism, to be ready to fight for Armenia, Artsakh, and the secure and prosperous future of our country," the statement said. The rally ended with a concert. Photo: Shutterstock. B.C. exported close to $1 billion worth of lumber to Japan last year. While federal government representatives are heading to Egypt for next week's COP27 conference, B.C. government officials will be in Japan, along with industry delegates, to promote B.C. forestry and wood products. Next week, B.C. Forestry Minister Katrine Conroy will lead a delegation to Japan for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. "Japan is a critically important export market for B.C.'s high-quality wood products, and we are excited to engage directly and strengthen relationships with our key customers and trading partners," Conroy said in a news release. Conroy and forest industry representatives will be in Japan November 6 for a five-day trade mission. Their visit will include a tour of the Tokyo University of the Arts nail-laminated timber demonstration project the first type of an engineered wood product for flooring to be commercially adopted in Japan. They will also meet with the Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association. Dimensional lumber is still the backbone of B.C.'s forestry sector, though the provincial government has been trying to promote higher value industries, like engineered wood products and tall wood building construction. "These missions are critical to growing B.C.'s reputation as the supplier of choice in providing customers around the world with the renewable, low-carbon forest products people want and need, said Linda Coady, president of the Council of Forest Industries (COFI). Lennard Joe, CEO of the First Nations Forestry Council (FNFC), will give B.C. First Nations perspectives on B.C.'s forestry sector during the trade mission. "The First Nations Forestry Council and B.C. are working together on a number of projects in forestry that recognize First Nations rights and are promoting reconciliation, he said. FNFC, along with First Nations leadership, is honoured to be part of this mission and to offer our Japanese colleagues a true perspective on the forestry partnership between the province and First Nations. Exports from B.C. to Japan were valued at $4.8 billion in 2021, according to BC Stats. Forestry products represented about one third of that -- $1.6 billion. Last year B.C. exported $980 million worth of lumber to Japan, $181 million worth of logs, and $172 million worth of pulp. Even before election day, more than 100 challenges had been filed targeting rules for mail-in voting, early voting, voter access, voting machines, voting registration, the counting of mismarked absentee ballots, and access for partisan poll watchers. The unprecedented number of election-related filings poses problems for the courts and pending decisions before the U.S. Supreme Court may further undermine federal and state courts powers to oversee the election process, according to University of Miami School of Law professors Frances Hill and Anthony Alfieri. Both professors are Dean's Distinguished Scholars. Hill teaches courses in election law, and Alfieri is also the director of the schools Center for Ethics and Public Service. The politicians do have a right to go to court if there is credible evidence that things are being improperly done or a serious reasonable question that something has been improperly done, said Hill. They do not have a right to go to court without credible evidence or because they want to slow something down or generate press coverage. Hill, a constitutional law expert, pointed to a historical lack of clarity regarding elections written into the Constitution as a major contributor to the increased litigation, which has been exacerbated by the current political landscape. The Founding Fathers were not very clear on what constituted an election, Hill said. They did not want everybody voting. They wouldnt have thought that the poor should be voting, for example. Many did not consider slaves to be human beings; and even after the Civil War, they were reluctant to enact the 15thAmendment granting freed male slaves the right to vote. The U.S. Supreme Court played a central role in undermining claims for equal treatment, she added. Hill noted that members of the Senate were chosen by state legislators until early in the 20th century and emphasized the long struggle of women to be granted the right to vote. So, the reality of voting in this country has always been far more problematic than we would like to think, said Hill, whose own ancestors were active participants in the suffragist movement that resulted in the 19th Amendment. Alfieri, in recognizing the unprecedented explosion of litigation that has spiraled over the past few years surrounding the 2020 election, emphasized two main considerations: The inherent powers of federal and state courts and the regulatory and statutory powers of federal and state courts to supervise the conduct of parties, litigants, and their lawyers in litigation. A poll worker directs voters at an early voting site in Miami on Oct. 31. Photo: The Associated Press Its a mix of the judicial branchs institutional and statutory powers to regulate its own affairs, including managing its docket and supervising the conduct of litigants, he said. Apart from the institutional oversight, Alfieri pointed to the duties and responsibilities of self-regulation that lawyers, in the legal field and just as in professional areas, are obliged to observe and honor. He highlighted two overarching principles with regard to self-regulation: good faith and candor and honesty. First, good faithparticularly in the context of election challenge litigation as an officer of the court, state or federaland second, in that functioning as an officer of the court, the duty of candor and honesty and fair representation to courts, he explained. The duties to bring only non-frivolous, factual, and legal claims derive from these rules of professional conduct in every state, and they speak to the role and function of lawyers as officers of the court, he said. The threshold of evidence required of someone filing an election challenge are complex. Whether or not an individual or group can mount sufficient evidence to establish standing is both a constitutional and doctrinal inquiry that turns in part on injury and whether that injury is traceable to some unlawful conduct and whether that injury is redressable by federal and state courts, said Alfieri. The American Bar Association, specialized bar associations, and state bar associations such as The Florida Bar not only license lawyers, but they are also ultimately responsible for regulating lawyer conduct and enforcing rules of professionalism through disciplinary prosecutions, Alfieri pointed out. In the wake of the 63 court cases relating to the last election that were all dismissed for lacking evidence and facing the current increase in challenges, he called for lawyers as individuals and the regulatory institutions to exercise more integrity and authority. Lawyers in Florida and elsewhere need to stand up and honor the best traditions of the professions, Alfieri said. Those traditions demand not only candor and good faith, but also an independent cast of minds in deciding whether to bring litigation that may prove to be frivolous and sanctionable. Second, bar associations need to redouble their efforts to regulate litigation misconduct in the field of frivolous election challenges. And third, federal and state courts need to be more robust in exercising their sanction powers not only to punish but also to deter frivolous election challenges, Alfieri added. Hill worried about the impact on courts for the growing number of challenges already presented, yet said she was even more concerned by a case that has moved to the Supreme Court. That case, which was presented in June and is now on the highest courts docket, could change the way elections for Congress and the presidency are conducted, handing more power to state legislatures and blocking state courts from reviewing voting procedures and results, according to the constitutional expert. We are in new territory now, Hill said. And so going to court may not be as definitive as it once was if one can say that state legislatures have this authority that a court cannot overrule. Im not confident of any predictions about the future, including whats likely to happen tomorrow. It really is a very difficult time, Hill said. Baby and toddler BioNTech jabs arrive in Hong Kong Government advisers say very young children require a dose of around a tenth of that given to adults. File photo: AFP The government on Friday said a batch of about 96,000 shots of the baby and toddler version of the BioNTech Covid vaccine had arrived in Hong Kong. Distributed here under the name Comirnaty, the vaccine is for children aged between six months and four years. Last month, the government signed off on the use of the toddler version of the mRNA vaccine, after taking into account the views of experts on a government-appointed advisory panel. Previously the BioNTech shot had only been given to those aged five and above, while the Sinovac inactivated virus jab was made available for younger children in August. Government advisers had previously said that BioNTech was safe for infants, but that they would require a dose of around a tenth of that given to adults. With an aim to boost the technical textiles and bring in the same in the mainstream, Union minister of commerce, industry and textiles Piyush Goyal, said startups and young scientists working in such niche fields must be encouraged. He made this remark during a review meeting of Textile Research Associations (TRA) earlier this week on November 3, an official statement from the Ministry of Textiles said quoting the minister. At the review meeting, Union Minister Goyal asked Textile Research Associations (TRA) to submit proposals to the Ministry for any support they require to reach world-class levels of robust state-of-the-art labs, and modern machinery, amongst others. The Minister added that the Bureau of Indian Standards could provide necessary support in modernizing the labs of TRAs. In accordance with the vision to foster innovation and drive science-centric sustainable growth, he suggested creating a special fund to increase the number of scientists in TRAs, the statement said. Pointing out the need to assess the projects till their last-mile success, he added that the projects might be sanctioned accordingly to make them commercially viable. Moreover, he noted that for medical textiles the research is incomplete without clinical trials, therefore the costs associated with clinical trials may also be taken into account while recommending future projects in technical textiles. Goyal asked to explore the possibilities of merging TRAs or fostering partnerships among TRAs engaged in similar kinds of research in order to bring synergy among these bodies and instructed that the quarterly engagement of TRAs with the Ministry be institutionalized. The review meeting was attended by VK Saraswat, Member (Science and Technology), NITI Aayog, Prof. Ajay K. Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and representative of 8 TRAs (affiliated bodies under the Ministry of Textile), namely, Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA) Ahmedabad, The Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA) Mumbai, Man-Made Textiles Research Association (MANTRA) Surat, Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) Ghaziabad, Synthetic and Art Silk Mills Research Association (SASMIRA) Mumbai, South India Textile Research Association (SITRA) Coimbatore, Wool Research Association (WRA), Thane, and Indian Jute Industries Research Association (IJIRA) Kolkata. "Several presentations were made by the TRAs, highlighting their performance over the last decade which includes their research projects, patents status, machinery and equipment statistics and strategies for the future," the statement added. (ANI) Ahead of the annual climate mitigation summit, India said it looks forward to substantial progress on the discussions related to climate finance, particularly for developing countries, and clarity on its definition. Climate finance typically refers to any financing that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. The annual, widely followed climate mitigation summit is scheduled to be held at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt during November 6-18, 2022. "As it is a saying that "what gets measured gets done", more clarity is needed on the definition of climate finance for the developing countries to be able to accurately assess the extent of finance flows for climate action. While the Standing Committee on Finance will submit a report on the various definitions, we hope to have good deliberations on this to arrive at a common understanding," a statement put out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said on Friday. The interpretation of the term, the statement said, must be in line with the commitments made by the countries on climate finance in the Convention and its Paris Agreement. India said the goal of USD 100 billion per year of climate finance by 2020 and every year thereafter through 2025 is yet to be achieved. "Due to lack of common understanding, several estimates of what has flown as climate finance are available. While the promised amount must be reached as quickly as possible, there is a need now to substantially enhance the ambition to ensure adequate resource flow under the new quantified goal post-2024," the statement from the ministry said. Reaching the USD 100 billion per year goal must come first, and the developed countries must be asked to show the roadmap for the same, it said. Further, about the Egyptian Presidency of COP27, which is also a member of the Like Minded Developing Countries, the statement said the country has rightfully named COP27 as the COP of "Implementation". "India welcomes this step as over the last twelve months the world has seen the widening gap between the statements by developed countries at COP 26 in Glasgow and the reality of their actions." India is ready to support the Egyptian Presidency, with a plan of action that answers the needs of developing countries. Adaptation and loss and damage are two issues at the centre of attention, and progress on these two issues will complement each other. Meanwhile, India's Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav will lead the country's delegation to the 27th Session of the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27). The statement from the ministry added India is fully engaged with the process and is supportive of the efforts by the government of Egypt for substantive outcomes at COP27. What did India announce at COP26 held in 2021? At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in late 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge, including reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, to generate half of all energy requirements from renewables, to reduce emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030. India also aims to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent. Finally, India commits to net-zero emissions by 2070. Walking the talk, India has gone ahead and banned the use of several single-use plastics starting July 2022. The adverse impacts of littered single-use plastic items plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environments are globally recognized. Addressing pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries. India is expected to raise matters and argue matters related to climate finance for the developing world where per capita emissions are comparatively quite low against the developed world in order to address carbon mitigation. (ANI) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 5 (ANI/PRNewswire): STL (NSE: STLTECH), one of the industry's leading integrators of digital networks, today announced its financial results for quarter ended 30 September 2022. STL reported profitable growth with revenues of Rs 1,768 crores, up by 12 per cent Q-o-Q and 17 per cent Y-o-Y. Nearly 70 per cent of revenue came from the US and Europe. A robust order book of Rs 11,697 crores further cemented STL's position as a global partner for 5G and FTTH. 5G, FTTH and data centre roll-outs are picking up pace globally and optical demand is on a strong upward trajectory, with the optical fibre cable market size expected to reach ~USD 10 Bn by 20241. India's much-awaited 5G roll-out has started and will strongly hinge on fibre with telcos planning to lay ~2,00,000 cable kilometres and spend between ~USD 1.5 Bn to USD 2.5 Bn2 on fibre roll-out in the next 2 to 3 years. STL has already made strategic investments for this demand cycle and is playing a pivotal role in this ongoing decade of network creation, both in India and internationally. STL is progressing towards becoming one of the top 3 optical players globally. Expressing confidence on the company's growth trajectory, Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, STL said,"The world has now recognised broadband as a basic necessity. 5G, FTTH, and Rural connectivity efforts are all coinciding to connect the remaining 40 per cent of the world. Fiberisation is going to be front and centre in this decade of network creation and STL is fully prepared to meet this demand with global capacities, great talent and technology-led solutions. We are constantly innovating to build these networks fast and in the most sustainable way." Some key performance highlights - Continued, long term customer wins: STL reported one of its highest quarterly order intakes of Rs ~3,200 crores. The company signed deals with Vocus in Australia, and a top telecom service provider in the US. It also won and a large deal for Optical Interconnect, which comprises of plug and play FTTx accessories and connectorised solutions, with a top-tier European telecom service provider. - Market momentum in key markets: STL now holds ~11 per cent market share of the global (ex-China) OFC market and ~14 per cent market share in the US. In India, the company reported a strong order book with profitable projects in strategic segments. - Leadership in innovation with 742 patents: STL recently unveiled India's first multicore fibre which will quadruple the capacity of networks. It also announced bespoke solutions for tower fiberisation (5G Cosmos) and rural fiberisation (Gram Galaxy) - Progress towards Net-Zero by 2030 roadmap: STL became the world's first optical manufacturer to receive Zero Liquid Discharge certification for all its Indian operations and also announced that 100 per cent of its operations in India and Italy are now Zero Waste to Landfill certified Key financial highlights STL continued the positive momentum while focusing on prudent capital allocation and profitability. The company recently divested IDS - a UK-based niche data centre player to rebalance its portfolio. Commenting on STL's performance, Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, STL, further added,"We hold our purpose of transforming billions of lives very close to our hearts and are very excited about this opportunity to connect the unconnected. This quarter saw one of the highest order intakes of ~3,200 crore. I really want to congratulate the entire team for delivering such a strong performance in a complex operating environment. There is good traction for our solutions, and we believe that our focused efforts will create stakeholder value and bring us closer to being amongst the top 3 optical players globally." STL is one of the industry's leading integrators of digital networks that helps telecom service providers, cloud companies, citizen networks and large enterprises deliver enhanced experiences to their customers. Read more, Contact us. stl.tech |Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube 1 Source: CRU2 Source: STL estimates This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC or COP 27 will be held at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt from November 6 to 18 in an effort to build on previous successes and pave the way for effectively tackling global climate change. This year's COp27 summit will be even more crucial in the backdrop of several extreme weather events -- typhoons in Bangladesh, unprecedented floods in Pakistan, heatwaves in Europe, wildfires in North America, dry rivers in China, and droughts in Africa. According to a blog authored by International Monetary Fund's Kristalina Georgieva Managing Director, the extreme events will only get worse if the global community fail to act. With scientists predicting more adverse events, lives and livelihoods of millions of vulnerables are at stake. "Mass migration could follow. And, failure to get emissions on the right trajectory by 2030 may lock global warming above 2 degrees Celsius and risk catastrophic tipping points--where climate change becomes self-perpetuating," Georgieva argued in the blog. "If we act now, not only can we avoid the worst, but we can also choose a better future. Done right, the green transformation will deliver a cleaner planet, with less pollution, more resilient economies, and healthier people." She added getting there requires action on three fronts -- steadfast policies to reach net zero by 2050, strong measures to adapt to the global warming that's already locked in, and staunch climate finance to help vulnerable countries. Net zero by 2050 The good news is that about 140 countries, accounting for 91 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, have already proposed or set net-zero targets for around mid-century. On the contrary, Georgieva said the bad news is that net-zero rhetoric does not match reality. On adaptation, it focused on investments in resilience -- early warning systems and climate-smart agriculture. Climate finance: Doing more on climate financing is vital. Advanced economies must meet or exceed the pledge of USD 100 billion in climate finance for developing countries. Climate finance typically refers to any financing that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. Notably, ahead of the annual climate mitigation summit, India said it looks forward to substantial progress on the discussions related to climate finance, particularly for developing countries, and clarity on its definition. India is expected to raise matters such as climate finance for the developing world where per capita emissions are comparatively quite low against the developed world in order to address carbon mitigation. What did India pledge at COP26 held in 2021? At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in late 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge, including reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, to generate half of all energy requirements from renewables, to reduce emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030. India also aims to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent. Finally, India commits to net-zero emissions by 2070. Walking the talk, India has gone ahead and banned the use of several single-use plastics starting July 2022. The adverse impacts of littered single-use plastic items plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environments are globally recognized. (ANI) Tony and Academy Award-nominated writer, director and performer Douglas McGrath passed away at 64. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production company of McGrath's autobiographical play 'Everything is Fine' revealed on Friday that he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday. As per the reports of The Hollywood Reporter, at the time of his death, McGrath was in New York City, where he was in the midst of performing in Everything is Fine at Off-Broadway's DR2 Theatre. The show will not continue, after playing its last performance on Wednesday. "The company of Everything's Fine was honoured to have presented his solo autobiographical show. Everyone who worked with him over the last three months of production was struck by his grace, charm, and droll sense of humour, and sends deepest condolences to his family," producers Daryl Roth, Tom Werner and director John Lithgow said in a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter. McGrath's career encompassed both the stage and Hollywood, earning him a Tony Award nod for his book Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay for Bullets Over Broadway, which he co-wrote with Woody Allen. McGrath wrote and directed a number of films, including Emma, Nicholas Nickleby, Company Man (co-written and directed with Peter Askin), and Infamous. His Way and Becoming Mike Nichols, both Emmy-nominated HBO documentaries, were directed by him. He was in seven Woody Allen films, as well as Quiz Show and The Insider. He also penned the theatre plays The Age of Innocence and Checkers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, McGrath was born in Midland, Texas, to Beatrice and R. Searle McGrath. He attended Trinity School of Midland, The Choate School, and Princeton University. He is survived by his wife, Jane Read Martin, and son, Henry McGrath. (ANI) Joelle Rich represented Johnny in his libel trial against The Sun in 2018. The update about their separation has been confirmed by People magazine. Back in September, a source confirmed to the outlet that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star and the London lawyer were "dating, but it's not serious." Rich was on Depp's legal team during his libel case against The Sun, which he lost in November 2020. He sued the U.K. newspaper for calling him a "wife-beater," but the court upheld the outlet's claims as being "substantially true" and his ex-wife Amber Heard testified to back up the claims. In March 2021, his attempt to overturn the decision was overruled. Rich was not among his lawyers in this year's defamation case against Heard, 36, which was held in Fairfax County, Virginia. This isn't Rich's first encounter with internationally renowned figures while working in her field. According to Page Six, the lawyer, a partner at the firm Schillings, successfully defended Meghan Markle in the Duchess' 2019 case against the Daily Mail over the publishing of a private letter to her estranged father, winning on behalf of her client in 2021. (ANI) While signing an MoU with Bright Star Investments Pvt Ltd for infrastructure development of the second medical college in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that within the next five years, Assam will have 24 medical colleges which will greatly improve the availability of doctors and healthcare in the state. He said the state government is working with a vision to set up one medical college in each district in Assam. Already, the government has taken steps for setting up 15 new medical colleges in addition to the nine existing ones. Out of the 15 new medical colleges, seven are being constructed in Nalbari, Nagaon, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Charaideo, Biswanath Chariali, along with the second medical college in Guwahati. Sarma informed that the government is going to start construction of five more medical colleges at Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Marigaon, Tamulpur and Dhemaji during this month, while work for three more medical colleges at Sivasagar, Karimganj and Goalpara will be taken up very soon. With the increase in medical colleges in the state, the number of MBBS seats has also increased from 726 in 2014 to 1,200 in 2022. Till 2014, the total number of post-graduate (PG) seats in Assam was 395, which has gone up to 711 in 2022. Similarly, 44 super-specialty seats are now available in various institutions. The state will have 2,700 MBBS seats once the construction of the proposed medical colleges is completed, the CM said. "It is for the first time that the Assam government has collaborated with the private sector for building infrastructure for a medical college in the state," he added. In 1960, the first medical college in Guwahati was established to cater to the needs of the people of Assam as well as the neighbouring states. --IANS tdr/arm ( 312 Words) 2022-11-04-22:56:03 (IANS) Photo: The Canadian Press CUPE Ontario members and supporters wave signs and flags as they demonstrate outside of the Queen's Park Legislative Building in Toronto, Friday. UPDATE: 8:30 a.m. Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce won't be made to testify at a labour relations board hearing that will decide whether a walkout by education workers is illegal. But the board's chair says assistant deputy minister Andrew Davis will be asked to give evidence. It's the second day the Ontario Labour Relations Board is hearing testimony, following an application by the provincial government. The province alleges the Canadian Union of Public Employees is engaging in an unlawful strike, while the union representing 55,000 education workers argues its job action is a "legitimate political protest." CUPE sought to have both Lecce and Davis testify, but Board Chair Bryan O'Byrne says Lecce is granted immunity through parliamentary privilege. O'Byrne says Davis, on the other hand, will be summoned because he may have "arguably relevant evidence" about contract negotiations between CUPE and the government. Thousands of education workers hit picket lines across the province on Friday to voice their concerns over a bill passed Thursday by the Ford government that took away their right to strike and imposed a four-year contract. The job action closed numerous schools and the union has said the protest could continue indefinitely. The government's new law has set fines for violating the ban on strikes of up to $4,000 per employee per day which could amount to $220 million for all 55,000 workers and up to $500,000 per day for the union. CUPE has said it will fight the fines, but will also pay them if it has to. ORIGINAL: 7:15 a.m. The Ontario Labour Relations Board is to hear another day of testimony on the government's application to deem yesterday's walkout by education workers illegal. The board began hearing arguments after the minister of education made an application to deem the walkout unlawful. The province also alleges two union leaders counselled its members to go on an unlawful strike. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 education workers, argues the action was a political protest and not a strike. Thousands of education workers hit picket lines across the province to voice their concerns over a bill passed Thursday by the Ford government that took away their right to strike and imposed a four-year contract. The job action closed numerous schools and the union has said the protest will continue indefinitely. Monkeypox mutations have enabled the virus to grow stronger and smarter, evading antiviral drugs and vaccines in its mission to infect more people, a team of Indian-American scientists have found. The virus has infected more than 77,000 people in more than 100 countries, and in recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3e6 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The findings of the study, published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, can help in modifying the existing drugs used to treat monkeypox or developing new medicines that can counter the mutations thus reducing symptoms of the disease and curbing the spread of the virus. A team of researchers at the University of Missouri, led by professor Kamlendra Singh, identified the specific mutations in the monkeypox virus that contribute to its continued infectiousness. "By doing a temporal analysis, we were able to see how the virus has evolved over time. A key finding was that the virus is now accumulating mutations specifically where drugs and antibodies from vaccines are supposed to bind," researcher Shrikesh Sachdev said. "So, the virus is getting smarter, it is able to avoid being targeted by drugs or antibodies from our body's immune response and continue to spread to more people," he added. Kamlendra Singh, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center principal investigator, collaborated with Shrikesh Sachdev, Athreya Reddy, Shree Lekha Kandasamy, Siddappa Byrareddy and Saathvik Kannan for the research. The team analysed DNA sequences of more than 200 strains of monkeypox virus -- from 1965, when the virus first started spreading, to outbreaks in the early 2000s and again in 2022. "Our focus is on looking at the specific genes involved in copying the virus genome. Monkeypox is a huge virus with approximately 200,000 DNA bases in the genome," lead researcher Kamlendra Singh said. He explained that the DNA genome for monkeypox is converted into nearly 200 proteins, so it comes with all the earmor' it needs to replicate, divide and continue to infect others. "Viruses will make billions of copies of itself and only the fittest will survive, as the mutations help them adapt and continue to spread," he said. Kannan and Kandasamy examined five specific proteins while analyzing the monkeypox virus strains -- DNA polymerase, DNA helicase, bridging protein A22R, DNA glycosylase and G9R. Researchers continue to question how the monkeypox virus has evolved over time. The efficacy of current Centres for Disease Control and Prevention-approved drugs to treat monkeypox have been suboptimal, likely because they were originally developed to treat HIV and herpes but have since received emergency use authorization in an attempt to control the recent monkeypox outbreak. --IANS mi/arm ( 462 Words) 2022-11-05-19:02:04 (IANS) According to Urban Development Department sources, Zala has been posted at the Regional Municipal Commissioner's office in Rajkot with an instruction to not to leave the station without permission of higher authorities or government. IANS tried to get confirmation of the development from the Secretary, Urban Development, Regional Commissioner, Municipalities, Morbi District Collector, but they did not respond. On Thursday evening, investigation officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police S.A. Zala had questioned Zala for almost two hours in connection with the contract signed between Morbi Nagarpalika and the Ajanta Manufacturing Company of Oreva group. Police, during the investigation, have collected documents from Oreva's office, in which they have found documents of 2007 contract too. --IANS har/vd ( 155 Words) 2022-11-04-20:04:04 (IANS) The incident took place at 6:30 pm at Nandigama in the NTR district. According to NTR district Police Commissioner Kanti Rana Tata, one stone was thrown by unknown miscreants at Naidu's road show. His Chief Security Officer Madhav was injured in the incident. "Incident took place at 6:30 pm. One stone was thrown by unknown miscreants. CSO Madhav was injured. A probe is on," said the CP of the NTR district. Meanwhile, Jaggaiahpet Police is on alert after the stone pelting incident. Deputy Commissioner Mary Prashanthi and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Srinivasulu are inspecting Jaggaiahpet town with additional forces. Police special forces under the command of DCP Mary Prashanthi inspected the road where Chandrababu's road show was held. Notably, Naidu is the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after it was divided. In the 2019 assembly elections, the YSR Congress Party won with a landslide victory. (ANI) "One died and three were injured in a building portion collapse incident in NSC Bose Road in Chennai," said police officials. Fire Service persons rescued the wounded persons and were involved in clearing the debris. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Flats are being constructed at various places under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in this regard. This was revealed during a meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Mayor Baldev Singh Biluria on Friday, in which the implementation of the 'Houses for All' scheme was reviewed. The meeting was attended by officials from JMC, Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, and Jammu Development Authority. It was informed that 750 flats are being constructed in Kot Bhalwal under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The scheme supervised by the Government of India is being implemented by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. The houses will be given to the deserving families whose annual income is less than Rs 0.3 lakh. The price per flat is about Rs 9.25 lakh. Rs 1.66 lakh is subsidy while Rs 2 lakh is interest-free loan which can be obtained from the Jammu and Kashmir Bank and be repaid in 10 years. --IANS altaf/arm ( 203 Words) 2022-11-04-22:46:02 (IANS) In an important judgment, the Karnataka High Court on Friday ruled that if a minor girl in a brothel complains that a person had forceful sex, he can't be categorised as a customer and let off. A single-judge bench headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna gave the order while dealing with the petition of Mohammad Sharif a.k.a Fahim Haji, 45, seeking quashing of proceedings against him. The petitioner from Kerala's Kasaragod was booked for visiting a brothel by Mangaluru Woman's Police Station and was seeking quashing of the case and legal proceedings against him. The bench stated that, those who are caught at the time of conducting raids could be considered as customers. But, if victims, who are minors, have complained against the accused, they can't be considered as customers only. Counsel for petitioner had argued that the accused was a customer and had been booked for human trafficking. It was also argued that the investigation officer had lodged many FIRs for one case, and therefore, the case must be quashed, counsel argued. However, the court did not agree to it and dismissed the petitioner's plea. In this case, a 17-year-old girl was residing with her relative and pursuing studies. The accused, who had approached her in the guise of helping her, had instead pushed her into the brothel. They had recorded the video of the girl with customers and forced her to continue in the flesh trade. The accused had threatened the girl that they would put her videos on social media if she didn't listen to them. According to investigation, the petitioner had sex with minor girl, recorded the act, and threatened her. The girl who managed to escape from the clutches of the accused, informed her parents and lodged a police case. The police booked many accused including the petitioner under the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Act, Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Information Technology Act and submitted the charge sheet to the court. The court opined that it is not a case of raid, and though the victim is one person, the offences committed against her are of different nature, and it is not possible to demand clubbing of all cases as one case. --IANS mka/vd ( 394 Words) 2022-11-04-23:02:01 (IANS) To give a further boost to the ongoing projects, the Indian Army has now approved Project Sanction Orders (PSOs) of five Make II projects providing Impetus to Atma Nirbhaarta. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Make -2 projects are essentially industry-funded projects involving design, development and innovative solutions by Indian vendors for the development of prototypes. "Indian Army is spearheading actions to provide impetus to "Make Projects" as the prime drivers of infusion of niche technologies through indigenous development. To give a further boost to the ongoing projects, the Indian Army has now approved Project Sanction Orders (PSOs) of five Make II projects. Make II projects are essentially Industry funded projects involving design, development and innovative solutions by Indian vendors for the development of prototypes. An assurance of order is given after successful prototype development," the Ministry said. Five Make-2 projects are High-Frequency Man Packed Software Defined Radio (HFSDR), Drone Kill System, Infantry Training Weapon Simulator (IWTS), 155mm Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM) and Medium Range Precision Kill System (MRPKS). High-Frequency Man-Packed Software Defined Radio: It will facilitate blue-force tracking with map-based navigation using GIS, thereby increasing real-time situational awareness. These radio sets will replace the existing HF radio sets in the inventory, which have limited data handling capability and obsolete technology," the ministry said. Drone Kill System: Drone Kill System is a hard kill anti-drone system against low Radio Cross Section (RCS) Drone or unmanned Aerial System (UAS), being developed to function in all types of terrains, both during day and night. Infantry Training Weapon Simulator: It will be utilised to augment the marksmanship skills of young soldiers on variety of weapons used by the, providing user-friendly graphics to simulate battle scenarios. IWTS is a modern training aid, which will reduce recurrent expenditures on live ammunition, besides obviating the challenges of availability of firing ranges and inclement weather. Each IWTS will facilitate the training of 10 personnel at any one point of time. 155mm Terminally Guided Munitions: Project Sanction Order has been issued to six Developing Agencies (DAs) for the development of 155 mm Terminally Guided Munition (TGM) under the Make II scheme. Variants of ammunition were held in the inventory of the Indian Army, sans, the precision strike capability. The Indian Army, therefore, plans to procure approximately 2000 rounds of 155mm TGM against High-Value Targets with assured Precision and Lethality for mission accomplishment and minimum collateral damage. Medium Range Precision Kill System: It can 'Loiter' in the air for upto two hours and can acquire, designate and engage real-time high-value targets upto 40 km. In times to come we see our country transforming as "AtmaNirbhaar" in Loitering Munition Technology. The Ministry further said that the Indian Army is already progressing with 43 ongoing projects under the Make II procedure of Capital Acquisition. 17 out of 43 projects have been initiated through suo-moto proposals received from the industry, which has generated enthusiasm and confidence in the Indian defence industry for participation in the "Make procedure". Make II procurement scheme has given an impetus to increase the Design & Development in the defence industry to achieve the indigenisation of high-end technology systems in various types of weapon systems, ammunition and modern training systems, which are currently not available in the country. Multiple measures to expedite the ongoing Make II projects have resulted in tangible outcomes. 22 out of 43 Make II projects are now in prototype development stage, which is 66 % of projects by cost (Rs 18,000 crores out of 27,000 crores). (ANI) "The death toll in Chennai building collapse rises to two," the Chennai Police officials said. The deceased was identified as Shankar who passed away at Chennai Rajiv Gandhi Hospital. A portion of a 100-year-old building collapsed on the NSC Bose Road in the city last night and fell on pedestrians. The building had reportedly become weak due to days of rain that prompted it collapse. One person was initially reported to be dead while three others were reportedly injured. Soon after the incident, fire service persons rescued the injured persons and were involved in clearing the debris. Further details into the matter are awaited. (ANI) Days after taking control of Twitter, Elon Musk, on Friday, began firing hundreds of employees in departments across the company. As per Tech Crunch, key Twitter teams including Human Rights, Accessibility, Al Ethics and Curation have been axed so far by the Tesla CEO. The particular news was also confirmed by fired employees on social media. Many posted farewell messages confirming that they have been let go under the mass layoff at Twitter by the microblogging site''s new boss Musk. Human Rights In a tweet, former Twitter Human Rights Counsel Shannon Raj Singh shared news that the company''s human rights team was eliminated on Friday. "Yesterday was my last day at Twitter: the entire Human Rights team has been cut from the company. I am enormously proud of the work we did to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, to protect those at-risk in global conflicts & crises including Ethiopia,Afghanistan, and Ukraine, and to defend the needs of those particularly at risk of human rights abuse by virtue of their social media presence, such as journalists & human rights defenders," Shannon''s post on Twitter read. The team worked to protect users facing human rights violations around the globe, including activists, journalists and people affected by conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Accessibility Experience The news of axing of Accessibility Experience team of Twitter was confirmed by the former head of the particular department Gerard K. Cohen. "I am officially no longer the Engineering Manager for the Accessibility Experience Team at Twitter. I have words.Along with me, my entire engineering team has been let go. Before I get into my own thoughts, I want to honor them. If you are looking to hire some brilliant accessibility engineers, keep reading," he tweeted. The team improved the product for people with disabilities. The team appears to have had a lot still in the works before it was disbanded, Tech Crunch reported. Communications It''s not yet clear what parts of Twitter''s communications team have been cut outright, but the cuts are deep enough that many prominent comms employees at the company were affected. "Twitter is so special. After 4 yrs, I''m leaving with the fullest, experiences I never imagined, and unbreakable bonds with so many Tweeps. My head is held high, knowing I gave it my absolute all.@TwitterComms: We have so much to be proud of. Time to fly even higher! #OneTeam," now former employee at Twitter Communications tweeted. Machine learning ethics, transparency and accountability Musk dissolved a team known internally as META, which was well-respected for its exploratory work in ethical AI and algorithmic transparency. Rumman Chowdhury, the team''s director, was eliminated, along with the team''s engineers and other members. Curation According to Tech Crunch, Curation team was also axed by Musk.The Curation team curated the moments tab, programmed the trending topics section, provided context on those topics and also handled live events. The team also worked to fight misinformation on the platform. Musk, on Saturday, defended his layoff decision as he stressed "unfortunately there is no choice". He shared that Twitter "is losing $ 4 million a day." "Regarding Twitter''s reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50% more than legally required (sic)," Musk tweeted amid wide criticism of how layoffs have been carried out within a week of acquisition. Musk had taken over the firm last week when three top executives - CEO Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde - were asked to leave. (ANI) Three people were killed and another person was injured after the car in which they were travelling in hit a tree near Bishanpura village of Madhya Pradesh's Niwari district, an official said. The accident occurred late on Thursday night and those who died were identified as Vinod Yadav (45), a resident of Kanora, Deepak Yadav (30), a resident of Sarsora, Narendra Yadav (27), a resident of Mohanpura. The injured has been identified as Sahib Singh Yadav and he has been to admitted Jhansi medical college. Privthipur Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Santosh Patel said that there were a total of four people travelling in the car and they were returning to Prithvipur after partying. All of them were in an inebriated state. On getting the information about the accident, the police rushed to the spot and tried to take out the bodies, but all the bodies were trapped in the car. After that they cut the car with a cutter and after 6 hours of effort, the bodies were taken out from the car and sent for post-mortem, he added. The injured is undergoing treatment at Jhansi Medical College. According to the villagers, the car was running at a high speed and all the people were intoxicated. The driver lost control at the turning point and collided with the tree. Further investigation into the matter is underway. Meanwhile, on Friday, at least 11 persons were killed and scores more were injured after the bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a car near Jhallar police station in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. (ANI) Colleen Hoovers It Starts with Us, a sequel to 2016s It Ends with Us, sold an astounding 800,000 copies on the first day of its release, a number that includes preorders. This set a record for publisher Simon & Schuster. Hoover is having an amazing year to top off an amazing decade of relentlessly building the audience for her books. In the span of 10 years, she went from self-published author to outselling well-established favorites like James Patterson and John Grisham. Hoovers story is an inspiring testament to hard work, self-belief and engaging with your audience, which she has done for the duration of her career, interacting with her army of CoHorts on TikTok and Facebook. Advertisement Publishing has not seen this kind of phenomenon in years. Hoover is a unique force that I imagine others are trying to emulate, but Im also guessing no one will figure out the formula because that formula is embedded in Hoovers unique sensibilities. As amazing as it is, in a way, Hoovers massive publishing success makes me think about how small publishing is, relative to other media industries. Hoover is a big deal for book readers, but its rare for books to break through in bigger ways. Advertisement Hoover has reportedly sold over 8 million copies of her books this year. Again, amazing. But consider that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment of J.K. Rowlings series sold over 8 million copies on the day of its release. For sure, its unfair to compare Hoovers numbers with a once-in-multiple-lifetime phenomenon like Harry Potter, but this is my point about scale and books. Hoover is an undeniable phenomenon that is still many times smaller than a true culture-wide breakthrough occurrence. As another point of comparison, Taylor Swifts recently released album Midnights was streamed on Spotify 88 million times in the U.S. and 185 million times worldwide in the 24 hours after its release. Swift even managed to sell half a million vinyl (what us olds used to call records) copies of Midnights, a niche format that may be making a comeback, but one that cant even be listened to in the vast majority of households. Hoover and Swift share some similarities in approach, marching to the beat of their own drummers, rather than being confined by the way their industries have worked in the past, but in music, that boldness is rewarded with an audience literally 100 times bigger than in publishing. As someone whose life revolves around books, it is sobering to remember how truly marginal reading books is in the lives of most people. I mean, Ive seen the sales of my own books, so I know what its like to be unimpressed by puny numbers, but when even supersized publishing numbers can seem relatively small, it gives you pause. This is not where Im going to turn this piece into a death of culture lament. Times change, and to try to turn back the clock begets only frustration. I think one of the mistakes book people make is to suggest books deserve a more exalted space than other forms of media. Turning books into cultural medicine thats good for you is no way to get people reading. Advertisement Ive written in the past that after reading It Ends with Us I recognized that Hoover was not necessarily for me, but I still think we could use a dozen or a hundred or a thousand more of her, people who have stories they want to tell to the world in their own way. John Warner is the author of Why They Cant Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. Twitter @biblioracle Book recommendations from the Biblioracle John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read 1. Miseducated: My Journey by Brandon P. Fleming Advertisement 2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 3. This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay 4. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton 5. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb Margaret M., Syracuse, New York Its been a while since I recommended one of my go-to books for wide-ranging readers like Margaret, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney Advertisement 1. Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer 2. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 3. Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka 4. Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson 5. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Ben U., Chicago Advertisement Dexter Palmer is one of the more inventive writers Ive ever read. His books keep you interestingly off-kilter, and I think Ben might appreciate this sensation. The specific recommendation is Mary Toft; or, The Rabbit Queen. 1. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover 2. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware 3. Emma by Jane Austen 4. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han 5. The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown Advertisement Beth T., Chicago For Beth, Im recommending a quasi-romance from a different era, by a writer thats as distinctive in her own way as Colleen Hoover is in hers, Innocence by Penelope Fitzgerald. Get a reading from the Biblioracle Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com. The central government on Saturday informed the Delhi High Court that the 'Jana Gana Mana' and 'Vande Mataram' both stand on the same level and every citizen of the country should show equal respect to the both. The response of the Centre has been filed in a Public Internet Litigation (PIL) that prayed for parity of treatment between the National Anthem and National Song and also to frame guidelines for the National Song 'Vande Mataram' giving it the same honour and status at par with the National Anthem of India. Earlier the Delhi High Court had sought a response from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Law and Justice and others on the PIL. The plea also sought direction to the Centre and State Governments to ensure that 'Jana-Gana-Mana' and 'Vande Mataram' are played and sung in all schools and educational institutions on every working day and also to frame guidelines in the spirit of the Constituent Assembly resolution dated January 24, 1950, read with the Judgment passed by the Madras High Court and Supreme Court of India. The petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, practising lawyer and BJP leader stated that India is a Union of States and not an association or confederation of States. There is only one nationality i.e. Indian and it is the duty of every Indian to respect 'Vande Mataram'. "In order to keep the country united, it is the duty of the Government to frame a National Policy to promote-propagate Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram. There is no reason why it should evoke any other sentiment as both are decided by Constitution makers." "The sentiments expressed in Jana Gana Mana have been expressed while keeping the State in view. However, sentiments expressed in Vande Mataram denote the nation's character and style and deserve similar respect. Sometimes, Vande Mataram is sung in circumstances that are not permissible and can never be countenanced in law. It is the duty of every Indian to show respect when Vandemataram is played/sung," said the plea. "Vande Mataram was the whole nation's thought and motto when India gained independence from British rule during the independence movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in major cities, worked themselves into a patriotic fervour by shouting the slogan Vande Mataram'. The British, fearful of the potential danger of incited populace, at one point in time, banned the utterance of Vande Mataram in public places and imprisoned many independence activists for disobeying the prescription," the plea added. "Rabindranath Tagore sang 'Vande Mataram in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session. Dakshina Charan Sen sang Vande Mataram five years later in 1901 in another Congress Session at Calcutta. Sarala Devi Chaudurani sang Vande Mataram in Benares Congress Session in 1905. Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal called Vande Mataram from Lahore," the plea stated. (ANI) The arrested LeT terrorists have been identitified as Rizwan Mushtaq Wani and Jameel Ahmed Parra. In a CASO launched by Sopore police and 22 RR, arms and ammunition were also recovered from the possession of the terrorists. The recovered ammunition included one pistol, one pistol magazine, some pistol rounds, and an improvised explosive device (IED). "During CASO, suspicious movement of a person coming from bus stand Sopore towards Shah Faisal Market having a bag in his hand was noted and was subsequently asked to stop, but he tried to flee from the spot. However was apprehended tactfully by the security forces," the police said in statement. The police further said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested person Rizwan Mushtaq is a "hybrid terrorist of the proscribed organisation LeT" and was looking for an opportunity to attack non-locals, minorities, security personnel and peaceful citizens. A case in this matter has been booked at the Sopore police station under relevant sections of the law. The police said that another terrorist-- Jameel Ahmed Parra-- was apprehended after Rizwan Mushtaq revealed the name of his accomplice. Parra was arrested by the Baramulla Police during late night hours. "This led to the arrest of the above said second hybrid terrorist alongwith Baramulla police during late hours and further war like stores/ recoveries like pistol and grenades were effected," the statement said. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI) Three people were held by the local police in connection with the alleged kidnapping of the owner of five jewelry shops in Bihar's Arrah. As per the businessman's family, he has been kidnapped. He had gone to Pataleshwar Temple at around 5 pm on Wednesday. But suddenly, he went missing from the spot. The family members tried searching for him but were not able to find him, after which they registered the complaint to the police. The family members said that Gupta's phone kept ringing throughout the night and then got switched off. As per the police, the last location of the phone was traced in Behea. The businessman named Hariji Gupta is a resident of Bihar's Arrah. He owns three jewelry shops in Arrah and two jewelry shops in Patna. He also has a market on Arrah Baipass Road, where several shops are run. He is also a lawyer by profession. Superintendent of Police (SP), Arrah Sanjay Kumar Singh informed ANI said that the case has been registered and the matter is being investigated. "Four teams under SSP Himanshu are carrying out investigation in four different areas. We are looking at the CCTV footage and are also taking assistance from the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU) team. Those behind the incident will be arrested soon". The police also recovered his bike from the suspected spot. Under the investigation, three people have been taken into custody by the police. The police also said that the businessman had entered into an argument with one of his tenant shop owners in the market, after which he removed her from his market. The family is also suspecting the enmity behind the kidnapping. The police are also looking at this angle. Several other businessmen also met the police and urged them for finding Hariji Gupta safely at the earliest. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state government is working with a vision of one medical college per district in Assam. "Already, the government has taken steps for setting up 15 new medical colleges in addition to the nine existing ones. Out of the 15 new medical colleges, seven medical colleges are being constructed at Nalbari, Nagaon, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Charaideo, Biswanath Chariali, and the second Medical College at Guwahati. The government is going to start the construction of five more medical colleges at Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Marigaon, Tamulpur, and Dhemaji during this month, and work for three more medical colleges proposed at Sivasagar, Karimganj and Goalpara will be taken up very soon. In the next five years, Assam will have a total of 24 Medical Colleges, greatly improving the availability of doctors and medical care in the state," the Assam Chief Minister said. The Assam Chief Minister on Friday also said that, with the increase in medical colleges in the state, the number of MBBS seats has also increased from 726 in 2014 to 1200 in 2022. "Till 2014 total Post Graduate (PG) seats in Assam was 395. In 2022 the total number of PG seats has increased to 711. The availability of doctors has therefore improved significantly. Similarly, 44 super-specialty seats are now available in various institutions under the Assam government. Moreover, when construction of proposed medical colleges gets completed, the state will have 2700 MBBS seats, thereby significantly enhancing opportunity for medical education in Assam," Sarma said. An MoU for the infrastructure development of the academic block of the second medical college of Guwahati between the Assam government and Bright Star Investments Pvt. Ltd. was signed at a function held at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati on Friday in presence of Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Assam Chief Minister exuded confidence that the signing of the MoU launched a new beginning in Assam. He said that in the days ahead more such collaborations will happen to give a major boost to medical education in the state. (ANI) The owner of the private hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, which allegedly transfused fruit juice instead of blood platelets t a patient last month has been arrested, police said on Saturday. The owner identified as Pappu Lal Sahu was arrested near his Global Hospital. "Pappu Lal Sahu, the owner of Global Hospital, was arrested after a dengue patient admitted to the hospital died after he was allegedly transfused fruit juice instead of blood platelets last month," the police said on Friday. Earlier on October 29, the registration of Global Hospital and Trauma Center was cancelled on the basis of the recommendation given by the inquiry committee after physical verification of the hospital, Prayagraj Chief Medical Officer had informed. The committee arrived at a decision after going through the inspection/examination of the records received from the hospital administration, added the Chief Medical Officer. On October 21, a private hospital in Prayagraj was sealed for allegedly transfusing fruit juice instead of blood platelets to a dengue patient who later died CMO ordered a probe after the patient died. In the probe, some irregularities were found. It has been sealed till probe is completed, Additional CMO had said. Prayagraj Development Authority had issued a notice to the Global Hospital to vacate the building by October 28. The civic authority had termed the building as "illegally constructed". Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had assured strict action against the hospital if they are found guilty. He said that the platelets packet has been sent for testing. "Taking cognizance of the viral video of Jhalwa-based Global Hospital offering 'Mausambi' juice to a dengue patient in place of platelets in the district Prayagraj, the hospital has been immediately sealed and the platelets packet has been sent for testing. If found guilty, strict action will be taken against the hospital," Pathak had tweeted in Hindi. (ANI) With a promise of free electricity for up to 300 units, Congress released its ten-point electoral manifesto for the upcoming polls in Himachal Pradesh. The elections in the hilly state are slated to be held on November 12, whose votes will be counted on December 8. The Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming elections in Himachal Pradesh, in the presence of its senior observer Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday. The 10 guarantees of Congress include the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, 1 lakh government jobs, as many as 5 lakh jobs for youth, Rs 680 crore Start-up fund for the youth, Rs 1,500 per month to the women, and free electricity up to 300 units of consumption. The Himachal Pradesh election manifesto of the Congress also assured the people of the hilly state of four English-medium schools in each assembly, mobile clinics for free treatment in each village, the cost price of cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram, purchase of 10 liters of milk from animal keepers, and the farm owners will be given the liberty to decide the price for their farm produce. Earlier on Tuesday, the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that if their government comes to power in the Centre, the Congress will cancel the Agnipath scheme. "We will cancel the Agnipath scheme when our government will be formed at the Centre. We fulfill whatever we promise. In Chhattisgarh also, we promised for the loan waiver of the farmer and it was implemented," Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said while addressing a public gathering in Kangra. In its manifesto, Congress has made promises to the people of Himachal and asserted that they will bring a change to the lives of farmers here the way they have done in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1588781910737625088 Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on November 12 and the counting of votes for the same will take place on December 8. It is pertinent to note that the political parties in the country are making all the possible attempts to register a victory in Himachal Pradesh. For the elections slated to be held next Saturday, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Aam Aadmi Party are in the fray beside the independent candidates. The BJP, which is yet to release its manifesto, has been conducting regular public address to the poll-bound state. BJP President JP Nadda on Friday called the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh as the elections of "protection of rights". "This election is the election of protection of your rights. You have to decide who you want to give right. To those who have done nothing for you or those who have fought for you and protected your interests," he said. He further emphasised that BJP has carried out great development in the state as well as in the country. In the previous election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 44 seats while Congress won 21 seats in Himachal Pradesh. Meanwhile, after its huge victory in Punjab elections this year, the Aam Aadmi Party has been making regular attempts to prove itself as the best alternative for BJP and Congress. Himachal Pradesh Aam Aadmi Party chief Surjit Thakur on October 13 alleged that the BJP and Congress are "hand in glove" with each other. "Both the Congress and BJP are hand in glove with each other before elections. After the elections, the Congress leaders will join the BJP. So whosoever the voters vote for, whether they vote for Congress or BJP they would be forming BJP's government in the state," AAP Himachal Pradesh chief Surjit Thakur said in a conversation with ANI last month. He also appealed to the people of the state to vote for a "strong alternative". "I appeal to the people of the state to vote for a strong alternative, that is, the Aan Aadmi Party. We shall work for the welfare of common people in the state," he said. (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted searches at five locations in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada, Hubli, and Mysuru districts, and arrested three PFI cadres in connection with the murder of BJP's Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru. The arrested accused persons have been identified as K Mahammad Iqbal, K Ismail Shafi, and Ibrahim Sha, all having links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). "The three accused were arrested for their active involvement in the conspiracy hatched to murder Praveen Nettaru," the NIA said in a statement. So far, 10 accused persons have been arrested in this case, and the NIA has also declared a reward against four absconding accused persons in the said matter while the efforts to arrest them still continue. During the searches conducted on Saturday, the NIA said digital devices and incriminating documents were seized from the houses of the accused and suspects. Nettaru, a resident of Karnataka's Bellare area and the District Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party's Yuva Morcha, was killed with sharp weapons by PFI cadres on July 26 this year to strike terror among the people of society. The case was initially registered at Bellare Police Station in Dakshina Kannada district on July 27 and was later re-registered by the NIA on August 4. Three people came in a vehicle on the night of July 26 and hacked 32-year-old Nettaru to death outside his chicken shop off the Puttur-Sullia Road at Bellare in Mangaluru. During the investigation, the state police found out the role of PFI and the matter was then handed over to the NIA following an order issued by the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA, by the end of September, had banned the PFI, its associates, and affiliates for a period of five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by declaring it as an unlawful association. Besides involvement in Nettaru's murder, the PFI cadres are also accused of their involvement in several terrorist acts and the murder of several persons, including Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021), V-Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Kamataka, 2017), R.Rudresh (Kamataka, 2016), Praveen Puyari (Karnataka, 2016), and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016). The MHA has said that the criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by the PFI cadres for the sole objective of "disturbing public peace and tranquility and creating a reign of terror in the public mind". The MHA has also mentioned "international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups", and that some activists of the outfit have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to ISIS have been killed in these conflict theaters and some have been arrested by the State Police and Central Agencies. The MHA also said that the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Muyahideen Bangladesh (JMB) which is a proscribed terrorist organization". (ANI) Patna (Bihar), [India] November 5 (ANI) Three persons have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case where a gold trader from Bihar's Arah district has been allegedly abducted, police said. According to a complaint lodged with the police in the matter, the gold trader was on his way home from the market when he was abducted from the Town police station area of Bhojpur district. The police identified the gold trader as Hariji Gupta from Mahajan Toli No.1 in the Town police station area. The incident took place after 5 pm on Wednesday. His motorbike was recovered on Thursday morning from the spot from where he was abducted, police said. With no word on the businessman's whereabouts, his family members grew anxious and eventually lodged a complaint with the police. An FIR was filed at the Town police station on Thursday evening. The gold trader owns three reputed jewellery stores in Arah district and two more in the state capital Patna. He is also a practising advocate. It is suspected that some tenants in the Baluahi market on Arah Bypass Road, where many small traders run shops and establishments, may be involved in the incident. Panic set in as word of the suspected abduction got out. The police swung into action and launched a search for the missing trader. On the instructions of Bhojpur SP Sanjay Kumar Singh, Assistant Superintendent of Police Himanshu reached the scene of the kidnapping along with a probe team from the Town police station. The ASP met the kin of the missing gold trader, making all relevant enquiries in the case. So far, three persons, including tenants, have been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case, police said adding that they are also examining CCTV footage of the scene and are banking on mobile surveillance to track down the missing trader. The Bhojpur police said they are also questioning 10 family members of the man, who is seen as the main accused in the case. His friend, Ritesh Kumar, has been arrested in connection with the case. An SUV has also been recovered near the Buxar police station. Speaking to ANI, the SP said the gold trader had gone to collect rent and has been missing since then. "An FIR was registered and a probe is already underway. Three persons have been taken into custody and are being questioned. Four teams, under the leadership of ASP Himanshu, have been put together to track down the missing gold trader. Raids are on in several areas. Technical support has also been sought. We are hopeful of rescuing the businessman soon," the SP said. Meanwhile, Union minister and Arah MP Rajkumar Singh reached Mahajan Toli on Saturday and met the family members fo the abducted businessman. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The kidnapping of the reputed gold trader is a serious matter. The Bhojpur police are doing their job and have recovered his two-wheeler. They are hinting for the culprits and I am hopeful that the gold businessman will be rescued soon." However, taking the attack to the Nitish Kumar government alleging declining law-and-order situation in the state, Singh said, "Ever since Nitish Kumar left the BJP alliance and joined hands with the RJD, there has been a noticeable increase in crime." According to the complaint, the gold trader left home at 5 pm on Wednesday. After visiting the Pataleshwar temple to pay obeisance on Akshaya Navami, he drove off his two-wheeler for the Baluahi market. He went incommunicado ever since and couldn't even be reached on his mobile phone. Sensing something was wrong, his worried family members informed the police. His kin grew more anxious about his fate after the recovery of his two-wheeler on Thursday morning. His son told ANI that they kept on ringing his phone all through the night but nobody answered. According to police sources, the last location of his mobile phone is said to be Bihiyan. It is alleged that the gold trader had a dispute with a tenant, who lives in the Baluahi market area. There are fears that some of his relatives and acquaintances may also have had a hand in his abduction, the police said, adding that they are looking into the angles in the case. Some fellow traders in the area reportedly met the SP, demanding that the kidnapped gold trader be rescued at the earliest. (ANI) Series of awareness activities and programme were organized by the RailTel Corporation of India - a Mini Ratna public sector unit under the Union Ministry of Railways, for its employees as part of the Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW)-2022. Focused on the objective to bring together all the stakeholders to participate in the prevention of corruption, and to raise public awareness about the threats posed by corruption the week long vigilance programme was observed between October 31 and November 6 on the theme of "Corruption free India for a developed Nation", an official release from the RailTel said on Saturday. The week long annual programme started on October 31 with Integrity Pledge and Unity Day pledge being administered by Sanjai Kumar, chief managing director of RailTel to the employees in New Delhi. Employees from regional offices of RailTel also joined the programme through video conferencing. Some of the activities held during this period included Integrity Pledge, National Unity Day pledge, Nukkad Natak, reports presentation, compendium launch, Vigilance Bulletin launch, lectures by experts and different in-house competitions. Addressing on the concluding day of the week long programme, Sanjai Kumar, CMD, RailTel said that integrity is a virtue that must be inculcated, imbibed and regularly reinforced in every individual from a very young age, to enable them to grow and evolve into a responsible citizen. It is one of the most essential and desirable values an employer seeks in employees. "We (RailTel) are committed to introducing state of the art technology-based initiatives in all aspects of our working, thereby bringing more transparency and objectivity," he said. CMD Kumar also launched 'Systemic Improvements in RailTel-A Compendium' and 'Vigilance Bulletin 2022' in the presence of senior authorities of RaiTel including CVO Dr Chandramani Sharma, director (finance) V Rama Manohara Rao among others. Dr. Chandramani Sharma, CVO of RailTel in his address, urged RailTel employees all to not only cooperate in vigilance work but also implement systemic improvements to prevent un-intentional mistakes and also to ensure that they are taken care of in future and RailTel grows. "Vigilance administration comprises preventive and punitive anti-corruption measures. For conducting our duties with Vigilance, we require the cooperation of employees without any hesitation. It is important to focus on preventive vigilance," he said. Experts were invited to share their expertise on different aspects of vigilance and they delivered lectures/ made presentations on related subjects including presentations on topics ranging from open-source intelligence (OSINT), detection of forgery and decipherment of alteration in documents, to technological initiatives - website maintenance & updation and identification of new areas for service delivery of customers/staff to be brought on online portal and initiation of steps for creating an online platform. The week-long ceremony culminated with a valedictory function, presentation of VAW, 2022 Observance Report, and distribution of prizes to the winners of various competitions. A three-month-long campaign on "Preventive Vigilance cum internal housekeeping activities" was also organized by all Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations from August 16 and the campaign is scheduled to continue till November 15. (ANI) Chicago Bulls Ben Gordon against the Toronto Raptors in 2009 at the United Center. (John Smierciak / Chicago Tribune) A former Chicago Bulls player was arrested early Friday morning for allegedly punching a security guard in the face and throwing another to the ground when they tried to escort him from a McDonalds, officials said. Ben Gordon, 39, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery causing bodily harm and battery making physical contact. Advertisement Police said shortly before 3:30 a.m., officers responded to the 600 block of North Clark Street for a call of a disturbance at a business. A man was being escorted out of the business when he struck a 29-year-old man in the face and threw him to the ground. He also pushed another man, 21, to the ground, police said. Both men refused medical help. Advertisement Weeks ago, Gordon was arrested was arrested at LaGuardia Airport on Monday when he allegedly struck his child, sources said. Gordon also spoke about his struggles with mental illness in a report. Gordon was arrested at the scene, police said. Another witness in the 2008 Malegaon Blast case was declared hostile on Saturday with which the total count of hostile witnesses now reached 28. This 28th witness of the blast case-- wherein six people were killed and over 100 others were injured after an explosive device placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city on September 29, 2008-- was to depose about the roles of accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. Still, in court, he instead said that he did not remember anything. Hence, he was feared hostile by the prosecution. Previously, one of the witnesses of the 2008 Malegaon Blast Case turned hostile after he stated the same reason for not remembering anything. The 27th witness in the 2008 Malegaon blast case turned hostile on Thursday after he told the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court that he doesn't remember the statement he had given to the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), the earlier investigating agency. The witness had reportedly given a statement against the sitting Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and another accused, identified as Dayanand Pandey, of this case during the initial investigation done by the Maharashtra ATS. He told the special NIA court that he is of age 75 years and that is why it is difficult for him to remember what he had said in his statement. Earlier also, the witnesses of the case had turned hostile during the special NIA court hearing. One of them, who worked at a hotel in Indore, refused to partially say in court what he had stated earlier to the investigating agency. On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and over 100 others were injured after an explosive device placed on a motorcycle exploded in Maharashtra's Malegaon city. All the seven accused in the case are currently on bail. The Maharashtra ATS made its first arrest in connection to the case by apprehending BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on October 23, 2008. Later, others were also caught. The ATS, on January 20, 2009, filed a charge sheet in the case after completing its investigation. In April 2011, the central government transferred the investigation into the case to the NIA. (ANI) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'s national executive member and Rashtriya Muslim Manch Chief Indresh Kumar on Saturday termed killing of a Shiv Sena leader in Amritsar on Friday "condemnable and unfortunate" and called it an attack on 'Punjabiyat (Sikhism)'. A Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri died after being shot outside a temple in Amritsar on Friday. The firing took place near the Gopal Mandir area, one of the busiest places in the city, during an agitation, and the police soon after the incident took place, arrested the accused along with recovery of weapons. "This is condemnable and unfortunate. India is united, don't divide it in pieces. This attack is on Punjabiyat and India Govt should take proper action," said Kumar while speaking to ANI. The senior RSS leader appealed the government to take action. Kumar said that atrocities happening on minorities in Pakistan ever since it came into being. Even minorities of Islam are being targeted. Kumar credited the India government for the strong steps taken to ensure the safety and security of minorities, and said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi took steps of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 to ensure security for minorities. "The CAA was meant to safeguard minorities, but unfortunately, some minorities opposed it after becoming victim to politics," he said, adding that those who opposed it proved that they are anti-minorities. "Anti-Pakistan elements are known for these atrocities on minorities," he said, adding that all should oppose this move of Pakistan and stand with the government against Pakistan. (ANI) "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved family of five people who died in Vishnoi ki Dhani near village Peelwa in the Lohawat area of Jodhpur. I pray to God for the peace of the departed souls," Gehlot tweeted. On Friday, five persons were found dead in Vishnoi ki Dhani near village Peelwa in the Lohawat area of Jodhpur. A person allegedly killed four members of his own family and also died by suicide after that. The police reached the spot and started an investigation into the case. (ANI) A day after rejoining Congress, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Indranil Rajyaguru on Saturday alleged that he saw "exorbitant" amounts of money reaching the AAP office in Gujarat. His statement came a day after he resigned from AAP and rejoined Congress. He had quit Congress just six months back. While talking to ANI, Rajyaguru said "I went to AAP to defeat BJP but I was told to adjust." "After I returned to Congress, AAP alleged I wanted to be CM face and demanded tickets for 15 people. But the CM face was pre-decided and I was told not to insist and that list comes from Kamalam (Gujarat BJP HQ) and they have to go with it," he said. He further claimed that he was told that a huge amount of money reached the AAP Gujarat office from the Chief Minister of Delhi and Punjab through private jets. "I also saw a lot of money coming & asked where is it from. Both CMs (Kejriwal and Mann) had come to Rajkot and it was then that I asked about it, they signaled (shows an airborne aircraft) and said that's how. It's a party that befools people. So, I returned to Congress," he said. Earlier on Friday, AAP announced Isudan Gadhvi, the party's National Joint General Secretary as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Gadhvi is also a member of AAP's National Executive. The party made this announcement following a crowdsourcing campaign under which the people of the state could give their opinion on a number and an email id shared by the party until 5 pm, November 3. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal launched the campaign on October 29 asking people whom they wanted as their chief ministerial candidate. Prior to the Assembly elections in Punjab, the AAP had conducted a survey in which Bhagwant Mann had been the clear popular choice. Mann went on to become the chief minister of the state. Earlier on Thursday, the Election Commission announced the dates for the Assembly elections in Gujarat. The elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will take place on December 8, which coincides with that of Himachal Pradesh's result date. (ANI) Security has been tightened in Punjab's Ludhiana after Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader Sudhir Suri's broad daylight murder in Amritsar on Friday, the police said. Ludhiana police commissioner Dr. Kaustubh Sharma said that a strict vigil was being maintained in and around the city to avoid any untoward incident. A strict vigil is being maintained in the busy markets of the city, he added. Suri was shot dead in the presence of police personnel outside Gopal Mandir on Majitha Road, one of the busiest places in the city, where he and some other leaders of the party were holding a protest. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Friday said that all angles and conspiracies will be investigated into the murder of Sudhir Suri in Amritsar. Gaurav Yadav further said that the accused has been arrested and a case of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered. "It is an unfortunate incident and we condemn it strongly. I have come to review the situation on the spot where the unfortunate incident happened. The assailant has been arrested on the spot and an FIR under Section 302 has been against the accused. The investigation is being done. All the angles including conspiracies behind the murder and all those who are behind the incident are being probed," said DGP Yadav after visiting the spot in Amritsar. He said that the situation is under control and appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony. "Media has been appealed not to spread fake and incomplete information or action will be taken against them under IT ACT," he said. Replying to a question on the involvement of Khalistani elements behind Suri's murder, Yadav said, "It is an early stage and we will get to the bottom of everything." He said that Suri's family will be provided police security adding that the police priority is to maintain peace and harmony. "Investigation has just started and I assure that investigation will be carried out in a transparent manner," he added. The DGP said that the police take the evidence-based investigations forward into the matter.(ANI) A 19-year-old accused has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl, Mumbai police said. The accused was produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. A first information report was registered against him under section 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PCOSO) Act at Dindoshi police station in the suburb of Malad, he added. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police Department last month launched a new initiative to make the victims of POCSO cases aware of the developments in the case through WhatsApp or SMS. The police of the Southern districts, including Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari, Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts have started sending updates to the complainants of sexual crimes on the progress of court trials through WhatsApp or SMS. South zone IG Asra Garg had told ANI, "Recently we have started taking some new steps for victims in POCSO cases so that we can take care of the victims with more special care." The IG further said, "We had realised that the victims and their family are not having any idea as to what is happening to their cases." Garg said that after a few years, the victims' cases end up in the trial courts and there is no other system in between to get updates on their cases. The IG said that the cases would be registered and the accused will be arrested as per the existing procedures. "In order to ensure that the victims feel empowered, we have created a small database of the POCSO victims and their family members. We have started relaying messages to them in Tamil with easily understandable usage of words and sentences," the IG said. The police are informing the victims of what happens on a particular day and what is the next date of hearing and what is the agenda of the next date of hearing, as per the police. Talking about the impact of the initiative taken by the officials, Garg said that the victims and their families have appreciated the system. "Some people informed us during informal interactions that they never expected that police would start messaging them and that too in an easily understandable language," he said. Garg said that the Government of Tamil Nadu directed the officials to take steps to ensure that the children are taken care of in a very humane manner with due care and special attention. "As per the direction of state government, this category of new-age crimes is being given special care and the recent step is one leap ahead in the same direction," he added. (ANI) Shiv Sena (Taksali) party members staged a protest in Amritsar over the death of its leader Sudhir Suri who died on Friday after being shot outside a temple. Heavy police force has been deployed at the protest site. Sudhir Suri was shot dead on Friday outside Gopal Mandir on Majitha Road, one of the busiest places in the city, where he and some other leaders of the party were holding a protest.He was then taken to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries. The police soon after the incident took place, arrested the accused along with recovery of weapons. Earlier, the dead body of Sudhir Suri has been brought to the Post mortem unit on Majitha Road in Punjab's Amritsar. The security outside the post-mortem unit has also been tightened, hours before the conduct of his post-mortem. On Friday, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that all angles and conspiracies into the murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar will be investigated thoroughly. The Punjab DGP further said that they have arrested the person accused in the matter and have booked a case of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "It is an unfortunate incident and we condemn it strongly. I have come to review the situation on the spot where the unfortunate incident happened. The assailant has been arrested on the spot and an FIR under Section 302 has been against the accused. The investigation is being done. All the angles including conspiracies behind the murder and all those who are behind the incident are being probed," said DGP Yadav. The DGP had also appealed to the public to maintain peace and harmony in the city, while refusing to comment about any Khalistani involvement in the matter stating that the matter is currently underway. (ANI) A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials on Saturday questioned Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal. The team of CBI officials questioned Mondal in the scam after reaching Asansol jail in West Burdwan district on Saturday. The CBI had arrested TMC's Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal from his residence in Bolpur in connection with the cattle smuggling scam on August 11 and subsequently he was lodged in the jail. Recently, the CBI submitted a fresh chargesheet in a special court in Asansol whereby the agency named TMC heavyweight Anubrata Mondal as the direct beneficiary of the cattle scam. The CBI also underlined the details of his and his family members' huge assets and property in the charge sheet. Earlier on Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate questioned his daughter Sukanya Mondal for nearly nine hours in connection with the cattle smuggling scam. Sukanya had reached the ED headquarters in New Delhi at around 10 am following summons of the federal agency to face questioning and left around 7 pm on November 2. The investigating officer recorded her statement during the questioning over various points like chain of shell entities used in the process of fund diversion as well as the money reportedly transferred to the accounts of those entities who are the at rudimentary level of the chain. The move comes days after a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi remanded Anubrata Mondal's personal security guard Saigal Hussain to seven days of ED custody after his arrest on October 7 in connection with the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 21, 2020, arrested a former Border Security Force (BSF) Commandant, in connection with an illegal cattle smuggling case across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Anubrata Mondal's name came under the CBI scanner during the investigation of the case, the agency had said. The main office of the JHM Group in West Bengal's Bentinck street, which belonged to the nephews of Enamul Haque namely Humayun Kabir, Jahangir Alam, and Mehedi Hasan, was also raided in connection with the cattle smuggling case, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) informed. Enamul Haque was arrested by the ED on February 18 and is currently in judicial custody. The total attachment in this case has reached Rs 11.67 crore. Proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 418 crore till now were identified by the ED. (ANI) The exercise took place in the Airawat Division's area of responsibility. According to the Western Command, the Kharga Strike Corps practised opposed canal crossing and firing by Mechanised Forces validating their operation preparedness to strike deep inside the adversary's territory. Earlier on November 4, the 11th edition of the annual Joint Military Training (JMT) between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Singapore Air Force (RSAF) commenced at Air Force Station in Kalaikunda on Thursday after a gap of two years. The two Air Forces have resumed this training after a pause of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "This edition of JMT would be conducted over a period of six weeks. The bilateral phase of the exercise will be conducted from November 9-18, 2022 and will see the two Air Forces engage in advanced air combat simulations," the Ministry of Defence said. The exercise underscores the strong and longstanding relationship between India and Singapore in defence cooperation. (ANI) Congress leader Dinesh Guligowda has urged the administration to take action against the police officers who stopped a couple who were taking a sick child to the hospital on a bike in Mandya district for not wearing a helmet and did not allow them to go without paying though they did not have money. Condemning the incident which took place in front of Mandya District Hospital on Thursday, the Congress MLC termed the act as an "inhuman act". Dinesh Guligowda, MLC of Mandya Constituency of local bodies, requested the Director General police Praveen Sood and Inspector General to take urgent action against the police personnel who behaved like this. The MLC has issued a letter to Praveen Sood and has requested that legal action should be taken against the police who do not respond to the demands of the public no matter how much the local citizens and the public plead with that police officer. MLA Dinesh Guligowda requested in the petition letter that no matter how much the local citizens and the public beg the said officer, they would request the relevant authorities to take legal action against the police who do not respond to the public's demand. "Obeying traffic rules is the primary duty of every citizen. Also, the protection of public life and property is also the responsibility of the government and the police department. As much as the police have a responsibility to enforce the law, they also have a duty to look after the welfare of the public," he said. The leader also claimed that in Mandya District, Mandya Assembly Constituency, Melukote Assembly Constituency (Pandavapur), Nagamangala Assembly Constituency, Maddur Assembly Constituency, Malavalli Assembly Constituency, Srirangapatna Assembly Constituency and KR Pet Assembly Constituency are causing concern. All over Mandya district especially in Mandya city and taluk centers local police are stopping vehicles everywhere and collecting fines in the name of government traffic regulations. Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy also has expressed his anger over the police. He has made a series of tweets about this, saying that it is condemnable that the police stopped and harassed a couple who were going to the hospital with their child in Mandya. He said that it is a shocking thing that such incidents of mockery of humanity are happening repeatedly in the state. "It is condemnable that the police stopped and harassed a couple who were going to the hospital with their child in Mandya. It is shocking that such incidents that mock humanity are happening repeatedly in the state. This incident is proof that the government has ruined the police system@BJP4Karnatakain the state," tweeted HD Kumaraswamy. The former chief minister has expressed outrage at this incident and said it's the proof that the state BJP government has ruined the police system in the state. "I was very saddened to see the video clips of the parents who were taking their child on a bike to the hospital and were harassed by the police because they did not have a helmet. It is inexcusable and despicable that the police behaved like this with a couple who were worried about their child's illness. "Dammayya,(humbly requesting, we don't have money, please leave," but the police showed no mercy. While talking about fines, he said that it is diabolical behavior of the police to torture them for money, and the department itself should lower its head," he further said. (ANI) Early voters wait in a two-hour line along West Belmont Avenue outside the Merlo Library branch precinct location in the 44th Ward on Nov. 7, 2022, the day before Election Day. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Heres what to know before Tuesdays Election Day in Illinois, from key races to the amendment on the ballot to where to vote and much more. Voting information Kennedy Green shows her sticker after voting at Whitney M. Young Library on Oct. 28, 2022. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune) Everything you need to know about the how to vote this primary election is here, including early voting, mail-in voting and going to the polls on Election Day. Advertisement Endorsements An official general election ballot for the Nov. 8 election on Oct. 20, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Here are the Chicago Tribune Editorial Boards 2022 endorsements for the Nov. 8 elections. See the full list here. Before the primaries, the Tribune Editorial Board posed a series of questions to the candidates to inform voters and make endorsements. Heres the full list of those answers. Advertisement Illinois governor Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey prepare for their gubernatorial debate at WGN-TV studios on Oct. 18, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker is trying to win a second term as he faces Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey, one of the most conservative major party candidates for Illinois governor in generations. Bailey has focused his campaign on crime, the economy and education while Pritzker has tried to persuade voters he advanced the state forward while successfully guiding it through the COVID-19 pandemic. Abortion has also become a major campaign issue following the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to knock down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision. Illinois attorney general Republican Thomas DeVore is challenging Illinois Attorney General Democrat Kwame Raoul. (Brian Cassella and Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a Democrat, is seeking his second term and being challenged by Republican Tom DeVore, a civil attorney who made a name for himself by filing suits against the state and Pritzker for his school mask mandate and other executive orders following the spread of the coronavirus. Illinois secretary of state Former State Rep. and candidate for secretary of state Dan Brady, left, and challenger former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias speak with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Oct. 5, 2022. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, seeks to retake a statewide office by running for Secretary of State against Republican state Rep. Dan Brady. One of the two will replace longtime Secretary of State Jesse White, who is retiring from office after 24 years. The winner will head an operation with more than 4,000 employees that oversees drivers licenses and vehicle registrations, keeps track of business registrations, and maintains an organ and tissue donation registry. US Senate Republican senate nominee Kathy Salvi, left, faces U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth in the November election. (Terrence Antonio James and Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Democrat U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is looking to win a second, six-year term as she faces off against Republican Kathy Salvi. In 2016, Duckworth took the seat once held by Barack Obama by defeating Republican Mark Kirk. Salvi is an attorney from Mundelein and touts a conservative agenda, while Duckworth, an Iraq War Veteran, has become popular enough politician nationally to be shortlisted by President Joe Biden for vice president. Illinois Supreme Court Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran is the Republican nominee for an open Illinois Supreme Court seat. In November, Curran will face Democratic primary winner Elizabeth "Liz" Rochford for the vacant 2nd District Supreme Court seat left open by the retirement of former Chicago Bears kicker Bob Thomas. (John J. Kim and E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Two of the Illinois Supreme Courts seven seats are up for grabs and Republicans have a chance to win a majority for the first time in more than half a century. Constitutional amendment question Voter Edward Schaefer votes during the first day of early voting at the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite on Oct. 7, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Should Illinois enshrine into the state constitution the right of workers to unionize and collectively bargain? That question will top ballots statewide. Congress U.S. Reps. Sean Casten talks with local voters during a community event on May 22, 2022 in Western Springs. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Many of the biggest races for Congress occurred in the June primary but there are still several important contests for U.S. House. Illinois 17th Congressional District could result in a Republican taking a seat now in Democratic hands and numerous suburban districts are shaping up to be interesting on Election Day. Cook County Cook County board president Toni Preckwinkle and challenger former alderman Bob Fioretti before the Tribune Editorial Board on Jan. 24, 2018. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Every countywide office in Cook County plus every one of the 17 seats seat on the Cook County Board are up during this general election. Atop the list is President Toni Preckwinkle, who is seeking her fourth term in the office versus former Chicago Ald. Bob Fioretti, who is running as a Republican. A referendum for the Cook County forest preserves is also on the ballot. A private school teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting girls studying in the school situated in Tarana area of Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Saturday, an official said. According to reports, the girl students are aged between 12 to 14 years and studying in Class 7 to Class 9. They inform the school management about the teacher's misdeeds, but the school management did not pay attention and suppressed the matter. Following which, the girl told their families that the teacher used to misbehave with them in class and also touches them. The parents got heated and they reached the school and created a ruckus. The parents also pelted stones at the school. Later on, they reached the Tarana police station and lodged a complaint against the teacher. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akash Bhuria said that acting on the complaint, a case was registered against the teacher under section 354, 354 (D) of the IPC and section 5, 6 of the POCSO act. The police arrested the accused and an investigation into the matter was on. Besides, a complaint against the school management is also being investigated. If any irregularities or involvement of any other teacher is found then proper action will be taken against them as well, Bhuria added. (ANI) During a programme held at Assam State BJP head office at Basistha in Guwahati, the Assam Chief Minister released the party's 'Sankalp Patra' with several promises for the all-around development of Deori tribes. The Assam Chief Minister said in his speech that, the state government will add 7 lakh new beneficiaries under the Orunodoi scheme from next month. "The state government will provide Rs 10 lakh each to the 100 years old place of worship of Deori tribes. The state government will also give Rs 2.50 lakh to other worship places of Deori tribes," Sarma said. Sarma further said that the BJP and its ally party have been able to win the heart of the people and he is very much confident that the BJP will also win in this Deori Autonomous Council Election. BJP will contest in 18 out of 22 council seats and its ally party AGP will contest in the remaining four seats. (ANI) Incidents of stubble burning have come down in Haryana as farmers are adopting alternative means of managing agricultural residue. The issue of stubble burning becomes a hot topic of discussion, especially at the onset of winter with the deteriorating air quality in Delhi NCR every year. Farmers in Haryana's Rohtak opt for converting stubble into fodder, reducing the number of stubble-burning incidents in the state. "We will not burn stubble now. It led to pollution. The government is buying our stubble at Rs 5,000 per acre. We can now buy fertilizers and seeds with the money," a local farmer told ANI. Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak Yadav Yashpal said that stubble burning in Haryana has been reduced significantly in the past 3-4 years due to the efforts made by the state government. "Haryana government's efforts in the last 3-4 years of providing alternate uses to farmers have led to the reduction in stubble burning cases by 23-24 per cent. Environmental Compensation charge will be imposed on anyone engaging in any fire incident. It is standard practice," said Yadav Yashpal. Incidents of stubble burning have come down also in Ambala due to subsidy on super seeder by the state government. A farmer said, "We are getting Rs 1000 per acre. The stubble works as manure in the field, which increases the yield. The subsidy has been given on super seeder." The air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the 'severe' category on Saturday, for the third day in a row, even though a slight improvement was noted in the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital, which stood at 431 this morning. Also, areas in the national capital region (NCR) area - Noida and Gurugram at 7 am this morning recorded an AQI of 529 and 478 respectively both in the highly toxic 'severe'. Dhirpur in West Delhi recorded an AQI of 534. On Friday, SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) said that stubble-burning accounted for 34 per cent of Delhi's particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollution. AQI from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe. People of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) complained of choking and 'eye burning' due to smog and air pollution leaving people gasping for breath. Speaking to ANI, Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Delhi said, "Number of patients suffering from Asthma, respiratory problems and blood pressure has increased. Polluted air with increased PM 2.5 presence exacerbates breathing problems in affected people. 10-15 people and 2-3 children coming every day to the hospital." Delhi government has closed primary schools in the city in view of air pollution from Saturday. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that the state government will bring a law to check the confiscation or auctioning of farmers' property over delay or non-payment of loans borrowed for agricultural purposes. Speaking at the valedictory of Krishi Mela and distribution of awards to farmers at the GKVK campus, he said that in case of non-payment of agricultural loans, farmers must be given time for repayment and not confiscate or auction their property. "Already, instructions are given in this regard to the Department of Co-Operation and other departments. As a result, the departments are responding to the plights of farmers. Economic development is fully dependent on the agricultural sector. Agricultural universities must take up research regarding agro-economics and give suggestions to the government. These varsities must work in tandem with the government and inform regarding new research and methodology," an official statement said, adding that the secondary Directorate of Agriculture has been set up for the purpose. According to the statement, both Bengaluru and Dharwad Universities of Agriculture were functioning for the last 58 years and helping farmers. "One thousand acres of land has been reserved each in Dharwad and Bengaluru University of Agricultural Sciences for natural farming. The varsities have been asked to increase agriculture output with less capital investment and to grow crops without using the chemical fertiliser," it read. The Yashaswini scheme has been relaunched since November 1. An international conference on 'Siridhanya' will be held in January next year, as per the statement. Bommai further said the state government will launch more farmer-friendly programs which included giving loans to 10 lakh additional farmers from the current academic year. "Farmers must also think scientifically, try new varieties to increase productivity and take up comprehensive agriculture," he said. He also stressed upon the government's commitment to the welfare of farmers and their children. "Soil has the strength to bond people with it and no other sector can do the job of farmers. In factories, one product is manufactured out of hundreds of parts but if one seed is sown, the goddess will give 100 seeds. Mother earth must be taken care of as their own mothers," CM said. Urging the farmers of the state, CM said that they must cultivate an emotional bond with the earth. "The agricultural schemes must be in tune with the agriculture sector and comprehensive agriculture will be effective. The extent of agricultural land is shrinking. It is possible to make agriculture a profitable venture if agricultural-based activities are taken up. It will also ensure the economic uplift of farmers. The concept of comprehensive farming must be implemented to make a big change in the field of agriculture," he added. Agriculture Minister B.C.Patil, MLA Krishna Byregowda, former CM, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, S.V. Suresh and Hanumanthappa were also present at the event. (ANI) Leader of Opposition (LoP) of Kerala VD Satheesan on Saturday said that the state Governor's letter to President Droupadi Murmu against the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was "drama" to divert attention from public issues including price hike. Addressing a press meet here in Kochi, VD Satheesan said, "The governance crisis in the universities was created by the government itself. There is no war between the government and the governor except for verbal hesitancy. The Governor's letter to the President of India against the Chief Minister is a drama to divert attention from public issues including price hike." Notably, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has written to President Droupadi Murmu alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his minister's foreign visit was not conveyed to him "officially". According to sources from Raj Bhawan, Governor Khan wrote to the President in the second week of October that he was not informed about the chief minister's foreign visit for October first week. Earlier, an October 18 press release from the Chief Minister's Office shared the details of Kerala's official delegation's visit to the European countries which was aimed at advancing the progress of the state. According to the press release, the visit was aimed at increasing cooperation in the fields of study and research, finding new job opportunities for Keralites, helping non-residents, exchanging ideas with the Malayali community and attracting more investors to the state.The group visited Finland, Norway and the UK. Accusing the Vice-Chancellors whose resignations were demanded by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Satheesan said that they were appointed to appoint close aids of the party leader. "Puppet Vice-Chancellors were appointed to appoint wives and relatives of party leaders. Backdoor appointments are happening everywhere," he said. VD Satheesan further said, "The Chief Minister has committed a breach of oath by asking the Governor to appoint a person from his district as the VC of Kannur University. In exchange for this, the Sangh Parivar associate was made a staff member of the Governor." Talking about Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran's letter to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) leader, Satheesan said that the mayor should resign as she violated her oath. In a Letter sent to the CPIM District Secretary Aanavoor Nagappan, Mayor Arya Rajendran demanded a priority list for appointing party members to 295 temporary posts in the Municipal Corporation. The letter mentions appointments to 295 temporary posts vacant in the health department on a daily wage basis. "Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran, who violated her oath by writing to the CPIM district secretary demanding the party's priority list in the appointment of 295 employees in the health department, should resign. CPM should be ready to expel the Mayor if he does not resign," VD Satheesan said. "Department heads are also reluctant to report vacancies to the Public Service Commission (PSC) because CPIM state committee and district committee appointees continue to be appointed through the back door. Applicants from the PSC rank list are visiting ministers' houses to report vacancies," he further said adding that the letter has revealed the misdeeds of a government. "Appointments in Municipal Corporations have been given to local committees. They are cheating the poor people who come to interview for jobs. Direct recruitment is not done in any sector. Mafia gangs are working around CPIM offices to make backdoor appointments," he added. (ANI) As many as 40 students of World Skill Centre today met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik before leaving for Singapore to sharpen their skills at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Singapore. The Chief Minister wished the students, inspired them to explore their full potential and encouraged them to make an all-out effort to become number one in the world. After the students met the CM, Patnaik took Twitter and said, "Delighted to meet students of World Skill Centre who will visit Singapore to sharpen their skills at @ITESpore on Students Exchange Programme. Urged them to explore their full potential & encouraged them to make all-out effort to become no. 1 in the world. Wish them all the best." Out of the 40 students, 32 are boys and 8 are girls. 20 of them belong to the farm community. According to the official statement, the students will experience a 2-week stint in ITE, fully engage in lessons and also get familiar with the sociocultural aspects of youths living and studying there. "The mission of the programme is to bring global exposure to brightest students of WSC at Singapore," it read. Secretary to CM VK Pandian and the CEO of WSC were also present. "The objective of the programme is to create opportunities for WSC students to gain valuable global exposure and perspectives, including learning of new skills, to enrich and enhance their learning experiences in becoming skilled professionals that are ready for working and living at a global level," the statement read. In Singapore, 20 students will be exposed to advanced skills in the programming of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV) and modification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), the other 20 students will acquire skills in the programming of Autonomous Mobile Robots and Industrial Robots, as per the statement. This inaugural exchange programme is jointly organized by ITE Education Services (ITEES) along with the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) of the Government of Odisha and the World Skill Centre. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated the WSC in March 2021. (ANI) The CEC will also attend the last rites in person at his native village. "Not just first voter of Independent India,but a man with exceptional faith inA#democracy. ECI mourns the demise of Shri Shyam Saran Negi. We are eternally grateful for his service to the Nation," said the Election Commission on Saturday. "He inspired millions to vote, even before his demise, he voted for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 through postal ballot on November 2,2022," it added. "Such was his commitment to democratic process that he voted till the last breath of his life on 2nd Nov, at his home in Kalpa. We salute him for his contribution to Indian democracy. He will be cremated with state honours today," Himachal Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer said. --IANS kvm/d ( 183 Words) 2022-11-05-19:48:05 (IANS) Delhi Police on Saturday arrested one more accused person in connection with the triple murder case in the Hari Nagar area of the national capital. The arrested accused has been identified as Ramjaan alias Sadam (19), a resident of JJ Colony, Sector-3 Dwarka. Earlier, Manish Kumar (20), Sachin (19), Sujeet (21) were arrested. "On sustained interrogation of arrested accused persons of the triple murder case of PS Hari Nagar, a lead with regard to the possible hideout of co-accused was obtained. On basis of technical surveillance, it was revealed that all three accused fled to Bihar," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Ghanshyam Bansal. The police laid a trap and nabbed Ramjaan from the Arariya district of Bihar. The police also recovered Rs 100000 cash, two high-end expensive wrist watches, one diamond Ring, one pair of silver anklets, one iPhone 13, one Nokia phone and a silver chain "The accused has been produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Arariya and taken on transit remand. Further, the investigation is on and raids are being conducted for the arrest of the remaining two accused persons," Bansal added. Further investigation of the case is in progress. Sameer Ahuja (38), his wife Shalu (35) and their maid Sapna (33) were found murdered at their house in Hari Nagar. Sameer Ahuja, was a garment businessman who came to live in the Hari Nagar area a few months back with his family. The 3-year-old daughter of a businessman is safe as she was sleeping at that time in her room and totally unaware of the incident. The dead bodies of women were lying on the ground floor of the house at the Kavya Beauty salon run by Shalu whereas the dead body of Sameer was lying on the first floor in a pool of blood. The throat of both females had been cut with sharp-edged weapons and Sameer had multiple injuries on the face and head. The couple's minor daughter, who was sleeping in the first floor in the hall was alive and unharmed. "We have investigated the entire crime scene and we also have got some leads also on which we are working and soon we nabbed the killers. The main deceased have a garment business and his wife runs a beauty salon at home also they killed house help, our investigation is on" said by Ghanshyam Bansal told ANI. According to the police, the main conspirator, who is absconding, and his girlfriend worked with Shalu in her salon. They were sacked due to their unprofessional attitude around 10 days ago. Sameer Ahuja had also allegedly abused them. The duo felt humiliated and the main conspirator planned the murder with Sujit and Sachin. (ANI) Maharashtra Congress working President and former minister Arif Naseem Khan, who was on his way to Maharashtra's Nanded to join Bharat Jodo Yatra, met with an accident on Saturday. The Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter the Maharashtra border on Monday. Khan is in-charge of the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Nanded District and is looking at the overall management of the Yatra along with Maharashtra Congress in-charge HK Patil and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. The Congress leader sustained injuries in his right leg. The accident took place at Bhiloli toll plaza in Nanded where a speeding vehicle collided with the car in which Khan was travelling. The impact of the accident was so powerful that the entire front frame of the car was damaged and the driver along with Khan was injured. "I have just suffered a minor injury to my right leg and I am safe. I am excited to fulfil my responsibility as in charge of Bharat Jodo Yatra. I have completed three meetings of the District Congress Committee as soon as I reach Nanded and I feel very happy that Nanded Congress will welcome Rahul Gandhi with utmost energy and love," said Khan. Local residents rushed to the spot and helped Khan and other passengers with first aid kits. Soon after the first aid, Khan again left for Nanded. A Congress party worker of Bhiloli has filed a police complaint at Bhiloli Traffic Police Station demanding action against the other car driver for rash driving. A case has been registered at Biloli Police Station under Sections 337 and 279 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Later, the accused was arrested by the same police but after taking his statement, he was released after giving notice under CrPC 41. Senior AICC leader HK Patil, former CM Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra PCC President Nana Patole, former cabinet minister Balasaheb Thorat and other senior leaders called to inquire about him and wished him a safe journey to Nanded. (ANI) Three men have been arrested by Delhi Police for forcibly shooting nude video of a man with a woman and then blackmailing the man for extorting money, an official said on Saturday. The accused have been identified as Amir Iqbal (52), a resident of Jamia Nagar, Mohd. Ashraf (50), a resident of Sonia Vihar, and Firoj (30) from Laxmi Nagar. According to a senior police officer, a 45-year-old man, who is a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and is in the business of timber, frequently visits Delhi in connection with his business. "For the last 3-4 months, he had been receiving calls from a woman urging him to meet her in connection with his business," the officer said. "On one occasion, he met her during which she told him that she is a widow and mother of three children. She also requested him for a job. On another occasion, she introduced the man to one of her relatives," the officer said. "On October 28, she insisted on meeting him and even reached Kardampuri where he was present. From there she took him along in an auto rickshaw to an office premises in Laxmi Nagar. "The moment he entered the office, the woman and her relative started removing his clothes. When he resisted, they threatened to create a ruckus," said the officer. "Meanwhile, 6-7 other persons also reached there. They introduced themselves as policemen and started shooting videos. They thrashed the man and took away all the cash he had with him. One of them, posing as a police inspector, held the man on gunpoint and demanded Rs 20 lakh in cash in lieu of the videos. "Later, they shot his intimate videos with the woman by putting him under pressure. He was forced to say on camera that he had taken a loan of Rs 20 lakh from them, which he will return in two instalments. He was released only after he assured them that he will give them the money," said the officer. On November 4, he reached the Jyoti Nagar police station and narrated the incident. "Based on his complaint, a case was registered and teams were former to apprehend the culprits. Several raids were conducted at different places after which three were arrested in the wee hours of Saturday," said the officer, adding that a Mahindra Bolero car used in the commission of crime has also been seized. --IANS ssh/arm ( 420 Words) 2022-11-05-22:24:04 (IANS) Gov. J.B. Pritzker walks on stage after declaring victory on election night at a rally at the Marriott Marquis Chicago hotel on Nov. 8, 2022. He was challenged by Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Politicians fanned out across the state on the final weekend of the 2022 general election campaign, led by President Joe Biden who spoke in Joliet on Saturday amid concerns that a Republican surge on Election Day could cost Democrats control of both Illinois political agenda and Congress. Bidens decision to visit what has been a reliably blue state, along with a scheduled trip to Chicago by Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, underscored the belief that races across the ballot have tightened ahead of Tuesdays election. Advertisement On Saturday, Biden campaigned for two-term Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville in Joliet, Gov. J.B. Pritzker stumped for fellow Democrats in Arlington Heights and Gurnee, and Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey made stops in Bloomington and Rock Island, all of them urging supporters to show up at the polls after campaigns high on invective and emotion. Democrats are battling headwinds of an inflationary economy, but Biden sought to project optimism at a Friday night fundraiser in Rosemont for Underwood and Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove, who is being challenged by Republican Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park. Advertisement Folks, Im not buying the notion that were in trouble, Biden said. I think were going to win. I really do. But he quickly added: If we lose the House and Senate its going to be a horrible two years. The good news is that Ill have the veto pen. Bidens last minute pitch used a theme repeated during stops in California, New York and Pennsylvania, warning that Republicans would try to cut Social Security and Medicare if they take over the House and Senate. President Joe Biden adjust his microphones while speaking at Jones Elementary School on Nov. 5, 2022, in Joliet. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune) These programs do something so basic, and yet so important, he told about 300 people in the gymnasium of Jones Elementary School in Joliet on Saturday. After working hard for decades, people deserve to retire with some dignity. Citing statements by Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Biden said the GOP wants Social Security and Medicare to face reauthorization votes every five years, making the long-standing senior benefit programs perpetually vulnerable to elimination. Its a rock solid guarantee and an ironclad commitment, Biden said of Social Security. Generations of Americans have counted on it for decades, and it works. The House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, who is poised to become House speaker if the GOP takes control, said during a campaign stop in Oak Brook on Friday that his party would seek only to save and strengthen Social Security, and that Democratic claims the GOP is going after the benefits programs were lies. In Joliet, Biden touted Underwoods support for pandemic and inflation relief programs. He also noted some of the signs waved by protesters and supporters of former President Donald Trump who greeted the presidential entourage outside the school. Advertisement I love those signs when I came in socialism. Give me a break. What idiots, the president said. Underwoods Republican challenger, Scott Gryder of Oswego, who was at a rally at a nearby home, criticized the presidents comment as name calling and labeled it offensive. During his suburban swing on Saturday, Pritzker also projected optimism as he rallied with Democratic door-knockers at the campaign office of state Sen. Ann Gillespie and Rep. Mark Walker in Arlington Heights. I think that our Democrats up and down the ballot here in Illinois are going to do very well. As you know, thats very important to me, Pritzker told a reporter. I think Tuesday nights going to be a good night for Democrats here in Illinois, and Im hopeful about the nation. Pritzkers campaign on Thursday reported transferring $1 million to the Democratic Party of Illinois, bringing his total contributions to the state party this year to $11.5 million. Thats nearly four times the roughly $3.2 million he contributed in 2018. At the same time, the party has reported spending more than $10 million on Pritzkers campaign this year, mostly for mailings. Advertisement State Sen. Darren Bailey greets a supporter while walking through a crowd with Desi Anderson, candidate for state Senate, left, during a rally at a doughnut shop and bakery on Nov. 5, 2022, in Bloomington. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Gov. J.B. Pritzker greets supporters during a canvass kickoff event at Sen. Ann Gillespies campaign office with Gillespie and Rep. Mark Walker on Nov. 5, 2022, in Arlington Heights. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) In addressing the crowd, Pritzker ticked off his administrations accomplishments in increasing education funding. Spotting volunteers from the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action in the room, he reiterated his vow to ban assault weapons in the state. Pritzker ended with a question for the audience: Everybody ready for the fight? a line that drew loud cheers, as it often has during speeches throughout his two campaigns for governor. After shaking hands and posing for photos, Pritzker said his words are a call to political action, not to violence. Both Pritzker and his challenger, Bailey, have had threats made against them. Theres a big difference, though, between the rhetoric of a campaign talking about, Are you ready to go fight for what you believe in and stand up for a womans right to choose and ban assault weapons? and literally inciting people to go do things that could end up with a violent outcome, Pritzker said. The governor said the rise of this kind of hyperpolarized, negative rhetoric, infused with a call to people to maybe take physical action, began when Trump declared his candidacy for president in 2015. And its been on the rise ever since. Its a terrible development in American politics, Pritzker said. Advertisement Campaigns have always been about revving up crowds and about making sure that people know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, right? But were all talking about balloting, he said. But overall, we should be bringing the rhetoric down. In Bloomington, Bailey, a state senator and farmer from Xenia whose campaign has leaned heavily on his evangelical, charismatic Christian faith, mingled with several dozen supporters and patrons at Dennys Doughnuts and Bakery. As the event was winding down, a campaign aide asked the crowd to say a prayer for Bailey over unspecified actions on the campaign trail in the last few weeks. Obviously, its spiritual warfare, the aide, David Paul Blumenshine, said. There are those that are going to come against us. Obviously, we know that. So Id like to lift Darren up in prayer real quick, Blumenshine said. Blumenshine led a Stop the Steal bus tour that was at Trumps Jan. 6 speech in Washington, and marched to the U.S. Capitol, where Trump supporters tried to prevent the Electoral College count declaring Bidens victory. Blumenshine has said he did not enter the Capitol grounds. Speaking to the crowd at the bakery, Bailey blamed Pritzker for a death threat against him from a 21-year-old Chicago man who was arrested last week. Prosecutors said the man had become enraged after seeing a political ad on a barroom TV, but did not specify the ad. Advertisement Bailey said the suspect had watched some of J.B.s lying, misleading, divisive ads. Bailey decried inflation, high taxes, unsafe streets and poorly-performing schools, all of which he blamed on Pritzker. While his farming and trucking operation is worth millions of dollars, he repeatedly tried to cast himself as a simple downstate farmer fighting against the Chicago elite billionaire class, of which the governor is a member. The billionaire political class has been selling out the working class for the last eight years, said Bailey, referring to both Pritzker and his predecessor, one-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner. Bailey talked to the crowd about how his movement distances itself from the fat cats and the billionaires and is more about the people forced to do everything they can just to survive here in Illinois. Its about you and every forgotten community in this state, Bailey said. Its about the police officers working the graveyard shift, keeping our communities safe while you and I sleep. Its about teachers staying after class to help their students achieve their goals. Its about the construction workers building the skyscrapers where billionaires like Pritzker look down on the rest of us. Bailey has lived in downtown Chicago in recent weeks after having referred to the city as a hellhole. Advertisement City folks expect you to fit in at cocktail parties and have billions of dollars in offshore accounts so that you can run for governor. Well, if you havent figured it out yet, thats not me, Bailey said. The only relationship that some people have with farmers is the childhood song about Old McDonald. And J.B. Pritzker is certainly trying to paint me out to be a scary farmer, he said. Afterward, Bailey was asked about a complaint filed Friday by the Illinois Democratic Party to the State Board of Elections alleging his campaign had illegally colluded with a conservative radio show host who runs a political action committee that backs Baileys campaign. The People Who Play By The Rules PAC, headed by Dan Proft of Naples, Florida, is an independent expenditure PAC that is prohibited by law from coordinating spending activities with the Bailey campaign. Theyre not true, Bailey said of the collusion allegations. You know we cant, we havent talked to any of those people since before the primary. So absolutely not. Bailey has been a guest on Profts morning radio show as recently as September, when Proft spoke to the candidate about his PACs multimillion dollars of support. Advertisement jsheridan@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com jgorner@chicagotribune.com rap30@aol.com Former US President Donald Trump's advisor Kash Patel on Thursday testified before the federal jury investigating the classified documents found in the Mar-a-Lago home and resort, CNN reported. Earlier, a federal Judge granted him immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to the investigation. A Patel spokesman said, "Patel categorically denies reaching any immunity 'deal' with the government. Rather, his testimony was compelled over his objection through the only legal means available to the government - a grant of limited immunity," according to CNN. Patel, one of the loyal aides to Trump, was subpoenaed to the secret grand jury last month but declined to answer questions by asserting his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination. Earlier, in August, the US government recovered over 300 documents marked as classified from former President Donald Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, including material from the CIA, the National Security Agency and the FBI. Previously, the FBI seized 11 sets of classified records during the raid at Trump's residence. Apparently, Trump filed a motion in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Monday seeking an order that appoints a special master and requires federal authorities to provide a more detailed receipt of seized property. The motion also requested an order requiring the return of any item seized that was not within the scope of the government's search warrant and as per the court filings, the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago are "presumptively privileged" as presidential materials and must be evaluated by a neutral Special Master reviewer, according to The Hill. Reinhart recently sided with the government in allowing redactions in the released version of the affidavit, with much of the 38-page document blacked out over concerns about future witness participation and the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Notably, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago residence earlier this month using a search warrant that listed potential violations of the Espionage Act involving mishandling of classified materials as a reason for the raid. A federal judge is currently determining whether to release parts of an affidavit that backed the search warrant. The judge authorized the FBI to search what the bureau called the "45 Office" as well as "all other rooms or areas" at Mar-a-Lago that were available to former President Trump and his staff for storing boxes and documents. The search warrant identified three possible federal crimes as the reasoning behind the search: violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and criminal handling of government records. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home which is a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, and 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida on August 8. (ANI) US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday to 'underscore' the US support while announcing a new USD 400 million military assistance package amid the Russian invasion. "National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Minister of Defense Reznikov, and others in Kyiv today to underscore the United States' steadfast support to Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a press release. The spokesperson further said that Sullivan had announced an additional USD 400 million security assistance package, which includes refurbished T-72 tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles, and the refurbishment of 250 HAWK surface-to-air missiles for eventual transfer to Ukraine, the press statement reads. US Security Advisor also affirmed that they will continue economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression. Earlier, the US launched a demining training project in Ukraine by awarding USD 47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of California, amid the Russia- Ukraine war, the State Department said. "On September 30, the Department awarded $47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of Pasadena, California to provide urgent humanitarian demining assistance to Ukraine in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression," as per the statement released by the US Department of State. Since 1993, the United States has invested over USD 4.7 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war as well as the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons and munitions in more than 100 countries and territories. According to the statement, the United States is the world's largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction. In total, the United States has now committed more than USD 18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than USD 21 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than USD 18.2 billion since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on February 24. "Through both PDA and USAI, DoD continues to work with Ukraine to meet both its immediate and longer-term security assistance needs," the Department of Defense said. With Russia's unrelenting and brutal air attacks on Ukrainian civilian critical infrastructure, additional air defense capabilities are critical, it added. (ANI) Apparently targeting China and Russia for protecting North Korea despite launching staggering 59 missiles in 2022, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday said that the UN Security Council members have bent over backwards to justify Pyongyang's repeated violations, CNN reported. While addressing the UN Security Council, Greenfield said, "These members have bent over backwards to justify North Korea's (DPRK's) repeated violations". She further added, "And, in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this Council. "The DPRK, however, has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this Council," Thomas-Greenfield said. Although she did not name names, the accusations were clearly directed at Russia and China, CNN reported Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile. "For a UN Member State to so flagrantly violate the Security Council resolutions, and all that the UN Charter stands for is appalling," CNN quoted Greenfield as saying. "Equally appalling is the Council's deafening silence on this issue," Thomas-Greenfield said. The US envoy noted that "thirteen Council members have joined in condemning the DPRK's unlawful actions since the beginning of the year" and "have joined in voting to impose costs on the DPRK that would impede its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile pursuits while seeking new avenues to improve humanitarian assistance to the country's people," using the acronym for North Korea's official name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. After North Korea launched the missiles, the US said this action underscores the need to implement North Korea's related UN Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prohibit the country from acquiring the technologies needed to carry out missile tests. "Together, with the international community, we call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue. Our commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. This statement follows the Yonhap news agency's report that North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and two short-range ones toward the East Sea. Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests whereas North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said numerous times that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential. Meanwhile, leaders during the QUAD summit which took place in Tokyo in May condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" ballistic missile launches and called on the international community to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. "We condemn North Korea's destabilizing ballistic missile development and launches, including multiple intercontinental ballistic missile tests, in violation of UNSCRs, and call on the international community to fully implement these resolutions. We urge North Korea to abide by all of its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from provocations, and engage in substantive dialogue," said the joint statement by QUAD Leader following the summit hosted by Japan in Tokyo. (ANI) Pakistan military called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan's allegations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a major of the Army for plotting his assassination as "baseless and irresponsible." Pakistani military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement issued in this regard, said that the "baseless and irresponsible allegations by PTI chief against the institution and particularly a senior army officer are absolutely unacceptable and uncalled for," Dawn reported. Imran was shot on Thursday evening when he was at his container when his party's 'Haqeeqi Azadi' march reached Wazirabad's Allahwala Chowk. The former premier has held Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior intelligence official as being responsible for the bid to assassinate him and demanded their resignations. PTI senior leader Umar Asad has demanded that all three people -- the premier, the interior minister, and the senior military officer -- should be removed from their offices. Addressing the nation for the first time since the assassination attempt earlier today, Imran described the attack in Wazirabad. He especially urged Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to hold the "black sheep" in his institution accountable. Meanwhile, the Punjab police have confirmed that seven people were injured and a person was killed during the firing incident. As per the police, the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz. The suspected shooter who opened fire during the rally was caught by Punjab police where he admitted that he wanted to kill Imran Khan because "he was misleading the public." "I thought of this as there was Azaan going on and on the other side, Imran Khan is taking out his container and making noise. My conscience did not approve of this. I decided this suddenly... I conspired against Imran Khan when he kicked off his long march from Lahore. I made up my mind that I will not leave him alive," the shooter said according to a video shared on social media. Responding to whether there was someone else in the conspiracy, the shooter said, "I have conspired this alone and no one else is involved in this. I came on a bike and I parked it at my uncle's shop. He has a motorcycle showroom." Hours after the assassination attempt against Imran Khan, people held protests in front of the Corps Commander House in Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in an inflammatory address on Friday shifted the blame of the assassination attempt on PTI chief Imran Khan onto the former prime minister for what he described as "crossing the red lines of religion", the dawn reported. He expressed these views during the National Assembly (NA) centering on yesterday's assassination attempt on the former prime minister, which he alleged was being used to further "political objectives". Imran, who has been leading an anti-government protest march to the capital for almost a week, survived a gun attack on Thursday in Punjab's Wazirabad. He sustained a wound in his shin when the container was hit by a volley of bullets.(ANI) Elon Musk, Twitter's new owner on Friday (local time) acknowledged that ad spending on the platform had slumped and blamed the drop on pressure from activists. Tiffany Hsu, a tech reporter covering misinformation and disinformation, writing in The New York Times said that advertisers are pulling back amidst sweeping layoffs at the company.Advertisers also fear that misinformation and hate speech would be allowed to proliferate on the platform under Elon Musk's leadership. Civil rights groups including GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League held a conference call on Friday urging other companies to abandon Twitter due to mass layoffs gutting what they described as an already anemic content moderation staff, reported The New York Times. The Volkswagen Group joined several other companies in recommending that its automotive brands, which include Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Porsche, pause their spending on Twitter out of concerns that their ads could appear alongside problematic content. The Danish brewing company Carlsberg Group also said it had advised its marketing teams to do the same. The outdoor equipment and apparel retailer REI said it would also pause posts in addition to advertising spending "given the uncertain future of Twitter's ability to moderate harmful content and guarantee brand safety for advertisers." Even Musk acknowledged the advertising slump, tweeting on Friday morning that Twitter "has had a massive drop in revenue," which he blamed on activist groups pressuring advertisers, reported The New York Times. The first chaotic week of Musk's ownership of Twitter has given Madison Avenue whiplash, as advertisers struggle to reconcile the billionaire's promises to make the platform safe for brands with concerns about a surge of extremism and false narratives, including one promoted by Musk himself, said Hsu. A minute before Musk posted his comment that "nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists", the ad-tracking platform MediaRadar released statistics showing that the number of advertisers on Twitter had dropped from May. Twitter had 3,900 advertisers in May and 2,300 in August. The number rose to 2,900 in September, according to MediaRadar. The analytics company found that General Motors, which paused its spending on Twitter last week, had spent an average of USD 1.7 million a month on the platform. There were more than 1,000 new advertisers on the platform each month before July, when Musk's feud with Twitter began to intensify and the number of new advertisers sank to 200, reported The New York Times. Meanwhile, following Musk's tweet, a coalition of civil rights and activist groups called a news conference to push for a global advertising boycott of Twitter, said Hsu. (ANI) Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will be on an official visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil from November 7-8, which is part of high-level exchanges between India and Brazil. During his visit, the MoS will attend the Solemn Session on 75 years of India's Independence on November 8 which will be held in the Brazilian Parliament (Congresso Nacional). This will be the first-ever visit of MoS Muraleedharan to Brazil, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs. The minister will also address the congregation of Brazilian Parliamentarians, both from the upper and lower house; representatives of the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations; representatives of the Brazilian Government and Friends of India during his official visit to Brazil. MoS Muraleedharan will also call upon the Vice President of Brazil and have interactions at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by which he will also meet the Indian community in Sao Paulo and participate in a reception in Brasilia with members of the Congress and Senate, Diplomats, members of Brazilian Government and the Indian community, the MEA release said. The meeting between leaders of the two countries will emphasise ways to bolster ties between Brazil and India. India and Brazil are celebrating 74 years of diplomatic relations in 2022. They have had a strategic partnership since 2006, deepened in 2020 through the Action Plan to Strengthen the Strategic Partnership and are working together in various international forums, like BRICS, IBSA, G4, G20, BASIC, and the United Nations. (ANI) After North Korea launched a ballistic missile of intercontinental range in the East sea, India on Friday reiterated its support for denuclearization towards peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and said that it is in the collective interest of all. While addressing the UN Security Council, India's permanent representative to UN Ruchira Kamboj said, "We also reiterate our continued support for denuclearization towards peace & security in the Korean Peninsula is our collective interest. We'll continue to support dialogue & diplomacy as the means to resolve issues in Korean Peninsula." Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile. Describing the missile launches as a grave violation of the resolutions of the Security Council, the Indian envoy at the UN said that such practices affect the peace and security of the region and beyond, as she discussed resolutions relating to the DPRK. She further noted that India calls for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions relating to North Korea as the provocations are unjustifiable. The Ambassador also took a dig at Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record, calling it a matter of concern and reiterated the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to DPRK in the region. "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. India calls for full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions relating to North Korea," Kamboj said during the address. Moreover, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday said that the UN Security Council members have bent over backwards to justify Pyongyang's repeated violations as she targeted Russia and China for protecting North Korea despite launching staggering 59 missiles in 2022. While addressing the UN Security Council, Greenfield said, "These members have bent over backwards to justify North Korea's (DPRK's) repeated violations". She further added, "And, in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this Council, CNN reported. After North Korea launched the missiles, the US said this action underscores the need to implement North Korea's related UN Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prohibit the country from acquiring the technologies needed to carry out missile tests. "Together, with the international community, we call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue. Our commitments to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad," US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. This statement follows the Yonhap news agency's report that North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and two short-range ones toward the East Sea. Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests whereas North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said numerous times that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential. Meanwhile, leaders during the QUAD summit which took place in Tokyo in May condemned North Korea's "destabilizing" ballistic missile launches and called on the international community to abide by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. (ANI) The Group of Seven countries (G7) on Friday (local time) agreed to establish a coordination mechanism to help Ukraine with critical energy and water infrastructure amid Russian attacks on the power grid that have caused widespread blackouts. "Today we establish a G7 coordination mechanism to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its critical energy and water infrastructure," read G7 Foreign Ministers' statement. Germany is held a two-day meeting in the western German town of Muenster to discuss Russia's Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine, Iran's deepening military alignment with Moscow over the war as well as China's growing assertiveness. Discussing Ukraine, the G7 members called on Russia "to immediately stop its war of aggression against Ukraine and withdraw all of its forces and military equipment." "We condemn Russia's recent escalation, including its attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, in particular energy and water facilities, across Ukraine using missiles and Iranian drones and trainers. Through these attacks, Russia is trying to terrorize the civilian population," added the statement. Over the past few weeks, Russia has launched waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Kyiv says they have damaged up to 40 per cent of the power system and Ukrainian authorities warned that residents may face hours of blackouts due to the limited supplies. Meanwhile, Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Iran of sending "kamikaze" drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to Russia which have then been used to devastating effect by Russian forces in strikes targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. "We strongly condemn Iran's continued destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East. These include Iran's activities with both ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), i.e. drones, and transfers of such advanced weaponry to state and non-state actors. Such proliferation is destabilizing for the region and escalates already high tensions," read the statement. Regarding China's growing assertiveness, the statement said, "We remind China of the need to uphold the principles of the UN Charter on peaceful settlement of disputes and to abstain from threats, coercion, intimidation, or the use of force. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion." The G7 members reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. They also raised their concern over human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as, over the continued erosion of Hong Kong's rights, freedoms and autonomy. (ANI) Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that China and Saudi Arabia will be providing USD 13 billion financial package to Islamabad. China and Saudi Arabia will provide an additional amount of USD 8.8 billion and USD 4.2 billion, respectively, reported Geo News. "China and Saudi Arabia have given assurances to Pakistani delegations under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during recent visits that they will take care of Islamabad's financial requirements till June 2023. Now the real effective exchange rate (REER) in terms of rupee against the US dollar has come down to Rs190 against the US dollar and no one will be allowed to play with our exchange rate," said Dar. During PM's recent visits, China and Saudi Arabia has assured to take care of Islamabad's financial requirements till June 2023, reported Geo News. This is in addition to the rollover of sovereign loan deposits, additional rollovers, commercial loans, additional SWAPS and jacking up oil facilities on deferred payment in line with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement. Both financial packages will ease the struggling economy of Pakistan as the foreign currency reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan stand at USD 8.9 billion at the moment, reported Geo News. Dar further said that China assured Pakistan that they would roll over USD 4 billion sovereign rollover deposits on all coming due dates. The Chinese authorities, he said, also assured that the commercial loans of USD 3.3 billion will also be provided in due course of time, reported Geo News. He said that China also granted a green signal for jacking up the SWAPS amount by providing an additional USD 1.45 billion so the total Chinese package would go up to USD 8.8 billion for the ongoing financial year. The Bank of China, he said, had already provided USD 200 million recently. Sharing details about the outcome of Saudi Arabia's visit, the minister said that they also assured to consider Pakistan's request for an additional USD 3 billion in deposits and jacking up the oil facility on deferred payment by an additional USD 1.2 billion. Besides, an additional amount of USD 4.2 billion would be considered by Saudi Arabian authorities, reported Geo News. He said that Saudi Arabia would also roll over existing deposits of USD 3 billion and their oil facility of USD 1.2 billion on deferred payment (USD100 million on monthly basis) would continue till June 2023. Therefore, the total Saudi package is expected to touch USD 8.4 billion. To another query, the minister said that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman is going to visit Pakistan within the ongoing month, reported Geo News. (ANI) The fire broke out in the city of Kostroma in the early hours of Saturday morning, after someone reportedly discharged a flare during an argument at the 'Poligon' cafe, reported TASS. Rescuers evacuated 250 people from the building. Governor of the Kostroma region, Sergei Sitnikov, said five people were slightly injured and received medical assistance. The roof of the cafe collapsed during the blaze, which emergency services said spread over an area of 3,500 m2. State television showed images of dozens of emergency workers fighting a huge fire that had engulfed the single-storey building. The sign "Poligon" was visible amid the flames raging on its roof. Authorities said the fire started at around 2:00 am local time and was put out at around 7:30 am, TASS reported. A criminal investigation has been launched, and Russian police are searching for the person who used the flare gun, a signalling device typically used in emergency situations. The TASS news agency, citing sources in emergency services, said a drunk man with a "flare gun" was likely to have caused the fire. "He was spending time in the bar with a woman, ordered her flowers, with a flare gun in his hands," the source told the agency. "Then he went to the dance floor and fired it." Kostroma, home to 270,000 people, is located roughly 340 kilometres (210 miles) north of Moscow by a river. This isn't the first time pyrotechnics have sparked a deadly fire in Russia. In 2009, more than 150 people were killed in a blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in the city of Perm that erupted after someone set off fireworks, reported euronews. (ANI) Lorri Grainawi stands outside of the Arlington Heights Village Hall on Nov. 3, 2022, and hands information to early voters about a referendum to create a tax levy for a mental health board. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Some suburban voters in Tuesdays election will be asked if they want to pay for better mental health services in their communities. Addison, Naperville, Lisle and Winfield townships in DuPage County; Schaumburg and Wheeling townships in Cook County; Vernon Township in Lake County; and all of Will County will hold referendums on whether to establish property tax levies to fund services for mental health, developmental disabilities and addiction. Advertisement Its a question that Lorri Grainawi, a League of Women Voters of Illinois mental health specialist, has taken personally since the death of her 24-year-old son, Adam, in 2016, when he was struck by a train. Adam battled schizophrenia for years. He had no case manager or social worker to help him follow his recovery plan. His mother believes his death was accidental but might have been prevented with follow-up services. She knows other families that went through similar tragedies, and some that got more help and are doing well. Advertisement A community mental health board, like those proposed by petition in Tuesdays election, would provide grants to local agencies to provide such potentially lifesaving services. Some 90 existing mental health boards in Illinois pay for things like drop-in crisis centers, screening youths for mental illness, and social workers who help police departments deal with people in mental crisis. By doing it locally, Grainawi said, youre able to serve more local needs. Opponents counter that numerous agencies already spend millions of dollars providing such services. Federal Medicaid and Medicare, county health departments and the Illinois Department of Human Services provide mental health services. Dan Patlak, president of the Republicans of Wheeling Township and former township assessor, said suburbanites pay too much in property taxes. Local governments in Illinois had the second-highest property tax rate among all states, according to WalletHub. Similar to some other townships, Wheeling Township already gives about $575,000 in grants to social service agencies, much of it for behavioral and mental health and intellectual disabilities, Patlak said. A lot of people including myself are sympathetic to the idea that mental health problems are serious and need to be addressed, Patlak said. Better to reallocate money thats already out there, than to tax people further and hurt their ability to support their families, and for businesses to stay and employ people. Conservative business owner Richard Uihlein donated $25,000 to oppose the measure, Patlak said. Opponents sent mailers to registered voters in Wheeling Township. The proposed tax increase is small compared with most other governmental units, such as schools. Under state law, referendum proposals for mental health boards have a maximum property tax rate of 0.15%,. but such boards typically tax at a lower rate. Advocates in Wheeling Township are calling for a tax rate of 0.026% to raise $1.5 million, for an estimated tax of roughly $28 on a home worth $335,000. Advertisement In Milton Township, voters narrowly approved a mental health board in 2021. Geri Kerger, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in DuPage County, said her tax bill for the board was $21 for the year. But any mental health board would be appointed by the township supervisor, and nobody knows what tax rate theyll settle on, Patlak said. If they choose the maximum rate in Wheeling Township, he calculated, the tax bill for the average home would be much higher, at $151, or for a business, $375. However its funded, the need for mental health care far outweighs availability. In Illinois, thousands of people with developmental disabilities are on a yearslong waiting list for services. Nationally, 14 million people had serious mental illness in the past year, and 40 million had a substance use disorder but only a fraction of those got help for those problems, a federal survey found. Not coincidentally, overdose deaths have skyrocketed, and the rate of suicide nationally rose 4% in 2021, to about 48,000 people more than twice the number of homicides with the increase most pronounced among young adults. Advertisement Kerger said the nation is in a mental health crisis that was only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. But she said programs funded by mental health boards include recovery specialists who can help people form a recovery plan and connect them with the services to do so. The National Alliance on Mental Illness educational programs in high schools, she said, include people living in recovery from substance abuse or mental illness. Kids know people who are ill, and think theres nothing to be done, Kerger said. They give you hope to recover. This story has been revised to correct the spelling of Lorri Grainawi. Netizens on Saturday were bewildered at Twitter's new chief, Elon Musk tweeting in Hindi wherein he was reinforcing his move to charge USD 8 per month for blue tick users. Notably, social media users were discussing the massive layoff of employees and his new rules and regulations for Twitter. With the hashtag #TwitterLayoffs, the post is shared from an account that at the first glance looks like the handle of the tech billionaire. However, the handle, with username @iawoolford, from which the post is shared created the confusion with the blue tick beside the profile name. It initially led many to believe that Musk shared the tweet himself. Reacting to massive layoffs, many of the post written in Hindi has gone viral. "Twitter will be divided into pieces, even Twitter gang will have to pay USD 8." Another tweet read, "This bird is sold." The Twitter user used the line imitating the viral "Government bik gayi" meme. The post is complete with a pic from the viral meme. "This time the broom will run, this time the broom will run! The broom will hit the corrupt Twitter!!" read another tweet by @iawoolford. The post had a Bollywood angle too, wherein a famous dialogue from the movie, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, wherein, Shahrukh Khan uses the dialogue, "Small things like this keep happening in big countries... isn't it?" He also used a famous Bhojpuri song sung by Pawan Singh - "Kamariya Kare Lapalap, Key Lollipop Lagelu." Meanwhile, Musk does not get affected by the criticism he has been receiving over his decision to charge Twitter users to get verified accounts. On Saturday, Musk took to Twitter and reiterated his stance on the blue tick fee. "Trash me all day, but it'll cost $8," he tweeted. After Musk became the new CEO of Twitter, reports circulated on social media that stated the microblogging site would charge USD 20 per month for blue verification badge. On Tuesday, Musk confirmed the reports and announced that the company will charge USD 8 a month for Twitter's subscription service with priority in replies, mentions, and searches. Musk has also been receiving a lot of hate on Twitter for laying off employees. Defending his decision to fire employees, Musk said that it was needed as Twitter was losing more than USD 4 million per day. "Regarding Twitter's reduction in force, unfortunately, there is no choice when the company is losing over USD 4M/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance, which is 50 pc more than legally required," Musk tweeted. (ANI) "North Korean missiles flew some 130km at apogee of around 20km," Yonhap news agency reported citing the South Korean military. Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that Pyongyang had fired an unknown ballistic missile on the Sea of Japan. Media reports had said that the missile is believed to be an intermediate- or long-range missile. During large-scale joint air drills between the US and South Korea, Seoul scrambled approximately 80 fighter jets after detecting North Korean warplanes on Friday. According to the official statement of the South Korean military, about 180 North Korean military aircraft were spotted between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (local time). The South Korean deployment included an unspecified number of F-35A stealth fighter jets, the statement added. Notably, the region's situation has been tense since the joint drills began on Monday, triggering an angry response from Pyongyang. South Korea's military earlier said that an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at around 7:40 am on Thursday. This latest launch marked the country's seventh firing of an ICBM in 2022. However, South Korea's defence source told Yonhap that Thursday's missile seems to have failed in a routine flight. Over 10 years in power, the North Korean leader has conducted more than 100 missile launches, including intercontinental launches, and four nuclear tests. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said numerous times that his country will continue to boost its nuclear potential. (ANI) At least 10 people, including children were killed on Friday, in crackdown against anti-hijab protest in Iran by Iranian security forces in the southeast of the country, reported CNN citing a human rights watchdog. The report further said that Iranian security forces had fired live ammunition at "peaceful protesters from the rooftops of the governor's office and several other buildings" in the city of Khash in Sistan and Balochistan province. According to Iranian state media and activists, protests against authorities turned violent on Friday in several cities across southeast Iran, including Khash. One video from the city posted by state media showed plumes of smoke rising from a building. The group said it was "gravely concerned about further bloodshed amid internet disruptions and reports of authorities bringing more security forces to Khash from Zahedan." "Iran's authorities must immediately rein in security forces. Member states of the UN must immediately raise concerns with Iran's ambassadors and support the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism by the UN Human Rights Council," the human rights watchdog said. A video shared with CNN by the activist outlet IranWire from Khash appears to show several protesters wounded and unconscious on the ground, after loud gunshots rang out in the background. Meanwhile, the country's semi-official Fars News Agency posted images on Twitter showing charred cars and damaged buildings, with a caption that blamed the damage on "rioters." During Friday's "unrest in Khash, several people were killed and injured," Fars said in the tweet. "The governorate, the building of Jihad Agriculture and several other government buildings, several kiosks and police cars, people's private cars, and almost all banks were set on fire by rioters," Fars added. The violence Friday comes amid nationwide protests against the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish women who died after being detained by morality police in Tehran. Large-scale demonstrations have also taken place recently in Zahedan, the state capital of Sistan and Balochistan, following the alleged rape of a Baloch girl by the police chief, reported CNN. The province, neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to members of the long-oppressed predominantly Sunni Muslim Baloch ethnic minority and has a history of unrest. Authorities removed the head of police in Zahedan last week, but protests continued and on Thursday, a high ranking Shia cleric was shot dead by masked gunmen in Zahedan, according to state news agency IRNA. The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations (CCITTA) also tweeted on Friday that at least 16 protesters were killed, and dozens more were injured after Iranian security forces opened fire on protesters in Khash, reported CNN. However, the death toll cannot be verified. A precise death toll is impossible for those outside Iran's government to confirm. Numbers vary by opposition groups, international rights organizations, and local journalists. (ANI) Ahead of the commencement of the 2022 edition of Exercise MALABAR, marking the 30th anniversary of the engagement, Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar met Navy Chiefs of the Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and US Navy where the leaders exchanged views on further enhancing inter-operability in future editions of MALABAR. Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar is visiting Japan from November 5-9 where he will witness the Japanese international fleet review and also attend the inauguration of multilateral naval drills Malabar being held there in its 30th year. During the visit, as one of the Observer Navies in the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), the CNS will attend the 18th WPNS on November 7-8 at Yokohama, being hosted by Japan, as the current Chair of WPNS. In addition to representing India and the Indian Navy during the International Fleet Review (IFR) and Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), he will also be in attendance for the inauguration of the 2022 edition of Exercise MALABAR, being held at Yokosuka with the participation of Australia, Japan and the USA. Initiated in 1992, this year marks the 30th anniversary year of Exercise MALABAR. Admiral R Hari Kumar would also be interacting with his counterparts and other Heads of Delegations from close to 30 countries participating in the IFR, WPNS, and MALABAR.Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kamorta also arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on November 2 to participate in the IFR and Exercise MALABAR-2022. The presence of these indigenously built ships of the Indian Navy at these multi-national events will be an opportunity to showcase the ship-building capabilities of Indian Shipyards during a large international gathering. The visit of the CNS to Japan signifies a high level of bilateral defence engagements with Japan, as well as India's active support and participation in multilateral engagements. (ANI) Faheen Salmani, a 20-year-old woman, is hailed as a saviour in her locality after the incident of controlled gas-leakage, saving locality and adjoining District Jail. The shared knowledge about fire control training which she got to know from her mother and its practical implementation helped douse the fire, saving lives and properties. "My mother was attending training at Madrasa where she was taught about controlling the kitchen fire. She used to brief me about the learnings and demonstrations shown there like if a cooking gas cylinder catches fire it should be doused off by covering it with a wet cloth or placing a bucket over it," Salmani said. "Coincidently, a few days later father brought a new cylinder home, in due course of time while fitting the regulator on top of the gas cylinder it caught fire. I was in my room and everyone was panicking outside, they forgot the way to control and douse the fire. I enacted the learnings passed on from my mother and doused the fire by rounding a wet shawl over the cylinder," Salmani recalled the day of the incident. Faheen's mother, Nazma had undergone training about controlling kitchen fires which was undertaken at Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City's co-ordination under the Strengthening Urban Preparedness, Earthquake Preparedness and Response in Western Region of Nepal (SUPER) project. But when the incident occurred she fretted but Faheen came forward executing the knowledge provided by her mother which saved the community. "I was panicking also her (Faheen) father, as the cylinder was on fire. But those things which I earlier had shared with her, she remembered and acted quickly. She also asked us not to panic and following the instructions which I was given during training doused the fire," Nazma told ANI as she sat on her Charpai where she was resting on the day of the incident. The SUPER project has been launched in Dhangadi and Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan city, Amargadhi, Jay Prithivi Municipality since August of 2021 coordinating with local levels. It is being funded by the European Union with UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women working as consortium members. According to reports, around 265,000 people die due to fire-related incidents in the world. More than half of them are from South and Southeast Asia. According to estimated data in 2008, around 55,000 people are affected by fire-related incidents every year. Out of these, around 2,100 people die every year in Nepal. Most of these incidents have happened in the kitchen. People have been injured while cooking in open fires where women's and men's clothes have caught fire. "The scene that took place in my home came to the attention of everyone and my actions were spread out to others which indeed is beneficial for others as well," added Faheen. Data from Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs (1971- 2018) revealed that in the last 50 or so years there has been a total of 12,694 fire incidents that have killed 1,755 and injured 2,176 individuals, affected 265,962 families, and damaged 90,044 houses. In 2018 alone, 87 people were killed and 342 injured in 2,478 fire incidents. In addition, 1,857 houses were destroyed and 291 damaged, causing a financial loss of around 3.96 billion. The estimated property loss associated with climate-induced disasters was approximately NPR 6.84 billion, and about 94 per cent of that loss can be attributed to fire incidents. According to data from the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, in Sudurpaschim Province, the province recorded approximately 194 fire-related incidents from July/August 2021 till August, 2022. "Female members of the family are more bound to work in the kitchen and the incidents of fire are on the rise at the time of floods also the women, children and elderlies need to be alerted before. This SUPER project has helped people a lot when it comes to the phase of exercising," Kandakala Kumari Rana, the deputy mayor of Dhangadhi sub-metropolitan city told ANI. The Dhangadi Sub-metropolitan city has been operating Municipal Emergency Operation Center to deal with instances other than the fire which runs high during the summer season, floods and heavy rain during monsoon amongst others. Dhangadhi which is the provincial capital of Sudurpaschim (Far-Western) Province of Nepal hosts most non-engineered houses which stand dangerously close to one another, facing imminent disaster threats. Looking at the imminent threat, the Sub-metropolitan has established a LEOC (Local Emergency Operation Center) which aims to collect and disseminate right information to the public at the time of disaster. The LEOC room hosts members of fire brigades who would quickly get into action after getting reports of fire as well as the weather monitoring desk which at the time of monsoon would give early warning to people and other possible disasters. The local body now has hundreds of trained personnel to work in the field of disaster risk management which range from various age groups to sects of society ready to be mobilized at the time of disaster. (ANI) India at United Nations voted in favour of Russia's draft resolution on "Combating glorification of Nazism." Amid the spirited debate, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly approved a draft resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism by a recorded vote of 105 in favour to 52 against, with 15 abstentions. The representative of India said that the concept of Indigenous Peoples is not applicable in the country's context, adding that it joins consensus on the resolution with this understanding. The committee approved eight draft resolutions, including Texts on Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Privacy in Digital Age, Condemning Glorification Of Nazism. The draft resolutions covered a range of human rights issues, from the right to literacy and protection of children from sexual exploitation to matters of crime prevention and criminal justice as well as efforts to combat the glorification of Nazism. The draft resolution had the Assembly express deep concern about glorifying the Nazi movement, neo-Nazism and former members of the Waffen SS organization, including erecting monuments and holding public demonstrations in glorifying the Nazi past. Russian Federation's delegate voiced concern over an increase in racist and xenophobic rhetoric, calls to deport migrants and refugees, Islamophobia, Afrophobia and antisemitism, the UN said in its release. Several delegates took to the floor to express concerns over Moscow's attempt to exploit the pretext of combating neo-Nazism to justify its brutal war against Ukraine, with Ukraine's delegate asserting that the draft has nothing in common with the genuine fight against Nazism and neo-Nazism. Echoing his concerns, the United Kingdom's delegate stressed that the resolution is part of Moscow's attempt to justify its aggression against Ukraine by furthering lies and distorting history. The United States' delegate called the resolution "a cynical attempt" of Moscow to further its geopolitical aims by invoking the Holocaust and Second World War. In the same vein, Australia's delegate called Moscow's weaponization of the Holocaust and Nazism unacceptable. Meanwhile, several delegates disassociated from the amendment, which notes with alarm that the Russian Federation seeks to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism. Rejecting the amendment, as it politicizes the issue of elimination of racism while introducing a narrow, country-specific approach, the delegate of the Russian Federation said that "this is a thematic resolution, not a country-resolution". (ANI) Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation to the 27th Session of Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) from November 6 to 18, arrived in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Saturday. "The world has gathered to deliberate on sustainable ways to fight Climate Change. COP27 should be 'COP of Action' with key deliverables having a specific focus on defining Climate Finance, outcomes on Adaptation and Loss & Damage," said Yadav. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, at the meet, India will discuss the mantra of Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mission LiFE will remind the global community that COP 27 must focus on the forgotten SDG-12 that calls for ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The concept of LiFE was introduced by Prime Minister Modi at COP26 at Glasgow on November 1, 2021. On 5 June 2022, on World Environment Day, India furthered the vision of LiFE by launching the LiFE Global Movement, inviting academicians, researchers and start-ups across the world to think about specific and scientific ways in which the full potential of collective action can be harnessed to address the environmental crisis. The movement received record support from global leaders. Mission LiFE will action the ideas and ideals of LiFE through a mission-mode, scientific and measurable programme and demonstrate India's commitment to walk the talk on climate change. Mission LiFE is designed with the objective to mobilise at least one billion Indians and other global citizens to take individual and collective action for protecting and preserving the environment in the period 2022 to 2027. Within India, at least 80 per cent of all villages and urban local bodies are aimed to become environment-friendly by 2028. (ANI) After Afghanistan's Kankor University announced its entrance exam results on Saturday, netizens expressed their disappointment over no girl's name in the list of the top 10 toppers. Earlier, the Kankor University announced entrance exam results where the top 10 students were "all-male," but it didn't go well with the netizens as before the Taliban took control over Afghanistan, girls have consistently topped the exam, Khaama Press reported. While, in 2020 and in 2021, two brilliant Afghan girls, Shamsia Alizada and Selgai Baran, won the top places on the Kankor exams, prior to the Taliban taking power in Afghanistan. The results of the Kankor exam 2022 were released on Saturday, November 5, by the National Examination Authority, which the Taliban govern. Suleiman, Mohammad Shabir, Hedayat and Mohammad Zia, received the first through tenth scores, respectively, according to the results that were made public. According to Khaama Press, Afghan users took to their social media platform and voiced their disappointment over girls being removed from academic sectors, especially the list of entrance exam winners after the results were announced in addition to a list that features 10 of the top candidates from the 2022 entrance exam, all of whom are boys. The writer and one of the users, Afsana Wahidyar, wrote on her Facebook page, "I wish success to all these students. However, the cloud in my eyes began to pour when I looked at this list (which contained the names of the top 10 students for the entrance exam)." She continued by stating that Afghan girls were forced to stay at home and that attending school and studying had become their dream, according to Khaama Press. How can you expect girls to take exams with enthusiasm and receive outstanding scores when girls are banned from schools for any pretext, a journalist named Nilofar Langar wrote on her Facebook page? Langar added that despite the disappointment, even if girls made it to the top 10 "do the mullahs allow a girl to come out on top and be an inspiration for the girls?" The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on March 15, 2021, has caused huge political turmoil in the country accompanied by worsening conditions for women residing there. Earlier, European Parliament member Hannah Neuman also condemned the increase in violence against women and girls in Afghanistan. She highlighted a number of issues faced by Afghan women, especially cases of underage marriage, trafficking of girls on the rise and also violence against them. Unrecognized by most of the international community, the Taliban-led government has committed to disrespecting the human rights and rights of women, paying no heed to increased incidents of violence and crimes towards women since the takeover. (ANI) (NEXSTAR) Its not just you; almost no one knows how to pronounce acai. Thats the major takeaway from a recent study conducted by Unscrambled Words, which sought to determine the words, terms or names that Americans are often struggling to pronounce. It wasnt just acai, of course. The analysts at Unscrambled Words an online resource for players of word-based games like Scrabble or Words With Friends have found nine other tongue-twisting terms that Americans seemingly dont know how to say, based on the average number of monthly Google searches for How to pronounce [X]. This data might show that some people may have been mispronouncing words for years without realizing, a spokesperson for Unscrambled Words stated in a press release. However, it also shows that there is no shame in wanting to know correct pronunciations, with thousands of people across the U.S. also wanting to find out every single month. Merriam-Webster adds yeet, sus, pumpkin spice to dictionary In addition to acai (a species of palm tree which bears a berry of the same name, and is pronounced ah-sah-EE or ah-sye-EE, per the Merriam-Webster dictionary), the top-searched pronunciations on Google included a number of other food-related words, such as gyro, charcuterie and pho, among others. Quick, how do you say GIF?(Getty Images) Others from the list include: Omicron, currently the name of the predominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus; Nguyen, a common Vietnamese surname; and GIF, a word for a specific kind of image file format that linguists and software engineers still debate the pronunciation of. The complete top-ten list is below, alongside the average monthly number of Google searches for those pronunciations, according to Unscrambled Words. Each term is also hyperlinked to a pronunciation at Merriam-Webster, unless where otherwise indicated. Acai 20,400 monthly searches Gyro 17,660 monthly searches Omicron 15,530 monthly searches Charcuterie 15,140 monthly searches Nguyen (pronunciation via Heritage-Line) 14,990 monthly searches Gnocchi 11,350 monthly searches GIF 11,230 monthly searches Worcestershire 8,880 monthly searches Dogecoin (pronunciation via Benzinga) 7,540 monthly searches Pho 7,270 monthly searches Story continues The folks at Merriam-Webster, meanwhile, would like to remind us that were fools to think there are only 10 words we commonly mispronounce. In both June and October of 2022, the editors of the tome have released their own lists of the most mispronounced words in the English language, which include such whoppers as victuals, awry, epitome and, yes, acai. This famous berry is harvested in Brazil, but its featured on menus and in recipes read by English speakers aplenty, an editor for Merriam-Webster writes of the oft-mispronounced word. Even if youre not throwing it into your morning smoothie, you might want to be sure youre saying acai right. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. With D-Day looming, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower speaks to members of E Company, 502nd Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division. On the afternoon of June 5, 1944, Eisenhower scribbled the now infamous order for the next day -- D-Day. In part, it read: The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! (Courtesy of the National Guard Bureau) World War II and D-Day veteran Charles Norman Shay, from Indian Island, Maine, salutes the grave of fellow soldier Edward Morozewicz at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. (AP File Photo/Virginia Mayo) Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, then-commander of the Armys 82nd Airborne Division, was the last American service member to leave Afghanistan, officially marking the end of U.S. military operations in the country. (Master Sgt. Alex Burnett/U.S. Army) A soldier who served in Vietnam returns to the United States, greeting friends and relatives in New York in 1969. (The Associated Press) Originally titled "The home of a Rebel Sharpshooter, Gettysburg," this picture cataloged in Alexander Gardners infamous Civil War photographic sketch book was credited by Gardner as having been snapped by Timothy OSullivan. The image became one of the most iconic of the Civil War and, according to the Library of Congress, was suspected to have been one of many staged photos by Gardner and other photographers. Medics assist a wounded soldier from the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. (Hugh Van Es/Associated Press) Marines raise the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the battle for Iwo Jima in 1945. The 2000 book "Flags of Our Fathers," by James Bradley with Ron Powers, claims to tell the story of the Marines and Navy Corpsman John Bradley (James' father) who raised the flag that day. The Marine Corps has since issued at least two corrections, clarifying who was actually depicted in the image and rebutting John Bradleys claims that he was one of them. (Joe Rosenthal/AP, courtesy of the National Archives) Story continues An American soldier comforts his comrade as a corpsman fills out casualty cards near Haktong-ni, Korea, in 1950. (Sgt. 1st Class Al Chang/U.S. Army, courtesy of the National Archives) Members of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-Black unit of pilots during World War II, pose in front of one of their aircraft in Italy. (U.S. Air Force). Bruna Romero and her daughter Madalyn, 2, are reunited with Cpl. Benigno R. Romero, who returned to Seattle on the transport Gen. M.C. Meigs on Aug. 2, 1951. The Meigs brought back 4,737 veterans from the Korean War, the largest contingent to return. (Gene Herrick/Associated Press) Marines walk across a flaming desert plain in Kuwait in 1991. (John Gaps/Associated Press) In Baghdad, Iraqi civilians and U.S. troops topple a statue of Saddam Hussein while one Marine covers the statue head with an American flag. (Jerome Delay/Associated Press). Troops ride in the back of a medevac helicopter escorting flag-draped U.S. soldiers who were killed by a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan. (David Guttenfelder/Associated Press) Republican candidate for governor and state Sen. Darren Bailey speaks at a campaign stop at Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn on Oct. 31, 2022. (Michael Blackshire / Chicago Tribune) The Democratic Party of Illinois filed a complaint Friday with the Illinois State Board of Elections against Republican governor candidate Darren Baileys campaign and the conservative leader of a Bailey-aligned political action committee, accusing the two of unlawfully coordinating their efforts to oppose Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzkers reelection bid. The complaint comes a day after the Chicago Tribune first reported the head of the PAC, Dan Proft, tried to intercede in a potential legal matter involving Bailey by contacting the lawyer for a former Bailey political worker who was at the center of a legal dispute with the campaign. Advertisement Proft, of Naples, Florida, runs the People Who Play By the Rules PAC, an independent expenditure political action committee that is supporting Baileys run for governor. As a PAC, it is, by law, not supposed to coordinate spending activities with Baileys campaign, but the complaint accuses Proft of consistently acting in cooperation, consultation, or concert with the campaign. The People Who Play By the Rules PAC is almost entirely funded by national conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein, the billionaire founder of the Uline office supply and packaging firm. Uihlein has given Profts PAC $42 million, including $34 million since Bailey won the GOP nomination for governor on June 28. Uihlein has given $12 million directly to Baileys campaign, but only $3 million since the primary. Advertisement The complaint alleges that under state law, Profts communications with the Bailey campaign amount to improper in-kind contributions, which dont represent cash, but donated services or expenses that help campaigns. Mr. Profts pervasive involvement in the Bailey Campaign indicates some level of coordination, such that these expenditures are not independent and are instead illegal in-kind contributions to the Bailey Campaign, the complaint alleges. Mr. Proft has consistently acted in cooperation, consultation, or concert with the Bailey Campaign. The examples are endless. [ [Dont miss] Conservative GOP operative Dan Profts involvement in Bailey campaign matter raises questions about his role ] One of those examples cited in the complaint was the Tribune story, which highlighted Profts efforts to intercede in the internal dispute between the Bailey campaign and its former political worker, Brett Corrigan, over an unspecified human resources matter. Corrigan served largely as Baileys body man, closely following him at events and assisting him as needed. But around mid-September, Corrigan left Baileys campaign whether he was fired or left on his own is a matter of dispute, according to his attorney, Scott Kaspar. In the meantime, Kaspar was involved in confidential financial settlement discussions with Baileys campaign over the reasons for Corrigans departure. During those negotiations, Proft weighed in, apparently in an effort to quash the filing of a possible lawsuit in the matter that could become public and hurt Baileys chances in the Nov. 8 general election against Pritzker. In text messages obtained by the Tribune, Proft reached out to Kaspar inquiring about the legal matter, but Kaspar did not discuss it with him. Advertisement According to the complaint to the Board of Elections, Mr. Profts awareness of and involvement in a confidential, internal Bailey Campaign HR matter indicates that Mr. Proft is in cooperation, consultation, or concert with the Bailey Campaign such that expenditures made by the PAC qualify as coordinated contributions. [ [Dont miss] As Democrats sweat GOP surge, politicians led by Biden fan out across Illinois in campaign seasons final weekend ] The complaint also cited Profts other role as a right-wing radio show host who has frequently featured Bailey as a guest. In one instance, the complaint noted a Sept. 8 appearance in which Proft talks about the millions he has spent supporting the Bailey Campaign with Mr. Bailey on the line going so far as to say that he supported Darren Bailey through the super PAC that I run in the primary. And Im supporting him through the super PAC that I run into the general, too. Advertisement The Bailey campaign said it had no knowledge of the complaint. The campaign hasnt spoken to Dan since their general election efforts started, Bailey campaign spokesman Joe DeBose said in a text. This is a desperate attempt by the Pritzker campaign and the Tribune to distract from Darrens momentum at the close of the election. In a text to the Tribune late Friday, Proft called the complaint frivilous. At an unrelated news conference earlier in the day, Pritzker suggested Proft and Baileys campaign could be fined tens of millions of dollars by the Board of Elections if they coordinated their efforts. Well, it looks like, once again, Dan Proft is coordinating with Darren Bailey. Looks illegal to me, Pritzker said. Look, this is just another example: They dont care about the law; they dont care about the truth. All theyre doing is just throwing, spewing things out there, trying to coordinate to help Darren Bailey any way they can, no matter what it costs, and frankly, no matter if theyre breaking the law or not. Tribune reporter Dan Petrella contributed. Advertisement jgorner@chicagotribune.com rpearson@chicagotribune.com The body of a missing 18-year-old was found on Halloween, hours away from where he had disappeared, police in Virginia said. Fairfax County Police were notified that Tavon Jay McKoy was missing after his friend couldnt get a hold of him on Oct. 30, WAVY reported. McKoys family also told officers he had disappeared under unusual circumstances, and he was reported as a missing and endangered person on Oct. 31. Meanwhile, over 150 miles away in Gloucester County, deputies found his body on that same day and ruled it a homicide, they said in a release. Investigators with the Gloucester County Sheriffs Office determined that the victim had been killed at another location and his body left at this scene, according to the release. When deputies discovered that McKoy was reported missing in Fairfax County, they matched the bodys appearance and tattoos to McKoys, confirming it was him on Nov. 3, the release said. Investigators did not specify if there are any persons of interest at this time. We recognize that the public will have questions about this homicide; however, for the integrity of the investigation, we are not able to release any further details at this time, the sheriffs office said. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact criminal investigator J.T. Holt at 804-693-1133 or the Crime Line at 888-562-5887. Four teens killed in car crash, NY cops say. TikTok trend may have led to their deaths Mans foot was found in a bucket 3 years ago. Louisiana cops now know who it belongs to Boyfriend strangled, killed pregnant girlfriend and hid her body, Chicago officials say Driver followed and shot repeatedly in deadly road-rage incident, Georgia cops say UPDATE 11/5/22 Pittsburgh police say the man who was taken to the hospital in critical condition after a shooting in Pittsburghs Northview Heights neighborhood died in the hospital on Saturday. The Allegheny County medical examiner identified the victim as 38-year-old Jemar Pharr from Pittsburgh. Pharr was shot on Penfort Street on Friday. UPDATE: The male who was transported in critical condition has since succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. https://t.co/uiMvaYLXG1 Pittsburgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) November 6, 2022 Two men were shot in Pittsburghs Northview Heights neighborhood on Friday. According to Allegheny County 911, police and EMS units were called to the 300 block of Penfort Street at 7 p.m. Once on the scene, first responders located two male victims. One suffered gunshot wounds to the head, back and arm, and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The second victim was shot in the upper leg and was taken to a hospital in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 11 Investigates update: Carvana Bridgeville dealership suspended by PennDOT indefinitely SKYLIGHTS 2022: Playoffs Week 1 final scores 2 men shot in Pittsburghs Northview Heights neighborhood VIDEO: New video shows moments after high-speed chase ended with deadly shooting in Westmoreland County DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Nov. 4VALDOSTA Nearly 300 jobs are coming to Lowndes County as a global baking company builds its second production facility in the community. According to Andrea Schruijer, executive director of the Valdosta Lowndes County Development Authority, Grupo Bimbo will invest $200 million to build a new manufacturing facility at the Westside Business Park. The company anticipates site work will start in December and estimates completion in 2025. The plant should bring in 295 jobs, according to a statement from the governor's office. Grupo Bimbo has 203 plants and more than 1,700 sales centers strategically located in 33 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Its main product lines include fresh and frozen sliced bread, buns, cookies and other confectionery products. Grupo Bimbo's subsidiary, Bimbo QSR, started developing its food processing plant in Valdosta in February 2021, with plans of bringing in 74 jobs and investing more than $25 million for a 100,000-square-foot building and plant in the same business park. "I'm really excited about this project. It's going to be a great project for our community, and I think that once they reveal to us exactly what it is they're making (at the plant), they'll be really excited about it too. There's great jobs; their starting wages are between $19 and $25 an hour...they're going to change the face of Westside Business Park, along with GAF and Bimbo QSR," she said. Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter expressed anticipation for the value that this second development will bring to the community. "We are delighted that Grupo Bimbo decided to add a second facility in Valdosta and Lowndes County. This project speaks to the positive collaboration between local and state partners that continues making our community a desirable location for world-class companies like Grupo Bimbo to invest and grow their business," Matheson said. "Lowndes County is extremely pleased to welcome Grupo Bimbo to our community and into a diverse group of industries. Creating quality jobs for our residents is a top priority for local officials. We are confident that Lowndes County's infrastructure and talented workforce will contribute to the success and future longevity of Grupo Bimbo," Slaughter said. Learn more at www.grupobimbo.com/en. British FV103 Spartan APC. Airwolfhound/WikieCommons/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 60 British FV103 Spartan armored personnel carriers were purchased in 36 hours through crowdfunding. $6.5 million was raised for the hardly used equipment by Ukraine's Prytula Foundation charity. The APCs will help the Ukrainian troops in the difficult conditions expected over the winter months. A fundraising appeal to purchase 60 armored personnel carriers for Ukraine raised $6.5 million within 36 hours. The Serhiy Prytula charity foundation launched the move to buy the FV103 Spartan APCs from the UK on Wednesday to help provide Ukraine with much-needed vehicles ahead of harsh winter conditions. The donors ranged from private individuals to big Ukrainian corporations and smaller firms. The hardly used vehicles until recently belonged to the British army and are currently stored in secret warehouses across the UK. They are said to have driven fewer than 10,000 miles, The Guardian reported. "The base is tracked, and due to that fact, it can move around in bad weather conditions because we have rain almost every day right now during the autumn season. It's going to start snowing soon, and the Spartans will be very good on the front line in the south of the country and especially in Donbas, where the heaviest fighting is going on right now," Maksym Kostetsky, the transport-direction coordinator at the Prytula Foundation, told The Guardian. Serhiy Prytula, the founder of the charity and a popular Ukrainian TV presenter, visited the UK to check on the vehicles before beginning the crowdfunding. The British government previously donated 35 FV103 Spartans to Ukraine and they proved to be highly successful on the battlefield, The Guardian reported. "We are the first organization that is going to actually procure them, not as a state, as a country, but as an NGO who would give them to the ministry of defense of Ukraine," Kostetsky told The Guardian. Story continues Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, a trend has emerged of citizens and corporations fundraising to help Ukraine's war effort. One unique example was an OnlyFans-inspired group that sold nudes that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Prytula Foundation has also funded cars, drones, communication systems, and medical equipment. They helped secure $16 million to purchase three Bayraktar TB2 unmanned-combat aerial vehicles from Turkey, which have been effective for Ukraine on the battlefield. Maria Pysarenko, the media manager at the Prytula Foundation, said they could often tap into public sentiments to raise money for the war effort, The Guardian reported. For example, the foundation channeled anger over Elon Musk's tweets about his ideas on how to end the war. "We decided, 'OK, people are so angry, and we can convert this anger into something helpful,'" Pysarenko told the paper. "And we announced a fundraiser to buy a history textbook for Musk on Twitter. And you know, in an hour, we had 1 million Ukrainian hryvnias donated to our accounts, and we're like, 'OK, so we have enough money, literally, to buy textbooks but also to buy a supply of radio stations for one unit.'" While some campaigns can be reactive, others can be long and complicated to plan, she said. Another source of fundraising from Ukraine has been its United24 platform launched by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which collects charitable donations for Ukraine. Mark Hamill, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" film series, is a celebrity ambassador for the United24 initiative. He has helped send at least 500 drones to support the Ukrainian war effort, he told Bloomberg during an interview. Read the original article on Business Insider Maher Diab holds up his lottery tickets at Bluebird Liquor, October 28, 2022, in Hawthorne, California. Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo A 62-year-old Michigan man won $1 million from the lottery. Norman Doerr found out about his win while watching the news. Doerr said he plans to use his new fortune for his retirement. A 62-year-old Michigan man said that he learned that he won $1 million while watching the news. Norman Doerr purchased his ticket from a convenience store in Ubly, Michigan, last month, according to the state lottery. His winning Powerball numbers were: 06-08-15-27-42. According to the press release, he's been playing two sets of numbers in the Powerball game for about eight years. "I was watching the news the morning after the drawing, and they showed the winning Powerball numbers from the night before," Doerr told Michigan lottery officials. "I recognized the numbers as soon as they came up on the screen, and I knew I was a big winner! I had to pause the TV and look over the numbers a few times to make sure I wasn't mistaken." Doerr collected his prize from the headquarters and described his prize as "a great feeling, adding that he plans to use the money for his future. He said the win "is going to allow me to retire earlier than I planned." Last month, a North Carolina woman won more than $500,000 after purchasing the winning ticket four minutes before the drawing was announced. Another lucky lottery player ended up winning an additional $300,000 the same day that she collected a $100,000 prize from two scratch-off tickets. Read the original article on Insider Fatemeh Amiri lost an eye when a suicide bomber attacked a Kabul education centre An Afghan teenager who was severely injured in a suicide attack in September has passed her university entrance exams with high marks. Fatemeh Amiri, 17, lost an eye and sustained severe damage to her jaw and ear when the Kaaj education centre in Kabul was attacked. More than 50 people were killed and dozens injured, mostly female students. Ms Amiri started studying again while recovering from her injuries and scored more than 85% in her exams. She told BBC News that she would be studying computer science at Kabul university. Students had been sitting a practice university exam when the bomber struck the tuition centre in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of the Afghan capital. He was reported to have shot at the guards outside the education centre, entered a classroom and detonated a bomb. Eyewitnesses told the BBC that most of the victims were girls, who were seated in the front row, near the blast. A student who was injured told AFP that there were around 600 people in the room when the attack happened. Ms Amiri spoke about its impact on her: "On the day of the exam, I was affected by the Kaaj attack - my eye was in pain, I couldn't see the question papers properly." She said losing her eye in the attack only made her stronger: "The tasks I was not able to do with both eyes, now I will do it with one eye." Ms Amiri said she is 100% determined to study computer science at university Ms Amiri said her teacher helped her to check her results online and found that she had successfully passed her entrance exams. She said she was initially upset at not being among the top 10 highest result achievers. "I got really sad in the first stage, as I expected to be among the top 10. I didn't want to see my result afterwards," she said. "If I was not among the top 10, one or two other girls should have been there... I am sure there are girls among the top 10, but I don't know why it was not announced," Ms Amiri added. "Girls' talent should not be ignored... This is not a setback for girls, they won't accept defeat." Ms Amiri said she would be determined to study regardless: "One hundred percent I will do computer science, I loved it and I am sure I will be able to go ahead with it," she said. The Kaaj tuition centre is a private college which teaches both male and female students. Most girls' schools in the country have been closed since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, but some private schools are open. There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Ageson Berhad (KLSE:AGES) so let's look a bit deeper. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Ageson Berhad is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.075 = RM37m (RM585m - RM89m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022). So, Ageson Berhad has an ROCE of 7.5%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 5.1% generated by the Construction industry, it's much better. See our latest analysis for Ageson Berhad roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Ageson Berhad has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. What Can We Tell From Ageson Berhad's ROCE Trend? Even though ROCE is still low in absolute terms, it's good to see it's heading in the right direction. Over the last five years, returns on capital employed have risen substantially to 7.5%. The company is effectively making more money per dollar of capital used, and it's worth noting that the amount of capital has increased too, by 116%. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, a combination that's common among multi-baggers. Story continues On a related note, the company's ratio of current liabilities to total assets has decreased to 15%, which basically reduces it's funding from the likes of short-term creditors or suppliers. This tells us that Ageson Berhad has grown its returns without a reliance on increasing their current liabilities, which we're very happy with. In Conclusion... To sum it up, Ageson Berhad has proven it can reinvest in the business and generate higher returns on that capital employed, which is terrific. Although the company may be facing some issues elsewhere since the stock has plunged 89% in the last five years. Still, it's worth doing some further research to see if the trends will continue into the future. Ageson Berhad does come with some risks though, we found 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A fully stocked shelf in a liquor store. Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The United States saw a 26 percent increase in deaths caused by alcohol during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This massive spike represents about 13 deaths per 100,000 Americans, marking the highest rate in at least 40 years, the head of the study, Merianne Spencer, told The Associated Press. CDC data showed that deaths increased in almost every age group, though the rate for men was anywhere from two to four times higher than for women. The 26 percent bump is a stratospheric rise to a statistic that had already been increasing the CDC said the rate of alcohol-related deaths from 2000 to 2018 had never increased more than 7 percent. While depression related to the first year of the pandemic was cited by the CDC as a significant contributing factor, the report noted there may have been a number of other reasons for the spike as well. Marissa Esser, the head of the CDC's alcoholism division, told AP the additional deaths may have been related to people with alcohol-related illnesses being unable to receive medical care during the pandemic. In total, there were more than 52,000 deaths last year classified as "alcohol-induced," the CDC said, up from 39,000 in 2019. This includes deaths from alcohol-caused liver failure, alcohol poisoning, and complications from alcohol withdrawal. The study found at least one in eight deaths among Americans aged 20 to 64 could be linked to alcohol. You may also like Russia's 'catastrophic' missing men problem 7 scathing cartoons about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover How the Justice Department might respond to a Trump 2024 bid Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty / Netflix After winning the Best Director Oscar for each of his prior two features (Birdman, The Revenant), Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu might be forgiven a bit of idiosyncratic indulgence. Unfortunately, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is an extravagantly navel-gazing bridge too far. Using Federico Fellinis 8 as its foundational inspiration (with a sprinkle of All That Jazz thrown in for good measure), Inarritus latest is a self-referential chore, one whose chaos is as constant as it is obvious, and whose fancifulness is both knocked and defended by the film itself. A carnivalesque auto-celebration-cum-critique that strives to touch upon a wide range of issuesincluding Mexican identity, artistic independence and co-option, and familial trauma and regretits a deep dive into shallow existential waters. Inarritu trimmed 22 minutes from Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths following its less-than-stellar reception at the Venice and Telluride film festivals. Still, in its final two-and-a-half-hour versionpremiering on Netflix on Dec. 16 following a theatrical run beginning Nov. 4the film overstays its welcome, replete with at least four different scenes that would have sufficed as a fitting ending. Inarritu is bursting with whimsical ideas and refuses to restrain himself at every turn. Thats the case with its narrative, which repeatedly erases the line between reality and fantasy and doubles back on itself in a circular manner, revealing new details about its tale and characters in the process. Its also true of an aesthetic marked by soaring and rotating camerawork, look-at-me extended takes, and a score that alternates between mournful orchestral compositions and tuba-heavy circus music. After an hour or so, any faint trace of rollicking serio-comedy energy has vanished, snuffed out by showy set pieces that aim for euphoria and heartbreak and produce only yawns and the desperate urge to check ones watch. Story continues Netflix The center of Inarritus attention is his fictional proxy Silverio Gama (Daniel Gimenez Cacho), a bearded, floppy haired Marcello Mastroianni type in a black suit and white shirt. Silverio is a reporter turned documentarian whos about to become the first Mexican to receive a prestigious American journalism award. This inspires in Silverio great doubt, since, as he articulates in one of many rambling, exposition-heavy scenes, he has imposter syndrome and fears being outed as a phony. This is the reason why he bails on an appearance on the TV talk show of his former colleague Luis (Francisco Rubio), who resents Silverios success and routinely badmouths his acclaimed cinematic work. The current target of Luis ire is Silverios most recent movietitled (wink wink) False Chronicle of a Handful of Truthswhich he slanders for being everything Inarritus film is, at which point Silverio vehemently stands up for his creative decisions and magically silences his adversary. Alas, preemptively addressing and answering criticisms does not a convincing argument make. From that moment on, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths operates with an even greater degree of cheeky narcissism than before. Thats saying something, since Inarritus sagaco-written by Nicolas Giacoboneis intensely pleased with itself from the start. Thats when Silverios shadow takes great bounding leaps through the desert, and then his newborn son Mateo emerges from the womb, only to demand that he be shoved back inside his mother Camilla (Ximena Lamadrid) because, as the doctor reports, he thinks this world is too fucked up. The Revenant, Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Is the Most Breathtakingly Beautiful Film of the Year This symbolic episode (Mateo, it turns out, died almost immediately after birth) takes place while Silverio sleeps in a hospital hallway, and his ensuing adventure is one in which waking and slumbering realities co-mingle in what appears to be free-association fashionat least, until the underlying threads connecting everything become impossible to miss. Inarritu sticks to Silverio as he traverses a TV studios backstage dressing rooms and passageways a la Birdman, shimmies and shakes his way through a galas crowded dance floor, works at the breakfast table on an introductory video for his award ceremony, and takes a fateful watery ride on a California public transit train. Whats mildly intriguing the first time around is leadenly explained during return engagements to those same topics and incidents, all of which find Silverio wrestling with feelings of inadequacy, class-based anxieties, and complicated attitudes toward his homeland and Los Angeles (where hes resided for 15 years). Hes a man caughtgeographically, financially, professionally and personallybetween different, albeit intertwined, worlds, and Inarritu tackles such multifaceted concerns about the state of Mexico and himself, history and modernity, with an exhausting everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach. Sumptuously shot by cinematographer Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths reconfirms that Inarritus formal skills are second to none, but here theyre in service of roundabout and tedious self-inquiry. So up his own you-know-what is the auteur that he stages a bathroom encounter between Silverio and his deceased father, during which the documentarian shrinks down to child size while retaining his adult head, and he plays it for cute pathos rather than as the height of comedy. Netflix The past and the present collide incessantly along this journey, all as Silveriopassively embodied by Cachostruggles to get a grip on who he is, where hes from, and what it means for him and his clan to straddle (literally and figuratively) the Mexican-American border. Those knotty issues are as pressing for Silverio as they no doubt are for Inarritu. However, theyre dramatized in a way thats at once jumbled and transparent, and ultimately resolved (if you can call it that) via the easiest, and cheapest, device possible. To say theres too much crammed into Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths would be an understatement, although the films true undoing has less to do with its overstuffed nature than with the clunkiness of its methods. Inarritu crafts a swirling, immersive autobiographical fantasia rooted in the fragmented and fraught-with-contradiction state of his own mind (as well as that of his fellow 21st-century Mexicans). Here, thats highlighted by a confrontation between Silverio and 16th-century Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes atop a pyramid of corpses. Yet it rarely stops elucidating viewers about its makers interests and intentions, the result being a ponderous affair whose odyssey of grief, longing, guilt, resentment and healingall of it taking place on a deliberately artificial cinematic stageis largely inert. Its lies may, at heart, be true, but given their unswerving stodginess, theyre also the stuff of which tiresome vanity projects are made. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The metaverse means many things to many people, whether that be Meta's virtual reality "office," Fortnite's combination of gameplay and social space, or Decentraland's NFT-powered virtual world. But to Robby Yung, CEO of metaverse investment firm and game publisher Animoca Brands, one fact is inescapable. "There is no metaverse without Web3, because you need to have that transaction layer so that you have interoperability between content and you can bring it from place to place," he said in a panel discussion at Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. "We as an industry are working on setting standards for that," he added. "We've set up some various consortiums to try to address those issues." Open Metaverse Alliance Says It Wont Let Meta Define the Future of the Internet Animoca Brands is one of the founding members of the Open Metaverse Alliance, an industry group launched this month that is pushing for interoperability standards in the metaverse. Those standards would enable NFT content purchased on one metaverse platform to seamlessly integrate with another, so that an NFT bought on Decentraland could be used in The Sandbox, for example. But one key player in the Web3 space has yet to commit to joining the Open Metaverse Alliance: Bored Ape Yacht Club owners Yuga Labs, which this week revealed that it's hard at work on its own open metaverse NFT standards. BAYC Owner Yuga Labs: Metaverse NFT Open Standards Coming Very Soon Yung acknowledged that there's a long road ahead for investors in the metaverse. "We have to be realistic that it's a long term plan," he said. "I mean, we're building the 3D internet, this is going to take 10 years or more, probably." VR a 'big distraction' Yung, like Animoca founder and executive chairman Yat Siu, is dismissive of Meta's metaverse approachparticularly its effort to create a metaverse centered around virtual reality. "My personal view is I think VR is a big distraction," he said, adding that VR is "just one platform" by which the metaverse can be accessed. Story continues Meta, he said, has focused on defining the metaverse as "akin to VR," something that Yung described as "a mistake." Facebook, Tencent a Threat to Open Metaverse: Animocas Yat Siu Certainly, Meta's all-in foray into virtual reality has been a costly one so far; last month its metaverse division reported a $3.67 billion quarterly loss. Main image by Web Summit licensed under CC BY 2.0 China releases white paper on BDS, outlining development in new era Xinhua) 09:17, November 05, 2022 This photo taken on Nov. 4, 2022 shows the Chinese and English versions of a white paper titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the New Era". China issued a white paper on the country's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- China issued a white paper on the country's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Friday. Titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the New Era," the white paper was published by the State Council Information Office of China. It said BDS has been built into a world-class navigation system, noting China plans to refine the system by improving its operation management, promoting sustainable development of BDS-based applications, and upgrading its governance in the coming years. The paper highlighted outstanding batch production capability, saying in less than three years, 18 rockets deployed 30 BDS satellites into orbit, "a pace unmatched by any other country." BDS is able to provide a wide range of services, such as positioning, navigation, timing, international search and rescue. It is the world's first navigation satellite system to provide a global short message communication service, the paper noted. In building a more powerful BDS, China will create its own smart and distinctive system for operation, maintenance and management, and gain a competitive edge in services such as short message communication, ground-based and satellite-based augmentation, and international search and rescue, said the white paper. By steadily improving the quality and increasing the scope of services, BDS will build the capacity to provide global decimeter-level positioning and navigation with high integrity, thereby delivering better services to users worldwide. China has established a set of platforms featuring BDS-3 services including international search and rescue, short message communication, satellite-based augmentation, and ground-based augmentation. It has also developed a series of basic products such as chips, modules and antennas, and realized 100-million-scale manufacturing of BDS products. By developing standards and norms, intellectual property rights, testing and certification, and industrial assessment in a systematic manner, China has created a sound industrial ecosystem for BDS applications with all necessary factors and a strong innovation capacity, said the white paper. China has released the first mobile phone in the world that supports the BDS regional short message communication service by incorporating a chip into a mobile phone. Users can send short messages through BeiDou short message civil platform without changing SIM cards or phone numbers, BDS spokesperson Ran Chengqi told a press conference on the release of the white paper. Meanwhile, the white paper noted that the BDS is dedicated to the world and China will step up international cooperation for better compatibility and interoperability between the BDS and other navigation satellite systems. The international cooperation and applications of BDS were based on the principles of openness, integration, coordination, compatibility, complementarity and sharing, said the white paper. The cooperation between BDS and other global navigation systems, including GPS of the United States, Galileo of the European Union and GLONASS of Russia, has made excellent progress, said Ran. The country continues to promote international cooperation and exchanges of BDS through measures such as strengthening cooperation mechanisms, increasing cooperation channels, and establishing cooperation platforms and windows, the white paper said. Ran said that China has carried out bilateral and multilateral cooperations and exchanges with countries in Central Asia and Africa, and regional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the League of Arab States. A Chinese delegation recently attended the meeting of the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, which was held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, and has received proposals from many countries and organizations for enhanced cooperation with BDS, Ran added. The country is also making every effort to have BDS ratified by international standards organizations and standards organizations in the industrial and specialized application sectors, such as civil aviation, maritime, search and rescue, and mobile communication. In conclusion, the white paper said China is committed to "building a comprehensive spatiotemporal system that is more extensive, more integrated and more intelligent on the next generation of the BDS." It pointed out that China is ready to share its achievements in developing the BDS, and will work with all countries to promote the development of navigation satellite systems and make an even greater contribution to building a global community of shared future and a better world. China has explored its navigation satellite system in a three-step strategy. The BDS-1 project got official approval in 1994 and was completed in 2000. The BDS-2 was completed in 2012. The completion and official launch of the system in 2020 marks the success of the three-step strategy. China has become the third country in the world to independently own a global navigation satellite system. A press conference on a white paper titled "China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in the New Era" is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2022. China issued a white paper on the country's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Friday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) The Oswego Police Department has been awarded a grant to help implement an automatic license plate reader system that is already in operation in other locations around Kendall County. KenCom, the countys 911 Emergency Public Safety Dispatch Center, last year contracted with a vendor to lease license plate reader cameras to be installed at various locations throughout Kendall County, according to Oswego officials. Advertisement Oswego Police Department staff members were part of the KenCom committee that implemented the license plate reader program, Oswego Police Chief Jeff Burgner said in a report to Oswego Village Board members. The countys devices have been up and running around Kendall County since September, he said. Advertisement The equipment can be used in real time to identify vehicles that are stolen or have been identified as suspect vehicles in different criminal activity, the police chief said. Burgner earlier this year was authorized to sign a memorandum of understanding between the police department and the vendor, Flock Safety of Atlanta, in preparation for the rollout of the countys automatic license plate reader system. The police chief was authorized then to sign a resolution that establishes an intergovernmental agreement between the village, the KenCom Executive Board and Kendall County Emergency Phone Service and Communications Board for the program. The Oswego Police Department needs its own personalized internet dashboard to request camera access from KenCom, village officials said. KenCom is the owner of the license plate reader cameras in the county, and it needs to maintain access and credentials to its dashboard. A memorandum of understanding was needed so that Oswego could own and maintain a Flock Safety portal tailored to the village. Subsequently, the Oswego Police Department would be able to lease some cameras for the program, village officials said. The Oswego Police Department was notified in September that it had been awarded a $20,833 grant through the National White Collar Crime Center to lease four of the devices from Flock Group for two years, Burgner said. The police department applied for the grant a year ago. The Village Board on Nov. 1 voted 5-1 to accept the funding. Burgner was also authorized to execute an agreement to lease four license plate readers from the Flock Group Inc for two years. Trustee James Marter voted against the measure. The grant funding is set to run from October 2022 through October 2024. Advertisement When the grant ends, the village will have the option of either having Flock Group Inc. remove the four devices or continue the funding for the devices at our own expense unless additional grant funding becomes available, Burgner said. Burgner gave presentations last fall and summer to gauge whether trustees had an interest in the use of license plate readers, which he said help police locate stolen vehicles and aid them with investigations. The installation of the devices on village roadways will take approximately five to six weeks, the police chief said. The devices will be located at Douglas Road and Route 30, Douglas Road and Route 34, Boulder Hill Pass and Route 34 and Washington Street between Route 71 and Grove Road, he said. Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. A ballot measure to ban the sale of flavored tobacco in California has put cigarette companies in the unlikely role of underdog. Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has single-handedly outspent the industry as he seeks to help passage of Prop 31 on Tuesdays ballot. Bloomberg, who has long been active on health issues, contributed nearly all of the $47 million spent by the campaign to pass the initiative and prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products, which are considered more likely to appeal to young people who smoke or vape. By comparison, the industry behind the $80 billion U.S. cigarette market, once a powerful force in American politics, has spent $25 million to oppose the measure. Prop. 31 is a measure to uphold or repeal SB 793, which banned sales of flavored tobacco in stores and vending machines. The initiative put the law on hold and industry critics believe the intent was to prolong sales as long as possible. Delaying the enactment of SB 793 meant the tobacco companies could continue to take in about $830 million from menthol cigarettes alone from when the new law was set to go into effect in the beginning of 2021, according to the Yes on Prop 31 campaign. The referendum does buy them a couple of years, said Andrew Acosta, a Sacramento political consultant who is not involved in this campaign. I can see it from a calculated, economic perspective why this makes sense. Opponents of the measure argue that the ban is unnecessary because its already illegal to sell tobacco products to people under 21. They also say prohibitions, in general, dont work. California has long been a tough market for tobacco. It was the first state to eliminate smoking in workplaces and bars and has some of the highest tobacco tax rates and lowest smoking rates in the country. The federal government has stepped up its regulation in recent years, pulling unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes from the market and, this year, prohibiting the sale of Juul products this year and proposing a ban on menthol cigarettes and cigars. Story continues Tobacco companies have been clear for years and years that they do not want their vaping products in the hands of children, said Beth Miller, spokesperson for the no on Prop 31 campaign. Meanwhile, a growing number of local and state governments have imposed flavor bans, with more than 130 local governments in California alone taking such action, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Youth smoking and vaping rates in California have started to decline, according to data from the California Healthy Kids Survey. But a National Youth Tobacco Survey released last month by federal health officials showed use of flavored disposable products is still popular, although the 2022 survey is difficult to compare due to changes in data collection procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bloomberg bankrolling Prop. 31 is very much on brand for the health philanthropist, who funds a wide range of health-related interests from gun violence to obesity and chemical pollution. The former mayor in 2019 pledged to spend $160 million to ban flavored e-cigarettes nationwide by the end of this year. He has financed other anti-vaping and flavored tobacco initiatives, including San Franciscos successful 2018 effort to uphold its sweeping flavor ban. The city went on to become the first in the nation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes entirely. Bloomberg, through a spokesperson, declined to speak to POLITICO about his spending to support Prop. 31. Lindsay Freitas, California director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said shes grateful for the opportunity the Bloomberg funding gives the campaign to spread the word. But shes not taking anything for granted, and shes not putting anything past the industry. Theyve spent a lot of money over the years, she said of the tobacco industry. They spent a ton of money in San Francisco to try to fight this, they spent a ton of money in Sacramento when this was going through the legislature, and theyve spent $20 million to put this on the ballot to get us where we are now. A man mourns his friend killed by Russian troops in Bucha, April 5 It is noted the Associated Press, PBS series Frontline, and SITU Research reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, intercepts of Russian phone calls and built a 3D model to show what happened in Bucha. They also attempted to identify individuals responsible for the atrocities. Read also: Associated Press publishes a video taken by a Ukrainian medic captured in Mariupol According to the findings, around lunchtime on March 3, three armored Russian vehicles appeared just beyond the quarry at the western edge of Bucha. A few dozen Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers set up three checkpoints to inspect documents and help with civilian evacuations. Later, some Ukrainian defenders went to the neighboring town of Irpin, some stayed in Bucha and were captured by Russian troops. Read also: Security service exposes collaborator from Bucha who tried to infiltrate volunteer unit By March 4, Russians were hunted people in the town, based on the lists prepared by their intelligence services, going door-to-door to identify potential threats. What happened in Bucha that day was what Russian soldiers, in intercepted phone conversations, called zachistka cleansing, the journalists said. Read also: 90% of Russian unit responsible for Bucha atrocities lost, Ukrainian military says Those who didnt pass this filtration, including volunteer fighters and civilians suspected of assisting Ukrainian troops, were tortured and executed, surveillance video, audio intercepts, and interviews show. The Russians turned an underground facility at 144 Yablunska Street into their headquarters and nerve center of cruel, coordinated violence that shocked the world. More than 100 people were held there. Read also: Former UN secretary-general visits Bucha, responds to criticism of organization Law enforcement officers found more than 450 bodies in Bucha, with nearly 40 bodies along the Yablunska Street alone. According to AP, Ukrainian prosecutors now say those responsible for the violence at 144 Yablunska were soldiers from Russias 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division. They are pursuing the units commander, Maj. Gen. Sergei Chubarykin, and his boss, Col. Gen. Alexander Chaiko a man known for his brutality as a leader of Russian troops in Syria for the crime of aggression in waging an illegal war. Story continues Law enforcement officers also identified many Russian military service members who were involved in war crimes in Bucha. Read also: First signs of mass graves in Bucha seen on March 10, Maxar satellite images show By Nov. 1, as many as 1,367 bodies of civilians were found in Kyiv Oblast after its liberation from Russian troops. Kyiv regional police reported in September that 422 bodies of civilians, killed by Russian soldiers, have been found in Bucha alone. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Gov. Mike DeWine awarded grants to victim service providers across Ohio Friday, including some in the Miami Valley. A total of nearly $3.6 million was awarded to agencies in 51 counties in Ohio to support victims of crime. The work of these agencies to support survivors of domestic violence and their families is critical, DeWine said in a release. Each organization receiving funding serves as a safe haven for Ohioans in need. >> Domestic violence survivor dedicates her life to changing justice systems response to complaints The following agencies in the Miami Valley were awarded grants: The grants were awarded through the 2022 Family Violence Prevention and Services Act program. The purpose of the program, according to a release, is to help organizations create and maintain programs for those impacted by family, domestic or dating violence. via YouTube/Fox 2 Detroit A Michigan attorney is accused of having his own client killed. Marco Bisbikis, a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, was arrested earlier this week in connection with the murder of well-known jeweler Dan Hutchinson, who was gunned down in a vehicle outside his Hutchs Jewelry store near Detroit in early June. Bisbikis is now reportedly accused of masterminding the murder after three other people were already arrested in the case. He was arraigned Friday in the 45th District Court on felony firearm and first-degree murder charges, court records show. The judge denied his bond after prosecutors argued he was a flight risk. Few details have been released about an alleged motive, but Fox 2 quoted sources close to the investigation who said Hutchinson, who reportedly counted several celebrities among his clients, had entrusted Bisbikis with drafting his willand the attorney allegedly added himself into it, likely without Hutchinson knowing. Local news station WXYZ-TV also reported that Hutchinson was a client of Bisbikis. The investigation into Hutchinsons murder first broke open just days after he was gunned down, with police announcing on June 3 that a 44-year-old Detroit man, Roy Donta Larry, had been charged for allegedly shooting Hutchinson multiple times in what was described as a targeted hit. Larry has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Darnell Larry, 57, and Angelo James Raptoplous, 32, were arrested months later and accused of also taking part in the murder plot. Despite the arrests, however, family and friends of Hutchinson were left with more questions than answers for why he was killed in a violent ambush. Police said he was shot multiple times when a man on a bicycle rode up on one side of his GMC Denali and opened fire, while another vehicle pulled up on the other side and someone inside fired additional rounds. I dont know the reason, but I want to know the reason, a woman identified as a family friend told Fox 2 in September. Story continues Bisbikis' arrest appears to finally shed some light on a potential motive. Prosecutors reportedly said they had ample evidence against him during his arraignment, alleging that Bisbikis had met with the three other suspects involved and discussed how they would all be paid. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 15. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. By Philip Pullella AWALI, Bahrain (Reuters) - Bahrain will continue to build its relationship with Israel after former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies triumphed in Israel's general election, the diplomatic adviser to Bahrain's king said on Saturday. Arab leaders have largely been silent about the victory of Netanyahu, whose record of hardline opposition to Shi'ite Muslim power Iran has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Gulf leaders. Israel, under Netanyahu's government in 2020, normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain - where concern over Iran's regional sway dominates security strategy - under U.S.-brokered pacts called the Abraham Accords. The diplomatic adviser, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, said Netanyahu's win was "normal and always expected". "We have an agreement with Israel, part of the Abraham Accords, and we will stick to our agreement and we expect it to continue in the same line and continue building our partnership together," he told reporters. "We will want to make an example and succeed together and face all the threats," he said, responding to a question about a multilateral regional approach to security that includes Israel. U.S. and Israeli officials raised the idea of an integrated Middle East air defence system during a trip by U.S. President Joe Biden in July to Israel and Saudi Arabia, which blessed the Abraham Accords but has yet to formally recognise Israel. "We would like to make sure that we don't have to reach a day that we will face some deterioration of security in the region of any sort," said Sheikh Khalid, whose country is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. "We do want to have the region come to terms between all the countries and agree against any belligerency from any side to any other." The Gulf and Israel share concern over Iran's nuclear and missile programmes and network of regional proxies. Gulf states rely on the United States for their security but have questioned U.S. commitment to the region. Israel and Bahrain are negotiating a free trade agreement that they hope to seal before the end of the year, officials from both countries said last month. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.'s (NYSE:BLX) investors are due to receive a payment of $0.25 per share on 30th of November. This means the annual payment is 6.2% of the current stock price, which is above the average for the industry. Check out our latest analysis for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A has established itself as a dividend paying company with over 10 years history of distributing earnings to shareholders. Past distributions do not necessarily guarantee future ones, but Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A's payout ratio of 45% is a good sign as this means that earnings decently cover dividends. Over the next year, EPS could expand by 3.3% if recent trends continue. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the future payout ratio could be 40% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range. Dividend Volatility The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The most recent annual payment of $1.00 is about the same as the annual payment 10 years ago. Modest growth in the dividend is good to see, but we think this is offset by historical cuts to the payments. It is hard to live on a dividend income if the company's earnings are not consistent. The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Earnings has been rising at 3.3% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. The company has been growing at a pretty soft 3.3% per annum, and is paying out quite a lot of its earnings to shareholders. This could mean the dividend doesn't have the growth potential we look for going into the future. Story continues In Summary Overall, a consistent dividend is a good thing, and we think that Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A has the ability to continue this into the future. While the payout ratios are a good sign, we are less enthusiastic about the company's dividend record. This looks like it could be a good dividend stock going forward, but we would note that the payout ratio has been at higher levels in the past so it could happen again. Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A battalion of Russian conscripts from Voronezh Oblast (Russia) was destroyed near the village of Makiyivka, Svatove district, Luhansk Oblast by a Ukrainian strike; hundreds of Russian occupiers were killed. Source: Russian news outlet Verstka, citing the surviving Russian soldier and relatives of the conscripts Details: One of the survivors, Russian serviceman Aleksey Agafonov, told Verstka about the losses among the conscripts as a result of a Ukrainian attack on the contact line near Makiivka in Luhansk Oblast. According to the soldier, the number of occupiers killed may exceed 500. According to Agafonov, the commander of the battalion of conscripts, who were trained in military unit 2079, had promised that the soldiers would be brought to Svatove, where they would join the "territorial defence" 15 kilometres away from the front line. However, on the night of 2 November, the entire battalion was taken to the contact line and ordered to entrench and hold the line of defence. Quote from Agafonov: "We were dumped into the forest and ordered to entrench; we had only three shovels for the battalion, and there was no support at all. We entrenched as best we could, and in the morning the [Ukrainian] attack started. [Ukrainian forces used] artillery, Grad MLRS, mortars and copters; we were just shot. When it all started, the officers immediately ran away. In between the attacks, we tried to entrench, but the copters immediately spotted us and just shot us. Out of 570 people, 29 managed to survive, 12 more were wounded, and the rest are all dead". More details: Agafonov also added that before this incident, at least one other battalion of conscripts was destroyed at the same position. "There is a beautiful picture on [Russian] TV, but in fact, here in Luhansk Oblast it is the conscripts who are dumped on the front line. When we were fleeing, we did not see any officers; when retreating, we saw that only contract soldiers and volunteers were on the third line, and draftees were directly on the front line," he said. Story continues According to Agafonov, conscripts from all over Russia are being brought to the Svatove area to close the gaps in the defence. In Svatove, where the survivors of Agafonov's battalion retreated after the Ukrainian attack, there are "groups of 2 to 5 people" from other destroyed battalions who are just "wandering" around. He stated that the Ukrainian forces have cleared the entire territory where the conscripts fought. Zlata, the wife of another conscript, told Verstka about the hundreds of soldiers killed. "Of course, more than half of them [conscripts] died," she said, citing her husband. The information gathered by Verstka was also confirmed by Lyudmila Chernykh, the wife of another conscript, who managed to survive. "He [my husband] called me in the morning from someone else's number and told me what happened, that they were left to dig the defence line, came under mortar fire, and somehow managed to get from Krasnodon to Svatove, where they are hiding. They are now afraid to go anywhere, they are even afraid to go to the checkpoints. Their commanders abandoned them, and they do not know what to do, they are just calling for help," Chernykh said. On 5 November, the relatives of several conscripts who had come under fire held a protest near the building of the Voronezh Prosecutor's Office, demanding to be told the truth about the fate of their family members. "They [authorities] tell us that our sons are safe and sound and are even performing their military duties. How the hell can they be safe and sound when all of them were killed there?" asked Oksana Kholodova, mother of the soldier Andrey Kholodov. Anna, the wife of another draftee, told Verstka that the surviving conscripts are asking to be sent home. "They are being bombed there. No officers, no one is there... They were left like kittens, without training or anything. And my husband and I have a daughter, she is only 18 months old," Anna said. In addition, those present at the Prosecutor's Office in Voronezh recorded a video message to the Governor, appealing for help. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! President Joe Biden took shots at Twitter and its new owner Friday night, calling out Elon Musk by name and the social media company as an outfit that spews lies all across the world," during a campaign event in Chicago. The comments came after Musk rocked the company with layoffs Friday morning, firing hundreds of employees including half of Twitters public policy team . Since Musk took over last week, Twitter users and politicians have voiced concerns about potential changes to the apps content moderation policies and an increase in the spread of misinformation on the app in the lead up to Tuesday's midterms. Musk had yet to respond to Biden's comments as of late Friday. In a tweet earlier Friday, Musk maintained Twitters "strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged." Amid the company's turmoil, Musk has complained of a massive drop in revenue in which he blamed activists groups pressuring advertisers to pull their ads from the site, accusing them of trying to destroy free speech in America. Musk himself tweeted out a false story about the attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, before deleting it. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre also voiced concern about social media being used to disseminate lies and hate Friday, though she declined to comment on Musk or Twitters layoffs specifically. The President has been outspoken about the importance of social media platforms continuing to take steps to reduce hate speech and misinformation, Jean-Pierre said. That belief extends to Twitter, it extends to Facebook and any other social media platforms where users can spread misinformation. Jean-Pierre also said Biden supports reforms within the tech sector, and is concerned about the power of large tech platforms over our everyday lives. Sean Young is proud to no longer call Hollywood home. The actress, known as femme fatale Rachael in Ridley Scotts sci-fi classic "Blade Runner," told Fox News Digital she has been at peace living in Atlanta, where she can pursue films on her terms. "I bought a townhouse in Atlanta, and I live very close to a yoga studio," said the 62-year-old. "I can just walk out of my door and go over to yoga without having to get in a car. And where I live, I dont have to get in a car very often. I can just ride my bike everywhere. It reminds me of when I used to live in Santa Monica. When I lived in New York, I didnt ride my bike as much as I used to because everything was so close to where I was." American actress Sean Young as Rachael in a scene from Ridley Scott's 1982 futuristic thriller, "Blade Runner." "You know, Im at peace," she shared. "Life is very pleasant. Its not the life I once had, which was very stressful. Theres big business here. Theres a lot of show business here, and I think more people are migrating here. And I have a lot of support. I have a good fan base. Maybe some of the misconceptions that still exist about me are out in Hollywood with people who may have disliked me the couple of times I got drunk when I shouldnt have. But I dont have that problem today." WHO IS KEVIN COSTNER? FOX NATION EXPLORES HOLLYWOOD ICON'S LIFE, CAREER AHEAD OF 'YELLOWSTONE: ONE-FIFTY' Young is eager to travel the high seas and connect with fans. Turner Classic Movies previously announced that Young, along with Chevy Chase, Lainie Kazan, Deana Martin and other stars will set sail on the TCM Classic Cruise from Nov. 12-17. The Disney Dream cruise ship will travel from Miami to Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay, Disneys private island in the Bahamas. Attendees will participate in film screenings, special fan events and in-depth interviews. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Young is aware many will want to ask her about "Blade Runner," the 1982 film that skyrocketed her to fame. "Im proud of my work," she said. "I had a great time working with Harrison Ford. Hes mellowed out over the years I remember the first day on set, I was so nervous. I remember I had to say a line like 25 times until Ridley Scott finally said, Lets move on. But I was really worried. It all worked out though." Story continues Fans were surprised that for the films sequel, 2017s "Blade Runner 2049," Young was handed a mere 30-second hologram cameo. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "I got paid and that was it," she said. "The issue is that guys get as old as the hills, and they keep getting roles. But once a woman gets a little old, she doesnt have the same security. I was just basically glad to be a part of it. It would have been nicer to have a bigger part, but thats sort of obvious." Sean Young said she is "at peace" living in Atlanta. "I think thats just show business," she continued. "People want to see pretty young girls in the parts Its not like the younger parts should be curtailed at all. I think there are lots of up-and-coming actresses who are really awesome and talented. But you also want to see people progress because we all do in life. You see women like Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine doing complex, wonderful roles. But I imagine they also had to fight for those roles. If there were more parts available, you would see more women employed in other parts. But you also need the right kinds of people producing it. The money needs to be available. I think everything can always improve. I dont think its been any better at any other time than it is now It could be better. It could always be better." In the 80s, Young appeared in films like "No Way Out" and "Wall Street." However, she later became branded as difficult to work with, and she claimed powerful men in the industry derailed her career. While on VH1s "Celebrity Rehab," Young described how she turned to alcohol to cope. Young insisted she is now sober. In 2021, Young told the Daily Beast she "did make men nervous, and for no particular reason." '80S STAR KELLY LE BROCK TALKS NEW FILM 'TOMORROW'S TODAY,' WHY SHE LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR 'THE WILDERNESS' Sean Young, left, and Kevin Costner on the set of "No Way Out," based on the novel by Kenneth Fearing and directed by Roger Donaldson. "Maybe there was a reason," she chuckled. "But I dont know. I think the thing that I may not have been aware of at the time is that it might have been a better strategy to not be as willing to share my opinions and let people ask me first." When asked if she still felt the same way about herself today, Young replied, "I think I do." "I think if youre in a stronger position, and you wait to be asked how you feel about things, people are ready to listen," she explained. "Now, people that I work with ask for my opinion all the time. They beg for my opinion. I always say, This is how I think about it. And I get a lot of respect from people that Ive worked with. Ive done this for a long time and Ive always been a good observer. Im a trained observer. Im not just here speaking emptiness." Sean Young, left, and Harvey Weinstein are seen at a movie premiere on Aug. 1, 1989, at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City. Young said "it was nice to see Harvey Weinstein go down" amid the #MeToo movement. Young remarked that "it was nice to see Harvey Weinstein go down" amid the #MeToo movement. HARVEY WEINSTEIN THOUGHT HE WAS GODS GIFT DESPITE VERY BAD HYGIENE, DEFORMED GENITALIA, BOOK CLAIMS "He was a pr--k," she said. In 2017, Young accused the former movie mogul of exposing himself to her while working on the 1992 film "Love Crimes." The 70-year-old is currently serving a 23-year sentence for sex crimes. Sean Young was a sought-after star in Hollywood during the 80s. These days, shes eager to take on unique roles with independent films. Young said her husband Robert Lujan and their two children have given her the strength to keep going as an actress. "At the end of the day, whether you get a part or you dont get a part its a lot less important," she said. "Family comes first. Being healthy, safe and sound comes first. Progressing as a person comes first." These days, Young is hopeful for what the future has in store for her. Sean Young and Harrison Ford on the set of "Blade Runner," directed by Ridley Scott. "Obviously, I like to work," she said. "Its nice to earn a living doing something [you love]. Its been amazing to me that, at this age, Im still working. And I feel really good about it." The DuPage County Veterans Day ceremony will be held Sunday in the atrium of the county's JTK Administration Building in Wheaton. (DuPage County Veterans Memorial / HANDOUT) DuPage Countys Veterans Day ceremony set for Sunday DuPage County will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, in the atrium of the JTK Administration Building, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton. The event will feature a posting of the colors and a weapons salute by the DuPage Honor Guard, the playing of Taps by Mark Smirnov of Bugles Across America, a performance of the National Anthem by Alicia Myrick, and renditions of America the Beautiful, Amazing Grace and Armed Forces Medley by Christopher Coomes of the Celtic Bagpiping Service. Advertisement The guest speaker will be Ken Jacobs of DuPage Veterans Memorial Inc. Guests should park in the south lot of the building and enter through the main entrance. Advertisement For more information, go to www.dupageco-il-vetsmemorial.org. Geneace Williams, Naperville's diversity, equity and inclusion manager, will lead the city's first Embrace Naperville roundtable event Thursday at the Naperville Municipal Center. (NCTV- / HANDOUT) First Embrace Naperville roundtable to focus on inclusion The citys first Embrace Naperville roundtable event, The Power of Inclusion, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St. As part of the citys mission to create a community that values diversity, officials are planning a series of free Embrace Naperville events to be led by Geneace Williams, the citys diversity, equity and inclusion manager, a city officials said. The first will include keynote comments from Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, and a breakout session led by Nader Najjar, executive director of educational equity for Indian Prairie School District 204. To register to attend, go to www.naperville.il.us/embracenaperville. LWV plans virtual forum Wednesday on affordable housing The League of Women Voters of Naperville will host a virtual forum on affordable housing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, via Zoom. Clara and Roger Hughes, of DuPage United, and Lindsey Haines, senior vice president of real estate development at Full Circle Communities, will talk about different types of housing and why communities need a variety of housing stock, a news release said. The presenters will also address typical community concerns and explain the benefits of having a good mix of residential options. Advertisement DuPage United is an organization made up of 28 faith-based and secular institutions that work in the county to build stronger communities. Clara Hughes is also a member of the League of Women Voters. To register for a Zoom link, go to shorturl.at/isBO5. DuPage States Attorney Office team to monitor elections The DuPage County States Attorneys office plans to monitor Election Day proceedings from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, and will respond to any suspected irregularities, officials said. The office will also maintain contact with the county clerks office to ensure compliance with the election code so qualified voters can cast their ballots, a news release said. Prosecutors will be on the lookout for any allegations of voter fraud, including anyone who attempts to interfere with someones right to vote, vote more than once, present false identification or tamper with voting equipment. Engaging is voter fraud or equipment tampering could result in felony prosecution. The election hotline phone number is 630-407-8118. The county clerks office phone number is 630-407-5600. Advertisement A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for the new Will County morgue and coroner's office, which is being built at 16857 W. Laraway Road in Joliet. This is an artist's rendering of what it will look like when completed next summer. (Will County / HANDOUT) Will County breaks ground on new morgue, coroners office Will County officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for a new morgue and coroners facility. The 11,460-square-foot building at 16857 W. Laraway Road in Joliet will replace an aging and undersized morgue and the coroners administrative offices so both operations are consolidated at one location, county officials said. It will join existing complex of county facilities, which includes the Public Safety Complex, Sheriffs Office, Animal Control Department and Emergency Management Agencys Emergency Response Office. Construction should be complete by summer 2023. (Bloomberg) -- When Brazils electoral court announced Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas election win on Sunday evening, the defeated President Jair Bolsonaro stayed home and said nothing. Most Read from Bloomberg Ministers who tried to visit him found the gates to the official residence in Brasilia shut. At around 10 p.m. the lights were turned off. He didnt concede the following day either, and amid the growing uncertainty created by the presidents silence, some of his supporters began to protest and question the results, taking to the streets and blocking highways. This account is based on interviews with Bolsonaro allies and Brasilia insiders, who asked not to be named discussing private meetings. They paint the picture of a president who was deeply convinced he would come back from a first round loss to win the election and remained in shock once the outcome wasnt what he expected. On the streets, some of the presidents supporters even called on the armed forces to intervene to overturn the election result, a dangerous tactic in a country that had military rule as recently as the 1980s. By then, several key players, including Bolsonaro allies and the US government, had acknowledged Lulas victory, making it harder for the president to challenge the result. Fears that he was ready to do so had been fueled by the former army captain himself, who had repeatedly questioned the integrity of Brazils voting system, even complaining of unfair treatment by electoral authorities. Read More: Bolsonaro Claims Unfair Treatment in Election Before Runoff Lower House speaker Arthur Lira, a supporter of the president, congratulated the leftist leader minutes after the results were announced. Story continues On Monday, rumors swirled around Brazils capital, inflamed by false tweets, that the president would finally make his concession speech, thereby calming a potentially volatile situation. He met with his son, senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his running-mate General Walter Braga Netto, then headed to the Presidential Palace for four hours of meetings, including with members of his cabinet. The president and his aides spent hours going over the wording of his concession speech. His team believed he would address the nation that night, but Monday evening came and went, and still Bolsonaro said nothing publicly, and the protests continued to swell. Truck Blockade By Monday night, truckers and other backers of the president were blocking more than 300 roads across the nation, which relies mainly on highways to transport billions of dollars worth of grains and other commodities for domestic consumption and exports. To diffuse a situation that was becoming increasingly alarming, senior members of Brazils political elite and judiciary came together to convince Bolsonaro to pull the country back from the brink of chaos. Congressional leaders, members of the supreme court and others reached out to members of Bolsonaros cabinet, including Economy Minister, Paulo Guedes, to urge the president to speak and calm the situation. Read More: Lula Starts Transition They asked him to publicly concede defeat, and to call on the truckers to halt their economically-destructive demonstrations, according to three people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named because the discussions werent public. At the same time, the powerful transportation and agribusiness lobbies, which are close to Bolsonaro, publicly rejected the blockages for the significant economic damage they would do in one of the worlds largest food exporters. On Tuesday morning, dozens of official cars began arriving at the official residence. By early afternoon, 22 of his 23 ministers were there. Some of them argued that the president needed to fix the highway blockades, which were risking shortages of key goods. They also told Bolsonaros backers that their leader is Brazils president until the end of the year, so hell be the one held responsible for any crisis, said one of the people with knowledge of the matter. Read More: Bolsonaro Lost Brazil, But His Brand of Conservatism Lives On Supreme Court Bolsonaro invited Supreme Court justices to stand alongside him when he made his national address, but they declined until they had heard what he would say. The justices indicated that they would only speak with the president once he had acknowledged the result. Reporters who had been waiting outside the presidential palace since the early hours were finally allowed to enter mid-afternoon. Then, at 4:35 p.m., almost 45 hours after the announcement of the result, the president finally emerged to make the national address of less than three minutes. Ive always been labeled as antidemocratic but unlike my accusers, Ive always played by the rules, Bolsonaro said. As president and a citizen, Ill continue to follow our constitution. That grudging, semi-concession caused a wave of relief to sweep through Brazils political elite, who took it to mean that the president didnt have any appetite for a major constitutional crisis. Bolsonaros allies began meeting with Lulas aides to organize the transition on Thursday, while most of the protesters went home. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Members of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine destroyed fortifications of the occupiers with personnel inside in the Donetsk region. Source: Press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Details: A few days ago, the border guards aerial reconnaissance reportedly detected a concentration of Russian infantry and their fortifications in one of their patrol areas. The border guard mortar unit was tasked with killing the occupiers. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine launched a few dozen anti-infantry high-explosive mortars on the positions of the occupiers. A Russian dugout with personnel who had hid there during the mortar attack was destroyed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Boston police are investigating a deadly shooting near 9 Yarmouth Place on Friday night, according to officials. The shooting took place in the area of Tent City Apartments shortly before 11 p.m. Upon arrival, police found a male suffering from gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Following another fatal shooting in the city, black ministers and activists plan to gather at Yarmouth Place Sunday night at 4 p.m. to call on the Black community to respond with information related to this latest murder. The clergy said they will stand in the blood where the man was murdered Friday night to express their outrage at violence among blacks in Boston. Clergy will restate its declaration of a state of emergency in Bostons Black community. We must take a stand against violence and hold ourselves accountable on a certain level. Self-responsibility within the Black community in Boston is especially critical in the light that our public law enforcement sectors in Boston have offered no credible public safety plan for Black people in Boston, said the Rev. Kevin Peterson. Peterson said that ministers will also call for a self-imposed curfew in the Black community this week. Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470. 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 Both Twitter and far-right social media platform Parler on Friday censored an N-word comment from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Parler, which allows just about anything, blotted out Yes comment on its Apple app, where it would have likely been taken down eventually by Apple, The Daily Beast was the first to report. Apple prohibits this content on IOS Apps. View it on Parler for Web, read the Parler notice. The comment in which the rapper wrote that he was starting to think that the term antisemitic is a coded way of using the N-Word remained on the Parler website late Friday. Parler blocks out Apple app Ye post. (Photo: Screen Shot/Ye post/Parler Apple app) Parler blocks out Apple app Ye post. (Photo: Screen Shot/Ye post/Parler Apple app) Ye announced just last month that he was buying Parler. He was bounced from various social media and dropped from contracts by multiple companies including Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga and Footlocker after his recent antisemitic comments sparked a furious controversy. Ye posted the same Parler comment on Twitter midday Friday, which was soon removed for violating Twitters terms of service. The latest mess presents yet another headache for Wests pal Musk, who has revealed that advertisers fleeing the increasingly controversial Twitter have triggered a massive drop in revenue for the company. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) Aidan Boumans two touchdown passes staked South Dakota to a 17-point lead to start the fourth quarter and the Coyotes held off a Missouri State rally to take a 20-13 Missouri Valley Conference victory on Saturday. Boumans 44-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Eliodor put South Dakota up, 13-7 heading into intermission, and his 23-yard strike to Carter Bell made it a 20-3 lead with 2:19 left in the third quarter. Jason Shelley led the Bears (3-6, 1-5) on a 13-play, 67 yard drive capped by his short pass to Naveon Mitchell with 11:01 left, but they could only managed a Jose Pizano 37-yard field goal late to cut into the South Dakota lead. Bouman completed 17 of 25 passes for 235 yards. Eliodor caught six passes for 97 yards for South Dakota (3-6, 2-4). Shelley was 23 of 38 passing for 233 yards. __ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2 (Photos: Getty Images) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said Sir Richard Branson should not 'offer lame excuses' after the UK billionaire declined an invitation to a live debate on Singapore's death penalty. In a statement on Saturday (5 Nov), the MHA said Branson had 'for some time now, been making untrue statements about the penalties imposed on drug traffickers in Singapore'. Branson had declined the earlier invitation to debate Singapore's Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, saying that a televised debate would have been limited in time and scope and would have reduced "nuanced discourse into soundbites". "Mr Branson's reasons for declining do not hold water," the MHA wrote in its statement. Responding to Branson's points, the MHA said the Singapore government had offered the debate "precisely to give Mr Branson every opportunity to explain himself fully". "He would have been able to put forward his views (nuanced or otherwise), and explain fully whatever he wants to explain. There was no suggestion that he should only engage in soundbites," the MHA said, adding, "We can only surmise that Mr Branson realises he will be shown up, because what he has been saying about Singapore is not true." 'Overwhelming support' for the death penalty in Singapore In its response, the MHA noted that the Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, had agreed that the death penalty should remain as an option for the courts. Singh had expressed his views in a commentary carried by local media outline Today. The MHA also cited studies which showed Singaporeans "overwhelmingly support the imposition" of the death penalty, and said Branson was "publicly peddling falsehoods about Singapore, using his celebrity status to campaign to change Singapore's position". "If his facts are wrong, it is important this be publicly exposed. If Mr Branson is convinced he is correct, he should take up our offer of a debate, and not offer lame excuses to opt out," the MHA said. Story continues Responding to Branson's suggestions of which local organisations and individuals the government could engage on the discussion around the death penalty, the MHA said "some of them are quite clearly among those who have been feeding him misinformation and untruths". "It is not for Mr Branson to tell the Singapore government who in Singapore it should talk to," the MHA said. "We do not accuse Mr Branson of hypocrisy as some British media have done... But Mr Branson should act with some honour," the MHA added. "If he takes a public position on a matter which can impact thousands of lives in another country, then he should be prepared to explain himself." "Pontificating from a distant mountaintop, and then avoiding a serious discussion when challenged, does not suggest any respect either for principle, nor for the people whose well being he claims to champion," the MHA said. 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. Police have located a vehicle they say allegedly struck a teen and fled, earlier this week. Acton Police have located the vehicle allegedly involved in the incident and are working to seize the vehicle, Acton Police said in an update, Friday. Police have been looking for the vehicle since November 2nd, following a hit-and-run crash that took place on Great Road, that sent a 13-year-old to the hospital. Teen boy hospitalized in coma as Acton police search for hit-and-run driver who struck him That teen, Cesar Soto Jr., was flown to a Boston hospital, where he underwent surgery and remains in a coma, according to his family. Police say the investigation into the hit-and-run remains active and ongoing. 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 Officials in Brockton are investigating a deadly rollover that took place Friday evening. The crash happened on 580 Centre Street at approximately 5 p.m., according to the Plymouth County District Attorneys office. A 21-year-old man has died as a result of the rollover, and another person has been injured, according to officials. The Brockton Police and the Massachusetts State Police are assisting the DA in the ongoing investigation. 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 In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of Steppe Cement Ltd. (LON:STCM) stock, indicating that insiders' optimism about the company's prospects has increased. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. View our latest analysis for Steppe Cement The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Steppe Cement The insider David Crichton-Watt made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK895k worth of shares at a price of UK0.32 each. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (UK0.38), we still think insider buying is a positive. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices. Steppe Cement insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Steppe Cement is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insiders At Steppe Cement Have Bought Stock Recently It's good to see that Steppe Cement insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. insider David Crichton-Watt spent UK895k on stock, and there wasn't any selling. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence. Insider Ownership 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. Steppe Cement insiders own about UK39m worth of shares (which is 48% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Steppe Cement Insiders? It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Steppe Cement. One for the watchlist, at least! While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. While conducting our analysis, we found that Steppe Cement has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Attorney Susie Talevski gestures while showing a collection of family photos including her father during an interview in Valparaiso, Indiana Tuesday Nov. 2, 2022. A suit filed by Talevski against a Marion County-owned company that owns nursing homes across the state is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 8. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) Gorgi Talevski, 85, died on Oct. 6, 2021, in a nursing home in Bremen after being moved there against his familys will from Valparaiso Care and Rehabilitation Center. His treatment at the Valparaiso facility, which is owned by Health and Hospital Corporation and in turn Marion County, and his transfer to Bremen started as a familys battle to care for their patriarch, who they said was being chemically restrained without consent at the care facility not far from their Valparaiso home. Advertisement It has morphed into much more, as a case that made its way through the federal court system and now is scheduled for oral arguments Tuesday before the U.S. Supreme Court, with what Talevskis family and advocates said could have a profound effect on the ability of people receiving federal assistance to exercise their rights. The case has ballooned. It started as a very narrow issue and it has ballooned. That was shocking for me, said Valparaiso attorney Susie Talevski, who began advocating for her fathers care in 2016, though she is not presenting the case to the Supreme Court. Advertisement Family photo of Gorgi Talevski taken in Macedonia in the late 1960s. A suit filed by Talevskis daughter, Susie Talevski, over his care at a Marion County-owned nursing home located in Valparaiso, Indiana, is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 8. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) She initially went through the Indiana State Department of Health with her familys concerns about the care of her father, who had dementia. An administrative law judge at the state agency determined Gorgi Talevski should return to Valparaiso Care and Rehabilitation but an attorney for American Senior Communities, a partner of HHC, said he couldnt go back. HHC owns nursing homes across the state. Talevski held up a copy of the nursing home Bill of Rights, which she said is posted at every facility in the country and given to patients and their families. Basically it says you have rights. You have protections, she said. In Indiana, these mean nothing. She went back to the state health department to see what she could do to enforce the decision from the agencys administrative law judge and they told her she had to get an attorney and proceed on her own. She started studying up on the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act, or FNHRA, which was passed into law by then-President Ronald Reagan in 1987, which outlines protections for nursing home residents. It was obvious to me this was a civil rights violation, Talevski said. In January 2019, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Gorgi Talevski against HHC in the U.S. District Court in Hammond. HHC filed a motion to dismiss the case, which the court granted. Late on a Sunday night, Talevski got an email from an attorney in Washington, D.C., Andrew Tutt, asking to appeal the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago. Talevski thought the email was fake until she did an internet search for Tutt. Advertisement Tutt handled the and the 7th Circuit ruled unanimously in Gorgi Talevskis favor. HHC petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a review of the case, which was granted in May. This is actually turning into, much to my dismay, a groundbreaking case, Talevski said. The implications of the case go far beyond the Talevski family and its origins in the treatment of Gorgi Talevski at Valparaiso Care and Rehabilitation Center. Sign outside a Valparaiso, Indiana nursing home owned by HHC - a Marion County-owned company that owns nursing homes across the state. A suit filed by attorney Susie Talevski against HHC over her father's care is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 8. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) What hit home for us is what HHC is trying to get the Supreme Court to say, said Kim Dodson, executive director of The Arc of Indiana, a nonprofit service and advocacy agency for people with disabilities. If you use these federal programs, you no longer have rights that are protected. That, she added, includes anyone who has a disability and anybody whose income qualifies for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Anybody with a loved one in a nursing home owned and operated by HHC or its partner, American Senior Communities, also should be concerned. Theyre asking that there no longer be accountability for what theyre doing in their facilities and anybody who doesnt want accountability is likely doing something wrong, she said. We cant just wipe away decades of precedent because a specific provider doesnt want to be accountable. Thats not appropriate. Advertisement More broadly, said Emily Munson, an attorney with Indiana Disability Rights, said HHC is trying to take away the rights of nursing home residents. Decisions on those rights would be determined by an administrative law judge instead of federal legal precedent, as is the case now. The case, Munson said, could impact anybody who receives services from a federal program covered by the Spending Clause, which also includes Medicaid, children living in foster care and those participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. More than 80 million people receive Medicaid, Munson said, and at least another 20 million people participate in other programs covered by the Spending Clause. At least a third of the country could be affected by this decision, she said. HHC, she added, has blown the case out of proportion to the extent that a court ruling in their favor could hurt many people. Advertisement I personally think its immoral of HHC and its partners in this case to have taken this all the way to the Supreme Court when its one man they could have helped, she said. Both Indianapolis-based agencies filed briefs with the court in support of the Talevskis, along with a long list of legal advocacy organizations and current and former members of Congress. Family photo of Gorgi Talevski taken in 2012 in San Diego, California. A suit filed by Talevskis daughter, Susie Talevski, over his care at a Marion County-owned nursing home based in Valparaiso, Indiana is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 8. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune) Attorney Lawrence Robbins, who is representing HHC in arguments before the Supreme Court Tuesday, said in an email that he does not comment on pending cases. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, however, filed a brief in support of HHC along with attorneys general from 21 other states. In a news release last month, Rokita, a Munster native, said the issue is whether someone who is not party to a contract with the federal government may sue to enforce the terms of that contract, adding this case focuses on grants issued by a federal agency to a state or local government. Some commentators have construed this case as being principally about the rights of the elderly and their families to use the legal system to advocate for their proper care. And we all want nothing but the best care for our seniors, Rokita said. Advertisement But this case principally concerns the need to hold grant relationships accountable voters and the need to respect the authority of Congress. That means that individual beneficiaries who are not parties to the contracts should not be able to sue to enforce grant conditions unless Congress expressly authorizes them to do so. Dodson, with Indiana Disability Rights, said a ruling after Tuesdays oral arguments could come in three to 12 months. In the meantime, she and other advocates will work to get HHC to withdraw the case, which can be done until a decision is handed down, including lobbying elected officials who appoint the HHC board of directors. Susie Talevski and a handful of supporters, including her mother, Ivanka, plan to be in the courtroom on Tuesday. It became a crusade for me, she said. It started as me trying to help my father. alavalley@chicagotribune.com ABC News Republican officials in two counties in Arizona and Pennsylvania declined on Monday to certify their midterm election results, with some citing concerns about the integrity of the voting system that have become commonplace among conservatives. Republicans on the election boards of Cochise County in Arizona and Luzerne County in Pennsylvania voted against motions to certify the election results there. Cage Warriors has a new unified featherweight champion. Friday at Cage Warriors 145, interim champion Paul Hughes stepped into the cage to face champion Jordan Vucenic in a title unification bout. After five bloody rounds, Hughes (9-1) would be the man holding the gold, avenging a prior loss to Vucenic (9-2) in an impressive performance. The fight took place in front of a rowdy crowd at the Indigo at the O2 in London, serving as the main event of the evening. When the fight began, neither man rushed the action, knowing they had 25 minutes to settle the outcome. Each fighter picked their shots well, early and remained calculated. Vucenic pushed ahead with strikes as Hughes remained calm and attempted to slow things down. Early in the second round, Hughes quickly found the back of Vucenic while standing and locked in a body triangle. Vucenic did well to prevent any submission attempts when they went to the ground, but spent the majority of the round defending with Hughes on his back. Vucenic turned up the pressure in the third, going first with combinations, keeping Hughes on his back foot. However, late in the round, Hughes put together a flurry that opened a cut on the right eye of Vucenic. The fourth was huge for Hughes, as he put together a vicious combination that dropped Vucenic, causing him to scramble for a takedown to stop the onslaught. With blood flowing from the face of Vucenic, Hughes took his back and continued landing punches while looking for a rear-naked choke. We are heading into the 5th and final round! Watch #CW145 now on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/0rwHj8mC50 Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 4, 2022 The final round saw more damage dished out by Hughes. The entering interim champion hurt Vucenic again with strikes, leading to more ground damage and control on the blood-soaked canvas until the conclusion of the bout. Story continues The judges turned in scores of 49-46, 50-43, and 49-43 in favor of Huges, crowning him the new unified featherweight champion. UFC, Im coming! Hughes screamed into the camera as he celebrated his victory. The Champ is just getting started pic.twitter.com/rFGAvDG3iF Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 4, 2022 The win extended Hughes win streak to three. The only loss of his pro career came against Vucenic, where he ended up on the wrong end of a split decision at Cage Warriors 119 in 2020. For Vucenic, the result snapped a seven-fight win streak stretching back to April 2019. Full results of Cage Warriors 145 include: Paul Hughes def. Jordan Vucenic via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-43, 49-43) Modestas Bukauskas def. Lee Chadwick via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Mehdi Ben Lakhdhar def. Xavier Sedras via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Caolan Loughran def. Luke Shanks via TKO (punches) Round 2, 3:46 James Webb def. Paddy McCorry via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Ryan Shelley def. Josh Reed via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 3:00 Harry Hardwick def. Steve Aimable via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) Oban Elliott def. Sean McCormac via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Adam Shelley def. El Hadji Ndiaye via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie Quantum Development Charlotte the ownership group behind Cantina 1511 is facing a possible Chapter 7 liquidation after efforts to reorganize under bankruptcy protection have faltered. The U.S. Bankruptcy Administrator for the Western District of North Carolina filed a motion in October seeking to dismiss Quantums Chapter 11 case or convert it to Chapter 7, if that is in the best interest of creditors. ALSO READ: Plaza Midwood restaurant closing after five-year run The motion cites continuing loss or diminution of the estate and the absence of a reasonable likelihood of rehabilitation; gross mismanagement of the estate; failure to comply with an order of the court; and failure to timely file complete and accurate reports. Quantum is seeking to have its amended reorganization plan adopted by the court. Were trying to do the best we can under the circumstances, says Dick Campbell, president and CEO of Quantum. Read the full story here. (WATCH BELOW: Caribbean restaurant, grocery store in east Charlotte to close after 2 decades) HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) Marcus Carroll ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns to lead Georgia State to a 42-14 rout of Southern Miss on Saturday. Georgia State (4-5, 3-2 Sun Belt Conference) has won four of its last five games while Southern Miss (5-4, 3-2) ended a three-game win streak. Carroll scored on an 18-yard run and twice more from short yardage. Darren Grainger threw for 133 yards and two touchdown passes and added 143 yards on the ground on 13 carries. Jamari Thrash made two touchdown catches and had 60 yards receiving. Frank Gore Jr. had a 43-yard touchdown run that pulled Southern Miss to 28-14 late in the third quarter and finished with 87 yards rushing. Trey Lowe threw for 84 yards and a score. It was Georgia State's first time playing in the state of Mississippi. ___ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF. ATLANTA (AP) Trainers laid out the dos and donts of being an election monitor on Saturday at the Carter Center in Atlanta: Do watch carefully and note things that are unusual and how poll workers handle them. Don't try to instruct or correct poll workers or otherwise intervene in how elections are run. The training isn't unusual for the center, co-founded in 1982 by former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. Elections monitoring internationally has been part of The Carter Centers operations since 1989, observing 113 elections in 39 countries. But what's new is doing it in The Carter Center's hometown. Were really excited to be able to bring this experience to Fulton County, here, in what is the first nonpartisan election observation effort like this, certainly in Georgia, but we think probably in the country, Avery Davis-Roberts, the associate director of the center's democracy program, told dozens of volunteers gathered at the center's headquarters near downtown Atlanta. Fulton County, which includes most of the city of Atlanta, is at the core of former President Donald Trump's false assertions that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Election administration in the heavily Democratic county has been engulfed in strife for years, a prominent example of how elections are increasingly being questioned in America David Carroll, director of the centers democracy program, said center leaders have become increasingly concerned "that Americans themselves are starting to have less faith in elections, less public confidence," We view nonpartisan observation as one step among many by different actors that we can do as election observers to try to bring more understanding and confidence to election processes, Carroll said. After the 2020 election, Carter Center officials monitored Georgia's audit of the states 5 million presidential ballots that affirmed Democrat Joe Bidens victory over Trump. Story continues When Republicans pushed through a new election law in 2021 that allows the state to potentially take over election administration in underperforming counties, Republican lawmakers triggered an investigation that could strip local control of Fulton County elections. Republican state officials and the Democratic-controlled county election board jointly invited the center to monitor the 2022 elections. The move could ease partisan tensions over how elections are conducted in the state and boost public confidence in the final tallies. We were invited by both of them but we are acting on behalf of neither of them," Davis-Roberts said. Volunteers are drawn from Carter Center employees and supporters, as well as members of its Georgia Democracy Resilience Network. All signed a code of conduct and were given extensive checklists to monitor election procedures, including instructions to draw diagrams of polling places. They've already been at work, monitoring early voting and processing of absentee ballots. They'll fan out beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday to many of Fulton County's 250-plus polling places. And then observers will also monitor the counting of the ballots after polling places close. Fulton County accounts for about 11% of Georgias electorate, and of the 2.5 million early votes cast through Friday, more than 300,000 of them came from Fulton. Biden won nearly 73% of the countys votes in November 2020. He won statewide by fewer than 12,000 votes out of about 5 million cast. The county is about 45.5% white, 44.5% Black and about 7.6% people of Asian descent, according to U.S. Census data. The county again will be key in the high-profile Senate contest between Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker, and in the governors race between Republican incumbent Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. The Senate race will help determine which party controls the Senate for the final two years of Bidens term. Davis-Roberts said election monitors are not like poll watchers acting on behalf of parties or candidates Were looking at the system of election administration," she told volunteers. "Were looking at whether policies, procedures and rules for the election are followed, and whether those rules allow for people to experience a safe, secure, accessible and fair election. Typically The Carter Center would issue preliminary findings days after an election, but instead expects to make a full report to state and county officials around Dec. 15. The report could contribute to the State Election Board's decision of whether to take over Fulton County. The Carter Center has a long track record and we put a lot of stock into our reputation as a group that does this kind of work with a firm commitment to objectivity and a thorough data-driven analysis," Carroll said. "So thats what well do here, like in any election that we observe. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. ___ Learn more about the issues and factors at play in the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections. And follow the APs election coverage of the 2022 elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections. Nov. 4Brady Atwell threw four touchdown passes in the first quarter before leaving the game with a stomach ailment. Backup quarterback Lucas Gorman threw two more touchdown passes after Owensboro Catholic got a running clock going in the first quarter. The Aces performed well across the field in a 54-8 win over Fort Campbell in the opening round of the Class 2-A playoffs Friday night at Independence Bank Field at Steele Stadium. The Aces went to 8-3 and will host McLean County in the second round of the 2-A playoffs next Friday. McLean County beat Caldwell County 15-7 in its first round playoff game at Princeton. "We expected to play well, we've had a great season of preparation, not just a week of preparation," Catholic coach Jason Morris said. "We've got a lot of talent to spread it around, a good offensive line to give Brady plenty of time to go through his progressions and spread the ball around, we were just clicking." Atwell did well considering he was not feeling well. "Yes he was very sick, we made him go home," Morris said. "Gorman, there's not too many high schools in this state that wouldn't love to have Lucas Gorman as their quarterback. Real excited about having a kid like Lucas who can come in, we don't have to change a thing, we just keep our offense flowing." Atwell hit Tutt Carrico for a 33-yard touchdown to open the scoring for Catholic 56 seconds into the game. Waryn Ebelhar caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Atwell for Catholic's second touchdown, and Ebelhar also had a 30-yard touchdown pass from Gorman to make it 47-0 in the third quarter. Jack Terry had a 1-yard touchdown run. Noah Rhinerson made a 5-yard touchdown catch from Atwell, and one minute later Carrico had a 43-yard punt return for a touchdown that made it 33-0 with 2:28 left in the first quarter. Carrico also had an interception in the game. "Tutt is always going to be that guy for us, never seen more dedicated kids to the sport of football than the Carrico brothers," Morris said. "Tutt will be up 8 in the morning running stadium steps." Story continues Michael Hyland caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Atwell that got the running clock going at 40-0 just before the second quarter. Hudson Ebelhar caught the second touchdown pass from Gorman on a 27-yard play for the 54-8 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Rhinerson became eligible for Catholic this week after transferring from Apollo. Rhinerson had been practicing with the team for the last five-six weeks. "He's been with us for the last five or six weeks, he was allowed to practice but couldn't play," Morris said of Rhinerson. "He's another great athlete we're going to throw in the mix." Davyn Randolph had an interception for Catholic. Atwell was 7-for-10 passing for 113 yards and the four touchdowns in the first quarter. Gorman was 8-for-10 passing for 101 yards and the two touchdowns. Five Catholic receivers caught passes. The Aces put up 256 yards in total offense. Fort Campbell got a 21-yard touchdown pass from Darin Frederick to Maurice Moore in the third quarter. Fort Campbell's season ended 4-7. FORT CAMPBELL 0 0 8 0 8 OWENSBORO CATHOLIC 40 7 7 0 54 OC-T. Carrico 33 pass from Atwell (kick failed) OC-W. Ebelhar 2 pass from Atwell (kick failed) OC-Terry 1 run (Ranallo kick) OC-Rhinerson 5 pass from Atwell (Ranallo kick) OC-T. Carrico 43 punt return (Ranallo kick) OC-Hyland 34 pass from Atwell (Ranallo kick) OC-W. Ebelhar 30 pass from Gorman (Ranallo kick) FC-Moore 21 pass from Frederick (Frederick conversion pass) OC-H. Ebelhar 27 pass from Gorman (Ranallo kick) An ID card. Illustrated | Getty Images Welcome to The Check-In, our weekend feature focusing on all things travel. It's time to get a Real ID (for real) Starting on May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers flying domestically will no longer be able to show their standard driver's license when boarding a plane. Instead, they'll have to provide a Real ID, or another Transportation Authority Administration-approved form of identification. A TSA agent looks at an ID. Bob Riha Jr./Getty Images This has been a long time coming. In response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005. The law sets minimum security standards for driver's licenses and ID cards; a special seal on the license or ID card indicates the individual went through the screening and approval process. Real IDs were supposed to go into effect in 2008 but were continuously delayed. If you don't have a Real ID, a passport or Enhanced Driver's License is an acceptable alternative. National Geographic touts Trinidad & Tobago, Botswana, and Slovenia as 2023 must-see destinations While some people know exactly where they want to head for vacation, with everything planned down to the appetizer course of the fourth night's dinner, others need inspiration. National Geographic is here to help, releasing its annual list of the most "breathtaking places and experiences" for 2023. Their suggestions include: Botswana, to see the incredible wildlife; Slovenia, to scope out the new biking routes that stop at vineyards, cheesemakers, and farms; the Longmen Grottoes in Henan Province, China, to take in the ancient art (including nearly 110,000 Buddhist stone statues); and Trinidad & Tobago, to help save sea turtles. A Hawksbill sea turtle. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images More and more people are using part (or all!) of their vacation to give back, and in Trinidad & Tobago, tourists are volunteering to protect vulnerable sea turtles during nesting season. Their duties include tagging and counting nesting mothers, monitoring and relocating nests, and protecting the turtles from predators. "Their hard work has caused leatherback meat and egg poaching to fall to near zero," National Geographic notes. There are still a lot of beaches that don't have any monitors, but technology can help: vacationers can report their sea turtle sightings through the TURT app. Story continues So you want to ... see the world by sea You can cover a lot of ground (er, water?) when you take a cruise, especially one that lasts a few weeks. For those who like the idea of not having to drive long distances, take multiple flights, or constantly change hotel rooms, going on a world cruise might be the best way to go exploring. Azamara Quest in Seville, Spain. Eduardo Briones/Europa Press via Getty Images Azamara just announced its 2025 world cruise, which will start in San Diego, California, and end in Southampton, England. In between, the ship (the Azamara Onward) will stop in 37 countries, with destinations including Sydney, Bangkok, Tahiti, Lisbon, and Barcelona. The cruise will span 155 nights, and kicks off with a gala in San Diego. Azamara President Carol Cabezas told Travel + Leisure that 60 percent of ports on this sailing are different from the 2024 world voyage, and the itinerary was "carefully curated to give even the most well-traveled guests a new perspective of the world." Who should book this? Someone with the ability to be away from home for 155 nights, doesn't get seasick, and enjoys the salty air. Also, consider the price: the fare is expensive (the cheapest option is Club Interior, at a cool $39,999 per person, based on double occupancy). This does include perks like 13 cultural events, $4,000 in onboard credit, weekly laundry service, a premium drink package for two, and unlimited wi-fi for one device, but is still a significant chunk of change. What is the Azamara Onward like? The ship is new, having been christened on May 2 in Monte Carlo. It can hold up to 684 passengers, and there's a spa, fitness center, and specialty restaurants, including the Prime C Restaurant with steak and seafood dishes and Aqualina Restaurant, featuring an Italian menu. The Atlas Bar, which serves artisanal cocktails, can only be found on the Azamara Onward. There is no age limit to sail on the ship, but Azamara discourages families from coming on board with kids 18 and under. Ready to go? Here's what you need to know: Bookings open to the public on Nov. 10, on the Azamara website. The 2024 world cruise sold out and has a waitlist, so it's possible that could happen again in 2025. Plan accordingly: Upcoming events and openings to add to your calendar Calling all movie buffs who love the cold: The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is just a few months away. Running Jan. 19-29, 2023, Sundance isn't just about screening new films and documentaries attendees can also sit in on conversations with the directors and listen to panel discussions. Volunteers are a huge reason why the festival is able to operate, so if you have the time, consider signing up. The Sundance Film Festival in 2022. George Frey/Getty Images It's not exactly swimming weather in much of the United States, leaving many to just dream of taking a dip. One pool to start thinking about is at the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley in Scottsdale, Arizona. The hotel is set to open in the fall of 2023, with a swimming pool measuring 400 feet, making it one of the longest pools in North America. Now that's how you make a splash. The new pool at the Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley. Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton For more travel news and features, sign up for The Week U.K.'s Travel newsletter, delivered to your inbox every two weeks. You may also like Russia's 'catastrophic' missing men problem 7 scathing cartoons about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover How the Justice Department might respond to a Trump 2024 bid CHICAGO Chicago Public Schools announced Friday that Jones College Prep Principal Joseph Powers has been removed from principal duties, effective immediately, pending the results of an investigation into his response to a student who came to school on Halloween dressed in a German military uniform, goose-stepped across a stage during a costume contest and gave a Nazi salute. The Chicago Teachers Union on Friday had called for his removal and students had planned to stage a walkout from class Monday. As many of you may have heard, seen, or read, there was an incident earlier this week where a member of one of our school communities wore a German military uniform to school as a Halloween costume an act that was widely recognized by many students, staff and members of our broader CPS community as antisemitic. This incident caused harm to many students and staff, and it is completely inconsistent with our values as a school district, said Pedro Martinez, CPS chief executive officer. In response, CPS has launched a full investigation into the incident in accordance with our districts protocols for processing bias-based harm. ... Furthermore, CPS has removed the schools leader from their principal duties, effective immediately, pending the results of that investigation. In April, Martinez declined to fire Powers because of insufficient evidence of misconduct after the high schools Local School Council voted 8-2 to direct Martinez to initiate dismissal proceedings for allegations of mishandled reports of sexual misconduct, mismanaged school finances and a failure to address systemic discrimination issues, among other complaints. Far too long in coming, and unacceptable that it took this video to make this happen given the levels of anti-Blackness tolerated at this school for so long, said parent Cassie Creswell, former chair of the LSC, who helped write an 11-page letter to Martinez and the CPS inspector general in February that outlined their concerns about Powers. But it is a relief that someone in central office made the right decision. Story continues Meanwhile this week, students have taken to social media to condemn the principal for his response to the controversy. In a video posted to Twitter and TikTok, the student is seen on stage during a school costume contest, where he goose-stepped, a marching step largely associated with Nazi soldiers, and did the Nazi salute to a booing crowd. In a photo attached to the post, Powers is standing next to the student in the outfit. In his first email to parents on Nov. 2 about the incident, Powers wrote, Many of our students and staff came to school on Monday, October 31, dressed in Halloween costumes. We held a costume contest in the afternoon during Ac Lab, which was fun and well-received. Amid all the other costumes, a member of our school community wore a military surplus army uniform. Staff and students expressed their concerns about the uniform, believing that it represented an expression of antisemitism. Additionally, a video of the costume parade has since appeared on social media. I certainly understand and regret the discomfort and harm felt by some members of our school community. Please be assured that we take the well-being of all students seriously and do not tolerate hateful expressions of any kind. In this situation, it certainly appears this was not the intent of the Halloween costume. But after outrage grew, Powers sent a second email to Jones faculty and parents the next day, stating the school should have handled the incident with greater care and should have communicated more clearly with the school community about the nature of the incident. We deeply regret the pain that this incident has caused our school community, and we ask for your partnership as we address this situation and move forward together, Powers wrote. He also wrote, we want you to know that we are addressing this situation directly with the member of our school community who wore the costume in accordance with protocols for processing bias-based harm, adding that the various CPS offices, including the Office of Student Protections, are providing support to students and will receive additional reports of specific harm students have experienced. Powers did not return an email to The Chicago Tribune requesting comment. Creswell told the Tribune that the schools inaction toward discriminatory incidents was one of the major contributing factors to the LSCs vote to remove Powers as principal last spring. The truth is that there has just been a very long-standing problem at Jones, said Creswell. When there are racist incidents, the administration has not responded effectively or appropriately or safely. Creswell said she learned of the Halloween costume incident from a school staff member. She then asked her child, who told her that the student was telling people that he was dressed up like a Nazi. She later saw the video online. There should be a playbook of what you do and what you do is not try to pretend that the childs intent was not to appear like a Nazi. Its clearly his intent, she said. CTU claims parents, teachers and support staff have repeatedly raised concerns about the culture of intolerance at Jones but have been routinely ignored. There should never, ever, be a context in which children feel uncomfortable or unsafe inside of a school building, the CTU statement read. Jones is more than 50% students of color, and its current climate of rampant bigotry and racial intolerance is absolutely unacceptable. All schools need leadership that provides a safe and inclusive environment for each and every student and adult who walks through its doors. A boy goose-steps across a runway while dressed as a German soldier during a Halloween costume showcase at Jones College Prep High School in Chicago (screengrab/@tmg__alex/Twitter) The principal of Jones College Prep in Chicago was temporarily removed from his position after a student wore a German military uniform and goose-stepped during a Halloween costume display. On Friday, the Chicago Sun Times reported that the student did the Nazi "goose-step" march on stage during a costume showcase. Students reportedly told the principal that they were uncomfortable with someone dressing like a Nazi, even for Halloween, and the principal tried to calm their worries by assuring them the student was dressed up as a Communist-era East German border guard from the 1980s -- not a genocidal Nazi from the 1940s. I tried to explain the context and time period of the uniform to the students who spoke with me, but apparently the student who wore the uniform may have told people it was from the 1940s, Joseph Powers, the schools principal, said in a note to the schools staff on Monday. The uniform and helmet worn by the student look similar to those worn by East German border guards during the late 1980s, seen below. Those guards also continued to use the goose-step march despite its previous use during the Nazi era. 11 November 1989: East German border guards demolish a section of the wall to open a new crossing point between East and West Berlin (Getty) According to ABC 7, parents in the district received a letter from the Chicago Public Schools that a student wore a "German military uniform" as a Halloween costume that was reportedly seen as "an act that widely recognised by many students, staff, and members of our broader CPS community as anti-Semitic." CPS said in the letter: "This incident caused harm to many students and staff, and it is completely inconsistent with our values as a school district. It also comes at a time when hateful speech and hateful attacks are on the rise, especially against Jewish Americans. We have an obligation not only to prevent bias-based harm in CPS schools, but to ensure that when students and staff go out to the broader community, they carry with them the values of tolerance, inclusion, and anti-bigotry." Students are planning a walkout for Monday to protest the schools handling of the situation. Story continues Im kind of disappointed in the way that administration has responded, Yamali Rodas, who leads the schools Association of Latin American Students, told the Chicago Sun Times. They should have set him aside and had a conversation with him about why it was inappropriate. Mr Powers was relieved as the schools principal for the duration of the investigation. The Chicago Teachers Union also called for him to step down on Friday or that he be removed. Prior to this incident, Mr Powers was targeted by a group that partly consisted of parents challenging his residency eligibility to serve as the principal. He also faced allegations that he failed to appropriately respond to teacher misconduct complaints and that he fostered an unwelcoming environment for transgender and gender nonconforming students, as well as students of colour. The CEO of CPS, Pedro Martinez, determined at the time that "there is insufficient evidence of misconduct by Mr. Powers at this time on which to base an action for involuntary dismissal. The Independent has reached out to Mr Powers for comment. An mystics spirit board found decades ago in the basement of the Potempa Farm was among items symbolizing the supernatural and the occult during a Friday the 13th reception hosted on Aug. 13, 2021 for columnist Phil Potempas 51st birthday. (Phil Potempa / Post-Tribune) Last week I chatted with 26-year-old Tyler Henry, known to followers of psychics and the supernatural as The Hollywood Medium, the latter which debuted on E! network in 2016 and aired for four seasons. Earlier this year, Tyler launched a new series on Netflix called Life After Death with Tyler Henry which focuses the contrast of Tyler working clients to uncover answers about important people in their lives, while also devoting segments about Tyler and his close family bond with his own mother Theresa Koelewyn in their California home setting. Advertisement Tylers earlier series on E! showcased his working with a roster of celebrity clients, a whos who list which included the Kardashian Sisters, Margaret Cho, Alan Thicke, Tracy Gold, Tom Arnold, Moby, Bobby Brown, Anne Heche, Carmen Electra and others. When Boy George was one of the clients I met, at first I thought it was Tiny Tim, Tyler said, underplaying the importance of his celebrity clientele and emphasizing clients he helps from all walks of life are often even more fascinating, when examined with his reputed gift of clairvoyance to share revelations. Advertisement Tyler will be meeting audience members in Northwest Indiana to showcase secrets during his live show titled A Evening of Hope and Healing at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. Tickets are available by visiting www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com or calling 219-228-2383. Tyler will be traveling with his mom Theresa (an equal joy to chat with) and she will command the microphone during her sons show to field audience questions. Last week was spiritually special in many cultures because of the observance of All Souls Day, All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead. Like many, Ive always been fascinated by spirits and the supernatural. And considering Ive worked for three decades for newspapers, all known for popular daily feature of a horoscope astrology columns, there seems to be a natural connection. Hollywood Medium Tyler Henry and his mom Theresa Koelewyn are shown in their Californian home during a break in filming of their new Netflix series which launched in March 2022. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of Theresa Koelew (Photo courtesy of Theresa Koelew / HANDOUT) Throughout the years, editors have had me interview our various astrologers who have penned the syndicated horoscope columns, including Sydney Omarr, whose column was continued following his death by his ex-wife Jeraldine Saunders, as well as mother and daughter team Linda and Nancy Black, and in recent years, Jacqueline Bigar. All of the previous names mentioned have passed, with the exception of Nancy Black, whose horoscope column is distributed internationally by Tribune Media Service to more than 80 daily newspapers and appears in newspapers published by the Chicago Tribune. Readers of my published columns and cookbooks also know from the decades of chronicling that the late Irene Hughes the famed Chicagoland psychic who lived in Crete, Illinois was also a wonderful close family friend. One of my first times I exhibited curiosity about the spirit world was when I was a young boy and I was helping my Auntie Lilly in the basement of our farm. She was moving a large steamer truck, in which Grandma Potempa had toted her belongings when traveling as young woman from the old country a.k.a. Poland. To protect it from dampness, the trunk had been raised to sit on a platform of a few bricks and boards. While helping my aunt reposition the bricks and boards, one of the boards was discovered to be an ancient Ouija board which was face-down. In August 2021, I displayed this relic Ouija board (technically termed a mystics board as described in the painted lettering) at my 51st birthday party reception last year as part of an exhibit on the supernatural and occult, a chosen theme, given my birthday happened to be on Friday the 13th. While swapping recipes with Tyler and his mother, she provided me with her favorite recipe for rosemary chicken. Advertisement Rosemary is an herb steeped in ancient folklore, especially in Europe where it is used to protect against witches and evil. For centuries, rosemary sprigs were placed in the hands of the deceased during funerals since it ranks as a botanical symbol of remembrance. Brides at one time wore wreaths of rosemary in their hair as a woven crown to represent loyalty, love and fidelity. In kitchens, rosemary has an unmatched aroma that is beyond compare when cooking, especially when roasting a chicken or any favorite choice of poultry. Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374. Theresa Koelewyns Favorite Rosemary Chicken for Medium Tyler Henry Serves 4 1 package of sliced chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds 3 tablespoons of melted butter Advertisement 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Salt and pepper to taste Garlic powder to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Lay sliced chicken breasts in baking dish with melted butter. Advertisement 3. Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary. 4. Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes, turning chicken once while baking. Using an inserted fork, make sure internal juices appear clear to test chicken has cooked through. BEIJING (AP) A deputy governor of China's central bank is under investigation on suspicion of serious violations of discipline and law, the ruling Communist Party's corruption agency said Saturday. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection did not provide any details of the allegations against Fan Yifei in a short statement posted online. Fan, one of six deputy governors, has held the post for more than seven years, joining the Peoples Bank of China in 2015 after a career in finance. In recent years, he has spoken often on China's efforts to develop a digital currency. The Communist Party has carried out a sweeping crackdown on corruption under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The campaign is popular with the public and has allowed him to sideline some potential political rivals. Nov. 4The city of Palestine held a special tree planting ceremony to honor Texas Arbor Day Friday, Nov. 4 at Reagan Park. Mayor Justin Florence welcomed several council members, a member of the Texas A&M Forest Service as well as members of the Dogwood Garden Club and the community to the park for the official declaration of Arbor Day in Palestine. Arbor Day is of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Arbor Day is celebrated at different times in different areas of the country depending on climate. Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872 in Nebraska and in 1889 in Texas. The Lone Star State has officially settled its observation on the first Friday of November to take full advantage of the weather and temperatures. While the county has been honoring the auspicious day with Proclamations for many years, this was the first official observation by the city of Palestine, following the efforts of Parks & Recreation Director Patsy Smith and members of the Texas A&M Forest Service. "The Dogwood Garden Club is extremely pleased to be working alongside all the city of Palestine to bring community awareness to Texas Arbor," said Linda Jean Brown, a member of the Dogwood Garden Club. According to Brown, the trees planted at Reagan Park Friday were a Shumard oak, a bur oak, a Mexican sycamore and a cedar elm. They were planted in four different locations in the park and a plaque will be placed next the Shumard oak. "Trees are vital to our lives, and today is about planning for the future." Florence said. "We want to thank Patsy and the various members of the Forest Service for their efforts in putting this all together. The planting at Reagan Park follows the recent removal of several trees from that area. "We lost several trees here in Reagan Park recently," Smith said. "One was struck by lightning on multiple occasions, a couple were affected by disease and one died after the recent 'snowmageddon.' We felt like it was essential to replace these trees and encourage people to do the same everywhere." To learn more about Arbor Day and find information on planting trees visit Texas A&M Forest Service at www.tfsweb.tamu.edu or the Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org. A Columbus-area woman who crashed her car into two motorcycles while intoxicated in 2020, killing two adults and an unborn baby, is facing a minimum of 14 years behind bars. Kimberly Renee Mantkowski, 58, of Jackson Township in southwest Franklin County, pleaded guilty in September to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of aggravated vehicular assault. Franklin County prosecutors dropped charges of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs in return for the plea agreement. On Friday morning, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Kimberly Cocroft sentenced Mantkowski to a minimum prison term of 14 years with a maximum of 16 years. On June 17, 2020, Mantkowski was driving a Ford Explorer and trying to pull into her driveway on the 4700 block of Harrison Pike (U.S. 62), just north of Orders Road. Investigators said Mantkowski did not yield the right of way and hit two motorcycles traveling in the other direction. Rickey Ross, 61 and his wife Kimberly Ross, 49, who were on one of the two motorcycles, died as a result of their injuries. On the other motorcycle, Jordan Davey and the Ross' then-18-year-old daughter Alexis, now 20, were injured. Alexis Ross' unborn baby did not survive. Mantkowski's blood alcohol context at the time of the crash was 0.214%, court records show, which is well above the legal limit of 0.08% under Ohio law which is 0.08%. In addition to Mantkowski's prison sentence, Judge Cocroft imposed a lifetime drivers license suspension against her. Court news:Whitehall man who wore painting business jacket to Capitol Jan. 6 gets 5 months in prison Court news:Holli Osborn sentenced to prison for murdering husband in Dublin home in 2018 Dispatch reporter Sheridan Hendrix contributed to this article. jlaird@dispatch.com @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus woman who caused crash killing two, unborn baby, gets prison Officer Thomas Hammel, who has been with the Columbus Division of Police for three years, was identified late Friday afternoon as the man who shot gunman Raymond Richard Hampton, 26, of the South Side, early Thursday morning in the dumpster area in the parking lot outside Tee Jaye's Country Place, located at 1385 Parsons Ave., in Merion Village. Hampton is expected to survive. He faces three counts of felonious assault on officers, none of whom were injured. The Columbus Division of Police late Friday afternoon released the name of the officer who shot a gunman who officers say fired at them early Thursday morning in the foggy parking lot of a Merion Village restaurant. Officer Thomas Hammel, who has been with the Columbus Division of Police for three years, shot 26-year-old Raymond Richard Hampton, of the South Side, in the dumpster area in the parking lot outside Tee Jaye's Country Place, located at 1385 Parsons Ave. Police responded around 5:15 a.m. to the restaurant after receiving an alert of gunfire from the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system of gunfire there. Responding officers made multiple attempts to talk Hampton into putting his gun down. Hampton fired the gun a couple times after police arrived, but when he fired at police Hammel shot him, police said. Body camera video of shooting Hampton was rushed to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition. He was later upgraded to stable condition and is expected to survive. No officers were injured. The man was originally taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition but was later upgraded to stable condition. No officers were injured. Hampton is facing three counts of felonious assault. This was the most recent shooting involving Columbus police in which a person was injured since the death of Donovan Lewis on Aug. 30. Lewis, 20, was shot one time in the abdomen by officer Rickey Anderson while Columbus police were serving an arrest warrant on him at his apartment on the 3200 block of Sullivant Avenue on the Hilltop. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating both officer-involved shootings per city policy. shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120 Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police release officer's name who shot man outside restaurant The "Chocolatier" built for Halloween by Duane Aamot in his front yard in Alhambra. (Paul Thornton / Los Angeles Times) My wife and I loved our block of small Craftsman homes the moment we bought our house in 2011. But it was the front yard across the street filled with rotting lumber and stage props that really charmed us. It was August and still 20 degrees too hot to think about Halloween, but our new neighbor had already started erecting the frame for "MINESHAFT 2011," as a sign outside his house indicated what that fascinating mess would become. How odd. How fun. Whatever it was, in this part of Alhambra we had found a diverse neighborhood, with its own locally sourced quirkiness, fostering a community and still hanging on as the inequality and housing crises surged around us. We were in. With some family already in the area, we knew this neighborhood would be fertile trick-or-treating ground thanks to an artist and set designer known for transforming his bungalow into a medieval dungeon, a UFO landing site or whatever film-like spectacle he dreamed up that year. A neighbor told me at the time: "However much candy you think will work, triple it." She wasn't kidding. This year, on a strict budget of one "fun-size" treat per child, we still gave out all 1,000 pieces of candy we bought (anything more generous would require a car payment-sized outlay for trick-or-treaters). Almost every one of our 12 Halloweens in Alhambra have been similarly exhausting and exhilarating affairs that border on street festivals, and it's all thanks to one gifted artist and builder on the block who decided to make our community a lot more interesting. I say almost, because although Duane Aamot hasn't technically missed a single Halloween in the 27 years he's lived on the block a fact he brings up with pride he's had to dial it back twice. In 2020, there was no trick-or-treating because of COVID, but he put out some props, sculptures and spooky lighting just to make the neighborhood feel normal. And in 2017, a bout with cancer robbed him of his strength and almost his life, but not our block of its Halloween. Aamot still managed a postcard-worthy setup better than anything most people saw that night. Story continues Absent a pandemic or mortal threat, Aamot doesn't hold back. His mine shaft in 2011 was a stunning Old-West re-creation. The Louisiana bayou he built last year included an artificial swamp with real fish and attracted a troupe of Polynesian fire dancers who entertained trick-or-treaters late into the night. Years ago, as Aamot tells it, his work was so convincing that a priest passing through the neighborhood (a Catholic monastery is within easy walking distance) stopped to scatter holy water and mutter a few blessings. "What a compliment," Aamot told me. This year's attraction a brightly colored "chocolatier" featuring a walkthrough maze, upbeat music and original artwork drew a few thousand people, Aamot estimates. (The crowds grew large enough to draw police and fire department presence, so this guess sounds reasonable.) As we took stock of this year's festivities two days after Halloween, Aamot stopped toward the end of his maze, pointed to some darkened, oddly shaped props and said, "I'm going with this next year very Tim Burton-like, forced perspective." Not even before some Halloween revelers' hangovers had faded, Aamot was already thinking about 2023. And what a relief it was to hear that, even though there's no doubt my neighbor will deliver 12 months from now. It's an assurance that our neighborhood's peculiarities like those nurtured in other communities where artists can still afford to live will persist, at least for now. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Young woman at a protest Global leaders are about to meet for another UN climate summit - COP27 starting in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday - and the reality of climate change for many people can be overwhelming. Record-breaking heatwaves, devastating floods in Pakistan, and drought in East Africa - and that is just this year. It is no surprise that climate anxiety is rising, particularly among young people, who have mostly only known a world affected by climate change. But experts and activists have told BBC News that these fears can actually be good news for the planet. "People who are really aware of climate change may be more motivated to take action," University of Bath environmental psychologist Prof Lorraine Whitmarsh says. Her research has found a link between climate concerns and taking effective action, including reducing carbon footprint by cutting down on waste or buying second-hand. When people talk about their own climate anxiety, they often say it is linked to the vast amounts of negative and often scary news about the planet. "I think it's hard not to worry about climate change. We're constantly bombarded with news articles and social media about how it's just crisis after crisis - ice caps melting, disasters - it can be very overwhelming," explains Roisin, 16, from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Roisin is on the youth advisory board of Save The Children, which recently found that 70% of children in the UK worried about the world they are inheriting. Roisin, 16, says almost everyone her age talks about their fears for the planet But she says there is hope too: "You can always see young activists like Greta Thunberg, and people like David Attenborough taking action on it." Roisin says she has become a vegetarian and makes sure she only shops locally. "Taking action is my only way of dealing with climate anxiety - it means I know I've done everything I can do to solve the problem," she says. Story continues Some campaigners, like 23-year-old Zahra Biabani in California, say the widespread focus on climate catastrophe can be misleading. When she began posting online about environmental issues at university, she realised there was "a gap between education and action, which was being filled by 'doomism'". "Climate education can be debilitating without a form of encouragement to act, especially when we see what's going on the world, and how it's going to get worse," she explains. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdgd04wJf60/?hl=en Now she shares "climate optimist" news and writes newsletters focusing on good news and solutions. "Climate optimism is not just nice, it's necessary because in order to be sustained in our action and our advocacy, we need to believe in and have something that's worth fighting for," she explains. She believes that there is a generational divide between many young people who want to focus on how the planet could be saved, and the "older white man community" that focuses on how "the world is going to end". "I don't want to think this comes from a bad place. I think they have a lot of anxiety as well, but they're finding a very different way to use it," she suggests. Psychotherapist Caroline Hickman specialises in climate anxiety, and has treated a significant number of young people. She says it is "totally normal" to worry about the state of the planet, but "sinking into despair and 'climate doomism' is not the solution". It is important to distinguish between serious clinical anxiety about climate change, which is a mental health issue, and worries or concerns. Prof Whitmarsh suggests that while there are high levels of concern about climate change, particularly in young people, most people do not have debilitating climate anxiety that requires treatment by a mental health professional. What to do if you have climate anxiety Zahra suggests: Focus on good news. Find stories about progress made in curbing climate change or a new solution. "Look for information that is a source of encouragement and doesn't blindside you." Give yourself a break Do something unrelated to the problem - exercise, go outdoors, read or watch a film. "Finding an activity not connected to climate change is really cathartic and really beneficial." Caroline suggests: Take action Join a local group that does something to tackle the problem, or lobby politicians to pass laws. "Find like-minded people and work together to advance a goal." Do not totally switch off "I caution people about shutting down completely - because when you wake up, the reality will be too extreme." Top image from Getty Images. Climate stripes visualisation courtesy of Prof Ed Hawkins and University of Reading. Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. In light of that, when we looked at Copa Holdings (NYSE:CPA) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Copa Holdings: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.096 = US$301m (US$4.4b - US$1.3b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022). Therefore, Copa Holdings has an ROCE of 9.6%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 5.4% generated by the Airlines industry, it's much better. See our latest analysis for Copa Holdings roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Copa Holdings compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Copa Holdings. How Are Returns Trending? Things have been pretty stable at Copa Holdings, with its capital employed and returns on that capital staying somewhat the same for the last five years. It's not uncommon to see this when looking at a mature and stable business that isn't re-investing its earnings because it has likely passed that phase of the business cycle. So unless we see a substantial change at Copa Holdings in terms of ROCE and additional investments being made, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger. This probably explains why Copa Holdings is paying out 32% of its income to shareholders in the form of dividends. Given the business isn't reinvesting in itself, it makes sense to distribute a portion of earnings among shareholders. Story continues In Conclusion... In a nutshell, Copa Holdings has been trudging along with the same returns from the same amount of capital over the last five years. Since the stock has declined 33% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think Copa Holdings has the makings of a multi-bagger. If you'd like to know about the risks facing Copa Holdings, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of. While Copa Holdings may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Core Laboratories N.V. (NYSE:CLB) share price up 27% in a single quarter. But spare a thought for the long term holders, who have held the stock as it bled value over the last five years. Indeed, the share price is down a whopping 80% in that time. The recent bounce might mean the long decline is over, but we are not confident. The real question is whether the business can leave its past behind and improve itself over the years ahead. While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness. While the last five years has been tough for Core Laboratories shareholders, this past week has shown signs of promise. So let's look at the longer term fundamentals and see if they've been the driver of the negative returns. View our latest analysis for Core Laboratories In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During the five years over which the share price declined, Core Laboratories' earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 28% each year. This change in EPS is remarkably close to the 28% average annual decrease in the share price. This implies that the market has had a fairly steady view of the stock. So it's fair to say the share price has been responding to changes in EPS. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Core Laboratories' earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective Core Laboratories shareholders are down 25% over twelve months (even including dividends), which isn't far from the market return of -25%. However, the loss over the last year isn't as bad as the 12% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. Generally speaking we'd prefer see an improvement in the fundamental metrics before becoming enthusiastic about the stock. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Core Laboratories (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Story continues If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Paul Seymour Sr. and Paul Seymour Jr. (at right, holding flag) inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A Butler County father and son were sentenced in federal court on Friday for breaching the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. Paul Seymour Sr., 61, and Paul Seymour Jr., 33, were sentenced to 12 months of probation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. In addition, the pair must serve 60 hours of community service and pay $500 in restitution, prosecutors said. They pleaded guilty earlier this year to counts of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building. Prosecutors asked the court to impose a sentence of 90 day of home detention and three years of probation, court records show. The Seymours traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally near the White House, after which they walked to the U.S. Capitol Building, prosecutors said in court filings. While police were fending off rioters trying to enter the Capitol, prosecutors said, the Seymours stood among a "mob of rioters" on the west plaza who chanted, "Police stand down." Prosecutors said the two men witnessed clashes with police and rioters breaking windows before they entered the Capitol through the broken Senate Wing doors, prosecutors said in court filings. Once inside the building, the two men went to the crypt and posed for a photo taken by another rioter, according to the court filings. They spent about 30 minutes inside the Capitol "parading through the building at will," prosecutors said, adding Seymour Jr. was carrying a large Donald Trump flag. The Seymours complied with police officers' orders to exit the building, the court filings state. Images show Seymour Jr. holding his arms in the air as he left the Capitol. Seymour Sr. and Seymour Jr. didn't leave the restricted Capitol grounds until after it had grown dark, according to prosecutors. The younger Seymour posed for a photo of himself in front of a line of police officers, clad in riot gear, who formed a perimeter outside the Capitol. In court documents, prosecutors said the Seymours "did not personally engage in violence or property destruction during the riot." Seymour Sr. did not have a criminal history prior to taking part in the Capitol riots, court records show. The younger Seymore has previous convictions for drug paraphernalia and underage alcohol offenses. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Father and son sentenced to probation for breaching U.S. Capitol Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest traditional Chinese art forms, with a history dating back about 600 years, has been recognized by the 2022 Global Art Promotion Award. Established by the Asian Art Fund Scotland and endorsed by the City of Edinburgh Council and Asian Arts Award, the Global Art Promotion Award is set to celebrate the best new efforts to highlight classic theater arts from different cultures and countries. The presentation of the 2022 Global Art Promotion Award took place on Oct 26 at the City Chambers of the City of Edinburgh Council. Yang Fengyi, artistic director and head of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, was awarded in recognition of the innovative ways in which she and her company promoted the traditional Chinese art form of Kunqu Opera on a global basis. Yang did not receive the award in person, but she nominated her friend, Zhang Jianan, to accept it on her behalf. The theater company in Beijing, which was founded in 1957, is the only professional platform in northern China dedicated to Kunqu Opera. "Thanks for having this award dedicated to Kunqu Opera and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater," wrote Yang in her letter to the Asian Art Fund Scotland, in which she proposed that Zhang would receive the award presented by Adam McVey, the leader of the City of Edinburgh Council. "Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I couldn't make it to the ceremony held in Edinburgh." Asian Art Fund Scotland is a charitable incorporated organization supporting Asian artists and art forms in Scotland, working to create connections between Scottish and Asian artists, organizations and their audiences. Besides Yang, Akiko Yanagisawa, founder and artistic director of Mu: Arts, was awarded for her efforts of maintaining Noh, a form of traditional Japanese theater, while reviving it in collaboration with Noh performers and British artists. "For international audiences, Kunqu Opera is still very new," says Chris Wang, chairman of Asian Arts Award, which was founded in 2014 to promote Asian art forms at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. "Though they might have watched some performances staged by Chinese Kunqu Opera artists, there is more to offer to them about this great ancient art form." The Edinburgh Festival Fringe began in 1947 and is now one of the biggest arts festivals in the world. It runs every August for three weeks in Edinburgh. "We plan to have a series of events exploring and showcasing Kunqu Opera during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024. The series of events will be named 'Kunqu Opera Rediscovered'," says Wang. Additionally, Kunqu Opera classes will be held in Edinburgh. Last year, Wang visited Yang and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater in Beijing. They discussed bringing Kunqu Opera to more audiences worldwide. Besides performing classical masterpieces of Kunqu Opera, the company will also encourage its top artists to work with local artists in Edinburgh, giving the ancient art form a contemporary twist. In August, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater and Asian Art Fund Scotland signed a strategic cultural promotion agreement. The ceremony was held at the 310-year-old Zhengyici Theater in Beijing. It was a significant cooperation between Beijing and Edinburgh, marking Kunqu Opera's first long-term participation in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. "We've invited theater experts from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to watch online shows performed by artists of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater. With the elaboration of Kunqu Opera artists, they gained a better understanding of the beautiful, old Chinese art form," says Wang. Yang says: "When we performed abroad, audiences were intrigued by Kunqu Opera. We offered them guidance before each performance, which helped them to understand the story and appreciate the beauty of the opera." In 2001, when Kunqu Opera was listed as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO (in 2008, the world body inscribed it on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity), Yang and her company traveled to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. After wrapping up their performances, one of the Kunqu Opera actresses, Wei Chunrong, received a note from an audience member, telling her how beautiful she was onstage and how beautiful Kunqu Opera was. Yang says her company has been trying to seek creative ways to promote the opera, such as using social media platforms. Kunqu Opera, which originated in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, is performed in the melodic Suzhou dialect, which combines singing, dancing and acting. Like many traditional Chinese art forms, Kunqu Opera is passed down from one generation to another through singing demonstrations. It takes years to master basic skills, only after which performers can try to build their own styles. Wang notes that there were some critical moments for the revival of Kunqu Opera. One was the year of 2001 when UNESCO recognized the old art form. The other is the huge popularity of a new version of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) classic, The Peony Pavilion, adapted by Chinese American writer Pai Hsienyung. "We hope that the Beijing-Edinburgh strategic cultural promotion agreement and the appearances of Kunqu Opera artists at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be a new milestone for the development of Kunqu Opera," says Wang. The City of Columbia logo is designed to depict the city's history, such as the Maury County Courthouse, President James K. Polk and Mule Day, produced in the image of the town's iconic downtown square. The city is considering applying for a state grant, which would allocate up to $15,000 to local childcare groups as part of a COVID relief program. The Community Block Grant would be awarded by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TDECD) and would be funded using American Rescue Act funds. In a recent meeting among city staff and the Southcentral Tennessee Workforce Development, it was decided that a good use for the funds would be to help expansion of childcare facilities. "We put information on social media following that meeting, and Little Rascals requested $15,000 to expand their playground facilities and to install a new fence," Assistant City Manager Thad Jablonski said. Columbia City Council will vote on a resolution later this month, which if approved would allow the city to apply for the grant funds. The grant would also come without a required match from the city. "It's a 100% grant," Jablonski said. Councilman Danny Coleman asked if, in the future, more funds could be made available for additional childcare groups to apply for. Jablonski said it would be possible for more funds to become available. However, if there is money left over from the initial grant, other businesses could also apply to use it. "It's like our recent downtown facade grant program. If all the funds aren't used, we'll have a round two," Jablonski said. Columbia Main St. to officially partner with city Located in downtown, Columbia's Welcome's Center, 713 N. Main Street, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 12 to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Since 1984, Columbia Main Street has operated as a nonprofit to promote downtown events like the annual Christmas Parade, fundraisers and other goings on in the city. However, it never officially partnered with the city in a way that could realize its full potential. One item appearing on the council's November agenda is a request to authorize a memorandum of understanding between Columbia Main Street and the city, which would create a framework between the two parties as far as its goals to help promote downtown Columbia. Story continues This comes a year after the city approved an item to hire a full-time Main Street manager under the supervision of the Tourism & Marketing Department, after the position had previously only been part-time and not as an official city employee. Columbia Tourism & Marketing Director Kellye Murphy stands by the iconic Polk Motel sign featured at the downtown Columbia Welcome Center. "Of course we've grown and flourished and it's been incredible," Tourism & Marketing Director Kellye Murphy said. "With this program, we need to take it to the next level." Murphy added that having a partnership will allow Columbia Main Street to receive things like state accreditation. Kelli Johnson, Main Street's current manager, spoke about how by officially creating a partnership between Main Street and the city will create greater opportunities for the community they might not have had before. Kelli Johnson joined the City of Columbia as the manager of the communitys Main Street program. "Our board sat down and was very quick to make sure a strategic plan was in place when I came on board in March," Johnson said. "Defining what we are willing to help with, and what the Main Street board is willing to help with, is what we wanted to bring it out to make sure it was clear. The memorandum is going to be a huge help moving forward, but we've already started with just making sure this partnership will work." Some of this work includes beautification projects like pressure washing sidewalks downtown, as well as upcoming events like the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, as well as First Fridays. "We are working to make sure people that are coming into downtown, they see that our events are wonderful to attend and put on with an extra level of care," Johnson said. "And finally, we are making sure communication as a city is going out to all of our downtown merchants and the Main Street community, making sure people understand when things are happening, when street closures are happening." Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder also pointed out that, if approved, this would be the first official MOU between the city and the downtown district corporation. "I think this is a great thing, to finally have something in place," Molder said. "As we've gone around to some of the retailers, one of the things the downtown merchants want more than anything is an open line of communication. Hopefully, that will continue and lead to more transparency for the people downtown." This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: COVID relief funds could help local childcare groups Collaborator from Crimea Read also: Ukraines SBU interrogates PMC Wagner members, digs more proof of war crimes The collaborator notably imposed court sentences for allegedly "violating" the current laws of the occupying power. Thus, the judge of the occupying force grossly violated Ukrainian legislation and international humanitarian law. Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators charged the suspect under Part 1 of Art. 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 8 to 12 years. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust is one of the groups set to receive Arts Council England money Cultural organisations across the East of England have been awarded 71m by Arts Council England over the next three years. The grants were announced as millions of pounds were taken out of organisations in central London. Among those to receive funding are Colchester and Ipswich museums and the group behind Luton Carnival. Arts Council England chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, said the money would "help ignite creativity across the country". Public money from the government, as well as from the National Lottery, is used by Arts Council England to support arts and culture across the country. As part of the funding announcement, more cash is being handed out to organisations outside of London. The English National Opera is to move its headquarters outside the capital, possibly to Manchester, and have a drastic budget cut as part of the plans. Others to have lost their entire grants include the Donmar Warehouse theatre. In the East of England, organisations such as Kettle's Yard art gallery and arts organisation Collusion in Cambridge, and Gorilla Circus based in Wisbech, will receive cash. The University of Cambridge Museums will receive a grant of more than 1.8m over the next three years. Kettle's Yard in Cambridge will receive almost 900,000 over the next three years Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust is set to get 171,260 per year between 2023 and 2026. O ther organisations in Luton, such as theatre ensemble Tangled Feet and charity Music24, will also receive funding alongside groups in Bedfordshire such as Full House Theatre, which runs workshops for young people. Rifco Arts in Watford, which produces plays and musicals that reflect British South Asian experiences, will receive almost 1.5m over the next three years. T he Tiata Fahodzi theatre company, also in Watford, and St Albans Museums are also set to receive funding. I n Buckinghamshire, well-known venues such as the MK Gallery and The Stables in Wavendon will get cash, a s will the Paralympic Heritage Trust based at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium. In Essex, CoDa Dance Company in Thurrock, Paper Birds Theatre Company in Maldon and the Essex Cultural Diversity Project are all set to get money. Story continues Colchester and Ipswich museums are to receive 1,194,048 over the next three years. T he cash will support a major exhibition every year in the two places as well as learning programmes, the museums said. Pam Cox, portfolio holder for culture and heritage at Colchester Borough Council, said it was "delighted" to "receive this record funding for the next three years". "It will enable us to continue to provide our outstanding services and attract more visitors who can enjoy the many nationally important objects and treasures we hold across the joint service," she said. The Food Museum in Suffolk, which attracts about 35,000 visitors annually, will get more than 1m over three years The Seagull in Lowestoft, Suffolk, which received Arts Council England funding earlier this year, will now get 100,000 per year between 2023 and 2026. The Food Museum, formerly known as the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, is set to get more than 1m, which will help fund a new schools offer and community exhibitions. The National Centre for Writing in Norwich will receive 1.7m over the next three years. A rts Council England said the money would help an education project for youngsters across Norfolk. Norfolk Museums Service, which operates 10 sites across the county, will get 4.1m. This week it warned museum opening hours could be cut due to budget pressures. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, which reopened last year, will get Arts Council England funding In Northamptonshire, Arts Council England said established organisations such as Northampton's Royal and Derngate and the Core at Corby Cube theatres would be receiving funding. Also set to get money is the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, whose recent 16m refurbishment was part-funded by the controversial sale of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian statue. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story for us, email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk Homicides in Little Rock this year has topped its record in 1993, causing a challenge for Democrat Frank Scott LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Frank Scott became Little Rocks first popularly elected Black mayor four years ago on campaign promises to unite a city long divided along racial lines. But a deadly year in Arkansas capital, criticism of his management and attacks from Republicans are threatening reelection chances for Scott, a rare high-profile Democrat in this solidly red state. His reelection bid is one of the few competitive races on the ballot in Arkansas, where Republicans are heavily favored in statewide and congressional matchups. This race is very simple: do you want to go backward to a horrid past, or do you want to continue growing forward? Scott told supporters before he cast his ballot during early voting. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott talks to reporters at City Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas after filing to run for reelection on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo) Scotts election in 2018 was a landmark for a city long known for the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, when nine Black students were escorted into the school in front of an angry white mob. The city remains racially divided, with whites making up about half of Little Rocks population. Little Rocks mayoral race is nonpartisan. But Scott is running in a midterm election where violent crime has become a pivotal issue nationwide, with Republicans eager to paint Democratic mayors as unable to protect their cities. In neighboring Texas, the top elected official in reliably Democratic Harris County home to Houston also faces such criticism. Crime dominates advertising by GOP candidates in some of the most competitive Senate and governors races across the country. Scotts chief rival in the race is Steve Landers, a retired car dealer who regularly cites the citys spiraling homicide rate in campaign appearances and materials. Little Rock so far this year has reported at least 71 homicides, surpassing the record the city reached in 1993. People want a change in our city. Our city is dangerous, Landers said. Story continues Landers calls himself an independent whos voted for Democrats and Republicans. Federal Election Commission records show hes donated to several Republican candidates and the state GOP in recent years, but also to some Democrats. Hes outspent Scotts campaign, and loaned $400,000 to his bid, according to fundraising reports filed last week. The other candidates running are Greg Henderson, a local businessman who publishes a food blog, and Glen Schwarz, a longtime marijuana legalization advocate. All three challengers are white. Scott, a former member of the state highway commission, became Little Rocks first elected Black mayor in a runoff election. Little Rock previously had two Black mayors, but they were chosen for the job by fellow city board members and not by voters. Scott had the backing of Democratic and Republican figures four years ago when he led a campaign that sought to bridge the citys biggest divides: race, income and geography. The homicide rate and some stumbles at City Hall, however, have since drawn the involvement of Republican-backed groups. They include one campaign thats been supported by former Gov. Mike Huckabees political action committee. Crime in Little Rock is also factoring into other races in the state. Steve Landers talks to reporters outside City Hall in Little Rock, Ark., after filing to run for mayor on Friday, July 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo) An ad by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Sarah Sanders the former White House press secretary and Huckabees daughter mentions the citys violent crime. Scott has blasted the former governors involvement in the race, with one mailer warning voters, do not let Mike Huckabee bring Donald Trump policies to Little Rock. Political observers say the Republican attacks could backfire. This adds a new dimension to it, this has in essence become a partisan race and there are a lot of Democrats in Little Rock, said Skip Rutherford, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party. Since the GOP-backed groups involvement, Scotts campaign has rolled out endorsements from high profile Democrats and groups, such as retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. Hes also been endorsed by some of the Black students who integrated Central High. Scott has defended his handling of crime, noting that Little Rocks overall violent crime rate is down compared to the same period last year. The mayor and police have said this years homicide spike, unlike what the city saw in the early 1990s, isnt driven by gang activity but by domestic violence or crime between acquaintances. In a statement over the weekend, he said the city has put social workers in the field, funded conflict resolution programs for at-risk youth and targeted patrols in high-crime areas of the city. Scotts woes are compounded by criticism of his management of City Hall, including an art and music festival he championed that was abruptly canceled days before it was to take place. The citys manager canceled Little Rocks contract with an outside firm that was organizing the festival following questions about the financial arrangement with the firm. The citys police chief, who Scott hired, retired in May after a rocky three years marked by lawsuits and clashes with officers. Little Rock also faces criticism about a lack of transparency, prompting the local prosecutor to vent frustration last week about the number of Freedom of Information Act complaints hes received about the city. In his reelection bid, Scott has touted the city landing economic development deals, including an Amazon delivery station and warehouse. Little Rock has an opportunity to be a catalyst for the new South, Scott told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year. Rachel Luckett, who cast a ballot for Scott during early voting, said she is concerned about crime but want to give the mayor another chance. I think hes handled it just as well as any other mayor thats come through, Luckett said. It wont change overnight. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Deadly year could imperil Little Rock mayors reelection bid appeared first on TheGrio. Lynne Sladky/AP Photo; Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo; Insider Republican Rep. Maria Salazar is up for reelection to a second term. Challenging her is Florida state Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Democrat. The district is in South Florida and includes Miami. Republican incumbent Rep. Maria Salazar is running for a second term in the US House against Florida Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Democrat. Florida's 27th Congressional District candidates Salazar was elected to the US House in 2020 after a career as a journalist that included both English and Spanish outlets. Her parents were Cuban exiles, and she grew up in Miami and Puerto Rico. Salazar voted against President Trump's second impeachment. She wasn't at the Capitol on January 6, 2020, to certify the presidential election because she was under COVID-19 quarantine, but voted alongside House Democrats and 34 Republicans to approve the creation of the January 6 commission. Taddeo is a state senator who was running for the Democratic nomination for governor before dropping out of the race to run for Congress. Taddeo unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for Congress in 2016 for a seat that went to former Rep. Joe Garcia. She was also on the lieutenant governor ticket in 2014 alongside Charlie Crist, the current Democratic nominee for governor. Voting history for Florida's 27th Congressional District Salazar unsuccessfully ran for the seat before, in 2018, against Donna Shalala, who was Health and Human Services secretary during former President Bill Clinton's two terms, and later, president of the University of Miami. Salazar defeated Shalala when the two faced each other again in 2020, when former Trump was on the ticket and had made inroads in Florida from his 2016 win. During the 2020 race, Salazar pilloried Shalala for violating the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 by improperly disclosing personal stock trades. But Salazar herself violated the STOCK Act earlier this year something for which Taddeo has sharply criticized her. Story continues Before Shalala and Salazar faced off twice, Florida's 27th Congressional District was for almost 30 years held by Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen even though the district leaned Democratic when it came to casting votes for president. Today, under a redrawn district submitted by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the Republican-controlled legislature, the district is slightly redder than it used to be because it no longer includes Democratic-leaning Miami Beach. The money race Salazar has raised $4.8 million, spent $4.1 million, and has $735,000 cash on hand as of October 19, according to nonpartisan money-in-politics research group OpenSecrets. Taddeo has raised $1.6 million, spent $1.55 million, and has $45,000 cash on had as of October 19. As of November 4, super PACs, hybrid PACs, and traditional political action committees had combined to spend about $3 million to advocate for or against the candidates. Most of this money has benefitted Salazar. The pro-Salazar Congressional Leadership Fund, a hybrid PAC led by national Republicans, alone accounts for almost half of the race's outside spending. What experts say The race between Salazar and Taddeo was rated as "likely Republican" by Inside Elections and "likely Republican" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider Kathy Manning's campaign; Christian Castelli's campaign; Insider Rep. Kathy Manning is running against Republican Christian Castelli in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District. Redistricting made the Triad-area seat less Democratic. Manning, who has out-fundraised and outspent Castelli, is expected to hold on to her seat. Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning faces off against Republican Christian Castelli in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District. North Carolina's 6th Congressional District candidates Manning, first elected in 2020, is vying for her second term. She serves on the Education and Labor Committee and is the freshman representative to the New Democrat Coalition and a member of the Bipartisan Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism. Prior to her election to Congress, Manning worked in nonprofit organizations to expand access to early childhood education, college scholarships, and workforce development. She was also the first woman to chair the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America, one of the largest charitable, faith-based organizations in the world. One of Congress' wealthiest members, Manning ran into trouble last year when she was late disclosing several dozen personal stock trades in violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012. Castelli, Manning's challenger, is an Army Special Forces veteran with decades of military service. After earning his green beret in 1998, he completed 12 deployments to hostile zones throughout Africa, Europe, South America, and South Asia, including five tours in Afghanistan and almost three years in combat. Upon being promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2008, he served as a senior military advisor at the Pentagon, and following this assignment, he served as the inspector general for the US Army Special Forces Command. Castelli was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service. Castelli defeated Lee Haywood the nominee from the 2020 race and five other candidates in the GOP primary. Voting history for North Carolina's 6th Congressional District North Carolina's 6th Congressional District is comprised of Guilford County, Rockingham, and almost all of Caswell counties. Story continues Joe Biden enjoyed a 24 percentage point margin of victory over President Donald Trump under the district's previous boundaries in 2020 before the once-in-a-decade redistricting process following the 2020 Census made it less Democratic. The redrawn Triad-area seat would have had Biden winning with only a 12.4 percentage point margin. The money race According to OpenSecrets, Manning has raised $2.84 million, spent $2.35 million, and has $800,000 cash on hand, as of October 19. Her challenger, Castelli, has raised $662,000, spent $583,000, and has $79,000 cash still left to spend, as of October 19. As of November 3, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups have only played minor roles in this race, together spending just $76,000 to advocate for or against the candidates. In contrast, some US House races have attracted millions of dollars worth of outside spending. What experts say The race between Manning and Castelli is rated as "likely Democratic" by The Cook Political Report, and "likely Democratic" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider LA PLATA, Md. (AP) A 28-year-old man is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, two of her relatives and another man inside a Maryland home before fatally shooting himself, authorities said Saturday. The five deceased individuals were found inside the La Plata residence Friday afternoon when an unidentified homeowner arrived after work, the Charles County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Saturday afternoon. According to a preliminary investigation, the sheriff's office said Andre Sales, 28, entered the home and killed his ex-girlfriend, 21-year-old Sara Mann; her brother, Kai Mann, 18; their mother, Sommaly Mann, 48; and another man who was inside, Jovon Watson, 23 of White Plains. Sales, who lived at a different residence, then shot himself with a gun that was later recovered, according to the sheriff's office. Two young children were initially unaccounted for but were located a short time later unharmed at a different location, the sheriff's office said. La Plata is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Washington, D.C. Investigators and forensic personnel were still processing evidence Saturday and interviewing family and friends to establish a motive, the news release said. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore will perform autopsies to confirm the cause of death for each person. ___ This story was first published on November 5, 2022. It was updated on November 7, 2022 to correct the spelling of a victims first name. The victims name is Jovon Watson. A Dripping Springs man who authorities said was wielding a knife was shot and killed by Hays County sheriff's deputies outside a home early Saturday. A 78-year-old woman also was wounded in the encounter. The Hays County sheriff's office said deputies initially had responded to the 1300 block of Trinity Hills Drive in the Belterra subdivision, where a disturbance between a man and a wrecker truck driver was reported. "A short time later, deputies responded to the 100 block of Victoria Court for a follow-up investigation related to the disturbance," the sheriff's office said in a statement Saturday. That's when a man, identified by the sheriff's office as 28-year-old John File, came out of the residence on Victoria Court, which is also in Belterra, and rushed at deputies with a knife, authorities said. More:Austin 'still the beating heart' for Dell Technologies, executive says One of the deputies fired several rounds and shot File. A 78-year-old woman at the residence was shot in the arm, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities did not say how she was related to File. Both File and the woman were taken to the hospital, where File was pronounced dead at 1:58 a.m. The woman was being treated for her injuries, authorities said. The Texas Rangers are assisting in the shooting investigation, which is standard policy when a deputy has used lethal force, according to the sheriff's office. More:Texas Education Agency proposes panic alarms, other school safety requirements The sheriff's office is asking anyone with more information about the case to call Detective Brian Wahlert with the Hays County sheriffs office at 512-393-7896 or email brian.wahlert@co.hays.tx.us and refer to case number HCSO 2022-61347. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-324-8466 or submit information online to Tip Line P3tips.com or on the new Hays County sheriffs office app. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hays deputies kill Dripping Springs man, wound woman, authorities say Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) released a new campaign ad on Friday ahead of Election Day next week that depicts him as a fighter for God. DeSantiss wife, Casey, posted the ad on her Twitter account, saying to her husband, On behalf of millions of people, never stop fighting for freedom. The narrators lines in the ad appear to be based on a speech that radio broadcaster Paul Harvey gave in 1978, entitled So God Made a Farmer. And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a protector. So God made a fighter, DeSantiss ad begins. The ad shows pictures of DeSantis meeting with officials and civilians while serving as governor. It describes a series of traits God said he needs in someone, including a willingness to travel thousands of miles for no other reason than to serve the people, to save their jobs, their livelihoods, their liberty, their happiness. The narrators description of each trait ends in him saying, So God made a fighter. DeSantis is running for reelection for a second term as governor of Florida against Democrat Charlie Crist, a former governor and member of the House. Polls have shown DeSantis with large leads, and FiveThirtyEights polling average has him leading Crist by almost 12 points. DeSantis has also been rumored to be a possible contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Polls have consistently shown him in second place to former President Trump in a hypothetical Republican primary. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. KINGSTON, R.I. (AP) Marques DeShields scored on a short run midway through the fourth quarter and went over 100 yards when Rhode Island ran out the clock to beat Maine 26-22 on Saturday. DeShields, who finished with 110 yards, capped a 75-yard drive. The defense then forced a three-and-out and with DeShields carrying six times, including a fourth-down conversion, the Rams ate up the final 5 minutes, 25 seconds of the game. Kasim Hill ran for two touchdowns and passed for one for Rhode Island (6-3, 4-2 Colonial Athletic Association), which had lost 14 straight to the Black Bears (2-7, 2-4) and 19 of the last 20. It was the 100th meeting between the two schools with Maine leading the series 62-35-3. Maine led 13-7 at halftime as Cody Williams kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired. Hill, who connected with Ed Lee for a 63-yard touchdown in the first half, had a pair of touchdown runs in the third quarter to put Rhode Island up 20-19. Williams connected from 39 yards to put the Black Bears on top 22-20 with 9:33 to play. Lee had eight catches for 190 yards. Joe Fagnano threw a touchdown pass for Maine and Elijah Barnwell ran for 98 yards and a score. ___ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 At the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2019, a robot displayed in the booth of the French sporting goods retailer Decathlon caught the eyes of many visitors. Featuring a combination of radio frequency identification and artificial intelligence (AI), the robot called Dibao can substantially boost the efficiency of inventory management at physical stores. The idea on Dibao was sparked at the very first edition of the CIIE, where the French firm came across an AI robot company, and the two parties soon embarked on a robot project that integrated advanced technologies from China, France and Germany. Nowadays, Dibao has been deployed in dozens of Decathlon stores across China, drawing wide interest from overseas markets. Dibao's success is just one of many stories of how the CIIE has brought together ideas, innovations, technologies as well as business opportunities over the past five years. The world can expect more this year. Since its inception, the CIIE has not only "enabled exhibits to become traded goods and exhibitors to spot more investment opportunities," but also "facilitated an exchange of new and creative ideas, and better connected China and the wider world," said Chinese President Xi Jinping in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third CIIE. PLATFORM FOR COOPERATION From U.S. conglomerate Honeywell that plans to display more than 60 innovative products at the new expo, to Turkiye's edible oil company Savola Foods, the Norwegian Seafood Council, and many other enterprises eager to introduce specialties from their own countries, the exhibitors' enthusiasm is a testimony that the expo has become a show window for quality goods, a catalyst for innovation and an incubator of new partnerships. The accumulated intended turnover at the previous four editions of the CIIE exceeded 270 billion U.S. dollars. The organizer said on Tuesday that representatives from a total of 145 countries, regions and international organizations will participate in this year's version, among whom are more than 280 industry leaders or the world's top 500 enterprises, with nearly 90 percent being repeat participants. As a frequenter of the fair, Varian Medical Systems, a U.S. leading company in radiotherapy, has experienced China's progress in opening-up, and become even more determined to be rooted in the market, said Zhang Xiao, Varian vice-president and head of China operation. A growing number of enterprises are leveraging the CIIE platform for global or China debuts, especially for their blockbuster products. At the four previous editions of the CIIE, exhibitors launched more than 1,500 new products, technologies and services, data from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed, while debuts for this year are anticipated to outnumber those at the past events. For example, apart from showcasing its robotic products including Tesla Bot, top U.S. electric automaker Tesla has decided to debut its Model S Plaid and S3XY in the Chinese mainland at this year's expo, it announced Monday. The expo has provided an open, collaborative and mutually beneficial platform for global enterprises to share business opportunities in the Chinese market, said Vice President of Tesla Tao Lin. Moreover, face-to-face exchanges make the expo an ideal venue to meet new friends. Ali Shariati-Moghadam, CEO of Iran's Novin Saffron company, deemed the CIIE as "a real-life small-scale global village" that allows firms to "meet and know each other better, exchange experiences and expand their businesses." The CIIE's development in the past five years has vividly shown that the Chinese market is committed to be "a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all," as Xi put it at the 2020 expo. HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT LEADS TO WIN-WIN From 2013 to 2021, China contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth, with its own GDP reaching 114.4 trillion yuan (15.8 trillion dollars), and per capita GDP jumped to over 12,000 dollars. The focus of China's economic development has accordingly transited from rapid growth to high-quality development. High-quality development demands innovation. The country's research and development spending intensity jumped to 2.44 percent in 2021 from 1.91 percent in 2012, with its ranking in the Global Innovation Index rising to the 11th place this year. As an important force in the world in technological innovation, China is trying to turn the CIIE into a platform where the world's advanced technologies can join forces and meet the market to benefit more people around the globe. Wang Hao, president of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, said his company has brought to the event such technologies as a 5G-enabled remote ultrasound solution, which contributes to high-quality remote diagnosis of medical images. China is also a strong advocate for green and sustainable development. Its commitments to carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, as part of its push for green and low-carbon development, have further boosted innovation across green industries. German specialty chemicals company Evonik has "made strides in local sustainability practices, which aligns with China's pledge to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals," said Xia Fuliang, president of Evonik Greater China. "We will introduce our latest achievements and best practices with regard to innovation and sustainability at CIIE." "We are excited about opportunities from China's focus on green development. We will continue to contribute to the green economy in China by taking advantage of our technologies and innovations," said Ding Hongyu, vice president of 3M and president of 3M China. CHINESE MODERNIZATION BOOSTS COMMON DEVELOPMENT In recent days after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), "a Chinese path to modernization" has sparked heated discussion in the country and beyond. The 5th edition of the CIIE, the first international fair to be held by China after the congress, is an important window for global observers to learn more about Chinese modernization, as well as its implications for the common development worldwide. One example is how China through the CIIE helps small- and medium-sized companies from the least developed countries cope with shockwaves of trade protectionism and surge of de-globalization. Timor-Leste is well-known for its Kopi Luwak. After it first showcased the coffee at the 2018 CIIE, Timor-Leste received its largest-ever coffee order at the fourth expo worth about 5 million dollars. "Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the coffee production and sales in Timor-Leste have also been affected, but the orders from the CIIE have given coffee farmers great expectations and confidence in the Chinese market," said Bei Lei, executive curator of Timor-Leste's national pavilion at Shanghai Free Trade Zone. More importantly, Chinese modernization is now seen by many countries around the world as an inspiration for their drive to modernize. "China has huge potential, and its development model is inspiring the world," Antonio Artur Sanha, former prime minister of Guinea-Bissau, told Xinhua, adding the blueprint outlined at the 20th CPC National Congress will make new contributions to promoting world economic recovery and building an open economy. Chinese modernization, which was pursued on the path of peaceful development, will inject more positive energy into improving global governance, said Eduardo Regalado, a senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba. A person was fatally shot in Butler County on Saturday, officials said. Deputies responded to the 2700 block of Chapel Road in Okeana, Ohio for a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office. Once the deputies arrived on scene, one person was confirmed to be deceased, the sheriff's office said in a news release. The sheriff's office has yet to identify the victim. Officials said detectives are interviewing persons of interest. The Enquirer will update this story as more information becomes available. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Detectives investigating fatal shooting in Butler County, sheriff says The podcast Tracking the Tropics with Bryan Norcross is now available to stream. Updated at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Disturbance #1 is an elongated area of lower pressure stretching across the Caribbean from the Dominican Republic to Venezuela. This system, combined a strong dip in the jet stream, is already causing heavy rain over Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands. Flood Watches are in effect there due to forecasts of persistent rain over the next few days. The dip in the jet stream is forecast to break off into a large upper-level disturbance that will meander in the vicinity of the Bahamas over the next several days. This system combined with the nascent low pressure over the Caribbean are expected to create a non-tropical low-pressure system in the vicinity of Puerto Rico in a day or two. This evolutionary process is the same one that creates nor'easters farther north, but it's happening in the tropics. A graphic showing an overview of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. As we've already seen a few times this year, when non-tropical low-pressure systems track over warm tropical ocean water, they can evolve into systems with tropical characteristics a subtropical depression or storm if non-tropical aspects remain, and a tropical depression or storm if they don't. The upper-level disturbance will create a donut of steering winds which should pull the low-pressure system out of the Caribbean and then arc it in the direction of Florida. The most impactful component of this event appears less likely to be related to the evolving disturbance itself, although we'll keep an eye on that. But this whole combo system will create a broad general area of low pressure over the Bahamas. A strong high-pressure system moving off the New England coast is going to try to fill in that low pressure. The result is likely to be strong winds along the Southeast coast and perhaps part of the Mid-Atlantic coast as well. Winds gusting over 40 mph will push ocean water toward the coast and into bays and harbors just as the full moon is creating extra-high tides. Significant coastal flooding is possible toward the middle of next week. Story continues Exactly where the strongest push of air off the ocean will occur remains to the seen, but it will probably be over a very large area hundreds of miles from wherever the disturbance develops and tracks. Everybody from the Mid-Atlantic south to Florida, and especially in the Carolinas, should be aware of potential bad weather and coastal flooding next Tuesday and Wednesday, plus or minus. The timing and details are subject to change. It appears the disturbance will get involved with a coming cold front later next week and be absorbed. On the uncertainty scale, the coastal effects over a large part of the central and southern East Coast appear likely due to the influence of the strong high-pressure system to the north. The exact evolution of the disturbance itself, and whether it is of much consequence as a storm system in the Bahamas or Florida is an open question. Farther north, Disturbance #2 is another non-tropical low-pressure system over the ocean east of Bermuda. Over the weekend, it might acquire some tropical characteristics and add to the hurricane season's statistics. In any case, it won't be a threat to land. In the southern Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Depression Lisa is on its last legs. It will become a remnant area of low pressure soon and not be of further consequence. Nothing else is imminent, but the autumn ocean is always full of non-tropical low-pressure systems. As long as the water is warm, and in many cases unusually warm, systems will have to be watched. Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, is pushing for a harder-driving culture at the company. Carina Johansen/Getty Images Twitter has had a chaotic week since Elon Musk officially took over the company. Musk announced key product overhauls while employees waited to hear if they would be axed. From plans to gut staff to forcing 12-hour workdays and sparring with celebrities, here's a timeline of Musk's first week at Twitter. The Elon Musk train is finally rolling through Twitter and leaving a wake of chaos and significant change. Employees at Twitter have been bracing for Musk's takeover for months, predicting disorder and confusion as the will-he-won't-he saga came to an end officially last week. Still, the degree to which they have been proven correct seems to have taken some by surprise. One employee called the current work culture "a free for all," with some people desperate to get in on projects dubbed "Elon critical" as others are openly applying for jobs and prepping for interviews. If you're hazy on some of the pandemonium surrounding Musk's first week at Twitter, we've compiled a full timeline of the events. From the billionaire busting into the company's San Francisco headquarters holding a bathroom sink, to demanding 12-hour workdays and new products to sparring with celebrities, changes to Twitter have just begun. Day 0 'Let that sink in' Elon Musk carrying a sink into Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco Elon Musk/Twitter Musk made a grand entrance to Twitter headquarters last Wednesday. Although he had first come into the office quietly last Tuesday, leaving employees to gossip about seeing him in the hallways and bathrooms, the billionaire couldn't resist making his presence known to all. The next day he walked into Twitter's office carrying a bathroom sink. "Entering Twitter HQ let that sink in!" Musk quipped on Twitter. Musk quickly became a source of curiosity for staff. He was swarmed by about 40 people when he tried to order a coffee inside the HQ building, with his toddler, X A-12, at his side. He spoke to employees for about an hour, as Insider reported, fielding questions about expected layoffs. Some employees even posted pictures of Musk on BeReal. Story continues Day 1 Heads roll Elon Musk has fired Parag Agrawal and other top Twitter executives. Getty Images/Reuters Musk took charge of Twitter late Thursday and there were no more coffee shop chats with the billionaire. He moved quickly to fire nearly all of Twitter's C-suite, as had been expected, along with Twitter's board of directors. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal were fired immediately. Chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett also got the boot. All are likely to receive large payments for being fired by Musk, as is required by their employment contracts. Though, Musk reportedly attempted to fire the executives "for cause" in a bid to prevent them from getting the benefits of their golden parachutes. Segal lamented after his ouster that "the past 6 months have pulled on every mental muscle I've developed in 48 years." Agrawal likely saw the writing on the wall months ago. His relationship with Musk quickly turned confrontational after the billionaire moved in April to join Twitter's board. Agrawal dared challenge Musk in a series of private texts between the two and on Twitter. In return, Musk turned angry and derided Agrawal and even replied to a tweet from Agrawal with the poop emoji. "The bird is freed," Musk tweeted a few hours after the acquisition closed, amid an outpouring of support from far-right conservatives who have glommed onto Musk's comments about free speech. Day 2 'Comedy is now legal' Two people who claim to be Twitter employees, speak with reporters outside Twitter headquarters on October 28, 2022, in San Francisco, California. It later emerged that they were likely practical jokers pretending to be laid off Twitter staff. Constanza HEVIA / AFP On Musk's first day as leader of Twitter, confusion reigned. Starting work on Friday, Musk's new employees were met with absolute silence from leadership. Speculation flew among workers of what was to come. Twitter staff spent much of the day refreshing their phones and waiting for news as questions about firings and layoffs circulated on the company Slack, as Insider reported. They received nothing. Musk did not even internally recognize that he was now the owner of the company. With the media watching closely and expecting layoffs, as Musk had as far back as June he intended to trim headcount, Twitter was apparently ripe for a hoax. Two men holding cardboard boxes one of whom called himself "Rahul Ligma" appeared outside headquarters, claiming they had just been laid off from Twitter. CNBC reporters on the scene quickly reported the mens' claims. While it was within hours found that both men were merely posing as Twitter workers, it set off arguments inside Twitter about when and how layoffs would occur. Musk called the hoax "one of the best trolls ever" after tweeting "comedy is now legal on Twitter." Meanwhile on Friday, instances of hate speech and the use of slurs on Twitter soared, according to a report from The Washington Post. And Musk's transition team were conducting "code reviews," where Twitter engineers showed the code they'd been working on for the last two to three months. They were even asked to "print out" their recent code so Musk could read it, a decision that was quickly reversed. Day 3 Free speech starts to look a lot like hate speech Elon Musk. Muhammed Selim Korkutata/Anadolu By Saturday, Musk had brought in some of his closest associates to help in his takeover of Twitter's operations, including longtime friend and tech executive David Sacks and his personal attorney attorney Alex Spiro of Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, along with several engineers from Tesla and trusted associates from his other companies The Boring Company and Neuralink, as Insider reported. At least 50 Tesla engineers have since come into Twitter, according to CNBC. Many Twitter engineers and product employees also worked the weekend, coming to terms with the fact that their performance now was being closely watched by Musk. The day saw many vice presidents working to compile lists of their reports and complete stack ranking, a type of performance review where workers in a group are compared to one another. They were asked to identify low performers to be let go, as Insider reported. With stack ranking happening so quickly, workers expected layoffs to begin that weekend or Monday. It was later reported that by this time Twitter had locked out "hundreds" of content-moderation workers after Musk took over. The move cut the number of employees able to address hate speech and misinformation on the platform from hundreds to about 15 and saw such posts explode in frequency. Twitter's head of safety and integrity, Yoel Roth, eventually said the company is still enforcing its platform "rules at scale," while acknowledging a smaller team had the tools to do so. He insisted the restrictions were part of an effort to keep rogue workers from changing programming code during the transition to Musk's ownership. Day 4 Sleep at the office Elon Musk. Adrees Latif/Reuters A weekend of work and uncertainty reinforced to Twitter's workers that a new culture was in place under Musk. Engineers spent Saturday and Sunday completing new coding projects in "sprints" as department heads continued with stack ranking and handing off lists of workers to be let go to Musk and his team, as Insider reported. One manager said it was "unlike anything in my 20-year career." Notes seen by Insider from directors and managers started to appear on Slack on Sunday, urging people to work at a "maniacal" pace and pitch Musk directly on new ideas. They also stressed that anyone on an "Elon critical" project was expected to work "literally 24/7." Work on projects Musk wanted done quickly began being done in 12-hour shifts around the globe, according to a note seen by Insider. Other outlets reported that 84-hour weeks, or working 12 hours a day 7 days a week, were expected. Day 5 Musk gets nostalgic Carina Johansen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images. Hoch Zwei/Corbis via Getty Images. Still more demands of Twitter employees came from Musk on Monday. He ordered engineers to get to work on rebooting Vine the short form video app Twitter acquired and shuttered six years ago. With the rise of TikTok, Jack Dorsey has said shutting down Vine was one of his biggest regrets. "What could we do to make it better than TikTok?" Musk asked on Twitter. He has taken to running polls for new ideas on the platform and frequently posting about what he intends to change. Later in the day, Musk's scrapping of Twitter's entire 9-person board of directors became formal with a notification filed with the Securities and Exchange commission. Musk is now the sole director of the company. Insider previously reported that Musk had claimed the title of CEO on Slack and in Twitter's company directory. Day 6 Start a fight with Stephen King Britta Pedersen / POOL / AFP / Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Musk continued tweeting on Tuesday and kept up with his habit of publicly feuding with celebrities and notable figures, adding a tiff with one of America's top authors to the list. The billionaire took a shot at Stephen King after the author said he'd quit Twitter if he had to pay $20 to stay verified on the platform. The horror writer said he'd be "gone like Enron" if the policy was instituted. "Fuck that, they should pay me," King tweeted. To which, Musk responded: "We need to pay the bills somehow!" Musk caved however and began to haggle, saying the cost could be just $8 per month. He said the verification fee is "the only way to defeat bots & trolls." The richest man in the world also described the system as a way to defeat "Twitter's current lords & peasants system." King wasn't the only one unhappy with Musk. Twitter has faced a mass exodus of executives and advertisers. Insider reported at least five top executives left the company in recent days, including the chief marketing officer, the chief customer officer, the head of people and diversity, and the head of product. Advertisers whose spending makes up 90% of Twitter's revenue are also considering pulling out, according to a report from Insider's Lindsay Rittenhouse and Lara O'Reilly. Day 7 The waiting game is almost over AP Toward the end of Musk's first week, Twitter employees got one step closer to finally learning their fate after days of being kept in the dark. A list of about 3,700 workers who are set to be laid off was finalized on Wednesday, per a report from Insider. The billionaire is also planning to institute a return-to-office requirement for remote workers, Bloomberg reported. The company is expecting to start offering its blue check mark for $8 per month as soon as Monday, per a Bloomberg report. Musk also set the record straight on whether Trump would be allowed to return to Twitter before the midterm elections, saying the review process will take "at least a few more weeks." Day 8 Judgement day Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California. Tayfun Coskun/Getty Images Musk made his first communication to Twitter's staff since taking over on Thursday. The email was sent shortly after Insider reported that the new owner planned to notify staff of layoffs on Friday. The billionaire sent out the memo that night confirming plans to lay off staff and ordering the temporary closure of all offices. Shortly after the email was sent, office security began "sweeps" of Twitter's locations in San Francisco and New York to ensure that employees were gone or leaving the office ahead of the announcements, Insider reported. The only workers who were allowed to stay were those who had already been assigned to projects labeled "Elon critical." Staff were told they would be notified via email by 9 a.m. the next morning whether they had been laid off. Within hours, employees began losing access to work platforms, Insider reported. Day 9 Cut in half Twitter Losing Its Most Active Users (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Thousands of Twitter employees woke on Friday morning to emails, notifying them that they had been laid off. Meanwhile, those left standing at Twitter received a different email, promising more answers in the weeks to come, Insider reported. "Throughout the last week, Elon has spent time with a number of employees, customers, partners, policymakers and Twitter users," the email read. "He is looking forward to communicating with everyone about his vision for the company soon." Amid the transition, the company's Slack, as well as social media feeds, were flooded with heartfelt farewell messages from departing "Tweeps." Musk commented on the layoffs during an interview at the Baron Investment Conference, saying the company was facing "pretty serious revenue challenges and other challenges before the acquisition started." Otherwise, Musk was loath to comment on the layoffs, choosing instead to take several digs at Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and blame activist pressure for a loss in advertiser revenue at Twitter. "They're trying to destroy free speech in America," the billionaire tweeted. Read the original article on Business Insider Nov. 5FRIENDSVILLE, Md. There's no plan, adequate map or advisory board that's met in the last 26 years ready to address proposed trail development along the Wild Youghiogheny River. There is $4.7 million, however, allocated for the idea. As Gov. Larry Hogan's administration reaches the end of a term-limited eight-year run, and several candidates vie for local public official seats, the Wild Yough situation will be left to new leadership elected next week. While it's unknown how those decision-makers will approach the situation, many folks on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line hope the process that leads to any plans will be vetted by the public. "The fact that information has not been forthcoming from anybody involved, it's just been a sad situation," said John Bambacus, a former state senator and mayor of Frostburg. People have been echoing that sentiment for nearly six months. In May, Hogan signed Senate Bill 291, which included a $700,000 grant to the Garrett County Board of Commissioners "for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of capital improvements at Sang Run State Park at Youghiogheny River Trail Section 2 from Swallow Falls to Sang Run, including maintenance and repair projects." The bill also allocates $4 million, which was modified from an earlier $1 million listing, for the Youghiogheny River Trail Section 3 from Sang Run to the Kendell trail in Garrett County. The money had made its way into the Department of Natural Resources capital budget with support from Del. Wendell Beitzel and Sen. George Edwards. Soon after, DNR Media Relations Manager Gregg Bortz said the budget item "was not a DNR request, so we do not have further details on it." At that time, Garrett County Administrator Kevin Null said commissioners hadn't requested the funding. And, "No one has shared any information with the Town of Friendsville," Mayor Spencer Schlosnagle wrote. Story continues In a June letter to DNR Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, the Garrett County Forestry Board asked for statutory and regulatory provisions of the Great Maryland Outdoors Act and the state's Scenic and Wild Rivers Act that pertains to protected portions of the Youghiogheny River to be reviewed "for legal and policy compatibility, and that the public be a full partner in any discussions." The letter followed a "lengthy discussion" at a prior forestry board meeting, Mike Minnick, the group's chairman, said. In July, Paul Durham who in 1996 helped design "Maryland Scenic and Wild Rivers: The Youghiogheny," said the wild river corridor "belongs to the people," and the public should have input into any plans for development. Also in July, John Wilson, who spent more than 30 years working for DNR, said he was concerned about potential development in protected sections of the Yough. Development of trails, including construction of bridges, are inappropriate for "Maryland's only wild river," and would be incompatible with the state's Scenic and Wild Rivers Act, Wilson said. In August, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper Eric Harder, who works for the nonprofit Pennsylvania-based Mountain Watershed Association, said the organization opposes the proposed trail. "We just think this is the wrong location for it," he said. Last month, Harder posted a letter on ActionNetwork.org to protect the Wild Yough from the proposed development. Since then, it has gained more than 1,400 signatures. On Thursday, in response to questions from the Cumberland Times-News, Bortz said via email that a draft request for proposal for a pre-engineering study "is still being developed internally." A pre-engineering study does not mean a trail plan would be inevitable, he said. "There is not a trail plan underway," Bortz said. When asked if any DNR expenditures related to the proposed trails had been sent to the state's Board of the Public Works for review, he said, "No, there is nothing to put before BPW." Bortz said DNR would convene the local advisory board to review activities and plans in the corridor. "We do not have a record of any meetings since 1996," he said. When asked the status of producing adequate mapping for the Wild Yough, Bortz said, "Our staff is still working on updating mapping." In terms of information the state's new leadership will receive regarding the proposed Yough trails, "DNR staff will brief members of the transition team and the new administration on all department activities," he said. What will happen to the money set aside for the trails? "This budget allocation was passed as law and remains so unless repealed or revised by the General Assembly," Bortz said. Teresa McMinn is the Digital Editor for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com. NEW PHILADELPHIA A Dover woman is accused of stealing $196,422 from St. John United Church of Christ in Strasburg. The aggravated theft charge against former church employee Jodi A. Davis, 57, is outlined in a bill of information filed in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. A bill of information skips the grand jury process and usually signals a defendant is cooperating with the prosecution. More: Court coverageNew Philadelphia man dies after stabbing attack, suspect faces aggravated murder charge Church council President Kathy Osler said the church received an insurance settlement for $165,498 in losses from the theft. St. John's is seeking restitution through the court for $30,924 in losses not covered by insurance. The bill of information alleges the theft occurred between Sept. 30, 2009, and March 19, 2021. "The past 19 months have been difficult for all of us," Osler said. "We look forward to being able to put this in the past and move forward into the future God has for us." Efforts to reach Davis were unsuccessful. No attorney for her was listed in court records. Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com. On Twitter: @nmolnarTR This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Jodi Davis accused of stealing from St. John United Church of Christ Emergency lights on a us police car Getty Images Michael Valva was convicted of the second-degree murder of his son on Friday, per CBS New York. Valva's children were forced to sleep in an unheated garage in winter, per the outlet. Prosecutors said Thomas and his brothers were abused by their father months before his death. A former NYPD officer on Friday was convicted of murder in connection to the 2020 killing of his 8-year-old autistic son, who he forced to sleep in an unheated garage. Michael Valva was found guilty of second-degree murder and child endangerment in the death of his son Thomas, according to CBS New York. Valva initially told police officers in 2020 that his son had fallen in the driveway while waiting for the school bus, per ABC 7. However, after reviewing home security footage, police at the time discovered Thomas and his 10-year-old autistic brother sleeping on the garage floor without pillows or blankets and shivering, according to the outlet. "Thomas Valva was subjected to freezing temperatures in the home's unheated garage overnight when the outside temperature was 19 degrees," Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart told ABC 7 in 2020. Police arrested both Valva and his at-the-time fiance Angela Pollina and charged them with second-degree murder, according to the outlet. In the months leading up to his death from hypothermia, 8-year-old Tommy was subjected to unspeakable cruelties, including starvation, beatings and emotional abuse, prosecutors said, per CBS New York. However, the defense argued, "Despite parental deficiencies, Michael did not want Thomas to die," the outlet reported. Valva's lawyer said it was Pollina's idea to force the boys to sleep in the garage after they had a toilet accident where they soiled themselves, according to CBS New York. According to the outlet, Valva texted Pollina after the boys soiled themselves, saying "Ok, I'll beat them up again. Talking don't work. Maybe a bloody face will." Valva's defense team asked the jury to convict Valva on a lesser charge, arguing that he was overwhelmed emotionally and financially after a heated custody battle with his ex-wife, Justyn Zubko Valva. Story continues "There was a significant amount of evidence against our client and so we understand the verdict, we are disappointed in the verdict," defense attorney John Loturco said, according to CBS New York. Thomas's siblings are currently with their mother, according to the outlet. "While there is nothing that we can do to bring Thomas back, we are satisfied with the jury's decision," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a statement to CBS New York. "Michael Valva subjected his sons to horrific abuse, neglect and cruelty. He will now pay for cutting short the life of a young, innocent, defenseless boy who had a lifetime ahead of him." Read the original article on Insider (Getty Images/iStockphoto) As you prepare your clocks for the end of daylight savings time this weekend, one expert wants you to know that the whole practice is pretty unhealthy. Daylight savings time is ending on Sunday 6 Nov and will involve the clocks turning back one hour. While one hour may not seem like a lot, Dr Jennifer Martin, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, told USA Today this week that the biggest problem is our internal clock doesnt know its time to wake up. Dr Martin even called the benefits of daylight savings time theoretical and the harms are proven. Daylight savings time purportedly sees the crime rate drop, minimizes energy consumption, lowers the incidence of traffic accidents, and more according to American Home Shield, but theres been much opposition to it in recent years. A March Senate vote to put a stop to the twice-annual changing of clocks, making daylight savings permanent, has since stalled. Representative Frank Pallone, who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee handling the issue, said in a statement to Reuters this week that we havent been able to find consensus in the House on this yet. There are a broad variety of opinions about whether to keep the status quo, to move to a permanent time, and if so, what time that should be. Dr Martin says the issue with daylight savings time is bigger in the spring, when clocks move one hour ahead and you lose an hour. Most of us feel the disruption in the spring when we lose an hour of the nighttime but even in the fall as were switching back, some people have a hard time adjusting, Dr Martin told USA Today. Its sort of like having a little bit of jet lag twice a year. In the fall, she cites that the highest risk, of course, will be in the northern states where, in some metropolitan areas, sunrise wont occur until 9:30 in the morning or later... We think about students going to school (in the dark). Dr Shea Golding, a sleep psychologist from Corewell Health, offered advice on how best to handle daylight savings time to local news in Michigan. The doctors suggestion is that people should go to bed an hour later on Saturday night. You could theoretically try to stay up like 30 minutes, Dr Golding said. I think one of the more prominent things to talk about, especially this time of year, is that if we are not adequately rested, our immune system takes a hit. So, were not gonna fight off illnesses as well. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Con artist Anna Sorokin is making her way back into the NYC social scene by hosting dinner parties in her apartment, Eater reports. A spokesperson for Sorokin confirmed to Eater that her guest list will be VIP and invite only. Sorokin was released from ICE custody in October, but remains under house arrest in her Manhattan apartment. Convicted scammer Anna Sorokin isn't wasting time re-entering the New York City social scene after her recent October release from ICE custody. Sorokin, now 31, is currently under house arrest in her East Village apartment, but the ankle monitor hasn't stopped her from hosting invite-only dinner parties, Fortune reports. Plans for the former socialite's dinner soirees were obtained by Eater and confirmed by a spokesperson for Sorokin, although an exact start date for the exclusive events wasn't given. According to the Eater report, an email from her publicist detailed the status of the Russian-born con artist's invitees. "Each dinner will welcome 10-12 VIP attendees including well-known founders, influencers, media, and celebrity talent friends," the email read, according to Eater. The dinners will take place in Sorokin's fifth floor walk-up, one-bedroom apartment she rents for $4,250 per month, according to The New York Post. The German citizen has been spotted leaving her Manhattan home for parole meetings. Sorokin is required to wear an ankle monitor during her house arrest, but it hasn't stopped her from expressing her fashion sense. Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images Dinner parties aren't the only project Sorokin is taking on now that she's a free woman. On Thursday, she listed several pieces of original artwork for sale, priced between $17,500 and $25,000 each. As of Saturday morning, at least three of the prison sketches have sold. The former fake heiress will remain under house arrest, which includes a social media ban, until her battle with ICE to remain in the US is settled. Sorokin was convicted of multiple charges in 2019 after conducting a years-long crime spree that involved swindling tens of thousands of dollars from friends and hotels, and millions from Fortress Investment Group, Bloomberg reported. Story continues She gained further infamy after a 2018 New York Magazine article was adapted into a Netflix series titled "Inventing Anna," starring Julia Garner. Read the original article on Business Insider FERRIDAY, La. (AP) Family, friends and fans gathered Saturday to bid farewell to rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis at memorial services held in his north Louisiana home town. Lewis, known for hits such as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," died Oct. 28 at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tennessee. He was 87. TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Lewis' cousin, told the more than 100 people inside Young's Funeral Home in Ferriday, the town where Lewis was born, that when Lewis died he lost the brother I never had. We learned to play piano together, Swaggart recalled. I had to make myself realize that he was no longer here. Swaggart and Lewis released The Boys From Ferriday, a gospel album, earlier this year and Swaggart said he wasn't sure if Lewis was going to be able to get through the recording session. He was very weak, Swaggart said. I remember saying, Lord, I dont know if he can do it or not.' But when Jerry Lee sat at that piano, you know he was limited to what he could play because of the stroke, but when the engineer said the red light is on and when he opened his mouth, he said, Jesus, hold my hand, I need thee every hour. Hear my feeble plea, oh Lord, look down on me." The session resulted in the album, and two of its songs played during the service: In the Garden and The Old Rugged Cross. Audience members were seen wiping tears from their eyes and singing along with Lewis as the recordings played. He was one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived, Swaggart said. Lewis, who called himself The Killer, was the last survivor of a generation of artists that rewrote music history, a group that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Lewis' body was at the front of the funeral home's main parlor, inside a closed, red casket with a spray of red roses on top. Several funeral wreaths, including one in the form of a musical note, dotted the walls behind and around the casket as did photos of the singer, one of which showed him in a red suit hunched over and singing into a microphone. Story continues Swaggart's son, Donnie Swaggart, recalled a meeting in Memphis between Lewis and members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a country rock band, that highlighted Lewis' humorous side. He said his father and Lewis were walking toward an arena's exit as the band members were coming in. "As they neared Lewis, one asked, Is that who I think it is? Is that Jerry Lee Lewis? As Jerry Lee passed, one of the men asked, Are you Jerry Lee Lewis? Jerry Lee stopped and looked each of them up and down and said, Boys, Killers my name and music's my thing.' And then he walked out." Donnie Swaggart said the guys stood there, with their jaws dropped in amazement. What a sense of humor he had, he said as the audience laughed. After his personal life blew up in the late 1950s following news of his marriage to his cousin, 13-year-old possibly even 12-year-old Myra Gale Brown, while still married to his previous wife, the piano player and rock rebel was blacklisted from radio and his earnings dropped to virtually nothing. Over the following decades, Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness. He always had a heart for God, even at his lowest times, Jimmy Swaggart said. I will miss him very much but we know where he is now and thank God for that. Xavier Ellis, 28, a Ferriday native now teaching in Opelousas, Louisiana, said Lewis' life is an inspiration. He was a poor kid from Ferriday who made it to the heights he made it to. I'm very impressed with his life story. I'm saddened by him leaving, but his legacy will live on, Ellis said. In the 1960s, Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer and the music industry eventually forgave him. He had a run of top 10 country hits from 1967 to 1970, including She Still Comes Around" and What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me). In 1986, along with Elvis, Berry and others, Lewis was in the inaugural class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and joined the Country Hall of Fame this year. His life and music were reintroduced to younger fans in the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid, and Ethan Coens 2022 documentary Trouble in Mind. A 2010 Broadway musical, Million Dollar Quartet, was inspired by a recording session that featured Lewis, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Lewis won a Grammy in 1987 as part of an interview album that was cited for best spoken word recording, and he received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005. The following year, Whole Lotta Shakin was selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, whose board praised the propulsive boogie piano that was perfectly complemented by the drive of J.M. Van Eatons energetic drumming. The listeners to the recording, like Lewis himself, had a hard time remaining seated during the performance. Tom Tomschin and his wife, Sandra, of Cicero, Illinois, traveled to Ferriday to give homage to Lewis for all he's done for the music industry. We felt the need to pay our respect to the pioneer of rock n roll who had a major part in the creation of and shaping of the genre, Tomschin said. I've been a fan my entire life. Tomschin, 45, a government administrator, said Crazy Arms and You Win Again are two of his favorite songs by Lewis, who he described as one of a kind. He never lived a life behind a curtain, Tomschin said of Lewis. In his ups and downs, the good and bad, he did what he was going to do. Jerry Lee Lewis laid it all out on the table. There's never going to be another person like Jerry Lee Lewis. Sandra Tomschin, 44, a library director, said she grew up on Lewis' music and it's left an indelible print on her life. We love it, she said of his music. We've been to several of his concerts and even though he's gone, he will still live on in our hearts." ___ Associated Press writer Chevel Johnson contributed to this report from New Orleans; Associated Press writer Hillel Italie contributed from New York. BuzzFeed "I wanted to buy my nephew a Nintendo Switch in a certain color for Christmas. It was sold out online and in stores near us. While I was sleeping, he drove to a Target an hour away and waited an hour before the store even opened to get it. He surprised me in the morning with it."View Entire Post The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) opens in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Saturday, and runs to Nov 13 in Wuhan and Geneva, Switzerland with a declaration to be released and dozens of wetland forums to be held, forestry officials said. The main sessions in Wuhan include an opening ceremony, wetland tours and an achievements exhibition for the 30th anniversary of China's implementation of the treaty, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Sideline meetings in Geneva include a standing committee meeting, an international wetland exhibition and a closing ceremony. Some 1,100 representatives from 142 parties and international organizations have registered for the meeting. Among them, about 400 people will attend the meeting in Wuhan and some 700 people will meet in Geneva. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and use of wetlands and their resources. It has 172 contracting parties so far. Meng Xianlin, director of the executive committee of COP14, said at a news conference in Wuhan on Thursday that during the conference, the exhibition of China's achievements on wetlands will be held along East Lake in Wuhan to build an important platform and window for society to pay attention to wetlands. The Wuhan Declaration on the coexistence of humans and nature will be released during the meeting. Meng said that since China joined the treaty in 1992, it has earnestly fulfilled its responsibilities by carrying out international exchanges and cooperation. "By holding this meeting, China is making its contribution to global wetland and biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation," he said. Hu Yuanhui, deputy head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration's international cooperation department, said at a news conference in Geneva that from Nov 7 to 12, the Geneva side will hold 64 thematic forums and side meetings to share the governance experience of various countries and discuss the future of global wetland protection. The secretariat of the convention will issue International Wetland City Certificates to 13 cities in China. Campaign signs for Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor and Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate for governor, on a median in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Oct. 7, 2022. (Rebecca Noble/The New York Times) SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. In the Broe family household, even the mail is divided. There are separate stacks of political mailers on their kitchen table in the Phoenix suburb one for the pro-Trump Republican, one for the Libertarian, one for the two Bernie-style Democrats. They all live under the same red-tile roof, but with different worldviews not all of them tethered to reality. Carolyn Broe, 65, is a Republican and a music teacher who believes that a Democratic cabal stole the 2020 election and has been leading the country into collapse. She declares the president a treasonous hack running a disaster of an administration. Her husband is a Libertarian who considers Ronald Reagan the last admirable elected politician. He questions the integrity of the last election but thinks voters should move on. Their two adult children are to the left of the Democratic Party and are open to supporting socialism. They fear that Republicans are destroying democracy. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Tensions were so high on the eve of the 2016 election that Carolyn Broe temporarily moved into a hotel. Her daughter changes the channel from Fox News before leaving the house and Broe changes it back. She received a text meant for her son, offering him $250 a week to help turn out progressive voters, and she wrote back, I am worried this money is coming from Zuckerberg! He is courting communist China! Her children Jasmine, 26, and JeanRene, 35 wince when she speaks her views. Her husband Steve Broe, 67, a practicing Buddhist who teaches management and leadership calls their political differences significant, but not tragic. The only thing they seem to agree on is that talk of politics has become what they describe as triggering, and the only solution on many days is to avoid talking about it at all. I need to get out, Jasmine Broe said recently, raking her hands through her hair as she sat downstairs while her mother taught a piano lesson upstairs. I do consider, like, the political atmosphere in the house to be the biggest contributor to my mental health problems. Story continues Their story would be extraordinary were it not so ordinary in America as the 2022 midterm elections approach Tuesday. In a multitude of families, in a multitude of ways, politics is toxic. It strains marriages. It splits sons and daughters from mothers and fathers. Its transformation from cocktail-party chatter to emotional minefield has only intensified since Donald Trump left the White House. Americans have long disagreed about politics within families and across generations. But modern politics inflamed by disinformation and the hostile, at times violent tribalism of public life has stretched what had once been fleeting, mild disputes to the breaking point. The Broes happen to be the perfect embodiment of their surroundings: They are one of the most divided households in one of the most divided districts in America. Across the country, people today are far more likely to live next to people who share their political views. Americas local voting precincts largely resemble red boxes or blue boxes; each precinct is overwhelmingly one partisan color or the other. The Broes precinct in Scottsdale is one of the few exceptions. Among the 3,076 ballots cast in their precinct in 2020, there was a nearly even split: Joe Biden received exactly two more votes than Trump did. Just 2% of all voters nationwide live in such narrowly split neighborhoods. The Broes live at the edge of Phoenix in an affluent and predominantly white suburb. The Stars and Stripes, or occasional yellow Dont Tread on Me flags, wave above garage doors. Overt political signs are more common on the traffic medians of the boulevards than on the front lawns of homes on streets with quaint, often Spanish-influenced names Paradise Lane, Tierra Bonita, Aire Libre. Still, there have been signs of friction: In the days before the 2020 presidential election, one man stood on a nearby corner waving a long rifle and a Trump sign. Economics has forced the Broe family to live together. So far, neither Jasmine nor JeanRene Broe has found a job earning enough money to live separately. On most days, the Broes function as any other family does like a kind of small business, everyone working to fulfill agreed-upon duties and obligations, amid a steady mix of humor, boredom and love. Old birthday cards they have given one another crowd the fireplace mantel; small squares of chocolate fill the candy dish on the coffee table. The family of four is often focused on a purely apolitical and joyful task: tending the 10 cats they have adopted over the years. Some are former strays that remain too skittish to step inside, while other indoor ones frequently nuzzle up against Carolyn Broe and her daughter. Yet in recent months, as the midterm elections have unfolded in Arizona and as politics have once again become central, partisanship has continued to sharpen and sour their home life. Among the handful of things every member of the family agrees on is this: Partisan media outlets have dramatically altered their perspectives and drawn them further apart. The children blame Fox News. Their mother blames nefarious actors on the left who she believes manipulate the social media platforms her children use. I think its being called post-truth, Jasmine Broe said one recent afternoon as the family sat in their front sunroom. Its like, Unless youre watching my news, you dont know what the truth is. And that makes me She trailed off, searching for the right word. Her brother, JeanRene Broe, supplied it: Nervous. Its just better to leave it alone Only one member of the family watched the entire debate between Arizonas Senate candidates Oct. 6: Steve Broe. Everyone else had made up their minds already. He was eager to hear the Libertarian candidate, Marc Victor, and liked his performance so much he decided to vote for him (Victor later dropped out of the race). Like his wife, Broe voted by mail this year in late October, casting his ballot primarily for Republicans. He proudly notes that he never voted for Trump; his wife proudly notes that she voted for him twice. Typically, Steve Broe approaches politics with a kind of attitude honed from years of meditating, which he does regularly in a backyard crowded with Buddhist statues. I could make my points, and it doesnt change her mind at all, he said. And it doesnt make living here any easier, so its just better to leave it alone. The family mostly works from home. Carolyn Broe teaches dozens of students piano, cello and viola and runs several performance groups. Steve Broe is trying to start a new small business in addition to teaching. JeanRene Broe designs art on commission. Jasmine Broe earns money with pet-sitting gigs. Back in 2016, the family had debated, fought over and analyzed every imaginable political issue. Jasmine Broe, then 20, thought that her mother was making an immoral choice by voting for Trump. Two days before the election, her mother decided to cool off by getting a room at a hotel nearby. The homes atmosphere had hardly calmed four years later in 2020. Carolyn Broe had only grown to adore Trump even more. Although she never placed a Trump sign in the front yard, a calendar featuring Trump was displayed in the kitchen year-round. Jasmine and JeanRene Broe were still frustrated that Sen, Bernie Sanders had lost the Democratic primary. Steve Broe knew he would vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate. For months, the siblings had hardly left the confines of their household bubble, but when they could not bear to hear any more talk of politics, they fled to the movie theater. Not long after the 2020 election, Jasmine Broe was watching a YouTube video on the flat-screen television in the familys living room. The video explained that the unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud would not change the outcome of the presidential election. Her mother walked by and remarked, You know thats just their opinion, sweetie. Jasmine, in her own retelling, lost it, unable to function for much of the day. The last two elections made it so that it was just Ive got to get out of my parents house, Jasmine Broe said. The reason she has not yet done so, she added, was purely economic. The upstairs television is almost permanently tuned to Fox News, a kind of soundtrack of their lives. For years, Jasmine Broe, who lives downstairs, has tried to surreptitiously change the channel. The network is Carolyn Broes constant companion after she finishes teaching hours of music lessons each day, the sound of viola and piano in the house replaced with the chatter of pundits. It is the source of countless arguments between her and her children. Carolyn Broe has developed some pride in the familys disagreements. We raised them to be freethinkers, not realizing how free they were going to be, Broe said. She regularly wonders whether the rest of the country could learn something from her family, whose members have managed to stay together through pandemic quarantines and political turmoil. But it saddens her, too, that her children do not share her values. For me, it does hurt, Broe said one recent afternoon. She added of her son, His friends and people on the internet maybe people I never met before influenced him to change from Republican to Democrat to liberal. Broe has changed as well, moving further to the right over the years. She started watching Fox in the Obama era after growing frustrated with dead celebrity news on other cable channels and became enamored with what she described as Glenn Becks patriotism and Bill OReillys history. These days, she is mostly preoccupied with the Mexican border and Chinas influence. Theyve got a plan, and theyve been extremely successful with their plan to take out Americans to make us no longer the No. 1 power in the world, to downsize us, she said, referring to the Chinese government. Broe said she is thrilled that Republicans who identify themselves as America First candidates appear poised to win several races Tuesday. For weeks now, she has received mail from them. Some of the Republican campaigns put dollar bills inside the envelopes and make sure the bills are visible as an incentive for people to open the letters, many of which make claims of voter fraud. After the pile became too big for the table, she stuffed the mail into several boxes, later taking the money out of the envelopes and using it to make a small donation to the campaign of Blake Masters, the far-right Republican running for Senate. For JeanRene Broe, the first time he voted for president, he chose a Republican: Sen. John McCain of Arizona. In her first presidential election, Jasmine Broe chose Johnson, the Libertarian. Now the siblings want to see the federal government take an even more central role, by developing universal health care, enacting stronger policies to limit carbon emissions and passing laws to make it easier for labor unions to organize. We really need to protect the rights of women, minorities and LGBTQ people, Jasmine Broe said. Like her brother, she expressed frustration that Democrats had been unwilling, as she sees it, to call out right-wing attacks. They are particularly furious that their mother has bought into baseless lies that Democrats stole the 2020 election. I think there needs to be a lot less, Lets come together and heal, and a whole lot more, Call a spade a spade, she said. Its like the voting strategy now is dont vote for the other guy. They have made society worse Not long before Carolyn Broe began her afternoon teaching schedule recently, JeanRene walked in with several bags of groceries, setting them on the kitchen counter as his mother sorted through her mail. You went to the market, she said brightly, acknowledging her sons primary financial contribution to the household: regularly stocking the kitchen. The Broes moved into their Scottsdale home before the children were born, after leaving California for stable work and the chance to buy a home they could afford. Carolyn Broe was particularly taken with the stained-glass window in the front room. The window is now crowded with old family photos and posters of symphonies she once conducted. In the more than three decades they have lived there, they have left jobs and earned doctorates, closed businesses and opened new ones. They have held on to the kind of middle-class life that draws people to Arizona from all over the country. They lost some money in the stock market, and Broe said that she was focused on replacing those savings, because we want to leave our kids more than the house. She added, And more than medical bills, we want to leave them a legacy of financial security. When JeanRene Broe sat down to a lunch of bacon and eggs downstairs a few minutes later, he cringed at the suggestion that his parents were leaving the next generation better off financially. He criticizes their perspective as selfish, saying that while his parents had tried to do well for themselves and for him and his sister, they had supported economic policies, such as lower taxes, that made it worse for his generation. Rather than just trying to take care of society, they have made society worse, he said. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in a local community college, largely to save money, and later earned a bachelors degree in art from Arizona State University. But he said he was frustrated that the jobs he had applied for after graduating required work experience he did not have. Steve Broe dismisses his childrens economic critique as youthful inexperience. He is confident they can have the same economic opportunities that he had, if they work hard enough. Most of the time, he sidesteps any kind of political debate and often listens to Fox News alongside his wife. I dont need to drive a wedge between us, he said. What bothers JeanRene and Jasmine Broe the most has been watching their mothers views being shaped by Republican leaders. Carolyn Broe believes that Mexican drug cartels are being aided by China to bring fentanyl that looks like candy into the United States, she said, so that little kids will get a hold of it and they will die. When they hear this, her son and daughter do what has become normal now: They ignore her. We want to have it out of sight, out of mind, JeanRene Broe said. We want to love our parents. 2022 The New York Times Company Tseng Sheng-Kung, a 25-year-old volunteer, is the first Taiwanese soldier to die in combat in Ukraine. Tseng traveled to Ukraine from Jian Township in Hualien County in June to fight against the ongoing Russian invasion of the country. While serving in a volunteer battalion, Tseng was wounded and died of blood loss when his unit was attacked by the Russian army in Luhansk Oblast. Tsengs comrades informed his family that he had been killed on Wednesday. The news of Tsengs passing was released on Friday. Of the approximately 10 Taiwanese soldiers who responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys plea for international volunteers, Tsengs family confirmed that he is the first to die in action. More from NextShark: Suspect in Brooklyn subway shooting in custody after NYPD offers $50,000 reward Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The impacts of the Russo-Ukraine war have reverberated throughout the world, incentivizing worldwide volunteers to join the ranks of the Ukrainian army. Additional reading: For a first-hand account of the conflict, see NextSharks exclusive interview with Asian American volunteer soldier Elliot Kim. More from NextShark: 54-year-old Vietnamese American man scammed out of $139,000 by online lover Featured Image via Facebook: jayjonathan.tseng Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Japanese-themed shopping area closed down after being labeled cultural invasion by Chinese netizens I am racist: Man dismissed from job after going viral for hurling anti-Asian remarks in England A fit and healthy father diagnosed with stage four cancer says he was left looking like the Nightmare on Elm Street after a horrific reaction to chemotherapy left him too embarrassed to go to his young sons cricket matches and is now hoping to save his life with a ground-breaking vaccine. Geoffrey Seymour, 41, a procurement specialist, loved playing tennis, basketball and cricket and had always been healthy until just before his 41st birthday when he began experiencing blood in his stool. Geoffrey was aware of this being a symptom for cancer from adverts on the television, so quickly went to his GP. Geoffrey, who lives in Richmond, London, with his wife Santa, 44, and their son Marco, 10, was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, which had spread from his colon to his liver a situation so severe and seemingly hopeless he likened it to being wrapped in a paper bag that is on fire. He also had a bad reaction to chemotherapy severely blistering the skin on his face and, according to Geoffrey, making him look like Freddy Krueger from the 1984 horror film, Nightmare on Elm Street. The chemotherapy stopped working however and now, in an attempt to save his life, Geoffrey has travelled to Germany for dendritic cell therapy where a personalised vaccine is created in a lab with the aim of stimulating the immune system. Research in this area is at an early stage, according to Cancer Research UK, and so the treatment was not cheap just one injection in Germany, on October 17, cost 17,000 and Geoffrey is now waiting to see if it was enough to help him, while continuing to fundraise to pay for it. He said: I couldnt even wait until the end of the fundraising to have it done just because Im so worried that the disease was going to spread. Geoffrey was determined to find a new approach after three sessions of five doses of chemotherapy didnt work and left him with side-effects so bad he no longer wanted to go out in public, even to see his little boy play cricket Story continues I had a really bad reaction in my face, it was full of painful blistering that made my face feel like it was on fire, he said. I just got to the point where I was looking a bit like Nightmare on Elm Street. Unless I went there with a bag on my head, Id have other people coming up to me and looking at me thinking, Whats wrong with this guy? when Im quite happy blending into the crowd. Geoffreys ordeal began in April 2021, just two weeks before his 41st birthday on March 4, when he got the first warning signals of cancer. After spotting blood in his stool, Geoffrey decided to visit his GP, as he knew it could be a symptom of cancer. And in late March at Kingston Hospital, he was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer, which had metastasized in the liver. After the diagnosis, in March 2021, he had five cycles of chemotherapy every three weeks which initially reduced the lesions in his liver. At this point he says he felt optimistic. In December 2021, he had surgery to have a third of his liver removed, and the medical team began getting him ready for radiotherapy which was going to be used on his colon he even had radio markers tattooed for the laser alignment. A month later, a scan showed more tumours in his liver, so he had another round of chemotherapy. This time it was a success and liver surgery was booked in for June 2022. But, just as things were looking up, a few weeks before the surgery, a scan revealed disease progression. Geoffrey was put back on chemotherapy with a different agent and the surgery was cancelled. After just two cycles, blood work and a scan showed disease progression again, all while the side effects were getting unbearable for Geoffrey. He said: The side effects have gotten worse, worse, worse, and now, chemotherapy is just not effective anymore, the bodys gotten used to it. Explaining why he reacted badly to a chemotherapy drug, he said: Essentially it kills all your fast-growing cells, which include your cancer cells, but also includes your hair and nails. I had a really bad reaction to that in my face. Determined to find an alternative, Geoffrey started doing his own research by looking online and found dendritic cell therapy, only to be told it would not be available to him in the UK. He decided to fly to a laboratory in Ulm, Germany to have the week-long treatment on October 17 2022. Friends and family rallied round to contribute towards his Go Fund Me appeal, which has raised over 14,000 and helped to pay for the 17,000 injection. I am still in pain, I have a lot of pain, which Im trying to find a good balance of very strong medications, he said. Geoffrey is due to meet with his oncologist on November 1 in the UK, but knows he may well need to pay for further vaccine doses and more treatment abroad and is continuing to fundraise to pay for that. Specialist cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK Caroline Geraghty said: Dendritic cell therapy is a type of vaccine that can treat cancer. Dendritic cells help immune system recognise and attack abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. To make the vaccine, scientists grow dendritic cells alongside cancer cells in the lab. The vaccine then stimulates your immune system to attack the cancer. Its still being researched, so the evidence base is not yet strong enough for it to be available in the UK. Decisions about the best course of treatment must be based on sound evidence of benefit so its important patients talk to their doctor about any alternative treatment they might be considering. She added: Thanks to ongoing developments in research, there continues to be many new cancer drugs showing effectiveness in clinical trials, providing potential options for people with cancer. But while regulators have improved the speed at which they assess these for routine NHS use, there are still, unfortunately, times when particular drugs arent yet easily accessible for people who may benefit. We understand how frustrating this can be. Transgender children in Florida will be barred from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria under a rule approved Friday by state medical officials at the urging of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Board of Medicine and the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted at a joint meeting in Lake Buena Vista to finalize rules governing gender-affirming health care for minors. The rule is set to take effect after a weekslong public input period. The ban comes as DeSantis and Republicans in other states move to limit access to the treatments for minors, often characterizing them as medically unproven and potentially dangerous in the long term, as another political battle against liberal ideologies. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< Many doctors, mental health specialists and medical groups have argued that treatments for transgender youth are safe and beneficial, though rigorous long-term research is lacking. Federal health officials have described gender-affirming care as crucial to the health and well-being of transgender children and adolescents. DeSantis has made criticizing such treatments for minors a routine part of his reelection campaign, often referring to the procedures in graphic terms during rallies and speeches. The new policy, finalized days before the election, marks another example of DeSantis ability to leverage the power of government to accomplish controversial political goals, bolstering his national reputation as a combative GOP culture warrior. The rule prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone-antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors. It bans sex reassignment surgeries or other surgical procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics in minors. Read: Powerball jackpot climbs to record-setting $1.6B Todays vote from the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine will protect our children from irreversible surgeries and highly experimental treatments. I appreciate the integrity of the Boards for ruling in the best interest of children in Florida despite facing tremendous pressure to permit these unproven and risky treatments. Children deserve to learn how to navigate this world without harmful pressure, and Florida will continue to fight for kids to be kids, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said in a statement. Story continues Florida health officials banned state Medicaid insurance coverage for gender dysphoria treatments this year and issued a report that said the treatments have not been proven safe or effective. After the reports publication, Ladapo, a DeSantis appointee, called for the adoption of new rules around the treatments. Florida has also clashed with federal health officials who advocate for providing the treatments for young people. Read: Osceola County judge denies injunction against sales tax ballot initiative Gender-affirming health care for youths has been a target for Republicans in recent years. Last year, the American Medical Association issued a letter urging governors to block any legislation prohibiting the treatment, calling such action a dangerous intrusion into the practice of medicine. Arkansas was the first state to enact such a ban on gender-affirming care, with Republican lawmakers in 2021 overriding GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinsons veto of the legislation. Alabama Republicans this year approved legislation to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths. Both laws have been paused amid unfolding legal battles. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill last month that bars federal funds earmarked for the University of Oklahoma Medical Center from being used for gender reassignment treatments for minors. Stitt also called for the Legislature to ban some of those gender reassignment treatments statewide when it returns in February. Read: Teen: Arkansas trans care law could force him to uproot life Top Tennessee Republicans also have vowed to push for strict anti-transgender policies. The state already bans doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment to prepubescent minors. To date, no one has legally challenged the law as medical experts maintain no doctor in Tennessee does so. In Florida, DeSantis signed a law last year barring transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student-athletes identified as girls at birth. 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. NORTH PORT, Fla. Homeowners in Holiday Park, a 836-home retirement community near Florida's Gulf Coast, were devastated by Hurricane Ian. Now they're facing another headache as they work to rebuild. Residents were told they can either pay the city of North Port $55.95 a month to keep their water meters hooked up to the central utility system, even though they can't use the water, or $77 to disconnect service and a whopping $26,900 to resume city water and sewer service once they have a livable home. Thats if they hook up that new home before Feb. 1, 2023, when water and wastewater capacity fees increase and the cost jumps to $27,389. After the storm: South Sarasota County businesses begin long recovery from Hurricane Ian More on Ian: On devastated Pine Island after Ian, everyone should probably leave. They arent. Kathy Armstrong, a seasonal resident from Nova Scotia, returned to North Port shortly after Hurricane Ian struck to find her home relatively intact, but much of the 55-and-over community in Sarasota County was in shambles. Weve never had a hurricane hit Holiday Park in this manner before, Armstrong said. With so many of the units being so old, so devastated theyre really uninhabitable. She said neighbors who were working on having the shells of their homes removed were hit with $7,000 and $8,000 bills. They thought shutting off utilities might save them some cash as they worked to rebuild. Then they found that it would cost roughly $27,000 to hook up to water and sewer lines that are literally 10 feet away. North Port looks into possibly changing fees Strong winds from Hurricane Ian devastated Holiday Park, a mobile home community in North Port. Nearby residents said many elder residents age 65 and older live in the community, and that they were evacuated before the storm. The bulk of the charge comes in the form of a $7.500 water extension charge and a $15,000 sewer extension charge. I thought, 'How can that be, that must be a mistake?' Armstrong said, adding: I could understand if this was a new neighborhood and they were having to put in water lines. The water lines already go into the units; theyre right there at the road. Story continues North Port City Manager Jerome Fletcher said he was equally surprised when he learned about the fee to hook a home into existing sewer lines, based on existing city regulations. The city staff has been researching when that hookup was codified and why it would apply to a reconnection to existing infrastructure especially since that fee reflects the costs to extend water and sewer lines to an otherwise unimproved property. How the storm hit: These 3 factors proved critical and deadly in Florida's preparation for Hurricane Ian The cone of uncertainty: Many people misunderstand this famous hurricane forecast graphic. It can be a deadly mistake. It looks like this is going to be a policy discussion thats going to have to change it if the (city) commission deems it is no longer in compliance with their desires of how to charge for the service that theyre trying to accomplish, Fletcher said. The North Port City Commission meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday and the hookup fee can be discussed as a part of a scheduled item on city requirements to repair and/or rebuild hurricane damaged structures. Asked specifically if he wanted to change that policy, Fletcher responded, I think were in the process of evaluating the policy. It sounds like, based on what we have uncovered with the volume of the service charge, it seems out of line with what others might charge for that same process in a different city, he added. That policy applies to all structures in the city and if it changes, Fletcher cautioned there could be a revenue shortfall that may need to be made up. There needs to be some digging into the background of the conversation, Fletcher said. Most definitely I want to change it to make it a better policy But when you do that, you need to figure out why this was started in the first place, if it was started to pay for infrastructure, did you finish paying for it? Are you still paying for it?" Fees for overall infrastructure Jerome Fletcher addresses a gathering Monday evening, during a meet-and-greet with the two finalists to become the next North Port city manager. The North Port City Commission agreed to offer him the Tuesday afternoon, on a split, 4-1 vote. Fletcher is currently the assistant chief administrative officer with Montgomery County, Maryland. City spokesman Jason Bartolone said via email that the fees that would be assessed on a Holiday Park homeowner to reconnect to the system are not related to the work done on site. The extension charges do not pay for work to be performed on the site by the city, Bartolone wrote. As spelled out in the code, they are intended to recover and offset a portion of the capital costs the city has already incurred and financed for the installation of infrastructure citywide. As required by code and the citys bond requirements, the water line extension and wastewater extension costs are a condition of connecting to the service, he added. We do not have the ability to treat this property any differently due to those requirements and the code. Those code requirements are tailored to provide a blueprint to hook up new lots to city water and sewer as part of a water and wastewater master plan designed to foster compliance to the Senate Bill 712, the Clean Waterways Act, which passed in 2020. While it does not mandate the city hook residents up to sewer, it does deal with clean water quality standards. More: After Hurricane Ian hits Fort Myers, Black neighborhood residents say they arent counting on much help Related: City of North Port now has a water and sewer expansion plan Holiday Park, a 55-and=older manufactured home park in North Port, was devastated by heavy wind from Hurricane Ian. The most current reference available for the septic-to-sewer plan from May 2019 noted that there are 11,158 parcels on sewer in that part of North Port, 16,332 occupied parcels on septic; and 28,332 undeveloped 80-foot by 120-foot lots originally platted by General Development Corp. that are grandfathered in for well and septic service, should the owners choose to build there. While approving the first phase of that septic to sewer conversion, city commissioners had urged staff to trim that fee at least in half. Utilities Director Nancy Gallinaro told a July joint meeting of the City Commission and the Charlotte County Commission that the target cost for new homeowners to hook into city water and sewer was $5,235. Those connection fees essentially designed to pay for the impact of a new home on the city water and sewer system when applied to existing lots temporarily disconnected from water and sewer may also run afoul of a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that essentially said a governmental entity couldnt impose such fees unless there is a nexus and rough proportionality between the governments demands and the effects of the proposed use. In 2017, developer Pat Neal of Neal Communities used that ruling as a basis of a lawsuit against the city of Venice that had assessed fees on landowners seeking to be annexed by the city. Neals case hinged on the fact that the fees which were agreed upon by previous landowners but not due until occupancy had no connection to the specific impact of his development. In a 2019 settlement, Venice refunded almost $800,000 in previously collected fees to Neal. That ruling also nullified an anticipated $12 million in future revenue. Arguably, just a impact fees are only assessed on new construction and not the sale of existing homes, the impact of Holiday Park and other home sites temporarily disconnected from city services has already been paid. Readiness to serve fee North Ports policy of charging homeowners a $55.95 a month readiness to serve fee to maintain connection to city water and sewer is one that is mirrored elsewhere. For example in Venice at Bay Indies Mobile Home Park a readiness to serve fee of $17.97 for water and $20.07 for sewer, would be charged for each of the roughly 1,300 residences, according to Venice Utilities Director Javier Vargas. Each of those homes have individual water meters. After Hurricane Ian, Vargas said city staff walked the entire park and people whose homes were uninhabitable had the option of turning off their meters so they would not be charged Most of them said, 'Yes please do that,' Vargas said. In that case the readiness to serve fee is paid by the landlord, Chicago-based Bay Indies, LLC. Once those homes are repaired, there would be no charge to turn the water back on, Vargas added. In Sarasota County, according to Utility Engineering Division Manager Greg Rouse, the majority of the mobile home park customers are hooked up in a similar fashion to those customers at Bay Indies. Sarasota County bills the owner of the master meter who typically will then collect fees from individual users. For mobile homes on private lots similar to Holiday Park, if a home is damaged, the homeowner can suspend their service. If its uninhabitable, there is a $25 fee to shut off service. The homeowners would pay a readiness to serve fee to cover maintenance of water and sewer lines and personnel required to operate the utility system. The monthly readiness-to-serve charges are $15.86 for water, $19.41 for sewer, plus a $2.82 bill charge and a $1 wastewater quality fee. It costs $25 to reactivate the service. Or if the home is anticipated to be uninhabitable for a long period of time, Sarasota County Utilities would remove the meter for a .$25.00 service charge It would cost $25 to install another meter and no readiness to serve charges would apply. Fletcher points out that staff is still researching the origin of the policy in question. At some point in time and we have to peel back the layers of the onion to get there this had to be approved by the city, Fletcher said. The current commission, the current staff didnt implement it, we are just enforcing it. He added that it shouldnt take long to determine the origin and justification of those charges. What I dont want to do is end up paying for the sins of my forefathers and having to answer for something that they did that they should have done differently, Fletcher said. I should acknowledge it but I shouldn't have to pay for it I should be able to fix it. There may be a monetary repercussion and if there is, we have to accept it and own it, he added. Accountability is not a bad word. Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hurricane Ian: Florida homeowners face huge utility bill amid rebuild Empty classroom. Andrea Chu A mental health counselor at a Florida elementary school reportedly pressed charges against a student. The school gave the student a 10-day suspension, according to USA Today. The counselor alleged that the 10-year-old groped her during a hug, USA Today reported citing a police report. A Florida elementary school's mental health counselor reportedly pressed charges against a 10-year-old who she told police had groped her. The counselor at Holly Hill School in Volusia County, Florida made the claim in a police report filed with the Holly Hills Police Department, according to USA Today. USA Today reported that the school gave the student a 10-day suspension and Monday will be their first day back in school. The student's grandmother, Lakesha Hollins, who is their legal guardian, said the student didn't do anything wrong, according to USA Today. She said she didn't agree with the district's decision to suspend the student or the counselor's decision to press charges. "We're talking about a 10-year-old being kicked out of school for what possibly could have been an accident," Hollins told USA Today. The school sent Hollins a letter that said the student allegedly approached the counselor for a hug when their class was returning from lunch, USA Today reported. "(The counselor) turned sideways to give a side hug," the report states according to USA Today. "(The student) put his left arm around her shoulder and then with his right hand he reached and grabbed her left breast in which she had to grab his wrist and remove his hand." According to USA Today, the police report states the student allegedly "cupped her left breast in a disrespectful way" and that she had to "forcibly remove his hand." Hollins told USA Today that the counselor was looking away and possibly talking to someone else during the hug. "My grandson said with the hug, she did grab his hand and hold his hand up, and he didn't really know why she did it," Hollins said according to USA Today. "He said she let his hand go and then he walked back to his seat and then he began to talk to other students. They were talking about football." Story continues According to USA Today, the police report said that the primary teacher in the classroom did not witness the hug. "There's no witnesses, (just) her word against his," Hollins told USA Today. "He's only 10." Read the original article on Insider Crime Scene Fort Myers police confirmed Saturday afternoon they are investigating a shooting in the 3900 block of Lora Street. Kristin Capuzzi, spokesperson for the Fort Myers Police Department, told The News-Press two victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries. The shooting location sits near the intersection with Alderman Street. Police announced the active investigation shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. They say the incident appears to be isolated. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Fort Myers Police Department or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). Related: FMPD: Man seriously injured in shooting; rewards possible as suspect search continues Bonita Springs shooting: Deputies investigating fatal shooting in Bonita Springs Tipsters may also be eligible for a reward of up to $3,000 in cash if their tip leads to an arrest. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Fort Myers police investigate Saturday shooting, two wounded A former Cairnbrook woman pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a substance that contained "a detectable amount" of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines in Johnstown accepted Vicky Wagoner's plea and set her sentencing at 1:30 p.m. April 6. Federal court in Johnstown holds hearings Initially, the 40-year-old resident along Dark Shade Drive was picked up by state police on Nov. 9, 2021, at her home on an arrest warrant from Ohio authorities who wanted Wagoner on felony drug charges, according to a police report. More:Jenners man who rammed car driven by woman fleeing to state police sentenced to prison State police charged Wagoner with flight to avoid apprehension and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was chased by police around a coffee table in her home before she was handcuffed during the execution of the arrest warrant, according to police reports. Those charges were dismissed in the Somerset County trial court on July 25. At that time, Wagoner had been indicted May 10 by a grand jury, along with Travis Emert, 43, formerly of Central City, on a charge of felony possession with the intent to distribute illegal drugs. Emert was charged with the same offense, along with a charge of possession of firearms and/or ammunition by a convicted felon. Emert is awaiting trial in federal court on the charges. More:Friedens man sentenced to federal prison in drug delivery case Wagoner is facing a minimum sentence of five years in prison to a maximum sentence of 40 years and a fine up to $5 million, or both. However, under federal sentencing guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based on the seriousness of the offense and the defendant's prior criminal history, according to the United States Attorney Office. More:Boswell shooting victim sentenced for drugs The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and state police conducted the investigation, according to a media release. This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Former Cairnbrook woman pleads guilty to drug charges in fed court The Group of Seven (G7) warned in a statement on Friday that Russia would face severe consequences if it uses any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine. The intergovernmental group of the worlds largest democratic economies said that Russias threatening rhetoric over using nuclear weapons is unacceptable. It additionally condemned a number of the countrys other actions concerning the conflict and rejected the Kremlins claims that Ukraine is planning to launch a dirty bomb, an explosive that spreads radioactive material, against Russia. The statement says that inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Russias allegations are baseless. The group also outlined its positions on a range of other world conflicts, including Iran and North Koreas nuclear programs and reported Chinese human rights violations in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that the Kremlin is willing to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory, including provinces in Ukraine that the country illegally annexed through internationally denounced referendums in September. Putin said last week that Russia has no plans to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, but President Biden questioned his sincerity, asking in an interview with Nexstar, why does he keep talking about it? U.S. intelligence has revealed that Russian military leaders have discussed in the past few weeks under what circumstances Russia might use a nuclear weapon. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito. North Port Police Department Gabby Petito was killed during a cross-country road trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie. Her parents have filed a lawsuit claiming police could have saved her life. The lawsuit also accused one officer of being "fundamentally biased," saying he himself was an abuser. Gabby Petito's parents filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Utah accusing the Moab City Police Department of neglecting to save her life, claiming alleged abusive behavior of an officer who responded made him biased against her. In the 35-page lawsuit, which was first announced in August, Petito's parents, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt, accused one officer, Eric Pratt, of being "fundamentally biased in his approach to the investigation. They claimed he chose to believe Gabby Petito's abusive partner and fiance, Brian Laundrie, ignoring evidence that Gabby was the victim and intentionally looking for loopholes to get around the requirements of Utah law and his duty to protect Gabby." Petito was killed on August 24, 2021, during a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Investigators later found a confession letter he wrote before he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the FBI. Her death prompted a nationwide search and garnered wide-ranging attention on social media. On August 12, 2021, days before her death, the couple had an encounter with the police after a witness reported a potential domestic violence dispute, claiming Laundrie hit Petito. The interaction with the police was documented in officer body cam footage. During the interaction with police, Petito said "to be honest, I definitely hit him first," according to a report commissioned by the City of Moab. The report also found that the officers made "several unintentional mistakes," and that it was "very likely" Petito was a "long-term victim of domestic violence." The police department as well as the chief, the assistant chief, and Officers Eric Pratt and Daniel Robbins were listed as defendants in the suit filed by Gabby Petito's parents. In the lawsuit, Petito's parents accused both officers that responded to the incident of failing to follow procedure by not fully investigating the domestic violence complaint and ignoring obvious signs that their daughter was in distress. Story continues "The purpose of this lawsuit is to honor Gabby's legacy by demanding accountability and working toward systemic changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future," attorney James W. McConkie, who is representing Petito's parents, told CNN in a statement. The suit argues that Petito's untimely death could have been avoided had the Moab Police Department hired and trained capable officers and had the police officers "competently and properly investigated Brian's reported abuse." "We feel we need to bring justice because she could have been protected that day," Schmidt, Petito's mother, said at a Thursday news conference. "There are laws put in place to protect victims, and those laws were not followed, and we don't want this to happen to anyone else." The lawsuit cited a witness that claimed to know Pratt, who was a former police chief in a small Utah town at the time before moving to the Moab Police Department. She accused him of being abusive toward her, and that he had sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her with a crowbar if she reported the abuse. During the investigation into the police department and the officer's handling of the incident, Pratt said he would have helped if he believed Petito was in danger. "I'm desperately fucked over that she got killed. I really am," Pratt said of Petito's death. "I would have done anything to stop it if I would have known that was coming." The city has denied responsibility for Petito's death. "The death of Gabrielle Petito in Wyoming is a terrible tragedy, and we feel profound sympathy for the Petito and Schmidt families and the painful loss they have endured," the city told Insider in a statement. "At the same time, it is clear that Moab City Police Department officers are not responsible for Gabrielle Petito's eventual murder." The Moab City Police Department and representatives for Petito's legal team did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, or HSK, a Chinese language proficiency test, will officially host its first test for high-level non-native speakers on Nov 26, said the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, the test's developer. The new test criteria, based on the Standard for Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education adopted last year, ranks advanced test takers into three levels, from seven to nine. The new test includes 98 questions gauging students' language skills in the categories of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation. It is designed for international students pursuing postgraduate studies, students majoring in Chinese language studies outside of China, and non-native speakers using Chinese for academic research and economic, cultural and scientific communication. To reach HSK level seven, test takers should have good skills in Chinese listening, speaking, reading and writing and preliminary skills in specialized interpreting and translation, and be able to adequately communicate regarding relatively extensive and high-level topics. The highest HSK level, level nine, requires excellent skills in Chinese listening, speaking, reading, writing and specialized interpreting and translation, and test takers must be able to use various skills comprehensively to communicate in Chinese in a standard, fluent and appropriate way on a wide range of topics in a variety of contexts. The center said that HSK levels one through six will not change for the time being, and the validity, content, vocabulary and form of the six levels for the test will remain the same. A total of 240,000 students from more than 140 countries took part in the HSK tests in the first half of this year, up almost 10 percent from the same period last year. There are 1,302 HSK test centers in 161 countries and more than 70 percent of the centers also offer online tests. The Ministry of Education said the Chinese language has been incorporated into the national education systems of more than 76 countries and over 25 million people are learning Chinese outside of China. Lee Jae-young, a postgraduate student from South Korea at Peking University's Yenching Academy, said he started to take the HSK test in middle school and his Chinese language proficiency has improved over the years. Lee passed the level-six HSK test before coming to China for his undergraduate studies in 2016, and he will consider taking the new high-level test to prove his fluency in the language, he said, adding that the HSK is the most authoritative Chinese language proficiency test. A gang member has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for shooting at a rival gang, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. announced. Four men were changing a flat tire on their vehicle in the Country Cove subdivision in Powder Springs when Taviair Dye shot them and their vehicle. The people in the car returned fire and fled the area. Shortly after this shooting, Dye sent a threatening text message to an acquaintance of the victims, saying that he always shoots first. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The people in the car that Dye shot at were later pulled over. During the course of that traffic stop, police noticed a bullet hole in the body and window of the vehicle. Police discovered they were involved in the shooting with Dye. Search warrants on social media resulted in additional evidence related to the shooting as well as evidence of Dyes involvement and association with the 2Solid gang. On Dyes social media, he bragged about being in shootouts and shooting at opposition members of the 2Solid gang. TRENDING STORIES: Dye was sentenced to 15 years, 10 years of which will be spent in custody. On Oct. 21, 2022, a Cobb County jury found Dye guilty of aggravated assault and violation of Georgias Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. With senseless, violent crime on the rise, this sentence sends the message such violence will not be tolerated and anyone involved in such violence will be held accountable in Cobb County, Assistant District Attorney Jay Winkler, the lead trial lawyer on the team, said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: By Cooper Inveen and Francis Kokoroko ACCRA (Reuters) - More than 1,000 protesters marched through Ghana's capital Accra on Saturday, calling for the resignation of President Nana Akufo-Addo amid an economic crisis that has hammered the cedi currency and seen fuel and food costs spiral to record levels. Filing past police in riot gear, the red-clad crowd waved placards and chanted 'Akufo-Addo must go' and 'IMF no' in reference to the government's ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund for billions of dollars to prop up the economy. The president last week sought to reassure Ghanaians that the authorities would get the country's finances back on track after consumer inflation topped 37% in September, a 21-year peak despite aggressive policy tightening. "He has failed and we are asking him to resign. High fuel price increments are killing the people of Ghana," said protester Rafael Williams. The peaceful protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations this year over the soaring cost of living that has made it even harder for people to get by in a country where around a quarter of the population live on less than $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank. Ghana, which produces gold, cocoa and oil, has also seen the its cedi currency plummet by more than 40% against the dollar this year, making it one of the worst-performing currencies in a region that is suffering from the fallout from a global economic slowdown. "We are speaking to the IMF. They should not give them loans," said tailor Francisca Wintima, who was among those protesting in the capital. "Enough is enough. We have gold, we have oil, we have manganese, we have diamonds. We have everything we need in this country. The only thing that we need is leadership." (Writing by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Jason Neely) Google's cloud computing division Google Cloud announced on Saturday that its now running a validator on the Solana blockchain, and will soon add features aimed at welcoming Solana developers and node runners. Solana ( SOL) rose 12% on the news, changing hands at around $36.80 at time of publication. In a Twitter thread, Google Cloud revealed that as well as running a Solana validator to participate in and validate the network, it is planning to bring its Blockchain Node Engine to the Solana chain in 2023. The Blockchain Node Engine is a fully-managed node hosting service run by the provider, which already supports the Ethereum blockchain. We want to make it one-click to run a Solana node in a cost-effective way, said Google Web3 product manager Nalin Mittal at Solanas Breakpoint conference in Lisbon. Now that we got your attention... check this out: Google Cloud is running a block-producing @solana validator to participate in and validate the network. Google Cloud (@googlecloud) November 5, 2022 Google Cloud also announced its now indexing Solana data and adding it to its BigQuery data warehouse, a move that will make it easier for the Solana developer ecosystem to access historical data. The feature will launch in the first quarter of 2023, Mittal said. Mittal added that Google Cloud is bringing its credits program to select startups in the Solana ecosystem with up to $100,000 in Cloud Credits available for applicants. .@googlecloud is... - Running a @Solana validator - Bringing Solana support to Blockchain Node Engine - Adding Solana to data to BigQuery ...and more. #SolanaBreakpoint pic.twitter.com/1PMsM3FI2c Solana Breakpoint | LISBON Nov. 4-7 (@SolanaConf) November 5, 2022 Onstage at Breakpoint, Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko hailed the pretty big lift from Google in adding Solana to BigQuery. When asked where Google can assist with hard engineering problems, Yakovenko cited building better SDKs to help speed up the development of applications, and addressing the unsolved problem of storing seed phrases. Theres been a bunch of research done on effectively storing secrets in a way that Google doesnt even know the secrets, and you have partial recovery of the keys between the user and a service provider like Google that can verify your identity, he said. Trojans Wire Why should Lincoln Riley care about what the #Packers do? What kind of question is that? It's not nearly as weird as you think. #USC #Badgers PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haitians on Saturday hoped for a quick return of fuel supplies after police broke up a gang blockade that for two months had left the economy without gasoline or diesel and triggered a humanitarian crisis. Haiti's National Police said in a statement late on Friday that it took back control of the Varreux fuel terminal, where the G9 gang coalition had dug trenches and set up barricades to prevent fuel distribution. Despite the police operation, it was still too soon say when trucks would be able to access an area that was the site of heavy shooting in confrontations between police and gangs on Thursday. "We don't know exactly when fuel deliveries will begin," said one source with knowledge of the situation. "Trucks need to have safe passage also." Haiti's fuel stocks have been running low as importers struggled to get paid for subsidies that keep fuel prices low on the Caribbean nation, and due to difficulties in obtaining dollars from the central bank, sources have told Reuters. The gasoline and diesel shortages had halted almost all economic activity, including in transportation and hospitals, and forced many local business owners to shut operations. Last month, the United Nations warned that the country was facing acute food insecurity. The coalition of Haitian gangs demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who has run the country since shortly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last year. (Reporting by Brian Ellsworth in Sao Paulo and Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince) The Daily Beast GettyRussian forces may be preparing to leave the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia has occupied since the early months of the war this year, according to Ukrainian authorities.Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Sunday he believes Russian troops will be leaving the power plant as Ukrainian forces continue to make advances in occupied territories.Russian servicemen will leave the Zaporizhzhia NPP, as their line of defense is gradua For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away. If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it. View our latest analysis for Martin Marietta Materials How Fast Is Martin Marietta Materials Growing? If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. We can see that in the last three years Martin Marietta Materials grew its EPS by 13% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained. Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. It's noted that, last year, Martin Marietta Materials' revenue from operations was lower than its revenue, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. EBIT margins for Martin Marietta Materials remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 16% to US$5.9b. That's progress. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image. Story continues Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Martin Marietta Materials' future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting. Are Martin Marietta Materials Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Owing to the size of Martin Marietta Materials, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$132m. We note that this amounts to 0.6% of the company, which may be small owing to the sheer size of Martin Marietta Materials but it's still worth mentioning. This still shows shareholders there is a degree of alignment between management and themselves. Is Martin Marietta Materials Worth Keeping An Eye On? One positive for Martin Marietta Materials is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. To add an extra spark to the fire, significant insider ownership in the company is another highlight. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Martin Marietta Materials that you should be aware of. The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Twice a year, time changes sweep across the country. Clocks spring forward one hour in the spring to begin daylight saving time and then fall back an hour in the fall to end it. "The real goal of daylight saving time is to move the hours of human activity to make the best use of daylight," said David Prerau, computer scientist and author of "Seize the Daylight". HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV While todays night owls may scoff at the notion, this wrangling of time to make the most use of daylight dates back over a century, with motivations and controversy rooted in patriotism, practicality and public opinion. A clockmaker in his workshop, 1881. According to Prerau, the concept of daylight saving time can be attributed to three people. The first was Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century. Franklin realized that waking up closer to sunrise gave him more hours of daylight to light his home and helped him save energy, as he used fewer smoky and expensive candles. The second was George Bernard Hudson in late 19th-century New Zealand. Hudson was an entomologist and astronomer who proposed the idea of moving clocks forward to the Wellington Philosophical Society. The third person was William Willett in the early 20th-century United Kingdom. A builder and member of the Royal Astronomical Society, Willett introduced a bill in British Parliament to officially enact a time change. While none of the three saw their idea come to fruition in their lifetimes, the idea was later revived for an unexpected purpose war. British soldiers synchronizing their watches on the front line during World War I. Some of the first people to adopt daylight saving time were the Germans during World War I, according to Prerau. "The Germans actually adopted daylight saving time first to help save energy during World War I in 1916," he said. "Once they did that, the British followed suit almost immediately after having rejected it for many years." According to Prerau, countries on both sides of the war including the United States adopted the time change, as well. "I assume they were trying to do anything they could to save energy," said Prerau. "It was a big issue during the war, and this was a way that they would work to save energy." Story continues A United Cigar Stores Company ad claiming that daylight saving time benefits soldiers and farmers. However, farmers begged to differ. Once World War I ended, pushback against daylight saving time grew particularly from farmers. "This is against what most people think because most people think that daylight saving time was put in for farmers its the exact opposite," said Prerau. "Farmers have been the leading group against daylight saving time." According to Prerau, at a time when most of the country was still rural, the people successfully had Congress repeal the time change. Nixed on the federal level, the time change was only able to occur on the local level...for a while. Grenadier Guards of the British Army check the time while serving on the lines. In the mid-20th century, the country experienced a bit of a deja vu. "As soon as World War II started, the British and the Germans, who were fighting each other at the beginning the major countries fighting each other both adopted daylight saving time for the war effort," said Prerau. When the U.S. joined World War II, the country put on daylight saving time for the war effort, as well. But after the war ended, the time change was once again repealed by Congress. In contrast to the sentiment toward time changes after World War I, after World War II, more people were supportive of daylight saving time, and many localities began to adopt it. Travelers make their way between railway, bus, and airplane terminals at Penn Station in 1954 New York City. The adoption of daylight saving time was spotty across the country, according to Prerau, varying from state to state and town to town and causing plenty of confusion. For example, during a 35-mile bus ride between Steubenville, Ohio to Moundsville, West Virginia, a traveler would cross seven time zones. In 1966, the federal government passed a law called the Uniform Time Act to standardize time across the country. President Lyndon B. Johnson working in the Oval Office at the White House. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act into law in 1966. According to Prerau, the law said that a state doesn't have to have daylight saving time if it doesn't want to; but if it does want to have daylight saving time, it has to be statewide. Also, the states with daylight saving time would need to start on the same date and end on the same date, with the federal government setting those start and end dates. "So, that's the law we have today," Prerau said. The sun shines on the Napali Coast on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Daylight saving time is now observed in 48 states, with the outliers being Hawaii and Arizona. According to Prerau, the two outliers have specific reasons that make them different from any other state. "Hawaii is by far the most southern state, the state closest to the equator," said Prerau. "As we get close to the equator, the sunrises and sunsets dont change very much over the year. Therefore, they have much less benefit of daylight saving time than most other states." Additionally, Hawaiis distance from the mainland keeps the state isolated and less concerned about matters with neighboring states. Skyline of Phoenix, Arizona. "Arizona has a whole different situation," said Prerau. He noted that the two most populous parts of the state, Phoenix and Tucson, are so hot in the summer that the last thing they want to have in the summer is more daylight. Arizona is also house-divided. According to Indian Country Today, the Navajo Nation in the northeast region of the state does observe daylight saving time. However, the Hopi Nation, which is encircled by the Navajo Nations territory, opts out of the time change. Sky Sangari Phunman changes the time on the clocks in her home. She collected clocks in memory of her grandfather, who specialized in horology, or the study of time. Daylight saving time has sown divisions within the larger U.S. HOW DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CAN MESS WITH YOUR HEALTH In January 2021, some members of Congress introduced a bill hoping to end the era of "springing forward" and "falling back" for many states. Called the Sunshine Protection Act, it sought to end standard time and make daylight saving time permanent. Will such permanence come to pass? Given the track record of changing views on daylight saving time throughout history, only time will tell. HONG KONG After mass unrest in 2019, a pandemic that left it isolated from the world and the imposition of a national security law that has crushed dissent, Hong Kong is ready to turn the page. Social disturbance is clearly in the past, the citys leader, John Lee, said Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel, where about 200 finance industry executives from around the world were gathered for a summit. It has given way to stability, to growing business and community confidence in Hong Kongs future. Law and order has returned; the worst is behind us. But the summit meant to signal that the Chinese territory long known as a regional financial powerhouse is again open for business has been shadowed by some awkward realities. Hong Kongs border with mainland China, its main economic driver, remains tightly closed because of pandemic restrictions. Participants in the summit, many of them American companies, have been criticized by rights groups and lawmakers who say they are complicit in Chinas harsh crackdown on pro-democracy figures and groups. And as the subject of U.S. sanctions himself, Lee is unable to hold an account with many of the very banks he was addressing. John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, center, during the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit in Hong Kong, on Nov. 2, 2022. (Paul Yeung / Bloomberg via Getty Images) None of that seems to have dampened the mood at this weeks events, which started on Monday with a fintech conference and conclude this weekend with the return of a major international sporting event, the Rugby Sevens tournament. Inaki Amate, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, was upbeat about the event and the pro-business atmosphere he encountered. I have to say how positively surprised I was to see that there was a very good vibe, Amate said Tuesday as he headed for a tour and welcome dinner at the M+ art museum. It felt like people came out of a cave with a lot of energy and willing to start doing business again. The summit is part of a broader campaign to draw both business and tourists back to Hong Kong, an international financial center of 7.3 million that built its reputation as a travel hub and a bastion of freedom in Asia. That image has been tarnished by strict Covid restrictions and the national security law, both cited as reasons for leaving in a mass exodus of residents and expatriates. Story continues Despite official efforts, not many people are coming to replace those who have left. According to government statistics, about 319,000 people arrived in Hong Kong last month, down 97% from 10.8 million in October 2019. Companies have reported difficulties recruiting and retaining talent. And even as Hong Kong eases Covid restrictions, bad news keeps coming. The economy shrank 4.5% in the third quarter, extending a recession. Airlines are pulling out of the city, once a global aviation hub. According to a report in September, Hong Kong has lost its status as Asias top financial center to Singapore. There are also daily court developments stemming from the 2019 anti-government protests, in which more than 10,000 people have been arrested. In the last two months alone, Hong Kong has put a 90-year-old Roman Catholic cleric on trial over a legal aid fund for protesters; jailed five speech therapists over seditious childrens books; jailed two people for sedition after they clapped to support defendants in court; and convicted the democracy activist Jimmy Lai on fraud charges that the United States condemned as spurious. Millionaire media tycoon Jimmy Lai. (Anthony Wallace / AFP - Getty Images file) More than 200 people, including Lai, have also been arrested under the national security law that Beijing imposed in 2020 in response to the protests. The U.S. has spoken out repeatedly against the law, which criminalized subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Hong Kong and Chinese officials say it was necessary to restore stability. While it may not be realistic to expect businesses to turn away from Chinas huge market, global business leaders need to recognize that theres a new situation in Hong Kong, theres a new reality, said Brian Kern, the lead researcher for a report on doing business in Hong Kong that was published last month by the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a nonprofit group based in Washington. The groups website appears to have been blocked in Hong Kong since shortly after the reports release. Businesses need to develop policies and guidelines and due diligence processes so as to guard against perhaps inadvertently doing things that are against the U.N. principles on business and human rights, Kern said. Image: Hong Kong Police Bans Annual Tiananmen Vigil For The Second Straight Year (Paul Yeung / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Officials have indeed seized on the summit as a public relations win for Hong Kong. An article in the Chinese state-backed nationalist tabloid Global Times on Thursday said the gathering served as a strong rebuttal to the hype and bad-mouthing of the citys status. Hong Kong is not going anywhere as an international financial center, said Allan Zeman, chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, a Hong Kong-based real estate developer. If youre an international bank, you cannot exclude China from your mix, he said. Zeman is among the business leaders who welcomed the national security law after the protests of 2019, which disrupted transportation and sometimes turned violent. Business likes stability, he said. Business is not about politics. John Lee at the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit in Hong Kong on Nov. 2, 2022. ( Paul Yeung / Bloomberg via Getty Images) Kern argued that businesses that assert the national security law isnt meant for them are playing a bit of a dangerous game. I think that everybody in Hong Kong needs to worry about it and ask themselves what their relationship is to it and assess the risks involved, he said. Last week, Hong Kong fell out of the top 20 in a global rule of law index compiled by the U.S.-based nonprofit World Justice Project, which cited the national security law. Officials countered that Hong Kong is still ranked higher than some Western countries, and that it ranked sixth for order and security. Lee said Hong Kong still had strong rule of law and an independent judiciary, emphasizing the one country, two systems principle of governance under which Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Hong Kong remains the only place in the world where the global advantage and the China advantage come together in a single city, he said. Lee also pointed to a report in September in which Hong Kong topped Singapore as the worlds freest economy. But the Fraser Institute, the Canadian think tank that produced the report, noted that Hong Kongs overall rating had fallen and said its ranking was based on 2020 data and did not reflect more recent interference from China. People use their mobile phones outside a closed down business in Hong Kong on Nov. 1, 2022. (Peter Parks / AFP - Getty Images) Lingering Covid restrictions While keeping relatively quiet on the national security law, businesses have been much more vocal about the Covid restrictions and given Lee credit for easing them. Many in Hong Kong breathed a sigh of relief in September, when Lee announced an end to mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals that at one point extended to 21 days. Were starting to see more common sense in the way the government balances Covid prevention with economic concerns, Amate said. But other restrictions linger, including a vaccine pass to enter bars and restaurants and compulsory mask wearing even outdoors. Though overseas arrivals no longer have to quarantine, they are prohibited from visiting bars and restaurants for the first three days, and those who test positive for the virus may still be sent to government quarantine facilities. Officials have relaxed some of these rules for the summit attendees, allowing them to visit private dining rooms and leave immediately on their own private jets if they test positive. Hong Kongs financial secretary, Paul Chan, was allowed to attend the summit this week despite testing positive for the virus upon his return from Saudi Arabia, as officials considered him a recovered case. Even Hong Kongs biggest optimists concede there is a lot of work to be done, namely reopening the border with mainland China. As long as we remove the travel restrictions, business and leisure travelers are going to come back, said Heiwai Tang, an economics professor at the University of Hong Kong, and then well be back to normal I would say very quickly. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Buddy Hield scored 25 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 23 points and Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 101-99 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Haliburton added nine assists and nine rebounds, just missing a triple double. Tyler Herro had a chance to with the game for the Heat with 1.3 seconds left, but his 3-pointer missed the mark. He led the heat with 29 points. Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and Max Strus added 17 points for the Heat. Miami played its second-consecutive game without leading scorer Jimmy Butler, who was out with hip tightness. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle praised rookie Andrew Nembhards defense on Herro's potential game-winning shot. When you put a rookie on Tyler Herro on the last play of the game with the idea the ball is going to go to him and he makes that kind of defensive stand, makes him hit a falling-away difficult 3-point shot, thats strong, Carlisle said. The Heat tied the game at 94-all on a 3-pointer by Gabe Vincent with 5:35 remaining. Hields 3-pointer put the Pacers ahead 97-94 with 3:22 left. Leading 100-97, Pacers center Myles Turner was called for defensive goaltending with 10 seconds left, but the call was overturned. Turner finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots for the Pacers. Indiana shot 46.3% overall while Miami was held to 38.3%. We made some slight defensive adjustments, Carlisle said. But really it was all about chasing the shooters around. The Pacers, who trailed 29-28 after the first quarter, shot 52% in the second quarter en route to a 62-50 halftime lead. Hield scored 13 points in the second quarter, hitting all five shots. Indiana held Miami to 30% in the second quarter. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said the team played better defensively in the second half. Were getting better, he said. We were down 10 and we were able to grind it into a possession game. We just werent able to get it done. Story continues Pacers guard Chris Duarte needed help getting off the floor with 7:12 left in the first quarter after rolling his ankle on Kyle Lowrys foot. Duarte did not return with the left ankle sprain. TIP-INS Heat: Nikola Jovic hurt his nose during one-on-one work Thursday. Coach Erik Spoelstra said the rookie didnt make the trip because there was concern about flying with the nasal contusion. ... Adebayo was listed as questionable with a knee injury but was able to play. Pacers: Aaron Nesmith missed his third consecutive game with a right foot injury. Hield has scored 20 points or more in four of the last five games. UP NEXT Heat: Host Portland on Monday. Pacers: Host New Orleans in second of four-game home stand on Monday. Indiana authorities arrested 20 suspects following a child sex sting operation that was conducted over the course of multiple days. The Johnson County Sheriffs Office and the City of Franklin Police Department executed the operation between Tuesday and Thursday. In carrying out the operation, investigators posed as minors and agreed to meet the suspects at a specified location, where the suspects believed they would be participating in sexual activity with an underage child. INDIANA HOMEOWNER KILLED AFTER EXCHANGING GUNFIRE WITH HOME INVADERS "During the course of this operation we dealt with many different people and situations," the sheriff's department and police department wrote in a press release. "The conversations that are had prior to the suspects arriving at the target location are very troubling. The requests that are made to the Investigators posing as underage children are also very troubling and disturbing." Some suspects traveled from other states for what they believed was a sexual encounter with a minor and some requested that the supposed child travel for the meetup. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Suspects brought a range of items to the meeting locations, including alcohol, drugs and firearms. INDIANA MAY RESUMES DUTIES AFTER SUFFERING HEART ATTACK IN APRIL "We will never know the true extent or impact these investigations have on the safety of our children," the press release read. "Knowingly meeting with a minor and wanting to take that minor away from their home travel miles away scares all of us. Will we ever truly know what the suspects true intentions were?" After the operation, authorities arrested Mark Alan Adams, Jeffrey Dylan Alford, Philip Michael Buhrke, Ryan Alan Browning, Samuel Ernestro Severino Cabrera, Brallan Campos-Acevedo, Jonathan Tyler Evans, Calvin Michael Farris, Jeffrey A. Hance, Zacariah Ray Hart, Nicholas T. Hubbard, Eric N. Johnson, Thiang Za Lian, James T. Miller, Max Joseph Miller, Jonathan D. Morales, Jered S. Morgan, Helly Cananl Sang, Za Thio and Christopher Greg Wilson. Story continues CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP More than half of the 20 people who were arrested in the operation have been released on bond. "We want parents to be very diligent in knowing what their children are doing and who they are speaking with on the internet. The number of online apps and what can be discussed is very alarming. Almost everyone carries a smartphone which makes it so easy to access these sites," the press release read. Between December 2020 and November 2022, the Johnson County Sheriffs Office and Franklin Police Department successfully executed four sex sting operations leading to 49 arrests. Nov. 4OTTUMWA The Iowa Supreme Court will not take up a case involving an Ottumwa man who sought to set aside his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder. The Iowa Appeals Court in August upheld that the guilty plea entered by Dustin William McDanel in 2016, rejecting his claims of ineffective counsel and an involuntary plea. McDanel asked the Iowa Supreme Court to review the case, but they denied doing so on Friday. He had been charged with first-degree murder and other charges in 2015 after shooting and killing 25-year-old Roger Wiseman Jr. over a dispute about a dog. McDanel fled the area and was arrested in St. Louis. McDanel was also charged with attempted murder, flight to avoid prosecution and felon in possession of a weapon in connection with the incident. When the case came to trial, a jury was selected but the trial didn't occur. The Iowa Court of Appeals said that attorneys for McDanel "literally begged" the prosecutor at the time to renew a prior plea offer. The case was prosecuted by then-county attorney Gary Oldenburger and Doug Hammerand of the Iowa Attorney General's Office. Attorneys for McDanel urged him to take the deal given adverse pre-trial rulings and flaws in their self-defense claim. McDanel pled guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter as a habitual offender, and then as charged on the other counts. He received a 70-year sentence, with a minimum of 26.5 years, in 2016. While he did not appeal directly after the case's conclusion, in 2017 he filed for post-conviction relief arguing ineffective counsel. McDanel's bid failed after a trial, and he appealed that decision. When the Iowa Supreme Court denies to review a case, it's generally the end of the road unless there are claims made under the U.S. Constitution. In which case, it could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reviews few of the cases it receives. According to records with the Iowa Department of Corrections, McDanel will remain in prison until at least Feb. 16, 2038. Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran's foreign minister on Saturday acknowledged for the first time that his country has supplied Russia with drones, insisting the transfer came before Moscow's war on Ukraine that has seen the Iranian-made drones divebombing Kyiv. The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian come after months of confusing messaging from Iran about the weapons shipment, as Russia sends the drones slamming into Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian targets. We gave a limited number of drones to Russia months before the Ukraine war, Amirabdollahian told reporters after a meeting in Tehran. Previously, Iranian officials had denied arming Russia in its war on Ukraine. Just earlier this week, Iran's Ambassador to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani called the allegations totally unfounded" and reiterated Iran's position of neutrality in the war. The U.S. and its Western allies on the Security Council have called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to investigate if Russia has used Iranian drones to attack civilians in Ukraine. Even so, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has vaguely boasted of providing drones to the worlds top powers. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has extolled the efficacy of the drones and mocked Western hand-wringing over their danger. During state-backed demonstrations to mark the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover on Friday, crowds waved placards of the triangle-shaped drones as a point of national pride. As he acknowledged the shipment, Amirabdollahian claimed on Saturday that Iran was oblivious to the use of its drones in Ukraine. He said Iran remained committed to stopping the conflict. If (Ukraine) has any documents in their possession that Russia used Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide them to us, he said. If it is proven to us that Russia used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will not be indifferent to this issue." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy considers false Iran's statement that it had supplied Russia with a "small number" of Iranian-made drones several months before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Source: evening address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Quote: "By the way, today there were messages from Iran, from official representatives. They decided to admit that they did supply drones for Russian terror. But even in this confession they lied. We shoot down at least ten Iranian drones every day, yet the Iranian regime claims that it supplied Russia with only a small number of them, and those before the start of the full-scale invasion. During just one day yesterday, 11 Shahed drones were destroyed. We know for sure that Iranian instructors taught Russian terrorists how to use drones, and Tehran is generally silent about it." Details: According to Zelenskyy, if Iran continues to "lie about the obvious", the world will make even greater efforts to investigate terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes and "what Russia is paying Iran for such cooperation". "It is impossible in the modern world for any terrorists or their accomplices to remain unpunished", Zelenskyy emphasised. Previously: On 5 November, Iran for the first time acknowledged that it had supplied Moscow with drones. However, they claimed that the drones were sent before the invasion of Ukraine, where Russia uses drones to strike power plants and civilian infrastructure. Background: Russia has recently been using massive numbers of kamikaze drones, that is, Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, to attack Ukraine (Russian forces call them Geran). Tehran has repeatedly denied that they supplied drones to Russia. The White House considers Iran's denials false. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that Iran's provision of weapons to Russia for use in its full-scale war makes it an accomplice to aggression and war crimes on the territory of Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, submitted for the Presidents consideration a proposal to terminate diplomatic relations with Iran because of the Iranian-made drones that Russia uses against Ukraines civilian infrastructure. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers fatally shot a Palestinian 18-year-old in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, health officials said, the latest in a string of deadly incidents in the territory. The Israeli military said its soldiers had opened fire at people throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles driving down a road and that "hits were confirmed". The Palestinian Health Ministry said the teenager had been killed and a second Palestinian wounded by the Israeli gunfire. Violence in territories where Palestinians seek statehood has surged in recent months after Israel launched a crackdown in response to a spate of lethal street attacks in its cities. On Thursday, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including an Islamic Jihad militant and a man accused by police of stabbing an officer. The security situation was among factors contributing to far-right gains in an Israeli election on Tuesday that put former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on track to return to power. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his concern over spiralling violence in a call with outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday and with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Andrew Heavens) RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) The Palestinian Health Ministry said Saturday that Israeli forces shot and killed a young man in the occupied West Bank. The ministry said Musab Nofal, 18, was hit with a bullet in the chest and died at hospital in the city of Ramallah. Another Palestinian was also seriously wounded. The Israeli military said Nofal and the second Palestinian were hurling stones at Israeli vehicles traveling on a West Bank road near Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, damaging several cars. Soldiers aimed live fire toward the rock throwers, it added. The violence was the latest in a wave of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem that has killed more than 130 Palestinians this year, making 2022 the deadliest since the U.N. started tracking fatalities in 2005. The violence came as a political shift is underway in Israel after national elections, with former longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to return to power in a coalition government made up of far-right allies, including the extremist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, who in response to the incidents said Israel would soon take a tougher approach to attackers. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, and has since maintained a military occupation over the territory and settled more than 500,000 people there. The Palestinians want the territory, along with the West Bank and east Jerusalem, for their hoped-for independent state. A man was shot in critical condition by Jacksonville police early Saturday at the Scottish Inn at 2300 Philips Highway. In the second police shooting in three days in Jacksonville, three sheriff's officers shot an armed suspect, this one at a motel in critical condition, Chief Brian Kee said. It started with a 911 call about 3:15 a.m. Saturday saying someone had been shot at the Scottish Inns at 2300 Philips Highway, possibly on the second floor, Key said. The three officers went to the room and talked with the two occupants who said they had been sleeping and weren't aware of a shooting. As the officers stepped out into the breezeway, they saw a vehicle pulling into the parking lot and a man on foot shoot at it. The two people inside were not hit, but the bullet struck the left tail light, Kee said. Police shooting: Jacksonville officer shot in vest; suspect dies in plunge from bridge into the river State Attorney's Office: It was an 'unintentional' gunshot by Jacksonville police that killed knife-wielding suspect on July 30 The officers ordered the suspect to drop the handgun, but he did not comply, he said. "All three officers fired with their issued handguns and strike the suspect, who goes down right there in the parking lot," Kee said. He said the people inside the car "didn't even realize they'd been shot at." It was unknown whether they knew the suspect. No one else was injured. The suspect was later identified as 37-year-old Javon Tyrone Jones. Later Saturday the Sheriff's Office advised they did end up finding another man shot and killed in a different room at the motel. It was unclear whether it had anything to do with the suspect who police shot. Wednesday's fatal police shooting The suspect is the ninth person shot by Jacksonville police this year, Times-Union records show. Six were killed. All last year there were six people shot by officers, three of whom died. In 2020, Jacksonville police shot 14 suspects with eight fatal and one other self-inflicted. Saturday's shooting follow Wednesday's when Sheriff's Office narcotics detectives shot and killed a man suspected in a fentanyl-overdose death. Story continues Bias and prejudice on the force: Sheriff's Office texts 'stereotyping Black people' prompt outcry amid investigation Hate speech: What we know about 2 of the leaders in recent antisemitic activities in Jacksonville Undercover detectives doing surveillance on 50-year-old Matthew Orlando Dilworth tried to pull his van over, but he got out and ran. They ordered him to stop, but he pulled out a handgun and fired at two detectives who then returned fire. Kee said no one was hit at that time, and the gunman took off and was jumping fences until he tried to hide in a wooded area off Broadway and Edgewood avenues. About 10 minutes later he encountered two more detectives and opened fire on them. They shot back, and this time struck him in a front yard. Kee said Dilworth was still holding the gun with a finger on the trigger but was pronounced dead on the scene. No officers were harmed. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville police officers shoot gunman at Scottish Inn Jeremy Hunt - Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Middle-class workers face paying up to 10 billion more in income tax as Jeremy Hunt considers drastically reducing the relief they currently enjoy on their pension contributions. The Chancellor is in discussions over changing tax rules designed to encourage employees to save into their pensions pots resurrecting a George Osborne-era plan that was ultimately abandoned after objections from Conservative MPs. Ministers have discussed reducing the rate at which income tax relief is applied to Britains 5.5 million higher-rate taxpayers from 40p to a flat rate as low as 20p. Another option being considered is to increase the number of very high earners whose income tax relief is cut even further. The total cost of pension tax relief to the Exchequer is 42.7 billion, of which 22.9 billion is relief on income tax and 19.8 billion is on National Insurance contributions. A flat rate of 20 per cent would raise between 8 billion and 10 billion a year, according to a report by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association. On Saturday night, Mr Hunt, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, and their officials were assembled in Downing Street to discuss the headline policies of the Autumn Statement, which will be delivered to Parliament in a fortnight. A Treasury source said income tax relief on pensions has been discussed in ongoing talks, and was still on the table. However, by Saturday night, no white smoke had yet emerged. Hunt Sunak - Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street The Telegraph understands the Governments commitment to the triple lock on pensions is another of the major policies still under discussion, after days of Downing Street refusing to rule out it being scrapped. Ministers must submit their plans to the Office for Budget Responsibility by Monday morning. The plan to increase tax on pension contributions would amount to an income raid on any workers earning more than 50,270, who receive a tax break on the money they pay into their pensions at a rate of 40 per cent under the current system. Story continues Instead, under one version of this plan all contributions would be taxed at a flat rate of 20 per cent, regardless of the income tax bracket the worker falls in. A second version would have the flat rate higher, such as 25 per cent, giving a boost to those who pay the 20p tax rate. Another would see tax relief on higher earners fall, but not as far as 20p. Under current rules, a person who pays a higher rate of income tax for the whole of their career, contributes 12 per cent to a private pension and retires after reaching a salary of 64,000, would get 20,900 a year in retirement. Under the planned rules, with a flat rate of 20p, the same person would earn 18,800 a year if they did not increase their pension contributions, reducing their take-home pay in the process. The policy will be controversial among economists and Conservative MPs, who have previously warned it could result in workers saving less of their income for retirement. A 2016 plan by Mr Osborne to enact a flat 20p rate of tax relief was abandoned after he was warned it would cause a riot in his party. The former chancellor has been approached by Mr Hunt in recent weeks, along with other ex-Treasury ministers, as he asks for advice on how to handle the economy. An analysis of the policy by the PLSA last year found that higher earners would pay more tax with the result that they receive lower pensions in retirement or reduce their take-home pay during their working life. It also found that the top 10 per cent of earners would lose between 34,500 and 205,700 from their pension pots over the course of their lifetimes. Another option under consideration is to lower the income threshold at which the highest earners see their tax relief tapered off until it applies to just 4,000 in pension contributions from its current level of 200,000. Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister and a partner at the firm Lane Clark & Peacock, said: 10 billion means five million, mainly Tory, voters losing 2,000 per year each. If you wanted to alienate your core vote by taking away the higher rate of tax relief then you have done the job. Job seekers are complaining about getting "ghosted" during the application process. Pekic/Getty Images Job seekers are complaining about getting "ghosted" during the application process. Mentions of "ghosting" after job interviews have tripled since before the pandemic, according to a Glassdoor analysis. The number of job seekers complaining about the phenomena was up 208% since 2019. Job seekers are complaining about getting "ghosted" by potential employers. On Glassdoor, mentions of ghosting after interviews have tripled since before the pandemic, according to a company analysis of more than 150,000 reviews by UK workers. Ghosting refers to employers dropping out of contact with candidates at some point during the application process and the number of job seekers complaining about this was up 208% since 2019, per the research. What's even more frustrating for potential employees is that candidates who had been recruited for roles reported the most instances of being ghosted, according to the data. Jill Cotton, a career trends expert at Glassdoor, said being ignored by hiring managers after an interview can be hard on applicants. "A small part of you already sees yourself in that role, otherwise why would you apply," she said. "I think that mentally it's hard if you've given up your time and the other party hasn't responded in a similar way." If job seekers do find themselves ghosted after an interview, there are still a few things they can try before giving up on a role. Set a timeline Asking a company for a clear timeline for the application process can feel intimidating during the first meeting, but it might save candidates a lot of trouble down the line. Cotton recommended trying to pin down a timeline during the first interview. "Go in prepped when you have that first interview," she said. "At the end of the interview, the hiring manager will normally ask if you've got any questions. That's a good time to ask about the next steps." She said candidates should not only ask when they'll hear back but how the company will get back to them. Story continues "If you do reach the agreed deadline and you haven't heard from the hiring manager, that gives you both the opportunity to follow up," she said. Follow up If candidates don't hear back when they were scheduled to, it's always worth following up. "As a job candidate, I always really recommend following up after an interview, whether or not it's a role that you feel is right for you," Cotton said. It's worth getting back to a hiring manager, even if it's just to let them know the role isn't a right fit, she added. If candidates do feel the role is right for them, a follow-up is a chance to reconfirm a passion for the role or tell a business why they are a good fit. Cotton recommended being as helpful as possible in a follow-up email. For example, asking the company if they need more information. Don't badmouth the company If there is still no response, it's also important for job seekers to know when to move on. "If you don't hear anything more, although it can be difficult, I would mentally move on and look for other job opportunities," Cotton said. However, applicants shouldn't resort to badmouthing the company if they are ghosted. "It won't necessarily help you," she said. "And it's important to keep professional." "If you do want to share your opinion anonymously on platforms like Glassdoor, it's important to keep the feedback constructive," she said. "Keeping constructive means that other people can learn." Being ghosted shouldn't hold candidates back. Although it can be disappointing, Cotton said, it's probably a signal that the company probably wasn't the right fit anyway. Read the original article on Business Insider Russian investigative journalists have decided to form "a golden company of soldiers" consisting of children of officials and propose they go off to war. Source: Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories) media outlet Details: Journalists have started calling and texting the relatives of Russian officials. None have volunteered to go to war; some of them said that they would allegedly go to Ukraine if they were called up. For example, the son-in-law of the Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu was flying to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, the day when Vazhnye Istorii tried to reach him. He read the message regarding the conscription; however, he did not reply. The son of Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, only said that he did not receive any conscription notices. The son-in-law of Sergey Kirienko, First Deputy Head of the Presidents Administration, hung up the phone when he heard the question asking his opinion on the conscription. Sons of Alexey Gromov, First Deputy Head of the Presidents Administration, also hung up after hearing about conscription. The son of Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that he would be ready to go to war in Ukraine if he received a conscription notice: "As a patriot and a citizen of my country, I will always defend it. If I am called up and conscripted, I will take responsibility and go to the front. I am not ruling out that this will happen, because my family has the right attitude." The son-in-law of Andrey Vorobyev, Governor of Moscow Oblast, did not respond to their phone call; however, he deleted the chat after a question regarding conscription. The son of Ruslan Tsalikov, Deputy Minister of Defence, claimed that he would go to war if he was called up: "There is conscription, there are duties, they have to be performed. Why havent I gone as a volunteer soldier? And what do I have to do with the military? There are conscripts, people with military professions. I do not have a military profession." Story continues The son of Irek Boguslavsky, Member of the State Duma [Russian parliament - ed.], promised to go to war if he received a conscription notice: "And what do I have to do? Sit in a basement? Until they find me and open a criminal case against me? If there is a total conscription in the country and martial law - this will be the last straw. I think everyone will do [something] in order to defend their land, their territories." The son of Sergey Chemezov, Head of Rostekh State Corporation, refused to reply to the question, saying that he was currently spending time with his family. The son of Viacheslav Nikonov, Member of the State Duma, stated that he was uncomfortable with replying to the question, and he was glad that conscription had ended: "Happy that it [conscription] has ended because I came under its mandate. If there is a total mobilisation, I will go to war. For my country. I understand with whom [Russia is fighting]. And what is this question for? I am uncomfortable with replying to it" The son of Andrey Belousov, First Vice Prime Minister of Russia, is also allegedly ready to fight: "There is legislation, it needs to be abided by. Thats it. Why does it matter what to fight for? What does this have to do with an idea? If the state thinks we need to, then, we need to. I am a regular citizen of the Russian Federation liable for military service; I have not received a command to think about it. Why do I need to think about this? All conscious people understand what is going on. Read the state media and communications from state leadership." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A Los Angeles judge on Friday denied a request from more than a dozen people who wanted to block or alter parts of a Netflix documentary about a wellness company known for orgasmic meditation over allegations that it may have included misappropriated sexually explicit material. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant said the group of 15 described in a lawsuit filed late last month as people formerly affiliated with the company, OneTaste offered no evidence that the film includes explicit material showing them. Nor did they show that the film, "Orgasm Inc.," could irreparably harm them, Chalfant said, according to a court order. The order paves the way for the film's release Saturday. A lawyer for the plaintiffs declined to comment. A spokesman for Netflix didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the films director, Sarah Gibson. In a declaration filed Friday, Gibson said the film investigates "troubling allegations" about the company. Much of the archival video in the film is not sexual, but comes from OneTaste social events, lectures and promotional materials. The film does not show any private sessions of orgasmic meditation, or OM, nor does it depict the plaintiffs who are identified only as Doe in the complaint engaged in the practice, Gibson said. It also does not contain images of the plaintiffs' genitalia or depict them engaging in any sexual act, she said in the declaration. The complaint had asked for a temporary restraining order against Netflix that would have halted the distribution of the plaintiffs' private, sexually explicit materials or required the company to blur those images. The complaint also alleged privacy violations and an intrusion into private affairs. The status of those allegations wasn't immediately clear. The suit was filed after a group of more than 400 people currently or formerly affiliated with OneTaste sent a petition to Netflix in September demanding "privacy and protection." Story continues "We were recently horrified to learn Netflixs producers unlawfully purchased footage of us, and/or images of us, and/or audio of us with the intent to use it in a film for profit," the petition said, adding: "Some of these courses were intimate for us and portions of the material might depict some of us in various stages of undress, as part of the OM practice or in other settings. In some cases, this includes extreme closeups of our genitals." The complaint alleged that a former OneTaste videographer "misappropriated" recordings intended for educational purposes and internal instruction. The ex-videographer, Chris Kosley, is also named in the suit. In a text message Friday, he declined to comment on the allegation, citing a separate legal case involving OneTaste. "However, I'm confident that when my arguments have been made, truth will prevail in that case and OneTaste's actions will be seen for what they are: an attempt to silence my voice and to silence the voices of others with a valid an important story to share with the public," Kosley said. In a statement provided by a OneTaste spokesperson Friday, a woman who signed the petition said she was shocked that such a "blatant violation or privacy was so open and shut. And that a corporate media titan can shut down what I thought was an open and shut case." "Netflix has no right to violate our bodies or privacy for their profit," she said. "We never consented to be in this film." OneTaste was founded in 2005 to promote what the company describes as a desire-based life. A 2020 podcast series on the BBC described the company as an orgasm cult. A lengthy report in Bloomberg Businessweek described OneTaste as a kind of prostitution ring one that exploited trauma victims and others searching for healing. The company has pushed back against the characterizations, suing the BBC for defamation in a case that is ongoing and describing the Bloomberg depiction as unrecognizable. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Department of Justice officials report that a Puleaga Pele, 44, of Hesperia man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he acted as an unlicensed dealer of firearms or ghost guns. Department of Justice officials report that a Hesperia man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he acted as an unlicensed dealer of firearms or ghost guns. Puleaga Pele, 44, was arrested at his residence on Friday morning as law enforcement officials executed a search warrant. Pele, who is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, is expected to make his initial court appearance on Monday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Investigation According to an affidavit filed with the complaint in July 2022, law enforcement officials searched a San Fernando Valley residence as part of a separate investigation. While reviewing a digital device of a target of the investigation, law enforcement allegedly discovered communications in which an individual later identified as Pele offered to sell the target of the investigation multiple firearms, which appeared to be from an unknown manufacturer and without a serial number. Law enforcement later traced the firearms to Peles Hesperia residence, which was searched Friday morning pursuant to a warrant, the affidavit states. Hesperia residence searched Inside Peles house and in a Hummer truck in the garage, law enforcement allegedly found a total of 33 firearms, of which 10 were privately manufactured firearms or ghost guns. Also found, were a stolen firearm, a machine gun, thousands of rounds of ammunition, assorted high-capacity magazines and firearm parts. Pele does not have a federal firearms license for buying or selling firearms, according to the affidavit. If convicted of this charge, Pele would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky, Kevin B. Reidy, and Bruce K. Riordan of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case. Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Feds charge Hesperia man on suspicion of illegally dealing firearms Kansas child welfare agency is investigating the death last week of a foster teen who left his residential treatment facility, stole a truck and crashed head-on into a tractor trailer. The 13-year-old, who crashed on Oct. 27 in southeast Kansas, died of his injuries two days later in a Tulsa hospital, according to information from the Department for Children and Families. The teen had gone to a Halloween party in Independence, Kansas, on the day of the crash, which was sponsored by Successful Dreams a qualified residential treatment program where the foster teen was living. After returning from the party, the teen left the residential facility in Parsons, Kansas, and went to a car dealership and stole the truck, child welfare officials and police said. The Department for Children and Families is investigating the incident, according to a summary of facts released by DCF, and is reviewing the facility to determine if there were any regulatory violations. As news of the foster teens death spread on Friday, a Republican lawmaker involved in child welfare issues called on Gov. Laura Kelly to remove Laura Howard as DCF secretary. The boy is the second teenager to run from foster care and end up dead since April. Sen. Molly Baumgardner, of Louisburg, said she called for Howards ouster after consultation with Senate leadership. There have been ongoing concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability for the safety of our foster children, Baumgardner said in a statement she gave to The Star. The issues have grown more and more serious. To have two very young teens die within the last six months is unacceptable because they were in the care of DCF. The governors office responded Friday evening to Baumgardners request. This is a tragic case, and Governor Kelly has directed DCF to investigate what happened and whether any policy violations led to this accident, said Brianna Johnson, the governors director of communications. Any request for action before we know the full facts of the case is premature. Story continues Secretary Laura Howard of the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Baumgardners call comes four days before the election as GOP Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who Baumgardner endorsed, challenges Kelly for the governors office. Polling this week showed Kelly and Schmidt in a dead heat heading into election day. Schmidt has included foster care among his campaign issues. Hes argued Kelly didnt do enough to fix the system. The only solution Schmidt has offered is putting the Office of Child Advocate in statute. Kelly created the office via executive order last year. Rep. Jarrod Ousley, a Merriam Democrat, has worked closely with DCF in recent years and said he does not agree with Baumgardner that Kelly should remove Howard as secretary. During Howards time as DCF leader, he said, the number of children in care has dropped and focus has intensified on placing kids in kinship care. The system also has made inroads in meeting many standards though not all outlined in a class action lawsuit settlement. Our child welfare system in the state of Kansas has made vast improvements with Laura Howard at the helm, Ousley said. And a tragedy is a tragedy no matter whos at the helm and we should always have accountability. But, in this situation, I think that Laura Howard has done a good job. Ousley and Baumgardner both serve on the Joint Committee on Child Welfare Oversight. Baumgardner said she anticipated that there will be some concerns about timeliness of her call that Howard be removed. But she said the timing was dictated by Kelly and Howard. The child died last week, Baumgardner said, but news of the incident didnt circulate until Friday. DCF did not respond to questions from The Star about when the agency first released information about the teen and whether officials should have informed the public about his death when it happened. In a news release sent out by the Parsons Police Department on Monday, authorities said the teen was reported as a runaway from Successful Dreams. On Oct. 27, Parsons police officers responded to help the Labette County Sheriffs Department with a head on collision between a pickup truck and a tractor trailer, the release said. Responding officers found a 2022 GMC Sierra pickup with a 13-year-old juvenile in the drivers seat, the release said. Officers rendered lifesaving measures until Labette County EMS arrived at the scene. EMS transported the juvenile to Labette Health to stabilize him before being flown to another facility. Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks said he learned later that the juvenile did not survive. These crashes are never easy, Spinks said in the release. They are hard for the emergency responder that must work them. They are hard for the community to hear about but most of all they are impossible for the families to comprehend. This hit our community hard. My sympathies go out to everyone involved. Similar heartbreak hit the Kansas City area earlier this year. Ace Scotts body was found April 15, four days after officials said the teen ran away from an office for Cornerstones of Care, one of four state contractors that handle foster care. News of the teens death wasnt released until early May when The Star inquired about the foster teen. State officials said then that the teen had a medical condition and police said no foul play was suspected. In the fall of 2017, the same year Ace came into care, Kansas child welfare system was under intense scrutiny by lawmakers in Topeka after they learned dozens of foster children had run away and were missing from care. When Howard and her administration took over DCF in January 2019, runaway foster children became a key focus, officials said. The state began reporting the daily number of kids missing from care on its website and soon began building a Special Response Team, which has grown from two people to 12 statewide. The average daily number of kids missing from care is roughly between 60 and 70 for the entire state. You can find the daily report here. Late Friday afternoon, Teresa Woody, the litigation director at Kansas Appleseed, said it was heartbreaking to learn that yet another child has died after running away from a placement. Children in foster care run away when they are not receiving the support and care they need, especially mental health care, Woody said. The Kansas foster care system continues to fail children, as it has for many years. All stakeholders including the legislative and executive branches, Department for Children and Families, and its contractors must be willing to devote the necessary resources to provide the care Kansas children so desperately need, regardless of who holds office. NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenya Airways on Saturday warned its striking pilots they could be dismissed if they do not return to work immediately as industrial action led to the cancellation of dozens of flights and left thousands of passengers stranded. The pilots at one of Africa's largest carriers downed tools from 6 a.m local time on Saturday, affecting business and leisure travellers at one of Africa's most important aviation hubs. In an internal memo to pilots seen by Reuters, the carrier said the strike was illegal and asked pilots to return to duty immediately. "This (strike) has resulted in major inconvenience to our guests and the consequent losses. This action is construed as participating and engaging in an illegal industrial action," the memo said. "Pilots not reporting on duty...will have disobeyed lawful orders issued by management and calls for disciplinary action, which may result in dismissal." Earlier on Saturday the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) said the carrier's management had declined to listen to their proposals on how to resolve their grievances. "No KQ (Kenya Airways) aircraft has departed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport flown by a KALPA member from 6 a.m. this morning," the union said in a statement. "The strike is fully in force." Kenya Airways apologised to passengers in a statement and said it would do its best to minimise the inconvenience, which could include rebooking them onto alternative flights. Before the action, the company had warned the strike could jeopardise its recovery from the pandemic, resulting in losses of at least 300 million shillings ($2.5 million) a day. "The pilots are throwing away the baby with the bath water," Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on privately-owned television station NTV. "It is about 10,000 passengers affected so far and if the situation continues like this, the impact on the other sectors of the economy, tourism, will be severe." Story continues Passengers at the airport told Reuters early on Saturday that the previous night was chaotic as people sought to travel before the strike started. Hundreds of passengers who had arrived in transit were trapped inside the airport as their connection flights failed to take off, they said. The pilots union say they are striking over a dispute on pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay for its members. (Reporting by Thomas Mukoya and Duncan Miriri; Writing by Akriti Sharma and Elias Biryabarema; Editing by William Mallard, Mark Potter and Christina Fincher) (Getty) A new book claims that King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry were reportedly so unhappy with former president Donald Trumps 2012 remarks about Kate Middleton, they unleashed torrents of profanity. Earlier this week, Newsweek reported on excerpts obtained from Christopher Andersens upcoming royal biography, The King: The Life of Charles III. The book, which is slated for release in the US next week and in the UK on December 8, explains what took place within the royal family after Mr Trump tweeted disparagingly about Kate Middleton. In 2012, Mr Trump tweeted about the Princess of Wales after photographs of her sunbathing topless were published in the French publication Closer. Kate Middleton is great but she shouldnt be sunbathing in the nude only herself to blame, Mr Trump tweeted at the time. Who wouldnt take Kates picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate! Mr Andersen wrote in his book that, at the time, Trumps criticism of Kate resulted in what one Clarence House butler referred to as torrents of profanity from both Prince Charles and his sons. He also alleged that this wasnt the first time the royals had openly expressed ire towards Mr Trump. Prior to the 2012 incident, Mr Andersen explained that Mr Trumps comments about Princess Diana were also not well-received by the royal family. It didnt help that Trump had aggressively pursued Princess Diana after her divorceovertures that were rebuffedand claimed later on a radio program that he could have nailed her if I wanted to, but only if she passed an HIV test, Mr Andersen wrote. Years later, in 2017, the royals also apparently tried to discourage a planned visit by Mr Trump to the UK. Mr Andersens book claims that King Charles and his two sons burned up the phone lines between Clarence House and Kensington Palace, with all three princes agreeing to work behind the scenes to discourage Trumps visit. Story continues Throughout 2017 and into 2018, Britons seemed nearly as fascinated with the tweet-storming Trump as their American cousins. The royal family was no exception, Mr Andersen wrote. At every opportunity, including Prince Harrys wedding reception, Charles took his wealthy and influential American friends aside and gently prodded them for information. It was important that he not push too hard or too far; some of the donors to his charities, including those with the deepest pockets, were Trump supporters. The excerpt continues: Still, when lent a receptive ear, Charles asked on several occasions how likely it was that President Trump would be impeached. Trump seems to be detached from reality, doesnt he? he asked a former Washington official who now headed up a major US conglomerate. What a ghastly, awful man. A spokesperson for the royal family declined The Independents request for comment on the books claims. The Independent has contacted representatives for Mr Trump for comment. Layton Williams is bringing his musical theatre prowess to ITV for drag extravaganza Queens for the Night. The one-off special hosted by Lorraine Kelly will see a group of stars, including Mr Motivator, Chris Hughes, Simon Gregson, George Shelley, Adam Woodyatt and Joe Marler unleashing their drag alter-egos as they attempt to go head to head to be crowned the winning Queen. The contestants will be paired with drag queens and judged by an all-star panel including Courtney Act, Mel C, Rob Beckett, Myra DuBois and Williams. He may be just 28, but Williams has had a long career on the stage. When he was 12, he played the role of Billy Elliot in the West End musical, becoming only the second non-white actor to play the role. He starred in Billy Elliot the Musical from May 2007 to November 2008. He appeared on the ITV show Feelgood Factor alongside two of his fellow Billys, one of whom was future Spider-Man Tom Holland. He also played young Michael Jackson in Thriller Live and appeared in Matthew Bournes dance production The Car Man and the UK tour of Rent. Williams (left) on the judging panel (ITV) However, to many people, he first became known for playing Stephen in Jack Whitehalls BBC Three sitcom Bad Education. Williams returned to stage in the title role in Everybodys Talking About Jamie as Jamie New, a Sheffield teenager who dreams of being a drag queen. He reprised the role on the UK tour and Los Angeles production. As a judge on Queens for the Night, Williams said he wanted to see the contestants go all-out for the competition. You need to get your heels on, get your waist snatched and get into it, he said on Lorraine on Friday (4 November). Williams has been performing in the West End since he was just 12 (Getty Images for BFI) Speaking about the show in a press release, Williams said: Its so fab that we get to celebrate drag and showcase this wonderfully entertaining craft. Theres so much talent within the drag community and the viewers at home will get to see how much hard work goes into the art form. I hope the celebrities know what theyve gotten themselves in for! Dont be a drag, just be a queen Im so thrilled to be a part of this show. Queens for the Night airs Saturday 5 November at 8.30pm on ITV. 5th CIIE expected to energize global economy, cooperation Xinhua) 09:18, November 05, 2022 * The CIIE has not only enabled exhibits to become traded goods and exhibitors to spot more investment opportunities, but also facilitated an exchange of new and creative ideas, and better connected China and the wider world. * As an important force in the world in technological innovation, China is trying to turn the CIIE into a platform where the world's advanced technologies can join forces and meet the market to benefit more people around the globe. * The 5th edition of the CIIE, the first international fair to be held by China after the 20th CPC National Congress, is an important window for global observers to learn more about Chinese modernization, as well as its implications for the common development worldwide. BEIJING, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- At the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2019, a robot displayed in the booth of the French sporting goods retailer Decathlon caught the eyes of many visitors. Featuring a combination of radio frequency identification and artificial intelligence (AI), the robot called Dibao can substantially boost the efficiency of inventory management at physical stores. The idea on Dibao was sparked at the very first edition of the CIIE, where the French firm came across an AI robot company, and the two parties soon embarked on a robot project that integrated advanced technologies from China, France and Germany. Nowadays, Dibao has been deployed in dozens of Decathlon stores across China, drawing wide interest from overseas markets. Dibao's success is just one of many stories of how the CIIE has brought together ideas, innovations, technologies as well as business opportunities over the past five years. The world can expect more this year. Since its inception, the CIIE has not only "enabled exhibits to become traded goods and exhibitors to spot more investment opportunities," but also "facilitated an exchange of new and creative ideas, and better connected China and the wider world," said Chinese President Xi Jinping in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third CIIE. This aerial photo taken on Oct. 31, 2021 shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, east China. (Photo by Jiang Zhongcheng/Xinhua) PLATFORM FOR COOPERATION From U.S. conglomerate Honeywell that plans to display more than 60 innovative products at the new expo, to Turkiye's edible oil company Savola Foods, the Norwegian Seafood Council, and many other enterprises eager to introduce specialties from their own countries, the exhibitors' enthusiasm is a testimony that the expo has become a show window for quality goods, a catalyst for innovation and an incubator of new partnerships. The accumulated intended turnover at the previous four editions of the CIIE exceeded 270 billion U.S. dollars. The organizer said on Tuesday that representatives from a total of 145 countries, regions and international organizations will participate in this year's version, among whom are more than 280 industry leaders or the world's top 500 enterprises, with nearly 90 percent being repeat participants. As a frequenter of the fair, Varian Medical Systems, a U.S. leading company in radiotherapy, has experienced China's progress in opening-up, and become even more determined to be rooted in the market, said Zhang Xiao, Varian vice-president and head of China operation. A growing number of enterprises are leveraging the CIIE platform for global or China debuts, especially for their blockbuster products. At the four previous editions of the CIIE, exhibitors launched more than 1,500 new products, technologies and services, data from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed, while debuts for this year are anticipated to outnumber those at the past events. For example, apart from showcasing its robotic products including Tesla Bot, top U.S. electric automaker Tesla has decided to debut its Model S Plaid and S3XY in the Chinese mainland at this year's expo, it announced Monday. The expo has provided an open, collaborative and mutually beneficial platform for global enterprises to share business opportunities in the Chinese market, said Vice President of Tesla Tao Lin. Moreover, face-to-face exchanges make the expo an ideal venue to meet new friends. Ali Shariati-Moghadam, CEO of Iran's Novin Saffron company, deemed the CIIE as "a real-life small-scale global village" that allows firms to "meet and know each other better, exchange experiences and expand their businesses." The CIIE's development in the past five years has vividly shown that the Chinese market is committed to be "a market for the world, a market shared by all, and a market accessible to all," as Xi put it at the 2020 expo. U.S. conglomerate Honeywell displays its smart hospital solutions during the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Renzi) HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT LEADS TO WIN-WIN From 2013 to 2021, China contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth, with its own GDP reaching 114.4 trillion yuan (15.8 trillion dollars), and per capita GDP jumped to over 12,000 dollars. The focus of China's economic development has accordingly transited from rapid growth to high-quality development. High-quality development demands innovation. The country's research and development spending intensity jumped to 2.44 percent in 2021 from 1.91 percent in 2012, with its ranking in the Global Innovation Index rising to the 11th place this year. As an important force in the world in technological innovation, China is trying to turn the CIIE into a platform where the world's advanced technologies can join forces and meet the market to benefit more people around the globe. Wang Hao, president of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, said his company has brought to the event such technologies as a 5G-enabled remote ultrasound solution, which contributes to high-quality remote diagnosis of medical images. China is also a strong advocate for green and sustainable development. Its commitments to carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, as part of its push for green and low-carbon development, have further boosted innovation across green industries. German specialty chemicals company Evonik has "made strides in local sustainability practices, which aligns with China's pledge to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals," said Xia Fuliang, president of Evonik Greater China. "We will introduce our latest achievements and best practices with regard to innovation and sustainability at CIIE." "We are excited about opportunities from China's focus on green development. We will continue to contribute to the green economy in China by taking advantage of our technologies and innovations," said Ding Hongyu, vice president of 3M and president of 3M China. Varian Medical Systems, a U.S. leading company in radiotherapy, displays its proton therapy system during the third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) CHINESE MODERNIZATION BOOSTS COMMON DEVELOPMENT In recent days after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), "a Chinese path to modernization" has sparked heated discussion in the country and beyond. The 5th edition of the CIIE, the first international fair to be held by China after the congress, is an important window for global observers to learn more about Chinese modernization, as well as its implications for the common development worldwide. One example is how China through the CIIE helps small- and medium-sized companies from the least developed countries cope with shockwaves of trade protectionism and surge of de-globalization. Timor-Leste is well-known for its Kopi Luwak. After it first showcased the coffee at the 2018 CIIE, Timor-Leste received its largest-ever coffee order at the fourth expo worth about 5 million dollars. "Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the coffee production and sales in Timor-Leste have also been affected, but the orders from the CIIE have given coffee farmers great expectations and confidence in the Chinese market," said Bei Lei, executive curator of Timor-Leste's national pavilion at Shanghai Free Trade Zone. This photo taken on Nov. 2, 2022 shows a medical device of German company Siemens to be displayed in the upcoming fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) More importantly, Chinese modernization is now seen by many countries around the world as an inspiration for their drive to modernize. "China has huge potential, and its development model is inspiring the world," Antonio Artur Sanha, former prime minister of Guinea-Bissau, told Xinhua, adding the blueprint outlined at the 20th CPC National Congress will make new contributions to promoting world economic recovery and building an open economy. Chinese modernization, which was pursued on the path of peaceful development, will inject more positive energy into improving global governance, said Eduardo Regalado, a senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images Liz Cheney slammed Marjorie Taylor Greene for her recent comments about Ukraine. Cheney said that Greene stands "with Putin against freedom & America." Greene pledged to cut aid to Ukraine if the GOP gains control of Congress in the midterms. Rep. Liz Cheney took a jab at a fellow Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for pledging to halt funding for Ukraine if Republicans gain control of Congress in the midterm elections. "The only border they care about is Ukraine, not America's southern border," Greene said Thursday at a Trump rally, per the HuffPost. "Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine. Our country comes first. They don't care about our border or our people." In response to Greene's speech, Cheney tweeted that this is "exactly" what Russian President Vladimir Putin wants. "If we'd had Republicans like this in the 1980s, we would have lost the Cold War," she added. The US has sent billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February. However, the funding has received pushback from GOP leaders who called on the White House to focus on domestic issues. With the midterms nearing, lawmakers are working to send $50 billion in aid to Ukraine as soon as possible. Greene, a far-right Georgia congresswoman, has notably spread misinformation surrounding the war, previously asking if the aid sent to Ukraine is "falling into the hands of Nazis," echoing Putin's rhetoric. She reacted to Cheney's tweet on Thursday, "There are two things that are in the past 1. You and your Daddy's Republican Party that sent our military to fight foreign wars on the backs of American tax dollars and didn't win a damn thing.," Greene wrote. "2. You." Cheney snapped back at Greene, later adding that she stands "with Putin against freedom & America." Read the original article on Business Insider After the growing number of whale fatalities from ships, scientists developed a program to prevent further deaths. Whale Safe is a project that uses high-tech sensors, computer modeling and satellites along with low-tech observations to warn ship captains of the presence of endangered whales. Whale Safe's website shows what ships are heeding the warnings as the company publishes a letter grade for each large ship. The Whale Safe online tool shows a very high chance of whale presence and the place where whales were spotted. The colored lines show ships traveling in shipping channels. The list on the left shows the ship information with its letter grade. "Just off the US West Coast, every year there are about 80 endangered bluefin and humpback whales that are killed from these strikes," Callie Leiphardt of Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and lead on the project told FOX Weather. Leiphardt says that one of the hardest parts of working on this type of problem is that a majority goes undetected. "So for almost every single one that we see washed up on a beach or floating out in the ocean, we can almost estimate that about ten is happening for everyone that we're seeing," she continued. THAR SHE BLOWS: BREACHING WHALE SMASHES BOAT IN CAPE COD BAY Scientists performed a necropsy on this humpback whale in Half Moon Bay, California and determined she was killed by a ship-strike. Even a couple of deaths could put an endangered species in jeopardy. In 2019, at least two blue whales were killed by ships off California. That number put the species at risk of not being sustainable. NOAA Fisheries estimated that only 1.2 whales could be removed from the Eastern North Pacific stock die a non-natural death and still allow the remaining stock, around 1,600 individuals, to be able to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population. WATCH: DIVER GETS SURREAL CLOSE-UP EXPERIENCE WITH WHALE AND CALF Blue whales are the largest animals in the world, according to the Marine Mammal Center. They can grow to 90 feet long which is the length of 3 school busses. They can weigh as much as 15 school busses or 320,000 pounds. Leiphardt launched the pilot program in Southern California in 2020. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the two busiest in the U.S. More than 50% of all container ship traffic coming to or leaving from the U.S. passes through West Coast ports, according to research. Endangered whales migrate and feed in the busy shipping lanes. Story continues Artificial intelligence monitors for humpback, fin and blue whale calls with acoustic sensors hanging from buoys 24/7. Satellites instantly transmit the calls to human analysts for confirmation. WATCH: NEW JERSEY FISHERMEN HAVE WHALE OF A TALE TO TELL AFTER NEARLY STRUCK BY MASSIVE HUMPBACK "We also have, I guess, the best way I like to explain it is almost weather forecasting for blue whales," Leiphardt said. "Its a dynamic blue whale habitat model that actually draws insights from the satellite data to help predict where blue whales are likely to be based on what the ocean is telling us." More whale reports come from whale-watch boats, ship captains and amateur naturalists. The program takes the sightings off different mobile apps and crowdsourcing sites like Citizen Science. Fran, the adult female humpback whale, breaching in 2018. The program marries the data with the Automatic Identification System, a ship tracking system that also monitors ship speed. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, E.P.A. and the U.S Coast Guard suggest 10-knot (11.5 mph) speed limits through whale feeding areas. CONCERNING REPORT SHOWS CRITICALLY ENDANGERED NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE POPULATION CONTINUES TO DECLINE Research shows that the 10-knot speed limit for large vessels through sensitive whale habitats on the East Coast reduced the risk of North Atlantic Right Whale ship strike deaths by 80% to 90%. The site shows whale sightings, whale presence ratings from low to very high for areas, ships paths and a ships cooperation rate for voluntary slow down and associated letter grade. A gray whale in San Francisco Bay swimming near a commuter ferry. The Benioff lab and the Marine Mammal Center partnered to launch Whale Safe in the San Francisco Bay Area in September. That was just a month after Fran, the most photographed whale in California, washed up on a beach after a necropsy showed she was struck and killed by a ship. Scientists identified Fran from the markings on her fins and back. "The death of Fran is incredibly tragic, given that ship strikes on whales can be avoided," says Kathi George, Director of Field Operations & Response at The Marine Mammal Center. "Everyone, including shipping companies, wants to protect these magnificent giants, and we need ships to slow down in vessel speed reduction areas as well as when whales are around." Another AI program that utilizes citizen scientist photos of fluke patterns identified Frans body. She has recorded 277 sightings since her birth in 2005. Just this year was pictured bringing a calf to feeding grounds successfully for the first time. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV A photo of Fran (right) and her calf in June 2022. Whale Safe hopes to expand to other areas like the East Coast. That is where NOAA Fisheries made an official declaration and launched an investigation into the right whale unusual mortality event that started in 2017. The 91 severely injured and dead right whales off the East Coast since 2017 is an uptick from previous years. The number puts the survival of the species at risk. NOAA estimates there are 368 remaining whales, including only 57 new calves. DOZENS OF SICK AND INJURED WHALES ADDED TO ONGOING NORTH ATLANTIC MORTALITY EVENT "Looking into the next few decades, maritime shipping is just going to grow exponentially," Leiphardt said. "Any time you have this overlap of large cargo ships and whales, the risk is higher and higher." Data will also help groups establish temporary or permanent routing measures around whale feeding and breeding zones. Luke Evans has been persistently linked to the role of James Bond for a number of years. (Getty/Bauer Media) Luke Evans played it coy on The One Show when he was asked about rumours he could be cast as James Bond, but said his version of the spy would be "definitely Welsh". Evans, who has recently appeared in live-action versions of Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio, has been a constant presence on rumour shortlists for Daniel Craig's replacement following No Time to Die. Read more: Actors who could play the next James Bond The One Show host Alex Jones quizzed Evans in the wake of bookies slashing the odds on him being cast in the role of Ian Fleming's literary superspy. When the 43-year-old refused to give an answer, Jones asked whether he would play Bond as Welsh if the call were to come. Watch: Luke Evans would "jump at the chance" to be James Bond "Definitely Welsh. I dont know. Ive never really thought about it. Its a bit like jinxing it by talking about it. Theyd be big shoes to fill, wouldnt they?" said the actor. Evans joked that he'd "enjoy it at a push" if he got the chance to don a tuxedo and star in the 60-year-old blockbuster franchise. Read more: Luke Evans thanks NHS for saving his dad's hand after accident He added: "I mean, who knows? It is famously the best kept secret in the movie world, right? So, no one knows." The betting market for the next James Bond currently lists the likes of Henry Cavill, McMafia star James Norton and Bridgerton leading man Rege-Jean Page as favourites. Daniel Craig said goodbye to the James Bond role with No Time to Die last year. (MGM/Universal Pictures/EON) Daniel Craig made his final appearance as James Bond in the 2021 movie No Time to Die, which was his fifth outing as 007 since taking over the role for Casino Royale in 2006. Franchise boss Barbara Broccoli said earlier this year that fans shouldn't expect updates any time soon, with production on the next Bond adventure still "at least two years away". Read more: How the six James Bond actors have shaped the role In a separate interview, Broccoli revealed that any actor who takes on the James Bond mantle has to commit for 10/12 years. Story continues She added: "Its not just about casting an actor for a film. Its about a reinvention, and Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character? "And then, once we figure that out, whos the right person for that particular reinvention?" Watch: David Tennant was once in the running for James Bond A man was convicted of felony firearm charges stemming from a 2020 gang retaliation shooting in a Sacramento neighborhood, according to authorities. Jermaine Johnson, a 27-year-old criminal street gang member, was out on bail on Oct. 3, 2020, when he shot someone whom he mistook as a rival gang member, according to the Sacramento County District Attorneys office. Before Johnson shot the victim, there was a separate shooting in the Del Paso Heights area, according to to the attorneys office. Immediately after the shooting, Johnson drove to the Strawberry Manor neighborhood for a retaliatory shooting. The attorneys office said Johnson fired at the victim multiple times before fleeing in his car. The victim survived. After the trial for this case, the attorneys office said Johnson plead guilty to possessing another firearm as a felony on a separate date. Johnson is ineligible for bail and faces a 22-year prison sentence for both cases. The sentencing date is Dec. 2. A Stockbridge man is facing a life sentence, plus an additional 65 years in prison for his involvement in a love triangle murder, according to the Henry County District Attorney. A Henry County jury returned a guilty verdict Friday afternoon against James Blake McAllister, 41, for killing his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend back in 2019. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Henry County DA said Steven Nichols, 32, was on his way to meet his girlfriend at a Stockbridge Dollar General on July 6, 2019 when he was approached by McAllister, who was waiting in the store parking lot with a sawed-off shotgun. McAllister pointed the gun at Nichols as he was running away for safety. He then went to the Nichols home in Stockbridge, where he shot and killed him. McAllister was later arrested by SWAT officers after he barricaded himself inside a Clayton County home. Police found McAllisters sawed-off shotgun buried behind his home. The DA said McAllister also pointed the gun at the ex-girlfriend and a customer sitting in her car before leaving the store to hunt down Nichols. TRENDING STORIES: This is a dangerous man who inflicted violence on three people that day. He also jeopardized the safety of law enforcement and the public, District Attorney Darius Pattillo said. The victims family is grateful to see justice served with this conviction. The DA said McAllister was convicted on the following counts: One count of malice murder Two counts of felony murder Three counts of aggravated assault Three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony One count each of possession of an illegal firearm Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Tampering with evidence. Story continues The judge sentenced McAllister to life plus 65 years in prison. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Police are searching for a shooter in the south Fulton County city of Chattahoochee Hills. Officers say a man was shot at a home on Hutcheson Ferry Road and had to be airlifted to a local hospital. His current condition is unknown. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] By the time officers arrived at the home, the suspect had driven away in an older model brown Toyota sedan without a license plate. Its unclear if the car belonged to the victim or the suspect. The suspects identity has not been released. Police say rumors were swirling on social media of a home invasion at the house. They have not confirmed if a home invasion was part of the incident. TRENDING STORIES: Investigators say they do not know the motive or what led up to the shooting. Anyone with information on the shooting should call detectives at 770-463-8881. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: David Coulson, 55, was incarcerated from 2002 to 2022 in California under the Three Strikes law, 1990s legislation mandating life sentences following a third felony offense. 20 years into serving a life sentence for stealing $14, a Black man was released from a California prison last month following a recommendation from the states department of corrections and rehabilitation. David Coulson, 55, was incarcerated from 2002 to 2022 in California under the Three Strikes law which mandated life sentences following a third felony offense. The law was adopted in many states nationwide as fears of crime and habitual offenders swept the United States. Nearly half of those behind bars due to the law today are Black, as reported by The Guardian. Coulson, who was 35 at the time of his 2002 arrest, stole miscellaneous items from an open residential garage while he was homeless in Long Beach amid lifelong challenges with abuse, mental illness and drug addiction, according to the outlet. Rows of prison cells, prison interior. (Adobe Stock) Despite making away with only $14 worth of coins and a small scale, Coulson was arrested, and the crime was prosecuted as a burglary and robbery adding the final two felony strikes on his record. He previously went to jail and prison while in his 20s for nonviolent offenses including attempted break-ins, though he never entered the homes, according to the outlet. Coulson was not officially sentenced until 2006, as he was diagnosed with schizophrenia following his 2002 arrest and deemed unfit for trial. He began experiencing hallucinations and self-harming during his tumultuous childhood. He was born to a 16-year-old mother who struggled with drug addiction, put up for adoption at age four, and adopted by a family who reportedly beat him. Couldon was also sexually abused, per The Guardian. He got involved with drugs, alcohol and gang activity as a teenager, experiencing being shot twice, according to the outlet. Coulson told The Guardian that during his prosecution he felt nobody cared about the trauma he experienced in his youth. Story continues I was crying out for help. I was doing whatever I could to get the attention I needed. I was praying it wouldnt end up with me in prison for the rest of my life, that someone would come to me and say, Whats going on? Whats making you act this way? Why are you the way you are? he said. Per the outlet, 33,000 people are currently serving life sentences in prison in the state under the Three Strikes law. 45% of them are African American, despite making up only 6.5% of the states population. Coulson told the outlet he expected never to be released again but Californias department of corrections and rehabilitation flagged his case for resentencing in August following his classroom accomplishments and volunteer work during his two decades behind bars, the Guardian reported. During a Sept. 13 hearing, Judge Daniel Lowenthal told Coulson that he was shocked and angry at how the court system previously treated him, adding that a more fitting sentence would have been probation and treatment. This is all Ive ever wanted in my life, Coulson said between tears during the hearing, as quoted by the outlet. Ive been crying out for help all my life, and no one has ever heard me. Finally, somebody has heard me. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Man who stole $14 in 2002 released from prison after 20 years appeared first on TheGrio. Sen. Joe Manchin Saturday demanded President Biden apologize for saying coal plants "all across America" will be shut down, in a scathing statement just days before crucial midterm elections. "President Bidens comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs," Manchin, D-W.Va., said. "Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure." Sen. Joe Manchin ripped into President Biden on Saturday morning for comments the president made about shutting down coal plants on Friday. BIDEN SAYS COAL PLANTS ALL ACROSS AMERICA WILL BE SHUT DOWN, REPLACED WITH WIND AND SOLAR Manchin added: "It seems his positions change depending on the audience and the politics of the day. Politicizing our nations energy policies would only bring higher prices and more pain for the American people." Biden Friday called coal plants too expensive to operate, and said renewable forms of energy will replace them. "No one is building new coal plants because they cant rely on it. Even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of the existence of the plant," Biden said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "So it's going to become a wind generation," Biden continued. "And all they're doing is its going to save them a hell of a lot of money and using the same transmission line that they transmitted the coal-fired electric on, we're going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar power." PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE FETTERMAN INSISTS HE IS SIT TO SERVE Manchin, whose state has a long history with the coal industry, has often been critical of the Biden administration on energy policy. President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Joe Manchin at the signing ceremony for the Inflation Reduction Act. But Manchin's comments Saturday come at a remarkable time, just days before a critical midterm election in which Democrats and Republicans are in a toss-up battle for Senate control. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been gently courting Manchin to join the GOP for years. Shortly after Republicans captured the Senate in 1994, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., abandoned the Democrats and became members of the GOP following that midterm shellacking. Story continues "Let me be clear, this is something the President has never said to me," Manchin said of the Biden comments. "Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting. OHIO DEMOCRAT COMES OUT AGAINST TIM RYAN, CALLS HIM A FRAUD "The President owes these incredible workers an immediate and public apology and it is time he learn a lesson that his words matter and have consequences," Manchin said. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre responded to Manchin's press release with a release later in the day. "President Biden knows that the men and women of coal country built this nation: they powered its steel mills and factories, kept its homes and schools and offices warm. They made this the most productive and powerful nation on Earth," Jean-Pierre said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "He came to the White House to end years of big words but little action to help the coal-producing parts of our country," she continued. "Working closely with Senator Manchin, a tireless advocate for his state and the hard-working men and women who live there, President Biden has helped get this part of the country back to work: the unemployment rate in West Virginia was 6.2% the last month before Joe Biden took office; now it is down to 4%." Jean-Puerre added: "The Presidents remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense. The President was commenting on a fact of economics and technology: as it has been from its earliest days as an energy superpower, America is once again in the midst of an energy transition." Fox Business' Andrew Miller and Chad Pergram contributed to this report. Martin Freeman (at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever London premiere) reflects on Chadwick Boseman's "dreadful" death. (Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville) Martin Freeman is still shocked that no one at Marvel knew that his Black Panther co-star, Chadwick Boseman, was seriously ill during filming, he says in a new interview about the action hero's "dreadful" death from colon cancer. Losing him was awful. It was dreadful, Freeman told Sky News about the Academy Award-nominated actors death in August 2020. Freeman, 51, called the late star an inspiration because of what he achieved. Boseman lived with cancer for the last four years of his life. During that time, the actor starred in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: End Game, 21 Bridges, Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Marvels What If? He was really quite remarkable. I couldn't believe that nobody knew," the BAFTA winner shared. "I was saying to people at Marvel, 'Come on, you must've really known.'" But nobody was the wiser. Thats when you kind of go you can never complain again. You cant complain about oh, weve been waiting around a bit long or my teas a bit cold, when people are capable of this superhuman act of fortitude, Freeman said. The British actor is the latest collaborator to talk about working with Boseman amid his cancer struggles. In January 2022, Denzel Washington spoke with Variety about the late star, calling him "a man among men." "He suffered quietly," Washington told the outlet. "He made the movie, and nobody knew. I didnt know. He never said a peep about it. He just did his job. I wondered if something was wrong because he seemed weak or tired sometimes. We had no idea, and it was nobodys business. Good for him, keeping it to himself." In September, Lupita Nyongo spoke about grieving the movies star while the cast filmed its sequel, Wakanda Forever. "There was a lot of stillness, reflection, prayer and meditation to bolster me up as emotionally, mentally and spiritually as possible," Nyong'o told the New York Times. Story continues "It was a unique experience to step back into this world without our leader. When you have a sophomore film, there's a lot of expectation. But I think the loss of Chadwick kind of took all that away. I found myself having to radically accept that this was going to be different, and that showing up with as much openness as possible was key." President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige told Empire that Bosemen's role as TChalla will not be recast. The decision has led to petitions from Marvel fans. A Milwaukee man is facing one felony count of first-degree reckless injury using a dangerous weapon following a brawl at an Oak Creek movie theater on Nov. 1. Syafiq Mohamed-Hussin, 22, could face up to $100,000 in fines and 30 years behind bars if convicted, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Oak Creek Police on Nov. 1 found a 19-year-old man with approximately 17 stab wounds at the South Shore Cinema, 7261 S. 13th St., just after 10 p.m., according to Capt. Dave Ashenhurst. The fight was started by disruptive patrons, Ashenhurst said. According to the complaint: The 19-year-old was taken to Froedtert Hospital, and he was found to have two punctured lungs, among other injuries. Mohamed-Hussin turned himself in to police and admitted to using his car key in his right hand with the key extended from the fob to stab the man. He also admitted to kicking the man once. Video surveillance from the theater showed a friend of Mohamed-Hussin tackle the 19-year-old to the ground. Mohamed-Hussin was seen making numerous punching type motions into the mans body. Mohamed-Hussin told police he was led to believe the 19-year-old had beaten up another of his friends in the theater and knocked them unconscious, saying he was mad and upset and wanted to make the victim hurt. Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee man charged in Oak Creek South Shore movie theater stabbing Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday held a phone conversation with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the latter's request. Wang said the Singaporean side extended congratulations on the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on Xi Jinping's re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, which has demonstrated its high emphasis on Singapore-China relations and its understanding and recognition of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as the high level of bilateral relationship. Under the leadership of the new CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, the Chinese people will strive in unity and embark on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization, Wang said. Keeping pace with the times is the most distinctive feature of China-Singapore relations, Wang said, adding that the two countries can continue to learn from and help each other in the process of realizing their respective modernization. China is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with Singapore and promote the resumption of personnel exchanges in an orderly manner, and make the bilateral relationship a model in China's relations with other countries, especially its neighbors, Wang said. Noting that global challenges are emerging one after another, Wang voiced expectation that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries could stand in solidarity and seize the opportunity of hosting the leaders' meetings on East Asia cooperation, the G20 Leaders' Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to provide more certainty and stability for the world and to play a good role in coping with the instabilities and changes in the world. China will continue to give diplomatic priority to the ASEAN, Wang said, and China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to promote their comprehensive strategic partnership to bear fruit and lift bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new level. Balakrishnan said that cooperation between Singapore and China is rich in content and has yielded rich fruits. Seizing the opportunity of these major events, Singapore will review experience in cooperation with China in an in-depth manner, solidly promote key cooperation projects including the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, further strengthen the ASEAN-China interconnection and raise their level of cooperation on industrial chains. Singapore fully supports the upgrading of ASEAN-China relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. It will take at least 10 years to demine the entire occupied part of Luhansk Oblast. Source: Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "It will take at least 10 years to demine the entire territory of Luhansk Oblast." Details: Haidai noted that first of all, the main overpasses and the grounds of critical infrastructure facilities will be demined. "But there are 100-180-200 strikes an hour on any one section of the front. Thats thousands of strikes per day. This leaves behind many unexploded shells, mines and missiles, and many areas are being mined remotely. No one even has a proper map of the mines," Haidai explained. He noted that Ukraine is turning to other countries and international organisations for assistance with mine clearance. Croatia, for example, has agreed to provide such assistance. Regarding the situation at the front in Luhansk Oblast, Haidai noted that it is "quite difficult, but under control." "Despite the limited reserves and time that has played into the hands of the invaders, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are still moving forward," he said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine denies the statements made by Rolf Mutzenich, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, regarding his inclusion on a "terrorist list" by the Ukrainian authorities. Source: Oleh Nikolenko, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on Facebook Quote: "The Ukrainian government does not keep a list of terrorists. And as far as I know, there are no proceedings against Rolf Mutzenich in Ukraine. All of the German politician's statements regarding alleged persecution by the Ukrainian authorities are untrue." Previously: On 5 November, Rolf Mutzenich, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, accused the Ukrainian authorities of putting him on the terrorist list for supporting diplomatic efforts in the war with Russia. At the end of January of 2022, before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mutzenich called for the conflict with Russia to be resolved through negotiations, not by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A beauty pageant can prevent trans women from participating in the competition, a federal court ruled this week. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District came in response to a lawsuit brought by Miss Oregon-hopeful and openly transgender woman Anita Green. She sued the United States of America Pageants organization after she was not allowed to participate in the Miss Oregon beauty pageant, even though the pageant itself asked her to take part in the contest. She initially sued the United States of America Pageants in 2019, but the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon dismissed the case, leading her to pursue an appeal. Green brought the lawsuit on the grounds that the pageant's rule to only allow "natural born female" contestants was in violation of the Oregon Public Accommodations Act (OPAA), which advocates for equal rights for every person regardless of belief, background or identity. The OPAA states that "all Oregonians have the right to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any place of public accommodation, without any distinction, discrimination or restriction on account of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status or age (above 18)." United States of America Pageants did not disagree that it must abide by OPAA, but it argued that it is within its First Amendment rights to reject a particular contestant. The appellate court Wednesday released its 106-page opinion. It agreed with the United States of America Pageants' lawyers that the First Amendment protected the organization's "expressive association rights to exclude a person who would impact the group's ability to express its views." The court also said the pageant's "natural born female" eligibility requirement is not in violation of OPAA, and that allowing Green to participate in the pageant would prevent the organization from expressing its point of view. Story continues "The pageant would not be able to communicate 'the celebration of biological women' if it were forced to allow Green to participate," the opinion reads. "The Pageant expresses its message in part through whom it chooses as its contestants, and the First Amendment affords it the right to do so." Green argued in court that her inclusion in the pageant would not prevent the Miss USA organization from expressing its viewpoints. "Green's insistence that there was no meaningful difference between Green and any of the pageant's cisgender female contestants was precisely the opposite statement of the one that the pageant sought to make," the opinion read. "The pageant's desired expression of who can be an 'ideal woman' would be suppressed and thereby transformed through the coercive power of the law if the OPAA were to be applied to it," the panel added. One judge on the panel offered a dissenting opinion, arguing that the court should not have evaluated the constitutionality of the pageant's decision before reviewing the issue according to Oregon state law. The American court system typically follows the doctrine of constitutional avoidance, which means that courts evaluate the constitutionality of the issue in question as a last resort. "Judge Graber would vacate the judgment and remand the case to the district court to determine whether the OPAA applied to Defendant before this court addresses any constitutional concerns regarding the application of the statute," the dissent read. Republican Mike Lawler discusses New York House race New York governor's race is closer than anticipated Parties look to mobilize Black male voters Tens of thousands more young voters in Pennsylvania are voting early this year compared to the 2018 midterm elections, according to an online tracker of early voting. TargetEarly, a dashboard for the Democratic political data and data services firm TargetSmart, found that more than 80,000 Pennsylvanians aged 18 to 29 have voted early so far in the states midterm elections. Only about 28,500 did so in 2018. Midterm election years typically see significantly lower turnout than presidential election years. More than 30 million early votes had already been cast nationwide as of Thursday, according to a comprehensive voting tracker. Pennsylvanias adoption of no-excuse mail-in voting in 2019 may be a factor in the increase from 2018 to 2022, but several states across the country have seen record voting turnout this year. TargetEarlys numbers show young Democrats make up an even larger share of the early vote in Pennsylvania than they did in 2018 and 2020. Democrats are much more likely to vote early, while Republicans more commonly vote on Election Day. Democrats make up more than 80 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 who have voted so far in Pennsylvania, while Republicans make up about 15 percent and unaffiliated voters make up about 5 percent. Democrats only made up about 60 percent of that age groups early vote in 2018 and 70 percent of it in 2020. Major contests are happening in Pennsylvania over the race for governor and an open Senate seat. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) is running against state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) for governor, while Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) faces Republican Mehmet Oz for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R). Polls have shown Shapiro with comfortable leads over Mastriano, but Fetterman and Oz appear to be locked in a tight race, with polls showing neither candidate ahead by more than a couple points. Fetterman led throughout most of the general election campaign, but Oz has closed the gap in recent weeks. Story continues The Senate race could determine which party will control the body after the midterms. Encouraging younger voters to turn out will be key to Democrats chances of winning in Pennsylvania and across the country. Updated: 4:45 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea added to its recent barrage of weapons demonstrations by launching four ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday, as the United States sent two supersonic bombers streaking over South Korea in a dueling display of military might that underscored rising tensions in the region. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the four short-range missiles fired from a North Korean western coastal area around noon flew about 130 kilometers (80 miles) toward the countrys western sea. The North has test-fired more than 30 missiles this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan, and flew large numbers of warplanes inside its territory in an angry reaction to a massive combined aerial exercise between the United States and South Korea. The South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of the Vigilant Storm joint air force drills that wraps up Saturday. It marked the first time since December 2017 that the bombers were deployed to the Korean Peninsula. The exercise involved around 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries. North Koreas Foreign Ministry late Friday described the countrys military actions this week as an appropriate response to the exercise, which it called a display of U.S. military confrontation hysteria. It said North Korea will respond with the toughest counteraction to any attempts by hostile forces to infringe on its sovereignty or security interests. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said the participation of the B-1Bs in the joint drills demonstrated the allies readiness to sternly respond to North Korean provocations and the U.S. commitment to defend its ally with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear. B-1B flyovers had been a familiar show of force during past periods of tensions with North Korea, including the North's provocative run in nuclear and long-range missile tests in 2017. But the flyovers had been halted in recent years as the United States and South Korea stopped their large-scale exercises to support the former Trump administrations diplomatic efforts with North Korea and because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues The allies resumed their large-scale training this year after North Korea dialed up its weapons testing to a record pace, exploiting a divide in the U.N. Security Council over Russias war on Ukraine as a window to accelerate arms development. North Korea hates such displays of American military might at close range. The North has continued to describe the B-1B as a nuclear strategic bomber although the plane was switched to conventional weaponry in the mid-1990s. Vigilant Storm had been initially scheduled to end Friday, but the allies decided to extend the training to Saturday in response to a series of North Korean ballistic launches on Thursday, including an ICBM that triggered evacuation alerts and halted trains in northern Japan. Thursdays launches came after the North fired more than 20 missiles on Wednesday, the most in a single day. Those launches came after North Korean senior military official Pak Jong Chon issued a veiled threat of a nuclear conflict with the United States and South Korea over their joint drills, which the North says are rehearsals for a potential invasion. South Korea also on Friday scrambled about 80 military aircraft after tracking about 180 flights by North Korean warplanes inside North Korean territory. The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North Korean warplanes were detected in various areas inland and along the countrys eastern and western coasts, but did not come particularly close to the Koreas border. The South Korean military spotted about 180 flight trails from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., but it wasnt immediately clear how many North Korean planes were involved and whether some may have flown more than once. In Fridays statement attributed to an unidentified spokesperson, North Koreas Foreign Ministry said the United States and South Korea had created a seriously unstable atmosphere in the region with their military exercises. It accused the United States of mobilizing its allies in a campaign using sanctions and military threats to pressure North Korea to unilaterally disarm. The sustained provocation is bound to be followed by sustained counteraction, the statement said. North Korea has launched dozens of ballistic missiles this year, including multiple ICBMs and an intermediate-range missile flown over Japan. South Korean officials say there are indications North Korea in coming weeks could detonate its first nuclear test device since 2017. Experts say North Korea is attempting to force the United States to accept it as a nuclear power and seeks to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength. North Korea fired four ballistic missiles on Saturday, the South Korean military said, the latest in Pyongyang's testing blitz this week as Washington and Seoul concluded their biggest-ever air force drills. The flurry of North Korean launches included an intercontinental ballistic missile and one that landed near the South's territorial waters. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said it was "effectively a territorial invasion". The launches came as hundreds of US and South Korean warplanes -- including B-1B heavy bombers -- participated in the Vigilant Storm exercise, which Pyongyang described as "aggressive and provocative". "The South Korean military detected four short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea from Tongrim, North Pyongan Province, to the West Sea at around 11:32 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. today," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement on Saturday, using another name for the Yellow Sea. Their "flight distance was detected at about 130 km (80 miles), an altitude of about 20 km, and a speed of about Mach 5", they added. Mach 5 is equivalent to five times the speed of sound. The United States and South Korea have warned that these launches could culminate in a nuclear test by North Korea, and extended their air force drills to Saturday in response. Vigilant Storm was originally scheduled to run from Monday to Friday. Pyongyang ramped up missile launches in response to the drills. Such exercises have long provoked strong reactions from North Korea, which sees them as rehearsals for an invasion. - 'Significant threat' - Vigilant Storm concluded on Saturday, with the US Air Force deploying two B-1B long-range heavy bombers on the final day in a ramped-up show of force. This was the first time B-1Bs have flown to the Korean peninsula since December 2017. The South Korean JCS said it demonstrated the "capability and readiness to firmly respond to any provocations from North Korea". Pyongyang has especially condemned past deployments of US strategic weapons such as B-1Bs and aircraft carrier strike groups in times of high tension. Story continues While the supersonic B-1B "Lancer" aircraft no longer carries nuclear weapons, it is described by the US Air Force as "the backbone of America's long-range bomber force". The USAF lists the Lancer's weapons payload as 34 tonnes (75,000 pounds), which can include cruise missiles and laser-guided bombs. The B-1B's range can be extended by in-air refuelling, giving it the ability to strike anywhere in the world. Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean studies scholar, told AFP that given the B-1B's status as a strategic US asset, its deployment will be seen as a "significant threat" by North Korea. The B-1B deployment came a day after South Korea scrambled fighter jets in response to what it said was the mobilisation of around 180 North Korean warplanes. Experts say Pyongyang is particularly sensitive about these drills because its air force is one of the weakest links in its military, lacking high-tech jets and properly trained pilots. Compared with North Korea's ageing fleet, Vigilant Storm has seen some of the most advanced US and South Korean warplanes in action, including F-35 stealth fighters. At the United Nations Security Council on Friday, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed criticism of Vigilant Storm as North Korean "propaganda", saying it posed no threat to other countries. She assailed China and Russia during the emergency session, accusing them of having "enabled" North Korea. Moscow and Beijing have in turn blamed Washington for the escalation, and the meeting ended without a joint statement from the Security Council. cdl-qan/aha Nancy Pelosi has made her first public on-camera comments about the brutal hammer attack on her husband a day after he was released from the hospital. The House Speaker said in a video that Paul Pelosis recovery from a fractured skull and other injuries was going to be a long haul, but he will be well. Paul came home yesterday. That enables me to be at home with all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul, she said on the YouTube video. Its going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And, its just so tragic how it happened, but nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. Hes surrounded by family, so thats a wonderful thing. The video was released just hours after a Friday hearing for suspect David DePape, who faces a string of state and federal charges in the case. Mr Pelosi needed surgery for a skull fracture after he was attacked by the suspect at the couples San Francisco home in the Pacific Heights area on 28 October. The suspect is being held without bail on state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse and his lawyers have entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. With a grateful heart I thank all who sent kind words and prayers for Paul. Its a long road but he will be well. Our security, our Democracy, our planet, our values are on the ballot. Believe that we will win and help Get Out The Vote to make it so.-NPhttps://t.co/sWs0cfdQJN Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 4, 2022 He forced his way into the Pelosi home intending to take the person third in line to the presidency of the United States hostage and to seriously harm her, prosecutors stated in a court filing. Thwarted by Speaker Pelosis absence, Defendant continued on his quest and would not be stopped, culminating in the near fatal attack on Mr Pelosi. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a video Friday in which she addressed the horrific hammer attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi, and called on the country to come together. It is with a grateful heart that I thank you for being here, coming together this morning, Pelosi said in the video aired on CNN her first public, on-camera remarks about the assault at the couples San Francisco home last week. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind words, your prayers and your good wishes for Paul, she continued. Its going to be a long haul, but he will be well. And its just so tragic how it happened. But nonetheless, we have to be optimistic. Her husband, who underwent surgery for a fractured skull, is surrounded by family, which is a wonderful thing, the lawmaker added. Watch the video here: After reading poetry from Israeli writer Ehud Manor, Pelosi said, We need to bring our country together. So, when we are fighting this fight, getting out this vote, lets do so with the greatest respect for everyone. So again, I have always said that the arts would bring us together. And thats why I quoted that poem because we can be inspired, Pelosi added. We can laugh. We can cry. We can be inspired. We can share common thoughts and ground, [and] forget our differences. And I find that to be the saving grace. Paul Pelosi was released from the hospital Thursday. David DePape has pleaded not guilty on charges related to the home invasion attack, which include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Ukrainian prisoners who returned to Ukraine The long months of Russian captivity are over. 19 border guards have returned home, the Service stated. Read also: Ukrainian ombudsman speaks out about Russias abuse of POWs Further, they will undergo medical examination and rehabilitation. But the main thing is that they are alive and at home. The personnel released from Russian captivity are in a satisfactory condition, and medics are currently working with them, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, Andriy Demchenko, said on national TV on Nov. 5. Read also: Ukraine returned four marines and two civilians in a POW exchange Of course, the conditions they were kept in were difficult, he added. They have lost weight and need a medical check-up and rehabilitation. Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on Nov. 3, as a result of which 107 Ukrainian troops returned home. Read also: Ukraines intel chief on Medvedchuks whereabouts after POW swap Among those released are six Ukrainian officers, 101 privates and sergeants, other members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Navy, the Territorial Defense Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard, including three soldiers from the Azov regiment. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine This Saturday, North Florida Land Trust is asking for volunteers to join them for a property tour and cleanup at Little Rain Lake in Clay County. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The event is starting at 9:30 a.m. with the goal to remove the trash on the 578 acres that NFLT protected and is currently restoring. Volunteers will participate in a hayride which will take them to the area where the cleanup will occur. Along the way, NFLT staff and guides will stop to explain the landscape and the restoration efforts that are underway to bring back some disappearing habitats that are essential for many plant and animal species. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Volunteers must be able to work in the sun and lift 15 pounds. Helpers should wear closed-toe shoes and clothes they dont mind getting dirty. Please bring work gloves, a bucket and pickers if you have them, plus water in a reusable water bottle. Volunteers may also want to bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a hat, and sunglasses. NFLT will have additional gloves, trash bags and supplies. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Volunteers will meet at the Little Rain Lake ballfield at 9:30 a.m. where they will be briefed on the workday and what to expect. NFLT will then transport everyone to the cleanup site via the hayride. The event is expected to last until noon. Participants can register for the event here. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Flash Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday held talks with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing. Noting that China attaches great importance to ties with Germany, Li said China is ready to work with the German side to promote the stable and sound development of China-Germany relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, so as to add more impetus to the global economy and better safeguard regional and global peace and stability. Li said that economic and trade cooperation is the bedrock of bilateral relations, and that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Germany in areas such as trade and investment, manufacturing and COVID-19 response, and work toward a cooperation mechanism to act on climate change. For his part, Scholz said Germany does not advocate decoupling, and that Germany is ready to work with China to overcome the impact of COVID-19, deepen cooperation and facilitate personnel exchanges to further promote the development of bilateral ties. The two sides exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, including the Ukraine crisis, pledging efforts to maintain world peace and regional stability. When meeting with the press, Li said that under the current circumstances, China and Germany should enhance strategic mutual trust, adhere to two-way opening up, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote bilateral relations, and use the stability of China-Germany relations to promote the stability of international relations and the world economy. "China and Germany have far more common interests than differences," Li stressed, noting that the two sides have agreed to increase exchanges and communication in various fields, and promote cooperation on key projects. Li said China will continue to foster a market-oriented and law-based international business environment to develop China into a high ground for opening up and a hot destination for foreign investment. He said that companies from all over the world are welcome to invest in China. For his part, Scholz said Germany is ready to have candid dialogues with China, enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation in key areas, promote the establishment of a cooperation mechanism to tackle climate change, jointly address challenges in food security, energy security and the ecological environment, and make positive efforts to safeguard world peace and stability. By Cynthia Kim SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired four short-range ballistic missiles into the western sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, as Seoul and Washington ended a high-profile six-day military exercise. North Korea has launched a series of missiles this week, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile, drawing condemnation from the United States, South Korea and Japan, and raising speculation it could be preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 2017. Saturday's launches between 11:31 and 11:59 a.m. (0231-0259 GMT) come as the United States and South Korea finished the "Vigilant Storm" exercise they began on Monday. The missiles flew about 130 km (80 miles), reaching an altitude of about 20 km (10 miles), Seoul said. The allied exercise involved some 240 military aircraft and two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers, as well as four F-16 and four F-35A fighters, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is the first time the B-1B has been deployed in U.S.-South Korean drills since 2017, showing "the combined defence capabilities and determination of the Republic of Korea and the U.S. to resolutely respond to any provocations from North Korea, and the will of the U.S. to implement a strong commitment to extended deterrence," the joint chiefs said in a statement. Pyongyang on Friday demanded the United States and South Korea halt "provocative" air exercises. South Korea said it scrambled warplanes in response to 180 North Korean military flights near the countries' shared border on Friday. On Wednesday, North Korea fired a daily record 23 missiles, with one landing off the coast of South Korea for the first time, after Pyongyang threatened to take powerful measures unless Washington halts allied air exercises with South Korea. As the tit-for-that exchange continued through the week, Washington called for a public United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, where it accused Russia and China of providing "blanket protection" to North Korea from further Security Council action. Story continues A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman issued a statement late on Friday warning that "sustained provocation is bound to be followed by sustained counteraction," said state media KCNA. In recent years the Security Council has been split on how to deal with North Korea. In May China and Russia vetoed a U.S. attempt to impose more U.N. sanctions in response to North Korean missile launches. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Michael Perry and William Mallard) Former President Obama campaigned for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) in his Senate race at a rally on Saturday, emphasizing Fettermans abilities to serve in the Senate despite his stroke months ago. Johns stroke did not change who he is, it didnt change what he cares about, it didnt change his values, his heart, his fight, Obama said. It doesnt change who he will represent when he gets to the United States Senate. Hell represent you. Obama said the choice facing Pennsylvanians in the Senate race should be simple, because they dont want a leader who is just looking out for himself, but one who will work hard for you. He said Fetterman knows what its like to get knocked down and then get back up. When you get knocked down, you know hes going to be there to help you get back up, he said, referring to Fetterman. Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are locked in a tight battle for the open Senate seat left vacant by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R). Fetterman has led in polls throughout most of the race, but Oz has closed the gap in recent weeks. FiveThirtyEights polling average has registered Fettermans lead at less than half a percentage point, and Oz led Fetterman by 2 points in a poll conducted by Emerson College and The Hill late last month. Fettermans health has garnered concerns following news that he endured a stroke in May, days before winning the Democratic primary. Questions have bubbled to the surface about whether his campaign is being completely transparent about his condition during his recovery from the event. Fetterman released a doctors letter last month that said he is in good health and can fulfill his duties if elected to the Senate, but he has not released full medical records. He also struggled at times during his debate with Oz last month to form clear sentences, often stumbling over his words. Obama said Fetterman has been fighting for people his entire life, having worked for AmeriCorps to teach GED classes for young parents and run for mayor of a small town to create jobs and reduce gun violence. Story continues You know that John is tough, Obama said. Obama also criticized Ozs position on various issues, including his restrictive views on abortion and his ties to former President Trump, who endorsed Oz in the GOP primary. Trump is also traveling to Pennsylvania on Saturday to hold a rally for Oz, GOP gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano and other Republican candidates in the state. Obama pointed to comments Oz made in September that more information was needed to determine if Trump actually won the 2020 presidential election as dangerous to democracy. He also criticized Oz for various products he promoted on his talk show, The Dr. Oz Show, to help people lose weight or cure other ailments. Oz has faced criticism from Fetterman and others throughout his campaign for promoting products that were ineffective. Obama said Ozs actions say something about his character. If somebody is willing to peddle snake oil to make a buck, then hes probably willing to sell snake oil to get elected, he said. You deserve better than somebody whos just trying to make a quick buck. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. After several articles in the media, the camp for Russian refuseniks in the occupied city of Perevalsk of Luhansk Oblast was dispersed; the detainees were transferred to another underground detention camp. Source: Astra, a Russian independent media outlet Details: According to the media, most of the illegally detained men were transported, using deception, threats and torture, to a new underground detention camp for refuseniks, the exact location of which is currently unknown. This was reported to Astra by sources in Luhansk Oblast as well as by the relatives of those mobilised, who are currently being held in a new underground detention camp. The media outlet has a photo of the place, taken by prisoners, but has not published it so as not to threaten the safety of the Russian prisoners. It has been suggested that now there are a few such underground detention camps for those who have refused to fight. As the relatives of several members of the military who ended up in one of the "basements" in Luhansk Oblast have reported, the commanders told the men: "We will shoot you and throw you into a pit, but we will inform your relatives that you are missing." "By such actions they are trying to bring back to the front lines those mobilised who submitted reports stating that they refused to participate in the so-called special military operation. Realising that persuasion did not work, the commanders began to threaten them with violence. The surnames and military ranks of the commanders are not known; they did not introduce themselves. The prisoners have recently got in touch and reported that they had not been fed for several days," relatives told the media. The wife of a mobilised man who was incarcerated in the former prison in Perevalsk in October said that her husband was also taken to a new place of detention after the disbanding of this prison. The wife of another mobilised man reported that the men had been completely undressed in the underground detention camp. Story continues "My husband and 80 other people are sitting in the basement; they were stripped naked in order to confiscate their phones, but one person, fortunately, hid the phone. They were beaten. They are being fed very badly. They are being forced to go to the front like cannon fodder, but the guys refuse. Everyone wrote refusal reports," said the wife of the mobilised man. The mother of another mobilised man told Astra that her son is in the same situation. Background: On 28 October, Astra reported that citizens of the Russian Federation who refused to return to the front are being held in custody on the site of the former penal colony in Perevalsk, Luhansk Oblast, at Tevelieva Street, 1. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Orange County Public Schools Transportation Services is still looking to hire bus drivers and mechanics throughout the end of the year. OCPS is offering hiring bonuses and other perks to attract new bus drivers and mechanics. Until the end of the year, new hires are eligible for a $1,500 sign-on bonus and up to 20 years experience credit. The starting wage for drivers is $16.65/hour. Read: NEW: On-site D-SNAP location in Seminole County open all weekend New mechanics are paid starting at $17.07/hour. Benefits include employee health insurance valued at $9,289, and up to $9,000 additional incentive pay in the first year, according to the districts transportation services. Jobs also include paid training for CDL license, retirement packages through the Florida Retirement System (FRS), uniform program and paid preemployment activities. Those hired also do not work weekends or holidays. Read: United Airlines launches in-house apprenticeship program for aircraft maintenance technicians There are seven work locations available for new hires in Orange County. Interested applicants can attend one of the several transportation job fairs scheduled through December: Monday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Pine Hills Compound, 5140 N. Pine Hills Rd. Orlando, FL 32808 Monday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hanging Moss Compound, 6721 Hanging Moss Rd. Orlando, FL 32809 Monday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Eric Olson Compound, 2900 Bear Bryant Dr. Orlando, FL 32809 Monday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hanging Moss Compound, 6721 Hanging Moss Rd. Orlando, FL 32809 Read: Record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot fans ticket sales 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. Saturday morning at 5:15 a.m., the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office tweeted about an officer-involved shooting in the area of 2400 Philips Highway. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< JSO reported that at approximately 3:13 a.m., patrol officers were dispatched to the Scottish Inn Motel on Phillips Highway. JSO says that somebody had called 911 about a person being shot inside one of the second-floor units. Three officers arrived and found the people inside the unit were unharmed. Just as they were leaving and about to determine no shooting had taken place, officers spotted a man shooting at two people inside a car. The Bullets struck the cars taillights as it was pulling out of the parking lot. Reports say that the officers ordered the man to drop his weapon, but the suspect refused. The three officers fired their issued handguns and the suspect dropped to the ground. Officers were able to arrest the suspect and secure the gun. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue had been called to the scene upon the initial call and were able to take the suspect to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition. The suspects identity has not been released at this time. However, it has been confirmed that he will face charges for two counts of attempted murder and three accounts of aggravated assault on a police officer for failing to drop a weapon. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office states that there was no connection between the two individuals in the car and the suspect and that they did not even realize they were being shot at. This marks the 11th officer-involved shooting so far this year. As the follow-up investigation of the Officer Involved Shooting was ongoing, on-scene officers were alerted by a citizen of an individual in another area of the motel that appeared to be in need of medical attention. Officers responded and located an adult male deceased inside a room with what appeared to be at least one gunshot wound. Homicide Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit were notified and responded to the area to conduct their respective investigations into the death of the victim. At this time, it is unknown if this incident is related to the call officers were initially dispatched to or the Officer involved shooting scenario. Story continues The officers have been placed on administrative leave as standard JSO protocol. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Original Story: JSO stated that no officers were injured, but people should avoid the area for the time being. This story will be updated when more information is available from JSO. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is asking that anyone with information call the JSO non-emergency number at 630-0500 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-866-845-TIPS. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] #JSO is on scene at an Officer involved shooting in the area of 2400 Philips Hwy. No officers are injured. Please avoid the area. More information to follow. pic.twitter.com/hFBP62Qo0Z Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) November 5, 2022 Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Nashville voters who cast ballots in the wrong congressional and state races will be able to submit a provisional ballot on Election Day, officials announced Friday as part of an agreement sparked by a lawsuit earlier that day. The decision comes as election officials have scrambled for days to correct Davidson County's voting system after The Associated Press reported first that nearly 200 Tennesseans had voted in the incorrect congressional races, while 16 cast votes in a wrong state Senate race and six cast votes in a wrong state House race. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers split up multiple precincts throughout Davidson County while redrawing Nashvilles congressional maps in hopes of flipping a Democratic seat. As a result, voters now live in splintered precincts and some have been incorrectly grouped in the wrong district. But according to the county, no issues surrounding ballots being cast in the wrong race were raised during the primary, which took place in August. Jeff Roberts, Nashville's election administrator, had originally stated that the problem had been fixed Wednesday morning after working throughout the night, combing through the complex county voting system and getting the voting machines up to date. However, threats of lawsuits continued to mount and by Friday, election officials confirmed that an unknown number of Davidson County voters could still potentially receive the wrong ballot on Election Day, which is Nov. 8. To date, officials have refused to estimate how many voters are at risk of receiving the wrong ballot. The American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters eventually filed a legal challenge late Friday, as Nashville city council members were meeting behind closed doors to discuss options on how to ensure voters could still cast a correct ballot. Nashville's council is not named in the lawsuit, but Davidson County Election Commission is one of the defendants. Story continues Under the tentative agreement, which a judge approved Friday night, voters may be able to enter a provisional ballot on Election Day at the county election office if they submitted an incorrect ballot during the early voting period. Those provisional ballots will only be opened if the election is contested. Meanwhile, voters who believe they are given the wrong ballot on a voting machine on Election Day will also be given a chance to use a special paper ballot at their assigned polling places. Voters whose districts were correctly assigned will cast their ballots on voting machines at their regular polling places. The order dictates that Davidson County must educate poll workers so that they can assist affected voters. Meanwhile, the Secretary of State's office will investigate to determine how the problem arose in the first place. I feel as confident that I can that the fix is ready to go into place and it will address the issue, said Wallace Dietz, Nashville's legal director. Julia Bruck, spokesperson for the secretary of state's office, said, We support the Agreed Order and are grateful that the Court granted relief for the affected voters. Roberts did not respond to a request for comment late Friday. There is a fix, there is a way for everybody to vote, Nashville Councilmember Bob Mendes. That's my number one priority and we can figure out the blame for this afterwards. Meanwhile, a congressional ballot issue also took place in the states most populous county, Shelby, which includes Memphis. Local election officials said Friday that 50 ballots were cast at one Memphis polling place for the incorrect congressional race. The 9th Congressional District was listed on the ballot instead of the correct one for those voters, the 8th. County elections administrator Linda Phillips said the clerical error originated at the local level and was immediately corrected on the ballot for future voters. She said no further issues were identified in a review of all other precincts. The mistake was found Oct. 31 after 50 ballots had already been cast. ____ Follow APs coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections Check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections. Severe Weather (ASSOCIATED PRESS) At least one person is dead and dozens have been injured after tornadoes tore through parts of Texas and Oklahoma on Friday. About 50 homes were damaged during the storms. "Its going to take a long time to get this cleaned up, but the community came together," Randi Johnson, the chief of the Powderly Volunteer Fire Department, told the Paris News. "Its really heartbreaking to see." Powderly is located near Texas border with Oklahoma and suffered significant damage from the storms. Lamar County, which includes Powderly, has declared a disaster in the area and is seeking federal assistance for the cleanup. County Judge Brandon Bell issued a statement after the storm estimating that approximately two dozen people had been injured during the tornado, according to the Associated Press. The countys sheriff and emergency management office issued a press statement claiming that 10 people had received treatment at a local hospital, and that two had suffered critical injuries. County officials and law enforcement issued a press release asking those who had not been affected by the storm to stay away from the areas that suffered significant damage. Area churches have opened their doors to serve as shelters for those whose homes have been damaged. Across the border in Oklahoma, the tornadoes ripped through the town of Idabel, leaving dozens of homes and businesses in rubble. "There was total destruction on the south and east sides of Idabel," Steven Carter, a McCurtain County emergency management coordinator, told the Texarkana Gazette. He told the paper that people were still trapped under rubble as of Friday, and that Governor Kevin Stitt had dispatched search-and-rescue teams to the area. Mr Stitt issued a statement saying he was praying for Oklahomans today, on Twitter. Cody McDaniel, the countys emergency manager, told CNN that officials were still searching for residents and assessing the damage, noting that its not good. An initial report by the National Weather Service estimated that over the course of the storm nine tornadoes formed in Texas, four formed in Arkansas, and one formed in Oklahoma. PATERSON City Police Officer Dodi Zorrilla has decided to appeal the decision to suspend him for 90 days without pay over his actions involving Felix DeJesus on the night the 41-year-old man went missing. Zorrillas lawyer, Pat Caserta, has questioned the fairness of the penalty, noting that his client had graduated from the police academy shortly before the incident and was going through his on-the-job training at the time. Caserta said Zorrilla already has begun serving the suspension. The appeal would be heard by the states Office of Administrative Law, he said. The city would have to reimburse Zorrilla for lost pay if the appeal succeeds, he said. Meanwhile, Jacob Feliciano, the other officer who detained DeJesus, has not yet decided whether to challenge the punishment. Felix DeJesus, 41, was reported missing by his family on Feb. 3. Were considering all our options right now, said Felicianos attorney, Josh Reinitz. Feliciano graduated from the police academy in June 2021 and had less than eight months worth of experience when the incident happened. The two officers salaries are about $35,000. More coverage:Person of interest in Felix DeJesus disappearance opted not to talk to cops, lawyer says The Paterson Police Departments Internal Affairs Division determined that the two officers violated 10 rules and regulations, including those covering body cameras, patrol procedures, recording their log sheet assignments and report filing. Feliciano handcuffed DeJesus after a woman alleged that he bothered her on the night of Feb. 2 outside a Union Avenue bodega. A body camera video shows them putting DeJesus in the back seat of their patrol vehicle, but then they shut the recording devices off. Authorities said the cops dropped DeJesus off near Westside Park, where he congregated with a group of five people. DeJesus family has said they were drinking around a fire on a cold night when some of the group went to get more booze. No one was at the fire when those people came back from the liquor store, the family said. Story continues Jeff Patti, the lawyer representing the DeJesus family, said authorities consider one of the people in the park a person of interest in Felix DeJesus disappearance. That person, Patti said, refused to talk with police investigators and asked for a lawyer. The Passaic County Prosecutors Office has not answered questions about what took place in the park. He has due process rights, too, Patti said when asked about Zorrillas plans to appeal, but were confident the suspension will be upheld. City officials have not commented on the appeal. Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ Felix DeJesus cop appeals suspension A series of local homicides has gone unsolved for decades. Channel 9 covered many of the cases when they broke, including the following: In 1993, a 14-year-old boy found was dead in the woods. In 1999, a 42-year-old man was found shot and killed outside a car wash. And then in 2010, police say 27-year-old Charles Edwards was shot and killed during a home invasion. READ MORE: Cant have closure: After 12 years, Kannapolis mans death still unsolved Those are just three of the seven cold cases in the city of Kannapolis, and a team of detectives is dedicated to bringing justice to the victims families. Only on 9, theyre taking Channel 9s Hannah Goetz inside their investigations, and sharing what they need to close these cases. Sergeant Alex Quigley is assigned to the Kannapolis Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division. Word gets around, you know, somebody knows what happened thats for certain, Sgt. Quigley said. And thats what we want to know. Quigley oversees a group of five detectives. Together, they are working to get answers the department has been after for decades. In 1993, a 14-year-old boy found was dead in the woods. At this time, we are interviewing a good number of people but we do not have any good leads at this time, now-retired Kannapolis Captain Randy Cauthen said in June 1993. Channel 9 file video from 1993 shows now-retired Kannapolis Captain Randy Cauthen speaking about the case involving the 14-year-old. At this time, we are interviewing a good number of people but we do not have any good leads at this time, Cauthen had said. All leads were exhausted when the teen was found dead in a wooded area off Wood Avenue. Fast forward to 2022 and investigators are still looking for the key to solving that homicide and six others -- all cold cases in Kannapolis dating back as far as 34 years. These people mattered, and they still matter How do you determine when a case becomes a cold case? Goetz asked. ALSO READ: Cold Case: Stanly County mothers persistence motivates investigators to find sons killer All that really boils down to is that every lead was reviewed, and didnt lead to anything else or an arrest, Quigley replied. Story continues When asked if there was anything hed like to share with the community, or with victims families, about the work theyre putting into the cases, Quigleys reply was emphatic. We arent giving up, Quigley said. These people mattered, and they still matter. These arent things like, like you mentioned, these arent cases that we just put up on the shelf and say, couldnt get it done. We want to bring this closure to the family and we need help. We need the communitys help, he said. I cant have closure if I dont know what happened Bonita Edwards-Rice-Woodward looks back at old photos of her son, Charles Edwards. She left his home on a May evening in 2010. A few hours later, police say he was shot and killed by three men during a home invasion. Bonita Edwards-Rice-Woodward looks back at old photos of her son, Charles Edwards. She left his home on a May evening in 2010. A few hours later, police say he was shot and killed by three men during a home invasion. I cant have closure if I dont know what happened to my son, she said. I cannot leave this world and not know what happened to my baby, as somebody got to know. Detective Wesley Wilson is working the Edwards case. ALSO READ: Dixie Mafia linked to 1972 killings of 3 Watauga County family members Ive got to know his mother well, Wilson said. She just would like to have the closure of just trying to figure out what happened to Charles and whos responsible. >> READ MORE about Edwards story here. Losing a loved one is a pain he knows all too well. His uncle was killed in 1999 in Kannapolis. That case is also unsolved 23 years later. So really, what thats done for me is, you know, that really laid the foundational bricks for my interest in criminal justice in general, Wilson said. Detective Wilsons uncles case is one of the oldest to date, and Bonitas sons investigation is the most recent. Every case in between has brought its own challenges, leading detectives to dead ends. But investigators say with hard work and help from the community, theyre confident they can close these cases. Detective Wesley Wilson is working the Edwards cold case. His uncle was killed in 1999 in Kannapolis. That case is also unsolved 23 years later. Generally, looking over a number of cases, can you say that there are some rocks being overturned and some dust being kicked back up again? On some of these? Goetz asked. Yes, Sgt. Quigley said. We know youre out there. Were out there too, the communitys out there. And thats the purpose of doing this, is were going to find you at some point or another, were going to find you. >> In the weeks ahead, Channel 9 will be digging deeper into specific cases. Detectives are opening their case files and sharing where their investigations stand. Well also hear from families who are still mourning all these years later. (WATCH BELOW: Cold Case: CMPD meets with parents of 25-year-old man killed during home invasion) An Oregon man was arrested this week after being linked to the 1974 cold case homicides of two teenagers, authorities said. Steven Paul Criss, 65, of Aloha, was a teenager himself when he allegedly used a .22 caliber gun to fatally shoot teens Donald Bartron and Peter Zito Jr. in the parking lot of a recreation center on Oct. 3, 1974, according to a statement from the Washington County Sheriffs Office. The bodies of Bartron, 16, and Zito Jr., 18, were found on the ground next to a 1956 Oldsmobile that had its hood popped open as the teens worked on it. Bartron and Zito were shot in the head, according to the sheriffs office. Det. Mark Povolny said Friday during a news conference that Criss was an early suspect in the case, after he was arrested in December of 1974 for theft and a deputy found a .22 caliber gun. The weapon was tested to see if it matched evidence in the teens slayings, Povolny said. After there was no match, the gun was returned to Criss, who joined the Army and was assigned to Fort Lewis in Washington in 1976. He used the same .22 caliber gun to kill his commanding officer Sgt. Jacob Kim Brown, officials said. Criss had damaged Browns car and owed him a few hundred dollars, Povolny said. Instead of paying his debt, he shot Sgt. Brown five times in the head," he said. Criss was sentenced to 35 years in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, but only served a dozen years and was paroled in 1988, according to the sheriffs office. Newspaper accounts in 1976 confirmed Criss was accused of killing Brown and then pleaded guilty in the slaying. Detectives this year sent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives evidence for testing, which showed Criss .22 caliber gun was used in the teens' 1974 slaying and matched the weapon used to kill Brown only two years later, authorities said. The gun Steve Criss used to murder Sgt. Brown was in fact the same gun he used to murder Donny Bartron and Pete Zito Jr., Povolny said Friday. Story continues Detectives decided to take a second look at the ballistic evidence because testing hadnt been done in nearly 50 years, Povolny said. After the ATF determined Criss' gun was used in the separate slaying cases, the Oregon State Police Crime Lab confirmed the match, officials said. Authorities did not disclose what motive Criss had for allegedly fatally shooting Bartron and Zito Jr. Barbara Zito, of Kent, Washington, was 26 years old when her brother was killed. She told NBC News on Friday, "I'm glad there is a shot at justice here." Zito recalls her younger brother's death was a "profound loss" and not knowing why he was killed was devastating. Investigators have told her that her sibling might have just been unlucky. "It looks as though Peter was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," she said. He was there when his friend was shot and the killer shot my brother because he was an eyewitness. Relatives of Bartron were not immediately reached Friday. A grand jury indicted Criss on two counts of second-degree murder and he was arrested Wednesday. Criss was arraigned on the charges Thursday and was held on no bail, according to officials with the sheriffs office and district attorneys office. A county prosecutor said a defense attorney had not been provided for Criss as of Friday afternoon. Relatives for Criss were not reached Friday. The sheriffs office also apologized in its statement and during the Friday news conference for arresting an innocent man for the teens slayings in 1974. The charges against that man, Joseph Amir Wilson, were dropped in January 1975, officials said. I am extremely thankful the charges were dropped before prosecution, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said Friday. But that does not change the fact that he spent several months in jail, charged with two murders he did not commit. Wilson died in 2000, officials said. Garrett also praised investigators in the 1974 case, including then-deputy Jim Spinden, who arrested Criss for theft and preserved evidence that led to his arrest 48 years after the teens were killed. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Netflix office in Los Angeles, California. The company and several other defendants are being sued by former associates of OneTaste. Jae C. Hong/AP OneTaste is an "orgasmic meditation" group that promotes sexual wellness. Netflix plans to release a documentary about the group using footage obtained by a former employee. Former OneTaste participants are now bracing themselves for when the series airs Saturday. Former participants of an "orgasmic mediation" group are experiencing heightened anxiety as they await the Saturday release of the upcoming Netflix docuseries "Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste." The reason? They have no idea how much footage of them participating in some of the sexual-wellness group's classes will be shown, and they say Netflix has kept them in the dark and ignored their objections. A last-ditch attempt to keep the docuseries from airing as-is was shot down Friday by Los Angeles Superior court judge who cited free speech and unconstitutional prior restraint, newsworthiness (including the fact that OneTaste is under investigation by the FBI) and the delayed date plaintiffs filed for the temporary restraining order. "There's incredible anxiety waiting up to that," Paul Nicholas Boylan, an attorney representing some of the former members said about Saturday's release date. "And Netflix must know that they're suffering mental anguish and emotional distress because Netflix has decided to be silent about this." Netflix declined Insider's request for comment, but based on previews, some people believe their faces will be shown in the series, Boylan said. A former OneTaste participant named Louisa, from Peru, who did not want to share her last name due to privacy, said she was notified that shots of her nipples would be included by a OneTaste instructor who recognized her after watching a preview. "I feel kind of sick and I feel very unhappy and a deep sense of injustice," Louisa told Insider. "I have been violated." Louisa said she signed confidentiality agreements with OneTaste and was assured her privacy would be protected. There were reminders "before every course, every event, and every class," Louisa said. "What happens in this room stays in this room. You don't talk about this." Story continues The only caveat, she said, was that video footage could be used for educational purposes. While Louisa is not one of the plaintiffs, the person who shot such educational video is one now of the defendants in a civil suit filed by 15 people associated with group over the production, which is billed as true crime docuseries about allegations against OneTaste. Netflix, Gibson, and Chris Kosley, a videographer once employed by OneTaste who was fired in 2016, are all named as defendants. The suit, filed late last month in Los Angeles County Superior Court, says Gibson and Kosley worked together to compile a "sizzle reel" of footage to shop around and Netflix bit but never notified the 15 OneTaste participants that it was going to use them in its series. On September 6, prior to the trailer debut of "Orgasm Inc.," some former and current OneTaste members including the plaintiffs delivered a cease-and-desist demanding Netflix not use any footage or picture of them "blurred or otherwise" in the docuseries. But Netflix went ahead with it, and some people recognized themselves in the footage. Now they are preparing for much more. Nicole Daedone, an instructor with OneTaste, in "Orgasm Inc.," a Netflix documentary. Courtesy of Netflix OneTaste was founded in 2005 by Nicole Daedone, a San Francisco Bay Area-based yoga instructor. Its core teaching revolves around "orgasmic meditation," a wellness practice that focuses on female orgasms. The mission of OneTaste is "to provide people with teaching and trainings into living a desire-based life, rooted in a felt-sense of connection," according to its website. The company landed a New York Times spread in 2009 and endorsements from celebrities such as Khloe Kardashian and actor-turned-wellness-guru Gwenyth Paltrow. Gibson, in an interview with Netflix's Tudum, said the footage in the series "was all legally obtained by us and much was already public and had been distributed by OneTaste themselves, or on YouTube, or in past news reports." "No one's rights have been violated by the footage we used,"she added. OneTaste, however, provided Insider a statement saying Netflix was violating the film's subjects. Kosley said in a text message that OneTaste is trying to "silence my voice and to silence the voices of others with a valid story to share with the public." "When all is said and done, I am simply a former member of OneTaste who, after having been an integral part of the group for over 10 years, wanted to share my particular perspective and past experience and inform others," he wrote. For her part, Louisa said she plans to watch the series with a friend, but only so that she is "prepared." "It's not because I'm going to enjoy watching it," she said. "I need to be prepared against if there's going to be attacks on me or whatever, wherever this goes, I need to be prepared to defend myself and also to protect myself." Read the original article on Insider An Osceola County judge who heard arguments about a proposed sales tax on Friday said, There is no emergency here. The lawsuit states the measure before thousands of voters this election cycle is misleading. But on Friday, a judge ruled that voters can decide if a sales tax should be renewed just days before the polls close. READ: Osceola County sales tax referendum could be tossed out depending on new lawsuit State Rep. Anthony Sabatini said the sales tax on the ballot should not be legal because the language is ambiguous. His argument, according to the lawsuit, states that the language is not clear because the ballot description states that it proposes a one-cent surtax when, in fact, the proposal is for a sales tax increase at the rate of one percent. Sabatini asked for an emergency injunction. READ: Orange County sales tax hike campaigns stare down final stretch Voters will decided on the surtax that has been in place for years, bringing in millions that is split between the school district, county and the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud. The money would be used for public projects like schools, parks and roadways. The countys attorney argued that Sabatini and his client knew for months this was on the ballot, and waited until the 11th hour to file the suit, and there was little time to prepare. READ: Data shows the Florida gas tax holiday didnt deliver, but prices are still rising anyway 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. racist puppet show This piece initially ran on Advocate.com, read the original here. A popular gay leather bar in Chicago celebrated its 45th anniversary with a performance that critics found so offensive that one of the establishments bartenders quit on the spot and several patrons got up and left the bar. The famous kink and leather bar Touche hired puppeteer Jerry Halliday to entertain a crowd assembled for the anniversary soiree. Video clips of the performance show jokes that played on stereotypes and racist tropes of Black women and transgender people. Halliday, who is white, pulled out a black puppet that he introduced as Sista Girl, which, according to bartender Cris Bleaux, made him immediately uncomfortable. Halliday changed his voice to sound like a caricature of a Black person. Witnesses tell The Advocate that he made jokes about welfare, watermelon, and having multiple kids. He also belittled the names of Black children, witnesses said, and went so far as to reveal what he called an afro puff...Brillo pad beneath the puppets clothing where human genitalia would be. Everyone in the crowd thinks this is a little weird for 2022, says an unidentified patron to Halliday, who is sitting on a stage facing the crowd with the puppet to his side. Everybody who wants this man to shut up, make some noise [and] clap, Halliday replies through the voice of his puppet. One can hear multiple people clapping and booing the patron, who appears to leave the bar. Several audience members also walk out mid-performance, including Bleaux. In fact, Bleaux tells The Advocate that he quit then and there. He says that he got to work shortly before his 10 p.m. shift, and within minutes of Hallidays performance beginning, he recognized that something was off. Bleaux says that because his chosen family includes people of color and transwomen, he was getting extremely uncomfortable being in the space while many in the audience cheered on the puppeteer. Story continues And to be honest, like, like 45 minutes or so in my shift, like I started to feel nauseous because Im not here for racism, the 37-year-old says. Im not here for transphobia or jokes about raping women, which was also happening, he says. And so I texted my roommate, and I said, I think I need to leave. He says he took his key off his keyring, tossed it onto manager David Boyers desk, and quit. He later added Touche has been in operation since 1977, and thats the year where the bar should have left its featured entertainer on Tuesday night, according to Philip Smith, who captured the incident on video. Smith says Boyer sat in the audience throughout the performance and even participated in a bit at the conclusion of the show, collecting tips for Sista Girls five kids. He adds that he posted the video clips online because he was so disgusted by what he had witnessed and felt that others needed to see what blatant racism looks like. Too often people talk about how somebody might have perceived something as racist, and even when you try to explain it to those people, they claim they dont understand, he says. Now its right there for everyone to see. It was shocking. Outraged people took to Twitter and Facebook after the performance and complained on the social media pages for the bar. After the performance video began trending online, members of the international leather community began pulling their support for the bar on social media, while Touches management initially remained silent. Halliday's website and YouTube page appear to have been scrubbed of references to Sista Girl. However, an archive of the site shows all of Halliday's theretofore current characters, including a gay character called Twinky Boy, Granny Goodtimes, and a Not So Holy Nun, in addition to Sista Girl. The Advocate reached out to Jerry Halliday to discuss his performance but did not receive a response. American Brotherhood Weekend announced on Facebook that the group had removed Touche from its website. The Chicago Hellfire Club also suspended its affiliation with Touche until further notice. The group issued a statement on its website. There is no place for racism, transphobia, and other bigotry at a bar like Touche, which we rightly expect to serve as a home for all in our diverse community, the statement reads. Our brotherhood is founded on the values of mutual respect and passion for growing and improving our community. The behaviors Tuesday violate both of these values and will not be tolerated by the Club. We have decided to remove our colors from Touche. Until further notice, the Club will not be scheduling official events at Touche. Late Wednesday, Boyer posted a statement on Touches social media pages. We deeply regret not vetting the entertainer prior to the event, he wrote. We apologize for not reacting and stopping the show. People were harmed by his words. Racism and transphobia are wrong, we need to do better. Touche will continue to upgrade our awareness of and responses to racism, sexism and transphobia. We are currently exploring ways to address the harm was caused. Bleaux rebuts Boyers statement as being disingenuous. Theres no way he didnt know what the show entails because they were familiar with the [puppeteer] and had a rehearsal earlier in the day, Bleaux says. And David sat in the audience, in the first row, during the show. Boyer says the bar will hold a community listening session at the Leather Archives and Museum next Wednesday at 7 p.m, where members of our community can express their concerns and help us explore ways to do a better job. The Chicago Hellfire Clubs statement demands concrete action from the upcoming meeting. We demand an ongoing response from the ownership and management of the bar, including a frank acknowledgment of the harm inflicted and any restorative action they plan to perform. We plan to attend the event and to listen to voices that need to be heard. Smith and Bleaux agree that Boyers statement appears to be a canned response without substance. It should not be up to Black people to take uncompensated time out of their day to attend a meeting and share with the white bar management why a racist show was clearly harmful, Smith says. This conversation is not new. We are past the we hear you, we see you phase. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. The Parkland gunman is no longer in the custody of the Broward Sheriffs Office. Sentenced Wednesday to 34 consecutive life terms, Nikolas Cruz, 24, was taken from his cell at the Broward Main Jail early Friday morning and placed in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections, according to the Broward Sheriffs Office, which runs the jail. Law enforcement sources say hes not headed to the prison reception center in Miami but is instead on his way north, where he will be processed into the Department of Corrections and learn where he is to serve his sentence. Honestly, he didnt have a terrible life these last four-and-a-half years, said Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was one of 17 murdered by Cruz at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. Thats over. ... He is now going to hell on Earth. The only time I will ever think about him again is when I read the inevitable reports that his fellow prisoners have taken care of justice. For the families of the victims, the sentencing of Cruz appears to have brought a feeling of unexpected catharsis. For observers, it brought a host of unexpected questions about boundaries the expressions of grief from the victims that ventured into pointed criticism of the defense lawyers, the conduct of those lawyers when they believed the world was watching (and when they believed no one was watching), and the judges embracing of prosecutors after the case was formally concluded. Watching Cruz leave the courtroom lifted a burden from the families shoulders, Guttenberg said, though he was reluctant to speak on anyone elses behalf. None of our families got what we had expected, he said. Its been a long, grueling, emotional process. He was being walked into his inevitable fate. The reality is, its done. Its over. I never, ever, ever have to think about him, the way hes being treated, it is over. In some ways, however, its not. The building where Cruz murdered 17 people and physically wounded 17 more remains intact and sealed off from the public for use next year in the trial of former Broward Sheriffs Deputy Scot Peterson, the school resource officer accused of taking cover instead of taking action to stop the gunman. The jury in his case will have to decide whether he knew or should have known where the shooting was coming from. He has insisted he did not. Story continues That case, on charges of child neglect, is set to pick a jury next May. For now, some of the participants in the Cruz penalty case are facing their own criticisms for their conduct during the trial. The Florida Bar confirmed it is looking into a complaint against Assistant Public Defender Tamara Curtis. While the substance of that complaint was not disclosed, Curtis was singled out by family members of the victims for an inappropriate gesture she made before the trial started. The incident did not take place during a court hearing. Neither the judge nor the victims family members were in the room. After the jury was picked, but before opening statements, defense lawyers had objected to the placement of a camera that the media could use to take pictures of the lawyers. They referred to the camera as The Constitution Violator for its ability to focus on documents and conversations that should be kept private. Curtis, seated next to the chuckling defendant, raised her middle finger to the camera while members of the media tested the equipment for lead defense lawyer Melisa McNeill to demonstrate compliance with court orders about what could and could not be photographed in the courtroom. Observers on the website Reddit watched the live feed, recorded it and posted it to the social media page. It went unreported during the trial, but victims family members raised it as an example of unprofessional behavior after the jury returned without a death recommendation, guaranteeing the defendant a life sentence. Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer has been criticized since Wednesday for stepping down from the bench and embracing members of the prosecution team after Cruz was escorted from the courtroom. Scherer is a former prosecutor whose career began in the State Attorneys Office, then run by lead prosecutor Mike Satz. Co-counsel Jeff Marcus was Satzs chief lieutenant until the end of 2020, when current State Attorney Harold Pryor was elected. Satz and Marcus were hired to finish up the Cruz case and are expected to leave the office now that it is over. But the embraces between the prosecutors and the judge drew ire from court watchers and the defense bar, which saw it as an example of impermissible bias. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers fired off a letter Thursday to Browards chief administrative judge, Jack Tuter, urging him to take action to ensure that Scherer is not in a position to prejudice any other criminal cases. They criticized Scherer for chastising McNeill and her boss, Public Defender Gordon Weekes, when they complained that the statements from members of victims families crossed the line. Lindsay Chase, president of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, sent Tuter a similar letter. The lawyers were not on trial, she wrote, and their actions and advocacy should not have been the subject of any statement regarding punishment or guilt. Members of the defense team have received threats since the trial concluded, Chase said Thursday, and their sensitivity in court should have been acknowledged rather than ignored. After dressing down the defense, physically embracing the prosecution appeared unprofessional and biased, the defense groups wrote. Tuter did not agree, praising all parties at the trial for their professionalism. In front of the magic castle. Courtesy of Ash Jurberg I planned a trip to Disney World with my twins when they were 13, but it was canceled three times. It was our first vacation with just the three of us. I was worried that as 16-year-olds, they would be too cool for Disney but they loved it. In 2018 when my twin sons were 11, my wife and I took them to Disneyland. They loved taking in the characters, the shows, the rides, and the food. They ended the day in matching Disney T-shirts and Goofy hats we'd created Disney fans for life. At least, that's what I'd hoped. As a theme-park enthusiast, when thinking about our next trip, I decided I wanted to spend a week in Orlando, Florida, and go to Disney World in those seven days, I planned to go to six theme parks. While this would be an ideal vacation for me, my wife had set a personal limit of two theme-park visits a year. She told me to go ahead and book the trip for me and our sons without her; it would be a boys' trip. So at the end of 2019, I booked the trip for September 2020 for myself and my two boys, Charlie and Thomas. Three years after I first started planning, we finally got to go on our dream Disney vacation Unfortunately, due to COVID, we were forced to cancel and reschedule this trip three times. During this period, the boys matured, and when we were finally all set to make the trek from Melbourne, Australia, to Orlando, Florida, for our long-awaited vacation in September 2022, they were 16. By then they were taller than me, had started shaving, and were more interested in girls than cartoon characters. I asked them if they wanted to cancel the Disney trip and take our boys' trip elsewhere. As I awaited their answer, I held my breath, hoping they would say, "No." "Of course, we still want to go, Dad! We love Disney!" Charlie said with far more gusto than I could have hoped for. Thomas nodded enthusiastically; the trip was still on. I had never been happier. Video: How to make Disney's cookie fries at home Waking up early was hard for the boys, but a crucial step to taking advantage of the parks Since our previous Disney trip, the boys' routines had also evolved. Back in 2018, they were always up bright and early, ready to tackle the day with the enthusiasm of kids in a candy store which, I guess, in many ways, they were. Story continues Now they rarely get out of bed before noon unless it is a school day. They've fallen into a routine of staying up late and waking up for breakfast as I'm eating lunch. While this laziness is OK at home on the weekends, the key to making the most of a Disney vacation is having a strategy and that strategy involves early mornings. Very early mornings. Most people on vacations like to sleep in, so to get a jump on the crowds and the inevitable long queues, you need to "rope drop." This is Disney-speak for being at the park before it opens and first in line when staff drop the rope to allow people in. Of course, as a Disney geek, I am well-versed in all terms Disney aficionados use. Ash Jurberg and his sons at the front of the line before the park opens. Courtesy of Ash Jurberg I was worried that my sons' sleep routine would make this impossible, but we quickly struck a deal they would stick to my rope-drop strategy if I factored in some downtime later in the day. It was a win-win situation. Having the right Disney strategy saves time and money Making a deal is different from keeping one, and I was unsure if the boys would hold up their end of our bargain. We were staying at Disney's POP Century Resort which has free transportation to the theme parks, and I wanted us to be on the very first bus to the park. As I awoke at 6 AM on the first morning to the sound of heavy snoring, I began making alternative plans. However, a couple of minutes later, the alarms on both of their phones went off, and my worries eased as they ignored the temptation to hit snooze and jumped out of bed. Minutes later, we were on the first bus heading to Animal Kingdom. While I had coffee to wake me up, the boys' excitement at heading to a theme park worked as a natural caffeine equivalent. By being there early ahead of those enjoying sleeping in, we went on all the big "E-ticket" attractions, which is another Disney term used to define the best rides. By 1:30 p.m., the queues to these rides were huge, and it was time for me to keep up my part of the deal. We headed back to the hotel for a rest. As a bonus, heading back in the afternoon also allowed me to save money. Rather than buying lunch in the theme parks, we could eat in the hotel food that I had preordered to be delivered by Amazon Fresh. Of course, this didn't stop us from enjoying lots of tasty treats on our visit, such as Dole Whip at the parks a classic. Ash Jurberg and his sons eating Dole Whip at Disney World. Courtesy Ash Jurberg Each day, we would nap or chill by the pool to allow our batteries to recharge for a few hours. This would allow us to hit the parks again in the evening with more energy. As we reentered the parks, we would look at the tired families, dripping with sweat in the Florida humidity, who had spent most of the days in queues for the sake of sleeping an extra hour or two. For six days, we followed the same routine, with great success. The family that Disneys together stays together Getting up early to go on rides is one thing, but I also wanted my sons to get into the Disney spirit. I've been a fan since I was a child and would watch "The Magical World of Disney" every Sunday night. I grew up in Australia, where Disney was a world away, and unfortunately my parents could never afford to take me to the US, so to taking my own children to experience the Disney magic was a real gift. Now, I was hoping that I could also pass on my love of Disney to my children. Ash Jurberg and his sons in the Skyliner. Courtesy Ash Jurberg I was excited when, on the first day, Thomas suggested we get matching Disney T-shirts to wear as our official uniform when visiting the parks. We spent a few hours visiting stores, searching for the perfect outfits, and ended up purchasing several T-shirts and an abundance of merchandise. While I wouldn't wear these outside the boundaries of Orlando, I loved Thomas' suggestion and was swept up in the father-son bonding session and Walt Disney magic. This is the essence of what I wanted to achieve. Quality time with my kids, away from phones and out of bed, enjoying each other's company. I'm now a proud Disney Dad, and my boys and I have a new tradition I have to admit, even with all my excitement, I had been apprehensive about this vacation. I worried about whether the boys would enjoy hanging out with me, or whether they'd be bored even despite their enthusiastic agreement to keep our reservation. I wanted to be the Cool Dad and fretted over the possibility that instead, I would be the Embarrassing Dad or the Dorky Dad. But I quickly realized that I needn't have worried. We had the most magical vacation, and I found I had a new title, one that I'm very proud of: the Disney Dad. And I'm glad to see I've passed the Disney gene on Charlie and Thomas are already planning our next trip. Read the original article on Insider Good Morning America First lady Jill Biden on Monday unveiled this year's White House holiday decorations, announcing the theme as "We the People." More than 150 volunteers from across the country spent a week helping to decorate the inside and outside of the White House with 25 wreaths, 77 Christmas trees and over 83,615 holiday lights. There is also a gingerbread White House that was made out of 20 sheets of sugar cookie dough, 30sheets of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds of pastillage, 30 pounds of chocolate, and 40 pounds of royal icing, according to the office of the first lady. The U.S. Marshals Service and Illinois State Police have asked the public for help in finding a 36-year-old Maryville man charged in connection with a murder in East St. Louis in August. Jermany Rickman faces charges in connection with the killing of 30-year-old Demond W. Steward of Cahokia Heights on Aug. 13 in the parking lot of the Ivy Ultra Lounge in the 900 block of St. Louis Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois State Police said. Do not approach Rickman as he should be considered armed and dangerous, state police said in a news release on Friday. A reward of up to $2,000 has been offered in the case, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The St. Clair County States Attorney office on Aug. 26 charged Rickman with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Rickman also has an outstanding federal warrant for motion to revoke supervised release issued on Aug. 30 by the U.S. Attorneys Office. Anyone with information about Rickmans whereabouts or the incident in East St. Louis is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at 877-926-8332 or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Nov. 4A man accused of stabbing his common-law wife is in the hospital after he was struck in the head by a concerned citizen who saw the attack on the woman and tried to stop it, Brownsville police said. Juan Alberto Mendiola, 45, was taken into custody Friday by the Brownsville Police Department's Patrol Division at Valley Regional Medical Center on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (family violence), said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for Brownsville police. Sandoval said Mendiola and his common-law wife were driving down Esperanza Street at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday when they got into a verbal argument. The woman jumped out of the moving car and started running away. Mendiola also got out of the black Chevrolet Impala they were riding in and started to chase her. He managed to catch up with her and knocked her down, Sandoval said. "Mendiola then started to stab the victim with a knife multiple times." Several concerned citizens saw this and one managed to "strike Mendiola with a blunt object," which caused Mendiola to stop the assault, Sandoval said. He took off running. Sandoval said police received information at about 12 a.m. Friday that Mendiola was at the hospital with head trauma. He is currently being treated by medical personnel. His common-law wife also remains hospitalized recovering from her injuries. Sandoval said the case is still ongoing pending the medical release of Mendiola. A Sansom Park police officer is in critical condition after being shot during active shooter training at an elementary school in Forest Hill Saturday afternoon, according to media reports. Craig Spencer, chief of Evereman police, said the officer was shot around 2:10 p.m. Saturday in a training accident, according to KTVT-TV. The officer was shot with a live round and then taken by ambulance to JPS hospital, according to KTVT-TV. No identity has been released at this time. A third party training provider organized the training at David K Sellars Elementary School in Forest Hill, Spencer told KTVT-TV, and several other agencies were participating in the training. The Texas Rangers and Tarrant County Sheriffs Office are investigating the shooting. Spencer told KTVT-TV that there wasnt supposed to be live fire training and that will be part of the investigation. Authorities in England this week issued an image of a man they want to speak to, and social media users thought he bore more than a passing resemblance to former soccer superstar David Beckham. Police in Hertfordshire county released a grainy surveillance photo of the man who could help with our inquiries following a theft from a construction supplies store in the town of Bishops Stortford on Oct. 21. Do you recognise this man? He could help with our inquiries following a theft from a builders' merchants in #BishopsStortford. On Friday 21 October, building materials were stolen from the shop. If you have any info, please email Kelly.Newton@herts.police.uk quoting 41/85532/22. pic.twitter.com/3NufR6Xdiu Herts Police (@HertsPolice) November 2, 2022 Definitely David Beckham, one person lightheartedly responded to the snap on Twitter. Hang on a minute thats David Beckham, wrote another social media user. Others agreed. The real Beckham was actually spending family time at the Disneyland theme park in California on the day in question, posting videos and photos to his Instagram account. David Beckham (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images) David Beckham (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images) A representative of the former footballer, who played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Preston North End, did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on the police picture. This is not the first time a purported look-alike of a celebrity has been sought by U.K. authorities. Back in 2018, Friends star David Schwimmer issued a tongue-in-cheek response after a man who at first appeared to be his doppelganger was wanted for theft. Officers, I swear it wasnt me, the actor wrote on Twitter, alongside a spoof video of the surveillance image from police. Officers, I swear it wasn't me. As you can see, I was in New York. To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.#itwasntmepic.twitter.com/EDFF9dZoYR schwim (@DavidSchwimmer) October 24, 2018 This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Police say they have located the vehicle that allegedly struck a teen student who was walking in a crosswalk in Acton on Wednesday night, leaving him hospitalized with critical injuries. The hit-and-run crash happened in the crosswalk at Great Road and Harris Street around 6:15 p.m., according to Acton Police. Officers and firefighters both rushed to the area of Route 2A and found Cesar Soto, Jr., 13, suffering from serious injuries. Soto was flown to a Boston hospital, where he underwent surgery and remains in a coma, his family told Boston 25 on Friday morning. He went through surgery...Doctors say hes stable, Sotos brother said. Were picking up the pieces, holding on together. Were all praying. Click here to donate to the family: GoFundMe Courtesy photo of Cesar Soto, Jr. Based on the initial investigation, police believe it was a black sedan, possibly a Nissan, that hit the teen and fled. Thursday, police released surveillance video of a black SUV. They also released an image of a sedan that was spotted in the area at the time of the crash. Boston 25 obtained one video showing three teens walking by a business right before the 13-year-old was hit. A car dealers surveillance camera captured two boys and a girl cutting through their lot just feet from the crash scene. Another nearby pet store told us the girl in the video bought some items for her cat, so it appears they may have been on their way back home when the hit-and-run crash occurred. Erica Labb stopped her car and ran over with a blanket. Other people were already helping the boy. Just brought the blanket over. There were other people there with the child which made me feel good about humanity, said Labb. The victim is a student at RJ Grey Junior High School, according to officials, and is continuing to receive care for his injuries. In a statement, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District said, our thoughts and prayers are with the student and the family. Counselors and other school staff have met with individual students who have needed additional support during the day. Story continues We talked to one woman who uses the same crosswalk every day and described a close call she had recently. An older woman stopped for me and four cars rear ended her, said the woman. State Senator Jamie Eldridge says they just met with state highway officials about making these crosswalks safer after a fatal pedestrian incident several weeks ago. Have lit crosswalks, it could be a red light crosswalk, it could be blinking yellow lights and then better signage and better lights so the cars can see the lights at night, said Eldridge. Friday, a longtime Acton business owner announced a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of the driver. Jeff Bursaw, the 4th-generation owner of Bursaw Gas and Oil on Great Road in Acton, said he is offering the reward because the crash victims older brother is a valued employee, and that the news of what happened brought him to tears. The driver hasnt been identified yet so I want to try to rustle the leaves up a little bit, Bursaw said. Somebody out there has to know something and hopefully this will help prompt them to come forward. Acton Police say the investigation remains active and ongoing. 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 A woman was shot in Pittsburghs Troy Hill neighborhood overnight over an apparent parking dispute. According to Pittsburgh police, officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Goettmann Street just after midnight for reports of multiple shots fired. At the scene, police said they found a woman with gunshot wounds to both of her legs. She was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Police said they believe the shooting happened over some type of parking dispute. Police also said theyre working to identify a suspect. The Violent Crime Unit is investigating. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: 11 Investigates update: Carvana Bridgeville dealership suspended by PennDOT indefinitely SKYLIGHTS 2022: Playoffs Week 1 final scores 2 men shot in Pittsburghs Northview Heights neighborhood VIDEO: New video shows moments after high-speed chase ended with deadly shooting in Westmoreland County DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts DUBAI (Reuters) - President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran's cities were "safe and sound" after what he called a failed attempt by the United States to repeat the 2011 Arab uprisings in the Islamic Republic, Iranian media reported on Saturday as protests continued for a 50th day. Iran's clerical leadership has struggled to suppress demonstrations which erupted in September after the death of young Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini who had been detained by morality police for flouting strict laws on women's dress. Hundreds of people, mostly protesters, have been killed according to activists in one of the most serious waves of unrest to sweep the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah. As Iranian authorities marked the anniversary this week of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by radical students, President Joe Biden backed the protesters, saying: "We're gonna free Iran. They're gonna free themselves pretty soon." Students and women have led many of the current protests, with women throwing off and burning veils in defiance of the strict dress codes and students chanting down officials on university campuses, according to unverified video footage. "The Americans and other enemies sought to destabilise Iran by implementing the same plans as in Libya and Syria, but they failed," Raisi was quoted by Iranian news agencies as telling a group of students on Friday. A popular uprising in Libya led to a NATO intervention in 2011 and the overthrow and killing of the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi by rebel fighters. In Syria, mass demonstrations against Iran's ally President Bashar al-Assad were confronted with force and the country spiralled into a conflict which continues 11 years on. By contrast, Iranian cities were now "safe and sound", Raisi said, promising retribution for the unrest the country had seen. SLOGANS, CRACKDOWN Story continues The activist HRANA news agency said 314 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Friday, including 47 minors. Some 38 members of the security forces had also been killed. At least 14,170 people have been arrested, including 392 students, in protests in 136 cities and towns, and 134 universities, it said. Some of the worst bloodshed has been in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, where many of the predominantly Shi'ite Muslim country's Sunni minority live. Senior Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid said the response to Friday's protests in the southeastern city of Khash had been tougher than elsewhere in the country. "Should live ammunition be the response to slogans and stone throwing? One wonders ... why protesting people of this province are mercilessly massacred?" the cleric asked in a statement on his website. Amnesty International said up to 10 people may have been killed after security forces opened fire on protesters who threw stones and were reported to have attacked a government building. Students in a dozen universities in Tehran and in Karaj, west of the capital, in the northern city of Rasht, and Mashhad in the northeast protested on Saturday, chanting slogans such as "Woman, Life, Freedom," according to videos posted by HRANA. Rights group Hengaw posted a video which it said was from Sanandaj, capital of Kurdistan province, with protesters starting fires to block a main street late on Saturday. There were also protests in the cities of Bukan, Saqez, and Marivan in the northwest. A social media video said to be from the southwestern city of Ahvaz showed a young man torching a statue of Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in 2020 in Iraq. Reuters could not verify the videos. The crisis has dragged Iran's currency to new lows. The U.S. dollar was selling for 362,100 rials on the unofficial market on Saturday, after losing nearly 12% of its value since the protests started, according to foreign exchange website Bonbast.com. In an apparent effort to curb the currency's fall, the government on Saturday authorised online sales by currency dealers, to make it easier for people to buy hard currency. The Intelligence Ministry said it had blocked the bank accounts of 2,300 people accused of involvement in the currency black market and that they may face legal action, state media reported. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Andrew Heavens and David Holmes) Donald Trump (left), Prince William and King Charles (right). GC Images/Getty Images In 2012, a French magazine published photographs of Kate Middleton sunbathing topless on holiday. At the time, Donald Trump weighed in and tweeted that the royal only had "herself to blame." A new royal book claims the comments hit a nerve with both Prince William and King Charles. Donald Trump's comments about Kate Middleton's nude sunbathing photographs in 2012 hit a nerve with Prince William, Prince Harry and King Charles, a new book claims. Christopher Andersen is the author of the new royal biography "The King: The Life of Charles III," due to be released in the UK on December 8. His previous titles include "Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan," which is one of seven books Andersen has written about the royals. His latest work touches on the relationship Charles, 73, had with Donald Trump, 76, years before he was elected president. According to excerpts shared by Newsweek, bad blood between the royal and Trump hit boiling point when the former US president tweeted that Middleton could only "blame herself" for French magazine Closer publishing photographs of her sunbathing topless in 2012. King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton attend church on Christmas Day on the Sandringham estate in 2018. Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images "She shouldn't be sunbathing in the nude," Trump tweeted at the time. "Who wouldn't take Kate's picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!" Andersen wrote: "Trump's criticism of Kate resulted in what one Clarence House butler referred to as 'torrents of profanity' from both Prince Charles and his sons." The author, who was formerly a senior editor for People magazine, also claimed it wasn't even the first time that Trump's comments sparked anger from the royals. Andersen wrote that Charles was "disappointed" after Trump incorrectly spelled his title as the "Prince of Whales" on Twitter in 2019. According to the BBC, the former US president took to the social media platform to say he meets with "foreign governments" every day. Story continues Charles was the Prince of Wales until he became king following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September. Princess Diana and Charles in 1992. Getty Images Moreover, Andersen added that Trump's sexual comments towards Princess Diana months after her death in 1997 were not welcomed by the royals. During a radio interview with Howard Stern, Trump said he "could've" gotten with her if he'd wanted but only if she'd agreed to be tested for HIV, People magazine reported. Buckingham Palace, representatives for Prince Harry and Donald Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider By Philip Pullella ISA TOWN, Bahrain (Reuters) -Relatives of death row and life inmates in Bahrain held a small protest along Pope Francis' motorcade route on Saturday calling for freedom of political prisoners in the Gulf Arab state. It was not clear if the pope saw the placards as his motorcade moved from his residence to a school in Isa Town where he later addressed students and teachers. A video of the protest, which included several women and children, was posted online by London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and by Bahrain's dissolved opposition al-Wefaq group. One of the placards read "Tolerance, Coexistence is a practice not just slogan. #Free Hassan Mushaima #Free Political Prisoners #End Sectarianism". Hassan Mushaima, an opposition leader, was given a life sentence in 2011 for anti-government protests, led mostly by the Shi'ite Muslim community. The Sunni monarchy cracked down on the unrest. On the video, a policeman can be heard telling the demonstrators, who included a small boy: "If you please, if you have demands, if you have anything, not in this way and not in this manner". A government spokesperson, responding to a request for comment, said that a group of nine individuals were asked to disperse by uniformed police and "acceded to the request". "No further action is being taken in this regard," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that there "have been no arrests or apprehensions related to the Papal visit". Earlier, BIRD said in a statement that the protesters were taken away from the site in a police vehicle and later released. Before the pope arrived in Bahrain on Thursday, families of death row inmates asked him to speak out against capital punishment and defend political prisoners during the trip. He did so in his first address on Friday to government authorities and the diplomatic corps. Bahrain was the only Gulf state to see mass "Arab Spring" upheaval. It has imprisoned thousands - some in mass trials - since the uprising. Story continues The kingdom rejects criticism from the United Nations and others over its conduct of trials and detention conditions, saying it prosecutes in accordance with international law. Last year, Bahrain conditionally released tens of prisoners under new rules allowing electronic monitoring and home detention instead. Mushaima's son said then that his father had declined a conditional release offer. (Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous in Dubai; Editing by Christina Fincher and Andrew Heavens) Pro-lifers during the March for Life rally in central London. (Getty) A pro-life group is taking legal action against Birmingham City Council over a 'buffer zone' surrounding an abortion clinic. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, 45, who runs 40 Days for life Birmingham, is upset her group is not allowed to protest near Robert Clinic in Kings Norton. In September, the city council issued a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to protect patients and staff from chanting, graphic pictures and being blocked from entering the clinic. Vaughan-Spruce is challenging the validity of the PSPO, arguing the local authority has exceeded its powers. Read more: Calls to strip minister of abortion role after she opposed legislation in Northern Ireland A pro-life group is taking legal action against Birmingham City Council. (Getty) Vaughan-Spruce, who the Christian Legal Centre is supporting, said: Through this action I am not asking for anyone to agree with what 40 Days believes; others have the right to disagree. However, I am asking for justice to be upheld despite our differences in belief. She added: We believe it is totally disproportionate and unnecessary to ban prayer connected to abortion in an area where a Catholic Church is, as well as banning the use of the words baby or mum in any text or imagery. Vaughan-Spruces lawyers will ask The High Court to declare the PSPO unlawful, unjustified and an interference with Miss Vaughan-Spruces and other pro-lifers rights" under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Read more: Abortion buffer zone victory: the 10-year battle to protect the rights of women But locals living near Robert Clinic said there were sad and frustrated after pro-lifers began to protest there again despite the buffer zone. Resident Liz Bates told the Birmingham Mail: "We are concerned that the increased prominence of their protest, with signs, will prove to be a flash point and bring more tension to our neighbourhood. "The protest caused regular disputes and arguments outside the clinic, this is not going to be any different. We are calling on the council to extend the Buffer Zone further as this is causing distress and tension." Story continues Police and local authorities can apply for buffer zones to be set up if they receive complaints, but these zones can be contested in court. Pro-abortion protesters during a counter-protest on abortion rights at Parliament Square. (Getty) Last month, MPs supported proposals to introduce buffer zones around abortion clinics and hospitals in England and Wales. The House of Commons voted 297 to 110, majority 187, in favour of an amendment to the Public Order Bill in a bid to offer greater protection to women by preventing protesters from gathering. The move, pushed by a cross-party group of MPs, would introduce buffer zones around abortion clinics and hospitals where it would be an offence to interfere, intimidate or harass women accessing or people providing abortion services. Those convicted could face up to six months in jail for a first offence or two years for further offences. A buffer zone would apply to an area which is within 150 metres from any part of an abortion clinic or access point to any building or site that contains an abortion clinic. Labour MP Stella Creasy, who proposed the new legislation, said the zones would protect women. She said: It does not stop free speech on abortion. It does not stop people protesting. It simply says you shouldnt have the right to do this in the face of somebody and very often these people are right up in front of people. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty It is usually a sign of desperation when Democratic campaigns trot out the old Social Security scare tactics. And right on cue, as his party braces for a midterm shellacking, President Joe Biden tweeted that youve been paying into Social Security your whole life. You earned it. Now, Republicans in Congress want to cut it. Who the hell do they think they are? Former President Barack Obama also recently gave a speech lambasting any reforms to the program. Democratic campaigns, activists, and funders like the Lincoln Project have asserted that If Republicans win, they can and will eliminate Medicare and Social Security. That accusation is absurdly false. Despite decades of hysterical Democratic warnings, the GOP has brought no legislation to the floor to drastically reduce Social Security and Medicare benefits (much less to eliminate the programs). In fact, the largest recent unilateral Medicare expansion was the Republican-created drug benefit in 2003, and the two largest partisan Medicare cuts were enacted by Democrats in 2010 and 2022. Even President George W. Bushs 2005 Social Security initiative (which was never even drafted into legislation) would have resulted in higher benefits for the vast majority of retirees. Bidens Budget Plan Is the Wrong Way To Tax the Rich So what are these new supposed Republican threats to Social Security? Essentially, GOP Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin have proposed that Social Security and Medicare receive a reauthorization vote every few years in order to provide lawmakers an opportunity to update the programs. Such program reauthorizations are routinenearly every federal program is already on a reauthorization schedule simply as a matter of oversight and programmatic updates. It has nothing to do with terminating major programs, which is virtually unheard of during reauthorizations. Indeeddespite scare tactics alleging otherwiseany proposal to simply terminate the Social Security and Medicare systems would be unanimously defeated in the House and Senate. Yes, unanimously. Story continues Sure, lawmakers could use the reauthorization to raise eligibility ages, or trim the growth of benefits. But it is equally possible that benefits could be expandedwhich is more typical in reauthorizations. That said, the whole issue is mostly a media and campaign creation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has already declared that a new reauthorization requirement will not be part of a Republican Senate majority agenda, and there is no indication that a broader GOP Congress will heed the reform calls of a few lawmakers. Thus, twisting a few lawmaker reauthorization comments into a Republicans are planning to terminate Social Security attack is no less of a smear than Republicans using a few out-of-context Democratic police reform comments as proof that Democrats will soon pass sweeping national legislation defunding the police. Both attacks are dishonest exaggerations meant to scare voters away from a needed discussion of legitimate, responsible, and more modest reforms. And that is the real danger. Social Security is in desperate need of reform because the current system is economically unsustainable. Already in deficit, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that over the next three decades the Social Security system will collect $65 trillion in payroll taxes and related revenues, and spend $101 trillion on benefits and resulting interest costs. That $36 trillion cash shortfall would merely dip to $33 trillion had the $3 trillion trust fund not been raided (that raid was based on a 1983 law and unrelated to subsequent tax cuts or spending expansions). US President Joe Biden speaks about protecting Social Security and Medicare, at OB Johnson Park Community Center in Hallandale Beach, Florida, on Nov. 1, 2022. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Medicare is in even worse shape, facing a three-decade projected shortfall of $80 trillion. In fact, virtually the entire $114 trillion 30-year budget deficit projected by the CBO results from the Social Security and Medicare shortfalls. The rest of the federal budget is balanced over three decades. The worst way to reduce the Social Security shortfall is to do nothing. The Billionaires Tax Boondoggle Shows the Dems Desperation Current law mandates a 25 percent benefit cut just 12 years from now, when the trust fund is exhausted. Politicians who refuse to take up Social Security reform are essentially endorsing that outcome. The Republicans calling for reform are trying to avoid it. Reform cannot wait, either, because every year of delay brings four million more Boomers into a collapsing benefit systemjust as all other retirees get another year older and less able to absorb any reforms. Its better to gradually reform the system now, rather than run enormous deficits and have to impose drastic reforms later. When pressed, many Democrats suggest that Social Security can be saved by lifting the $160,200 wage cap and applying Social Security taxes to all wages. It is not that simple. 1243785612 A woman walks into a Social Security office in Houston, Texas on July 13, 2022. Mark Felix for The Washington Post via Getty Images First, lifting the cap would raise 0.8 percent of GDP in tax revenuesless than half of the programs annual shortfall that will level off at 1.8 percent of GDP. Significant additional taxes or spending cuts would still be needed. Second, applying the 12.4 percent Social Security tax to all wages would raise the total marginal tax rate for upper-income individuals to as high as 62 percent when including federal and state income and payroll taxes. Supporters of 62 percent tax rates should note that even liberal economists generally consider that near the revenue-maximizing tax rate. This means that any further tax rate hikes on the wealthy would raise little revenue and may even lose money. Thus, the key question for progressives is whether closing the Social Security gap is the best use of the limited remaining tax-the-rich revenues. Remember that Medicare still faces a massive $80 trillion funding gap. And progressives have wanted to tax the rich to fund new spending on family leave, child credits, Medicare-For-All, free college, more student loan forgiveness, climate, child care, K-12 education, infrastructure, and more anti-poverty benefits. Virtually none of that will be possible if the largest available tax hike on the rich instead pays for existing Social Security benefits. After all, todays unified Democratic government could muster only $300 billion over the decade in new taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations. And political limitations aside, passing the entire progressive tax the rich wish list of income, investment, corporate, wealth, and estate taxes would raise two or three percent of GDPbarely enough to close the long-term Social Security gap, and far insufficient to close Medicares funding gap. Trump Added More to the National Debt Than Obama and Bush Social Security is a curious destination for progressives largest possible tax on wealthy people. Yes, many seniors still struggle. But overall, they are Americas wealthiest age cohort with incomes rising much faster than working-age families. Millions of seniors are millionaires (even excluding illiquid home values), and millions more have post-retirement household incomes exceeding $100,000 despite fewer mortgage and child care costs than younger families. A sensibleand progressiveSocial Security proposal would gradually trim the growth of benefits for the wealthiest seniors, and gradually raise the eligibility age from 67 to 69 over a few decades to accommodate longer lifespans. It could even strengthen the minimum benefit to aid seniors who are in poverty. Social Security would remain insurance against poverty in old age. Importantly, this progressive Social Security approach would reserve future tax-the-rich revenues for the progressive spending priorities listed above. But preserving those tax options requires addressing Social Security shortfalls with these alternative reforms. Republicans and Democrats should begin that conversation in the next Congress. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor committed one of the weirdest penalties youll ever see in an NFL game on Sunday except that it wasnt a penalty, because the officials didnt see it. It happened on the Raiders first offensive play, an interception thrown by Derek Carr to Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs. The video of the [more] Floridas state medical board has heavily restricted access to gender-affirming surgery and care for any minors seeking to transition, in a vote finalized on Friday. At the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs, heated debate ensued as the state medical board and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted to effectively ban major forms of transgender therapies and surgeries. The new standard of care prevents doctors from prescribing hormones and puberty blockers, as well as performing gender affirmation surgeries, to any patient under 18 years old. Any doctor who violates the standard could risk losing their license. The only exceptions are for patients who are already going through the process and for children enrolled in clinical studies. Let us be the light to the world to determine what is the best care for these folks, chairperson Dr. David Diamond said during the vote on Friday. Gender care has been a key part of building political debate as Gov. Ron DeSantis angles for reelection in Florida. Hes made it part of his hard-line conservative agenda, passing several anti-LGBTQ+ laws during his tenure and openly announcing his desire to ban all transition-related treatments in Florida during a debate in October. However, this restriction is the first of its kind to circumvent the state House, where the ban was denied twice. All 14 members of the state medical board were appointed by DeSantis. Its very disheartening, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Brittany Bruggeman told BuzzFeed News. Theyre going against medical guidelines, and interpreting evidence differently than any other major medical association. Bruggeman treats transgender patients at the University of Floridas youth gender program, where she said the average age of patients is around 17 years old. She prescribes hormone blockers to her patients, who have already undergone mental health assessments before she meets them. She said she was frustrated by the boards decision and has received several calls from anxious parents about their childrens healthcare. Story continues National medical organizations like the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics have spoken out against bans on gender affirmation care in the past. Transgender children, like all children, have the best chance to thrive when they are supported and can obtain the health care they need, the American Medical Association wrote in a statement after Arkansas instituted a state ban on gender affirmation care in 2021. Many have expressed their dissent. Videos from inside the voting room show protestors holding up signs as they chant, We will not be silenced, Stonewall was a riot. Others have taken to social media to criticize the restrictions. It's incredibly depressing to see the lack of caring for what's happening in Florida. Trans people are losing access to gender affirming care and it's like hardly anyone actually cares 02:54 PM - 05 Nov 2022 florida board of medicine just voted to ban all gender affirming care for trans youth. im so fucking tired of this shit man. what a shithole of a state. i cant even imagine how every trans teenager must be feeling right now 05:16 PM - 28 Oct 2022 Theres also concern over what will happen to the clinics who work with transgender teens. Bruggeman said she sees patients who are in their 20s as well, but she is expecting some transitional period as the clinic figures out how to move forward. Her top concern at the moment is the patients mental health, fearing worsening depression and anxiety. Several have already told her that they are planning on moving out of state to a place without restrictions on care. Any time politics interferes with the patientdoctor relationship, it really does affect physicians mental and emotional health as well, she said. We talk about moral injury in medicine. Its something we face when we arent able to provide the care that we believe would be in the best interest of our patients. Its something were facing with our patients. Military personnel from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Great Britain and the USA participate in the Puma-22 training These exercises will incorporate lessons learned from Russias full-scale war against Ukraine, the Ministry added. Read also: Training exercises using HIMARS to be held in Latvia Nearly 2,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment will be participating in the exercises. The main Polish unit involved is the 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade, but other units from the 18th Separate Mechanized Division are also participating. The exercise focuses on armored and mechanized units of the Polish Ground Forces, but gunners, sappers, chemists, anti-aircraft guns, and scouts are all involved. The purpose of the exercises is to improve the interoperability of the forces participating, as well as to test the ability to plan, organize and conduct tactical operations in cooperation with allies, Major Przemysaw Lipczynski told PAP. It is the command and headquarters that work out the decisions regarding what will happen in the theater of operations. Read also: NATO forces and nuclear weapons should be stationed in Poland, president Duda says Major Lipczynski said the exercise scenarios will include: Conducting maneuverable defense; Forcing a water obstacle on the San River; Elimination of pollution by chemical units; Verification of artillery (Call For Fire) and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) procedures; Integrated fire extinguishing. Concurrently with the Puma-22 exercises, which are the largest military maneuvers of the Visegrad Group countries this year, the System-22, Gepard-22 and San-22 command and staff exercises are taking place. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday endorsed the evacuation of civilians from parts of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, saying that the civilian population should not suffer during the most dangerous activities in the area. However, Ukraine has said that the evacuations include the forced relocation of civilians, a war crime, which Russia denies. Meanwhile, according to a U.K. Ministry of Defense report, Russia's military is likely deploying units threatening to shoot soldiers who are planning to retreat from Ukraine. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 04 November 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/CWHuZrKery #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/bYLF2ONZOR Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) November 4, 2022 The ministry said, "Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces have probably started deploying 'barrier troops' or 'blocking units.'" "These units threaten to shoot their retreating soldiers to compel offensives and have been used in previous conflicts by Russian forces," it added. Also Read: Russia Will Run Out Of Arms Before Ukraine Does, Says UK Defence Secretary The U.K. intelligence has also reported that Russian generals have likely told their commanders to use weapons against deserters. The defense ministry said that the tactic of shooting deserters "likely attests to the low quality, low morale, and indiscipline of Russian forces". "Generals also likely wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death." Last month, The New York Times released a detailed report on intercepted calls made by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, talking about the widespread atrocities they face and how they are displeased with Putin's decision to invade. Story continues Photo: manhhai on flickr See more from Benzinga Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better. 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Austin Reed threw touchdown passes to five different receivers in the first half and quickly added a sixth after halftime to lead Western Kentucky to a 59-7 win over Charlotte on Saturday. There was never any doubt the Hilltoppers (6-4, 4-2 Conference USA) would become bowl eligible with their graduate transfer quarterback from Division III West Florida. A week after surpassing 10,000 career yards and reaching 100 career touchdown passes, Reed led Western Kentucky to touchdowns on their first three possessions and five of seven possessions before halftime. The second snap of the game produced a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Hall. The next possession was a one-play drive, Daewood Davis on the receiving end of a seven-yard play following an interception. The fourth score was the 14th-career touchdown reception for Joshua Simon, the most by a tight end in program history. Reed was 23 of 38 for a season-best 409 yards. M alachi Corley, who had a 64-yard scoring reception, had six catches for a career-high 162 yards. Anthony Brackenridge returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, the 13th interception for the Hilltoppers and their fifth defensive score in 24 takeaways. Reserve quarterback Darius Ocean threw a touchdown pass in the final minute to set a school record with seven different receivers scoring. Chris Reynolds threw a touchdown pass for the 49ers (2-8, 1-5). ___ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 Cory Mills' campaign; Karen Green's campaign; Insider The seat is open after Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy didn't seek re-election. Republican Cory Mills is running against Democrat Karen Green. The district leans red after redrawn maps. Republican Cory Mills is vying for an open seat in Florida's redrawn 7th Congressional District against Democrat Karen Green. The seat is open following Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy's decision to not seek re-election after serving three terms. Florida's 7th Congressional District candidates Mills is a former defense contractor and Army veteran. He received former President Donald Trump's endorsement and ran on an "America First" platform. He's a favorite on conservative cable news airwaves. Mills was co-founder of PACEM Solutions, a multi-million dollar company that provided consulting to law enforcement and sold arms and riot-control gear. He sold tear gas that was used against Black Lives Matter demonstrators, according to a Politico report. Green is a former Florida Democratic Party vice chair who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica during her early 20s. Voting history for Florida's 7th Congressional District Florida's 7th Congressional District is in a centrist, suburban district of Orlando, and Murphy had widespread support there by business groups. She announced in December 2021 that she would not seek another term despite her status as a rising star in the Democratic Party. After reaching her decision, Murphy explained her reasoning to Politico, saying that leadership would "beat moderates into submission" and that the party had abandoned its "big tent" status. Joe Biden won the district in the 2020 presidential race. But now, the district leans more Republican. This year, the legislature redrew the map in ways that added conservative parts of Volusia County to the district. The money race Mills has a massive cash advantage and is self-funding the vast majority of his congressional run, mostly with money he earned from PACEM Solutions. Story continues As of October 19, he raised nearly $2.47 million in comparison to Green's $68,000, according to the nonpartisan money in politics research organization OpenSecrets. Nearly 83% of Mills' total came from his own pocketbook, according to OpenSecrets. Mills has spent $2.4 million to Green's less-than $33,000, as of October 19. Although super PACs and other political committees have combined to spend about $2.5 million in this race, most of the money was spent during the eight-candidate Republican primary where Mills emerged victorious with more than 38% of the vote. What experts say The race between Mills and Green was rated as a "likely Republican" by Inside Elections and among the "safe Republican flips" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider Antony Blinken Together with the G-7, countries around the world are making clear to President Putin that any use of a nuclear weapon would be catastrophic for him and for Russia, CNN quoted Blinken. Read also: US has warned Putin against using nuclear weapons, Blinken says Blinken noted that at the G7 meeting, foreign ministers collectively promised severe consequences if Moscow uses chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu contacted his French, UK, and Turkish counterparts on Oct. 23, alerting them to Ukraines plans to allegedly stage false flag operations involving a dirty bomb device. Western leaders and NATO officials have subsequently dismissed the claims as absurd. Read also: IAEA finds no evidence to support Russias dirty bomb claims At Ukraines invitation, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted in-field inspections of Ukrainian nuclear facilities, and did not find any undisclosed nuclear activity or materials, IAEA said on Nov. 3. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine While Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited (NZSE:RBD) might not be the most widely known stock at the moment, it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NZSE over the last few months, increasing to NZ$9.91 at one point, and dropping to the lows of NZ$6.90. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Restaurant Brands New Zealand's current trading price of NZ$7.33 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Restaurant Brands New Zealands outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for Restaurant Brands New Zealand Is Restaurant Brands New Zealand Still Cheap? The share price seems sensible at the moment according to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 28x is currently trading slightly above its industry peers ratio of 25.79x, which means if you buy Restaurant Brands New Zealand today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Restaurant Brands New Zealand should be trading at this level in the long run, then there should only be a fairly immaterial downside vs other industry peers. In addition to this, it seems like Restaurant Brands New Zealands share price is quite stable, which could mean there may be less chances to buy low in the future now that its trading around the price multiples of other industry peers. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta. Can we expect growth from Restaurant Brands New Zealand? Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. Restaurant Brands New Zealand's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 65%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What This Means For You Are you a shareholder? RBDs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at RBD? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below the industry PE ratio? Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on RBD, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for RBD, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. Be aware that Restaurant Brands New Zealand is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis and 2 of those make us uncomfortable... If you are no longer interested in Restaurant Brands New Zealand, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Sir Richard Branson - Roberto Finizio/Getty Images Sir Richard Branson is backing calls for an airport ban on Chinese airlines that arrive in Britain after travelling over Russian airspace. The Virgin Group founder said it was important that airlines were not unfairly disadvantaged for operating in line with sanctions. Following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February, most Western airlines are diverting flights around Russia. But as parts of Asia belatedly reopen following Covid restrictions, there is renewed pressure on carriers to return to Russian airspace to avoid longer flight times and reduce fuel bills. Sean Doyle, British Airways chief executive, said that avoiding Russia means flights east take between two and four hours longer. Services from Finland are worst affected. A flight between Helsinki and Tokyo now takes nearly five hours longer. Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific last week announced it would restart flying over Russia. Chinese airlines have continued to use Russian airspace since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war. Industry sources said that the UK could now crackdown on the predominantly Chinese carriers that land in Britain after flying over Russia. Not only does this give them an unfair advantage financially, but it means the money they are paying Russian authorities for using its airspace is helping the countrys war effort. Prior to the pandemic, Russia generated $1.7bn (1.3bn) from so-called overflight charges each year. Sir Richard, the founder of Virgin Atlantic, raised concerns that flying around Russian airspace was disadvantageous for Western airlines that were abiding by sanctions. The British entrepreneur told The Telegraph that a good point was now being raised that those airlines returning to fly over Russia were indirectly helping the Kremlins war effort. Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic chief executive, called on UK and EU leaders to enforce a level-playing field among airlines in relation to Russian overflights. Sir Richard has been a prominent supporter of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has repeatedly called for the West to do more to support the country in the face of Russian aggression. A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: Following Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK acted quickly and decisively to prevent UK airlines from using Russian airspace. "We stand firmly by our decision to do so and continue to work closely with airlines to mitigate the impact of this despicable war. Rihannas fourth Savage X Fenty fashion show is set to debut next week, but it has already caused controversy. "Savage X Fenty Vol. 4" will premiere on Amazon Prime on Wednesday, and fans are not too happy that Johnny Depp is making an appearance. While several celebrities have walked for Rihanna before, Depp will make history as the "first male to take part in this star moment, previously done with Cindy Crawford and Erykah Badu in past shows," a source tells Fox News Digital. Both Crawford and Badu were featured stars in the Vol. 3 show in 2021. Rihanna is facing backlash after including Johnny Depp in her latest Savage X Fenty fashion show. JOHNNY DEPP SET TO MAKE HISTORY WITH RIHANNA The long list of stars that will be featured in Savage X Fenty apparel includes Cara Delevingne, Irina Shayk, Joan Smalls and Taraji P. Henson, among many others. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP It was confirmed that Depp did not shoot his appearance with any other celebrities. Fox News Digital has reached out to Rihanna and Depp's reps for comment. Following the news, many fans took to social media to share their thoughts on Depp appearing in the show. "rihanna can't be serious? with all these beautiful and unproblematic men in hollywood, and johnny depp is the one that appeals to you the most?" one user wrote on Twitter. Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, faced off in court earlier this year for a defamation trial. "Delete the Johnny Depp scene now if it ever existed," another user added. Earlier this year, Depp and his ex, Amber Heard, were in court for a defamation trial. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star initially sought a $50 million payout over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed Heard wrote that didnt specifically name Depp but discussed her experiences with domestic abuse at the hands of a former partner. Heard countersued for $100 million in damages. Depp was awarded $10.35 million in damages after a jury found Heard defamed him following a six-week trial. While Heard lost that defamation case, she was awarded $2 million in her countersuit as jurors found that Depp defamed her through his attorney. Story continues CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Less than one month after the ruling, Heard filed a notice of appeal to overturn the verdict. Following Heards appeal, Depp filed documents Wednesday to appeal a Virginia court's ruling that one of Depp's lawyers defamed Heard. Fox News Digital's Caroline Thayer contributed to this report. BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Inside an exhibit booth of about 20 square meters, people stopped at handmade Afghan carpets and rugs, admiring the unique design, softness and natural dyes that had made the crafts among the finest in the world for centuries. "One large carpet usually takes a family six to nine months to weave and these beautiful and durable carpets show the heritage of craftsmanship passed down through generations of families in Afghanistan," said Ali Faiz, a 28-year-old merchant who participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the third time. Carpets used to be among Afghanistan's most important trade and export goods. But the industry is declining due to decades of conflicts and Western sanctions. When Faiz brought the carpets to the Chinese market, he also took with him the hope of people in the war-torn country. Since it was launched in 2018, the CIIE has been carrying the hopes of people, both in China and the other countries, to advance shared prosperity and progress through international trade and business cooperation. And this global fair has turned Faiz's dream for a better life into reality. A MARKET FOR THE WORLD Through the CIIE, Faiz has received orders for over 2,000 carpets, which he said have brought a year's worth of income to more than 2,000 Afghan families. Thirty-eight-year-old Boston Barati's family is one of them. Growing up in a slum on the outskirts of the Afghan capital Kabul, Barati learned carpet weaving when he was a child and never thought he could own a workshop before his carpets were sold to China. Walking through a courtyard in Kabul packed with wool threads, several weavers were busy knotting yarn around the warp which made the base of a carpet before they used dyed yarn as a pile to create the carpet's design. Barati was sitting next to them, drawing carpet patterns with a computer. "My life was changed after I started exporting the products to China," Barati said. "I built this house and bought a new car thanks to our successful business in China." Faiz and Barati were not the only ones to seize the moment for a changed future. Since the debut of the CIIE, China has been encouraging and assisting companies from the least developed countries to join the expo to seize opportunities presented by China's development. At the ongoing exhibition, from Afghan handicrafts to Rwandan coffee, from the cutting-edge medical instruments designed in Silicon Valley to giant mining equipment in Brazil, enterprises across the globe are exploring the opportunities in China, the second largest economy in the world, to grow their international businesses. The CIIE has become a showcase of China's new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening-up, and a public good for the whole world, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday when addressing the opening ceremony of the fifth CIIE via video. "The most important thing about the Chinese economy is that it's predictable," said Khairy Tourk, a professor of economics at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. "It is enjoying a steady and positive growth, a stable currency, and a financially strong foundation. That's why China is a very attractive country to invest in." A MARKET SHARED BY ALL Since its first edition, the CIIE has demonstrated China's commitment to high-level opening-up and widening market access to the rest of the world, contributing to global growth with the country's high-quality development. "The CIIE is bringing the best of innovation from the world to China, but also showcasing the best of innovation of China to the world," said Fabrice Megarbane, L'Oreal North Asia Zone president and chief executive officer of L'Oreal China. Five years on, China has been forging ahead towards shared growth with all partners having the same vision. Eyeing China's huge and more open market, comprehensive industrial system, and ever-improving business environment, many foreign-funded businesses are doubling down on their investments in the country. Conducting business in China for 65 years, ZEISS, the world's leading enterprise of optical and optoelectronics technology, has a strong and firm mission for the future in China, the company's largest single market. Last month it launched a 25-million-U.S.-dollar project in Suzhou city, a manufacturing hub in southeastern China, aiming to provide localized research and development and manufacturing services for all business segments of ZEISS. The company said the new project would empower it to offer better solutions and innovations to its global market. The global crisis, trade problems and the COVID-19 pandemic haven't softened the company's business in China, said Maximilian Foerst, president and CEO of ZEISS Greater China. The Chinese market is "becoming larger and larger every single year, which means that (the market in) China is growing faster than the rest of ZEISS," Foerst added. Many transnational corporations share similar views on the prospects of China's development. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 18.9 percent year on year to 155.3 billion dollars in the first three quarters of 2022. By amplifying the interplay between domestic and international markets and resources, China will work with all countries and parties to share the opportunities in its vast market on its journey toward realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. "We will step up efforts to cultivate a robust domestic market, upgrade trade in goods, develop new mechanisms for trade in services, and import more quality products," Xi said. A MARKET ACCESSIBLE TO ALL For ZEISS, the rapidly growing industry of new energy vehicles in China has become the company's new source of growth in the future. It has been building up teams to focus on x-ray technologies for new energy vehicles, particularly batteries. "Why are we doing it in China? Because I'm pretty sure China is the largest single market of new energy vehicles," Foerst said, adding that "the products we develop here will go into the factories the Chinese companies are building up in Europe, the U.S., and the rest of the world." For years, China has been striving to create a more favorable environment and easier access for foreign companies to tap the potential of the Chinese market. As a result, more transnational companies such as Volkswagen have decided to expand their business in China. This year, a total of 145 nations, regions and international organizations, and enterprises from 127 nations and regions will participate in the week-long CIIE that kicked off on Saturday. "I think there are no other ones in the world which are able to bring so many industries, so many country representatives and have this dialogue that allows us really to look at opportunities," Megarbane said. After 25 years of development, L'Oreal has made China its second biggest market in the world. "We still see a lot of potential and opportunities," Megarbane added. "That's the sense of our investment." Among the participants at the CIIE, Japanese companies are expecting to increase their exports to China as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that took effect on Jan. 1 has substantially reduced taxes. Meanwhile, the world's largest free trade agreement also encouraged more companies from Singapore, New Zealand and other regional countries to explore the Chinese market. And close connectivity, such as the China-Laos railway, has put trade on a fast track. In September, the first freight train carrying containers from Kashgar city in China's Xinjiang arrived in the border town of Hairatan in Afghanistan. "It is a milestone and a positive step towards boosting trade and economic relations between Afghanistan and the neighboring countries," said the local governor, Qudratullah Abu Hamza. "Opening up is going to benefit China a lot, and it is also important in terms of South-South cooperation, where African countries, Latin American countries and Southeast Asian countries can have more access to China," said Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, a professor of public policy at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. After the operation of the freight train service, Faiz would not have to ship his carpets all the way to Shanghai via Istanbul in the future. Moreover, his dream and the dreams of the people in Afghanistan will be more closely connected with the aspirations of the Chinese people. As Xi has said, "the Chinese Dream is after all a dream of the people." It can be fulfilled only when it is linked with the people's yearning for a better life. MOSCOW (AP) A fire in a large cafe in the Russian city of Kostroma killed 13 people and injured five others on Saturday, local authorities said. The governor of the Kostroma region, Sergei Sitnikov, said 13 people died in the fire and five more were slightly injured. Kostroma, a riverside city of 270,000, is 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of Moscow. The blaze erupted in the early hours after someone apparently used a flare gun, according to the authorities. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that a brawl erupted in the cafe shortly before the fire, but it wasn't immediately clear if it had anything to do with the flare gun. Russia's Investigative Committee, which investigates major crimes, said a suspect had been detained for allegedly firing the flare gun and that the cafe's director also was being held. Rescuers were able to evacuate 250 people. The roof of the cafe collapsed during the fire, which engulfed an area of 3,500 square meters (more than 37,000 square feet). Firefighters spent five hours battling the blaze, and a dozen residents of nearby residential buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Ikhtiyar Mirzoyev, a member of the regional legislature and owner of the cafe, promised assistance to those affected by the fire. It wasn't the first time that pyrotechnics caused a deadly fire at a recreational venue in Russia. In 2009, more than 150 people were killed in a blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in the city of Perm that erupted after a performer set off fireworks. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Russia and China have again blocked plans supported by the European Union, the United States and 23 other nations to protect three vast stretches of ocean around Antarctica from most fishing. But conservationists said there were some positives from a two-week international meeting on the future of Antarctica's pristine waters that concluded in Australia late Friday. Those included an agreement on new protections for krill fishing and a commitment to meet in Chile next year to further discuss the proposal for the new marine protected areas, which combined would cover a swath of ocean larger than India. Many nations have become frustrated at the ability of Russia and, to a lesser extent, China to effectively veto proposals, as the rules of the group require it reach consensus before taking action. The U.S., which has been trying to find common ground with China, laid the blame for this year's disagreements squarely on Russia, which the U.S. said was undermining the group. Russias repeated rejection of the best available scientific information amounts to an abuse of its commitment to participate in consensus-based decision-making, the State Department said in a statement. The Russian delegation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project said it was pleased the group had managed to agree on some measures around krill fishing. The small, shrimp-like creatures are eaten by seabirds, penguins, seals and whales. While the krill conservation measure is a good first step, new evidence underscores that the best precautionary approach to Southern Ocean conservation couples ecosystem-based fishery management and marine protected areas, said Andrea Kavanagh, director of the Projects Antarctic and Southern Ocean work. Finding consensus among the group called the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources has always been hard but has been exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine which is also a member of the group. The meeting began last week with a mass walkout when the Russian delegates started speaking. Kostiantyn Demianenko, who led the Ukrainian delegation, last week told The Associated Press that Russia had no right to be at the table. A state that kills the civilian population, destroys the air and ground civilian infrastructure of another country and defiantly violates the basic provisions of international law should definitely be limited in its right to participate in the activities of international organizations such as CCAMLR, he wrote in an email. The Russians struck the Zaporizhzhia region with S-300 missiles Three enterprises and numerous cars were damaged, but there were no fatalities or injuries, Zaporizhzhya Governor Oleksandr Starukh said. Read also: Gas pipe damaged in Zaporizhzhya Oblast after Russian attack A gas pipeline was damaged in the result of the attack. A fire broke out, but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, the governor said. The S-300 is an anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile system, but its missiles can be retooled to attack ground targets. Read also: Russian forces hit critical infrastructure in Zaporizhzhya There is speculation in Ukraine that Russia may be resorting to the use of such missiles, which are less accurate that the Kremlins cruise and ballistic missiles, because its stocks of these weapons are running low. This speculation has been reinforced by media reports that Iran is to supply Russia with some of its short-range ballistic missiles, as well as more flying bomb drones. Ukraine suffered attacks on its energy infrastructure almost weekly in October, leaving large parts of the country short of energy, and subject to rolling blackouts to conserve electricity. Read also: Russian troops shell Nikopol with Grad multiple launch systems and heavy artillery Ukraine has been pleading for modern air defense systems from its partners since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion and war on the country on Feb. 24, but only after the attacks on its energy infrastructure began in earnest in October did the West deliver or promise to deliver the most modern and effective systems. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Serhii Kyslytsia, Ukraines Permanent Representative at the UN, has said that the amendments to the UNs resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism [Draft Resolution on Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance ed.] have essentially condemned Russias military aggression against Ukraine. Source: Serhii Kyslytsia, on Facebook and Twitter Quote: "Over the course of many years (since 2005), Russia has been attempting to secure the UN General Assemblys vote on the resolution which allegedly seeks to combat the glorification of neo-nazism. Who wouldnt join this cause? But the draft resolution has been twisted and manipulated by the Russians. Thats why Ukraine and the US have always voted No. Russian propaganda would then falsely claim that Ukraine and the US do not condemn Nazism. Its a cheap trick for the Russian audience." Details: Kyslytsia noted that things were different this year. Russia introduced the draft resolution during the session of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the UN General Assembly. Quote by Kyslytsia: "Thanks to the work of Ukraines Foreign Ministry and Permanent Representatives at the UN, we were able not only to shift the balance of votes in favour of the misleading resolution, but also to introduce a powerful new addition. It speaks for itself: [The UN] [n]otes with alarm that the Russian Federation has sought to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism, and underlines that the pretextual use of neo-Nazism to justify territorial aggression seriously undermines genuine attempts to combat neo-Nazism. To speak plainly, it means: Enough lies, no one believes in the nonsense about neo-Nazism in Ukraine anymore. But the funniest thing is that Russia has ended up in a trap, because it was forced to vote in favour of the resolution even with this amendment adoptedThus condemning its own actions. And it did vote." Story continues More details: Ukraines Permanent Representative to the UN said that Ukraine has ensured this vote, as well as the fact that all EU countries took Ukraines side, has been noted at the highest level at the UN General Assembly. "...how much will the Russian media cover Nebenzyas epic vote on a resolution condemning Russia and speaking against its territorial aggression against Ukraine?", Kyslytsia wrote on Telegram. [Vasily Nebenzya is Russias Permanent Representative at the UN ed.] Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian military The Republic of Belarus continues to support the Russian war against Ukraine, hosts and accomodates Russian servicemen, and provides training grounds," the military reported. Read also: New invasion from Belarus more likely next spring, Ukraine says Russian units are expected to spend two to three weeks in combat training and coordination exercises, they added. Meanwhile, the General Staff noted that the situation in the Volyn and Polissia directions remains without significant changes. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko ruled out the possibility of sending the Belarusian troops to fight against Ukraine on Nov. 4. Read also: New group of Russian military personnel arrives in Belarus At the same time, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has been firing its missiles at Ukraine from the territory of Belarus. Throughout the war, Russia has been using Belarus as staging grounds to first invade northern Ukraine in February-March, and subsequently to launch air and drone strikes at Ukraines civilian infrastructure. Read also: However, on Oct. 4, Lukashenko admitted that Belarus is involved in the war against Ukraine: "As for our participation in the special military operation in Ukraine we are taking part in it, he said. We do not hide it. But we do not kill anyone. We do not send our military anywhere. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol (Zaporizhzhia Oblast), has reported that wounded Russian soldiers are being taken to Melitopol; however, there is a lack of doctors there, so the Russians are pulling their own medics into the city. Source: Fedorov on Facebook Quote from Fedorov: "The occupiers medical units are lacking qualified personnel, particularly surgeons. Their medics are unable to provide quality medical care. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on 3 November, about 80 wounded soldiers of the Russian Army had been brought to our city. But there are not enough Ukrainian doctors, so Russian medics have also been brought to Melitopol; they are drinking and having fun." Details: Fedorov noted that the occupiers were provoking a humanitarian catastrophe and threatening civilians safety and well-being. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Units of the Russian Armed Forces are being replenished with recently conscripted Russian soldiers on the territory of Belarus. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 5 November Quote: "The Republic of Belarus is continuing to support and aid the military aggression the Russian Federation is perpetrating against Ukraine; Belarus welcomes and provides accommodation for Russian military personnel and allows Russian forces to use its military training grounds." Details: The General Staff additionally reported that units of the Russian Armed Forces are being replenished with recently conscripted Russian soldiers (arriving from Russia) on the territory of Belarus. "Training and coordinating activities for these units are expected to last two to three weeks," the General Staff said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! In Kherson, the Russians used trucks to remove exhibits and property from the art museum The Russians made use of three to four dozen people to empty out the museums exhibits from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, management wrote. Read also: Russian invaders steal Scythian gold from Melitopol museum, Prosecutor Generals Office of Ukraine says They call this evacuation, we call it looting under the slogans of preserving cultural values, the post reads. The paintings were not packed properly for transportation, but merely wrapped in rags, the museum added. According to museum staff, three trucks and a school bus were loaded and driven away, accompanied by plainclothed men armed with machine guns on Nov. 1, two more trucks on Nov. 2, and the remainder of the museums pieces were transported by unguarded bus on Nov. 3. Read also: Russia planning to loot Crimean museums under pretext of evacuation There were roadblocks around the museum during the looting of one of Ukraines best art collections, the museums management explained. We hope to find out soon what exactly was illegally hauled in four days, but there is no doubt that the most valuable (XVII-XIX centuries) was taken first. The cargo was directed to Crimea, but we dont know for a fact that this is its final destination. Read also: Invaders looting museums and burning Ukrainian books, says General Staff As discovered recently, the evacuation was supervised by the museums Russian-appointed director Natalia Desiatova, whom Kherson residents may know as a singer from the Teatralne cafe. Some employees of the museum, believed to be collaborating with the Russian occupation forces, are known to have been helping this so-called director. The Russian military had earlier stolen exhibits from museums in Mariupol in July. Read also: Russian military stole all valuable exhibits from Mariupol museums According to the Mariupol city council, local history and art museums were robbed off their collections, which constitute the cultural heritage of the city and the region. The buildings themselves were destroyed. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A Sacramento County jury convicted a 35-year old man of three felonies on Friday for trafficking a 15-year-old girl, according to a District Attorneys Office news release. Justin Starks was convicted of persuading a minor to engage in a commercial sex act, pimping a minor under age 16, and pandering by encouraging a minor under 16 years old, according to the release. Starks faces a maximum 12 years in prison, with a Jan. 13 sentencing date, according to the release. Hell be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He took the victim to an area known for prostitution to sell sex over the course of several weeks. She collected and turned money over to Starks, according to the release. Investigators spoke with the victims family and reviewed other evidence to identify Starks as her trafficker, the release states. The release doesnt say where Starks is from. He had a security guard license in Carmichael that expired in 2015, according to a Department of Consumer Affairs registry. Hes been ineligible for bail and is being held at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Offices inmate locator site. How far off is Sanford Limited (NZSE:SAN) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Sanford Is Sanford Fairly Valued? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (NZ$, Millions) NZ$26.3m NZ$30.5m NZ$34.2m NZ$37.3m NZ$39.9m NZ$42.1m NZ$43.9m NZ$45.6m NZ$47.1m NZ$48.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 22.33% Est @ 16.25% Est @ 12.01% Est @ 9.03% Est @ 6.95% Est @ 5.49% Est @ 4.47% Est @ 3.76% Est @ 3.26% Est @ 2.91% Present Value (NZ$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.6% NZ$24.4 NZ$26.4 NZ$27.5 NZ$27.9 NZ$27.7 NZ$27.2 NZ$26.4 NZ$25.5 NZ$24.4 NZ$23.4 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = NZ$260m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.6%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032 (1 + g) (r g) = NZ$48m (1 + 2.1%) (7.6% 2.1%) = NZ$905m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= NZ$905m ( 1 + 7.6%)10= NZ$437m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is NZ$697m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of NZ$4.2, the company appears quite undervalued at a 44% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Sanford as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.065. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Looking Ahead: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Sanford, there are three further elements you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Sanford that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does SAN's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every New Zealander stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid are close to signing highly rated Palmeiras teenager Endrick Felipe, according to media reports in Brazil. A representative of the Spanish club is currently in Sao Paulo to negotiate a deal with the Brazilian Serie A champions, newspaper O Globo reported on Friday. It added that the reigning UEFA Champions League winners are willing to pay 35 to 40 million euros to secure the 16-year-old's signature. Other clubs that have reportedly shown interest in the forward are Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Endrick has scored nine goals in 12 first-team appearances for Palmeiras, including three in five Brazilian Serie A outings. (Bloomberg) -- Days before a conference on climate change in Egypt, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Europes biggest economy wont stray from its path of becoming carbon neutral by 2045, even as cuts in Russian natural gas force it to rely more on coal and oil for now. Most Read from Bloomberg We will not slacken our efforts to push ahead with what weve planned for our economy, that we truly want to achieve that Germany, as the 4th largest industrial country in the world, becomes CO2 neutral by 2045, Scholz said at an event organized by his Social Democratic Party. Were not going to postpone that now, rather, we have to invest billions now to produce in a CO2-neutral way. Scholz comments come after a report suggested that Germany is set to miss its climate targets this decade as economic growth counteracts efforts to reduce emissions. While Europes industrial powerhouse managed to lower carbon emissions by about 27% between 2000 and 2021, progress is far from sufficient for hitting future targets, the report by Germanys Council of Experts on Climate Change said. Germany seeks to cut carbon emissions 65% by 2030 from 1990 levels on its way to becoming carbon neutral by 2045. The inability or unwillingness of many nations to meet their climate pledges or to fund poor countries disproportionately affected by climate change risks throwing a shadow on a climate conference that kicks off in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, this weekend. Russias war on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putins cutoff of gas, and the resulting re-reliance on dirtier fossil fuels have added to the gloom. Scholz said Germany will get through the winter despite halted gas flows through pipelines connecting Russia and Germany, thanks to natural gas storage facilities that are almost full ahead of the main heating season. Story continues Unseasonably warm weather helped German Gas storage levels climb to 99.3% of capacity as of Friday, the countrys regulator said. Meanwhile, European weather is expected to remain mild for now, getting even warmer next week, taking pressure off gas consumption in the region. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Paul Haggis. Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis is fighting a rape lawsuit in New York City. Haggis' legal team alleges the Church of Scientology, which he left, is behind the claim. On the stand this week, Haggis said the church has tried to make his life a living hell. A Church of Scientology smear. That's filmmaker Paul Haggis' only explanation for why Haleigh Breest would make up what he called the "false allegation" that he raped her in his Manhattan apartment in January 2013 and why four other women would take the stand to tell similar stories of being preyed upon by him. Breest, a publicist, is suing Haggis in New York Supreme Court, asking for unspecified damages after filing a complaint alleging assault, battery, rape, a criminal sexual act, aggravated sexual abuse, and violating a New York City law on gender-motivated violence. While Haggis admits to being with her on the night in question, his primary defense is that the Church of Scientology is somehow behind her rape allegation, trying to ruin his life for becoming a vocal critic after he defected. While there is no apparent evidence linking Breest to Scientology, Haggis testified on the stand this week that could be because Scientologists "never leave their fingerprints on anything." Haleigh Breest, center, is pictured with her lawyers Zoe Salzman, left, and Ilann Maazel, right, in New York court on October 17, 2022. Yuki Iwamura/AP How Haggis got hooked Haggis testified that he was converted to Scientology as a young man while trying to mend his relationship with the woman who would become his first wife, Diane Gettas. The religion focuses on self-help, he said, and worked for him at first. "I think that's why it gets so many people," he said. While his relationship with Gettas would eventually deteriorate, Haggis continued to rise through the ranks of the religion over the next three decades going on to become one of its most prominent and high-ranking members. It was through Scientology that Haggis met his second wife, Deborah Rennard. Haggis said he raised all four of his children his three daughters with Gettas and a son with Rennard as Scientologists and sent them to Scientology schools. Story continues "It's really hard to explain how smart people can be so stupid. We did it because we believed that that was the best thing to do for the children ... We really believed what they were getting was good," Haggis testified. "It was horrible. I've apologized many times to them," Haggis said. Haggis defects It was because of his children that Haggis said he eventually left Scientology. Two of his daughters are gay, and he became disgusted with the church for its refusal to condemn the San Diego chapter's support for Proposition 8, a California ballot measure to de-legalize gay marriage in 2008. He and Rennard left the church in 2009. "I had to admit that I was a part of what was a very corrupt organization and how stupid I was," he said. Haggis' break with the Scientology made the news when his letter of resignation was leaked to the press. He went on to become one of the most vocal critics of the church, cooperating with New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright on an article that was later expanded into the book and documentary "Going Clear." While many former Scientologists leave the religion quietly, Haggis said he wanted to go public so the church couldn't use his name to recruit more people, and also to encourage others to leave. He testified that his letter of resignation is part of what prompted actress Leah Remini break with Scientology. A Scientology plot? Since Haggis left the church in 2009, he said Scientologists have been trying to ruin his life. "L. Ron Hubbard has written policy concerning this and about how you deal with enemies," Haggis said. "You never leave an enemy wounded, you always destroy him utterly." Haggis said the church surveilled him and would even dig through his trash. When he changed his phone number, the church called him the next day at his new number, he said. But all that stopped the day Breest filed her lawsuit, Haggis alleges, leading him to believe the rape allegation was the church's final and most effective blow. A pattern of behavior Despite Haggis' position that Scientologists are behind the rape allegation, his lawyers have said in court that they have no evidence linking Breest to Scientology. Breest said she kept the tights she wore the night Haggis raped her, and they have been analyzed and found to contain Haggis' seminal fluid. She also told multiple friends about the alleged assault in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which he insists was consensual. Four other women also testified with similar sexual misconduct allegations against Haggis during the trial, stories that appeared to show a pattern of behavior. All of the women, including Breest, said they were targeted by Haggis during or after professional encounters. Some said he seemed to get pleasure from their fear during the alleged attacks and then sent seemingly benign messages to them the day after their nights of terror. In previous statements to Insider, a Scientology spokesperson denied the church has any involvement with the Haggis case. "The church has nothing to do with the claims against Haggis nor does it have any relation to the attorneys behind the case or the accusers," the spokesperson said. "From day one, Haggis conspired with anti-Scientologists to shame his own accusers by 'accusing' them of making their claims on behalf of the Church of Scientology. The claim is absurd and patently false." Haggis denied any wrongdoing when he took the stand for the second day on Thursday. "I don't know why women or anyone would lie about things like this, make up or twist the truth. I don't know, that's scary," he said. Read the original article on Insider BEIRUT (AP) Scores of Syrian refugees headed home Saturday from eastern Lebanon in the second convoy in less than two weeks as Beirut attempts to organize a mass refugee return to the war-torn country. Lebanons state-run National News Agency said the voluntary return Saturday included 330 Syrians who left from the eastern Bekaa Valley to Syrias western Qalamoun region. Qalamoun borders Lebanon and years ago witnessed some of the worst fighting of Syrias 11-year conflict. On Oct. 26, some 500 refugees returned to Syria, becoming the first group to return home in more than two years. After living in Lebanon for years, many Syrian refugees have decided to go back home after being affected by the countrys historic three-year economic meltdown that pushed three-quarters of Lebanese into poverty. Since the economic crisis began in late 2019, some Lebanese politicians have blamed the refugees for the crisis. Lebanon has given shelter to more than 1 million Syrian refugees but many claim the number is far higher. The U.N. refugee agency has registered about 825,000 Syrians but stopped counting them in 2015 at the request of Lebanese authorities. Earlier this year, officials touted a plan to return 15,000 refugees a month, which has so far failed to materialize. In 2018, Lebanon began organizing voluntary return trips. Syrians would register to go back, then the list would be run by Syrian security officials to see if anyone on it was wanted for arrest or deemed a security threat to Damascus. Those names would be rejected and the original list whittled down to final names. The returnees represent just a tiny fraction of the massive population of refugees who remain in Lebanon as the United Nations maintains that Syria is not safe for mass returns. The returnees have received guarantees from the Lebanese and Syrian authorities to return, Lebanons caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar told reporters near the Syrian border on Saturday. He added that the international community should encourage such returns and if not then they should be neutral in this case. The trips back were halted in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. At that point, some 21,000 refugees had returned to Syria this way, according to Lebanese officials. UNHCR says at least 76,500 Syrian refugees returned voluntarily from Lebanon since 2016, some in government-organized trips and some on their own. Syrias conflict that began in March 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. Seattle police detectives are investigating after an elderly man was found dead in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood on Friday. According to police, officers were called to the 400 block of Fifth Avenue North for a report of a man down. When officers arrived, they found the man dead. The police department is calling the death suspicious and detectives are working with the medical examiner to determine the mans cause of death. Cleanup efforts and storm surveys will continue after severe thunderstorms spawned several powerful tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas on Friday. The FOX Forecast Center had been expecting a tornado outbreak, and among the at least eight tornadoes that have been confirmed, the National Weather Service says two EF-3 tornadoes with winds stronger than 160 mph touched down in northeast Texas. Tornadoes are ranked on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, and a tornado with winds stronger than 136 mph can produce severe damage. In addition, two people are now confirmed dead due to the tornado outbreak. One person was killed in Morris County, Texas, and the other was killed in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV Friday Tornado Warnings The first tornadic storms of the outbreak appeared to pop in northeast Texas and southern Oklahoma. Several mobile homes were reported to be damaged near Bryan County, Oklahoma, along the Texas-Oklahoma state line, as strong thunderstorms pushed through on Friday afternoon. A tractor-trailer in nearby Durant, Oklahoma, was also flipped during the initial wave of severe storms. Authorities in the Sooner State reported at least one person was injured after a home was destroyed in McCurtain County. DAMAGE SPOTTED AFTER TORNADO-WARNED STORMS MOVE THROUGH TEXAS, OKLAHOMA The storms also produced a 63 mph wind gust at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, where hundreds of flights were either delayed or canceled. The atmosphere did not become prime for rotating supercells until they reached east of the metroplex. Significant damage to homes was reported in Powderly, Chicota and other small communities in the northeast part of Texas. Witnesses near the Texas-Oklahoma border reported trees snapped and significant damage to structures. One of the hardest hit areas in Texas was Lamar County. Damage was reported in the towns of both Paris and Powderly. The tornado that impacted these communities was given an initial rating of an EF-3 by NWS meteorologists. Videos showed homes without roofs and damage to trees and power lines. Despite the destruction, officials said they had not received reports of fatalities but were working on several injuries. The tornado outbreak produced similar scenes in Cason, Texas, and Idabel, Oklahoma. Witnesses in both towns reported the combination of nightfall and the amount of destruction made venturing out unsafe. Story continues Reported tornadoes from November 4 and 5 Cody McDaniel, Idabel's emergency management director, said he was hoping for the best after his town took a direct hit from a tornado. "Just stay away from Idabel," McDaniel pleaded. Local authorities said that the first death was reported in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, where nearly 200 homes were either damaged or destroyed. "We have had reports of fatalities as a result of these storms. We've saw injuries as a result. We've saw partial and total destruction, but God was with us," the local hospital CEO said. First responders were still combing through debris through the overnight hours looking for storm victims in Cason, Texas. Morris County Judge Doug Reeder confirmed at least one death in that county, bringing the death toll in the Lone Star State to one. "Rescues started immediately," emergency management coordinator Quincy Blount said. "The tornado was still on the ground, and we were still tracking it. We had officers, we had first responders, volunteer firemen actually doing the extrication and working on victims while the storm was still moving across the county." NIGHTTIME TORNADOES FAR MORE LIKELY TO TURN DEADLY THAN DAYTIME ONES National Weather Service offices in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas have been busy surveying at least half a dozen reports of tornadoes. The damaging storms caused power outages in the Lone Star State to impact more than 55,000 customers. PowerOutage.us reported outages in Oklahoma and Arkansas topped nearly 7,000 during the heart of the storms. "There were people were in their truck fixing to leave and actually ended up being trapped in their truck," said Rodney Caudle, a deputy fire marshal in Hopkins County. "It's very, very amazing just to see the amount of damage, you know, and no injuries. It's just very awesome. It's a good thing." The American Red Cross opened at least one shelter in northeast Texas for storm victims. HOW METEOROLOGISTS DETERMINE IF A TORNADO IS TO BLAME FOR STORM DAMAGE Although most people think spring is the time for severe weather, fall is the country's second severe weather season. It can also be more dangerous because shorter days make tornadoes in the dark more likely. Sign up for severe weather alerts and warnings on the FOX Weather app to be notified if and when you need to take cover and find your safe place. Watch FOX Weather on your smartphone, tablet, computer or TV. Nov. 4West Central Indiana sheriffs and Optimist Club members are inviting K-6 students to a free "Breakfast with Santa" on Dec. 3 at the Indiana Sheriffs' Youth Ranch. Their holiday event will be hosted at the Sheriffs' Lodge & Conference Center, located at Youth Ranch property at 5325 N. Indiana 59, from 9 a.m. to noon. A free breakfast sponsored jointly by the Clay County Optimist Club and the ISYR Chaplain's Fund will include pancakes, cereal, sausage, juices and milk. A special Santa's workshop will be available for young visitors to make keepsake ornaments and write letters to hand-deliver to St. Nicholas. Clay County Sheriff Paul Harden, Vermillion County Sheriff Mike Phelps and Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse will be among the "Breakfast With Santa" hosts. Lowe's Home Improvement will be the presenting sponsor for seasonal Youth Ranch decorations. Optimist Club leaders encourage parents and grandparents to make certain kids bring appetites and smart phones or cameras for selfies with Santa. No reservations are needed. All parking is free. Handicapped spots are available. Guests will be asked to respect one another's pandemic precautions. For more information about the "Breakfast with Santa" or to donate to ISYR, phone 317-460-4242 or write to the ISYR Chaplain's Fund, 5325 N. State Road 59, Brazil, IN 47834. Tax-deductible ISYR Chaplain's Fund donations provide needed clothing, toiletries and food for young visitors to the 62-acre not-for-profit training retreat for future law enforcement officers, at-risk kids, young witnesses and victims of crime. Side view of a Glendale police vehicle. Police are investigating a three-person shooting in Glendale from early Saturday morning that left one dead. Patrol officers responded to a call just before 1 a.m. about shots fired at a business near 51st Avenue and Camelback Road. When they arrived, they found a man dead and two other male shooting victims, according to Glendale Police Department. One of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, while the other did not have life-threatening injuries, police said. A preliminary investigation has not found a suspect in the case or what motivated the shooting, according to police. Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Glendale shooting leaves 1 dead, 2 others injured Police arrested a man wanted in connection with the brutal sexual assault of a woman late Friday and early Saturday northwest of uptown. The victim was walking from Tuckaseegee Road and Glenwood Drive when a stranger approached her near the 3800 block of Glenwood Drive, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Sgt. Alli Rooks said in a CMPD video interview on Twitter. Rooks oversees CMPDs sexual assault unit. Soon after the stranger struck up a conversation with the woman, the victim was brutally, physically attacked and then sexually assaulted, Rooks said. She was able to get away from the (assailant) and report the incident, Rooks said. The victim was treated at a hospital, according to the sergeant. Sexual assault detectives responded to the scene, along with patrol officers, and canvassed the area. Police developed a person we would like to speak to who closely resembles the description of the assailant provided by the victim, Rooks said. CMPD described the suspect as Black, 5-feet-5 to 5-7, skinny, with medium-brown skin, brown eyes, a mustache and a goatee and low-cut hair. He wore faded brown jeans, a white-and-blue T-shirt under a red hoodie, and black shoes, police said. Hes potentially missing a few teeth on the top or the bottom, Rooks said. Police stepped up patrols in the area, according to Rooks. Just before 5 p.m., CMPD Metro Division officers found a man matching the assailants description, according to a CMPD news release. Officers identified the man, 29-year-old Octavis Wayne Deandra Wilson, as a person of interest and took him to police headquarters for questioning. Wilson was arrested and jailed on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree attempted sexual offense, kidnapping, sexual battery and assault on a female. Manx shearwater are thought to have consumed plastic after mistaking it for fish Seabirds on a nature reserve island have been eating plastic and glitter after mistaking them for fish, scientists have warned. A study of 34 Manx shearwater on Skomer off Pembrokeshire found nine of 12 fledglings and 15 of 22 adult birds had swallowed at least one piece. Conservationists want a cut in plastic use after more than 70 fragments were found in the birds' stomachs. It is thought they were consumed by chicks being fed by adult birds. Scientists said the microplastics could be from fishing equipment, or had previously been eaten by prey. Nottingham Trent University conservation researcher Dr Louise Gentle said: "Our study shows that Manx shearwaters on Skomer Island are vulnerable to plastic ingestion and that the adults are likely to pass plastic to their chicks. "It was shocking to see so much plastic in the chicks within the first few weeks of their lives. On Skomer nine of 12 fledglings and 15 of 22 adult birds had swallowed at least one piece "We even found glitter in one of the birds." Skomer is home to about half the world's population of Manx shearwater. About 440,000 pairs breed on Skomer and neighbouring island Skokholm. University of Gloucestershire biology lecturer Dr Matt Wood, who coordinated the study, said: "We need to know more about what's happening here. "While it's small amounts and nothing like the quantities that some seabirds can carry, it doesn't mean it's having no effect." Skomer is home to about half the world's population of Manx shearwater Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales islands and marine chief Lisa Morgan said: "It is concerning, not only for the welfare of the seabirds themselves, but for the entire marine ecosystem on which they depend." She said scientists estimated 99% of seabirds could have swallowed plastic by 2050 if nothing was done. "It is vital that we all reduce the amount of plastic we use in our daily lives," she said. fizkes / Getty Images/iStockphoto The Social Security Administration recently posted a November 2022 update on its website, with much of the focus on the 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment that will boost Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments in 2023. Social Security: Women Get $354 Per Month Less Than Men Heres Why See: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 In its update, the SSA said it will mail COLA notices throughout the month of December to retirement, survivors and disability beneficiaries, SSI recipients and representative payees. On average, Social Security benefit payments will increase by more than $140 a month starting in January. About 70 million Americans will get the higher payment. Recipients who want to know their new benefit payment amount sooner can get their Social Security COLA notices online using the Message Center in their personal my Social Security account. The online information will be available in early December, prior to the arrival of mailed notices. Because Social Security customers can get the COLA notice online or in the mail, the SSA advises against contacting the agency to get the new benefit amount. As GOBankingRates previously reported, if you have a personal my Social Security account you can opt out of receiving a mailed COLA notice and other paper notices that are available online. You can also opt in to receiving a text or email alert when there is a new message by updating your preferences in the Message Center. Those who dont have an account yet must create one by Nov. 15 to receive the 2023 COLA notices online. Medicare premiums are going down and Social Security benefits are going up in 2023, which will give seniors more peace of mind and breathing room, Acting Social Security Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said in a statement. This years substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows that we can provide more support to older Americans who count on the benefits they have earned. Story continues Other 2023 changes include an increase in the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll tax and a change in the retirement earnings test exempt amount. For more information, check the COLA fact sheet, located here, on the Social Security Administration website. The SSA also announced that the cap on attorney fees in disability claims will rise to $7,200 from $6,000 effective Nov. 30. The last time the attorney fee cap was raised was in 2009. For Social Security Disability Insurance and SSI claimants, the new structure to secure representation in a disability claim is 25% of any past due benefits with a maximum fee of $7.200 (whichever is less), according to HensonFuerst Attorneys, a North Carolina-based law firm. Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned That Social Security Benefits Will Be Reduced During Your Lifetime? Discover: Jaw-Dropping Stats About the State of Retirement in America The fee cap was raised to help Social Security disability representatives combat rising inflation rates and to account for no change in the fee cap over the past 13 years, HensonFuerst said on its website. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security Updates To Know for November 2022 PHNOM PENH, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- "Zero-Snaring" campaign, led by Cambodia's Ministry of Environment (MoE) with the cooperation and support from conservation organizations, was wrapped up with proud results, MoE's Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra said on Saturday. The campaign, running from March to September this year, had been organized in Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Preah Vihear and Kampong Thom, aiming at ending the trap crisis and the illegal wildlife trade in the Southeast Asian nation. "The campaign's results from the six-month rallies in the targeted provinces showed direct participation of more than 3,000 supporters, over 600 stories and news articles were produced, published and broadcasted by the press in Cambodia and international media, reaching more than 3 million people," Pheaktra told Xinhua. "Also, 52 restaurants in the six provinces targeted by the campaign proclaimed their commitment to not serving bushmeat in their restaurant menus," he said. He added that all of these restaurants have received certificates from the MoE in recognition of their commitment to and participation in combating illegal wildlife trade. "We thank the partner organizations for joining the Ministry of Environment in organizing this important campaign to change people's behavior towards wildlife consumption and raise public awareness of the consequences that snaring causes to wildlife and people," Pheaktra said. The official said it is not known how many snares are set in Cambodia's protected areas each year, but the Ministry of Environment reports showed more than 60,000 snares were removed in 2021. He added that according to the results of previous studies by the ministry and partners, only 20 percent of the total estimated numbers of snares are removed from protected areas each year. "From tortoises to elephants to monkeys and birds, snares kill indiscriminately," he said. "Wildlife languishes for days before dying from their injuries, lack of water, or starvation." Snares are a major contributor towards the functional extinction of tiger in Cambodia and the rapid decline of the Indochinese leopard, he said, adding that Cambodia's banteng, Sambar deer and other ungulates are threatened with local extinction due to snaring. "The Zero-Snaring campaign will not stop here but will continue to be implemented like drizzle as it will be extended to the Cardamom Mountains region, covering provinces of Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, and Pursat, among other areas, in which wildlife sanctuaries are situated, while they are known as wildlife poaching and trafficking hotspots as well," Pheaktra said. The SOL native token for Solana surged about 15% after Google Cloud tagged the blockchains co-founder in a tweet that suggested an important disclosure was in the offing. Hey @aeyakovenko, the cloud-services giant tweeted Saturday, Should we tell our followers the big news? Google Cloud an hour later after SOL had leapt tweeted what this was about: Now that we got your attention ... check this out: Google Cloud is running a block-producing @solana validator to participate in and validate the network. While such a vague yet market-moving disclosure might not technically run afoul of financial regulations, it does raise the question of whether its OK to pump up the price of an asset with security-like qualities in this manner. Solana, which has so far not lived up to the hype that its an industrial-grade blockchain well-suited for modern finance, is undergoing an infrastructure overhaul overseen by Jump Crypto. Read more: Jump Crypto Picked to Revamp Solana to Make Blockchain More Reliable NextShark A man arrested in connection with a brutal daytime attack of a 12-year-old Asian boy in Brooklyn earlier this month has been arrested nearly two dozen times in the past, according to reports. Police said Jamal McIlwain, 28, assaulted the victim with a crutch at the intersection of St. Pauls Court and St. Pauls Place at around 7:40 a.m. on Nov. 17. After failing to strike a third time, he "calmly" walks away, leaves the crutch on the sidewalk and heads north on St. Pauls Place, as per the New York Post. Two North Devon theatres have welcomed 1m in revenue funding from the Arts Council for 2023 to 2026. The Queens Theatre in Barnstaple and the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe have been awarded the money in the latest funding announcement. Paul Jepson, chief executive of the theatres, said that it was "excellent news". Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange in Penzance, Cornwall, have been awarded 1.1m over the three years to 2026. Money from the government, as well as from the National Lottery, is used by Arts Council England to support arts and culture across the nation. As part of Friday's funding announcement, more money was handed out to organisations outside the capital and in outer London boroughs. Mr Jepson said: "It's excellent news for north Devon. "The fact that is that north Devon has been unfairly invested in for some time and this funding round addresses that. "Essentially the Arts Council have done exactly what they said they were going to do." Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange said the funding would "enable us to continue to offer a wide and varied exhibition programme of the highest quality across our two sites, as well as actively supporting the creativity and wellbeing of the wider community". Miranda Bird, chair of the gallery said she was "delighted that we have secured a further three years support". She said: "This new funding will allow that work to continue and for the gallery to reach even more people, both in the gallery, and with exciting new off-site programming, making our work relevant to the lives of a much broader cross-section of people." Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. UPDATE @ 3:15 p.m.: A Statewide Endangered Missing Adult Alert has been canceled for an 80-year-old Hamilton woman Nancy Herald was found safe and returned home by law enforcement. INITIAL REPORT: A Statewide Endangered Missing Adult Alert has been issued for an 80-year-old Hamilton woman. The Butler County Sheriffs Office is looking for Nancy Herald,80, who left her residence at 3:15 p.m. Friday and hasnt returned. Herald drove away from her residence on Brough Avenue in Hamilton, according to a press release. She suffers from memory issues, and law enforcement is concerned for her safety. >>Can you help? Police looking to ID person of interest in theft at Springfield Walmart She is 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighs 145 lbs. Herald has Grey hair and Blue eyes. Her vehicle is a Silver 2008 Honda Fit with an Ohio license plate reading EFK9148. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should call 911 or 1-888-637-1113. Strong storms that brought high-speed winds and at least one tornado hit parts of Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, injuring at least 10 people and damaging about 50 homes, officials said. The Lamar County Sheriffs Office and Emergency Management Office, located in northeastern Texas, said in a press release that a confirmed tornado touched down in eastern Lamar County, and the storm traveled north and northeast through a few different communities in the area. Two of the injured people were in critical but stable condition, according to the release. As of Friday night, there were no confirmed fatalities in Lamar County. CNN reported on Saturday that at least one death has been confirmed in McCurtain County, located in southeastern Oklahoma. Cody McDaniel, the countys emergency manager, said multiple people are missing, and officials were trying to determine the extent of the damages and injuries, but its not good, according to CNN. The Hill has reached out to the countys Emergency Management Office for comment. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) tweeted Friday that he is praying for the states residents who were impacted by tornadoes as strong storms and flash flooding hit multiple counties. He said search and rescue teams and generators have been sent to the area around the city of Idabel. The Lamar County release states that law enforcement is requesting anyone not in the areas affected by the storm to stay away. A Red Cross shelter has been set up in the county for those who are displaced from their homes. The release states that Lamar County Judge Brandon Bell has declared a disaster for the area, and state and local partners are assisting with evaluating the storms damage and cleanup. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed the states Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the states Emergency Operations Center to make resources available ahead of the storm. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and private litigator Morgan Ratner are the lone women of 27 lawyers to make arguments this week at the Supreme Court WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court looks more like America than it ever has. The lawyers who argue at the nations highest court? Not so much. The current two-week session of arguments features 25 men and just two women, an imbalance so stark that the Biden administrations top Supreme Court lawyer made a point of it in her defense of race-conscious college admissions Monday. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued to the court that extreme racial or gender disparities between certain groups can cause people to wonder whether the path to leadership is open. This artist sketch depicts Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, right, presenting an argument before the Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, in Washington. (Dana Verkouteren via AP, File) Prelogar and Morgan Ratner, a lawyer in private practice, are the lone women who began arguments this week as attorneys customarily do, Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the court. No woman will argue a case in the second week of the court session. The glaring lack of women was a common sense example, Prelogar said, that she hoped would resonate with the court, especially when women make up roughly half of law school graduates. And I think it would be reasonable for a woman to look at that and wonder, is that a path thats open to me, to be a Supreme Court advocate? Are private clients willing to hire women to argue their Supreme Court cases? When there is that kind of gross disparity in representation, it can matter and its common sense, she said. The month before wasnt much different. Eighteen men and four women, including Prelogar, argued eight cases. The racial and ethnic disparity among lawyers also is stark, at a time when there are four women, two African-Americans and a Latina among the nine justices. Just one Black man has made a Supreme Court argument this term, and the last time a Black woman appeared before the justices was in 2019. Prelogar is in the enviable position of choosing which cases to argue on behalf of the U.S. government. The solicitor general typically argues the most important case each month the court is in session. Prelogar is only the second woman to hold the position on a permanent basis, following now-Justice Elena Kagan. Story continues Women also serve as the top appellate lawyers for Louisiana and New York and argue regularly before the court. Lisa Blatt, the woman in private practice who appears most frequently at the court, delivered her 43rd high court argument last month in support of photographer Lynn Goldsmith in a dispute with the Andy Warhol Foundation. Blatt chairs the Supreme Court and appellate practice at the Williams and Connolly law firm. But as Prelogar noted, there are few women with similar authority at private firms and in state offices. That partially explains why so few Supreme Court advocates are women and minorities. There also are a relatively small number of slots every year at a court that has been hearing around 60 cases a year recently. The private parties whose cases are before the court often pick lawyers with previous Supreme Court experience, which means the same lawyers come before the court again and again. Members of the Supreme Court sit for a new group portrait following the addition of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Christina Swarns, formerly the litigation director of the NAACPs Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is one of the few Black women to argue before the court in recent years. Though its been six years since her successful appearance on behalf of a Black death row inmate in Texas, Swarns said people all the time, all the time, all the time say to her: I heard your argument. I saw your argument. I cant tell you how proud you made us that day. Swarns said she is acutely aware of the singularity of her argument as a Black woman and felt pressure not wanting to falter and feeling that if she did, it would make it harder for the people who came behind me. When Justice Sonia Sotomayor was asked at an appearance earlier this year about the lack of diversity among advocates, she said that to fix this problem were going to have to work at every level. Sotomayor, who became the courts first Latina justice in 2009, said that meant reaching out to minority students in law school to encourage them to apply for clerkships with judges, which will get them into law firms that can put them in a position to argue before the court. The Appellate Project, a not-for-profit created in 2019, aims to create that pipeline to feed minority lawyers into appellate legal work. This year, the Supreme Courts own clerk class is about two-thirds male; it appears six of the 38 clerks are minorities, according to research by court watcher David Lat. But Sotomayor said judges in particular have the power and have the responsibility to reach out to law school professors whose judgment we trust and to tell them that it is our expectation that they will give us diverse recommendations for law clerks and that we expect them to actually mentor students of color from their very first day in law school. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Supreme Court more diverse than lawyers who argue before it appeared first on TheGrio. One of the 18 ImageCast X ballot marking machines located at the Pueblo Elections Department, 720 N. Main Street. A Colorado man has been arrested on suspicion of tampering with voting equipment by allegedly inserting a USB thumb drive into a voting machine at a polling station during the primary election in June, authorities said. No elections data were accessed, and the June 28 incident didnt cause any major disruption to voting, authorities said. But it heightened concerns among election officials and security experts that conspiracy theories related to the 2020 presidential election could inspire some voters to meddle with or even attempt to sabotage election equipment. Richard Patton, a 31-year-old from Pueblo, was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of election tampering and cybercrimes. The alleged tampering occurred at Pueblo County election headquarters approximately one hour before polls closed on June 28. Patton is a registered Democrat, state records show. We would like to assure the community that all voter safeguards put in place to protect the voter process were successful, a statement from Pueblo PD said. No information has been found to be breached at this time. This is still an active and ongoing investigation. 2022 election guide: What to know about Pueblo County's top races and ballot issues Ballots are counted at the Pueblo County Elections Department on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. What law enforcement reports say about what happened that night Reports from Pueblo police and the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office show that around 6 p.m. on election night, Patton allegedly came into the downtown office of the elections department to vote in-person. All registered Colorado voters are sent ballots in the mail but can also cast ballots on in-person machines at designated sites. Election workers told law enforcement that Patton asked them about security presence before he cast a ballot. Patton dropped off his ballot before leaving the office records confirm his ballot was cast. Shortly after Patton left, an election worker went to clean the machine, per COVID-19 protocol, the law enforcement reports say. Story continues The election worker noticed an error code on the screen of the machine Patton used and alerted supervisors. An error code was observed on the screen. More:Complaint alleges off-duty arrest by Pueblo County Sheriff candidate was 'political ploy' Drake Rambke, the election supervisor dispatched to Pueblo County after thousands of incorrect primary ballots were mailed to some Pueblo voters, told law enforcement that evening that he wasnt sure if a USB device had been plugged into the machine, but multiple election workers said the seals on the voting machines had been tampered with. Colorado law requires that tamper-evident seals are affixed to voting equipment under strict security requirements, including a chain of custody of election officials. Nobody else used the machine after Patton. The voting machine was taken into evidence, as well as security camera footage from that evening. Daniel Brogan casts his ballot for the 2022 midterm election at the Pueblo County Elections Department on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. A Pueblo police press release said that the Secretary of State, 10th Judicial District Attorney and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation worked to analyze the voting machine. Patton has not previously been arrested or charged with a crime in Colorado, according to court records reviewed by the Pueblo Chieftain. Another election supervisor has been sent to Pueblo County for the ongoing general election, concluding on Tuesday, Nov. 8. New state law makes tampering with election equipment a felony Patton was arrested under a warrant with a class 5 felony charge under election security laws Colorado legislators amended this spring, as well as a misdemeanor cybercrime charge. The legislation upgraded the charge for tampering with election equipment from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 5 felony. Under Colorado law, a class 5 felony can be punished by a one- to two-year jail sentence and/or a fine between $1,000 and $100,000. Senate Bill 22-153 was mostly a response to election breaches committed by embattled Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters in summer 2021, when she was allegedly involved with leaking photos of confidential voting infrastructure to right-wing websites. Peters has since been indicted by a grand jury on multiple felonies and misdemeanors. She pleaded not guilty and a trial is set for March 2023. According to the bill's fiscal note, nobody has been sentenced and convicted for breaking election-related offenses between July 2018 and June 2021. Tenth Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner confirmed to the Chieftain that the case has been referred to his office for review but no decision on charges has been made. OnPolitics: What the 2022 midterms will mean for the 2024 election Pueblo County election office at 720 N Main Street. Suspect doesn't fit the mold of most election integrity skeptics Since former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 general election, conspiracy theories about fraudulent election equipment have been circulating around the country. No evidence of widespread fraud in the presidential election has been substantiated, and dozens of lawsuits from Trump allies were dismissed in court. Most of the theories have been pushed by prominent right-wing politicians and pundits, which have been circulated in conservative circles online and offline. Records from the Pueblo County Clerks Office show that Patton has been a registered Democrat since 2020. He also previously has been registered with the Green Party, a left-leaning third party with core values of social justice and environmentalism. National polling shows that registered Republicans have significantly less trust in the validity of elections than Democrats. A recent poll from Pew Research center found that nearly 9 in 10 Democrats think that the upcoming midterm elections will be administered well, compared with just 56% of Republicans. Dominion Voting Systems, an election systems company headquartered in Denver, has been one target of people distrustful of election integrity. Most of Colorados 64 counties, including Pueblo, use Dominion equipment. Pueblo County has 18 voter service machines, Pueblo Clerk and Recorder Bo Ortiz said. One new machine from Dominion would cost approximately $2,600, according to a quote shared with the Chieftain in July under an open records request. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pueblo suspect in voter machine tampering case arrested under new law Takeoff, a member of rap trio Migos, was shot dead in Houston, Texas on Tuesday (1 November). The rapper full name Kirshnik Khari Ball was 28 years old. Police officers were called at approximately 2.34am local time (7.34am GMT) about a shooting outside of 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley in downtown Houston, where a private party of around 40 people was taking place. Takeoff and his Migos bandmate Quavo were both in attendance. Quavo real name Quavious Keyate Marshall was not injured in the altercation. The third Migos member, Offset, was not present. An argument emerged, reportedly after a game of dice, and shots were fired. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene. His death has been mourned by industry figures and fans, with tributes for the late rapper pouring in on social media. Celebrities including James Corden, Drake, SZA, Outkast, and Khloe Kardashian have shared posts remembering the rapper. As of yet, no suspects have been arrested with Houston police chief Troy Finner calling on witnesses to step up with information about the shooting. The police, as well as fans of the rapper, have urged others to remove graphic videos of the incident that have been circulating online. KEY POINTS What Houston police have said about the fatal incident In one of his final interviews, Takeoff said he wanted to be recognised for his work Police Chief says they have no reason to believe Takeoff was involved in anything criminal' Takeoffs lawyer calls his death a devastating loss, particularly for Atlanta Takeoff shooting: Coroners report reveals Migos rapper was shot multiple times Wednesday 2 November 2022 17:00 , Annabel Nugent In a 2021 interview with NME, Takeoff reflected on the death of Juice WRLD. The rapper, who collaborated with Migos on their 2021 album Culture III, died aged 21 in December 2019. His contribution to the record was posthumous. Speaking about his death, Takeoff said: I had a conversation with him on the phone. Hes a good person. Story continues Juice WRLD performing in 2019 (Getty Images for iHeartMedia) His bandmate Offset continued: He did a few songs and he has the same passion as us in music. He goes straight in there and doesnt like to play around in the studio. Off the top like he is, he lets it come to him but hes a great artist man. Bro was hard. Everything the Houston police have said about the fatal incident Wednesday 2 November 2022 17:15 , Annabel Nugent Houston police called a press conference on Tuesday (1 November) to speak about the shooting that killed Takeoff. During the conference, police chief Troy Finner revealed several key details about the tragic event. Police officers said they were called at approximately 2.34am local time (07.34 GMT) about a shooting outside 810 Billiards and Bowling Alley in downtown Houston where a private party of around 40 people, including Takeoff and Quavo, had been taking place. Everything we know after Migos rapper Takeoff shot and killed An argument emerged and shots were fired from at least two weapons, said the police, which led to many people fleeing the scene. Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, officials did not name the victim but identified him as a Black male in his 20s. It was Takeoffs representatives who first confirmed his death, with the police confirmation following shortly after. Two other individuals a 23-year-old male and a 24-year-old female were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. In saying so, police appeared to confirm that Quavo was not injured during the altercation given that he is 31 years old. Offset changes Instagram avatar to photo of Takeoff Wednesday 2 November 2022 18:23 , Tom Murray Offset has paid a subtle tribute to his late Migos bandmate on Instagram. The rapper changed his profile photo on the social media platform to one of Takeoff on Wednesday (2 November). Neither he nor Migos third member, Quavo, has commented verbally on their friends passing. Read more: Offset changes Instagram avatar to image of Takeoff after Migos bandmates death James Corden pays tribute to Takeoff during The Late Late Show' Wednesday 2 November 2022 19:26 , Tom Murray The Late Late Show host James Corden paid special tribute to offset on his show. The rapper had appeared with his Migos bandmates in Cordens highly popular Carpool Karaoke segment in 2018. I was lucky enough to spend some unforgettable moments with Takeoff over the past few years, Corden said. He was an incredible guy, warm and generous. Whenever Id see him hed always call me Big Drip and he knew how much I loved that. Read more: James Corden says hes utterly devastated by Takeoffs death NEW: Takeoffs cause of death confirmed in coroners report Wednesday 2 November 2022 19:50 , Tom Murray Certain media outlets have obtained a copy of Takeoffs autopsy report, which confirms his cause of death by penetrating gunshot wounds. The analysis by the Harris County Medical Examiner reveals that the rapper was shot multiple times. Migos label Quality Control Music previously said that Takeoff was killed by a stray bullet. Read more: Coroners report reveals Migos rapper Takeoff was shot multiple times Roddy Rich dedicates live performance to Takeoff Wednesday 2 November 2022 21:30 , Tom Murray Fellow rapper Roddy Rich dedicated a live rendition of his song Die Young to Takeoff at a concert last night. The sad reality of it is, that Ive had to sing this in tribute to a lot of the n***** that Ive known, Rich told the crowd. Roddy Ricch spoke on receiving the tragic news about Takeoff and dedicated his performance of Die Young to him#LongLiveTakeoff pic.twitter.com/H1pLHX1nPx Wave Check (@thewavecheckk) November 2, 2022 50 Cent says he paid tribute to Takeoff at show in Finland Wednesday 2 November 2022 22:54 , Tom Murray 50 Cent has become the latest rapper to pay tribute to Takeoff. The In Da Club artist tweeted a shot from his concert in Finland on Wednesday. The photo shows Takeoffs face projected on various screens around the stage. I paid tribute to Takeoff last night in Finland it was lit, 50 Cent tweeted. GLG. GreenLightGang. [World] tour lets get it! I paid tribute to Takeoff last night in Finland it was lit GLGGreenLightGang tour lets get it! pic.twitter.com/IDlXQoE8g3 50cent (@50cent) November 2, 2022 Takeoffs only solo studio album was released four years ago today Wednesday 2 November 2022 23:33 , Tom Murray Takeoffs only studio album The Last Rocket was released four years ago today, RapTV pointed out on Twitter. The album's release made Takeoff the second member of Migos to release a solo album, following Quavo's Quavo Huncho, which came out a month earlier. The Last Rocket was met with widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart. Takeoffs only studio album The Last Rocket dropped 4 years ago today pic.twitter.com/ViEBh7xFqf RapTV (@Rap) November 2, 2022 Video of Quavo and Offset naming Takeoff the best' Migos resurfaces Thursday 3 November 2022 00:31 , Tom Murray A 2018 interview with Migos for Beats Radio has resurfaced in the wake of Takeoffs death. In it, Quavo and Offset agree that Takeoff is the best member of the rap trio and that he was most rated in their hometown of Atlanta. Quavo and Offset giving Takeoff his flowers as the best Migo pic.twitter.com/6ANeawuicW regina (@regi_nacho) November 1, 2022 Desiigner had a highly emotional reaction to Takeoffs death Thursday 3 November 2022 01:29 , Tom Murray New York rapper Desiigner broke down in tears on Instagram Live after learning of Takeoffs death. The Panda artist vowed to quit rap music for good over the killing, which occurred at a private party in Houston, Texas. Why? Why do we f***ing do this? Desiigner yelled during the video. Read more: Desiigner says he's 'done with rap' as he tearfully mourns Takeoff's death Takeoffs cause of death officially ruled homicide Thursday 3 November 2022 02:30 , Tom Murray The Migos stars cause of death was officially ruled a homicide in the coroners report obtained by media on Wednesday (2 November). The autopsy revealed that Takeoff was shot several times and confirmed his cause of death was penetrating gunshot wounds. Read more: Coroners report reveals Migos rapper Takeoff was shot multiple times Offset changes Instagram profile picture to image of Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 04:39 , Peony Hirwani Offset has paid a subtle tribute to his late bandmate Takeoff after the rapper was shot and killed in Houston, Texas on Monday. While Offset has yet to verbally comment on his friends passing, the rapper changed his profile photo on Instagram Wednesday (2 November) to one of Takeoffs face. Jaden Smith and Denzel Curry pay tribute to Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 05:25 , Peony Hirwani Jaden Smith and Denzel Curry have paid tribute to Takeoff. Takeoff aint deserve that, Curry wrote on Twitter on Wednesday (2 November). Takeoff aint deserve that Denzel Curry (@denzelcurry) November 2, 2022 Smith added: Rest In Peace Takeoff, This S*** Is Sad As F***. Photograph of Takeoff and Quavo as kids goes viral Thursday 3 November 2022 05:45 , Peony Hirwani A photograph of Takeoff and Quavo as kids has gone viral on social media. Takeoff and Quavo as kids pic.twitter.com/8hUm0B36w6 RapTV (@Rap) November 1, 2022 LeBron James changes Instagram profile picture to image of Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 06:11 , Peony Hirwani American basketball player LeBron James has paid tribute to Takeoff by changing his Instagram profile picture to the late rappers image. (LeBron James/Instagram) Where is Quavo following fellow Migos rapper Takeoffs death? Thursday 3 November 2022 06:45 , Peony Hirwani Following the news of Takeoffs tragic death, worried fans have been wondering about the status of his fellow The Migos bandmate and uncle Quavo, who was present during the fatal incident. According to Houston police, Quavo, who was present at the time of the incident, and Takeoff were at a private party prior to the fatal shooting. In a following update, police tweeted: Two other victims taken in private vehicles to hospitals. During a later press conference on Tuesday (1 November), the police chief said that a 23-year-old male and 24-year-old female brought themselves to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the incident. The news seemingly verifies that 31-year-old Quavo was not among those injured, however, his status remains unknown. Read more: Where is Quavo following fellow Migos rapper Takeoffs death? 50 Cent pays homage to Takeoff during Finland concert Thursday 3 November 2022 08:30 , Peony Hirwani 50 Cent paid homage to Takeoff during his Finland concert on Wednesday (2 November). I paid tribute to Takeoff last night in Finland it was lit GLGGreenLightGang tour lets get it! pic.twitter.com/IDlXQoE8g3 50cent (@50cent) November 2, 2022 Producer Metro Boomin pays tribute on Twitter Thursday 3 November 2022 10:25 , Nicole Vassell Metro Boomin, who produced Migoss hit song Bad and Boujee, expressed his sadness over Takeoffs death on Twitter. I can't even really put into words how bright and warming of a genuine soul he was, reads part of his heartfelt tribute. Long live my brother Take pic.twitter.com/Bm8F6EFGxL Metro Boomin (@MetroBoomin) November 2, 2022 Beyonce dedicates her official website homepage to Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 11:22 , Nicole Vassell Beyonce has paid tribute to Takeoff by dedicating the homepage of her website to him. Using a black-and-white image of the late rap star, the message reads: Kirsnick Khari Ball, Takeoff, 1994 - 2022, Rest in Power. Migos have previously expressed their appreciation of Beyonce, with Takeoff once claiming in an interview that they were all in the Beyhive, most definitely. Beyonces tribute to Takeoff on her website (beyonce.com) Offset updates Twitter images in homage to cousin and groupmate Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 12:06 , Nicole Vassell Offset, one of the three members of Migos, has updated his Twitter header and profile picture to feature Takeoff. Although neither Offset nor Quavo has publicly commented on their group mates death, Offset has made subtle tributes by changing his pictures on social media. As well as being groupmates, Takeoff was Offsets first cousin once removed, and Quavos nephew. Offset has changed his Twitter profile picture and header to feature Takeoff (Offset / Twitter) Los Angeles Lakers basketball team honours Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 13:47 , Inga Parkel The Los Angeles Lakers basketball team is among the latest to honour Takeoff. In preparation for last nights game against the New Orleans Pelicans, it was all Migos music for the Lakers warm up tonight in a tribute to Takeoff, tweeted Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. The Lakers were also team to former basketball player Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others. All Migos music for the Lakers warm up tonight in a tribute to Takeoff. Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 3, 2022 A new mural in Takeoffs honour has been painted in Atlanta Thursday 3 November 2022 15:08 , Nicole Vassell An underpass in Atlanta, Georgia is now home to a mural of Takeoff. Takeoff was a native of Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, along with fellow Migos star Offset. This Takeoff mural in Atlanta is so well done. Rest easy, legend. (: ape_inc/IG) pic.twitter.com/jAjKfgG1Ri Okayplayer (@okayplayer) November 3, 2022 The mural is located under the John Lewis Freedom Parkway Bridge near Fourth Ward Park. Video shows man with a gun at party where Takeoff was shot Thursday 3 November 2022 18:13 , Tom Murray A video obtained by TMZ appears to show a person of interest standing with a gun in his pocket moments before Takeoff was fatally shot. The man is seen standing with a gun as Quavo, Takeoffs bandmate, gets into an argument with someone. The same individual can then be seen with the gun drawn before shots are heard. Police are aware of the footage. Watch here: Person of interest filmed with a gun moments before Migos member Takeoffs death Now may you rest in perfect peace: Nicki Minaj pays tribute to Takeoff Thursday 3 November 2022 19:32 , Tom Murray Nicki Minaj has become the latest rapper to pay tribute to Takeoff after his death. The Superbass artist shared a photo of the Migos member on her Instagram Story Thursday (3 November). She wrote in a caption: Now may you rest in perfect peace. nicki minaj shares tribute honoring rapper takeoff on via instagram story pic.twitter.com/C0CyGte4s3 JA (@sleezyjamie) November 3, 2022 Kanye West honours Takeoff in Twitter tribute Thursday 3 November 2022 20:55 , Inga Parkel Following the recent reinstatement of his Twitter account, Kanye West followed up his return by posting a photo in honour of Takeoff. Alongside a picture of him and The Migos rap trio during the earlier release of his Donda 2 album, West wrote, Love forever, followed by a subsequent photo of Takeoff, Offset and Quavo, with the caption: Family. Autopsy reveals Takeoff was shot more than once Thursday 3 November 2022 23:43 , Tom Murray Takeoff was shot multiple times, the coroners report confirmed. The Harris County Medical Examiner confirmed his cause of death was penetrating gunshot wounds and ruled his death as a homicide. Read more: Artists tribute to Takeoff goes viral on TikTok Friday 4 November 2022 00:54 , Tom Murray Artist Rob The Original has gone viral for his astonishing portrait of the late rapper formed out of clothing. A video of the creator finishing off the portrait has nearly two million views on TikTok at the time of writing. Offset pays tribute to Migos bandmate Friday 4 November 2022 02:07 , Tom Murray Offset and Quavo have yet to issue a full statement aftee the death of Takeoff. However, Offset has paid a subtle tribute to his late Migos bandmate by changing the profile photos on his social media profiles to images of Takeoff. Read more: Offset changes Instagram avatar to image of Takeoff after Migos bandmates death James Corden says hes utterly devastated by Takeoffs death Friday 4 November 2022 03:34 , Peony Hirwani James Corden says he shared some unforgettable moments with Takeoff, and fondly remembered how the US rapper used to refer to him as Big Drip. The host of the US programme The Late Late Show said the artist had essentially willed Migos into existence and that they had become one of the most influential rap groups of this generation. Read more: James Corden says hes utterly devastated by Takeoffs death Metro Boomin pays tribute to Takeoff Friday 4 November 2022 04:41 , Peony Hirwani Metro Boomin, who produced Migoss hit song Bad and Boujee, expressed his sadness over Takeoffs death on Twitter. I cant even really put into words how bright and warming of a genuine soul he was, reads part of his heartfelt tribute. Long live my brother Take pic.twitter.com/Bm8F6EFGxL Metro Boomin (@MetroBoomin) November 2, 2022 Offset changes Instagram profile picture to image of Takeoff after Migos bandmates death Friday 4 November 2022 07:30 , Peony Hirwani ICYMI: Offset has paid a subtle tribute to his late bandmate Takeoff. While Offset has yet to verbally comment on his friends passing, the rapper changed his profile photo on Instagram Wednesday (2 November) to one of Takeoffs face. Read more: Offset changes Instagram avatar to image of Takeoff after Migos bandmates death Autopsy reveals Takeoff was shot more than once Friday 4 November 2022 07:48 , Peony Hirwani Takeoff was shot multiple times, the coroners report confirmed. The Harris County Medical Examiner confirmed his cause of death was penetrating gunshot wounds and ruled his death as a homicide. Video shows man with a gun at party where Takeoff was shot Friday 4 November 2022 08:30 , Peony Hirwani ICYMI: A video obtained by TMZ appears to show a person of interest standing with a gun in his pocket moments before Takeoff was fatally shot. The man is seen standing with a gun as Quavo, Takeoffs bandmate, gets into an argument with someone. The same individual can then be seen with the gun drawn before shots are heard. Police are aware of the footage. Watch here: Friday 4 November 2022 09:22 , Peony Hirwani Migos - made up of Takeoff, Offset and Quavo grew up together in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Migos was formed in 2008. The trio originally called themselves the Polo Club. The three members are directly related and were raised together; Quavo was Takeoffs uncle, and Offset is Quavos cousin. Which label was Takeoff signed to? Friday 4 November 2022 10:25 , Peony Hirwani Takeoff was signed to Quality Control. In a statement shared on social media, the label said they were devastated by the senseless violence. It is with broken hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved brother Kirsnick Khari Ball, known to the world as Takeoff, the statement read. Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated. Please respect his family and friends as we all continue to process this monumental loss. Quavos assistant reportedly shot in incident that killed Takeoff Friday 4 November 2022 11:06 , Peony Hirwani Quavos assistant Joshua Wash Washington was one of the two other people shot in the shooting that killed Takeoff, as per TMZ. J Prince addresses Houston shooting incident that killed Takeoff Friday 4 November 2022 12:00 , Peony Hirwani J Prince has addressed the fatal shooting that killed Takeoff in Houston earlier this week. The Prince family would like to send our condolences to the family and friends of a beautiful soul, he wrote on Instagram. To Houstonians and families around the world, this one breaks my heart because Takeoff was a brother, a son, a role model, and God-loving human being. This shouldnt have happened. This shouldnt have ever happened in our city, he continued. This shouldnt have been recorded, and this damn sure shouldnt be circulating across social media for family, friends and fans to see. As I write this Im angry about the lack of love and respect we have for one another as a race which keeps bringing us back to the same tragic place of Black on Black killing. They say satan is the author of confusion and right now there are a lot of lies and false narratives being spread by media whores, he said. I consider myself a man thats quick to listen and slow to speak, therefore to whomever is responsible for putting that bullet in my little nephews head, let it be known that you cant hide behind me, beside me or anywhere near me because I dont tolerate dumb shit. To the homies in Georgia and around the world that got love for Takeoff like we do know this: lets change the narrative in our culture by putting an end to every argument or disagreement resulting in violence, he concluded. Its okay to live and let live to see another day. Rest in peace Takeoff. Fans leave tributes at place of shooting in Houston Friday 4 November 2022 13:16 , Nicole Vassell A Migos fan page has documented a visit to a memorial for Takeoff in Houston, Texas. After the rap star was gunned down early on Tuesday (1 November), appreciators of his music have paid tribute in various ways, including a memorial in Atlanta. Some have left flowers, candles and photos outside of 810 Billiards and Bowling in Houston, where the shooting took place. Takeoff memorial in Houston (Instagram / ultimatemigos) An account named ultimatemigos posted footage from the memorial, with a caption that reads: I swear Take, I promise to keep visiting you forever, I will keep coming back I wont ever forget about you bro. Takeoff was unconscious when nurse arrived at scene Friday 4 November 2022 14:33 , Nicole Vassell A nurse who attended the scene of the Houston shooting that killed Takeoff has recalled the moments directly followed. In a conversation with local news outlet Click2Houston, the health professional (who chose not to be identified) told of how she heard the commotion at 810 Billiards and Bowling from her home nearby. Although she was not on duty, she attended the scene to see whether she could help. I could not have lived with myself if I knew I had the equipment to save his life and I didnt, she said. Later in the report, she claimed that Takeoff had no pulse when she arrived and that she saw his eyes rolled back with a pool of blood behind his head. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. Quavo and Offset maintain silence after groupmates death Friday 4 November 2022 15:00 , Nicole Vassell The two remaining members of Migos, Quavo and Offset, have yet to make official comments on Takeoffs death. With all three being relatives, they grew up together in and around Lawrenceville, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. The day before Takeoffs death, he and Quavo had released the music video to their song Messy from their duo project, Only Built for Infinity Links. Did Takeoff have any children? Friday 4 November 2022 16:00 , Nicole Vassell Takeoff born Kirsnick Khari Ball left behind no children. He was unmarried and had no known significant other at the time of his death. Second video shows another person of interest with a gun Friday 4 November 2022 20:26 , Tom Murray A second video obtained by TMZ shows another man holding a pistol in his hand. The publication reports that the man in the video is a person of interest to the police. In the video, Takeoff and Quavo can be seen involved in an argument before multiple gunshots ring out. Mural artist says he wanted people to remember Takeoff smiling Friday 4 November 2022 21:30 , Tom Murray The artist behind a mural of Takeoff in downtown Atlanta spoke about the decision to paint the rapper without his signature sunglasses. Speaking to TMZ, Armondo Monoletti said he worked through the night to get the mural completed with the few paints he had available. He told the publication that he painted Takeoff without his sunglasses to humanise the rapper and with a smile for his fans to remember better times. MANILA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A school bus lost control and plunged into a ravine in a province northwest of Manila on Saturday, killing at least one and injuring 46 others, Philippine police said. Police said the school bus was carrying 47 people, mostly teachers from Quezon City, a suburb in Metro Manila. The Quezon City government said the teachers were heading back to Manila after attending a training activity in Orani town in Bataan province when the accident happened shortly before noon. The bus driver told police that the bus' break malfunctioned while negotiating a sharp curve before falling into the 60-meter ravine. We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Talon Metals (TSE:TLO) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for Talon Metals Does Talon Metals Have A Long Cash Runway? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. As at June 2022, Talon Metals had cash of CA$32m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$39m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of around 10 months as of June 2022. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Talon Metals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Talon Metals didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. In fact, it ramped its spending strongly over the last year, increasing cash burn by 102%. It's fair to say that sort of rate of increase cannot be maintained for very long, without putting pressure on the balance sheet. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years. How Easily Can Talon Metals Raise Cash? Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, Talon Metals shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Since it has a market capitalisation of CA$418m, Talon Metals' CA$39m in cash burn equates to about 9.4% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Talon Metals' Cash Burn A Worry? Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Talon Metals' cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Looking at the factors mentioned in this short report, we do think that its cash burn is a bit risky, and it does make us slightly nervous about the stock. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Talon Metals you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit concerning. Of course Talon Metals may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley right to religious freedom was violated when she was reprimanded for refusing to marry same-sex couples. Dianne Hensley, a justice of the peace in McLennan County, was reprimanded by the states Commission on Judicial Conduct in 2019. She had quit performing marriages after the U.S. Supreme Courts marriage equality ruling in 2015, then resumed in 2016 but served only heterosexual couples, The Dallas Morning News reports. She said that officiating same-sex marriages would violate her Christian beliefs. After the disciplinary action, she filed a lawsuit saying the commission should be prevented from investigating or sanctioning judges or justices of the peace who recuse themselves from officiating at same-sex weddings on account of their sincere religious beliefs. Such sanctions are a violation of the states religious freedom law, her suit argued. But a three-judge panel of the Texas Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the law bans only threatened or continued violation of a persons religious practice. She had received a single reprimand, and the commission hadnt expressed an intention to discipline her again, the judges said. The commission was acting within its rights and was shielded from lawsuits by sovereign immunity, the legal doctrine that a governmental body cant be sued without its consent, they added. The appeals courts decision upheld a trial courts dismissal of Hensleys suit. Hensley can appeal her suit to the Texas Supreme Court, but she and her lawyer havent said if she will. Her lawyer is Jonathan Mitchell, a longtime anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion activist. He crafted a Texas anti-abortion law, and in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case that resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, he argued that the high court should rescind the court-invented rights to homosexual behavior and same-sex marriage as well. Mitchell also brought a case that led a federal judge to rule this year that a requirement for insurers to cover HIV prevention drugs violated the companies religious freedom rights. Recently, he filed a suit arguing that the U.S. Supreme Courts Bostock v. Clayton County ruling, which banned anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in employment, shouldnt apply to bisexuals. Pencil held over a multiple choice exam bluestocking / Getty Images El Paso High School students SAT exams were compromised after they flew out of a UPS truck, according to KTSM. 55 exams were recovered by the El Paso Independent school district staff, according to the outlet. The College Board is working with the school to provide options for students, including retaking the exam. Some high school students in El Paso, Texas, may need to retake their SAT exam after their test papers reportedly flew out of the back of a UPS delivery truck. "Today, they called a meeting for the senior class and they kind of told us, 'Hey, guys, the rumors are true. The SAT scores were compromised. They flew out of the UPS bus," Santiago Gonzalez, an El Paso High School student, told KTSM. All but 55 SAT exam sheets were recovered by the El Paso Independent school district staff after they were lost while being securely transported by UPS, according to local news outlet KTSM. A spokesperson for the school district told KTSM that the incident only affected students who took the SAT exam on October 27 at the school. Students, however, have expressed concerns over the personal information they submitted on the exam being released. "On the test score sheets, we have all of our information and identification on the score our location where we live, our address, our date of birth, all of our information. And it stinks because our identity is out there right now. Some people could have picked up some flyers," Zyenna Martinez told KTSM. According to the outlet, counselors are providing students who are interested in taking the ACT college entrance exam an alternative to the SAT with waivers to take the test at no cost. The College Board is also working with the high school to provide options for students, including retaking the exam as soon as possible, according to a statement provided to KTSM. "Occasionally test materials are lost in transit. When such instances occur, we work with the school to ensure that students are able to retest as soon as possible," The College Board said in a statement to KTSM. "We are currently working with El Paso High School to provide options for the impacted students," read the statement from the College Board." Story continues In a statement, UPS told Insider that they apologized to the school and extend their apologies to the students. "Our employees are working to recover as many tests as possible, and we will work with the school to resolve the situation," The statement said. "The driver's actions, in this case, are not representative of UPS protocols and methods, and we are addressing this with him. Safely meeting our service commitments is UPS's first priority." The El Paso Independent School District and The College Board did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider Tens of thousands of Italians marched through Rome on Saturday calling for peace in Ukraine and urging Italy to stop sending of weapons to fight the Russian invasion. "No to war. No to sending weapons", read one large banner carried by protesters, as a vast crowd broke into cries of "give peace a chance". NATO founding member Italy has supported Ukraine from the start of the war, including providing it with arms. New far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that will not change and the government has said it is expecting to send more weapons soon. But some, including former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, have said Italy should be stepping up negotiations instead. The peace rally was attended by some 30,000 people, Rome police told Italian media. "The weapons were sent at the beginning on the grounds that this would prevent an escalation," demonstrator Roberto Zanotto told AFP. "Nine months later and it seems to me that there's been an escalation. Look at the facts: sending weapons does not help stop a war, weapons help fuel a war." Student Sara Gianpietro said the conflict was being dragged out by arming Ukraine, which "has economic consequences for our country, but for the respect of human rights too". The Group of Seven foreign ministers, including Italy, on Friday vowed to continue supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia. ide/jm MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) Pope Francis shifted gears Saturday in his visit to Bahrain to minister to the Gulf's Catholic community, presiding over a huge open-air Mass and then meeting with young people to give them a bit of fatherly advice: Dont just Google your questions about life decisions, he told them. Instead, find a parent, teacher or grandparent who can offer guidance. After focusing on relations between Catholics and Muslims the first two days of his four-day visit to the tiny kingdom, Francis on Saturday was treated to the multiethnic diversity of the Gulf region's Catholic community. It's made up mostly of South Asian migrant workers who often leave behind their families to work in construction, oil extraction, domestic and service industries. An estimated 30,000 people, some traveling from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf countries, packed the Bahrain national stadium for Francis big Mass. The English-language liturgy was clearly geared toward the foreign workers, with popular English hymns and prayers in Malay, Tagalog and Tamil and a priest offering English translations of the popes native Spanish homily. This is actually a very huge honor, said Bijoy Joseph, an Indian living in Saudi Arabia who attended. This is like a blessing for us to be part of our Holy Fathers papal Mass in Bahrain. Francis is on the first-ever papal visit to Bahrain, a Sunni-led island kingdom the size of New York City that lies off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The primary aim was to participate in a government-sponsored interfaith conference to promote Catholic-Muslim dialogue. But for the final two days, he focused on ministering to the Catholic community, a minority in the country of around 1.5 million. In his homily at the stadium, Francis urged the Catholic faithful to do good even when evil is done to us. There will be cases of friction, moments of tension, conflicts and opposing viewpoints, but those who follow the Prince of Peace must always strive for peace. And peace cannot be restored if a harsh word is answered with an even harsher one, he said. No, we need to disarm, to shatter the chains of evil, to break the spiral of violence, and to put an end to resentment, complaints and self-pity. Story continues After the Mass, Francis met with several hundred young people at the Sacred Heart school, which dates from the 1940s and is affiliated with the church of the same name that was the first Catholic church built in the Gulf. The school boasts more than 1,200 students and faculty from 29 different nationalities and a variety of faith groups, including Muslims studying alongside Christians. Teen-age girls in saris danced for him, alumni offered testimonies and students offered words or wishes to him in over a dozen languages. Francis urged them to forge a future where such friendly interfaith relations remain the norm. And then he offered some personal advice, saying he too was once an adolescent and never made a big decision alone. Before you go to the internet for advice, always seek out good counselors in life, wise and reliable people who can guide and help you, he said, listing parents, grandparents or a spiritual guide. And then revisiting an exhortation from one of his first meetings with young people as pope, Francis urged the students to always keep adults on their toes. We need your creativity, your dreams and your courage, your charm and your smiles, your contagious joy and that touch of craziness that you can bring to every situation," he said. Such craziness, he said, "helps to break us out of our stale habits and repetitive ways of looking at things. Francis wraps up his visit Sunday meeting with priests and nuns at the Sacred Heart church. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Reuters Videos STORY: South Korea's leader had a stark warning for the North on Monday.In a wide-ranging interview with Reuters, President Yoon Suk-yeol said that if Pyongyang went ahead with a nuclear test, there would be an unprecedented response from Seoul and its allies, but he gave no specifics.What I can tell you is that our response would include something that have not been seen in the past."It would be extremely unwise for North Korea to conduct a (seventh) nuclear test."Yoon's comments come as officials from his country and the U.S. warn that North Korea may be preparing...to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017.He also urged China - as North Korea's closest ally - to do more to influence Pyongyang.And noted how countries in the region, including Japan, had been pushed to increase their defense spending.More U.S. warplanes and ships have also been deployed."I believe that China has enough capability to affect North Koreas decision, not only in military aspect but also economically. However, it is up to China's decision that to what extent it will influence North Korea and how much it is going to contribute to the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula." 2022 has been a record year for North Korea's missile tests, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile this month...which Tokyo said landed 130 miles off the coast of Japan.Such tests have overshadowed multiple gatherings of international leaders.Undeterred by the backlash received, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said this week his country intends to have the world's most powerful nuclear force. President Biden seen during a speech in Carlsbad, California. Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images Presidential power made landfall in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with President Biden joining his old boss, former President Barack Obama, in the Keystone State for a last-ditch effort to drum up Democratic support in a critical swing state prior to Tuesday's midterm elections. CNN reported that the two presidents will hold a joint rally together in Philadelphia to stump for Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate candidate, John Fetterman. The pair have rarely made appearances together during Biden's time in office, and this will mark the pair's first joint political rally for the midterms. Biden, however, is no stranger to his home state, as the president has ventured to Pennsylvania more than 20 times since being elected, CNN reported. However, Fetterman's GOP opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, will also receive some presidential backing, as former President Donald Trump is also slated to be in Pennsylvania over the weekend to participate in a rally for Oz. The former president is set to appear with the doctor in a rally outside of Pittsburgh, in the small town of Latrobe, to stump for Oz, whom Trump has heavily endorsed as the potential future of his 'MAGA' movement. CNN also noted that the three presidents appearing so heavily on the campaign trail is a "historic anomaly," given that former chief executives rarely get so involved with politics after leaving office. However, given the significant ramifications and pressure of the upcoming midterms, both parties have begun pulling out all stops in an effort to get people to the polls. You may also like Russia's 'catastrophic' missing men problem 7 scathing cartoons about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover How the Justice Department might respond to a Trump 2024 bid Eric Lynn's campaign; Chris O'Meara/AP Photo; Insider Florida's 13th congressional district is open after Democrat Charlie Crist resigned to run for governor. Republican Anna Paulina Luna has Trump's support in the race. Democrat Eric Lynn is a former national security advisor painting himself as a centrist. Republican Anna Paulina Luna is aiming to turn a blue US House seat red as she runs for the open seat in Florida's 13th Congressional District against Democrat Eric Lynn. The seat is vacant because Democrat Charlie Crist resigned his seat to run for governor against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida's 13th Congressional District candidates Luna is an Air Force veteran and former model who went on to become the director of conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, and is a podcast host with Gingrich 360. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Luna during the primary and she also has the support of MAGA firebrands Rep. Matt Gaetz and Charlie Kirk, Turning Point's founder. Lynn is a former national security advisor in the Pentagon under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Libertarian Frank Craft is also running. Voting history for Florida's 13th Congressional District Luna unsuccessfully challenged Crist for the seat in the 2020 election, and with his resignation Republicans see an opportunity to turn the district which includes St. Petersburg red. Joe Biden won the district during the 2020 presidential race, but DeSantis proposed a redistricting bill this year that the GOP-controlled Florida legislature passed, and now the map leans more Republican. The money race Luna has raised nearly $3 million, spent $2.6 million, and has about $480,000 cash on hand, as of October 19, according to the nonpartisan money-in-politics organization OpenSecrets. Lynn has raised $2 million, spent more than $1.5 million, and has about $592,000 cash on hand, as of October 19. As of November 4, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups had together spent more than $15.3 million to advocate for and against candidates in this race, including during its primary phase. This ranks the race on the higher end of the spectrum for outside spending. Story continues Progress Pinellas, a pro-Lynn super PAC funded by billionaire investor Justin Ishbia, accounts more more than half of the race's outside spending. What experts say The race between Luna and Lynn was rated as a "likely Republican" by Inside Elections and "likely Republican" by Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Read the original article on Business Insider Americans concerned about risk of political violence in U.S.: poll Xinhua) 10:00, November 05, 2022 WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- A wide majority of Americans worry there is an increased danger of politically motivated violence in the United States, according to a new poll released on Friday. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans -- 88 percent -- are concerned that political divisions have intensified to the point that there's an increased risk of politically motivated violence in the country. Sixty-three percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll are "very" concerned. By contrast, asking which political party is more to blame for this risk produces a closely divided, strongly partisan result: 31 percent blame the Republican Party, 25 percent blame the Democratic Party and 32 percent blame both parties equally. Just 11 percent don't blame either or both. The poll was conducted a week after Paul Pelosi, husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked at their home in San Francisco, California, by an assailant with a hammer and subsequently hospitalized. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other government agencies issued a memo last week that warned of an increased likelihood of violence from domestic extremists in the 90 days after the election, according to a copy of the document obtained by The Post. "Following the 2022 midterm election, perceptions of election-related fraud and dissatisfaction with electoral outcomes likely will result in heightened threats of violence against a broad range of targets -- such as ideological opponents and election workers," the memo read. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) SINGAPORE, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Singapore wants to be a crypto asset hub but does not accept trading and speculations in cryptocurrencies, said Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), at the Singapore Fintech Festival (SFF) 2022 which concluded on Friday. Menon said Singapore wants to be a crypto hub for experimenting with programable money, applying digital assets for use cases like atomic settlement, and tokenizing real and financial assets to increase efficiency and reduce risks in financial transactions. This is the third time in about three months for MAS to showcase its policy stance on digital assets and crypto assets. Menon said in late August that many items with value, including financial assets like cash and bonds, real assets like artwork and property, and even intangible items like carbon credits and computing resources, can potentially be tokenized and become digital assets. When deployed on distributed ledgers, digital assets are referred to as crypto assets. MAS wants to make Singapore one of the most conducive and facilitative jurisdictions for digital assets. At the same time, it wants Singapore to be one of the most comprehensive in managing the risks of digital assets, and among the strictest in areas like discouraging retail investments in cryptocurrencies. In late October, MAS published two consultation papers proposing regulatory measures to reduce the risk of consumer harm from cryptocurrency trading and to support the development of stablecoins as a credible medium of exchange in the digital asset ecosystem. Despite its unsupportive attitude towards retail investment in cryptocurrencies and strict supervision, MAS does not ban cryptocurrency business in Singapore totally. Asia Pacific Exchange (APEX), one of the three derivatives exchanges with the Approved Exchange and Approved Clearing House licenses in Singapore, launched its Bitcoin Perpetual Futures in July, the first such product approved by MAS. Before this, the exchange launched the Bitcoin Monthly Futures Contract in May. Both two products do not accept Singapore's retail investors. Ben Charoenwong, assistant professor in finance at the National University of Singapore Business School, told Xinhua that MAS restricts retail investors from trading in the APEX market with the perpetual futures contract as investor protection. The introduction for institutional investors is appropriate in so far as "convenient leverage" is a problem for retail, the expert said, calling the restriction a double-edged sword. In good times when bitcoin does well, retail investors wail against regulators for not allowing them to take on so much leverage. But in bad times, if retail investors do have access to leverage and lose their life savings, they complain about the lack of regulation, he said, adding that no matter what the regulators do, retail investors can be unhappy. According to Menon, cryptocurrency is only one of the four forms of programable money. The other three forms are stablecoin, tokenized bank deposit, and central bank digital currency or CBDCs. MAS is essentially discouraging retail investment in cryptocurrencies, facilitating stablecoins through sound regulation, allowing tokenized bank deposits, and experimenting with CBDCs. MAS's attitude to other forms of programable money is quite different from that of cryptocurrencies. Charoenwong is more optimistic about CBDCs, saying that CBDCs are pure efficiency boosts and potentially privacy-reducing relative to the existing financial system. Such a product does not seem particularly innovative and likely can be adopted with little friction, though there may be implications for how monetary policy can propagate through the markets and what the role of existing banks become, he added. But Menon said, "rather than debate the pros and cons of retail CBDCs, we have taken the approach of asking ourselves what are the purposes we want to achieve with programable money, and working from there." At the SFF 2022 event, MAS announced the successful completion of Phase 1 of Project Orchid, which is a multi-year, multi-phase exploratory project examining the various design and technical aspects pertinent to a retail CBDC system for Singapore. Phase 1 of Project Orchid explored the concept of purpose-bound digital Singapore dollar (SGD), which enables senders to specify conditions, such as validity period and types of shops, when making transfers in digital SGD. "MAS and the industry will further sharpen our capabilities in programable money," Menon said. "We will improve the user experience, strengthen security and privacy, and increase accessibility to broader segments of the population." Besides digital currencies, MAS believes that real innovation with vast potential is tokenization, which involves using a software program to represent the ownership rights over any item of value as a digital token or asset. Menon said that tokenized financial assets, physical assets and intangible assets, among others, can potentially facilitate more efficient transactions, enhance financial inclusion, and unlock economic value. Charoenwong said that he agrees with Menon that the tokenization of assets can facilitate more transactions. But he added that for the tokenization to have real economic benefits, there will need to be a clear incentive for trade and transactions. "While the tokenization can allow more efficient transfer of ownership of assets and allow investors to own, say, 0.142 percent of a piece of real estate or corporate bond, which can plausibly increase financial inclusion, the platforms allowing such trading and designated market makers will also play important roles so that the transactions of these tokens will have sufficient liquidity," the scholar said. Compared to liquidity, MAS is more concerned with risk control. Menon said that asset tokenization can enable decentralized Finance, or DeFi, where borrowing, lending and trading activities can be performed autonomously through smart contracts, potentially enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of financial services. But DeFi is still in its infancy and is not without significant risks. In that case, MAS launched Project Guardian in May. Through this project, MAS and the financial industry are laying the structures and protocols that will help harness the benefits of tokenized assets and DeFi while managing their risks. The first industry pilot under Project Guardian that explores potential DeFi applications in wholesale funding markets has completed its first live trades. In this pilot, DBS Bank, JP Morgan and SBI Digital Asset Holdings conducted transactions in tokenized foreign exchange and government bonds. Han Kwee Juan, DBS head of group planning and strategy, said that the early explorations in DeFi solutions are believed to ensure the competitiveness and relevance of Singapore as a cutting-edge financial center. Menon announced at the SFF 2022 that two new industry pilots of Project Guardian have been launched already. "There is much more to the digital asset ecosystem than cryptocurrencies," he said. "The real value in the crypto industry comes not from speculating in cryptocurrencies but from tokenizing assets and placing them on a distributed ledger for use cases that increase economic efficiency or enhance social inclusion." Twitter launched its updated subscription service on Saturday, charging $7.99/month for a verification checkmark and other features. Starting today, were adding great new features to Twitter Blue, and have more on the way soon, the company announced on its apps page in the Apple app store. Twitter said users who sign up will acquire the blue checkmark used to visibly verify users on the platform, describing the features inclusion in the service as giving power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow, the company wrote. It also listed several features that are coming soon to the subscription service. Twitter Blue members will see half the advertisements that non-paying Twitter users see, and the ads will be twice as relevant, according to the social media platform. Members will also be able to post longer videos to the site and get priority ranking in replies, mentions and search. This helps lower the visibility of scams, spam, and bots, explained Twitter of the priority ranking. The company described Twitter Blue subscribers as contributing to its battle against the bots. Twitter Blue with verification is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. as of Saturday. Twitter chief Elon Musk confirmed in a tweet that the service would later be opened up in other countries. As soon as we confirm its working well in the initial set of countries and we have the translation work done, it will roll out worldwide, he wrote in response to a request to expand Twitter Blue internationally. Musks decision to have users pay for verification has attracted criticism. Following initial reports that he intended to charge verified users to keep the status, several prominent figures currently verified on the platform including author Stephen King and actress Lynda Carter pushed back on the plans. Experts have also raised concerns that the change could make it harder to confirm which accounts are legitimate, potentially undermining credibility on the platform. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Elon Musk Susan Walsh, File/Associated Press Twitter abruptly laid off half its workforce on Friday, one week after Elon Musk took over. Employees shared stories about finding out they were axed by being kicked off company platforms. One person was in a meeting when they suddenly dropped off the call, sources told The New York Times. About one week after Tesla billionaire Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, the company laid off half its workforce, leaving axed employees sharing stories of confusion and chaos over how it all went down. Top executives were fired last week immediately after Musk took control, but the company's sweeping layoffs started Friday after a company-wide email sent on Thursday informed staff that some would abruptly lose their jobs the following day. Some employees learned they were fired not through a manager, but because they were kicked off Twitter's internal systems or locked out of their work laptops without any notice or explanation. At least one Twitter employee was booted from the company's system in the middle of a call about Twitter Blue, three sources familiar with the meeting told The New York Times. The group, led by project manager Esther Crawford, was discussing updates to the subscription product and issues when one person just dropped off the call, the sources said. Musk has been criticized over how the layoffs were handled. Several former Twitter employees filed a lawsuit on Thursday in California accusing Twitter of violating the WARN Act, a federal law that mandates businesses with 100 employees or more to give 60 days notice of mass layoffs. "This is a master class in how not to do it," Sandra Sucher, a Harvard University professor who studies layoffs, told the Times, noting it was uncommon to see layoffs of this scale done so rapidly without a clear explanation. "If you were going to rank order ways to upset people, telling them you're going to do it in advance, without rationale, that is a particularly inhumane way to treat them." Story continues Rachel Bonn, a former Twitter employee who is eight months pregnant, said she lost access to her work laptop Thursday night hours after Musk said layoffs were coming. Another former Twitter employee, Chris Younie, said he was also abruptly unable to turn on his work laptop or log into his emails at around 3 a.m. on Friday. In a tweet, Musk said of the layoffs that the company had "no choice" because it was losing more than $4 million per day. He also said that everyone was offered three months of severance pay. Read the original article on Business Insider SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Twitter has announced a subscription service for $7.99 a month that includes a blue check now given only to verified accounts as new owner Elon Musk works to overhaul the platforms verification system just ahead of U.S. midterm elections. In an update to Apple iOS devices available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K., Twitter said users who sign up now for the new Twitter Blue with verification can receive the blue check next to their names just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow. But Twitter employee Esther Crawford tweeted Saturday that the new Blue isnt live yet the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time. Verified accounts did not appear to be losing their checks so far. It was not immediately clear when the subscription would go live. Crawford told The Associated Press in a Twitter message that it is coming soon but it hasnt launched yet. Twitter did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Anyone being able to get the blue check could lead to confusion and the rise of disinformation ahead of Tuesday's elections, but Musk tweeted Saturday in response to a question about the risk of impostors impersonating verified profiles such as politicians and election officials that Twitter will suspend the account attempting impersonation and keep the money!" So if scammers want to do this a million times, thats just a whole bunch of free money," he said. But many fear widespread layoffs that began Friday could gut the guardrails of content moderation and verification on the social platform that public agencies, election boards, police departments and news outlets use to keep people reliably informed. The change will end Twitters current verification system, which was launched in 2009 to prevent impersonations of high-profile accounts such as celebrities and politicians. Twitter now has about 423,000 verified accounts, many of them rank-and-file journalists from around the globe that the company verified regardless of how many followers they had. Story continues Experts have raised grave concerns about upending the platforms verification system that, while not perfect, has helped Twitters 238 million daily users determine whether accounts they get information from are authentic. Current verified accounts include celebrities, athletes and influencers, along with government agencies and politicians worldwide, journalists and news outlets, activists, businesses and brands, and Musk himself. He knows the blue check has value, and hes trying to exploit it quickly, said Jennifer Grygiel, a social media expert and associate professor of communications at Syracuse University. He needs to earn the trust of the people before he can sell them anything. Why would you buy a car from a salesman that you know has essentially proved to be chaotic? The update Twitter made to the iOS version of its app does not mention verification as part of the new blue check system. So far, the update is not available on Android devices. Musk, who had earlier said he wants to verify all humans on Twitter, has floated that public figures would be identified in ways other than the blue check. Currently, for instance, government officials are identified with text under names stating they are posting from an official government account. President Joe Bidens @POTUS account, for example, says in gray letters it belongs to a United States government official. Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who has 7.8 million Twitter followers, told the AP, I could actually just delete my Twitter account, I never use it. I find it really healthy to delete social media from my phone for periods of time." "But its also a really powerful tool to connect with people, so I appreciate that and I try to use it as that and not as something thats veering me off course of the journey that Im on in life, he said. The announcement comes a day after Twitter began laying off workers to cut costs and as more companies are pausing advertising on the platform as a cautious corporate world waits to see how the platform will operate under its new owner. About half of the companys staff of 7,500 was let go, tweeted Yoel Roth, Twitters head of safety and integrity. He said the companys front-line content moderation staff was the group the least affected by the job cuts and that efforts on election integrity including harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operations remain a top priority. Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey took blame for the job losses. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly, he tweeted Saturday. I apologize for that. Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no choice but to cut jobs when the company is losing over $4M/day. He did not provide details on the daily losses at Twitter and said employees who lost their jobs were offered three months pay as severance. He also said Twitter has already seen a massive drop in revenue as advertisers face pressure from activists to get off the platform, which heavily relies on advertising to make money. United Airlines on Saturday became the latest major brand to pause advertising on Twitter, joining companies including General Motors, REI, General Mills and Audi. Musk tried to reassure advertisers last week, saying Twitter would not become a free-for-all hellscape because of what he calls his commitment to free speech. But concerns remain about whether a lighter touch on content moderation at Twitter will result in users sending out more offensive tweets. That could hurt companies brands if their advertisements appear next to them. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Saturday urged Musk to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter. In an open letter, Turk said reports that the companys whole human rights team and much of the ethical AI team were laid off was not an encouraging start. Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them," Turk said. Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platforms use and evolution. Meanwhile, Twitter cannot simply cut costs to grow profits, and Musk needs to find ways to raise more revenue, said Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush. But that may be easier said than done with the new subscription program for blue checks. Users have gotten this for free, Ives said. There may be massive pushback. He expects 20% to 25% of Twitters verified users to sign up initially. The stakes are high for Musk and Twitter to get this right early and for signups to work smoothly, he added. You dont have a second chance to make a first impression, Ives said. Its been a train-wreck first week for Musk owning the Twitter platform. Now youve cut 50% (of the workforce). There are questions about just the stability of the platform, and advertisers are watching this with a keen eye. ___ AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York and Associated Press Writer Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this story. LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will promise to speed up the UK's transition to renewable energy when he addresses the U.N. COP27 summit on climate change on Monday. Sunak made a last-minute decision on Nov. 2 to participate in the climate talks, reversing a plan much criticised by environmental activists and political opponents to skip the annual gathering. He will tell politicians and business leaders at the event that Britain will work with international allies to speed up its move to cleaner sources of energy, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine made the need to do so even more pressing. "Russias invasion of Ukraine and contemptible manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels," Sunak said in a statement issued by his office. "We need to move further and faster to transition to renewable energy, and I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this global movement." Britain hosted last year's COP26 summit in Glasgow and Sunak will urge leaders to stick to promises they made then. He will hold meetings on energy security, green technology and environmental protection, as well as chairing a discussion on forests and nature. Sunak on Friday praised King Charles for his "far-sighted leadership" on tackling climate change as the monarch hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for international figures, including U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry. (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by David Holmes) Leopard 2 tank We have reason to hope that the decision will be made to deliver Leopard 2 from Germany directly to Ukraine, he said. Read also: Germany asks Switzerland to allow ammo exports to Ukraine We are in talks with the federal government." The German publication Welt reported on Sept. 6 that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to supply Ukraines Armed Forces with Leopard 2 tanks despite direct requests from the Ukrainian government. Read also: Germany will eventually transfer Leopard tanks to Kyiv, says Ukrainian Ambassador Makeiev Commenting on this, Scholz said that his country helps Ukraine sufficiently with weapons, and the decision to transfer any kind of equipment is made in coordination with allies. On Oct. 7, the head of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola called on the EU to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Read also: Head of German parliamentary defense committee calls for Germany to provide Ukraine with tanks German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, however, on Oct. 16 called strengthening Ukraines air defense a top issue, with the supply of tanks being a secondary question. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Training with drones at an undisclosed location in Iran Read also: Iran acknowledges sending drones to Russia for first time "The Irainian Minister of Foreign Affairs has spread insinuations about the Ukrainian sides alleged refusal to meet with Iranian experts under pressure from Western partners," he wrote. Nikolenko said Ukraine is taught to trust facts alone. Therefore, the Foreign Ministry works in close coordination with other involved Ukrainian agencies to prevent Russias use of Iranian-made drones to kill Ukrainians and destroy critical infrastructure. "Tehran should be aware that the consequences of complicity in the crimes of Russia's aggression against Ukraine will be much larger than the benefits of Russias support," he added. Read also: Irans denial of supplying Russia with drones is a lie On Nov. 5, following constant denials, Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian acknowledged for the first time that Iran had supplied Russia with drones. Still, he said a limited number of drones had been sent to Russia before the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Iranian minister demanded "proof" that Iranian-made drones are used against Ukraine. The first reported case of using the Iranian-made suicide drone Shahed-136 was recorded on Sept. 13. The drone was shot down in Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, the east of Ukraine. On Oct. 11, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the aggressor country, Russia, had ordered 2,400 Iranian suicide drones, according to Ukrainian military intelligence. After the first Iranian drones were downed, Ukraine did not extend the accreditation of the Iranian ambassador and reduced the number of personnel in the Iranian embassy to a few employees. Read also: Iran to send ballistic missiles to Russia for war against Ukraine The Iranian authorities also intend to supply the Kremlin regime with approximately 1,000 surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missiles, American CNN reported early. Ukrainian military intelligence also confirmed this data. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The US Department of Defense is sending Ukraine $400m more in military aid, it was announced yesterday. With Russias unrelenting and brutal air attacks on Ukrainian civilian critical infrastructure, additional air defence capabilities are critical, the Pentagon said in a statement. A group of prominent former world leaders, known as The Elders, told Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a visit to Kyiv this summer that only dialogue and diplomacy can end the devastating war. Former Irish president Mary Robinson, who chairs the group founded by Nelson Mandela, said in a meeting with Associated Press executives that he must start considering a way out of the conflict. We need to encourage more thinking about how it will end in order to get the idea that this needs to end, as opposed to increasing the military arsenal on both sides and the devastation to the population in Ukraine, said Ms Robinson, who also served as UN high commissioner for human rights. Russia claimed it will publish proof that British specialist troops were involved in a drone attack over the weekend on Russias Black Sea Fleet. Key Points US to send $400 million more to Ukraine in military aid 05:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar The US is sending Ukraine $400 million more in military aid and establishing a security assistance headquarters in Germany that will oversee all weapons transfers and military training for Ukraine, the Pentagon announced Friday. Read the full story here: US to send $400 million more to Ukraine in military aid Global statesmen: Only diplomacy can end Ukraine war 05:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar Only dialogue and diplomacy can end the devastating war in Ukraine, with total victory on the battlefield impossible for either warring party, members of a group of prominent former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela said Friday. Story continues The group, known as The Elders, delivered that message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him on a visit to Kyiv this summer that he must start considering a way out of the conflict, said group chairwoman Mary Robinson, former Irish president. Read the full story by Associated Press here: Global statesmen: Only diplomacy can end Ukraine war China sends message to Russia, says no nuclear war over Ukraine 04:49 , Maroosha Muzaffar Chinese president Xi Jinping has said that no nuclear wars must be fought over Ukraine, in a first clear message to Russia. The international community should jointly oppose the use or threats to use nuclear weapons, advocate that nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought, in order to prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia, Mr Xi said during a meeting in Beijing with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The state-sponsored Xinhua reported that Mr Xi said that no nuclear wars must not be fought, in order to prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia. Russian president Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons as well if Russian territory is threatened. Late on 4 November, units from the forces controlled by Air Command Pivden (South) shot down two Russian Ka-52 helicopters in Kherson Oblast. Source: Air Command Pivden (South) on Facebook Details: Air Command Pivden added that three Russian kamikaze drones have been shot down in Mykolaiv Oblast by forces controlled by them, while other southern Ukraine defence forces shot down another three. Meanwhile, the Air Force reported that 11 Shahed drones were downed on the evening of 4 November. Ukraines air defence forces shot down two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles in southern Ukraine earlier on 4 November, at around 16:00. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on Saturday issued an open letter to Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter Inc, urging him to "ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter". Twitter Inc laid off half its workforce on Friday and tweets by staff of the social media company said the team responsible for human rights was among those affected, a development which Turk described as not "an encouraging start". "Twitter is part of a global revolution that has transformed how we communicate," Turk said in the letter. "But I write with concern and apprehension about our digital public square and Twitter's role in it." "Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to address them," he added. "Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform's use and evolution." "In short, I urge you to ensure human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership," the High Commissioner said. Friday's layoffs capped a week of chaos and uncertainty about Twitter's future under Musk, the world's richest person, who tweeted on Friday that the service was experiencing a "massive drop in revenue". (Writing by Paul Carrel; editing by Jason Neely) The Air Force said Friday that a KC-135 Stratotanker's peculiar flight path, which aviation enthusiasts said resembled the shape of a penis while flying close to a Russian base in Syria, was not intentional. Twitter accounts monitoring Flightradar24, a website that tracks planes, quickly pointed out Wednesday that the phallic-shaped flight path consisting of two circles and one large oval was suspect, and pointed directly at Russian forces. The Italian newspaper la Repubblica even wrote an article about the incident, stating "the shape in fact is unequivocally that of a penis," according to an English translation. But the Air Force quickly responded that the crew of the KC-135 -- which was flying between the Middle Eastern island country of Cyprus and the coastal Syrian city of Tartus, where Russia has a naval base -- acted appropriately. Read Next: GOP Lawmakers Sound Alarm over Pulling F-15s from Japan "We're aware of the incident and are talking with the KC-135 crew to determine the details," an Air Force spokesperson told Military.com in an email. "At this time, we do not believe the crew acted inappropriately, flying a refueling orbit consistent with requirements that met the needs of receiver aircraft." The aircraft remained in the eastern Mediterranean, not Syrian airspace, the Air Force spokesperson added. Additional details about the KC-135's mission were not provided. Whether the crew meant to follow a phallic-shaped flight path just outside a Russian naval base may never be known. But the incident reflects some of the geopolitical tensions amid Russia's continued invasion and destruction of Ukraine. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, in February, the U.S. Navy confirmed that Russian aircraft had made close intercepts of three maritime patrol planes while they were in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea, Business Insider reported. Additionally, this isn't the first time the military has been involved with phallic shapes in the sky. Story continues In 2017, Military.com reported that two Navy aviators who maneuvered an EA-18G Growler to draw genitals in the sky near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, were punished but were able to remain as aviators. -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Navy Aviators Who Drew Sky Phallus Have Been Punished LISBON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese and Spanish governments announced Friday the decision to present the financing plan for the "Green Energy Corridor" with France before Dec. 15 as the European Commission required. As part of the 33rd Iberian Summit in the city of Viana do Castelo, northern Portugal, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that the project starts with the construction of an "energy storage center" in Caceres in western Spain's Extremadura region. Costa welcomed the agreement reached by Portugal, Spain and France at a joint press conference with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the end of the 33rd Portuguese-Spanish summit. "I want to guarantee that electrical interconnections are also included in this agreement and that Spain will fulfill, as it could not fail to be, its commitment," Sanchez said. The two prime ministers pledged to "give top priority to the conclusion of the renewable gas interconnection" in the agreement. "Given the European dimension of this project, (the governments) will work closely with the European Commission in the coming weeks, namely to identify sources of European funding," they said in a joint statement. Concerning the production of renewable energy, they highlighted "the potential importance of offshore renewable energy sources and agreed to cooperate and accelerate their production by 2030." Costa said that the Recovery and Resilience Plan envisages constructing two roads between the Portuguese districts of Portalegre and Faro, and the Spanish border, besides increasing the rail connection between the two countries. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The United States and its allies clashed with China and Russia on Friday over North Koreas escalating ballistic missile launches and American-led military exercises in South Korea, again preventing any action by the deeply divided U.N. Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said North Koreas staggering 59 ballistic missile launches this year, including 13 since Oct. 27 and one that made an unprecedented impact about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from South Koreas shore, are about more than advancing Pyongyangs military capabilities and seek to raise tensions and stoke fear in its neighbors. She said 13 of the 15 Security Council members have condemned North Koreas actions since the beginning of the year, but Pyongyang has been protected by Russia and China who have bent over backwards to justify repeated violations of U.N. sanctions by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or DPRK, the countrys official name. And, in turn, they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this council, she said. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun countered that the DPRK missile launches are directly linked to the re-launch of large-scale U.S.-South Korean military exercises after a five-year break, with hundreds of warplanes involved. He also pointed to the U.S. Defense Departments 2022 Nuclear Posture Review which he said envisages the DPRKs use of nuclear weapons and claims that ending the DPRK regime is one of the strategys main goals. Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Anna Evstigneeva blamed the significantly worsening situation on the Korean peninsula on the desire of Washington to force Pyongyang to unilaterally disarm by using sanctions and exerting pressure and force. She called the U.S.-South Korean exercises that began on Oct. 31 unprecedented in size, with about 240 military aircraft, and claimed they are essentially a rehearsal for conducting massive strikes on the territory of the DPRK. Story continues Americas Thomas-Greenfield responded to claims by China and Russia that the military drills were stoking tensions on the Korean peninsula saying: This is nothing but a regurgitation of DPRK propaganda. She said the longstanding defensive military exercises pose no threat to anyone, let alone the DPRK. In contrast, just last month, the DPRK said its flurry of recent launches were the simulated use of tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to `hit and wipe out potential U.S. and Republic of Korea targets, she said. The DPRK is simply using this as an excuse to continue to advance its unlawful programs. The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Koreas first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years seeking to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and cut off funding. In May, however, China and Russia blocked a Security Council resolution that would have toughened sanctions over the missile launches, in the first serious rift on the council over the sanctions against North Korea. That rift remains and appears to have grown deeper, but Russia, China and the United States did agree on one thing: the need for renewed talks and a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Chinas Zun called on the U.S. to stop unilaterally playing up tensions and confrontation and respond to the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK to create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue. And he said the Security Council, rather than seeking additional pressure on the DPRK, should contribute to the restart of dialogue and negotiation and resolving the humanitarian and livelihood difficulties faced by the DPRK. Russias Evstigneeva said further sanctions would threaten North Korean citizens with unacceptable social, economic and humanitarian upheavals, and reiterated the need for preventive diplomacy and the importance of finding a political diplomatic solution and real steps by Washington, more than just promises to establish substantive dialogue. Thomas-Greenfield said even in the face of the DPRKs escalating missile launches, the United States remains committed to a diplomatic solution and has conveyed its request to the DPRK for talks at all levels of the U.S. government. After the meeting, the 10 elected council members joined in a statement condemning the launches, calling on the DPRK to halt its nuclear and missile programs, and reiterating their commitment to diplomacy and dialogue. The U.S., Britain, France, South Korea, Japan and others then read a statement calling on all countries to join in condemning North Korea's destabilizing behavior and urging the DPRK to abandon its unlawful weapons programs and engage in diplomacy toward denuclearization." Before the council meeting, former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told a meeting of Associated Press executives that he is deeply concerned at North Korea's unacceptable behavior" and expressed hope that the Security Council would take very decisive and strong measures." North Korea is the only country since the end of World War II that has declared it will use nuclear weapons in a first strike when they feel that any crisis may be imminent to them," he said, calling this arbitrary" and irresponsible." Lauren Boebert has tied herself tightly to the politics of Donald Trump In a state governed by Democrats, a far-right candidate is about to win another term to US Congress - while her moderate Republican colleague is set to lose his bid for Senate. The races in Colorado are a capsule of the rifts shaping national politics. Short presentational grey line A few hours' drive out of Denver, the capital city in the centre of Colorado, an enormous sign can be seen from the side of the highway: white background, pink-and-black font, pasted on to an old, hulking trailer. "This Is Boebert Country," it reads. "Boebert" refers to Lauren Boebert. The 35-year-old Republican represents Colorado's third congressional district, a vast stretch of land that spans the entire western half of the state. Though she has not passed a single piece of legislation in her first term in office, Ms Boebert has emerged as one of the most high-profile Republican newcomers in Congress owing to her unabashed Trumpism. She picked routine fights with Democratic colleagues - labelling one group the "Jihad Squad" - and falsely claimed that liberals had legalised "knowingly spreading HIV". A staunch defender of gun rights, she vowed to bring her handgun to the Capitol. The 2021 Boebert family Christmas card featured a photo of the congresswoman and her three young sons, all wielding rifles. That maverick brand of Republicanism stands in stark contrast to the party's Senate candidate, Joe O'Dea, 60. Unlike Ms Boebert, Mr O'Dea supports abortion access and immigration reforms, and said he would actively campaign against former President Donald Trump if he were to run again. The two political newcomers - Ms Boebert and Mr O'Dea - offer a picture of a Republican Party at war with itself. And in Colorado ahead of the election, it is Ms Boebert's party in control: she is on course to win, while Mr O'Dea is expected to lose. Ms Boebert, an arch-Trump supporter, looks likely to sail to victory in Colorado Some political fissures in Colorado can be understood through its geography. As a candidate running for state-wide office, Mr O'Dea has had to appeal to the political centre, while Ms Boebert has a much more contained constituency. Story continues Almost all of "Boebert country", including cities like Durango, Grand Junction and Ms Boebert's home of Rifle, are on the west side of the so-called 'Great Divide' - a literal fracture in the earth that forms the Rocky Mountains. It is mostly rural, mostly white, and mostly Republican. Poverty rates are nearly double that of the state as a whole. This area, called the Western Slope, is effectively cleaved off from the rest of Colorado - the ice-capped mountains acting as both an ideological and physical barrier. Joe O'Dea is a construction company boss and first-time candidate for office "Western Slope" is also something of a shorthand for blue collar, pro-gun, anti-elitism, existing in opposition to liberal havens like Boulder and Denver, where a Democrat sits in the governor's mansion. "The population centres, the economic centres, the political centres are all on the other side of the mountains," said Justin Gollob, a politics professor at Colorado Mesa University. People who live in the West are attracted to its isolation, Mr Gollob said. But it has also bred resentment, a feeling of being walked over and ignored by the Democrats in charge in Denver and Washington. "I think it's an attitude that, you know, we live in the civilised world and you guys are a bunch of rednecks," said Kevin McCarney, an insurance advisor and local Republican party chairman. On the trail, Ms Boebert - who has spoken of growing up on government benefits - speaks directly to the anger and alienation bubbling through the Western Slope, railing against "radical" Democrats, who are "destroying America". "She's down to earth. I can relate to her, I can relate to her background," said Jennifer Wilcox, who runs a non-profit in the district for women living in poverty. In Colorado last week, many residents also expressed concern and disbelief that President Biden would commit billions to student loan forgiveness while blue-collar families struggle amid soaring inflation. "Only about one-third of adults in this country have a bachelor's degree. It's a little bit less than that in [the third district]," said Adam Frisch, the Democrat running against Ms Boebert. "This is why the Democrats have lost support in rural America it's the ultimate in tone deaf." An analysis of national election results by NBC News found that while Bill Clinton won more than 50% of all rural counties in 1996, Barack Obama won just half of that in 2008. Joe Biden fared even worse, winning less than 5% in 2020. Colorado Mr Frisch wears his party affiliation lightly, careful to distance himself from the left-wing of the party. "I spend a lot of time letting people know I don't have blue horns growing out of my head," he said. Some Democrats, like Colorado's sitting governor or Mr O'Dea's opponent, Senator Michael Bennet, have found a workaround for the lack of rural support, relying on strong backing from populous urban centres and then appealing to suburban voters - a bloc courted by both parties. It was the registered Republicans in suburbia who helped Mr O'Dea eke out a victory over his far-right opponent in the primaries. His win was "an exception to the rule of the Republican party right now", said Gunner Ramer, political director of the Republican Accountability Project, an anti-Trump Republican group. "Across the country Donald Trump, election deniers and anti-establishment candidates have taken over the Republican party at all levels of government." But the Republican nominee will probably come up short next week, lacking the urban popularity offered to Democrats as well as populist fervour for "Maga" stars. He is five points behind in the Senate race, according to an average of recent polls. In effect, he'll be squeezed from both sides while Ms Boebert sails to re-election. Top of midterms links box A Pennsylvania congressman is pushing for President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to release documents showing why Marc Fogel, an American being held in Russia, was not designated as being "wrongfully detained." Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Pennsylvania Republican, introduced the resolution on Thursday seeking an explanation as to why Fogel, who has been in Russias custody since August 2021, has not been classified as "wrongfully detained." According to Reschenthalers office, Fogel "meets at least six of the 11 established criteria to be designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department." "It is indisputable Marc Fogel meets the definition of wrongfully detained under the Levinson criteria," Reschenthaler said in a prepared statement. "Yet as his health rapidly deteriorates ahead of his transfer to a hard-labor penal colony, the Biden administration is still making excuses rather than following the letter of the law. They owe Congress an explanation for their inaction." MARC FOGEL: CONGRESS MEMBERS ASK BLINKEN TO ADD PENNSYLVANIA NATIVE TO POTENTIAL GRINER, WHELAN PRISONER SWAP U.S. Reps. Glenn "GT" Thompson and Mike Kelly, both of Pennsylvania, co-sponsored the resolution. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request seeking comment. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act establishes criteria and procedures for those who have been wrongfully detained in foreign countries. MARC FOGEL: FAMILY OF AMERICAN MAN DETAINED IN RUSSIA BEGS BIDEN, BLINKEN TO ADD HIM TO BRITNEY GRINER DEAL The "wrongfully detained" designation "would commit additional U.S. government resources to securing his release and move to the jurisdiction of the U.S. governments Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs," an attorney assisting Fogels family previously told Fox News Digital. Fogel, 60, is serving what attorneys have called an "exorbitant" 14-year sentence for being caught in Russia with medical marijuana that he used to treat a severe back injury. Story continues Fogel had worked as a teacher at school in Moscow for nearly 10 years when he was stopped at an airport upon his return to Russia. He was in possession at the time of medical marijuana his doctor recommended he take for "severe chronic pain" that was caused by years of spinal injuries and resulting surgeries. RUSSIAN OFFICIALS RESPOND TO US OFFER FOR BRITTNEY GRINER, PAUL WHELAN: 'NO AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN FINALIZED' He was detained in August 2021, when he reportedly had approximately half an ounce of medically-prescribed marijuana. In June of this year, he was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison after he was convicted of "large-scale drugs smuggling," according to officials and reports. Marc Fogel, left, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan Blinken revealed in late July that the U.S. had offered to make a deal with Russia in exchange for two Americans, WNBA athlete Brittney Griner who was also detained at a Russian airport on drug-related charges and Michigan security executive Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage charges that his family has completely rejected. Fogel was not included in the deal. US OFFERS SUBSTANTIAL PROPOSAL TO BRING BRITTNEY GRINER, PAUL WHELAN HOME FROM RUSSIA An attorney assisting Fogels family with his case told Fox News Digital in an email that Fogel "fully cooperated with the investigation and prosecution; submitted substantial proof of prior medical treatment, of debilitating health conditions, and of his doctors recommendation for medical marijuana." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP His representatives shared dozens of reference letters and evidence showing his lack of any criminal record. If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So on that note, Victoria Gold (TSE:VGCX) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Victoria Gold: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.19 = CA$156m (CA$1.0b - CA$163m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2022). So, Victoria Gold has an ROCE of 19%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Metals and Mining industry average of 3.6% it's much better. Check out our latest analysis for Victoria Gold roce In the above chart we have measured Victoria Gold's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Victoria Gold here for free. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us We're delighted to see that Victoria Gold is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. About five years ago the company was generating losses but things have turned around because it's now earning 19% on its capital. Not only that, but the company is utilizing 333% more capital than before, but that's to be expected from a company trying to break into profitability. This can indicate that there's plenty of opportunities to invest capital internally and at ever higher rates, both common traits of a multi-bagger. Story continues For the record though, there was a noticeable increase in the company's current liabilities over the period, so we would attribute some of the ROCE growth to that. Effectively this means that suppliers or short-term creditors are now funding 16% of the business, which is more than it was five years ago. Keep an eye out for future increases because when the ratio of current liabilities to total assets gets particularly high, this can introduce some new risks for the business. The Key Takeaway Overall, Victoria Gold gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. Considering the stock has delivered 4.5% to its stockholders over the last five years, it may be fair to think that investors aren't fully aware of the promising trends yet. Given that, we'd look further into this stock in case it has more traits that could make it multiply in the long term. On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Victoria Gold you'll probably want to know about. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Early voting ends this weekend across Florida. For the Orange County voters that came to cast their ballots, Saturday was all about convenience. And for future voters, it was all about learning an important lesson in democracy. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< Im thinking about running for governor in the next 15 years, Joel Rose, 12, said. Rose has big political goals but his father said the first item on the agenda for this future governor is learning how to cast a ballot. I wanted him to get the experience, Roses father said. Read: Singer Aaron Carter dead at 34 Just a few years short of casting his first vote, Rose said he is ready to go as soon as he turns 18. He accompanied his grandmother and father Saturday as they marked their ballots. It is a process the 12-year-old said he has given a lot of thought to. I was thinking really hard on who I should vote on and what I could learn from them, Rose said. Read: Twitter launches $8 monthly subscription with blue checkmark Charlyce and Alonso Simmons were among the many Orange County residents who headed to the Hiawassee library today. I came for the free sticker just joking, Alonzo Simmons said. It is our civic duty to vote and get people in office that are going to do something. Exercising their right ahead of election day was both a choice and a necessity. Read: Eye on the Tropics: Disturbance being monitored near Dominican Republic We dont like lines, so we like to try to avoid the traffic and then we are heading out of town so I wanted to make sure I voted before I left, Charlyce Simmons said. Early voting ended on Saturday in Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Marion, Sumter and Flagler counties. Read: Pedestrian dies after being struck by car in Orange County, troopers say Voters in Orange, Seminole and Osceola county can vote early through Sunday. Election Day is Nov. 8. 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. Devastating floods on a similar scale to those seen in Germany in 2021 are absolutely conceivable in the UK, experts have warned. Factors ranging from the summers drought conditions to erratic weather patterns caused by the climate crisis rachet up the risk, they claim. The warning comes after Storm Claudio battered parts of the UK this week, prompting a number of flood warnings and alerts to be issued. An aerial view after flooding at Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany, 16 July 2021 (Reuters) Parts of London woke up to flooded roads and transport problems after the capital experienced half a months rainfall in one night, with the Met Office warning of further heavy rain across parts of the country for the next two weeks. The latest estimates used by insurance companies in Britain indicate that around 5.2 million homes and businesses are at risk of flooding, and that number is rising as global heating raises the likelihood of extreme weather. By the middle of this century, the cost of a 200-year flood could rise by 42 per cent to 5bn, if there is no action to reduce emissions, according to JBA Risk, which provides flood modelling services to insurance companies. It is impossible to accurately predict flood disasters or be certain of how and where they might affect the country. The London floods which swamped Tube stations, homes and businesses in July 2021, causing drainage systems to fail and inundating properties with raw sewage were part of the same weather system that affected Germany and Belgium days later. No one was killed in the UK, but as record levels of rain continued to fall across Europe, catastrophic flooding led to landslides, tore through towns, destroyed buildings and vehicles, cut off roads and railways, and left 196 people dead in Germany. In Belgium, 43 people were killed. Water gushes into a London Tube station during flash floods in July 2021 (Rob Day) Germanys chancellor at the time, Angela Merkel, described the extent and intensity of the flooding as terrifying, and told reporters: I can almost say that the German language doesnt have words for the destruction thats been wreaked. Story continues Andy Bord, chief executive of the UKs Flood Re initiative, a joint scheme between insurance companies and the government which helps make flood insurance affordable, told The Independent: We were incredibly lucky to escape something similar in this country, and it is absolutely conceivable that the same thing could happen here. The recent heatwave in the UK and incidents of flooding that followed straight after are a reminder of the more extreme weather we can expect as the overall climate gets wetter and warmer. Had the weather patterns been slightly different in the UK, we easily could have seen floods of the same scale as those in Germany. The warning comes as world leaders gather this weekend in Egypt for the Cop27 climate conference. The UK was hit by a record-breaking heatwave this summer, and a continuing drought that could last into next year, according to the Environment Agency. A car negotiates a flooded section of the A1 in London on 2 November (Getty) The greatest risk to properties is not from sea or river flooding, but from flooding caused by heavy rain known as pluvial flooding. Mr Bord said: Rainwater flooding is regarded as a greater threat than both river fluvial flooding and coastal flooding combined. For instance, the Environment Agency estimates 3 million properties in England are susceptible to pluvial flooding compared to 2.7 million properties that are at risk of fluvial or coastal flooding. Rock-hard ground following months of dry weather is almost impenetrable to water, resulting in rapid surface-water run-off, posing a risk to properties. Meanwhile, warming temperatures, also due to the climate crisis, mean that the atmosphere can hold more water resulting in more intense and prolonged rainstorms. A similar scenario was the cause of deadly flooding in Pakistan in September, where a severe heatwave was followed by torrential monsoons, the effects of which were compounded by water from rapidly melting glaciers. Almost 1,600 people are known to have been killed in the floods, which have left around a third of the country under water. Insurers in the UK are now concerned that unbridled greenhouse gas emissions, the higher likelihood of heatwaves and droughts, and the growing risk of sudden extreme rainfall mean that greater action must be taken to counter the increasing danger. A bridge and houses on the Ahr river in Schuld, Germany in July 2021 (AP) JBA Risks Karen Whittingham told The Independent that while the cost of a 200-year flood event could escalate by 42 per cent by the middle of the century, if there is no action to reduce emissions, the UK could see a hike of up to 87 per cent in average annual losses to residential properties. She added: There could also be a 120 per cent increase in the cost of surface-water floods, particularly in the south and east of the UK, under a [worst case] scenario. Mr Bord told The Independent that Flood Re is calling on the government to introduce flood performance certificates, which will provide understanding and reassurance of the flood risk posed to properties and steps that can be taken to mitigate them. Homes are surrounded by floodwaters in Sohbat Pur city, a district of Pakistans southwestern Baluchistan province (AP) He added: Along with building and maintaining flood defences, we also encourage householders to consider property flood resilience measures to protect the property and recover more quickly in the event of a flood. Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, told The Independent: The rising flood risk in the UK is probably the most demonstrable indicator of our changing weather patterns. From an insurance perspective, its something thats concerned us for some time. All the indicators suggest its something thats getting worse. It may seem odd that were talking about this just after what will be the driest summer in most peoples memories, but the ground is so bone-dry that [when we get rain] the water has nowhere to go. Speaking about the impact of government spending on flood alleviation, he said: Flood defence maintenance is very cost-effective for every 1 increase in maintenance spending, almost 7 is saved in capital spending on defences. An Environment Agency spokesperson told The Independent: We are already seeing the impacts of climate change through wetter winters and drier summers, and the Environment Agency is working to help communities become more resilient to extreme weather and rising sea levels. Our third Climate Adaptation Report made it clear that we must all play our part in preparing for climate change. Within the EA, we are delivering on a record 5.2bn investment in flood and coastal defences between 2021 and 2027. Mega companies are providing funding for initiatives that focus on supporting Black businesses and entrepreneurs. Wells Fargo Bank announced a $355,000 investment in The Inclusivity Project, a program of the Northern California Small Business Development Centers (NorCal SBDC), to support Black businesses. The Inclusivity Project is a strategic partnership between NorCal SBDC, the Black and African-American chambers, and Wells Fargo that supports Black business owners in building a bold new, inclusive economy, meaning new businesses, jobs, and creating powerful community impact, together, the initiatives website states. According to Sacramento Business Journal, the funding from Wells Fargo will support Black entrepreneurs and businesses as part of the banks commitment to the initiative, providing no-cost advice, mentoring, workshops, and networking. The investment is part of Wells Fargos deliberate plan to expand, as the bank focuses on its goal to expand diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its business Wells Fargo is proud to invest in the Inclusivity Project to shift systemic and institutional barriers to Black entrepreneurs and small businesses, said Karen Woodruff, senior vice president of social impact and sustainability at Wells Fargo Bank, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC). In addition, the new funding will help Black chambers work more collaboratively with their members to start and grow businesses, said Scott Rogalski, associate director of strategic initiatives with NorCal SBDC, which covers 36 counties in Northern California. Rogalski shared that the commitment from Wells Fargo will help the initiative carry on with those services, providing business plans, credit repair, financial education, loan matching, and other resources. He clarified that the program is not an attempt to steer clients to Wells Fargo, but toward micro-lending programs or Small Business Administration financing. The Inclusivity Project, which has serviced over 2,000 business owners and entrepreneurs, was launched in early 2021 after Black and African American businesses were hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Joseph Campbell BAKHMUT, Ukraine (Reuters) - Residents of the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut are living in dire conditions, with civilians killed and wounded daily, the deputy mayor said on Saturday, as fighting between Russian troops and Ukraine's forces rages around the city. Bakhmut has been an important target for Russia's military in its slow advance through the Donetsk region, one of the territories the Kremlin claims to have annexed after what Kyiv and the West say were sham referendums in September. Kyiv's military says the area is the site of some of the heaviest fighting with Russian forces, and deputy mayor Oleksandr Marchenko told Reuters that Russia's troops were "trying to storm the city from several directions". Reuters could not independently confirm his account of the battlefield situation. "With every day it's becoming harder and harder to survive in this city," Marchenko said from inside an empty government building as mortar fire boomed nearby. Video: Bakhmut residents scramble to collect aid amid shelling He said more than 120 civilians have been killed in Bakhmut since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. "There are districts where we don't know the exact number of people killed because active fighting is ongoing there or the settlements are temporarily occupied (by Russian forces)," he added. Ukrainian troops are "firmly holding the frontline", Marchenko said, while describing a deteriorating humanitarian situation facing the city, where the population has fallen from its pre-war level of about 80,000 to as low as 12,000 today. It has already been without electricity, gas and running water for nearly two months. Marchenko said local citizens still venture out to shop, collect humanitarian aid or gather water despite being urged to evacuate. He added that the winter would be most difficult for the elderly and infirm. "We're holding on and hoping that the armed forces of Ukraine will be able to repel the enemy further from the city," he said. (Reporting by Joseph Campbell in Bakhmut; Writing by Dan Peleschuk in Kyiv; Editing by Helen Popper) BERLIN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and German business ties can continue to build strong bridges between the two countries, Oliver Zipse, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Zipse accompanied German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his visit to China Friday, the Chancellor's first China trip after taking office last December. "This visit sends a strong signal towards reinforcing economic cooperation between China and Germany," Zipse said. "At the BMW Group, we see tremendous potential in continuing to build strong ties and foster cooperation between China and Germany. I am looking forward to many such opportunities in the future," he noted. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. Zipse said that "this is a partnership that can even further grow, develop and improve." The BMW senior management considered that China has established one of the world's most comprehensive industrial base and supply chain, plus a large population of capable workers and talents. "China is a main driver in many of our strategic areas namely digitalization, electrification and sustainability. And it will remain one of our most strategically important markets," he added. In 2021, China's passenger vehicle market posted a year-on-year growth of 4.4 percent. In total, 846,000 BMW and MINI vehicles were delivered to Chinese customers, 8.9 percent more than in 2020, making this a new sales record for the second consecutive year in BMW's largest single market. "The recent messages from the Chinese government on continuing to attract foreign investment, expand opening-up and drive innovation are encouraging. We are optimistic about the medium- and long-term prospects of the Chinese market," Zipse said. "The BMW Group is unwaveringly committed to China and will continue its win-win-partnerships with local companies," he noted. The Biden administration's announcement that up to $20,000 in student loan debt will be canceled for borrowers will bring welcome relief to millions, as long as courts allow. But that relief won't do anything to slow the rapidly rising cost of going to college. In the 1963-1964 academic year, the average annual published cost of in-state tuition and fees was $243 at public four-year institutions, and $1,011 at private four-year institutions, according to National Center for Education Statistics data. That excludes room and board. If the published cost of college remained in line with inflation, annual tuition and fees would have been $2,076 at four-year public universities and $8,624 at private institutions for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics' data in constant dollars, or income adjusted for inflation. But in the 2021-2021 academic year, the average price tag for in-state tuition and fees at a four-year public institution was $9,375, and at private four-year institutions, it was a whopping $32,825. With student housing, that cost skyrockets some schools are charging those who can afford it over $70,000 per year. Why is college so expensive? "There's no one single answer," says Beth Akers, author of "Making College Pay" and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "You can ask lots of different people and they have lots of different reasons." However, the sticker price an institution lists on its website and the net price can be pretty far apart, said Phillip Levine, an economist at Wellesley College. The net price is what students pay after needs-based aid and merit scholarships. The net price has increased at a faster rate at public institutions, where state funding hasn't kept pace with the increase in price. The government doesn't track the net price students pay at public vs. private institutions. But according to the College Board, students on average receive more financial aid at private institutions. And the net price families paid at private colleges for tuition, room and board was about $33,720 at private institutions, compared with $19,230 at public colleges for the 2021-2022 academic year. Story continues In the last two decades, the published price of tuition and fees at private four-year institutions has increased much more rapidly than the net tuition. Over the last 20 years, their sticker prices have gone up 54% in inflation-adjusted dollars, even though net tuition prices what students are paying after factoring in grants and scholarships have gone up just 7%, according to College Board and National Center for Education Statistics data analyzed by the Manhattan Institute. For many public institutions that have been seeing decreases in state funding, the financial picture is worse. The published price for tuition and fees has increased 102% at public four-year institutions, adjusted for inflation, with net tuition and fees at public four-year schools running 115% higher in the last 20 years. The sticker price vs. average net price of tuition, fees, room and board, according to College Board data. / Credit: Source: Trends in College Pricing. 2022 The College Board. www.collegeboard.org "A lot of times we overestimate the rising cost of college," Levine said. "Because mostly what we do is focus on the sticker price. But the vast majority of students don't pay the sticker price at public or private schools, he said. Public institutions have "shifted away from funding through taxpayer support and toward collecting revenue through individual tuition charges," said Akers. Students from upper-middle class and affluent families who often comprise the governing and media classes are the ones paying full price, Levine noted. "The discrepancy is that's the price that high-income families have to pay," Levine said. Administrative costs and facilities The number of administrative staff added at higher education institutions has outpaced the hiring of teaching faculty in recent decades. The number of administrators at higher education institutions grew twice as fast in the 25 years ending in 2012 as the number of students did, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting found by analyzing federal data. And from 2010 to 2018, spending on student services increased 29% and spending on administrative functions increased 19%, while spending on instruction only grew 17%, according to a 2021 report from the American Council on Trustees and Alumni. Colleges and universities have become more comprehensive in the services that they offer, and in general, students are reaping the benefits, said Janet Napolitano, the former Arizona governor and former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security who was president of the University of California system for seven years. "I never had students come to me and say, we need fewer Title IX officers, or we need to reduce mental health services or we need to reduce the number of people who help in the financial aid office," said Napolitano, who is now the director of the Center for Security in Politics at the University of California, Berkeley. "The point being is that over time, as universities have absorbed the cost of providing not just the academic teaching and research aspect of a college education but all the kind of adjunct or associated services that go along with it, that, too, has I think added to the cost." But administrative spending doesn't account for most of the increase in the sticker price of college, Akers said. Then, there are the headlines about luxury amenities for students, like lazy rivers at Texas Tech University, or climbing walls at the University of Maryland. But those additions are also facile targets, and still don't come close to explaining the increase in the sticker price for college, Akers said. Market forces Higher education is competitive Harvard and Princeton will always be competing for the same very select pool of the nation's most promising students. "It's also the case that in some ways higher education doesn't look like a normal market," Levine said. In a normal market, everyone pays the same price. "Everyone doesn't pay the same price in higher education," Levine said. At many schools, those who can afford less pay less, and at a handful of the nation's most elite schools, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, students who are accepted and whose family income is under around $60,000 get a free ride. That lack of price transparency in what the net price will be for a prospective student is aso something that distorts the market, Levine noted, since most college applicants don't know what they'll actually pay until after they're accepted, commit to a university and apply for aid. Levine created a tool, MyinTuition, through which students can estimate their net tuition cost based on factors like how much their family has in savings and investments, their GPA and their SAT scores. He built the tool when he was trying to figure out how much he would pay for his own kids' college education. But his website doesn't include the majority of higher education institutions, and the calculator is just an estimate, and isn't binding. Student loans Then there are student loans. "People claim all the time the fact that we've allowed people to borrow so much is driving up the price, and I think there's some truth in that," Akers said. "It's not really a basic economic argument that the availability of loans has driven up the price, but I think it's more of a behavioral thing." Millions of Americans will continue to attend college and take on mountains of debt to do so because the financial and even social benefits of attending college still generally outweigh the financial cost, Akers and Levine each noted. "The returns to graduating from college are significant," Levine said. "And simple calculations basically will indicate that for the typical student, attending college definitely pays off relative to its cost." But "that doesn't mean it pays off for everybody," Levine added. Men with bachelor's degrees earn about $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than their high school graduate counterparts, according to Social Security Administration data. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $630,000 more during their lifetimes than women with only a high school diploma. And a 2021 study from Georgetown University found high school graduates make a median of $1.6 million during their lifetimes, compared to $2.8 million for those with bachelor's degrees. So, over the span of a lifetime, spending say $100,000 for a college education with those returns is a relative "bargain," Akers said. Millions will continue to pay more and more for college, so long as the benefit generally outweighs the cost. But at some point, "the market forces will continue to drive up the price until it's no longer worth it," Akers said. Napolitano is skeptical of the Republican argument that universities will use the Biden administration student loan forgiveness as an opportunity to significantly ratchet up prices. "I think any college president who relies on the assumption that loans in the future will be canceled is living in a fairy land," she said. President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Aug. 24, 2022, in Washington. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right. / Credit: Evan Vucci / AP Are there any solutions? Akers said the solution to addressing the ever-increasing cost of college is the opposite of the student loan cancellation the Biden administration is undertaking. That said, "I don't want to eliminate subsidies," said Akers. "I don't want to eliminate the student loan program." But graduates who can afford to pay back loans should be required to do so, she said. One avenue to reducing costs would be cutting the time it takes to obtain a college degree. If students are able to receive college credit for coursework while they're still in high school or even middle school, that would shorten the time they're paying for four-year colleges. Napolitano, for instance, thinks state governments should further incentivize students to attend community college, to attend far less expensive community colleges, both while they're still in high school and after, so they can transfer those credits to a four-year institution. There also should be more pathways to securing good, well-paying jobs, Akers said, adding she thinks there's "going to be kind of a natural correction," with more employers dropping requirements for college degrees. Some companies have already begun to do that in today's tight labor market. Apprenticeship programs and trades should be celebrated, she argued, saying that political and social leaders need to celebrate those pathways, too. (Twitter) An Indigenous group in Peru held a group of 250 people hostage for more than 24 hours before releasing them on Friday. Cuninico locals said they took the extreme measure to detain the large group, which included UK and US nationals, after more than 40 oil spills in the area. Pregnant women, a one-month-old baby and elderly people were reportedly among those held hostage. Our very punctual request is that the government declares a state of emergency due to the constant oil spills in our territory, and a committee presided by the president is then commissioned, community leader Wadson Trujillo told national outlet TVPeru Noticias. The US Department of Justice said in a statement to ABC that the situation has since been resolved. A total of 248 people, including 228 Peruvian citizens, were held while they were on a riverboat for more than 24 hours, the DoJ said. According to El Pais, more than 6,000 people use the water affected by the oil spills in Cuninico and neighbouring communities. Indigenous leaders have denounced the dire situation in their communities after oil spills have affected their access to clean water and food. Theyve also decried the governments lack of assistance and disregard for their pleas. Angela Ramirez, a local who claimed to have been detained by the indigenous group, had written on social media that there were infants among the hostages. Ms Ramirez said that the leaders who had detained them were kind and respectful and that the soonest the government answered to their request, the faster the group would be released. People held hostage by leaders in Cuninico (Twitter) We spent the night here. We are running out of water to drink, the sun is very strong, there are babies crying, the youngest is only one month old, pregnant women, disabled people, and elderly, Ms Ramirez said on Facebook. Now we do not have electricity to charge our phones, nor water to clean ourselves. Former Peruvian Prime Minister Anibal Torres hit out at local media for reporting that the government was not actively assisting the hostages and went as far as claiming that some members of the Cuninico community were to blame for the spill of about 2,500 barrels of oil, which have killed at least three locals. Story continues Cuninico leaders decried Mr Torres remarks. The fact-checking watchdog Convoca Verifica concluded that Mr Torres claims are unfounded. The BBC reports that a small number of British nationals were in the detained group. We have started to run out of food and water. Were doing okayish but were concerned for the pregnant females we have on board, the diabetics, the children, the elderly and the other ill people so were starting to get quite desperate, Charlotte Wiltshire told the network. We are a little concerned that our boat has been now moved closer to the village but I understand that gives us a little more easy access to possible supplies later. Leaders have previously blocked access to rivers and travelled to the capital to protest the government. The spills were caused by Perus longest pipeline, Norperuano., operated by PetroPeru. The government declared a 90-day state of emergency in late September after the spills in Cuninico and Urarinas, but no agreements were made with locals. #Loreto Destacamos reciente ampliacion de la Declaratoria de Emergencia Ambiental por el #DerrameDePetroleo en #Cuninico, a fin de incorporar al distrito de Parinari en la atencion de los impactos ambientales. #LasPersonasPrimero (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ZNginWNNZo Defensoria Peru (@Defensoria_Peru) November 4, 2022 El Pais reports that, according to a 2020 report by the non-profit Oxfam, 65 per cent of the oil spills were caused due to faulty infrastructure and lack of maintenance, while 23 per cent were the result of purposeful cuts to the pipelines by people who have created businesses dedicated to cleaning the spills. Most recently, four oil spills in Perus Amazon forest have affected Cuninico and more than two other dozen indigenous communities with 6,000 people whose access to food and clean water has been deeply affected by the emergency. On 16 September, the spill of about 2,500 barrels of oil in Cuninico contaminated nearly 850,000 square feet of water in the area. The spill also affected 17 other villages that depend on the Maranon river and nearby bodies of water that were also affected. Following a previous oil spill in 2014, the government installed an emergency water pump station in Cuninico that would supply the community for 30 minutes each day, El Pais reported. However, locals later complained that the water available was being pumped from contaminated rivers. Construction of another pump station in a neighbouring locality was reportedly abandoned amid an investigation into misused funds. Meanwhile, local leaders say that PetroPeru, the state-owned petroleum company, only assisted 200 of the 272 families a week after the spill and has not communicated with them since. Neighbouring local governments in the municipalities of Loreto and Urarinas have also been accused of doing a poor job of ensuring that families have clean water. La poblacio de Cuninico rechaza ademas la desinformacion divulgada por el propio titular de la PCM, quien los culpo del supuesto acto de sabotaje en el Oleoducto Norperuano. #ConvocaVerifica determino que la afirmacion de Torres no es verificable. https://t.co/ta1CXFwAi1 pic.twitter.com/eHNJvFEkbU Convoca (@ConvocaPe) November 4, 2022 Mr Trujillo has also denounced the government for not seeking to monitor or offer resources to those directly affected by the environmental agency in Cuninico, where ill locals only have access to one pop-up medical clinic that consists of two nurses and a health technician. Eighty per cent of our community is experiencing allergies, headaches, fever, Mr Trujillo told El Pais. Since the first day after the spill, all our activities had to be stopped. We dont have food or water, its an emergency and I wouldnt wish this upon anybody. The leader of the indigenous Chapra territory, where another spill took place on 10 September, told El Pais that the pipelines were supposed to be changed thirty years after they were installed more than five decades ago, but that never happened. She said the oil has now reached rivers where the community fish and obtain their food. We have breakfast, lunch and dinner from what nature offers. Traditional fishing and agriculture is our main source of income, Lima Olivia Bisa told the outlet. We survived during the pandemic only because we were able to sell fish to companies such as PetroPeru. Two other spills on 21 and 22 September affected the communities of Shiviyacu and Wawiko, respectively. Wisconsin state Rep. Janel Brandtjen (R) filed a lawsuit on Friday to temporarily block the counting of military ballots in the state after an election official sent her absentee ballots bearing fake names. In this case, the temporary injunction remedy sought is to prevent any military elector absentee ballots cast by non-qualified persons casting military elector absentee ballots, if any, from being counted, read the lawsuit brought by Brandtjen along with two other individuals and the Concerned Veterans of Waukesha Country, where it was filed. They added: The Plaintiffs want to ensure that any close election result is not determined by non-qualified people voting military elector absentee ballots. Milwaukees mayor said on Thursday that Milwaukee Election Commission (MEC) Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata mailed military ballots she requested for fictitious voters to Brandtjen, who chairs the state Houses elections committee. The intention behind the move is unclear. MEC Executive Director Claire Woodall-Vogg said she thought Zapata wanted to demonstrate the vulnerability of the voting system in Wisconsin. Brandtjen, who has promoted false claims that the 2020 election was stolen through widespread fraud, received the ballots earlier this week. Zapata has since been fired and faces multiple charges. The lawsuit uses the incident to argue that military ballots in Wisconsin should be sequestered prior to the election and not counted until their authenticity under state law is verified. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rodriguez had 2 'orgasmic' births said she felt no pain. Carlos Santoyo Renee Rodriguez had two births she described as "orgasmic." She said that her husband helped her orgasm during labor and that she felt little to no pain. A doula trainer says that even people who don't orgasm during birth can have a euphoric experience. Renee Rodriguez was eight months pregnant with her first son when she heard about the concept of an orgasmic birth. Rodriguez, who lives in Cancun, Mexico, said she'd never considered that birth could be a pleasant experience, let alone "orgasmic" and though she didn't know whether it would work for her, she wanted to try. There is little scientific research on orgasms while giving birth. A 2013 study suggested that orgasms might occur about 0.3% of the time in vaginal births and that the experience was well known among midwives. Debra Pascali-Bonaro, a childbirth educator, doula trainer, and director of the documentary "Orgasmic Birth," told Insider that hospitals, where about 98% of births in the US happen, are not conducive to the intimacy and pleasure that reaching orgasm typically requires. A pregnant person also has to be open to the experience, she said, adding that many people might not report their experience or may feel too much shame during birth to let themselves orgasm. Pascali-Bonaro said that she considers orgasmic births to be more conceptual than literal and that they can occur during a birth experience without a person actually orgasming though she's had many clients who have. She said that rather than using the term to refer to "a birth that includes an orgasm," she uses it to talk about a euphoric experience during childbirth, with the intention of shifting the language around birth away from fear and toward joy and connection. Rodriguez had 2 orgasmic births Rodriguez, who works as a doula in Cancun, said she experienced the kind of orgasmic birth that Pascali-Bonaro referred to, which Rodriguez described as "intense, orgasmic states of mind." She added that while giving birth she also experienced sexual orgasms. Story continues She said that while she hadn't been sure during her first pregnancy whether an orgasmic birth was possible for her, she was blown away by the experience. She described it as both pleasurable and painless, and she said she believes that anyone who gives birth can experience something similar. She said her doctor was the first person to make her feel like it was a possibility for her and encouraged her to have a home birth. Rodriguez said that the night before she gave birth, she had an intense orgasm during sex that seemed to last through the night. "I remember while I was sleeping I was waking up and still feeling like my uterus contracting, like in an orgasm," she said. "But I was wondering, is this the labor or the orgasm?" The next morning her water broke. But with the approval of her doctor, because she wasn't experiencing contractions or in labor yet she went about her day, logging off from work early and going for a walk in the park. After dinner that night, she said, she asked her husband to help her orgasm with his hands, which brought on contractions. "The contractions were just this beautiful intensity. I never felt pain," she said. "Feeling my body doing it by itself was just beautiful." She called her doula and her doctor and got in her bathtub, closing her eyes for a few hours in a half-asleep state. By the time her doula and her doctor arrived, she was fully dilated. She said her doctor recommended kissing her husband in order to release the hormone oxytocin and help facilitate the birth. Rodriguez said this worked and that while squatting next to her husband she felt her body begin to push on its own. She said that when she reached down to feel her son's head and his hair, "that gave me, again, a rush of oxytocin." "It was amazing to know that he was almost there," she added. Then her husband caught her baby. She said the peak of the orgasmic feeling came when she held her son for the first time. Studies help explain what she was feeling in this moment: Skin-to-skin contact has been found to help release oxytocin for a new parent and their newborn. Rodriguez said that while her second birth was in some ways more stressful, she had a similar experience. She said she gave birth at home again and went into what she called an almost "psychedelic" state during the labor. She said she also has a new perspective on the orgasms she has during sex, which she described as even better and more fulfilling now than they were before. Understanding the close relationship between birth and sexuality Pascali-Bonaro said Rodriguez's experience is similar to the experiences of many clients she's had. Oxytocin is released during both orgasm and birth, and the uterus contracts during both experiences. She said that often the most comfortable position people giving birth can get into is leaning over on their knees, which can allow the baby to hit pleasure centers like the G-spot. "If you think about that clitoral complex in the front, as the head comes down, it's going to put more pressure in a forward position," she said. "And the clitoral complex is designed to bring lubrication, to bring swelling, which would actually ease birth." Often, she said, these sensations can make the birth easier and less painful and don't have to result in an orgasm. In an ideal world, Pascali-Bonaro said, doctors and hospitals would serve as "lifeguards" for most pregnancies, assisting when medical help is required. For now, she said she hopes that home births can become more widespread for low-risk pregnancies and that labor rooms can be designed as more comfortable, intimate spaces for people who may need additional medical assistance. Read the original article on Insider Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images A federal investigator spotted the subject of one of his cases while vacationing at Disney World. Jeff Andre alerted local police, who arrested Quashon Burton outside Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Burton, who was previously charged with identity theft, was visiting Disney World using a fake name. A New York man who evaded arrest for about a year was arrested while vacationing at Disney World after an investigator in his case spotted him, authorities said. Jeff Andre, a federal postal inspector, was at Disney World in October when he spotted Quashon Burton, who was on the run from police for a year after he was implicated in an identity theft scheme to steal $150,000 from pandemic loans, according to court documents seen by Insider. "In order to carry out his scheme, Burton fraudulently obtained and used names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of at least four people," court documents said. He was charged with conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft, court documents said. Officers from the US Postal Inspection Service tried to arrest Burton, now 32, at his home in Brooklyn in November 2021, but he wasn't there. Officers visited the home two other times, and Burton's mother later told officers that he would "not be self-surrendering," court documents said. A federal complaint signed by Andre described Burton as someone with a "complex web of identities that made his crimes difficult to investigate." "Perhaps the most concerning factor here is the defendant's persistent use of false identities and his demonstrated ability to evade law enforcement," the court documents said. "He has clearly demonstrated an ability to mask his true identity to evade law enforcement. So too has he demonstrated a willingness to lie about this identity to avoid arrest." When Andre spotted Burton at the Animal Kingdom on October 20, he alerted the Orange County Sheriff's Office, who placed a deputy outside the park where they stopped Burton with two of his family members, The Daily Beast reported, citing the sheriff's office report. Story continues "I advised Quashon that I needed to speak with him about the possible suspicious activity he was involved in, and he questioned why he needed to provide his identification," the report from the deputy said, per the Daily Beast. "Later, I advised him he was the subject of a warrant, and when I attempted to secure him, he began tensing up and bracing his arms. I informed him multiple times to place his hands behind his back, but he refused." After the deputy wrangled Burton "to the ground" during the arrest, adding a charge of resisting an officer without violence, Burton was taken to Orange County Jail and later placed in federal custody, the Daily Beast reported. According to federal documents, Burton, who was serving probation for a separate charge, was visiting Disney World under a fake name and refused to identify himself by his legal name. "At the time he was arrested in Disney World, he was present in the park under a false name. Even after fingerprints confirmed his identity, he persisted in telling law enforcement that he was not Quashon Burton," a US attorney wrote in court documents seen by Insider, calling Burton an "extreme" flight risk. A Southern District of New York judge ruled on Thursday that Burton should not be granted bail ahead of his trial, citing prior failures to appear in court, according to court documents. Read the original article on Insider Hundreds of people who say they were sexually abused by Rochester-area priests in New York have agreed to a $55-million financial settlement with the Diocese of Rochester. This was a long and difficult fight, but the terms of this new proposal are a validation of the hundreds of child abuse claims that this Diocese and its parishes are facing," said attorney James Marsh. The settlement still needs to be approved by the bankruptcy court and voted on by the approximately 475 survivors in the case. That process is expected to take about six months. The settlement will create a trust for roughly 475 people who filed claims against the Diocese as part of its bankruptcy case. The Diocese, parishes and related entities will pay $55 million to the trust, along with the rights to the Diocese's insurance policies. Many of the survivors will be able to pursue their claims in court in order to recover proceeds from those policies. The amount of money to be paid by those insurance companies has been the subject of intense and at times heated negotiations. The Diocese of Rochester includes 12 counties, stretching from Rochester through the Finger Lakes and into portions of the Southern Tier. A committee representing all of the Diocese's creditors, mostly abuse survivors, negotiated the settlement with the Diocese. The settlement is the result of the Committees hard work and tenacity, said Jim Cali, an abuse survivor and Chairman of the Creditors Committee. The courage and faith of Rochesters survivors empowered the Committee to stand up and negotiate a settlement on our terms." Survivors say they are happy to reach an agreement with the Diocese, but know their journey toward justice is not over. The bankruptcy case has lasted a long time, and the Dioceses insurers still have not stepped up to provide an adequate recovery for survivors," Cali said. "This settlement will allow survivors to take control of the process and pursue financial recoveries from the insurers that are acceptable to us. Story continues The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 12, 2019. The Diocese held a press conference talking about why they did that. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano read from a prepared statement before answering questions with Lisa Passero CFO for the diocese, and Stephen Donato, with the law firm, Bond, Schoeneck, and King that is representing the diocese in the bankruptcy, beside him. TOP STORY: A year after Travis Scott's Astroworld disaster left 10 dead, are crowded concerts any safer? Calis attorney, Leander James, who has helped broker bankruptcy settlements nationwide on behalf of abuse survivors said todays court filing was a long time coming, with many abuse victims waiting decades to be heard and see some measure of justice. "This is a historic day with a historic deal, said Jeffrey Anderson, whose law firm represents 175 of the claimants against the Rochester diocese. He said the agreement also calls for non-monetary commitments from the Diocese, such as child protection measures and disclosure of secret documents. Lawyers for the victims had harsh words for the Diocese's insurance companies, who they say have sought to avoid their financial obligations in this case. The survivors in the Diocese of Rochester are blazing a trail by first exposing perpetrators of child sexual abuse and now exposing an insurance industry that refuses to honor its obligations. said attorney Steve Boyd. Bishop says settlement represents fairest approach for survivors In a letter to parishioners Thursday, Bishop Matano renewed his apology to the survivors of sexual abuse. "The history of sexual abuse of children in our Church has caused tremendous pain, hardship, alienation, and understandable anger. It seriously has impacted survivors, their families, our priests and others in diocesan ministries who had no part in these egregious acts," Matano said. "This chapter in the life of our Church has also impacted everyone who has felt their own faith shaken by those who violated a sacred trust to protect the vulnerable and live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ." Matano said that he had hoped at the outset that individual parishes would not be affected by the bankruptcy process, but that things had changed during the three-year process. Litigation costs and settlements or jury awards would have far exceeded the resources which the Diocese and parishes have or could obtain to settle or litigate these claim, Matano said. Rochester diocese:Proposes $148M settlement to abuse survivors as some cases head to court TOP STORY: Details emerge in Paul Pelosi attack: A break-in, conversation, 911 call, then violence We believe that this [agreement] represents the fairest approach for the survivors and most viable path forward for the Diocese and its related Catholic entities to continue our shared mission of healing and reconciliation. Bishop Matano submitted his resignation to Pope Francis in September 2021. Canon law requires Bishops to do this when they reach 75 years of age. In a letter to parishioners announcing the milestone, Matano said he hoped to continue serving until the bankruptcy process had concluded, "thereby relieving my successor of this painful situation." Rochester diocese bankruptcy:Judge threatens 'unfavorable outcome' if sides can't agree Rochester diocese bankruptcy case: 500 sexual abuse claims are on the table It was not immediately clear how the announcement of the settlement might affect Matano's tenure in Rochester. The Diocese of Rochester filed for bankruptcy protection in September 2019, a move that was prompted by the swell of legal claims brought by survivors of child sex abuse. The diocese's purpose in filing Chapter 11 was to pull together funds to pay abuse claimants while the diocese retained enough assets to continue operations. In May, the Diocese asked a federal bankruptcy judge to approve an agreement with its insurance carriers to provide $107.25 million to settle all claims. Abuse survivors blasted the proposal, saying the figure was far too low. The proposed settlement would allow the Diocese to emerge from bankruptcy, a process that began more than three years ago. And it will allow abuse survivors to press their claims against those insurers in court. In exchange for the settlement payment, the Diocese will receive a discharge in bankruptcy, and its parishes and affiliates will be released of their liabilities for the sexual abuse claims. Individuals accused of abuse and non-Diocesan organizations, such as religious orders, are not included in the settlement. Rochester was the 20th American Catholic diocese to follow this path, all of them driven there largely by litigation over sexual abuse. Seven other dioceses have filed for Chapter 11 protection since Rochester, including the dioceses in Buffalo, Syracuse and Rockville Centre, Long Island. Contact reporter Sean Lahman at slahman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @seanlahman. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York's Rochester diocese to pay $55M in Catholic sex abuse claims BEDFORD A Big Island man charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a Bedford County mans death following a vehicle crash was granted a $25,000 secured bond Friday. Robert Kevin Lewis, 52, also is charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving while intoxicated and driving without a license. During a hearing Friday in Bedford Circuit Court, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Lawrence Steele said on Dec. 28, Lewis drove the vehicle on U.S. 501 in Big Island when it ran off the road near the Blue Ridge Parkway and collided with an embankment. Emergency medical services and law enforcement personnel arrived on scene and observed a strong odor of alcohol on Lewis and his speech was slurred, Steele said. He was also very unsteady on his feet, Steele said. The passenger, Jewel Phillip Spinner, 82, was hospitalized and died several weeks later, Steele said. A medical examiners report showed Spinner died of severe blunt force trauma to the head from the crash. A blood draw performed after the wreck and analyzed showed Lewis had a blood alcohol level of .19, over twice the legal limit, Steele said. Michael Lonchar, Lewis attorney, said the defendant is unemployed because of disability from recent cardiac issues. Lewis turned himself in on the charges, has a criminal record but no previous history of missing court appearances and is no longer on supervised probation from a pair of drug distribution convictions in 2017, Lonchar said. The incident marked Lewis first driving under the influence charge, Lonchar said, arguing the defendant should not be considered a flight risk while awaiting further court proceedings. I dont believe he is a danger to the community, Lonchar told Judge James Updike Jr. Steele said Lewis admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the crash. The real tragedy is what happened to Mr. Spinner, Steele said. Steele opposed releasing Lewis on bond and argued the commonwealth believes Lewis poses a threat to the community. At the end of the day, judge, he is a danger, Steele said. Updike ruled conditions of bond include no use of alcohol and not operating a motor vehicle. A plea hearing is scheduled for 1:30 Jan. 27 in Bedford Circuit Court, according to online court records. The University of Lynchburg received a grant from the National Science Foundation that will send a group of students to Costa Rica to study water quality. Thomas Shahady, professor of environmental science and director of the Center for Water Quality at the University of Lynchburg, said he couldnt believe it when he first received the news. Oh my God, I just couldnt. I went nuts; I went crazy, Shahady said. The grant is for $299,259, or nearly $100,000 each summer. Each summer, six students will travel to Costa Rica, divided into teams of three. All of the students will participate at no cost and receive a stipend of $6,000 each. Its a 10-week program for the cohort. In the first week, Shahady will take the students out to the streams in the local area and teach them the process of measuring water quality locally. Then, they will spend the next eight weeks in Costa Rica and return the final week to debrief. There will be two graduate students, two undergraduate students and two students from the Legacy Education Center a Lynchburg city-based post-secondary program that provides educational and work-study opportunities for underserved students. The goal, according to Shahady, is for the graduate students to be the group leaders and bring the other students up to speed. Randy Dunton, executive director of the Legacy Education Center, said the center is excited for what its going to mean for the development of students who will participate from there. Dunton said the LEC program has a wide range of students who are underserved, so for them to be able to travel is something they probably have not experienced before. The experience alone of traveling, learning a new culture different from yours, is going to be transformational in a lot of ways for students mindset, Dunton said. The cohort will have the opportunity to work with Costa Rica-based scientists and observe their process of studying water quality. The research will also support Shahadys project, exploring surface water contamination links to disease risk in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has one of the highest rates of stomach cancers and stomach ulcers in the world, according to Shahady, which he links to water contamination. The director of the Center for Water Quality said Costa Rica has a different water system than America. For example, in a house in Costa Rica, showers, dishwashers and any water source thats not the toilet runs into the community. Although its just a hypothesis, Shahady thinks it has something to do with possible contamination of drinking water mixing with other sources of water in the community, as well as Helicobacter pylori a bacteria that infects the stomach being transmitted through contaminated water. The student researchers will take a look into this idea by collecting samples by collecting water and insect samples. Shahady said he would like to see the students think of innovative ways to address the problem of water quality in the communities there. He hopes the students can get a good understanding of both the issues surrounding the communities in Costa Rica involving water quality, learning how to work within a community and be somewhat of a problem solver. I hope they feel some sense of satisfaction that they were able to contribute to some solutions for the community, Shahady said. Dunton also hopes the students from the LEC program take an appreciation for the opportunities that they have in life. We all need a dose of humility that comes our way where we understand, hey, theres other people that have a lot of needs and that are less fortunate than we are, and theyre going to see this firsthand, Dunton said. FRANKFURT, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz paid an official visit to China on Friday, becoming the first European leader that has visited China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He was accompanied by executives of 12 leading German companies that have strong presence in China and yearn for tighter links with China, a strategically important market for them. It is Scholz's first visit to China as the Federal Chancellor. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. German business leaders have voiced their hopes that leaders of the two countries will have in-depth communications on such issues as bilateral relationship and economic and trade cooperation so as to usher in a new stage of tighter bonds. The visit has great symbolic significance, which shows that the German chancellor places great importance on bilateral relations, said Eberhard J. Trempel, director general of German Global Trade forum in Berlin. Trempel observed that mutual respect has been the hallmark of bilateral ties which will develop well in spite of global challenges. Both Germany and China, he said, have a responsibility to "do everything we can on each side to prevent the world from being divided." The last 50 years has seen rapid and steady growth of bilateral ties. Germany has been one of the first Western countries to set up joint ventures and initiate cooperations with Chinese partners in the field of science and technology since the People's Republic of China was founded. Over decades of development, daily two-way trade is 2.4 times that of the time when their diplomatic ties was established. Germany has become the most important trading partner of China in Europe, and China the biggest trading partner of Germany for six consecutive years. Leading German companies in China have shown their confidence in the Chinese market by expanding their investment there. German firm BASF, the biggest foreign chemical investor in China, has recently reaffirmed its construction of the integrated Verbund site for 10 billion U.S. dollars in Zhanjiang, a coastal city in south China's Guangzhou Province. BASF's decision came at a time when globalization is suffering setbacks across the world. The German chemical giant counts on continued growth in China, according to BASF CEO Martin Brudermueller. For some German automakers like BMW, China has become their biggest single market. BMW has been increasing its investment in China, banking on its faith in the Chinese market in the future. China will continue to be the world's largest new energy vehicle market for years to come, said Nicolas Peter, chief financial officer and member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua. BMW has expanded its electric product portfolio, offering five BEV models to Chinese customers. By 2023, this number should increase to 13, said Peter. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Germany have been stood in solidarity and reached out to each other, following an unusual path of common development, said Wu Ken, Chinese ambassador to Germany in an interview with Xinhua. As long as the two sides can stick to the principle of dialogue and cooperation, deepen mutual understanding, properly manage their differences, expand mutual benefits on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, China-Germany cooperation will remain strong as it ever was, Wu said. Weather Alert ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of northeast Nebraska. * WHEN...Until 6 PM CST this evening. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && Dubai-based Emirates Airline suspended flights to and from Nigeria from October 29 over blocked funds, the airlines spokesperson has confirmed, Zawya reports. Emirates has continued to actively seek a solution for the repatriation of the remainder of its blocked funds in Nigeria. We were encouraged by the Central Bank of Nigerias efforts of reviewing our request, and considered that this critical issue would be swiftly resolved with the subsequent clearance of our remaining funds, the spokesperson told Khaleej Times in a statement. However, Emirates has yet to receive an allocation of our blocked funds to be repatriated. Without the timely repatriation of the funds and a mechanism in place to ensure that future repatriation of Emirates funds do not accumulate in any way, the backlog will continue to grow, and we simply cannot meet our operational costs nor maintain the commercial viability of our operations in Nigeria. The carrier and the West African country have been in tug of war over Abujas refusal to let the airline repatriate proceedings estimated at multiple millions of dollars. We have made our proposed approach clear to alleviate this untenable situation, including a plan for the progressive release of our funds. This included the repatriation and receipt of at least 80 per cent of our remaining blocked funds by the end of October 2022, in addition to providing a guaranteed mechanism to avoid future repatriation accumulation challenges and delays. The flights were suspended under these extraordinary circumstances to mitigate against further losses. We hope to reach a mutual resolution with the Nigerian government around the repatriation of blocked funds to enable the resumption of operations and connectivity for travelers and businesses, the Emirates spokesperson added. Mali announced Wednesday Russia is set to send 60,000 tons of oil, 25,000 tons of wheat and 35,000 tons of fertilizers worth $100 million through the port of Conakry. Following our exchanges, a first shipment of goods should arrive in Bamako in a few weeks. These include 60,000 tons of petroleum products, 35,000 tons of fertilizer and 25,000 tons of wheat, Alousseni Sanou. Malis Minister of Economy and Finance said Wednesday to state-run television. Sanou also indicated that shipments, the first, will trace all other difficulties related to trade operations between Mali and Russia. We have to check if all the conditions are indeed met for much larger shipments and we believe that the first orders should reach a maximum amount of $100 million, he added. The Malian official led on October 27 a delegation to Moscow to conduct negotiations in several economic sectors. Russia and Mali have boosted their ties in many areas including security and defense under the leadership of President of Transition Assimi Goita who came to power last year following a coup. Geneva-based non-governmental organization, Alkarama, has addressed a correspondence to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, requesting its intervention with the Algerian authorities regarding the young activist Abdelhamid Bouziza, who forcibly disappeared since October 19. Abdelhamid Bouziza, 25 is a peaceful movement activist and social media blogger who had expressed concern about issues related to political detainees in Algeria and defended them through social media, the NGO said in a statement. The case dates back to 19 October when members of the Brigade of Research and Investigation and the National Gendarmerie stormed the house of the young activist in the Saf Saf neighborhood in Tlemcen (Northwest), arrested him and then took him to an unknown destination, Alkarama added. According to his family, his brother went to look for him at the State Security Center in Tlemcen, but was informed that his brother was transferred to the capital the following day, October 20, 2022. The lawyers, who went to inquire about him at the court of Tlemcen and in the courts of the capital, found no trace or file concerning him, said the NGO, noting that to date, there is no information on the fate of Abdelhamid Bouziza and his place of detention. His family has received no news from him, Alkarama said, recalling the seriousness of the phenomenon of enforced disappearances which constitute, according to international law, a crime against humanity. Alkarama also expressed its deep concern about the repetition by the countrys current political system of the experience of enforced disappearances in the 1990s, which resulted in the enforced disappearance of ten to twenty thousand victims. It noted that the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances has received more than three thousand cases of disappearance, and that for ten years, the Working Group has been calling on the Algerian government to allow visits to the country. However, the NGO said, despite numerous approvals, no visits have taken place so far, demonstrating the lack of cooperation of the current regime with international mechanisms. Also, Alkarama reported lately that the UN mechanisms have concluded that the Algerian state is responsible for the forced disappearance of Boubekeur Fergani, calling for a transparent investigation to shed light on his disappearance. During its 135th session, which took place in Geneva from 27 June to 27 July 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Committee concluded that the Algerian state was responsible for the enforced disappearance of Boubekeur Fergani in the 1990s, said the NGO in a statement. The victim is among the thousands of Algerians abducted between 1992-1998 by the police and military in Algeria and whose families have remained without news to this day. Despite the many recommendations made by the Committee regarding these disappearances, the authorities still refuse to shed light on the circumstances of these crimes and to bring their perpetrators to justice, taking advantage of the provisions of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which establishes widespread impunity for the benefit of their perpetrators, the NGO deplores. In its decision rendered during the 135th session, the Committee recalled that the State cannot invoke the Charter for Reconciliation, which is considered incompatible with the provisions of the Covenant since it establishes widespread impunity for members of the police and the army, perpetrators of serious crimes. The UN body urged the Algerian authorities to conduct a prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the disappearance of Boubekeur Fergani, calling for his release if he is still being held incommunicado, to return his remains to his family in the event of his death and to prosecute those responsible for the violations committed, while providing the family with adequate compensation, AlKarama said. President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum has sent a message to King Mohammed VI. The message was carried by Nigers Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies, Ibrahim Yacoubou, who held a meeting in Rabat Friday with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. I am carrying a message from the President of the Republic of Niger to the Very High attention of HM King Mohamed VI, may God assist him, said Yacoubou in a statement to the press after his talks with Bourita. Yacoubou welcomed, on this occasion, the excellent and historic relations between the two countries and which have gradually diversified in several areas. He also reiterated President Bazoums resolve to make every effort to deepen and consolidate bilateral relations. A solemn appeal was launched Friday from Tangier by sixteen former African Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers demanding the expulsion of the pseudo-SADR from the African Union (AU). The Tangier Appeal, issued at the end of a round-table held as part of the MEDays Forum, organized by Amadeus Institute November 2-5, stresses the need to correct the historical anomaly, legal aberration and political misunderstanding that is the illegal and illegitimate admission, and then the unjustified maintenance within the continental organization of the pseudo-SADR and its negative operational impact. The former African officials who signed the document believe that the accession of the puppet entity to the AU is in violation of Articles 3(b) and 4(b) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, noting that the so-called Sahrawi Republic is an artificial entity imposed on the sole Organization of African Unity/African Union, against all legitimacy and legality. According to the document, this artificial entity does not fulfil any of the constituent elements of a state, namely a territory, a population and an effective government, nor does it enjoy sovereignty, independence, or international legal responsibility. This puppet entity is without added value for the continent, the appeal signatories note, stressing that on the contrary it hinders the effectiveness of the AU and threatens African unity and political and economic integration of the continent, while threatening regional stability and security. The signatories of the document ask the Amadeus Institute and its African think tanks partners to produce a White Paper gathering their analyses and recommendations, made at this round-table as well as by conferences and meetings held previously in several countries of the continent. The signatories also established a Contact Group entrusted with presenting the Tangier Appeal, and the planned White Paper to the African Heads of State and decision-makers of the African Union. The Contact Group vowed to remain mobilized for the realization of this objective that is necessary for the credibility of the AU, and consequently for the future of the continent. According to its initiators, the Tangier Appeal is inspired by the ideals of the Founding Fathers of Pan-Africanism, mainly promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and effective economic cooperation among the independent and sovereign states of Africa. The Appeal is also meant to commemorate the historic work of the Casablanca Group, its Pan-Africanist ideals and the memory of its illustrious host, the late King Mohammed V. Similarly, the Tangier Appeal warmly welcomes the solemn return, in January 2017, of the Kingdom of Morocco, a founding member state of the Organization of African Unity, to the African Union and the sustained efforts, commendable initiatives and sincere contributions that the Kingdom has not ceased to make, since then, to fulfil the objectives and actions of the continental organization. The Contact Group of the Tangier Appeal is composed of the former Prime Ministers of Djibouti, Dileita Mohamed Dileita, and of the Central African Republic, Martin Ziguele; and by the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Eswatini, Lutfo Dlamini, Liberia, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Gabon, Regis Immongault Tatangani, Malawi, Francis Kasaila, Senegal, Mankeur Ndiaye, Guinea, Mamadi Toure, and Kenya, Rafael Tuju. The Tangier Appeal is also supported by several other personalities, including the former Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Augusto Antonio Artur da Silva; and the former Foreign Ministers of Somalia, Mohamed Abdirizak Mohamud; of Burkina Faso, Alpha Barry; of Benin, Jean-Marie Ehouzou; of the Comoros, Fahmi Said Ibrahim El Maceli; of Cape Verde, Luis Felipe Lopes Tavares; and of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Leonard She Okitundu Lundula. The 14th edition of MEDays, an international forum organized by the Amadeus Institute in Tangier November 2 to 5, has called on Algeria to join the roundtables process as recommended by resolution 2654 of the UN Security Council with a view to ending the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara. This urgent appeal to the Algerian regime to comply with the UN Security Council resolution was launched during the panel Moroccan Sahara: search for a dynamic in which many Moroccan and foreign politicians and experts took part. After a two hour-debate, the participants came to the conclusion that dialogue and the autonomy plan for the Sahara, under the sovereignty of Morocco, proposed in 2007, are the one and only way to settle this half-century-old conflict. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gambia, Mamadou Tangarra; special adviser and chief economist to the Prime Minister of Senegal Moubarack Lo; international expert Amine Laghidi; and President of the Institute for Prospective and Security in Europe (IPSE) Emmanuel Dupuy were among the participants in the debate, along with president and founder of the Association of Israel-Morocco friendship Simon Haim Skira; and French MP of Moroccan origin, Rachida Kaaout who is also president of the High Commission for African Diasporas in France. Gambias top diplomat pointed out that his country was the first to open a consulate general in Dakhla, in the Saharan provinces. We have supported the territorial integrity of Morocco since the creation of The Gambia, reiterated Mamadou Tangarra. Expert Amine Laghidi focused his presentation on the tremendous economic and social development of the Sahara provinces, pointing out that thanks to these development efforts, Morocco has raised its Saharan provinces to the level of the most developed regions of Morocco and Africa. An ambitious development plan (including the construction of roads, ports, industrial zones) has been carried out thanks to investments estimated at eight billion dollars, underlined the political scientist. He also mentioned UN Security Council resolution 2654 which recognizes the seriousness, credibility and pre-eminence of the autonomy plan. Algeria must respect this resolution by returning to the roundtables of dialogue, insisted Amine Laghidi. Moubarack Lo, special adviser to the Senegalese Prime Minister, on his part considered that the autonomy initiative is the best plan likely to settle the artificially maintained conflict. This plan is in line with the principles of the UN. This initiative provides, under Moroccan sovereignty, the Southern Provinces with a local government, a Parliament and regional courts, he recalled. Simon Haim Skira, president of the Israel-Morocco Friendship Association, expressed his organizations commitment to plead for the Moroccanness of the Sahara everywhere in the world, including in Israel. Last week I introduced you to Chuck Scripter, a dedicated volunteer who serves in so many places in this community. I am not sure how Chuck keeps track of himself. He volunteers for Salvation Army, hospice, Meals on Wheels, Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few! Whew! I wonder if he passes himself coming and going? After the column appeared last Saturday, several people commented that they were pleased and surprised that Chuck took the time to sit down and chat with me. They were also pleased that he was acknowledged for all the good he does. What keeps this man so busy? People people who can use a little help. The disasters in the U.S. have been many this year, and Chuck is more than willing to help those affected by the hurricane, fires and floods. And when he comes home, he cares for veterans through hospice, and for those incarcerated in Lincoln County Detention Center. He has a passion for Habitat for Humanity, helping to build 60 houses. He was a big part of getting the nonprofit started. Chuck has spent hundreds of hours traveling and serving with the Red Cross across the country. Red Cross prepares their volunteers in every aspect of their volunteer work. When he was in Florida and Kentucky, he helped provide food after the hurricane and floods, and in California he worked at the shelters after the fires. Two years ago he traveled to Florida with the Red Cross to come alongside those who were traumatized by the apartment-building collapse. He and many others offered spiritual support and counsel to those who lost their home and their friends and family members the day the building fell. Chuck is like a whirling dervish. He never stops moving and never stops making a difference in the lives of others. He is 86 years young and I mean young! A favorite story of Chuck was shared with me by Jeanie. She was at the doctors office and walked into the waiting room, and Chuck was doing pushups on the floor! Only Chuck! So why is volunteering important? To volunteer means to help with no reward expected. That is a pretty straightforward definition Its giving back where you live. Volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. This world cannot operate without volunteers. It is simply impossible. Volunteering is multifaceted. Like a diamond! And it has its benefits. It makes you a better person. You learn to look at things from a very different perspective. You question things you never really thought about before. You get pushed out of your comfort zone. You walk in someone elses shoes. Volunteers volunteer because they want to make a change. They want to make a difference in their community and the world. They want to leave a legacy of goodness for others and add meaning to who they are. A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see. Who can feel what most do not feel. People who give so freely dont think of themselves as volunteers. They think of themselves as residents of this world. And caring for this world as a resident is their responsibility. HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, November 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If you are looking for a top Java development company, you have come to the right place. Here we discuss the best Java development companies in the world. These companies are experts in Java software development and can help your business achieve its goals. Software Outsourcing has been assisting numerous businesses and developing startups throughout the world by supplying low-cost, high-quality software outsourcing companies all over the world. There are many Java development companies around the world, but not all of them are created equal. When you are looking for a Java software development company to work with, it is important to do your research and find one that meets your specific needs. In this blog post, we will discuss the top 5 Java development companies in the world and what makes them stand out from the rest. If you are looking for a top-notch Java software development company, then you should consider hiring one of these five firms: 1. Saigon Technology Saigon Technology is one of the leading Java development companies with 10 years of experience. The company has a team of highly skilled and experienced Java developers who can help you with all your Java development needs. With a team of over 350 Java developers and IT experts, the company has the capacity to handle both small and complex software development projects. Saigon Technology offers a wide range of services, including web application development, software outsourcing, offshore software development, mobile application development, and software consulting. The company has a proven track record of delivering high-quality Java development projects on time and within budget. Saigon Technology has made a name in offering excellent software outsourcing and offshore software development services with ISO27001. With a collaborative approach and mature process, the company is able to deliver custom IT solutions that meet the needs of its clients. Story continues The company has repeated customers from different countries across the world, including North America, Europe, Australia, and Singapore. Some of their popular clients include Abbott, Payroll Serve, Stone Forest, Kaercher, Standard Chartered Bank, DMI Inc., and RSM Singapore. 2. TechTIQ Solutions TechTIQ Solutions is a Java software development company that has been in business for 5 years. The company offers a wide range of services, including Custom software development, digital transformation, web design & development, IT staffing, enterprise software development, and app development services. TechTIQ Solutions has a team of highly skilled and experienced Java developers who can help you with all your Java development needs. With a team of highly skilled IT experts, the company provides custom solutions that meet your business goals. These include web and applications that work on different platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows. Therefore, TechTIQ Solutions is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a top Java development company. The company has over 100 trusted clients across the world and in various industries. Their list of successful projects includes IT solutions for both small and large enterprises. Some of their clients include Standard & Chartered, Topicus, Abbott, K'A'RCHER, and Idealpos. TechTIQ Solutions is based in Singapore but has branches in Australia, India, and other Asian countries. 3. STS Software GMBH STS Software GMBH is among the most popular Java development companies with years of experience. The company has a team of over 350 IT experts who are skilled in Java software development. STS Software GMBH has worked with some of the world's largest companies, such as IBM, SAP, and Oracle. The company offers a wide range of Java development services, such as enterprise application development, web application development, and mobile application development. STS Software GMBH also offers consulting services to help businesses find the right solution for their needs. Based in Switzerland, the company has a proven record of delivering quality and successful software solutions. With a team of talented local and international experts and a mature process, STS Software has several successful projects. The firm has clients from all the major global powers, including the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. If you are looking for a top Java development company, STS Software GMBH should be at the top of your list. 4. ODS Group ODS Group is based in Sydney, Australia, but has branches in other regions across the world, including Europe, North America, and Asia. With over 10 years in the industry, the company has established extensive knowledge and a solid reputation for delivering IT solutions in various fields. ODS Group is highly committed to delivering efficient IT solutions that keep up to date with the latest trends in software development, including Java development. Thus, the tech giant has the capacity to deliver solutions that meet your business needs and can catapult your enterprise to the next level. The company has a team of experienced and certified Java developers who are experts in the latest technology trends. ODS Group has completed over 200 projects for clients around the world. Therefore, ODS Group is an ideal partner for your business if you are looking for a top-notch Java development company. 5. DMI Inc. DMI is a global leader in digital transformation. The company specializes in helping companies harness the power of technology to create new experiences and drive growth. With 20 years of experience, they have worked with some of the world's largest brands to help them digitally transform their businesses. Their team of Java experts has helped clients such as Ford, Samsung, and Coca-Cola create innovative applications that drive growth and improve customer experience. If you are looking for a top Java development company to help you digitally transform your business, DMI is the perfect partner. Final Thoughts In conclusion, the Java development companies listed in this blog post are the best of the best when it comes to Java development. If you are looking for a top-notch Java software development company, look no further than one of these businesses. You will be sure to receive the highest quality software development services available. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221102006249/en/ Contacts Bruce Pham Chief Editorial Software Outsourcing Magazine Mobile and WhapsApp: (+84) 913 666 227 Email: bruce@softwareoutsourcing.com Bulgaria has been the hardest hit, while Switzerland and Norway have been able to weather the storm. Europe has a tough winter ahead. Without Russian natural gas, the bloc has a shortage of energy. This has ratcheted up heating bills, and as weve already seen, its households bearing the brunt of the costs. In the UK alone, one in three households are expected to be pushed into energy poverty this winter. However, as Statista's Anna Fleck details below, even before the energy crisis began, having a sufficiently heated home was not a given for everyone. In the European Union, nearly seven percent of the population was not able to heat their home properly in 2021. As Statista's graph, based on Eurostat data, shows, the country most affected by fuel poverty was Bulgaria, where nearly one in four people (23.7 percent) were affected last year, followed by Lithuania (22.5 percent) and Cyprus (19.4 percent). You will find more infographics at Statista The lowest rates were recorded in Switzerland (0.2 percent) and Norway (0.8 percent). By contrast, countries in southern Europe showed a higher share of people unable to heat their homes properly in 2021. The European average was 6.9 percent. When data for 2022 comes out, we can expect these figures to be worse. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that distillate inventories were at their lowest levels since 2008. (The primary distillates are diesel, jet fuel ,and heating oil). However, in 2008 distillate levels were low coming out of spring. Currently, they are low going into fall. Thats far worse than the situation in 2008. Distillate demand generally spikes in spring when farmers are planting crops and in fall, when they are harvesting those crops and people start buying fuel oil for winter. Thus, a low distillate inventory in late April 2008 isnt quite as serious as a low inventory in October 2022. In fact, distillate inventories havent been this low in October since the EIA began reporting this data in 1982. These low distillate inventories are why diesel prices are above $5.00 a gallon nationwide, even though the nationwide average price for gasoline has dropped below $4.00 a gallon. Why is there a diesel shortage this year? There are four factors, but two of those factors are in play every year. As mentioned above, distillate demand spikes at this time of year. But, it does that every year. This is also the time of year that refineries are doing maintenance. They tend to do that in the spring and fall, which is when demand is lower and the weather is decent. So, refinery capacity drops at this time of year. Third, U.S. refinery capacity has fallen in the past few years as several unprofitable refineries were closed. So, thats a new factor that has appeared in the past couple of years. Related: Maersk Reports Record Profits But Warns Of Challenges Ahead But the primary reason is the cutoff of Russian imports. Prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. was importing nearly 700,000 barrels per day (BPD) of petroleum and petroleum products. Most of those imports were finished products and refinery inputs that boosted distillate supplies in the U.S. The loss of those Russian imports have caused problems for refineries as they struggle to fill holes in their product slates. Refineries do have a small amount of flexibility in shifting gasoline production to diesel production. But its a relatively small amount (e.g., ~5% in a refinery I once worked in). That also means that if refiners do shift production, that also potentially creates shortages in the gasoline market. Some relief is on the way, as some diesel imports are on the way from Europe to the East Coast. But, the distillate market wont likely return to normal before next summer at the earliest. By Robert Rapier More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Czech Republic is the latest country to levy windfall taxes on energy companies to scrape together funds to continue subsidizing high energy costs, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Czech lawmakers approved Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjuras proposal for a 60% windfall tax on the countrys main energy companies. The windfall tax, which government leaders have referred to as a surcharge is set to span the next three years, and looks to strip oil and gas from a healthy portion of its extraordinary profits thanks to recent hikes in oil and gas prices. Stanjura protested that he took no joy in levying the windfall taxjust the latest in a series of similar taxes assessed in other countries. If circumstances allow, I will be the first to propose abolishing it, the Finance Minister said on Friday. Those circumstances would likely be oil and gas pricesand oil and gas company profitscoming down. For the oil companies, it is a lose-lose scenario. If oil and gas prices fall, the tax may be relaxed or even removedbut their profits will fall in lockstep with price movements. If oil and gas prices stay high, the government will strip 60% of its profits from it. Unipetrol, The Czech unit of Polish refinery PKN, said the new tax would be painful, dampening investor appetite and drying up funds it needs for upgrades. Energy utility Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding, or EPH, told media on Friday that it will move its commodities trading business to another country to skirt the new tax. The tax should send an extra $3.5 billion into government coffers next year, according to Finance Ministry calculations provided by Bloomberg, which will be used to soften the blow of the cost of living crisis by subsidizing electricity and natural gas bills. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After the collapse of so many property and construction companies, bankruptcy among private-sector manufacturers is not a trend Chinese authorities want to see perpetuated. While the domestic market is softening, having the groups mill shut down would leave a sizable hole in the domestic aluminum supply. Via AG Metal Miner Recent aluminum supply news remains inundated with the Zhongwang Holdings controversy. Many remember the case from 2019 when US prosecutors accused six southern California companies of evading aluminum import duties. The organizations had ties to Zhongwang Holdings owner Liu Zhongtian and the skipped duties came to $1.8 billion total. The prosecutors claimed that between 2011 and 2014, the companies sold 2.2 million aluminum pallets to a US entity controlled by Liu. They then utilized melting facilities to turn the pallets back into commercial products. Finally, they made sales to shell companies to inflate the companys financial position. The Financial Times reported extensively on this ordeal. The case brought notoriety to both Liu and his aluminum company, thrusting the firm into the public eye in the West. A Tale of Poor Decisions Fast forward to three years later and Zhongwang holdings have declared bankruptcy. Though this is hardly surprising for such a shifty operation, it reared consequences upon the global aluminum supply. For anyone familiar with the 2019 shenanigans, the move outlines how some of Chinas private sector corporations operate. A company with a market cap of $3.8 billion having its 252 subsidiaries and affiliates officially declared bankrupt by a court in Shenyang? Its quite the decision. On top of that, the company boasts eye-watering debts of up to $64 billion. Its like the economic equivalent of the wild west. Indeed, Liu grew Zhongwang via debt-fueled acquisitions. He then diversified into all manner of initially domestic, but later overseas, enterprises using only the loosest logic. For instance, the purchase of a luxury Australian yacht maker likely netted the group nothing. Meanwhile, the acquisition of a high-quality German aluminum tube extruder, Aluminumwerk Unna, made more sense. At the very least, it provided the advantage of nominal vertical integration. However, Chinas export tax on billets meant Zhongwang could never profitably supply its acquisition with raw materials. As a result, Una was always going to be a stand-alone subsidiary. That may prove a saving grace as administrators try to divest businesses to meet creditors demands for compensation. Still, for the time being, many parts of the group are limping on, often with local state support. That said, Beijing is very unlikely to step in and save the business. Through interviews with local traders, MetalMiner learned that parts of the group would likely suffer takeovers. In most cases, this will come from state enterprises with deep, state-financed pockets and a vested interest in maintaining market stability. Aluminum Supply Could Suffer Regardless Zhongwang remains, at least in capacity terms, Asias largest manufacturer of aluminum extrusions. And while the domestic market is softening, having the groups mill shut down would leave a sizable hole in the domestic aluminum supply. Still, some intriguing questions remain. For instance, who will emerge among state enterprises to take over those plants deemed viable? Moreover, will Zhongwangs collapse prompt any regulation change in Beijings oversight of the private sector? After the collapse of so many property and construction companies, of which Evergrande is only the tip of the iceberg, bankruptcy among private sector manufacturers is not a trend the authorities want to see perpetuated. By Stuart Burns More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) Ethiopias warring sides agreed Wednesday to a permanent cessation of hostilities in a conflict believed to have killed hundreds of thousands, but enormous challenges lie ahead, including getting all parties to lay down arms or withdraw. The war in Africa's second-most populous country, which marks two years on Friday, has seen abuses documented on both sides, with millions of people displaced and many near famine. The level of destruction is immense, said the lead negotiator for Ethiopias government, Redwan Hussein. Lead Tigray negotiator Getachew Reda expressed a similar sentiment and noted that painful concessions had been made. Exhausted Ethiopians, urged by the parties to stop voices of division and hate, watched them shake hands. A draft text of the agreement, shared with The Associated Press by a diplomat, says Tigray forces will be disarmed, starting with light weapons within 30 days of Wednesdays signing, and Ethiopian federal security forces will take full control of all federal facilities, installations, and major infrastructure such as airports and highways within the Tigray region. The final, detailed agreement was not made public, but the brief joint statement notes a detailed program of disarmament and restoration of constitutional order" in Tigray. Ethiopias government will continue restoring basic services to the Tigray region, where communications, transport and banking links for more than 5 million people have been severed since fighting began. The parties also commit to unfettered humanitarian access. The devil will be in the implementation, said former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who helped facilitate the talks. An African Union panel with representatives from both sides and Africa experts will monitor the process. It was not immediately clear when independent journalists and human rights researchers would be allowed into Tigray. Major questions remain. Neighboring Eritrea, which has fought alongside Ethiopia, was not part of the peace talks. Its not clear to what extent its deeply repressive government, which has long considered Tigray authorities a threat, will respect the agreement. The draft says the Ethiopian and Tigray sides agree to stop collusion with any external force hostile to either party." Eritreas information minister didnt reply to questions. Eritrean forces have been blamed for some of the conflicts worst abuses, including gang rapes, and witnesses have described killings and lootings by Eritrean forces even during the peace talks. On Wednesday, a humanitarian source said several women in the town of Adwa reported being raped by Eritrean soldiers, and some were badly wounded. The source, like many on the situation inside Tigray, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. Forces from Ethiopias neighboring Amhara region also have been fighting Tigray forces, but Amhara representatives also were not part of the talks. Amharas cannot be expected to abide by any outcome of a negotiations process from which they think they are excluded, said Tewodrose Tirfe, chairman of the Amhara Association of America. But observers long strained by the conflict welcomed the agreement. This is very much a welcome first step, said the United Nations secretary-general's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters she was delighted because what it means is that lives will be saved. Another critical question is how soon aid can return to Tigray. Doctors have described running out of basic medicines like vaccines, insulin and therapeutic food while people die of easily preventable diseases and starvation. U.N. human rights investigators have said the Ethiopian government was using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war. Were back to 18th-century surgery, a surgeon at the regions flagship hospital, Fasika Amdeslasie, told health experts at an online event Wednesday. Its like an open-air prison. A humanitarian source said their organization could resume operations almost immediately if unfettered aid access to Tigray is granted. It entirely depends on what the government agrees to. ... If they genuinely give us access, we can start moving very quickly, in hours, not weeks, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The conflict began in November 2020, less than a year after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with Eritrea, which borders the Tigray region. Abiys government has since declared the Tigray authorities, who ruled Ethiopia for nearly three decades before Abiy took office, a terrorist organization. The Ethiopian government will facilitate the lifting of that designation, the draft agreement says. The brutal fighting, which also spilled into the Amhara and Afar regions as Tigray forces pressed toward the capital last year, was renewed in August in Tigray after months of lull that allowed thousands of trucks of aid into the region. According to minutes of a Tigray Emergency Coordination Center meeting on Oct. 21, seen by the AP, health workers reported 101 civilians killed by drone strikes and airstrikes, and 265 injured, between Sept. 27 and Oct. 10 alone. The agreement signed today in South Africa is monumental in moving Ethiopia forward on the path of the reforms we embarked upon four and half years ago," Abiy said in a statement after the agreement. "Our commitment to peace remains steadfast. But he made clear he saw the agreement as a win for his government. In a speech hours before Wednesday's announcement, the prime minster said: We need to replicate the victory we got on the battlefield in peace efforts, too. Anna reported from Nairobi, Kenya. Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed. A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on allegations he shot a 19-year-old Omahan nine times, killing him in his home. Tayvon Erwin-Morrison, 13, is at the Douglas County Youth Center and will be charged as a juvenile in the Aug. 30 shooting death of Alon Reed, 19. The 13-year-old cannot be charged as an adult because of a 2014 state law that restricts prosecutors from trying anyone under 14 as an adult, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Friday. That will give the juvenile court jurisdiction over Erwin-Morrison until he turns 19. The 15-year-old who authorities say was the driver that August morning, Carmello Wells, will be tried as an adult on three felony charges: first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy and use of a firearm to commit a felony. He is being held without bail. Kleine called the circumstances of the shooting beyond disturbing. Its certainly very troubling when you have people of that age involved in very violent acts in fact the most violent act you can commit, Kleine said. Were alleging that this (13-year-old) was the shooter. Before 2014, whether a crime was charged in adult or juvenile court was left to the discretion of the county attorney, said Brenda Beadle, chief deputy Douglas County attorney. State law gave and still gives any teen charged as an adult the option of petitioning a judge to move their case to juvenile court. But the 2014 law specifies that anyone under 14 now must go through juvenile court. According to allegations made by prosecutors at Wells initial court appearance Friday: Wells and Erwin-Morrison reportedly were upset with Reed over a rap video Reed made after the death of another young man. The two went to Omaha North High School the morning of Aug. 30 to check to make sure that Reeds sister was in school and not at home. Video from the school shows the 13-year-old handing a gun to a 15-year-old to hold in the parking lot at North while the 13-year-old went inside the school, presumably to check for Reeds sister. After the 13-year-old leaves the school, the 15-year-old handed the gun back to the 13-year-old. The two took a stolen car to the area of 52nd Street and Sorensen Parkway. At Reeds house, a gunman burst through the door asking where Reed was, prosecutors say. Reeds mother, trying to protect her son, denied that he was at the house. The gunman started searching the split-level when Reed emerged from a bedroom. Reeds mother ran out of the house and Reed tried to escape. As Reeds mother was escaping, she heard multiple gunshots. The gunman then ran past her. Reeds mother gave chase, but the gunman disappeared into a wooded area north of Sorensen Parkway. She returned home to find her son dying inside. An autopsy revealed he had been shot nine times. Reed was a recent Burke High School graduate and had just turned 19. Officer Chris Gordon, an Omaha police spokesman, said Wells, the alleged driver, had been arrested Oct. 18 in Dallas on a separate offense. After an extradition hearing, Omaha police picked him up Wednesday and he was brought back to Omaha. Wells is set to appear in court next month for a preliminary hearing. The 13-year-old already was in the Douglas County Youth Center in a separate case, Gordon said, and he was charged after Wells arrest. Before the law was changed, an outstate Nebraska boy, Darren McCracken, was 13 when he was tried as an adult for shooting his mother, Vicky Bray, twice in the head in July 1993 as she was sleeping on a sofa. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Then last decade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could not give automatic life terms to juveniles. After being resentenced, McCracken, now 42, was paroled in 2019. Caril Ann Fugate, at age 14, was convicted of second-degree murder after accompanying Charles Starkweather on a rampage that killed 10 people in 1957-58. She was paroled in 1976 and moved to Michigan. In Omaha, Jordan Goodwin was tried as an adult in the Oct. 5, 2007, shooting death of 6-year old Alazia Alford as she sat in a car near 14th and Wirt Streets. Goodwin was 14 when he killed the girl. He was convicted, sentenced to 60 years in prison and will be eligible for release in 2037, when hes 44. On a chilly Saturday morning at Hanscom Park United Methodist Church, the brick building was bustling with activity for a food pantry and health fair event intended to provide a taste of home to immigrants and refugees. Volunteers ran back and forth with metal carts stacked to the top with food as greetings and chatter in many languages echoed throughout the corridors. Even though the doors had been open for more than two hours by 10 a.m., a steady flow of people continued to stream in. Each time we get a little more organized, said Diana Styles, a volunteer and member of the congregation. And each time more people show up. Since March, the church has held a quarterly event called the All Peoples Pantry to provide culturally appropriate foods to Omahas immigrant and refugee communities. Maxwell Morgan, a volunteer and an immigrant from South Sudan, said the pantry is integral to combating food insecurity in communities that arent fully served by traditional pantries. A lot of times when we move here, were given food from the pantries, like cheese, that we dont typically eat, he said. This is an incredible resource. When it first started, it was just a few bags of rice and beans gone within the first hour. Now it goes on for hours and we have pallets and pallets of food. Forms are available in English, Spanish, Swahili, Arabic, Burmese, French, Thai, Persian and Somali and volunteers say they have more languages to add for the next time around. Offerings at the pantry range from all types of beans to special flours like maize and cassava to vegetable oil and corn husks for tamales. The food is donated by volunteers, Nebraska Medicaid provider Healthy Blue and local nonprofit Whispering Roots. Angelica Piaz, a pantry patron, said it was her first time attending the event. She was impressed with the selection compared with other food pantries in the area. Its nice to get food that we actually eat every day, she said as a volunteer unloaded bags of food into the trunk of her car. At Saturdays event, volunteers and nursing students with Nebraska Methodist College joined to provide free flu and COVID-19 vaccines and diabetes and cholesterol screenings, as well as lead and hemoglobin screenings for children. Throughout the morning, the health room was bustling with people getting vaccinated and referred to community health providers. Kiley Petersmith, director of community engagement for Nebraska Methodist College, supervised a team of student volunteers and helped people fill out consent forms in the makeshift clinic. She said they had a lot of interest in vaccinations a fact she attributed, at least in part, to the comfortable and welcoming environment created by the church community. The future of health care, and nursing specifically, says that health care needs to be delivered where people live, work, play and pray, she said. So here we are. As Morgan loaded boxes of fresh produce onto peoples carts, he spoke about the importance of the initiative. Beyond combating the immediate issues of food insecurity and health care access, he said, there is a psychological benefit to being a part of a generous and welcoming community. Its about inclusivity, he said. With the community giving, we feel like were part of the American dream. Five firms have cleared the first hurdle to lead the search for Nebraskas next commissioner of education, a state official said Friday. Five proposals were submitted and all five met the minimum submission requirements to move forward in the process, said Nebraska State Board of Education member Patti Gubbels, who is chairing the boards ad hoc search committee. The firms are: Hazard Young Attea Associates. GR Recruiting. McPherson & Jacobson. National Association of State Boards of Education. Nebraska Association of School Boards. Committee members are slated to meet next week to narrow the list to the top three or four firms, Gubbels said. Those firms will then make a presentation to the full board at its December meeting. The board will select one to lead the search. The World-Herald requested copies of the five proposals, but a department spokesman said procurement rules prevent them from sharing those at this point in the process. Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt announced in September that he will be resigning Jan. 3 after nine years as education commissioner. Deborah Frison, one of the states two deputy commissioners, was selected by the State Board of Education to serve in place of Blomstedt, once he leaves, until the next commissioner is hired. In the request for proposals, the board reserved the right to nominate and select its own applicants for the position in addition to the applicants who are recommended by the selected firm. The ad hoc committee was formed by board President Patsy Koch Johns to lead the search and hiring process. Koch Johns and board member Jacquelyn Morrison are also on the committee. The proposals were not to exceed $49,900. In seeking proposals, the board indicated it is looking for a firm with extensive experience in conducting searches for educational entities, preferably with specific experience in recruiting state commissioners of education or chief state school officers, and leaders for larger school districts. The request stated the firms must have an understanding of pre-K-12 education, vocational rehabilitation and the commissioner search process. In addition, the request said, the firms must have a proven regional or national presence and the capability to identify and recruit individuals who may be actively or passively searching for a new position. No public comment was allowed at Fridays Nebraska State Board of Education meeting, a decision the board president said was routine and not unprecedented. But the move upset board critics who suspected politics were at play so close to Tuesdays election. Board President Patsy Koch Johns said that she made the decision not to allow comment from the audience, and that it was not any different than weve done before. Notice was posted ahead of time on the meeting agenda that comment would not be taken. People could still submit written comments. Under board policy, Koch Johns said, the board will have public comment most of the time. So last year in October and January we did not have public comment, she said. This year were not having it in November and maybe January, I dont know. The decision drew criticism from a state senator and from board critics who regularly speak during the public comment period. Audience members held up signs with messages that included Our voices matter, Cowards and Parents will have a voice on Nov. 8. Several of the sign-holders were leaders of Protect Nebraska Children Coalition. The groups political action committee endorsed four conservative candidates running for the board. Sue Greenwald, one of the coalition leaders, said the board just didnt want to hear from us. Im convinced its political, Greenwald said. I know that its within their rights to not have public comment for some of the meetings. Its just a bad look for them. Thats why we brought signs. We couldnt speak with our voices, so we spoke with our signs. Earlier in the week, State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil criticized the board for not allowing comment at the meeting. Murman, a member of the Legislatures Education Committee who has criticized the State Department of Education in the past, said the board shut down the voices of parents before an election. Board members, he said, decided to play politics instead of doing what is best for Nebraska children and working on behalf of the citizen. Koch Johns said that public comment was not shut down. We never had it scheduled, she said. Greenwald said that Fridays meeting was the shortest meeting weve ever been to and that there was ample time to let the public talk. It took us longer to get there than it did for them to have the meeting, Greenwald said, noting some drove in from Kearney for the meeting in Lincoln, which was over in less than an hour. Koch Johns said that the board has had lots of very long agendas and that she had another meeting to attend after the board meeting. Short agenda or not, Im headed to another meeting about state board stuff, she said. David Jespersen, spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Education, said that by the end of the calendar year, the board will have had public comment in 10 of the 12 months. State statute allows us not to have it every single time, he said. Jespersen noted that the board holds more meetings each year than are required under state statute. The law requires only four board meetings a year, and the board averages 11, he said. Im writing this a few days before election day, but, from where I sit, if the so-called Workers Rights Amendment fails to pass muster with voters, a campaign fueled by the Illinois Policy Institute could take a big share of the credit. The proposed constitutional amendment is backed to the hilt by organized labor. Theyve raised $16 million to support their cause. Their proposal would amend the Bill of Rights section of the states constitution to guarantee workers the rights already in state law to organize and collectively bargain and prohibit statutory interference with their negotiated contracts. The anti-union Illinois Policy Institutes Vote No on Amendment 1 committee has reported raising $3 million so far, with $2 million of that coming from billionaire Richard Uihlein and $1 million coming from Government Accountability Alliance, which has the same mailing address as the Policy Institute. But all they have to do is prevent the proposal from receiving 60 percent of the vote, or to prevent more than half of all voters who participate in the election from supporting it. By design, its easier to kill a state constitutional amendment than pass one. The Illinois Policy Institute and its political committee have been claiming for weeks and months that the proposal would increase property taxes by $2,100 per family because unions and members would have so many rights (which they already have under state statute) that local governments would be forced to raise taxes. Actually, the groups own data clearly shows there would be no projected change at all in property tax increases if the amendment is adopted. They admit their projection is based on what they claim are property tax trends over the past few years. But the group skipped over the available 2020 property tax numbers when devising their projection and instead based their entire estimates on property tax data up to 2019. Using the 2020 numbers could have lowered their projected increases because the average property tax rate statewide has fallen from 8.88 percent in 2016 to 8.39 percent in 2020. Meanwhile, the assessed valuation has risen by 14 percent, which is helping drive property tax bills. If your house is worth more, your taxes will rise regardless of a smallish rate reduction. Anyway, the Illinois Policy Institute and its Vote No committee have put lots of money online and elsewhere behind that tax messaging. The group has also added a new line of attack. Their recent blast of phone text messages reflecting their previous online advertising claimed: More than 1,100 children have died under the care of DCFS since 2010. A constitutional amendment on your ballot on Tuesday will make the crisis worse. Mandatory background checks and bans on DCFS hiring adults deemed sexually dangerous by the state could be eliminated. If you go to the Illinois Policy Institutes website, youll see their argument is based on some wild and ugly speculation. State law, the group notes, requires Department of Children and Family Services hires to undergo background checks to make sure they are not classified as sexually dangerous persons. But then IPI leaps to the bizarre conclusion that a state employee union would demand that their union contract forbid any such background checks and, if the state refuses to comply, could go out on strike to force the issue. This ridiculously grotesque assumption assumes that DCFS workers would willingly vote to strike and give up their pay and benefits, putting their families economic security in danger, in order to protect pedophiles and rapists. Long before QAnon cult followers started proclaiming that Democrats were blood-drinking pedophiles, the Illinois House Democrats would routinely label any Republican candidate who opposed state mandates on schools as someone who would allow pedophiles into the classrooms - as if local school boards would actually want that or be willing to allow such a thing. Ive repeatedly called out the House Dems for this rhetoric over the years. It relies on the assumption that the opposition is evil and monstrous. The Democrats are still using this line of attack. Theyve sent campaign mailers this fall warning voters that Republicans who oppose state school mandates would allow predators to work with children. And now the same sort of argument is being used against an issue the Democrats own party overwhelmingly supports. I dont blame the HDems for opening the historical door to this IPI line of attack, mind you. Its not without precedent. But this sort of thing has to stop, although I doubt it will until voters start punishing those who use it. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, participated in the Outreach Session of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting held from 3rd to 4th November, 2022 in Munster, Germany. The Meeting, which was hosted by Germany under its tenure as President of the G7, had in attendance, all Foreign Ministers from the G7 Group, namely; USA, Italy, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, France and the European Union. Discussions during the outreach segment of the meeting centred on current geopolitical challenges, with particular reference to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and its impact on world trade, supply chains, energy, resilience of democratic institutions in the face the emerging threats to the rule based global order among other pertinent issues of mutual interest. The Minister was invited together with her counterpart from Kenya and the Chair of the African Union (AU) to engage with the G7 Ministers on existential threats posed by the restive Sahel region and the wider security implications it presents. Also on the agenda was the security situation in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa as well as the recent peace accord brokered over the conflict between Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray Rebels and,how to practically implement the terms of the ceasefire so as to avoid a relapse to the status quo ante. The stakeholders also deliberated on efforts to tackle the climate crisis, as well as food and energy security as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and proffered suggestions on how these pertinent issues may be resolved with a concerted effort. The Minister took the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with her counterparts from Japan, the United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Canada on the margins of the meeting . During the said meetings, the Hon. Minister discussed among others, matters of mutual interest, bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the light of Ghanas tenure as Chair of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the month of November, 2022. The Minister also availed herself of the opportunity to brief her counterparts on the progress of the Accra Initiative and efforts to employ its collaborative security mechanism to prevent infiltration and a spill -over of the activities of terrorist elements from the Sahel into coastal states on the Gulf of Guinea. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Commotion ensued in the French Parliament on Thursday, November 3 after a far-right MP yelled 'Go back to Africa' when a Black legislator from the far left asked a question about immigration. The session was suspended soon afterwards on Thursday as the racist comment was followed by a huge commotion. The centrist government called it 'unacceptable.' "There is no room for racism in our democracy. The Bureau of the National Assembly will convene (on Friday) and should decide on necessary sanction," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told reporters. In a bid of 'damage control', the far right argued that MP Gregoire de Fournas' comment was aimed at the migrants stranded on an NGO boat and not the MP who asked the question. "He obviously spoke about the migrants transported in boats by the NGOs," Maine Le Pen tweeted. "The controversy created by our political opponents ... will not deceive the French," the tweet further read. Watch the video below. The French parliament was suspended on Thursday after a far-Right MP in Marine Le Pens party was accused of shouting back to Africa to a black colleague as he posed a question about migrants. Read more here https://t.co/HqgKMwYh1r pic.twitter.com/9AHdtFytIC The Telegraph (@Telegraph) November 4, 2022 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Afigya Kwabre North NPP Member of Parliament (MP), Collins Adomako-Mensah, has corroborated Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu's claim that the entire Majority Caucus is now in support of the calls for the dismissal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta. The call started with 80 NPP MPs threatening to boycott government business if he is not sacked and the Minority in Parliament subsequently backed them and filed a vote of censure against Mr. Ofori-Atta. While the vote of censure is in progress, Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, at a news conference on Thursday, November 3, 2022, revealed the NPP caucus has unanimously decided that the Presidents cousin must be removed from office. Even though the issue started with the group of 80 plus, the caucus meeting aligned with the position of that group, so it is no longer the cause of the 80 plus MPs. It is the agenda for the entire caucus and we are having some discussions on that, he said. Tackling this claim during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Hon. Collins Adomako-Boamah stated that what the Majority Leader is saying is true and disclosed that the entire caucus have all agreed and made it clear to the President that they don't want Mr. Ofori-Atta any longer. He stated emphatically that the caucus is firm on their decision and aren't prepared to backtrack. "He's right that now it's a majority decision. We are all aligned to the earlier concern that eighty (80) of the Members of Parliament raised . . . The obvious thing is that we had a meeting as a Caucus and the Caucus decided this is our position," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi. The MP asserted that the Majority Caucus share a strong belief that "a new person at the Finance Ministry will bring some new breath, new ideas". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, has cast doubts on the credibility of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to conclude Ghana's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament have petitioned the President to remove the Finance Minister and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen. They believe a new person will best lead the Finance Ministry and effectively manage the finances of the economy but President Nana Addo has appealed to them to allow Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta to finish negotiations with the IMF before a decision will be made on their request. But Kwesi Pratt has dissented to the decision by the President as he doesn't believe Ken Ofori-Atta is the only person to finalize the deal. He wondered if the IMF even trusts the Finance Minister enough to sit at the negotiation table with them. Making his submissions on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, he said; "In any case, there are credibility problems with the IMF negotiations if he is the one leading us because this man is the same person who said we will never go to the IMF and that it will undermine national dignity and even sovereignty. A person who says going to the IMF will undermine our national dignity is today the one said to lead this deal that he says will undermine national dignity." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper is surprised Finance Minister is still in office despite numerous calls for him to resign. "It's worrying that 137 MPs, as well as the Minority and Ghanaians in general, are all demanding his resignation yet he is still in office; it's really worrying...I don't understand because if it were to happen elsewhere, he would willingly resign without any hesitation" he indicated adding "what is different in this country" Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A dominant view in science is that there is a mathematical truth structuring the universe. It is assumed that the scientist's job is to decipher these mathematical relations: once understood, they can be translated into mathematical models. Running the resulting "silicon reality" in a computer may then provide us with useful insights into how the world works. Since science keeps on revealing secrets, models keep getting bigger. They integrate discoveries and newly found mechanisms to better reflect the world around us. Many scholars assume that more detailed models produce sharper estimates and better predictions because they are closer to reality. But our new research, published in Science Advances, suggests they may have the opposite effect. The assumption that "more detail is better" cuts across disciplinary fields. The ramifications are enormous. Universities get more and more powerful computers because they want to run bigger and bigger models, requiring an increasing amount of computing power. Recently, the European Commission invested 8bn euros (6.9bn) to create a very detailed simulation of the Earth (with humans), dubbed a "digital twin," hoping to better address current social and ecological challenges. In our latest research, we show that the pursuit of ever more complex models as tools to produce more accurate estimates and predictions may not work. Based on statistical theory and mathematical experiments, we ran hundreds of thousands of models with different configurations and measured how uncertain their estimations are. We discovered that more complex models tended to produce more uncertain estimates. This is because new parameters and mechanisms are added. A new parameter, say the effect of chewing gum on the spread of a disease, needs to be measuredand is therefore subject to measurement errors and uncertainty. Modelers may also use different equations to describe the same phenomenon mathematically. Once these new additions and their associated uncertainties are integrated into the model, they pile on top of the uncertainties already there. And uncertainties keep on expanding with every model upgrade, making the model output fuzzier at every step of the wayeven if the model itself becomes more faithful to reality. This affects all models that do not have appropriate validation or training data against which to check the accuracy of their output. This includes global models of climate change, hydrology (water flow), food production and epidemiology alike, as well as all models predicting future impacts. Fuzzy results In 2009, engineers created an algorithm called Google Flu Trends for predicting the proportion of flu-related doctor visits across the US. Despite being based on 50 million queries that people had typed into Google, the model wasn't able to predict the 2009 swine flu outbreak. The engineers then made the model, which is no longer operating, even more complex. But it still wasn't all that accurate. Research led by German psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer showed it consistently overestimated doctor visits in 201113, in some cases by more than 50%. Gigerenzer discovered that a much simpler model could produce better results. His model predicted weekly flu rates based only on one teeny piece of data: how many people had seen their GP the previous week. Another example is global hydrological models, which track how and where water moves and is stored. They started simple in the 1960s based on "evapotranspiration processes" (the amount of water that could evaporate and transpire from a landscape covered in plants) and soon got extended, taking into account domestic, industrial and agricultural water uses at the global scale. The next step for these models is to simulate water demands on Earth for every kilometer each hour. And yet one wonders if this extra detail will not just make them even more convoluted. We have shown that estimates of the amount of water used in irrigation produced by eight global hydrological models can be calculated with a single parameter onlythe extent of the irrigated area. Ways forward Why has the fact that more detail can make a model worse been overlooked until now? Many modelers do not submit their models to uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, methods that tell researchers how uncertainties in the model affect the final estimation. Many keep on adding detail without working out which elements in their model are most responsible for the uncertainty in the output. It is concerning as modelers are interested in developing ever larger modelsin fact, entire careers are built on complex models. That's because they are harder to falsify: their complexity intimidates outsiders and complicates understanding what is going on inside the model. There are remedies, however. We suggest ensuring that models don't keep getting larger and larger for the sake of it. Even if scientists do perform an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, their estimates risk getting so uncertain that they become useless for science and policymaking. Investing a lot of money in computing just to run models whose estimate is completely fuzzy makes little sense. Modelers should instead ponder how uncertainty expands with every addition of detail into the modeland find the best trade-off between the level of model detail and uncertainty in the estimation. To find this trade-off, one can use the concept of "effective dimensions"a measure of the number of parameters which add uncertainty to the final output, taking into account how these parameters interact with each otherwhich we define in our paper. By calculating a model's effective dimensions after each upgrade, modelers can appraise whether the increase in uncertainty still makes the model suitable for policyor, in contrast, if it makes the model's output so uncertain as to be useless. This increases transparency and helps scientists design models that better serve science and society. Some modelers may still argue that the addition of model detail can lead to more accurate estimates. The burden of proof now lies with them. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Candidates in the 44th state Senate District debated whether New Yorks glass is half empty and in danger of being diminished, or half full with potential to eventually overflow. We cant let this state become the empty state. Unfortunately, under this present agenda by one-party rule, the only business that is doing well is U-Haul, said Sen. James Tedisco, R-Glenville, speaking at a virtual debate on Thursday evening that the League of Women Voters chapters of Saratoga and Schenectady counties organized. Ive often heard Jim Tedisco refer to this as the empty state. But this district is growing. People are moving here, actually, because of the great quality of life, said Democratic challenger Michelle Ostrelich, a Schenectady County legislator from Niskayuna. The hour-long debate can be viewed at youtube.com/watch?v=zsLmFH5AwZs. The candidates frequently clashed. The extreme right agenda is a real danger. My opponent and I couldnt be farther apart on these issues, Ostrelich said. Right now, all members of power in New York are under one total domination, by one affiliation, from one region of the state, pushing a radical, pro-criminal, tax-and-spend agenda, said Tedisco, a three-term incumbent who previously served 13 terms in the state Assembly. Tedisco repeatedly criticized the states 2019 bail reform law, which has raised bipartisan angst. This cash bail system is a revolving door of danger and disaster. Theyve dumbed down muggings, attacks, carjackings, all these things, he said. The 2019 bail reform law ended the practice of requiring cash bail for the release of those arrested for misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses, in most cases. Some changes to the 2019 law, providing more discretion for judges, were enacted as part of this years state budget. Ostrelich said Tedisco misses the point that bail reform was intended to address the incarceration of people charged, but not convicted, with non-violent crimes, simply because they could not afford to post bail. Tedisco blamed bail reform for a recently announced 28% increase in crime in the city of Schenectady and a 13% increase in violent crime. People arent quarantining because of the COVID virus anymore, to a great extent, Tedisco said. Theyre quarantining because of the criminal element and the danger in the streets. Ostrelich said Tedisco was being melodramatic. I am so sick and tired of it. It is old-fashioned fear-mongering, she said. Ostrelich criticized Tedisco for voting against legislation to prohibit owning ghost guns guns with no serial numbers that can be bought as kits online and assembled after purchase and for voting against prohibiting domestic abusers from owning guns. Jim Tediscos voting record shows that he would make us less safe, she said. Tedisco said that people who live in rural areas need to own guns for self-defense because poor cellphone reception prevents them from reaching police when they are in danger. These individuals deserve to be able to have guns, one way or the other, because they are law-abiding citizens. So she (Ostrelich) couldnt be more wrong. Abortion On abortion, Tedisco said that the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade does not prohibit abortion in New York. The Supreme Court did not ban abortion. They decided, Let the states decide, he said. Mr. Tedisco gets it wrong when he says that federal law wont affect state law, Ostrelich said. In fact, a federal law that is now being proposed by (U.S. Sen.) Lindsey Graham, would do just that. Tedisco criticized the state providing funding to assist women coming from other states to get abortions in New York. They call it tourism abortion bringing people in, pay for this procedure, and have them walk away and leave, he said. Ostrelich said access to abortion is essential. Abortion is health care, she said. Its an issue of bodily autonomy, and it is nothing less than equal rights under the law. Ostrelich said she would vote in favor of a state constitutional amendment to allow abortions in New York, which Tedisco previously voted against. Tedisco said he voted against the proposed constitutional amendment because it allows for late-term abortions, and because it does not require that abortions be conducted by a physician. To eliminate that (physician requirement) is a travesty, he said. Ostrelich said late-term abortions are sometimes necessary to save the life of the mother. That is necessary medical care. The last person that should be involved in that discussion is Jim Tedisco, she said. Clashes continued, even after the debate formally ended. In an exchange that was edited out of the video posted on YouTube, Tedisco, after Ostrelichs closing statement, complained about mud-slinging being allowed, despite The League of Women Voters rules prohibiting personal attacks. I talked merely about his voting record, Ostrelich interjected. You have no voting record, Tedisco retorted. Other issues On other issues, Tedisco said former Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised universal broadband across the state, but many communities are still without it. We have to take them to task again, said Tedisco. Ostrelich said that the state program that Cuomo initiated had some success, but there were state-created barriers that added to the cost. Now, she said, funding from the recent federal infrastructure bill could jump-start the stalled process. So, what we need to do is revisit that program, she said. Asked about affordable housing, Ostrelich said she would have a staff member assigned specifically to help local developers and contractors apply for state funding. Tedisco said he supports exempting senior citizens who have income less than a set amount from local property taxes. Ostrelich said she supports proposed legislation to establish a universal health insurance program in New York. Tedisco said a universal health insurance program would be too expensive and is not necessary. Instead, he said, the state should focus on providing health care for the 4.7% of state residents who do not have health insurance. Ostrelich said she supports the state Environmental Bond Act referendum on the ballot Tuesday. Tedisco said environmental projects should be funded from year-to-year state budgets, not by borrowing. Ostrelich criticized Tedisco for voting against this years state budget, which she said provides essential funds for workforce development. Tedisco said the budget spent too much and relies too heavily on borrowing. Labor support The 44th Senate District includes all of Saratoga County and the city of Schenectady and town of Niskayuna in Schenectady County. Democrats have an enrollment advantage in the district, but only account for about one-third of the enrollment. The Democratic and Working Families parties combined had 76,432 active enrolled voters, as of Nov. 1, while the Republican and Conservative parties combined had 74,919, according to the state Board of Elections. There were 61,469 active enrolled independents, and 10,584 enrolled in other third parties. Early on in the campaign, labor union support was about evenly divided between the two candidates. However, in recent days, Ostrelich has received a blitz of labor union support. On Oct. 31, Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, a janitorial union, contributed $10,000 to her campaign, and the New York Council of the International Union of Operating Engineers contributed $10,000. The Service Employees Union Local 1199, the states largest health care workers union, contributed $10,000 on Thursday. Build Back New York, a political action committee that state Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Timothy Kennedy, D-Buffalo, organized, contributed $5,000 to Ostrelichs campaign on Oct. 31. Tedisco had not received any late-campaign labor contributions of $1,000 or more, as of Thursday morning. Election Day is Tuesday. Early voting continues through Sunday. ATLANTIC CITY A daily outreach van will soon travel the city daily, offering to take substance abusers and those with mental illness into immediate treatment, officials said during Fridays Clean and Safe Atlantic City meeting. We are on the precipice of starting a seven-day mobile outreach, said Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds. Reynolds also said hed like to see the county follow the lead of Florida and consider adding a mental health facility to the county jail in Mays Landing, since an estimated 60% of inmates have mental illness and need medications and treatment. He said casinos and the state Attorney Generals Office have already pledged significant funding for the outreach van, and social services agencies will soon commit to what services they can provide. Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler and his Hope Exists program will coordinate the effort, Reynolds said, with cooperation from city police Chief James Sarkos, state Sen. Vince Polistina and the Prosecutors Office. Without these meetings none of that would be possible, Reynolds said of the biweekly Clean and Safe meetings organized by City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz. The meetings bring together local, county and state officials with business owners and residents to tackle quality-of-life issues in the resort. Atlantic City Police charge 4 with receiving stolen merchandise from shoplifting ring ATLANTIC CITY Four men were recently charged with receiving stolen property from a shoplif Draft legislation to start a mental health court an idea that also grew out of the meetings is being fine tuned, said Joe Berg, chief of staff to Polistina and Assembly members Claire Swift and Don Guardian, all R-Atlantic. The meetings have also resulted in cooperative programs to crack down on quality-of-life crime and repeat offenders, to get broken streetlights fixed and to get services to the mentally ill and drug addicted. The daily outreach effort will be funded by government grants, including one recently pledged from the state Attorney Generals Office, and casino donations, Reynolds said. Social service providers including Jewish Family Service and Volunteers of America will help with staffing. The idea grew out of an experience the week before the national NAACP convention this summer. In one special seven-day effort, Schefflers mobile outreach van got 39 people off the street and into recovery. I said, Why not seven days a week, 365 days a year? Reynolds said. About 75 stakeholders recently met to discuss how to work together on the effort, he said, and at a Nov. 22 meeting, attendees will convene again and announce what their commitment is. Lights, cameras, action coming to improve safety, coalition says ATLANTIC CITY Boardwalk merchants came to a Friday morning Clean and Safe Atlantic City me Keeping the lights on The group also continues working to get all of the streetlights in the city functioning, and a new system in place to report and repair lights. Atlantic City Electrics Ken Mosca said the utility is down to just a couple dozen lights (still needing to be fixed). A few weeks ago, 142 of the utilitys 6,000 lights were out, Mosca said. We were able to redirect a lot of resources into the city, he said. The utility also is helping get the lights back on at the former Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, Mosca said, even though the utility does not own the lights there. Atlantic City Clean and Safe group gets results in turning on streetlights ATLANTIC CITY The city is brighter now that many problem streetlights have been repaired, The owner recently turned them back on but needed some help from the utility to do it, he said. We want to help where we can and lend the expertise, Mosca said. City-owned lights, however, seem to be the main problem now. Our streetlights belong to the city, and over 12 are out, said Rich Helfant, a resident of The Cove at Gardners Basin. There are a lot of kids playing there, seniors there. Its dark and dangerous. Helfant said he has repeatedly reported the nonfunctioning lights to the citys Public Works Department but has gotten no results. Ill hand carry the list up (to Public Works) and start the process, Shabazz said after asking Helfant to write down the addresses. No one from public works attended the meeting, but representatives have attended past Clean and Safe meetings. Reynolds said there soon will be a meeting with Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and staff members from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to discuss how to centralize response to broken streetlights. Currently, nonworking lights must be reported to the entity that owns them, which may be the city, Atlantic City Electric or a private business such as a casino. The ownership can be impossible for the average person to determine, and no one knows who owns some lights. Upcoming meetings The first CitiStat and CompStat meetings will be Nov. 16, Chief James Sarkos reminded the group. The public is invited to the CitiStat meeting at 10 a.m. at the city campus of Stockton University in the Fannie Lou Hamer room, where municipal department heads will hear from residents about their concerns and requests for service. The two technologies, CitiStat and CompStat, have helped major cities combat crime and better manage municipal services. The state Department of Community Affairs, which has oversight of the city under the state takeover, is partnering with Stockton, the city government and its Police Department to bring the CitiStat and CompStat programs to the city. The CitiStat system will allow residents and others to report potholes, streetlights that dont work, trash collection and code enforcement issues, and more. The next Clean and Safe Atlantic City meeting will be 8:30 a.m. Nov. 18 in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 1301 Bacharach Blvd. ATLANTIC CITY A tip submitted via the citys anonymous texting service led to the arrest of two wanted fugitives from Philadelphia, police said Friday. Shaquir Atkinson, 29, and Shamauri Spruill, 21, were arrested on weapons and drug charges Oct. 25, a day after police received the tip, the department said in a news release. Police received a tip Oct. 24 with information indicating a white vehicle with Pennsylvania registration was carrying guns and drugs. The tipster also indicated the occupants of the vehicle were wanted fugitives from Pennsylvania. At 11:07 a.m. Oct. 25, Officer John Bell pulled over a vehicle matching the description for a traffic violation near Missouri and Atlantic avenues, police said. During the stop, Atkinson was found to be wanted and was arrested. A search revealed Atkinson was in possession of 10 wax folds of suspected heroin. The passenger, Spruill, also was wanted and arrested, police said. Atlantic City police nab 5 in Atlantic Avenue drug bust ATLANTIC CITY Police charged five men, one of whom was found carrying a loaded gun, with d A further investigation of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a loaded handgun with a high-capacity magazine. The gun was determined to be stolen in Pennsylvania. Police said they also found suspected crack cocaine in the vehicle. As a result, Atkinson was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a handgun during a drug offense, possession of a stolen handgun, possession of a high-capacity magazine, two counts possession of a controlled dangerous substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also was charged with several motor vehicle violations. Spruill was charged with two counts of being a fugitive from justice. Both are being held at the Atlantic County jail. The public can text tips to police anonymously at tip411 (847411). Begin each text with ACPD. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. New Jerseys status as a reliable Democratic state got cemented during former President Donald Trumps administration. The party picked up four U.S. House seats in 2018, though one of them flipped to the GOP when Jeff Van Drew switched parties because of his opposition to the first Trump impeachment. Going into this months election, Democrats control 10 of the states dozen seats, while the GOP has two. The 7th District sequel between incumbent Democrat Tom Malinowski and Republican Tom Kean Jr. is perhaps the most closely watched contest. Heres a look at what to expect on election night: Election night Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. How New Jersey votes Lear, Hendricks lead in campaign funding in Cape May CAPE MAY Financial disclosure forms show Clarence Lear and Patricia Gray Hendricks have fa New Jersey has a mix of early mail and in-person voting, along with Election Day voting at polling places. Voters can get a mail-in ballot without an excuse and can vote by dropping ballots in drop boxes, the mailbox or taking them in person to their county seat. Early in-person voting started Oct. 29 and runs through Nov. 6. New Jerseys biggest bloc of voters is Democratic, followed by unaffiliated voters, then Republicans. What else should I know? Q: WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE PRIMARY? A: No incumbents lost in the primary, showcasing their usual strength in New Jersey elections and the two major parties strength getting their preferred candidates into the general election. Q: WHATS CHANGED SINCE THE PANDEMIC ELECTION OF 2020? A: New Jersey in 2020 sent mail-in ballots to every registered voter, resulting in a flood of mail ballots that slowed vote counting and reporting of results. The state didnt report total votes until Nov. 15. New Jersey enacted an early in-person voting measure in 2021, establishing a weeklong period of in-person voting that ends before Election Day. The state also allowed election officials to begin counting mail-in ballots before Election Day. Seven candidates for four seats on Cape May Council CAPE MAY In a city with fewer than 2,000 registered voters, four of the five seats on City Q: WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE? A: As of Oct. 1, there were 6,488,266 registered voters in New Jersey, including 2,530,771 Democrats, 1,525,013 Republicans and 2,351,433 unaffiliated. In 2020, more than 4.4 million people cast ballots, compared with 3.87 million in 2016. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, 94% of votes were cast by mail. Q: HOW LONG DOES COUNTING USUALLY TAKE? A: Its hard to say because 2020 was an abnormal election. Because of COVID-19, the governor and Legislature chose to send mail ballots to all voters. Then lawmakers changed the voting law to provide for early in-person voting in 2021. This years election will see a mix of mail, early in-person and Election Day voting. Q: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TUESDAY? A: There is no automatic recount in New Jersey, and candidates would have to finance the cost of one if they sought one. Recounts arent a regular feature. Parting thought New Jersey Democrats added Democratic voters in districts that began a decade ago as Republican districts. That could make reelection prospects easier for some incumbents, including Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District and Andy Kim in the 3rd. But they didnt shore up the 7th District, where the GOP ranks swelled. A good night for House Republicans could include a victory in this swing district. The state also had a preview of sorts during its statewide race for governor last year. Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy won, as expected, but the contest was much closer than polls indicated. Republicans also picked up seats in the Legislature, and Democrats said they believed the public was most concerned with affordability issues. Its a theme thats carried into this year as well. North Dakota's ballot on Tuesday offers some intrigue in the reliably red state from late congressional entries by independent candidates to term limits and marijuana legalization. Voters will decide whether to endorse changing the state constitution to limit the terms of the governor and state legislators. The citizen-led initiative would add a new article to the state constitution that limits lawmakers to eight cumulative years each in the House and Senate. The governor could not be elected more than twice. Another citizen-led initiative also will put the question of marijuana legalization before voters, who rejected the idea four years ago. The initiative would allow people 21 and older to legally use marijuana at home as well as possess and cultivate restricted amounts of cannabis. The state could register up to seven marijuana manufacturing businesses and 18 dispensaries. Former Miss America Cara Mund qualified to appear on as an independent candidate for North Dakotas sole U.S. House seat. The Republican incumbent, Kelly Armstrong, is seeking a third term. Mund entered the race in August and said her support for abortion rights motivated her candidacy. Democrat Mark Haugen quit the race, citing pressure from some in his own party to make way for Mund. GOP state Rep. Rick Becker defected from his party by meeting the signature requirement to be listed on the ballot as an independent, challenging U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving as governor for a decade. Becker, a Bismarck plastic surgeon, narrowly lost the Republican endorsement to Hoeven in April. Democrat Katrina Christiansen, a political newcomer and University of Jamestown engineering professor, also will appear on the ballot. Democrats havent had a majority in the state House or Senate or held the governors office since the early 1990s. Democrats held all three of North Dakotas seats in Congress from 1987 to 2011, but the GOP now holds them all. North Dakota has 47 legislative districts. Each is represented by two House members and a senator, who are elected at large for four-year terms. Republicans have 80 House seats to Democrats 14, and the GOP has a 40-7 edge in the Senate. Ninety-eight of the Legislatures 141 seats are on the ballot due in part to redistricting that was required due to population shifts shown by the 2020 federal census. All but one Democrat is up for reelection this year. Contests for secretary of state, attorney general and other state offices also will appear on the ballot. Heres a look at what to expect on election night: ELECTION NIGHT Most polls close at 7 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET). HOW NORTH DAKOTA VOTES Most North Dakotans vote in person. Some counties also allow for early in-person voting Historically, only about one-third of residents vote by mail. North Dakota is the only state without voter registration. Any U.S. citizen over the age of 18 who has lived in a specific precinct for at least 30 days may vote with required identification, which includes a state-issued drivers license, state ID card, tribal ID or long-term care ID certificate. A voter who is standing in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to vote. DECISION NOTES The AP does not make projections and will only declare a winner when its determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. Should a candidate declare victory or offer a concession before the AP calls a race, we will cover newsworthy developments in our reporting. In doing so, we will make clear that the AP has not declared a winner and explain why. The AP may call a statewide or U.S. House race in which the margin between the top two candidates is 0.5% or less, if we determine the lead is too large for a recount to change the outcome. The AP will not call down-ballot races on election night if the margin between the top two candidates is less than 2% or if the leading candidate is within 2% of the 50% runoff threshold. The AP will revisit those races later in the week to confirm there arent enough outstanding votes left to count that could change the outcome. WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW? Q: WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE PRIMARY? A: Not much. That's because primaries increasingly have failed to settle who ultimately ends up on the November ballot and this year is no different, with the last-minute entries of Becker and Mund and the withdrawal of the Democratic U.S. House candidate. Q: WHATS CHANGED SINCE THE PANDEMIC ELECTION OF 2020? A: Secretary of State Al Jaeger said several counties added ballot drop boxes at that time and many of them remain. Q: WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE? A: As of Oct. 26, about 53% of the nearly 37,000 absentee and vote-by-mail ballots had been returned. There are about 590,000 North Dakotans eligible to vote in this election. Turnout historically is around 25%. Q: HOW LONG DOES COUNTING USUALLY TAKE? A: The bulk of the ballots are counted within a few hours after the polls have closed. Q: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TUESDAY? A: Candidates may request a recount if their losing margin is more than one-half of 1% of the largest number of votes cast for the office, and less than 2% of that total. They must post a bond to cover the recount expense. Check out https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-the-elections to learn more about the issues and factors at play in the 2022 midterm elections. Follow APs coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections A Florida man who has been deemed a sexually violent offender was arrested early Friday by Moline police after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at knife-point at the Oyo Hotel. Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said Jerimie Bahring Treacy, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was charged in Rock Island County Circuit Court with six counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a weapon and one count each of aggravated kidnapping while armed, home invasion causing injury and armed robbery. Each charge is a Class X felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 6-30 years. Treacy is required to register with law enforcement for life, and he is on federal supervised release for life. He was released from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 7 after serving a sentence for violating the sex offender registration statutes. He is wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service serving the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida for violating his supervised release. Gault said that at 3:57 a.m. Moline officers were dispatched to the Oyo Hotel, 1191 19th St., to investigate a report of a sexual assault and kidnapping. A 47-year-old woman told police that a man entered her hotel room armed with a knife and sexually assaulted her. The man also attempted to take her to another room. The victim was able to escape and get help. Police quickly identified the assailant as Treacy, who had fled the hotel. Treacy also had a room at the hotel. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Gault said. Officers found Treacy in the 1800 block of 20th Avenue and took him into custody. Treacy is being held in the Rock Island County Jail on a bond of $10 million, or 10%, for the Illinois charges, and without bond on the federal hold. Treacy is expected to make a first appearance on the charges Saturday in Rock Island County Circuit Court. This is a terrifying incident, Gault said. At this time we believe this incident was a random attack and Treacy had no prior contact with the victim. The Moline police officers apprehended Treacy quickly and no other citizens were in danger. We will continue working with the U.S. Marshals and Florida authorities to determine why Treacy is in our community, Gault added. The case is still under investigation as we work to bring answers and justice to the victim, he said. According to the Florida Sex Offender Registry, Treacy is listed as having absconded. The registry indicates that Treacy was convicted in Schenectady, New York, of first-degree rape. According to U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, electronic records, on June 25, 1996, Treacy was arrested by Schenectady, New York, police on the rape charge. The charge is a Class B felony under New York law that carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Treacy pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to serve eight to 16 years in the New York State prison. According to State of New York electronic prison records, Treacy was admitted to the New York prison system on Sept. 17, 1996. On Nov. 8, 2006, the New York State Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders recommended that Treacy should be considered a Level III sex offender when released from prison. During a hearing on Jan. 5, 2007, to determine Treacys level of risk, Schenectady County Court Judge Karen Drago ordered that Treacy should be considered a sexually violent offender, and that he should be deemed a Level III sex offender upon his release from prison. The ruling requires Treacy to register with law enforcement for the rest of his life, and verify his home address to local law enforcement every three months. Treacy was paroled in 2007, but that parole was revoked and he was returned to prison on March 20, 2008. Treacy was released from the Fishkill Correctional Facility on June 26, 2012, after he filled out a New York State Sex Offender Change of Address Form stating what he would be residing in Schenectady. On December 15, 2012, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services mailed an address verification form to the address Treacy had provided so he could fill it out and return it. However, the form was returned to the Division of Criminal Justice Services on Dec. 17, 2012 by the U.S. Postal Service as Treacy had left. On Oct. 22, 2012, Treacy had obtained a Florida drivers license-ID card showing a West Palm Beach, Florida, address. The address was for a shelter providing showers, laundry, breakfast and lunch to homeless men and women. On May 10, 2013, federal authorities took Treacy into custody for failing to register as a sex offender. On July 17, 2013, Treacy pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced Sept. 30, 2013, to 15 months in federal prison. Treacy was arrested in November 2, 2015, for violating his supervised release, and on November 30 of that year he was sentenced to eight months in federal prison. Treacy was then arrested Sept. 29, 2016, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison on May 19, 2017, for violating the sex offender registry act. He was arrested again in November of 2019 for not complying with the sex offender registry statutes and on Dec. 13, 2019, he was sentenced to nine months in federal prison. He was released Jan. 7 of this year. East Moline Police Sgt. William Lind has been released from the intensive care unit and moved to the step-down unit at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria. This is a big milestone in the progression for his recovery from the serious head injury he suffered on Oct. 24, 2022, Police Chief Jeff Ramsey said in a news release issued Saturday. Step-down units provide an intermediate level of care for patients with requirements between a general ward and intensive care. He (Lind) will continue his recovery at OSF, and we are hopeful and optimistic he will continue to improve day by day, Ramsey added. This will be a long recovery road with good days and bad days, according to his medical team. Sgt. Lind is a fighter and has an amazing strong family by his side to support him in this fight, Ramsey said. The family along with our department are forever thankful for the encouragement from everyone who has reached out in so many ways. Thank you for showing such great support for our hero. East Moline's Sgt. Billy Lind met with man hours before violent attack The man accused in the serious assault of an East Moline police sergeant had encountered the officer at the police department shortly before the attack. At about 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Lind was attacked in the 1900 block of Morton Drive. Adrian W. Rogers, 52, has been charged for the attack. Rogers was wanted on an arson charge out of Rock Island where he is alleged to have set fire to a home in the 1600 block of 12th Street. The blaze was reported about 3:40 p.m. About 20 minutes after the fire, Rogers went to the East Moline Police Station where he chanced to speak with Lind. About an hour later, Lind learned that Rogers was wanted for the Rock Island fire. Lind found Rogers on Morton Drive. Police say Rogers struck Lind on the head, causing severe injuries, including a skull fracture. Lind was left lying unconscious in or near the street. Linds body camera captured the violence. Rogers is charged with attempted murder and aggravated arson, both Class X felonies under Illinois law that carry a prison sentence of six to 30 years. Rogers also is charged with residential arson, a Class 1 felony that carries a prison sentence of 4-15 years, and aggravated battery to a peace officer, a Class 2 felony that carries a prison sentence of 3-7 years. Rogers is being held in the Rock Island County Jail on $1 million bond, or 10% for the attempted murder and aggravated battery charges, and a consecutive $500,000 bond, or 10% on the arson-related charges. A review hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30 in Rock Island Circuit Court. Rogers was released from the Federal Bureau of Prisons on July 1, 2021, after spending about 26 years in federal prison for convictions of bank robbery with a firearm and drug trafficking. Breakfast Optimist Club names Officer of the Year and Top Cop The Breakfast Optimist Club that serves the Illinois Quad-Cities has announced its annual Po Lind earned 2021 Officer of the Year honors from the Breakfast Optimist Club that serves the Illinois Quad-Cities. Lind was nominated for his work at the Quad-City Federal Gang Task Force. Lind spearheaded one of the largest cases in the task force for illegal drug and weapon distribution in the Quad-City area. He also worked to stop several shootings in the spring of 2021 between two gangs that led to multiple arrests for firearms violations. For those dreaming of winning the $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot on Saturday, it may be prudent to consider taxes and where you live or want to live before cashing the ticket. Strong sales after no one matched all six numbers Wednesday the 39th consecutive drawing without a winner boosted the Powerball jackpot to an estimated $1.6 billion on Friday, making it the largest lottery prize in history. Some states have no state income tax, and other states may not tax lottery winnings. For those winners who want to remain in the Quad-Cities, If youre taking a lump sum, youre probably better off in Illinois as it stands today, Davenport attorney Dick Davidson said. Illinois has a flat tax of about 5% while Iowa has a graduated income tax of about 8.5%. However, Iowa allows you to deduct federal income taxes before you apply the Iowa tax. However, Iowa has changed the way it is taxing income, and thats going to change in the next year-and-a-half, he added. If youre taking payments over time it would then be cheaper to be in Iowa. Winners may want to look at the website Powerball Jackpot Analysis | USA Mega, which details the taxes in each state. However, Davidson said, No one owes taxes on the ticket until it is cashed. It is perfectly legal to sell your home, pack up and move to a state that has no income tax and then cash the ticket, he said. That happens a lot. Texas, Florida, Nevada, Wyoming and Washington do not have taxes on lottery winnings, according to the Powerball Jackpot Analysis website. California has no tax on lottery winnings, either. Davidson said it was neither illegal nor immoral to avoid taxes. It is evading taxes that is illegal. Davidson quoted Learned Hand, a federal trial judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, who said, Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. South Dakota Republicans will be looking for decisive victories in the heavily red state on Election Day. They have nearly doubled Democrats on voter rolls; the party holds 90% of the Legislature, and its been over a decade since a Democrat has won a statewide race. In the Mount Rushmore states top race this November, Gov. Kristi Noem has used the election cycle to position herself on the national stage. But Democratic state lawmaker Jamie Smith is trying to prove that he can break his partys decline by winning the governors office, and gained some traction by criticizing her national political ambitions. Noem won the 2018 election by three percentage points a close margin in the heavily red state. And Smith is hoping election night is close again on Tuesday. The pair of Republicans looking to return to Congress, Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson, are expected to win by comfortable margins. Thune, seeking his fourth term, had a large fundraising advantage over Democratic challenger Brian Bengs, an Air Force veteran and university professor. Thune is the second-ranking Senate Republican and is seen as a potential pick to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell once he steps down from leadership. Johnsons path to a third term representing South Dakotas lone House seat seemed assured with Democrats not fielding a candidate. Only Libertarian Collin Duprel challenged Johnson. Voters will also decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, as well as whether to expand eligibility for Medicaid. In other GOP-held states, both of those causes have found success through ballot initiatives. One of the most interesting takeaways from election night could be a comparison of results between Noem, who has allied herself closely with former President Donald Trump, and Thune, who drew Trumps ire for dismissing his election fraud claims. Heres a look at what to expect on election night: Election night Polls close at 7 p.m. local time. There are 17 counties in the western half of the state that are in the Mountain Time Zone, while the remainder of the state is in the Central Time Zone. The AP will not call any races before the later polls close. How South Dakota votes Slightly more than half of South Dakota voters (51.5%) cast ballots by mail in the 2020 general election, double the amount in 2018. Things happen quickly after the polls close. Returns from the total vote start showing soon after 7 p.m. Mountain, with 20% of the total usually public in less than an hour. Two years ago, all returns were reported by 12 a.m. Mountain though it turned out that nearly 10% of the vote wasnt actually counted until after Election Day. Most of that came from Minnehaha County, home to Sioux Falls and the biggest bloc of voters. A 2021 law now requires county auditors to sort and process absentee ballots prior to the close of polls on Election Day. In a rural state that saw only nine counties cast more than 10,000 votes in the 2020 general election, the key strongholds other than Sioux Falls include Pennington County (home to Rapid City in the West River half of the state) along with Lincoln, Brown and Brookings counties. All five counties voted for Donald Trump over Joe Biden two years ago in a state where registered Democrats are nearly outnumbered by conservative-leaning unaffiliated voters and both substantially trail Republicans. What do turnout and advance vote look like in South Dakota? In the last midterm election (2018), turnout was 65% as some 341,000 voters cast ballots and the two ballot questions this year could attract interest. As of Oct. 28, 2022, there were nearly 600,000 active registered voters and nearly half of them (296,000) were Republicans. There were slightly more than 151,000 Democrats and some 145,000 unaffiliated voters. About 45,000 mail ballots had been sent and nearly 35,000 of them had been returned, dramatically lower than 2018 when 89,000 mail ballots were counted. What happens after Tuesday There is a mandatory recount law but it applies only in the very rare case of a tie vote. Recounts are possible in statewide races but only if the margin is less than 0.25% (one-fourth of 1%) of the total votes cast. State legislative races and other measures have different parameters. The state health department this week relaxed vaccination requirements for child care providers accepting children who are unvaccinated because of their parents' religious beliefs, a step state lawmakers attempted to block months ago. State health rules already contain a religious-based carveout for Haemophilus influenza type B, commonly referred to as Hib. The notice sent to child care providers dated Oct. 31 states the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will not take action against a provider's license if the provider accepts children whose parents provide a religious exemption claim against any other immunizations. That discretion goes into place as Gov. Greg Gianforte and department Director Charlie Brereton on Friday announced a package of administrative rules that would, among other things, formalize religious-based vaccine exemptions for children in child care settings. The proposal would give home-based providers the option of whether they enroll children who are not vaccinated in accordance with the new rules. Officials described the changes as an effort to increase capacity and drive innovation in the industry. "Complicated, burdensome rules shouldnt prevent a family member or neighbor whos providing child care from meeting a critical need in their community," Gianforte said in a press release. "Today, were proposing a new set of child care licensing rules which will ensure the safety of our children, clarify provider obligations and dramatically increase access to child care across Montana." Dr. Lauren Wilson, president of the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians and a pediatric hospitalist in Missoula, said Friday the proposed rules may have the reverse effect. "It's shown in a huge number of surveys that the vast majority of parents want their children to be protected from diseases," Wilson said. "That majority is not being heard in this new rule." Wilson said the number of children protected from disease falls in places where religious exemptions are available and easy to obtain. "The risk of having outbreaks of disease goes up, specifically pertussis and measles are disease we see spread rapidly when levels of immunization go down," she said. In August, an interim legislative committee put the brakes on the department's proposed rule to extend religious exemptions for vaccines to children and staff at childcare providers. The objection included all Republican members on the committee. While GOP lawmakers have generally worked toward expanding religious-based carve outs for public health guidelines, they had taken issue with the process the department sought to implement. The committee's objection followed a public hearing in which parents, pediatricians, child care providers and "vaccine choice" groups spoke against the earlier proposal. The state Legislature in 2021 also passed the Montana Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which barred the state from burdening religious groups and activities without a compelling interest to do so. The department had proposed the rule as a step toward coming into compliance with RFRA. The committee's objection put the department's proposed rule on hold for at least six months, theoretically giving lawmakers a chance to work with DPHHS in crafting the religious exemption process during the 2023 legislative session. The committee is not scheduled to meet again before the session starts in January, and committee chair Ed Stafman, a Democratic representative from Bozeman, said he's not likely to call an emergency meeting in light of the department's notice that went out on Monday. "Im pretty unhappy that the department has avoided the committees decision with an end-run technique but given the late date, with the session coming up in just a matter of weeks, theres practically not a solution before the session," Stafman said. While Democrats had objected to the rule on public health concerns, Republicans were myriad in their rejection of the department's proposal. Rep. Jennifer Carlson, a Manhattan Republican who has worked to effectuate such religious exemptions, said in August the department had shut her and lawmakers out of the process in developing the proposal and the product then had too many issues, like adding terms that are undefined, to lend her support. A spokesperson for DPHHS declined to answer this week whether the department had coordinated or communicated with any lawmakers before issuing the religious exemption notice, or if the department was under any threat of litigation for noncompliance with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it had expressed concern for back in August. The notice DPHHS put out on Monday is a different approach to the same ends as the proposal that lawmakers shut down in August. Instead of explicitly allowing a religious exemption for child care programs, the department will look the other way on its own rules requiring such vaccinations. It's the second time this year the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has disregarded the checks and balances of another branch of government. In May, during a legal battle over Legislation that added significant steps, such as transition surgery, for transgender people to update their birth certificates, a district court judge issued an order temporarily halting the department from putting that legislation into effect. Former department Director Adam Meier routed that order by issuing an emergency rule stating it would not accept any changes to any birth certificates unless the initial filing had a "data entry error." Meier resigned roughly a month later, and the department ultimately backed down after further orders from the judge. Brereton, in the press release, said the "overdue" changes were developed in response to providers and industry stakeholders. They include the additional licensure for providers who offer "out-of-school care," such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and others that offer options for non-school hours. State licensure would make such providers eligible for federal funds. "We heard loud and clear from stakeholders that the current rules and governance structure for child care were in need of a massive overhaul," Brereton said. "Were proud to keep this overdue project moving forward and carry it across the finish line soon." The new category for school-aged children got the approval of the Montana Afterschool Alliance. "We are really grateful the school-age voice was included in the discussion and are excited for out-of-school-time care organizations to have the option to become licensed if the proposed rules are adopted, Director Rachel Wanderscheid said in the governor's press release. School-aged programs are integral for Montanas communities, families and youth." The proposed rule package rolled out by Gianforte and DPHHS on Friday is 93 pages long. A public hearing over Zoom on the proposals has been set for 9 a.m. on Nov. 28. A lawsuit filed this week by a state senator and others challenged the constitutionality of a bill passed in 2021 that allows insurance agents to consider gender in rate-making. The lawsuit claims House Bill 379 opened the door for insurance agents to charge people more based on their sex, a violation of constitutional protections against discrimination. Previously, Montana was the only state in the country that did not allow agents to consider the customer's sex when determining their rate for insurance. House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, a Republican from Billings, sponsored the legislation. The lawsuit filed in Lewis and Clark County District is dated Nov. 2. The plaintiffs include Sen. Diane Sands, a Missoula Democrat who has termed out after the 2021 Legislature, two individuals from Kalispell and Missoula, as well as the Montana Chapter of the National Organization for Women and the American Association of University Women of Montana. Montana insurance Commissioner Troy Downing and Commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Laurie Esau are both listed as defendants. A spokesperson for the Department of Labor and Industry declined to comment on ongoing litigation. Sam Loveridge, spokesperson for the State Auditor's Office, said in an email Friday rates are still reviewed for discriminatory practices since HB 379's passage. All rates submitted to our agency are reviewed to ensure they are not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, Loveridge said. Our office requires companies clearly demonstrate that the gender distinct premium rates are actuarially justified. We require the companies to demonstrate the rates are based on credible experience and are statistically and actuarially justified. Proponents of HB 379 told state lawmakers last year that meant that women were effectively subsidizing young men, who they said were shown to be higher-risk drivers that drove up costs for everyone else. "This corrects that problem," Downing told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee. The lawsuit argues that insurance rates since the law was enacted have risen at a greater degree for men than for women, and that the law blocks those who have been discriminated against from using processes in the Montana Human Rights Act to appeal that discrimination. Plaintiffs asked that a judge to void HB 379 as unconstitutional. Ambulance No. 85, a roughly 6-year-old member of the fleet at the Richmond Ambulance Authority, is preparing for reassignment. In the weeks to come, the boxy, white transport vehicle will board a jet or ship somewhere on the East Coast and cross the Atlantic Ocean. The exact details of the voyage have been kept secret to maintain security. Its destination: a fire department in central Ukraine. Its mission: to transport and care for survivors of attacks by Russian soldiers, who in the past eight months have killed Ukrainian citizens and soldiers and ravaged the country during an invasion. The world, led by America, has stepped up and said were not going to let that happen, said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Friday in a gathering to send off ambulance No. 85. It all started with a 7-year-old girl in Illinois. Seeing the destruction in Ukraine on the news, Lily Manson asked her father, What can we do to help? Chris Manson works for a health system in Peoria, so he called a Ukrainian consulate and left a message, offering medical supplies and an ambulance. He quickly got a call back. Yes, we want the ambulance, the person on the line said. And when can we get it? The first ambulance boarded a 747 airplane out of Chicago, landed in Poland and was driven across the border. After the first ambulance arrived, the Ukrainians asked for 20 more. Manson started an organization called U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine that has delivered 18 vehicles, 2 tons of supplies and 60 automatic external defibrillators. Manson has driven two of them into Ukraine himself. Theyve gone straight in action in Rivne, Kharkiv and Odesa. Seven more are being prepared for shipment, and Manson hopes to deliver at least 30 in total. Ambulance No. 85 was due to be decommissioned. Though its just 6 years old, it already has been driven more than 200,000 miles. The RAA could sell it, but theres not a great market for used ambulances it would fetch only $5,000, a spokesperson for the Richmond Ambulance Authority said. Its far more useful to the people of Ukraine. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association helped arrange donations, and health systems contributed supplies. Virginia Commonwealth University Health System donated $20,000 worth of suture kits, gauze and tape. On Friday, a group of people sent off No. 85, loading the supplies and writing messages on its exterior. Manson wrote his name and his daughters name. Another wrote RVA loves Ukraine, with a picture of a heart to convey the message. Members of the community are invited to write their own words. When Manson arrived in Richmond and saw No. 85, he took pictures and messaged them to the firefighters in Ukraine. They called it beautiful and amazing. Manson has seen enough ambulances to know a good one. No. 85 has great tires, he said. Critical race theory emerged as the bete noire of the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial campaign. The concept ought not to be taught, candidate Glenn Youngkin said to loud applause, because it is inherently divisive. It also might make children (white) feel badly about themselves. Thats possibly true, though not necessarily just as it also is true that Americans are almost daily assaulted with evidence that critical race theory is more than theoretical. The idea that the divides between white Americans and Americans of color on everything from economics to education to life expectancy stem in part from cultural and societal structures is so obviously true that it ought to need no elaboration. Except that, as former Gov. Ralph Northam was fond of saying, the eyes cant see what the mind doesnt know. Because many Americans have not paid attention to systemic racism or experienced it themselves, it is easy to conclude that it does not exist. Yet, recent headlines are rife with examples. Consider three: In the summer of 2021, a Johns Hopkins University professor (Black) and his wife wanted to refinance their home mortgage. They believed the value had soared since purchasing the house for $450,000 four years earlier. The appraiser, however, put the value at only $472,000. A lender declined to refinance. Several months later, the couple tried again. This time, they took down family photos and Black-themed art. A white friend met the appraiser at the door. The second appraisal valued the home at $750,000. Last month, an analysis of more than 800,000 internet service offers in 38 cities across America found that major providers routinely charge customers in poorer, less white neighborhoods on a par with customers in wealthier neighborhoods. The speed and quality of the service in the former is demonstrably inferior, however. Red-lining for home mortgages a mid-20th-century practice that discriminated against Blacks may be outlawed; digital red-lining apparently thrives. A recent New York Times expos e revealed that Richmond Community Hospital, owned by Bon Secours Mercy Health, has the highest profit margin of any hospital in Virginia. Thats due in part to a federal program that lets clinics in impoverished areas buy prescription drugs at steep discounts, then charge insurers full price. Presumably, the gains will be reinvested in health care for poor neighborhoods, although no actual accounting is required. The health system says it has met the spirit of the program. And yet Richmond Community Hospital, serving the struggling East End, has been gutted of many of its services. Meanwhile, Bon Secours St. Francis in Richmonds affluent Midlothian suburbs stands as a virtual medical Taj Mahal. Theres more. In 2012, the city leased land to Bon Secours at far below market value on the condition that the chain expand facilities at Richmond Community. Instead, Bon Secours focused on building a luxury apartment-retail-and-office complex on Patterson Avenue. Only this year, a decade later, did it break ground on a new medical office building next to Community. These are all examples of the insidious, often invisible ways in which systemic racism works. Theyre easy to ignore, unless youre willing to see. Soon, the Virginia Board of Education will adopt new standards for teaching American history. Already, some on the board hint at resisting changes that portray America in less than hagiographic terms. This would be dishonest and a mistake. The racial reckoning that sprang from George Floyds death requires a clear understanding that telling history inaccurately is not a victimless game. Yes, knowing that their ancestors treated Black and Indigenous people brutally might cause remorse among some white children. But what of the Black children who may wonder why their race so often seems to be at the low end of the ladder? Do they not deserve to know that societal forces beyond their parents or grandparents control have played and continue to play a role in that dynamic? And is their potential for pain not far more acute? Generations of Black people have felt bad about themselves, who we are, what we look like, Del. Delores McQuinn said in discussing critical race theory last year. Its what weve had to live with all our lives. Dale Carnegie, the self-improvement guru, used to quote a short poem: Two men looked out from prison bars, One saw mud, the other saw stars. For Carnegie, the ditty meant that attitude trumps. Another take is that both conditions exist the mud and the stars. If you look at America and see only the noble, fine things, then you are blinding yourself to the reality of the mud that has ensnared millions. But if you look at America and see only mud, youre ignoring the principles and ideals that have inspired and advanced millions worldwide. We have done a fine job teaching about the stars. Now, its time to speak honestly about the mud. If truth is inherently divisive, so be it. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close April Chavez is the Santa Maria City Reporter for the Santa Maria Times. If you have information, or a story idea that you would like to share, send her an email at AChavez@SantaMariaTimes.com. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Today more than ever, people are concerned about the environment. Every day, they demand construction and goods and services that are made ethically, socially conscious and environmentally sustainable. Architects, designers and manufacturers with visions of the future are responding with creativity and innovation to demonstrate that design can contribute to a more promising future without sacrificing a bit of style. There still is hope. We believe that everyday products are the biggest culprits of global warming and pollution, and that is only one aspect. Buildings are the main culprits, in terms of global energy and pollution. Today's architects and designers are confronting this fact with the desire to remedy the problem with efficient constructions, new and alternative sources of energy and an increase in the use of locally sourced and recycled materials. The dangers of a disposable culture worsen with businesses that create products to self-destruct at a time determined, which pleases corporations and shareholders but does not respect the consumers or the planet. Slowly but surely, consciousness is on the rise as we reject the cynicism of planned obsolescence and devise objects and designs made to last. Many emerging designers are using sustainability as a guiding principle, and even established brands are taking steps to reexamine their production methods and increase their green credentials. Renewing historic buildings is a great endeavor and can help revive and preserve neighborhoods, even in old dense urban centers where abandoned structures are best thought to be torn down. Historic buildings, houses and neighborhoods are the soul of a city. These old buildings and places help form the identifying character of a particular area and are a standing record of the area's history. The materials removed from the renovation of old buildings can be recycled, given new life and new ways of use. Renovations have spawned new business, such as creating with reclaimed and recycled wood and other salvaged items. While products made in a sustainable way have always been viewed more as experiments than objects of design, a refined aesthetic can be combined with a radical approach toward sustainability. Rethinking and creating an awareness in consumers who are building a home, restoring one or even just decorating is a must. Trying to create a more sustainable world is a process that requires education, vision, humility, conscience and commitment to undo the damage already done and to revolutionize the way we live through small steps with the hope that they will lead to a great leap. Doing good to the Earth does not mean we cannot have beautiful things or build a luxury house or decorate our homes the way that we like. It simply means that the time has come to do our part to help combat the effects of global warming. Architects, interior designers, decorators and homeowners need to work hand in hand toward designs that can withstand and lift us. Design offers hope. Embrace it. Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. His website is www.josephpubillones.com. COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM SIOUX CITY For more than 70 minutes Thursday night, former President Donald Trump painted America as a place where nearly everything has gone to ruin since he left office. "The Iowa way of life is under siege," the 45th president said at a Sioux Gateway Airport rally to support Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley. "We are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation," he said. The self-described "law and order president" also talked of open borders, violent crime, "indoctrination" of children with "twisted race and gender lunacy," cresting communism and law enforcement officers who have been enfeebled by politically correct people in power. "Out of control," was a phrase dropped into his speech more than once. But, according to Trump, who repeated false claims about the 2020 election being "rigged" against him, Republican supporters in Iowa and elsewhere can regain some measure of control. "If you want to stop destruction, save our country and save the American dream, then this Tuesday you must vote Republican in a giant red wave," Trump said. Why the stop? Specifically, Trump made sure to tell people to cast ballots for Grassley and Reynolds who are both up for re-election this year. An October Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll showed Grassley with a 3% lead, among likely voters, over Democratic nominee Mike Franken of Sioux City. Were that figure to be the final margin on Nov. 8, it would be the closest Senate race of Grassley's 41-year career in the upper chamber. Trump caricatured Franken, a retired three-star Navy admiral, as an "open borders extremist" and someone who is "terrible on the Second Amendment." Franken has repeatedly talked about civilian gun ownership in comparison to the use of firearms in the U.S. military and said to the Des Moines Register "no one handles firearms without strict training and understanding of the responsibilities associated. No one disputes the right to own firearms. The responsibility for safe use must be on the owners of firearms themselves." As for Grassley, the 89-year-old, seven-term incumbent, Trump downplayed his age and touted the legislative record of Iowa's longest serving U.S. senator. "He looks like he's 40," Trump said of Grassley. "He's helped me more than just about anybody." The "help" Trump spoke of included Grassley's work to appoint 174 district court judges, 54 appeals court judges and three U.S. Supreme Court justices (per Axios). Then Trump, who while in office faced scrutiny from corn growers for being overly accommodating of oil refineries, said Grassley, a family farmer himself, was a staunch defender of ethanol. "He loves ethanol. I said, 'How good is it?' He said 'It doesn't matter. We want it,'" Trump said of an exchange with Grassley. To further drive home Grassley's relationship with farmers, numerous audience members sported green caps and held signs saying "Farmers for Trump." Grassley speaks When Grassley spoke, he told the crowd he would continue to pursue investigations into the FBI and the Biden family. "I'm not going to give up on trying to get political bias out of the FBI. And I'm not going to give up on my investigation of Hunter Biden and the other Bidens. We follow the facts and we follow the money," Grassley said. That promise elicited cheers of "Lock him up." At another point, the crowd jeered when Grassley mentioned Palestinians. He then suggested Iran is the "No. 1 perpetrator of terrorism in the world" and that the United States gives the country billions of dollars. (CNN reported in May 2021 that the Biden administration was "weighing unfreezing $1 billion in Iranian funds that the country could use for humanitarian relief, amid the negotiations for the US to reenter the 2015 nuclear deal.") Immigration "We must immediately force the restoration of every single Trump border security measure that achieved the strongest border in the history of country by far," said Trump, who launched his 2016 campaign by saying Mexico was intentionally sending rapists and drug dealers to the country. To do that, he told the crowd, who chanted "build the wall" at one point, the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers should be doubled and that legislation should be passed to allow for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. In the same section, Trump suggested drug dealers and drug traffickers should get the death penalty which is currently allowed in 27 states. Historically, the death penalty in the United States has only been handed down in murder cases and the American Civil Liberties Union has said, "There is no credible evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than long terms of imprisonment." Trump suggested law enforcement officers aren't able to do more to combat crime themselves because of alleged Democratic policies of defunding the police. (Spending for police budgets has increased in the country's three-largest cities since 2019, according to ABC News.) Interruptions More than once during his time at the podium, Trump cut short one train of thought to pursue another. Just after calling for large-scale deportations, Trump asked for his supporters, at least 60 of whom left before the event ended, to move closer to the stage and mocked the press for having a better spot. He then immediately pivoted, saying, "If you want safety for your family and security for your community, you need to throw every Democrat the hell out of office." Later, Trump mentioned former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (calling her "Crooked Hillary") and then riffed about getting seasick from trying to look at teleprompters blowing in the wind. Speeds for gusts got into the double digits and the temperature dropped into the low 40s. As his time came to a close, Trump asked attendees to sign up for Truth Social, the Twitter-like app his company created, and shouted out Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan, who is not up for re-election this year. "That's the guy," Trump said pointing. Earlier this year, Sheehan hosted an event with constitutional attorney KrisAnne Hall who has appeared on Alex Jones InfoWars network. While winding up to deliver his signature catchphrase, Trump alighted on a thought about air travel in the United States, "once a nation revered for its magnificent airports which are now a crowded mess. You sit and wait for hours and then youre notified that the plane wont leave and they have no idea when it will." And discussion about the estate tax, and Trump's work in office to, as Forbes said, "double the federal estate tax exemption for estate, gift and generations skipping taxes," the former president suggested some in the crowd might not want to give freely to future generations. "Some of us have horrible children, do you have any horrible children?" Trump asked. The prelude and Pelosi talk Nearly 12 hours before the event, more than 100 rally-goers were in line to get in as "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by the Baha Men blasted over a loudspeaker near a stage where My Pillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell later talked about the recent Brazilian election. Lindell, who has been repeatedly banned from Twitter for baselessly insisting Trump won the 2020 election, said outgoing Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro lost to former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva because 5.1 million votes were stolen during the election in the South American country. Lindell was seen touring the event grounds with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who was one of the first candidates to speak. "Americans are robbed, stabbed, raped, kidnapped, carjacked and murdered. But the only crime victim you hear about from Democrats in the media is Paul Pelosi," said Greene, whose remark drew boos from the crowd. Last Friday, law enforcement officers said they responded to a break-in at the Pelosi home and witnessed the 82-year-old being struck in the head with a hammer at least once. The suspect, David DePape, a Canadian man, reportedly asked "Where's Nancy?" in reference to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Greene delivered her remarks behind a podium behind a sign which read "Save America," the theme of the evening. The slogan was one of a litany that could be found on Trump merchandise circulating throughout the airport grounds. Vendors sold flags saying, "Trump 2024," "Let's Go Brandon" (a euphemistic phrase deployed as a denunciation of President Joe Biden) and "White Lives Matter," while supporters strolled around in T-shirts with slogans such as "Mean Tweets and Cheap Gas." Closer to the start time, a video played on two big screens that described the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago as "third world" and "bulls***." And though both Trump and Reynolds took Democrats to task for their support of transgender students and athletes, the event playlist featured "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie which has been described as a song about a transgender girl who eventually finds confidence in herself. What's ahead? Trump's rally came as the former president appears poised to launch a 2024 White House bid once the midterms have concluded. At a recent event in Robstown, Texas, Trump talked about his successful 2016 campaign and failed 2020 re-election effort before teasing a third run. During the Sioux City speech, Trump maintained the idea: "In order to make our country very successful, and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again." As he toys with announcing his candidacy, Trump continues to be mired in a litany of controversies and lawsuits. "We want to frame things so that Thomas could be the one to issue some sort of stay or other circuit justice opinion saying Georgia is in legitimate doubt, Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro wrote in a Dec. 31, 2020, email obtained by Congressional investigators. "Realistically, our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress, is from Thomas." On Jan. 6, 2021, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to prevent Congress from formalizing the electoral votes to make Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States of America. Stronger after attacks Trump told the crowd of several hundred that the reason for all of the lawsuits and all of the negativity directed his way was for one reason and one reason alone. "Theyre coming after me because Im fighting for you," Trump said. Trump ended on the theme of fighting and said it would pay dividends. "We will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And we will make America great again." Metro Sioux City should build on its status as a blue-collar city to help grow the local economy, the new chair of The Siouxland Initiative said Friday. Eroding trust in US elections taxes state investigators SALEM, Ore. (AP) As complaints about elections, many of them unfounded, pile up around the country, investigators tasked with dealing with them find themselves on the front line of defending the integrity of Americas system for choosing local, state and national leaders. In blue states like Oregon and red states like Idaho, elections officials say investigating the complaints is critical for maintaining voter confidence. Many are dealing with a sharp increase of complaints in the runup to the 2022 midterm election after unfounded claims of rampant voter fraud in 2020. In Oregon, the front line crosses the desk of Alma Whalen, a 28-year-old who oversees election law investigations, campaign finance disclosures and compliance for the state's elections division. At least 204 accusations have been filed this year, according to a complaints log obtained through a public records request. The complaints include accusations of campaign finance violations, public employees campaigning while on the job, and someone yelling about signs on lawns. Almost 20% of the accusations are about purported crimes. Details on those are exempt from disclosure under Oregon law and werent included in the document. Russian soldiers enter Kherson homes, dig in for urban war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian soldiers are forcing Ukrainian civilians from their apartments in the occupied capital of the Kherson region and moving in themselves, a resident said Friday as the southern city became a growing focus of war in Ukraine. His account of soldiers spreading throughout the city of Kherson suggested that Russia could be preparing for intense urban warfare in anticipation of Ukrainian advances. Russia-installed authorities in Kherson continued to urge civilians to leave the city, which lies on the western bank of the Dnieper River and has been cut off from supplies and food by Ukrainian bombardment. Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the region's Kremlin-appointed administration, reiterated calls for civilians to depart for the other bank of the river. Stremousov said Thursday that Russian forces might soon withdraw from Kherson city. On Friday, he said the statement was merely an attempt to encourage evacuations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested the Russians were feigning a pullout from Kherson in order to lure the Ukrainian army into an entrenched battle. Zelenskyy called attempts to convince civilians to move deeper into Russian-controlled territory theater. AP source: Trump ally appears before Mar-a-Lago grand jury WASHINGTON (AP) A close ally of former President Donald Trump who has said he was present as Trump declassified broad categories of materials has appeared before a federal grand jury after being given immunity for his testimony, according to a person familiar with the matter. Kash Patel testified Thursday after the Justice Department granted him immunity from prosecution and after a federal judge in Washington entered a sealed order to that effect. He had invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an earlier appearance before the grand jury, but the Justice Department in an apparent acknowledgment of his importance as a witness later granted him a limited form of immunity that protects him from having his testimony used against him. In a statement Friday issued through a spokesperson, Patel made clear that his appearance was not voluntary and denied that he had reached any sort of immunity deal with the Justice Department. Rather, his testimony was compelled over his objection through the only legal means available to the government a grant of limited immunity, the statement said. Nike splits with Kyrie Irving amid antisemitism fallout Nike has suspended its relationship with Kyrie Irving and canceled its plans to release his next signature shoe, the latest chapter in the ongoing fallout since the Brooklyn Nets guard tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic material. The shoe giant announced Friday night that it will halt its relationship with Irving, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs. The Nets made that move Thursday, banning Irving without pay for at least five games, and a day later, Nike made its decision. Those actions followed widespread criticism from, among many others, the Anti-Defamation League and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the Beaverton, Oregon-based company said. To that end, weve made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8." Irving has had a signature line with Nike since 2014. Pelosi makes first public remarks since husband's assault SAN FRANCISCO (AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her first public appearance since the brutal attack on her husband, rallied grassroots activists Friday, saying the midterm elections for control of Congress are a fight for democracy and very winnable. People say to me, What can I do to make you feel better? I say: Vote! Pelosi told those on the call. I believe that this race is very winnable, Pelosi said. Her voice cracked at times as she said of her husband's recovery, "Its going to be a long haul. Pelosi thanked those on a video call for the outpouring of support for Paul Pelosi, 82, who suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home late last week and bludgeoned him with a hammer in what authorities say was an intentional and political attack. Twitter slashes its staff as Musk era takes hold on platform Twitter began widespread layoffs Friday as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the company, raising grave concerns about chaos enveloping the social media platform and its ability to fight disinformation just days ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The speed and size of the cuts also opened Musk and Twitter to lawsuits. At least one was filed alleging Twitter violated federal law by not providing fired employees the required notice. The San Francisco-based company told workers by email Thursday that they would learn Friday if they had been laid off. About half of the companys staff of 7,500 was let go, Yoel Roth, Twitters head of safety & integrity, confirmed in a tweet. Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no choice but to cut the jobs when the company is losing over $4M/day." He did not provide details on the daily losses at the company and said employees who lost their jobs were offered three months' pay as a severance. No other social media platform comes close to Twitter as a place where public agencies and other vital service providers election boards, police departments, utilities, schools and news outlets keep people reliably informed. Many fear Musks layoffs will gut it and render it lawless. Giant, sustainable rainforest fish is now fashion in America TRES RIOS, Brazil (AP) Sometimes you start something and have no idea where it will lead. So it was with Eduardo Filgueiras, a struggling guitarist whose family worked in an unusual business in Rio de Janeiro: They farmed toads. Filgueiras figured out a way to take the small toad skins and fuse them together, creating something large enough to sell. Meanwhile miles away in the Amazon, a fisherman and a scientist were coming up with an innovation that would help save a key, giant fish that thrives in freshwater lakes alongside Amazon River tributaries. The ingenuity of these three men is why you can now find a beautiful and unusual sustainable fish leather in upscale New York bags, Texas cowboy boots and in a striking image from Rihannas Vogue pregnancy photo shoot, where a red, fish-scaled jacket hangs open above her belly. Sales provide a livable income to hundreds of Amazon families who also keep the forest standing and healthy while it protects their livelihood. MANAGING A GIANT The leather is a byproduct of pirarucu meat, a staple food in the Amazon that is gaining new markets in Brazils largest cities. Death in US gene therapy study sparks search for answers The lone volunteer in a unique study involving a gene-editing technique has died, and those behind the trial are now trying to figure out what killed him. Terry Horgan, a 27-year-old who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, died last month, according to Cure Rare Disease, a Connecticut-based nonprofit founded by his brother, Rich, to try and save him from the fatal condition. Although little is known about how he died, his death occurred during one of the first studies to test a gene editing treatment built for one person. It's raising questions about the overall prospect of such therapies, which have buoyed hopes among many families facing rare and devastating diseases. This whole notion that we can do designer genetic therapies is, I would say, uncertain, said Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York University who is not involved in the study. We are out on the far edge of experimentation." The early-stage safety study was sponsored by the nonprofit, led by Dr. Brenda Wong at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The hope was to use a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to treat Horgan's particular form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The rare, genetic muscle-wasting disease is caused by a mutation in the gene needed to produce a protein called dystrophin. Most people with Duchenne die from lung or heart issues caused by it. Trump ally Tom Barrack acquitted of foreign agent charges NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump's inaugural committee chair, Tom Barrack, was acquitted of all counts Friday at a federal trial in which he was accused of using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates. The jury in Brooklyn deliberated three days before finding Barrack not guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, obstruction of justice and making false statements. Barrack had vehemently denied the charges. Barrack, a 75-year-old California billionaire, is an old friend of Trump and chaired the Republican's inaugural committee. He was among a long line of Trump associates to face various criminal charges. The verdict touched off a tearful celebration among Barrack and his supporters, who took group photos in the courtroom. Outside court, Barrack proclaimed, God bless America, and said that he intended to get a drink and go see the Statue of Liberty. He told reporters that he was thankful that the jury understood such complex and believable facts in front of them. Im proud to be an American. It's that time: Daylight saving time out, standard time in WASHINGTON (AP) A transition is coming across most of the United States, and it has nothing to do with the election. Daylight saving time is out, standard time is in this weekend. Standard time begins at 2 a.m. local time Sunday and lasts until March 12. Relish the chance to catch up on sleep and remember to set clocks back an hour before going to bed Saturday night. The time change means darkness will arrive earlier in the evening but it will be lighter earlier in the morning than now. Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. The Democratic Partys most powerful voices are warning that abortion, Social Security and democracy itself are at risk as they labor to overcome fierce political headwinds over the final weekend of the 2022 campaign. At a rally in Pittsburgh, former President Barack Obama told several hundred voters that sulking and moping is not an option. Looking ahead to Election Day on Tuesday, he said, The only way to save democracy is if we, together, fight for it. In Philadelphia, President Joe Biden joined Obama at another rally. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump campaigned in southwest Pennsylvania to boost Republicans, calling the U.S. "a country in decline under Democrats. The former warden of an abuse-plagued federal womens prison known as the rape club went on trial Monday. The former warden is accused of molesting inmates and forcing them to pose naked in their cells. Ray J. Garcia retired after the FBI found nude photos of inmates on his government-issued phone last year. Garcia is among five workers charged with abusing inmates at the federal correctional institution in Dublin, California, and the first to go to trial. Prosecutors said during opening statements that Garcia followed a pattern that started with compliments and flattery and escalated to sexual encounters. Garcia has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Garcia would face up to 15 years in prison. Democratic nominee Patty Pansing Brooks said Friday that she is the 1st District congressional candidate who would work in a bipartisan manner to "fight for Nebraskans" rather than "walk lockstep with party bosses" as she says Republican Rep. Mike Flood has done since his election to the House in June. Pansing Brooks, a Lincoln state senator, pointed to what she described as "some of the worst votes Mike Flood has taken" at a news conference in Lincoln that featured endorsements from a number of supporters, including Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, and retired Lincoln police officer Albert Maxey. Voters will choose between the two candidates on Tuesday with a spotlight turning toward Sarpy County residents in Papillion and La Vista who have recently been moved from metropolitan Omaha's 2nd District into eastern Nebraska's 1st District and could be key to the outcome of the contest. When Flood and Pansing Brooks first met at a special election in June to determine who would serve the remaining six months of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's term following his resignation, Flood prevailed by 6,234 votes, winning all 12 counties other than Lancaster, which Pansing Brooks won by more than 10,000 votes. Flood won in Sarpy County by 754 votes. "Patty is a champion for our children," Benson said at the news conference. Maxey said Flood has voted in the House "against bills that law enforcement wanted," including establishment of an Amber Alert-like network for emergencies involving active shooters. Earlier, Flood joined with Republican members of the House Oversight Committee to ask Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas how the Biden administration plans to "fix the largest border crisis in our nation's history." "We cannot endure another year of the Biden administration's failed border policies," their letter stated. The western border of Atchison County, Missouri, follows the twisting path of the Missouri River. Acres of corn and soy fields once lined its shores, but after a nearby levee suffered seven breaches in the Flood of 2019, the cropland was ruined. A large pond filled with water and lined with prairie grasses marks where an old levee was breached in 2019 during flooding of the Missouri River in Atchison County, Mo. Instead of rebuilding, the community decided to move the levee, making more space for flooding. (Eva Tesfaye / Harvest Public Media) Instead of rebuilding the levee and replanting the crops, Atchison County decided to let the floodplain be a floodplain. Knee-high prairie grass now covers the open space, providing a greener, more sustainable form of flood control. Its nuts how bad things were, said Regan Griffin, a local farmer and Atchison Levee Board member. But how quickly nature reclaimed stuff here we are, everythings growing back already. People have lived along the river for millennia, the benefits competing with the risks. Modern levee systems built in response to past disasters like the Floods of 1927 or 1993 arent designed for the newest risk: increased rainfall caused by climate change. Refugees camp in tents on a levee in Natchez, Miss., during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. (Courtesy of the Family of Cpt. Jack Sammons via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Refugees camp in tents on a levee in Natchez, Miss., during the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. (Courtesy of the Family of Cpt. Jack Sammons via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Everyone agrees theres more water, journalist Tyler J. Kelley, who authored Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on Americas Waterways said. The question is, what do you do about it? With rivers pushed to the brink, municipalities have struggled to keep their residents safe. Many across the basin like Atchison are shifting away from traditional mitigation tactics to make room for the water instead. Creative, nature-based solutions might mean river communities look a lot different in 100 years: greener, safer and more sustainable. But for these efforts to become widespread, theyll need support and resources. An engineered past Before humans tampered with its flow, the Mississippi River meandered. High waters bathed thousands of square miles of floodplain, bringing rich sediment to swamps and forests. The Missouri River, marked here with a sign in front of wetland trees and grasses, flooded Atchison County, Mo., in 2019. Hundreds were evacuated as the overall river flooding submerged 56,000 acres and destroyed $25 million in farmland. (Eva Tesfaye / Harvest Public Media) The Missouri River, marked here with a sign in front of wetland trees and grasses, flooded Atchison County, Mo., in 2019. Hundreds were evacuated as the overall river flooding submerged 56,000 acres and destroyed $25 million in farmland. (Eva Tesfaye / Harvest Public Media) Flooding was a natural, almost yearly phenomenon, not a devastating occurrence at intervals of decades, historian and author Albert E. Cowdrey wrote in a 1979 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report. Indigenous peoples adapted to the Mississippis unpredictability. But early European settlers restrained rivers raising natural levees and cutting off access to floodplains for navigation, agriculture and development. As settlers along the river go from subsistence farming to raising surplus crops for sale, they need a place to ship, John Anfinson, author of The River We Have Wrought: A History Of The Upper Mississippi, said. Rivers are the natural conduit of American expansion. The Army Corps of Engineers built channels and levees for navigation throughout the late 1800s. When it began managing flood control, it prioritized protecting agricultural lands built in floodplains, which often meant building or expanding levees. These protective measures proved fruitless against the Great Flood of 1927. A house is swept away by torrential floodwaters in the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. The precise location where this archival photograph was taken is unknown. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District) It was tremendously destructive, Kelley said. There were levees all up and down the whole river by 27. But they werent equipped for floods like that. Months of heavy rainfall plunged 27,000 square miles of land underwater after the levee system collapsed. Flood waters didnt subside for months, killing as many as 1,000 people and displacing more than half a million from Illinois to Louisiana. The overall damage was equivalent to around a third of the federal budget at the time. While the Flood of 1927 largely impacted the Lower Mississippi, the Upper Mississippi had its own reckoning during the Great Flood of 1993. Increased rainfall claimed 50 victims and around $15 billion in damages across nine states. More recently, floods in 2011 and 2019 also rocked the region their relative proximity to each other underscored the growing influence of climate change, Anfinson said. The countrys primary reaction to these major floods was to continue fortifying levees to protect agricultural and urban areas. That historical infrastructure still defines the basins contours. But its aging, like much American infrastructure, and not built to withstand new threats. It wasnt that the levees are broken, Kelley said. Its just that they arent really built for the weather of the future. From mitigation to adaptation The Cedar River runs through the heart of Cedar Rapids, Iowas second most populous city. During the Flood of 2008, the river drowned the city. Existing levees couldnt protect the area from the record-setting 31-foot crest. The Cedar River flood caused an estimated $7 billion in damage and destroyed properties, and residents feared the day the water would rise again. Their new plan? Making more room for the river and integrating flood infrastructure into plain sight. Marooned buildings in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 13, 2008, the day the river crested at 31.12 feet. (Liz Martin / The Gazette) A new amphitheater, encircled by a berm, doubles as a basin designed to take on water. Further downstream, a levee was moved back a few blocks. Bridges, trails and buildings are being raised higher to temper future flooding, and altogether, the city is opening up 77 acres of floodplain after purchasing 1,400 properties. Rob Davis helped restore damaged buildings after the flood surged through the city. Now, he is heading efforts to combine flood control, recreation and nature as Cedar Rapids flood control program manager. Were working with the environment, but weve not lost the community aspect or the business aspect, he said. Other municipalities across the basin are also embracing waterways in the form of green infrastructure or nature-based solutions, said Laura Lightbody, project director of The Pew Charitable Trusts Flood-Prepared Communities project. Communities are opening up floodplains. Cities and towns can enact building restrictions in flood-prone areas. Governments also buy flood-prone properties, letting residents relocate to safer locations while converting the areas back to green space. The McGrath Amphitheatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, takes on water Sept. 26, 2016. It was one of the citys early flood control projects after the epic 2008 flood, a project doubling as a flood wall and a community space. (Jim Slosiarek/ The Gazette) Research has found that these nature-based solutions successfully mitigate flooding. Proactive buyouts provide permanent solutions for communities in harms way. When paired with those buyouts, levee setbacks reduced flood risks in every studied scenario in the Mississippi River. The resulting floodplains offer opportunities for recreation, ecotourism and increased ecosystem services. Theres more and more research thats making it more compellingand its often less costly, Lightbody said. I think thats why were seeing more of it. Changing infrastructure takes money and action Although several cities and counties across the basin are shifting away from controlling rivers, experts say there isnt enough widespread support yet due to local political and economic interests. Proactive flood control measures arent always politically popular, especially when policymakers must decide which areas to revert back to floodplains. Giving rivers that room often means taking space away from future development in seemingly prime riverfront real estate, and implementing the appropriate zoning changes takes time. A map of the Atchison County Levee Setback Project shows where the previously existing levee was removed and a new levee built to open up new riverside land, reconnecting 1,040 acres of flood plain. (Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy) The answer is simple, right? Dont keep building new communities in these flood-risk areas, Lightbody said. Infrastructure updates are also expensive, and many small towns lack the capital. Congress has slowly begun to direct agencies to craft programs that offer communities more support. For instance, in 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program geared toward funding locally-led projects that fortify areas before disasters strike. This October, FEMA will have $2.3 billion for such projects a windfall compared to past years, but still a fraction of the $460 billion spent on disaster response between 2005 and 2019. So far, Mississippi River communities have also received a smaller percentage of BRIC dollars than coastal states, according to a Headwaters Economics analysis. A FEMA official told the Ag & Water Desk the agency is working to make the money more accessible to small towns like those in the river basin. The Army Corps of Engineers also is working on adapting its programs, operations and policies to be more proactive. It has established a Responses to Climate Change program, which aims to ensure that future mitigation projects are built with resiliency in mind. Robert Matya, the corps project manager for the Omaha district, helped with Atchisons levee setback. Our current efforts are really to investigate and build innovative climate resilient infrastructure that protects communities and the ecosystems in the places we serve and live, he said. When it comes to protecting against future flood risk for Mississippi River basin communities, experts agree: levees and floodwalls alone arent working anymore. Flood risk will continue to increase, and communities will need to make room for the water. And the time to act is now. Locks and dams are the concrete and steel embodiment of past visions for the river, Anfinson said. What is our 21st Century vision? Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Brazil held a presidential election last Sunday. Heres how The Wall Street Journal reported the result: Brazilians elected Luiz Lula da Silva to the presidency again on Sunday, ousting incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percent of the vote. Latin Americas largest country is gambling again on left-wing populism that has failed so often in the past. Did that last part strike you as familiar, because it is so often replicated here? To repeat: left-wing populism that has failed so often in the past. Liberalism, even socialism extending in some countries to communism, continues to spread in South and Central America. Why? I think it has something to do with intentions and feelings. It doesnt matter whether an idea or program works, only that people feel good about themselves by advocating for them. In this failed philosophy, intentions matter more than outcomes. Luiz da Silva vowed to help the poor. If he had the power and will to help the poor, presumably to elevate themselves out of poverty rather than sustain them in it, why didnt he do so during his two previous presidencies, from 2003 to 2011? Did no one in the media, or his opponent, bother to ask him that question? And what about the voters? Why would they vote for someone who failed to perform on two previous occasions? North American liberals promise a better life for people who vote for them. Record spending on anti-poverty programs has failed to reverse poverty and yet people continue to vote for liberal Democrats, believing their empty promises. Instead, we get higher taxes, more debt and a social agenda that is tearing the country apart. A few years ago, I wrote a book called What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America. In it I tried to bridge the gap between left and right by asking legislators to center on programs that have succeeded and discard those that have failed. This is the way businesses operate. If a sales plan isnt working and ones competition is doing better, you have two choices: double-down on failure, or change plans. Only in government do failed and costly programs go on forever. A government bureau, as Ronald Reagan once said, ...is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! With a predicted Republican majority in the House and possibly the Senate after next weeks midterm election, Republicans must focus on cutting spending by examining and keeping programs that work and repealing those that dont live up to their legislative goals. Social Security and Medicare also must be reformed to preserve both programs. The left will devolve to its usual scare tactics that Republicans want to eliminate both. The GOP better have a credible answer this time. What could be ahead for Brazil was also summarized by the Journal: (da Silva) won with his appeals to the poor despite his conviction for corruption. Before his Workers Party (PT) ceded power in 2016, it orchestrated the largest corruption scheme in Latin American history, using the national development bank, the state-owned oil company, Congress and private contractors. The money machine was designed to entrench his party in power. Sound familiar? It is not common sense to continue to vote for politicians who make promises and dont deliver and simultaneously are stained by corruption. Brazil and much of the rest of Latin America, is flirting with economic, social and political disaster by embracing left-wing populism. North Americans would do well to take note and vote accordingly and intelligently. One of this weeks viral news stories involves two young women whose names most people surely do not know. Mariana Varela and Fabiola Valentin, who in a 2020 beauty pageant earned the titles of Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico, respectively, announced in a joint Instagram post that they got married last Friday. The wedding announcement made it into several major news outlets in the U.S. and around the world. After making it to the pageant top 10, the two beauty queens appeared to remain close friends on social media, CNN reported on Thursday. What fans didnt know is they were secretly dating the whole time. Advertisement Without exception, writers spun it as a feel-good storyand, of course it is. Weddings are happy occasions. Love is lovely. Two women finding queer sex and romance in a place where gender nonconformity goes to die is an indisputable triumph. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But as it spread, the story also started to make me feel a little insane. No one seemed to want to acknowledge the unseemly impulses behind our gawping fascination. Forgive me, for it is about to get a little less feel-good in here. Beauty pageants are businesses, and particularly vulgar ones at that. They have also never been as meaningless and irrelevant as they are now, when any hot person can become an Instagram influencer without setting foot on a casino stage. Yet dozens of media outlets are credulously leading with these womens titles as if they hold political office or something, and as if we all know what Miss Argentina means. We dont: To the extent that the titles Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico mean something to you at all, youre probably thinking of a Miss Universe competitor. To make matters even more stupid, the two women met at the Miss Grand International competition, not even one of the Big Four pageants. Advertisement Advertisement So lets lay it on the table. The only reason why the Varela-Valentin nuptials are of any interest to anyone is that it feels like a surprise, and it is only a surprise because of a homophobic instinct. We are lightly bemused when we discover that conventionally attractive, hyper-feminine women are queer, especially when they are conventionally attractive and hyper-feminine enough to win competitions based entirely on those two qualities. These women built their careers by molding themselves into the ideal female form as determined, largely, by male desireand ended up desiring each other. Advertisement It shouldnt be a surprise that two hot people in the same industry found they had a lot in common and fell in love. But because of our stereotypes about what queer women look like, it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We also dont expect queer women to embrace the body fascism of the pageant circuit as eagerly as certain segments of gay male culture embrace gym addiction, youth worship, and performance-enhancing drugs. That presumption has a little more meat behind it, and its the far more interesting part of this viral news item, in my opinion. Lesbians have been at the forefront of movements for fat positivity and against the notion that a womans value can be measured by her aesthetic appeal. Now we choose to celebrate the story of two queer women who have, instead, tied their fortunes to an institution that enthusiastically reproduces that exact model of one-dimensional female worth. Therein lies another facet of the viral titillation this story has inspired. Like the Bachelor contestants in Australia and Vietnam who allegedly fell in love with one another instead of the men at the center of the show, the Varela-Valentin story has traveled on the sense (unacknowledged, again, by journalists) that these two women were heretofore sexually available to men, as demonstrated by their participation in sexist beauty contests, and have now turned their back on that sexual market in a shocking and vaguely duplicitous way. (There has been some absurd social media chatter to this effect.) Several news outlets called their marriage a twist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What is the twist, here? Is the twist that they were assumed to be straight, and are not? That they were competitors in a contest and are now partners in life? That they were doing a great job of being closeted, and have now come out? The putatively joyful revelation that they were lovers all along, even as they pretended to be gal pals in their Instagram posts for two years, does not warm my heart. I find it terribly sad. Advertisement The prospect of beauty competitions becoming hotbeds of lesbian lovemakingand the media looking on hungrily as a result, being forced to pretend that the love lives of competitors in a second-rate pageant franchise are somehow newsworthystrikes me as the end of something. Is it the nail in the coffin of heterosexuality, whose next-to-last bastion of unapologetic reverence is finally going gay? Or should it mark a turn toward homo-pessimism, as queer women begin openly occupying ever more extreme positions in the infrastructure of gender conformity and institutionalized expressions of straight male desire? Ill leave it to the judges of the swimsuit portion to decide. Former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo is being sued and criminally investigated. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images). Bexar County Sheriffs Office has launched a criminal investigation into former San Antonio Spurs first-round draft pick Josh Primo, officials confirmed to The Athletic Friday. Former Spurs psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen and her attorney Tony Buzbee announced on Thursday that they filed a lawsuit against the team and Primo over the handling of Cauthen's allegations that Primo exposed himself to her nine times. Cauthen also filed a criminal complaint against Primo. We expect them to prosecute, Buzbee said at the Houston news conference. A day later, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office is reported to have made contact with Cauthen, saying preliminary investigation into the allegations is underway." Primo, a promising prospect in the 2021 NBA draft, was unexpectedly cut from the team on Oct. 28. While no reason was given, Primo released a statement to ESPN that evening saying he had been seeking treatment "to deal with previous trauma I suffered." A day later, ESPN reported Primo had been released because he had allegedly exposed himself to women multiple times. Cauthen said on Thursday that she first notified the Spurs about an incident with Primo in January. She claims the Spurs took no action at that time, and she was asked to continue meeting with Primo despite her reports of his behavior. Buzbee said Cauthen lost her "dream job" because the Spurs "ignored her repeated reports of indecent exposure on the part of Primo." The organization I worked for has failed me," Cauthen said. "It took the Spurs 10 months to do the right thing. And thats too long. In a statement released Thursday, Primo's lawyers said Cauthen came forward with the allegations to use ugly stereotypes and racially charged fears for her own financial gain. Buzbee said the lawsuit is not seeking monetary damages. Spurs CEO RC Buford released a statement on Thursday saying, "We disagree with the accuracy of facts, details and timeline presented today. While we would like to share more information, we will allow the legal process to play out." Story continues Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked by the San Antonio Express-News prior to the team's game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday if he was made aware of Cauthen's allegations against Primo in June. "I understand your question and your desire to get as many details as you can," Popovich said. "As you also know, this is in the hands of lawyers now. So we can't go there. I'm not going to go there. It's up to them. They're going to talk about it, they're going to argue about it, they're going to go back and forth. That's what they do. While that's going on, we can't talk about details. "I will say, I stand by the statement that came out yesterday from the Spurs organization, in contrast to many of the things that were said at the press conference. I would only add that anybody that has observed the Spurs over a very long period of time knows that an accusation like this would be taken very seriously. Without any doubt whatsoever. No equivocation. The Spurs organization would be on top of it. https://sputniknews.com/20221105/african-development-bank-raises-31bln-at-investment-forum-as-africa-warned-not-to-sell-out-to-west-1103818957.html African Development Bank Raises $31Bln at Investment Forum, as Africa Warned Not to Sell Out to West African Development Bank Raises $31Bln at Investment Forum, as Africa Warned Not to Sell Out to West Friday concluded the African Investment Forum, which this year was held in in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; there Africa's leaders asked for an end to the prejudice... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T15:28+0000 2022-11-05T15:28+0000 2022-11-23T11:37+0000 africa bank world bank investment agricultural agriculture forum african development bank group west africa /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103819047_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_98f51a8e19c919a65de5515c506c70db.jpg According to Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, the institution secured $31 billion in investment commitments for projects during the Africa Investment Forum. According to Adesina, the secured funding raises the overall investment for the year to nearly $64 billion. At a prior meeting in March, the bank raised $32.8 billion. The bank's president did not provide many details about the upcoming projects. He mentioned, however, that agricultural processing zones would be among the areas of concentration.Projects from industries like agriculture and agroprocessing, education, energy and climate, healthcare, minerals and mining, and information and communications technology were previously announced earlier in the year.Earlier this week on the forum's platform, Adesina urged the financial organizations and private investors to plow money into Africa, cautioning that many impressions of the continent's investment climate is biased.He cited research from Moody's Analytics, showing that the continent of Africa has the lowest global rate of infrastructure project defaults (5.5% against Western Europe with 5.9%, North America with 7.6%, Eastern Europe with 8.6%, Asia with 8.8% and Latin America at 12.9%).Nations Advised to Seek Funding Within AfricaAfrican development finance organizations have advised governments against using their nation's natural resources as security for infrastructure loans because doing so would be equivalent to "mortgaging their future" to lenders, the African media reported. The finance expert advised that states look into public-private partnerships to fund their development initiatives, noting that the majority of the continent's states had become heavily indebted and that the instability of the global economy was making their debt situation worse, so it was necessary to take it slow when borrowing in order to look into less expensive methods of financing development.Apart from that, the lenders have reportedly pledged to work with African countries to increase the capacity of the continent for agriculture, renewable energy, and the production of electric vehicles.Additionally, the participants pressured the International Monetary Fund to use them as a conduit for the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) funds that will be used to build infrastructure on the continent. The IMF issued the most special drawing rights it has ever issued in 2021, totaling $650 billion. However, just $33 billion of the total amount went to Africa. https://sputniknews.com/20221103/africa-a-better-investment-bet-than-europe-says-development-bank-president-1103544192.html https://sputniknews.com/20221005/why-western-countries-are-interested-in-maintaining-energy-poverty-in-africa-1101522117.html africa west africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev african development, african development bank group, akinwumi adesina, africa investment, african problems, africa unite, african agriculture, investment in africa, world financial institutions https://sputniknews.com/20221105/ahead-of-cop27-egypt-accuses-governments-of-inability-to-keep-their-hefty-public-climate-promises-1103816298.html Ahead of COP27, Egypt Accuses Governments of Inability to Keep Their Hefty Public Climate Promises Ahead of COP27, Egypt Accuses Governments of Inability to Keep Their Hefty Public Climate Promises At virtually every climate summit, the attending countries make serious promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and switch to clean energy, but the world... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T14:01+0000 2022-11-05T14:01+0000 2022-11-23T11:37+0000 africa climate climate change global climate paris climate deal cop27 in egypt the united nations (un) egypt north africa /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103816754_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_040f0dec899f15bd2fe0d40e809e120d.jpg A senior Egyptian diplomat in charge of the upcoming UN climate summit, COP27, has accused the world's governments convening for crucial climate talks of making encouraging statements in public but afterwards retracting them in the privacy of negotiations.Countries' public declarations of support that do not take into account the roadblocks that have emerged in the negotiations on crucial topics like climate finance, loss and damage, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions have frustrated Egypt.The formal discussions in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh are expected to begin on Sunday. At least 120 heads of state and government are set to meet on Monday for two days of intensive negotiations to determine the positions that their negotiators will adopt during almost two weeks of ensuing talks.Showing development in climate financing, according to Aboulmagd, is crucial for this year's conference. To assist them in reducing emissions and preparing for the effects of extreme weather, developing nations have been promised $100 billion annually starting in 2020. However, this commitment has not yet been fulfilled.Although the Green Climate Fund was created as a mechanism for allocating the funds, its efficacy has been widely questioned over time. Last week, Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has called for greater transparency in climate financing because he has no idea what happened to the $100 billion per year that was promised to fight the effects of global warming in developing nations, namely in the drought-hit countries of Africa.On Friday, the African Petroleum Producers Organization held its annual Ministerial Council session, which observed that as foreign financiers invest "less and less" in Africa's oil and gas sector, difficulties will unavoidably arise for the continent's industry. The members of the group also voted to look for funding to support energy projects in Africa, mainly for the oil and gas sector.According to the available data, few governments in wealthy nations intend to set significant new targets for reducing carbon emissions or for increasing financial assistance to developing nations dealing with the effects of the climate change. Many nations, especially in Africa, hope to see the COP27 agenda prioritize loss and damage. Africa is more affected by climate change than any other continent despite contributing only a small fraction of the world's emissions.African leaders will attend the summit along with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the presidents of France and the European Commission, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen. US president Joe Biden is expected to attend, although not for the first two days of the leaders' meeting. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese leader Xi Jingping are not anticipated to visit the conference. https://sputniknews.com/20221028/will-cop27-address-africa-climate-issues-and-loss--damage-compensation-1102798716.html https://sputniknews.com/20221104/climate-crisis-brings-hunger-disease-to-horn-of-africa-who-warns-1103779803.html africa egypt north africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev un climate summit, cop27, climate crisis, climate change, egypt cop27 summit, africa climate crisis, climate crisis in africa, drought in africa, egypt diplomat, joe biden https://sputniknews.com/20221105/amber-heard-has-moved-to-europe-and-is-focused-on-being-a-mother-source-says-1103803010.html Amber Heard Has Moved to Europe and is Focused on Being a Mother, Source Says Amber Heard Has Moved to Europe and is Focused on Being a Mother, Source Says The actress drew a deluge of negative media attention during a lengthy defamation trial in which her ex-husband, the actor Johnny Depp, was awarded $10.35... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T00:19+0000 2022-11-05T00:19+0000 2022-11-05T03:58+0000 viral amber heard johnny depp celebrity celebrity gossip /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/06/13/1096456660_0:194:3073:1922_1920x0_80_0_0_801b9b7bc1c1a3619e26939beceb2a8b.jpg Amber Heard, 36, is done with the United States. The Aquaman star has reportedly hopped across the pond and is hiding out while raising her 18 month-old daughter Oonagh Paige. Its unclear who the father of Oonagh is, though some have rumored that the baby could belong to the richest man in the world ex-boyfriend Elon Musk who is believed to have acted as a sperm donor."The trial was exhausting for her," an insider said of Heard. "She missed her little girl."Its unclear which country in Europe the star has fled to, but reports say she was spotted in the small Spanish coastal town of Costitx, and on the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca with her daughter and her close friend and ex-partner Bianca Butti.Heard has reportedly been renting a luxury Spanish villa under the pseudonym Martha Jane Cannary, a historical character who is better known as Calamity Jane. Some see the alias as a direct attack against her ex-husband, Depp, who has Native American roots, because Calamity Jane was a 19th century frontierswoman who fought against Native Americans who opposed colonization.Five months ago the John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard trial came to an end. Depp had filed a complaint of defamation against his ex-wife Heard over a 2018 op-ed she had written for The Washington Post in which she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.Depp denied all forms of physical and sexual abuse which Heard had accused him of, while Depps legal team argued that Heard was the abuser in their marriage. A seven-person jury found Heard guilty of defaming Depp, though he was not mentioned by name in op-ed. Depp won all three defamation claims and was awarded more than $10 million in damages. Heard was awarded $2 million after she won one of her three countersuit claims.Depp has appealed the $2 million that was awarded to Heard, while Heard reportedly had to sell her home in California to pay off her debt to her ex-husband, and still owes her legal team a hefty sum according to reports. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg amber heard, johnny depp, celebrity, celebrity gossip Police very slow to confront U.S. Uvalde school mass shooting: CNN Xinhua) 10:04, November 05, 2022 NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The entire law enforcement response has been condemned, almost from start to finish, in handling the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 this year, reported CNN on Wednesday. It's more than 30 minutes since the teenager murderer entered the school and shot his way into classrooms 111 and 112. "And it takes 40 more minutes from Khloie (Torres) giving details to authorities until a strike team burst into the room, challenging the gunman at 12:50 p.m.," it noted. "I'm in classroom 112," the little girl told the police dispatcher. "Please hurry. There is a lot of dead bodies ... Please get help. I don't wanna die. My teacher is dead. Oh, my God." "Agencies have blamed each other in changing narratives since the massacre," "for not following up on the initial attempt to go into the classroom when the gunman fired back, to treating the suspect as barricaded but not an active threat, and long waits for equipment and specialist personnel," added CNN. The shooting is the third-deadliest school shooting in the United States, claiming the lives of 19 students and two teachers. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liu Ning) https://sputniknews.com/20221105/biden-admits-republicans-may-impeach-him-if-they-win-back-house-and-senate--1103808192.html Biden Admits Republicans May Impeach Him if They Win Back House and Senate Biden Admits Republicans May Impeach Him if They Win Back House and Senate A number of conservative US lawmakers have repeatedly signaled their readiness to bring articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden if Republicans win... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T08:29+0000 2022-11-05T08:29+0000 2022-11-15T08:57+0000 americas joe biden republicans impeachment us us congress border republicans democrats /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103807876_0:133:3173:1917_1920x0_80_0_0_e898bb1e290cdfb717ea2107ca511b9d.jpg US President Joe Biden seems to have acknowledged that Republicans possibly taking over Congress in next week's midterm elections may lead to him being impeached.In an address to his supporters in San Diego, Biden said that he was already being told if they [GOP members] win back the House and Senate, they're gonna [sic] impeach him.This followed No. 3 House Republican Elise Stefanik telling US media earlier this month that GOP lawmakers could decide to impeach the 46th president next year after probing his familys foreign consulting businesses and his illegal request that OPEC+ delay oil production cuts until after the midterm elections.The chair of the House Republican Conference argued that when theres an egregious abuse of power and high crimes and misdemeanors, that means anything is on the table. Stefanik insisted that the White Houses request related to OPEC+ was a very egregious, inappropriate and illegal action by the president.The remarks were preceded by House Republican Bob Good stressing that he had consistently said President Biden should be impeached for intentionally opening our border and making Americans less safe. According to him, Congress has a duty to hold the President accountable for this and any other failures of his Constitutional responsibilities, so a new Republican majority must be prepared to aggressively conduct oversight on day one.A recent YouGov survey revealed that at least 27% of US adult citizens expect a Republican-led Congress would impeach Biden a view that is shared by roughly equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, 32% and 29%, respectively.Last year saw an array of GOP lawmakers accuse Biden of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and blame him for a spate of his policy failings, including the US chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the migrant crisis plaguing the US southern border with Mexico. https://sputniknews.com/20220716/report-potential-midterms-failure-places-biden-at-risk-of-impeachment-1097385207.html https://sputniknews.com/20221026/bidens-approval-rating-slumps-to-new-low-as-dems-brace-for-painful-midterms-1102667874.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg next week's midterm elections, us president joe biden admits, republicans may impeach biden, white houses request related to opec+ , recent yougov survey https://sputniknews.com/20221105/canada-based-gangster-takes-responsibility-for-plotting-murder-of-hindu-radical-leader-sudhir-suri-1103810471.html Canada-Based Gangster Takes Responsibility For Plotting Murder Of Hindu Radical Leader Sudhir Suri Canada-Based Gangster Takes Responsibility For Plotting Murder Of Hindu Radical Leader Sudhir Suri Sudhir Suri, a radical Hindu leader, was shot dead on Friday in broad daylight in Punjabs Amritsar district. Suri was often seen making derogatory comments... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T12:39+0000 2022-11-05T12:39+0000 2022-11-05T15:55+0000 india punjab sikh canada gangster /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103815496_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_6c48fb7cf3cfb02a6712beada360628c.jpg Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa Harike, took responsibility in a Facebook* post for plotting the killing of 58-year-old Sudhir Suri."The murder of Sudhir Suri in Amritsar was committed by my brothers," Landa said in his Facebook post. Suri was shot dead on Friday in Punjabs Amritsar district while participating in a protest outside a Hindu temple. He was protesting against the management of Gopal Mandir after some broken idols of Hindu deities were allegedly found by the roadside, which he referred to as an act of sacrilege.31-year-old Sandeep Singh, a shopkeeper, shot him five times with a 32 bore licensed weapon; later, he was arrested by the police.The Facebook post from an account with Landas photo also threatened to kill those who speak against any religion. However, the police are verifying the post and so far, no case has been filed against Landa.Suri, who was the self-styled leader of the protector of Hindus in Punjab, had directly tussled with radical Sikh outfits, including the pro-Khalistani Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).*Facebook (and its parent company Meta) is banned in Russia over extremism. punjab canada Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg punjab, sikh, canada, gangster https://sputniknews.com/20221105/democrats-should-stop-blaming-republicans-for-every-issue-they-have-alabama-candidate-says-1103788459.html Democrats Should Stop Blaming Republicans for Every Issue They Have, Alabama Candidate Says Democrats Should Stop Blaming Republicans for Every Issue They Have, Alabama Candidate Says The US is preparing for the midterm elections on Sunday, with polls forecasting a major red wave. Republicans are expected to take over the House of... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T12:00+0000 2022-11-05T12:00+0000 2022-11-06T13:12+0000 opinion & analysis interviews us elections 2022 us midterms alabama /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103809481_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_18a12caa2dc16738bee9765efab068ad.jpg Sputnik discussed the situation American voters are facing ahead of the midterms with Lennora Pierrot, who is running for election to the Alabama House of Representatives to represent District 82.Sputnik: Tell us more about your campaign, what issues are the people of Alabama facing right now, especially amid all the economic challenges in the US?Lennora Pierrot: It's important that we empower individuals; then by doing that, you help people become accountable. Because many times we put people in office and were hoping that they're going to do what they're supposed to. And many times they're not able to do what they're supposed to and we're not making them accountable. We just say: 'Oh, no, they're just going to have four more years'. We, as voters, need to be more informed and more involved ourselves.And when we look at - with my race specifically, I'm here in a community that is 98% Democrat. And it's a very difficult race because if you don't have the funding and the people to help you see that, hey, if we say we need change, we need change in my community - because our representative has been in office for well over 17 years and within that time frame, we're declining. And so that's the problem, because in that time shes created relationships. Shes created lots of things and the things that shes created, one county is gaining and the other is losing. And that in itself is a problem.And so today distrust in that individual that they're going to create balance is not what we need as a district. And that's what my campaign is about. My campaign is about acknowledging that we're all here as a community. And when we're here as a community, it's important to empower everyone.So we've been individuals who have had the time, the energy to be in that position for us. With who's been representing us, it doesnt makes sense that the baton gets passed, so if it's not going to get passed, we have to step up to the plate and take this baton and take this good time, this intelligence, because if we just take the baton and just keep moving, we've got to take the baton and acknowledge our representative, because if he is willing to share and help us, then our job will be easier.But if he wants to take on state positions, take on this situation that is already declining, it is just negative for us as a community. We don't have healthy equity in our system. We have people coming into leadership [without it].Sputnik: What do you make of the Biden administrations policies? Does the federal government really care about the ordinary Americans?Lennora Pierrot: In every single way, as an American citizen, I have to uphold all of the departments within my country; that is doing the best they can. And the federal government does care about the American people. The American people have to be aware of the people that they put into leadership, because if the people you put into leadership, when they get the federal dollars, the federal dollars are not being trickled back into the community...So the federal government does care. They are consistently trying to create equity within our system and its a challenge for them. But the challenge then becomes how to collaborate when you have leadership - for my community, we have leadership, money is coming into our town. But that money is not being reported fairly.You don't get to see how the money is being distributed. When there is a lack of transparency of distribution of the money, it appears that the federal government does not care, because we know that the money is coming from the federal government, but we're not seeing the money. And so the transaction is from the leadership and the people.So, yes, our federal government does care about us as an American people. And I think it's a challenge as I'm here taking on this position, I am realizing that it's a very difficult process, because everything functions as a system and many times within the system, based on what side of the system you're in, it makes it difficult, because you already have these preconceived notions and ideas about what you think should happen. And once you step into the system, you realize, okay, wow, this is why this is slow. This is why it's not happening. It's why things are going the way they're going.And at this point right now, with the economic challenges that we're facing, we're not just facing the economic challenges in the United States. We're facing economic challenges globally. So there is a there is a responsibility for all leadership to come together to address it globally, but not in the inequality way that it has been done in the past. We have to change our ways of doing business.I am definitely an individual that deals with accountability. Being an individual born and raised in the Caribbean, I come from a history of fighters. They fight for their rights; they fight for freedom. For black women in America and the South, the right to vote and the right to fairness and justice is something that is part of our DNA.When we become complacent; in 2022 we've become complacent. We have President Biden taking arms... He sold us this idea and concept that he would be ready to take on all the challenges that we have, that we were facing when he came in, in 2020. He came in with that idea and concept that he was ready to face those challenges - and then the idea of blaming, you can't, as a Democrat, you can't blame the Republicans for the issues that you're having.This is where I find that we have this fight that makes it very, very difficult for us. It's how do we come together to help build our nation in this time of crisis? Not blaming the Republicans, because all of the Democratic ideas and concepts, if they're having issues, they blame the Republicans. That's not what will create the change for us as a community.So moving forward, the challenges that we have, we have to find ways to build equity for us, not just Republican or Democratic. They are important in how we function; we have to look at the bigger picture. How can we create fair equity, justice, equity for us as a nation.Sputnik: How do you see the Republican party transforming in the future, as well as how can Republicans of the next generation as you say, benefit the American society?Lennora Pierrot: I see myself as a new Republican. I am the living legacy of Booker T. Washington. I am the living legacy of Frederick Douglas. And the Republican Party, as the Democratic Party - there are so many different negative aspects to every single party. But the people make the party. So when you have negative people in either party, the most important thing is for you as individual. So I deal with self-accountability. So as an individual who functions and deals with economic justice and who deals with fairness, that is how I'm addressing; me as a Republican.I am an American - my conservative values, since the time I was six years old is what formulated my Republican values. And in that process, it has always been about forward movement, forward change, self-accountability. And in moving forward, I see that each and every one of us are conservatives deeply in the things that we do and the things that we believe. But because we're forced to take a side, it makes it difficult. So do you pick the side of the Democrats because for so many years, youve been in it?The original party for the African-Americans was the Republican Party. So with this shift, it ended up that now theyre Democrats. There are different arguments and I respect everyone's position. But I can't argue with every single negative point that comes up as to why I shouldn't be a Republican. But what I can say is that my ancestors died so I could make this choice. And that is where I find that we have this misconception. For many years we didn't have a choice. And today we have rights.So I believe we get the freedom to choose and the freedom to be the best Republican that I can be, the best conservative that I can be. To respect if my children choose to be Democrats, to respect the fact that they're choosing to be Democrats, not that my children have chosen either party. I'm just using that as an example that, I have the ability and it seems to be a Republican... I am comfortable and I am proud to stand for that position, because now more than ever, those conservative values will help save my community. It's what's going to help save Alabama. It's what's going to help save many different issues that we have within our community. alabama Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International interviews, us, elections, alabama https://sputniknews.com/20221105/erdogan-dubs-revival-of-grain-deal-diplomatic-success-1103817947.html Erdogan Dubs Revival of Grain Deal 'Diplomatic Success' Erdogan Dubs Revival of Grain Deal 'Diplomatic Success' ANKARA (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Saturday the resumption of the grain deal a diplomatic success, noting Ankara's balanced... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T14:02+0000 2022-11-05T14:02+0000 2022-11-05T14:02+0000 world russia turkey ukraine grain recep tayyip erdogan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/08/1082574921_0:0:3182:1790_1920x0_80_0_0_22c6ccbb340620c0d7b02e7be3f1c921.jpg On October 29, Russia suspended its participation in the UN-mediated grain deal after its ships were attacked by Ukraine in the Black Sea. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Moscow was returning to the deal after receiving written guarantees from Ukraine on refraining from using the grain corridor for military purposes, following mediation by Turkey and the UN. Kiev denied providing any additional guarantees.The Turkish leader noted that the revival was achieved "thanks to balanced relationships" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed a UN-brokered initiative to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships exporting food and fertilizer from Ukraine via the Black Sea. The deal will expire on November 19.After returning to the grain deal, the Kremlin said that Russia was still undecided about extending it, and is yet to assess its effectiveness. Moscow has repeatedly said the agreement is not effective in bringing grain and fertilizer to developing countries, while sanctions continue to hinder Russia's food exports even though the deal was supposed to guarantee their free flow to global markets. russia turkey ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, turkey, ukraine, grain, recep tayyip erdogan https://sputniknews.com/20221105/eu-says-international-community-should-respond-to-north-korean-missile-launches-1103821992.html EU Says International Community Should Respond to North Korean Missile Launches EU Says International Community Should Respond to North Korean Missile Launches The EU calls on North Korea to give up all of its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, as well as ballistic missile programs and existing... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T23:08+0000 2022-11-05T23:08+0000 2022-11-06T06:31+0000 world north korea democratic republic of north korea (dprk) european union (eu) european union /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/12/1102018646_0:0:3067:1725_1920x0_80_0_0_53d7fcc574dbfe708702c546318a031e.jpg The European Union considers the increased frequency of missile tests by North Korea to be a dangerous escalation, and the international community should give a coordinated response to such actions, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday.In 2022, Pyongyang conducted a total of 33 ballistic missile launches. North Korea insists that its test launches are being carried out in response to what it called provocations by South Korea and the United States. The two countries have recently been conducting military exercises, which at times include Japan as well. democratic republic of north korea (dprk) european union Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International north korea, democratic republic of north korea (dprk), european union (eu), european union https://sputniknews.com/20221105/japan-us-conduct-joint-exercises-amid-recent-north-korean-missile-launches-reports-1103821263.html Japan, US Conduct Joint Exercises Amid Recent North Korean Missile Launches - Reports Japan, US Conduct Joint Exercises Amid Recent North Korean Missile Launches - Reports MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force held a joint exercise with the US military in response to launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T18:27+0000 2022-11-05T18:27+0000 2022-11-05T18:28+0000 world japan japan self-defence forces military exercise /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/14/1083192954_0:161:3069:1887_1920x0_80_0_0_04ddc46836676889c2ed5716f59c6ee6.jpg The exercises were held in the East China Sea near the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, the report said.According to the news agency, 5 Japanese F-2 fighters, 2 US B-1B strategic bombers, and 2 US F-16 fighters took part in the drills.In 2022, Pyongyang conducted a total of 33 missile launches. North Korea insists that its test launches are being carried out in response to what it called provocations by South Korea and the United States. The two countries have recently been conducting massive military exercises, which at times include Japan as well. https://sputniknews.com/20221105/north-korea-reportedly-launches-4-short-range-ballistic-missiles-1103809902.html japan Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International japanese air self-defense force, military exercise, north korean missile launches https://sputniknews.com/20221105/kiev-never-concealed-it-could-make-nukes--west-is-abetting-it-journo-says-1103811709.html Kiev Never Concealed It Could Make Nukes & West is Abetting It, Journo Says Kiev Never Concealed It Could Make Nukes & West is Abetting It, Journo Says Earlier this week, Moscow called upon major the nuclear powers to demonstrate their readiness to prevent escalation and reject provocations with weapons of... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T10:55+0000 2022-11-05T10:55+0000 2022-11-05T10:55+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine us russia nuclear europe military & intelligence dirty bomb ukraine international atomic energy agency (iaea) zaporizhia npp /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104597/64/1045976442_0:331:2777:1893_1920x0_80_0_0_f6915b6f648c5f45ec2167bd28ff5c9e.jpg "How can the US and the countries in the West, like France and the UK, reject provocations? They are the actual 'henchman' in Ukraine, controlling Ukraine," Sonja van den Ende told Sputnik. The independent journalist from Rotterdam, Netherlands, has repeatedly visited the theatre of military actions in Donbass since the beginning of the special military operation.The Russia is continuing to issue warnings about the threat of a potential nuclear escalation pertaining to Kiev's "dirty bomb," an explosive device loaded with radioactive materials which could be used to stage a false flag operation in the zone of the special military operation with the aim to pin the blame on Moscow. However, the US and its NATO allies have snubbed Moscow's warning, accusing Russia of exploiting the issue to further escalate tensions over Ukraine.In addition, the West continues to turn a blind eye to Kiev's continuous shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after Russian forces established full control over the site several months ago.On November 3, Rosenergoatom, Russia's nuclear power plants operator, raised the alarm over Ukraine cutting off both of the ZNPP main 750 kilovolt (kV) power line and its back-up off-site power supplies from a 330 kV line. The ZNPP was forced to switch to emergency diesel generators. The operator highlighted that Kiev's actions pose a great threat to nuclear safety and "contradicts all existing regulations and standards in general."In August, Russia invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to the plant to study the situation on the ground. In a series of reports, the IAEA admitted that the atomic plant was subjected to shelling and sustained damages but shied away from calling out Kiev for bombarding the nuclear site. Apparently, if the watchdog openly pointed the finger at the Ukrainian military, the West would have to react and take measures for ending the nuclear provocations.It's mind boggling as to how the IAEA mission for ZNPP failed to find out where exactly the shelling came from despite spending weeks at the nuclear site, according to van den Ende.For instance, the watchdog's latest report on the November 3 incident at ZNPP acknowledged that the electric lines "had sustained physical damage" following "shelling" but avoided naming a mysterious force that had attacked the plant. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated ambiguously that "despite the best efforts of the plants courageous staff to stabilize the external power situation in recent weeks, the ZNPP has again lost all access to off-site electricity."Therefore, according to van den Ende, it's hardly surprising that the IAEA team has failed to "find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials" at the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kiev, Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zholtye Vody, and Production Association Yuzhny Mashinbuilding Plant in Dnepropetrovsk, the sites mentioned by the Russian Ministry of Defense as potentially involved in Kiev's illegal military nuclear research.The West appears to be not interested in shedding light on Kiev's sabotage actions and holding it responsible, the journalist noted.Furthermore, she did not rule out that the US and NATO leadership are aware of Ukraine's grand-design involving the dirty bomb. Apparently, they intentionally avoid criticizing Kiev while setting stage for a new blame game against Russia, according to her.The West is a beneficiary of Kiev's possible nuclear false flag as it could help the US and NATO build up a broader coalition against Russia, stated Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, on November 3. The Russian official underscored that Moscow possesses information about the masterminds of the potential nuclear sabotage and supposed executors of a false-flag attack concocted under the guidance of Kiev's Western curators.Ukraine Boasted It Can Make Nuclear Bomb QuicklyFor its part, the Western mainstream press is deliberately neglecting and downplaying everything connected with Ukraine's apparent prowess to create atomic weapons, including Volodymyr Zelensky's "nuclear" remarks made at the Munich Security Conference on February 19, 2022, noted the Dutch journalist.During his February speech, Zelensky threatened to drop Ukraine's non-nuclear status under the pretext that the signatories of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances had failed to ensure Ukraine's security. The memorandum obligated Kiev to return its Soviet nuclear arsenal to Russia in exchange for security guarantees.Still, Ukraine's non-nuclear status was codified much earlier, by the country's Declaration of Sovereignty of July 16, 1990. The document clearly says that Kiev would never "accept, produce, or acquire nuclear weapons" and would maintain permanent neutrality.In the wake of Zelensky's Munich remarks, Ukraine's media enthusiastically weighed up Kiev's capabilities of creating nuclear arms. On February 21, 2022 the nation's Vlada Segodnya portal noted that Ukraine operates a whopping four nuclear power stations with 15 power units. The fifth NPP - the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant still had enough spent nuclear fuel that could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium to create the bomb, according to the media. Another option envisaged extracting natural uranium at the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant near Dnepropetrovsk and its further enrichment.Scientists at the National Science Center Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology have the necessary expertise to develop a nuclear warhead while specialists of the Production Association Yuzhny Mashinbuilding Plant in Dnepropetrovsk could design and build a missile to deliver it, the Ukrainian media said. (Yuzhmash was famous for producing the Tsyklon, Antares and Zenit orbital carrier rockets during the Soviet era.) While some Russian and Ukrainian observers previously argued that it would take time and considerable funding to produce nuclear bombs in Ukraine, most of them unanimously agreed that Kiev could create a "dirty bomb" at "any moment."Moreover, the Ukrainian media openly suggested that nuclear weapons could serve as a "deterrent" against Russia. And it wasn't "all talk no action": on October 24, the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed that it is aware of contacts between the office of the President of Ukraine and representatives of the UK on the possible obtaining of nuclear weapon technology.The people of liberated regions of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye are well aware of Kiev's capability of making a dirty bomb and take it seriously, according to Van den Ende. The Kherson evacuees have every reason to be concerned given both Kiev's ongoing attacks on Zaporozhye NPP located just 232 kilometers from Kherson and the dirty bomb plot, she suggested.Kiev is Raising the Stakes; Will Europeans Wake Up?Kiev has recently ramped up provocation against Russia in order to reinvigorate the West's support for Ukraine, said Van den Ende, citing the October attacks on the Crimean Bridge and vessels involved in the implementation of the Russo-Ukrainian grain deal.According to the Dutch journalist, the Zelensky cabal is unwilling to stop the conflict. Quite the contrary, they are ready to raise stakes. There is a hope that Ukraine's pragmatic political forces will ultimately take the reins in Kiev to prevent the dangerous nuclear provocation and bring an end to the Western proxy war in Ukraine, she suggested.Another hope is that European citizens "wake up" and exert pressure on their respective governments to stop Kiev's nuclear provocations as well as NATO's hybrid war against Russia, which has already backfired on Europe's economy, according to Van den Ende. https://sputniknews.com/20221026/kiev-made-dummy-missile-for-provocation-with-dirty-bomb-over-chernobyl-zone---source-1102733033.html https://sputniknews.com/20221103/when-did-ukraine-give-up-nuclear-weapons-and-why-have-fears-of-kievs-pursuit-of-nukes-reemerged-1103684050.html https://sputniknews.com/20221103/eus-economy-may-collapse-in-three-years-after-banning-russian-gas-prof-warns-1103692641.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova nuclear power plant, iaea, dirty bomb, kiev's sabotage, nuclear false flag, plutonium, uranium, volodymyr zelensky, ukraine's non-nuclear status, budapest memorandum, russia, russian special operation in ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20221105/nato-not-planning-to-change-its-nuclear-deployments-stoltenberg-says--1103820829.html NATO Not Planning to Change Its Nuclear Deployments, Stoltenberg Says NATO Not Planning to Change Its Nuclear Deployments, Stoltenberg Says ANKARA (Sputnik) - NATO has no plans to change its nuclear weapon deployment after Finland and Sweden join the bloc, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T16:51+0000 2022-11-05T16:51+0000 2022-11-05T16:54+0000 world nato jens stoltenberg nuclear finland sweden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/06/04/1083075383_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_3cadc9890427a5716149215890be91a3.jpg "NATO has no plans to change its nuclear positions and deployments," Stoltenberg said when asked whether it would be possible to deploy NATOs nuclear weapons in Sweden and Finland after these countries join the alliance, Turkish newspaper Dunya reported.On May 18, three months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality. Their accession protocols have been already ratified by all NATO members except Hungary and Turkey.In late October, media reported that Finland's draft legislation on the country's accession to the bloc would allow the deployment of nuclear weapons by NATO countries on the territory of Finland. On Tuesday, Supreme Commander of the Swedish armed forces Micael Byden said that Stockholm should also consider whether to allow the deployment of nuclear weapons or NATO bases on the Swedish soil. https://sputniknews.com/20220915/nato-membership-may-harm-swedens-exports-professor-warns-1100796120.html finland sweden Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato chief, stoltenberg on nato nuclear deployments, will sweden and finland join nato, nato member states, nato defense, nato nuclear weapons https://sputniknews.com/20221105/russia-ready-to-provide-weapon-samples-to-zimbabwes-museum-1103809781.html Russia Ready to Provide Weapon Samples to Zimbabwe's Museum Russia Ready to Provide Weapon Samples to Zimbabwe's Museum MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is willing to provide samples of weapons, documents and other artifacts to Zimbabwe's Museum of African Liberation that is being... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T09:02+0000 2022-11-05T09:02+0000 2022-11-14T11:38+0000 africa russia zimbabwe southern africa /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/09/1101646505_0:138:2255:1406_1920x0_80_0_0_6c711c38b239dbade558d6a9a12a73c6.jpg The diplomat noted that a monument to the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War would be erected at the request of the Zimbabwean side.The Museum of African Liberation is being built in Harare on the territory of over 100 hectares (247 acres). Its construction began in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2023. A number of artifacts from other countries including China and Cuba will also be in the exhibition, according to the Russian diplomat.The project of the museum is also supervised by the speaker of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matvienko, who discussed it with the Zimbabwean president in June. africa russia zimbabwe southern africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, zimbabwe, southern africa https://sputniknews.com/20221105/russias-gru-called-aquarium-as-it-has-good-view-of-what-is-happening-in-world-veteran-1103804520.html Russia's GRU Called 'Aquarium' as It Has Good View of What Is Happening in World: Veteran Russia's GRU Called 'Aquarium' as It Has Good View of What Is Happening in World: Veteran MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, commonly known by the abbreviation GRU, was called the "Aquarium"... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T04:46+0000 2022-11-05T04:46+0000 2022-11-05T04:46+0000 russia russian intelligence gru russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103804372_0:99:3289:1949_1920x0_80_0_0_f0be0bdd00442009916fd603bf271747.jpg Viktor Suvorov, a former Soviet GRU officer and a Russian fiction and non-fiction writer, called GRU the "Aquarium" for the first time in his partly-autobiographical book "Aquarium: the Career and Defection of a Soviet Military Spy," published in 1985.On November 5, Russia celebrates Military Intelligence Day, a professional holiday commemorating the establishment of the Registration Office coordinating intelligence agencies of the Red Army. russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian intelligence, gru, russia https://sputniknews.com/20221105/serbias-vucic-vows-to-stick-to-peace-policy-amid-rising-tensions-in-kosovo-1103820691.html Serbia's Vucic Vows to Stick to Peace Policy Amid Rising Tensions in Kosovo Serbia's Vucic Vows to Stick to Peace Policy Amid Rising Tensions in Kosovo BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Serbia will continue to strive for peace and stability, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday amid rising tensions in Kosovo... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T16:44+0000 2022-11-05T16:44+0000 2022-11-05T17:37+0000 world serbia aleksandar vucic kosovo /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0b/1a/1091053705_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_fb3428123428604c7d43dc231cf898b9.jpg On Friday night, Vucic spoke behind closed doors for about five hours with EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak. On Saturday morning, the Serbian leader held a meeting with the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as meetings with Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo and Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko.Due to the tense situation in the Kosovo region, Vucic cancelled all of his visits abroad.On Thursday, representatives of the Kosovo Serbs, the Serb List party, said that they would consider withdrawing from all organizations of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo due to Pristina's decision to remove the Serbian police chief for refusing to issue written warnings to local Serbs regarding car plates. Later, Kosovo Serbs scheduled a demonstration on November 6 in the North Kosovska Mitrovica municipality.The Kosovar authorities require that local Serbs re-register their car plates, demanding that they feature the EU-standard letter code of RKS (Republic of Kosovo) instead of KM, the Serbian identifier for the disputed region of Kosovska Mitrovica on the border. The deadline for the re-registration was October 31. https://sputniknews.com/20221102/serbian-armed-forces-shoot-down-drone-over-military-unit-near-kosovo-1103139584.html serbia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kosovo tensions, vucic on kosovo tensions, kosovo escalation, kosovo car plates row https://sputniknews.com/20221105/weekly-news-wrap-up-assange-attorneys-sue-cia--pompeo-ethiopia-cease-fire-lula-beats-bolsonaro-1103802868.html Weekly News Wrap-up; Assange Attorneys Sue CIA & Pompeo; Ethiopia Cease Fire; Lula Beats Bolsonaro Weekly News Wrap-up; Assange Attorneys Sue CIA & Pompeo; Ethiopia Cease Fire; Lula Beats Bolsonaro Attorneys and journalists who visited Julian Assange are suing the CIA and Mike Pompeo for violating their constitutional rights. 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T04:05+0000 2022-11-05T04:05+0000 2022-11-05T10:05+0000 the critical hour radio lula da silva nato haiti tplf (tigray people's liberation front) federal reserve bank julian assange mike pompeo /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/04/1103802722_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_e14c0ce34e6e5a8519008b5da4d84ad5.png Weekly News Wrap-up; Assange Attorneys Sue CIA & Pompeo; Ethiopia Cease Fire; Lula Beats Bolsonaro Attorneys and journalists who visited Julian Assange are suing the CIA and Mike Pompeo for violating their constitutional rights. Jon Jeter, journalist, and author, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. The TPLF, on the verge of annihilation, elected to agree to a ceasefire with the Ethiopian government. Also, the US is moving to invade Haiti and leftist Lula De Silva has won the presidency in Brazil.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of Economics and Politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. Progressive economists are pushing back against Federal Reserve rate increases arguing that it will cause massive unemployment and hardship for the working class.Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss his latest article on the Ukraine conflict. Scott argues that the battle lines are clearly drawn between the neocon vision of world hegemony and a Eurasian centered world order that envisions multipolarity, independence, and national sovereignty.Jim Kavanagh, writer at thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, and Niko House, political activist, independent journalist, and podcaster, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. The FBI has asked the courts to allow a period of 66 years before they must release the information contained in Seth Rich's laptop. Also, President Biden's ultra hawkish foreing policy is sinking his party and Ukraine and Attorneys and journalists who visited Julian Assange are suing the CIA and Mike Pompeo for violating their constitutional rights.Ajamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, and Dr. Colin Campbell, DC Senior News Correspondent, join us to discuss this week's important news stories. The US is manufacturing a crisis in Haiti to justify an invasion. Also, the TPLF has agreed to a ceasefire and Lula De Silva has won the office of the Presidency in Brazil.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik haiti Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg radio, lula da silva, nato, haiti, tplf (tigray people's liberation front), federal reserve bank, julian assange, mike pompeo, https://sputniknews.com/20221105/wests-covert-influence-ops-in-africa-make-people-believe-theyre-on-their-own-analyst-says-1103806837.html West's Covert Influence Ops in Africa Make People Believe They're 'On Their Own', Analyst Says West's Covert Influence Ops in Africa Make People Believe They're 'On Their Own', Analyst Says Earlier this week, the British media reported, citing leaked documents, that a lobbying business with connections to the UK Conservative Party was planning a... 05.11.2022, Sputnik International 2022-11-05T11:55+0000 2022-11-05T11:55+0000 2022-11-24T11:10+0000 africa uk east africa corruption charges corruption corruption scandal lobby lobbying mining copper mining /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0b/05/1103809180_0:117:3072:1845_1920x0_80_0_0_2d70ab928365835de32917e03b3ecc8d.jpg Despite the end of classic colonialism, European nations continue to engage in political games in Africa, intended to maintain a "stranglehold on African resources," Dr. Moses Tofa, a pan-Africanist and political analyst, told Sputnik. Tofa, who heads the African Leadership Center's research agenda on Peace, Society and the State in Africa from the Nairobi office, recalled the August remarks by South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, who said that "a lot" of the external interference in Africa "has fueled conflict in many African countries, has fueled instability and supported opposition groups against liberation fighters and so on." According to the expert, given the secrecy and deceitfulness of these influencing campaigns, not many people in Africa, especially ordinary citizens, are aware of them. What is evident, though, is that they "have been hugely successful in creating toxic polarization among Africans."A recent media report claimed that a British lobbying firm, CT Group, attempted to sway political outcomes in a number of African nations on behalf of wealthy commercial clients. The company, co-owned by one of the top Tories Lynton Crosby, intended a covert operation to aid First Quantum Minerals in influencing the 2011 presidential elections in the DRC in order to restore the client's revoked mining license in exchange for millions of pounds.Apart from that, the report claimed that CT Group engaged in secretive political influence work in Zambia to remove the government's leader on behalf of the mining business.Denying Africa's Right to Govern ItselfTo indicate the seriousness of these revelations on the scale of the whole continent, the political scientist turned to the history of the colonialism of the Western powers, which, in his opinion, was robbing Africans of even "the most basic" human rights and taking resources, particularly their land. And such principles of democracy as elections of their own government were historically reserved for the colonialists, which served as a serious fuel for the pan-African struggle for independence.Tofa added that most constitutions in modern-day Africa state that "the authority to govern drives from the governed," and the regular, free, and fair elections must be held in order for the people to grant or withdraw legitimacy.However, the purported actions of CT Group seriously infringe on Africans' right to choose their own leaders, the analyst argued. And "this is a right which Africans valiantly fought for." "Alleged foreign interference in African elections is rising. This is causing voters to lose trust in elections," Tofa explained. He gave examples of Kenyas August 2022 elections and Zimbabwes 2013 elections, in both of which the claims of foreign interference in order to rig the results were brought.'Serious Threat to Independence' That Can Spread Across ContinentTalking to Sputnik about the possible reaction of the African states to the investigative media report, Tofa contented that the affected governments must undoubtedly respond to these findings since they pose a "serious threat" to their territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty. Hence, the stability of the afflicted countries will be threatened if this is allowed to continue.Moreover, the political analyst expressed the opinion that this kind of malicious actors are ultimately able to finance warlords who would take power through military coups, particularly in light of the unsettling rise in military coups across the continent. Speaking of specific measures that African countries can and are able to take to limit foreign political influence and manipulation, the expert reminded that one of the anticipations concerning African independence was that the nations would use it to take control of their economies. But when they gained independence, African nations had to make two challenging decisions.The first option was to "unapologetically" implement significant political and economic reforms in order to fulfill independence's promises and aspirations, but this would put the countries at risk of economic and political instability brought on by vengeful colonial interests. The alternative was to play it safe and not take any drastic action in order to appease the Western interests, but this would outrage a restive populace that demanded immediate redress for previous injustices. According to Tofa, countries that made the first decision were quickly engaged in conflict, which sometimes included assassinating the founding fathers of their nations.'Africa Unite'Still, Tofa suggested that there is indeed a number of strategies which can be used by African nations to fend off political manipulation, but it is important to understand that many obstacles still stand in the way.First, according to him, the nations of the continent must adopt proactive measures that give them the ability to regulate their economy free from foreign dictates. This includes building the capacity to extract their natural resources, enhance their worth, and exporting them only as finished goods; these are just some examples of such actions. The nations must encourage unity, intra-African trade, and policy harmonization. Thus, they will be able to interact with foreign actors as a group rather than as isolated individuals or small groups.Second, the African governments must also pass and enforce laws that limit the activities that foreign actors can engage in on the continent. For instance, Tofa said, because it will give them political influence, foreign actors should not be permitted to sponsor electoral activities and processes.Third, there is a need to implement effective anti-corruption measures, particularly with regard to the operations of multinational corporations and their covert interactions with the political and commercial elites, the expert concluded.Africa has long suffered from foreign interference in its sovereign affairs, especially with regard to its own development and the resolution of the continent's many conflicts. Russia has repeatedly emphasized the unacceptability of interference in the affairs of sovereign states and insisted on strengthening state institutions so that African countries could independently solve their problems and the problems common for the continent, not depending on the global organizations and Western financial aid, which often comes with conceding conditions. https://sputniknews.com/20221104/british-lobbying-firm-with-tory-links-sought-to-influence-drc-elections-for-mining-corp-report-says-1103783624.html https://sputniknews.com/20221104/glencore-bribery-case-is-miscarriage-of-justice-says-african-energy-chamber-boss-1103778272.html https://sputniknews.com/20221103/africa-a-better-investment-bet-than-europe-says-development-bank-president-1103544192.html africa east africa zambia west africa democratic republic of the congo Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev corruption in africa, bribery cases, bribery in africa, uk conservative party, british lobbyists, tory party, tories, pa-african analyst, pan-africanism, anti-colonialism, moses tofa Legislative District 48 candidate Brian Hardin of Gering enjoys a nearly 6-to-1 fundraising advantage over Don Lease II of rural Banner County in the final state campaign finance reports before Tuesdays general election. Hardin was nearing the $100,000 mark in total donations as of the reports Oct. 24 cutoff date, tallying $98,242 compared with $17,139 for Lease. He also had $12,825 in cash on hand to Leases $2,882 as the two vie to succeed term-limited state Sen. John Stinner in the race to represent Scotts Bluff, Banner and Kimball counties in the expanded District 48. Candidates who had raised or spent at least $5,000 in 2022 had until Monday to file the second of their fall campaign finance reports with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Final reports wont be due until after the election for state, multicounty and local candidates who raised or spent at least $5,000 this calendar year. Also leading their races in donations as of Mondays reporting deadline were State Board of Education District 7 challenger Elizabeth Tegtmeier of North Platte and Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg in his District 7 race for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Six political action committees and the Nebraska Republican Party had donated $1,000 or more apiece to Hardins campaign with two weeks to the election. The Nebraska Bankers State PAC led all organizational donors with $4,000, followed closely by the Nebraska Realtors PAC with $3,000 and Charter Communications of St. Louis at $2,500. BNSF Railway doubled its previous contribution to Hardin from $1,000 to $2,000 during the latest reporting period. Union Pacific Railroad had given $1,000 to Hardin as of Oct. 24. Both District 48 candidates remain the single largest donors to their own campaigns. Hardin has donated $22,527 and is owed $32,973 in outstanding campaign loans, while Lease has given $5,489 to his campaign. Three PACs have given at least $1,000 each to Lease, led by the Associated General Contractors Highway Improvement PAC with $2,500. The SMART-TD PAC, representing railroad engineers and conductors, earlier donated $1,000 to Leases campaign. Outgoing Gov. Pete Ricketts, who has not contributed to either District 48 candidate, remains the top contributor to Tegtmeier ($25,000) as she tries to unseat State Board of Education Vice Chairman Robin Stevens of Gothenburg and former state school board member Kathy Wilmot of Beaver City ($20,000), who is challenging Williams to succeed retiring NU Regent Bob Phares of North Platte. Tegtmeier and Williams launched their campaigns in 2021. Williams leads all Panhandle state-level races with $421,882 in donations, although nearly half that total ($185,327) was rolled over from the term-limited lawmakers Unicameral campaign fund. Chilly temperatures, strong wind gusts and even patches of snow didnt stop dedicated runners and walkers from bundling up for the Warrior Run at Legacy of the Plains Museum on Saturday, Nov. 5. As my mom pointed out, the military doesnt get to pick what weather they get to go into. I guess its kind of fitting that we got (bad) weather to deal with, but were doing something that supports them, Dave Wolf, executive director at Legacy of the Plains Museum and event organizer, said. The 14th annual Warrior Run is a fundraiser for the Veterans and Military Families Emergency Relief Organization that has offered a bridge to veterans and military families in emergency situations since 2007. Wolf said the organization has reached 300 families and veterans to the tune of $300,000, with proceeds from both runners and sponsors. Im here primarily because of what Chris Wolfe, her son (Dave) and family have created with that emergency relief fund, Matt Meyers, veterans service officer, said. Its huge for a lot of our veterans who are struggling. The relief organization functions primarily to quickly offer aid like food, gas, water heaters, hotel rooms and much more where other organizations cant reach or act fast. When youre dealing with some of the other organizations, they have to create the funding, but Chris can easily help out with funding within hours, Meyers said. Meyers said there have been around 15 instances where they assisted veterans with expenses, even when they were outside of the county. Meyers served over 21 years in the Army, serving in special operations, and settled in the area about two years ago, shortly after retiring. In addition to being a service officer, he is devoted to volunteering his time to help veterans. I enjoy it. I try to do whatever I can. The VFW, American Legion, Dave with the emergency fund, really just wherever I can help a veteran, thats where I want to be, Meyers said. There are a lot of challenges for veterans I call it hero to zero. I went from an elite in the Army to a civilian and its a hard adjustment. Meyers was one of many volunteers willing to endure the weather and assure that the race ran smoothly. Western Nebraska Community Colleges Upward Bound program and the Scottsbluff High School Honor Society brought several students and advisers out to man race entry tables, stations along the race route and hand out flags at the finish line. We appreciate their willingness to be here, and we have a lot of very dedicated sponsors that help us every year that believe in the cause. Were just very grateful, Chris said. The race turn out may have been less than Chris hoped for but the enthusiasm for the cause made up for it. Were running because its a good cause. We both have family that were in different branches, and we like the fact that 98% of the funds are used for veterans in this area, Jeanne Ogden said. Ogden, along with her husband and five children, traveled from Sidney to participate. The young kids were excited for the race to start and a few of them even planned on running the entire way. Were all doing the 5K walking with the stroller. Our oldest daughter did cross country this year, thats only a 3K but shes been working on running for this, Ogden said. While the Ogden family and a few other runners were racing for the first time, many of the crowd were familiar faces. Were very grateful for the ones that are here today since we didnt really plan on this weather. We have a lot of dedicated repeaters that come year after year because of the cause; they want to help veterans and they believe in what we do, Chris said. One 5K runner said he raced because he enjoys running and the cause. I started running and I like it and the cause, Eli Marez said. Ive raced every year, three consecutively, for four years. Its been a good program. Every time I think about how long I want to keep doing this, and then I get a phone call from somebody. Theres somebody (who) seeks some help and (shares) how grateful they are afterwards, Chris said. You go where youre needed to do what you got to do. We would love to hear your thoughts... 1. How did you come up with the idea for your startup? 2. What was the hardest part in the early stages of the startups growth? 3. What are the services/solutions/products that the startup offers? Who are the targeted audiences? 4. What are your strengths and advantages over your competitors? 5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? 6. Is the company bootstrapped or funded? What milestones will the financing get you to? 7. What is the road map ahead? How are you planning to achieve it? Key Management : Founding Year : Milestones : Awards/Recognition : Clients : Members of the Lower Columbia College Fighting Smelt speech and debate team won third place in the overall team sweepstakes and placed first among community colleges at the McPherson Classic tournament held the weekend of Oct. 22 at Whitworth University in Spokane. The team of six LCC students contributed to sweepstakes points by advancing to at least one elimination round. International student Tungalagbolor Shinetulga from Mongolia continued her breakout season with a first-place finish in novice impromptu speaking. She placed second in novice persuasive speaking and was named the sixth best speaker in novice IPDA (International Public Debate Associate) debate. Charlotte Curry, who competed in her first collegiate speech and debate tournament, advanced to the semifinal round of novice IPDA debate and she advance to the final round in editorial commentary in which she placed fourth. Laura Sophie Sabbedotti, who also competed in her first collegiate tournament, placed second in novice informative speaking, seventh in novice extemporaneous speaking and eighth in editorial commentary. Adah Moore placed third in novice persuasive speaking, sixth in novice impromptu speaking and seventh in editorial commentary. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News. For the first time in his collegiate career, Cameron Richey advanced to an elimination round and placed third in novice extemporaneous speaking. He also placed seventh in novice impromptu speaking and sixth in novice informative speaking. Mikey Mace placed fourth in novice extemporaneous speaking and sixth in editorial commentary. The weekend of Nov. 11-13, the LCC Speech and Debate team will participate in the Mahaffey Memorial Tournament hosted by Linfield University. This event will be the second Northwest Forensics Conference Designated Tournament and the first online competition for the Fighting Smelt this season. Two incumbents and a Longview attorney are running unopposed for Cowlitz Countys three District Court judge positions in Tuesdays General Election. M. Jamie Imboden and John Hays, both elected in 2018, are seeking second terms. Kevin Blondin is running for position 1, currently held by Judge Debra Burchett, who is not seeking reelection. District Court cases include civil matters, traffic infractions, nonfelony criminal charges and other miscellaneous cases across the county. The bench completely turned over four years ago, following the retirement of Judge Ron Marshall at the end of 2016 and Judges Ed Putka and David Koss in 2018. Marshalls seat went unfilled until 2019, after the other two judges told the Cowlitz County commissioners they could handle the caseload, according to TDN archives. Imboden has a combined 20 years civil and criminal law experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge. He said he decided to run again because the position provides an invaluable opportunity to serve and enrich our community. Imboden said he brings to the bench an understanding of challenges facing the judicial system following the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to communicate in a calm and courteous nature, a willingness and desire to consider all sides and the courage to make difficult decisions in a sound, practical and timely manner. In April, Imboden was censured by the Washington state Commission on Judicial Conduct following his guilty plea for reckless driving, stemming from a 2020 driving under the influence charge. The committee did not recommend Imboden be suspended or removed from office but that he complete his probation terms, review the states Code of Judicial Conduct and make public presentations related to his stipulated misconduct, according to commission records. I have deep regret for my behavior in 2020 which led to my plea to a charge of reckless driving and my censor by the Judicial Conduct Commission, Imboden said in an email. I have always tried to do the best I can and set an example to others as a leader and role model. I failed in that regard on this occasion, and for that I sincerely apologize to my family, friends, colleagues, and the community. This has been a very humbling experience of which I am committed to learning from. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News. Blondin, a lifelong county resident, is a partner at Longview-based Reitsch, Weston & Blondin PLLC and has practiced criminal defense for more than 20 years, as well as some civil law. He contracts with the Cowlitz Superior Court to represent indigent defendants and has pro tem experience on the District Court. Blondin said he wants to continue building the therapeutic treatment courts to increase and promote resolving peoples underlying problems. Of course, there are situations where incarceration is needed and warranted for the safety of the community, he said by email, but I would like to see people rehabilitated when it is appropriate and not just released to be rearrested. In 2018, Blondin ran for the position 1 seat, winning the primary, but losing in the general to Burchett, possibly because of a report detailing his 2012 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Blondin was convicted of negligent driving and served no jail time, a typical resolution for a first-time DUI defendant. He said previously that he sees the incident which occurred more than 10 years ago as a learning and perspective-growing experience. The prosecutor in that case said Blondin took full responsibility for his actions and was determined to have no significant problem with alcohol abuse. The last four years have made me more excited and appreciative of the opportunity to take the bench in January, Blondin said Friday. Burchett did not file for reelection, following a censure from the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct in May and a 10-day suspension in August. Burchett told TDN at the time she decided on her own volition not to run. Cowlitz County 2022 general election coverage What will Cowlitz County voters see on their Nov. 8 ballots? Read this collection of articles to see. Articles will be added throughout the el Prior to joining the bench in 2019, Hays was a self-employed attorney with 30 years of experience across criminal and civil matters. Hays said he wanted to run for a second term to continue making progress on goals slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including using such alternative sentencing methods as converting jail time to community service, volunteer work or out-of-custody crew work, or giving some people credit for successfully completing treatment. Both district and superior courts are implementing a recent law change that reworks how the courts process protection orders, Hays said. Im excited about being here for another term and trying always to improve how we do things here, he said. We have a wonderful staff; theyve been very helpful. The Longview City Council has started exploring creating a new governmental branch that could lead the citys future efforts on affordable housing. The council members opted not to advance the motion to immediately move forward with the public development authority during their meeting Thursday night. Instead, they agreed to hold a workshop in January to talk through the scope and benefits of the approach. Councilors Mike Wallin and Hillary Strobel proposed the creation of the public development authority during their council report. The authority would be a special-purpose group tasked with managing the citys investments and support of affordable housing. The goal here is to make sure before we say that we are champions of affordable housing, that we create some sort of container within the city that actually raises and allocates funding, Strobel said. Several members of the council were cautious about committing to the approach right away before the scope of the groups work was clear. It was repeatedly said that the authority was not meant to compete with the current local housing providers, most notably Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington. Public development authorities are a relatively common approach for cities and counties to invest in specific types of developments, such as downtown renovations or industrial parks. Longview has had one public development authority in place since 2013 to encourage development at the Cowlitz County Event Center. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News. City Attorney Jim McNamara told the council the new authority would likely have more ongoing duties than the Event Center authority and would need a higher level of attention and funding from city staff. At this point its a concept, but I dont think the existing PDA (public development authority) is constituted to do this, McNamara said. The proposed motion also outlined the funding sources for the authority. The group would be tasked with investing the roughly $110,000 in local sales tax funds Longview has accrued through the program approved by the state Legislature in 2019 to aid affordable or supportive housing. The large section of the authoritys funding would come from a proposed 0.1% housing services sales tax, which was estimated to provide around $900,000 per year. Jennifer Westerman, executive director of Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington, told the council Thursday she was open to the additional support the authority could create. Westerman said there was heavy competition for the state funding that enabled many of her organizations developments, including a potential large incoming addition to Longview with Sunrise Village. We got into a housing crisis over a period of 30 years. Were not going to solve it overnight, Westerman said. The next workshop discussion about the housing authority is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 26. Many expect Apple to release its first foldable device. Bets were on an iPhone, but know what Samsung says. In a recent meeting with component suppliers, Samsung's mobile communications business, Mobile Experience (MX), covered a range of interesting subjects, including its foldable smartphone strategy. In an intriguing revelation, Samsung MX officials expect Apple to release its first foldable device in 2024 though it won't be an iPhone but instead a foldable tablet or notebook computer. These new claims fall in line with a previous report from CCS Insight, according to GSM Arena. Samsung also believes 90 per cent of current foldable phone users will also get a foldable as their next device. Apart from that, Samsung estimates a compound annual growth rate of up to 80 per cent, according to a report by TheElec, reported GSM Arena. Not sure which mobile to buy? The company confirmed high demand for its folding phones in its home market and shared that South Korean iPhone users in their 20s and 30s are switching to Samsung foldables at a much higher rate than before - reportedly 3x to 4x higher than in previous years. Meanwhile, Samsung's latest foldable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which got its first One UI 5.0 beta update last month, is now receiving the third One UI 5.0 beta. B0B8ZCSL67 The new beta build has a firmware version number ending with ZVK1 and requires a download of about 540MB. It comes with the November 1, 2022, Android security patch and squashes a lot of bugs, as per GSM Arena. Spain briefly closed the airspace over the northeastern region of Catalonia and three other regions on Friday. Spain briefly closed the airspace over the northeastern region of Catalonia and three other regions on Friday as remnants of a Chinese rocket were expected to pass by, emergency authorities in Catalonia said on Friday. "Due to the risk associated with the passage of the space object CZ-5B through the Spanish airspace, flights have been totally restricted from 09:38 a.m. to 10:18 a.m. in Catalonia and other communities," the service said in its Twitter account. The Long March 5B (CZ-5B), China's most powerful rocket, blasted off on Oct. 31 from southern China to deliver the last module of the Chinese space station currently under construction. As gravity pulls the rocket back to Earth, most of it is expected to burn up on re-entry, though there are concerns sizable chunks might survive. The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking service said the debris would most probably re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the middle of the Atlantic and would likely land in the sea, but also warned that northern Spain and Portugal and southern Italy were also within the potential trajectory of the rocket. "The statistical probability of an impact on the ground in populated areas is low," the EUSST said. "These predictions however come with uncertainties, and a better estimation will only be possible close to the re-entry." It was the fourth flight of the Long March 5B since its maiden launch in May 2020. On its first deployment, fragments of the rocket landed on the Ivory Coast, damaging several buildings in that West African nation, though no injuries were reported. Debris from the second flight landed harmlessly in the Indian Ocean, while remnants from the third fell into the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. The rocket's re-entry into the atmosphere is a common international practice, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a regular briefing on Friday when asked if China had taken measures to reduce the risks. "It is understood that the type of rocket you mentioned uses special technology designed so the vast majority of components that will be destroyed by ablation during re-entry into the atmosphere, and the probability of causing harm to aviation activities and the ground is extremely low," said Zhao. Baron Capital Group Chairman and CEO Ron Baron interviews Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the 29th Annual Baron Investment Conference in New York City on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Credit: Baron Capital via AP Twitter began widespread layoffs Friday as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the company, raising grave concerns about chaos enveloping the social media platform and its ability to fight disinformation just days ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The speed and size of the cuts also opened Musk and Twitter to lawsuits. At least one was filed alleging Twitter violated federal law by not providing fired employees the required notice. The San Francisco-based company told workers by email Thursday that they would learn Friday if they had been laid off. About half of the company's staff of 7,500 was let go, Yoel Roth, Twitter's head of safety & integrity, confirmed in a tweet. Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no choice but to cut the jobs "when the company is losing over $4M/day." He did not provide details on the daily losses at the company and said employees who lost their jobs were offered three months' pay as a severance. No other social media platform comes close to Twitter as a place where public agencies and other vital service providerselection boards, police departments, utilities, schools and news outletskeep people reliably informed. Many fear Musk's layoffs will gut it and render it lawless. Roth said the company's front-line moderation staff was the group the least impacted by the job cuts. Elon Musk arrives at Baron Investment Conference at the Metropolitan Opera House, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, in New York. Employees are bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter as Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura He added that Twitter's "efforts on election integrityincluding harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operationsremain a top priority." Musk, meanwhile, tweeted that "Twitter's strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged." But a Twitter employee who spoke with The Associated Press Friday said it will be a lot harder to get that work done starting next week after losing so many colleagues. "This will impact our ability to provide support for elections, definitely," said the employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concerns for job security. The employee said there's no "concrete sense of direction" except for what Musk says publicly on Twitter. "I follow his tweets and they affect how we prioritize our work," said the employee. "It's a very healthy indicator of what to prioritize." Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Employees were bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter Friday, Nov. 4, as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu Several employees who tweeted about losing their jobs said Twitter eliminated their entire teams, including one focused on human rights and global conflicts, another checking Twitter's algorithms for bias in how tweets get amplified, and an engineering team devoted to making the social platform more accessible for people with disabilities. Eddie Perez, a Twitter civic integrity team manager who quit in September, said he fears the layoffs so close to the midterms could allow disinformation to "spread like wildfire" during the post-election vote-counting period in particular. "I have a hard time believing that it doesn't have a material impact on their ability to manage the amount of disinformation out there," he said, adding that there simply may not be enough employees to beat it back. President Joe Biden, at a campaign event in Illinois Friday night, said: "Now what are we all worried about? Elon Musk, who goes out and buys an outfit that sends and spews lies all across the world. ... How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake?" A Twitter logo hangs outside the company's San Francisco offices on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Employees were bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter Friday, Nov. 4, as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger,file Twitter's employees have been expecting layoffs since Musk took the helm. He fired top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, and removed the company's board of directors on his first day as owner. As the emailed notices went out, many Twitter employees took to the platform to express support for each otheroften simply tweeting blue heart emojis to signify its blue bird logoand salute emojis in replies to each other. A Twitter manager said many employees found out they had been laid off when they could no longer log into the company's systems. The manager said the way the layoffs were conducted showed a "lack of care and thoughtfulness." The manager, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity out of concerns for job security, said managers were not given any notice about who would be getting laid off. "For me as a manager, it's been excruciating because I had to find out about what my team was going to look like through tweets and through texting and calling people," the employee said. "That's a really hard way to care for your people. And managers at Twitter care a lot about their people." Elon Musk leaves Baron Investment Conference at the Metropolitan Opera House, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, in New York. Employees are bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter as Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura A coalition of civil rights groups escalated their calls Friday for brands to pause advertising buys on the platform. The layoffs are particularly dangerous ahead of the elections, the groups warned, and for transgender users and other groups facing violence inspired by hate speech that proliferates online. In a tweet Friday, Musk blamed activists for what he described as a "massive drop in revenue" since he took over Twitter late last week. Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg said there is "little Musk can say to appease advertisers when he's keeping the company in a constant state of uncertainty and turmoil, and appears indifferent to Twitter employees and the law." "Musk needs advertisers more than they need him," she said. "Pulling ads from Twitter is a quick and painless decision for most brands." People cross the street in front of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Employees were bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter Friday, Nov. 4, as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File The Twitter logo is seen on the awning of the building that houses the Twitter office in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Employees were bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter Friday, Nov. 4, as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer,file People walk outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. Employees were bracing for widespread layoffs at Twitter on Friday, as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the social platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu A lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of one employee who was laid off and three others who were locked out of their work accounts. It alleges Twitter violated the law by not providing the required notice. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification statute requires employers with at least 100 workers to disclose layoffs involving 500 or more employees, regardless of whether a company is publicly traded or privately held, as Twitter is now. Twitter filed notifications late Friday in California for its offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose. The layoffs affected 983 employees in the state, according to the filings. Twitter said it will continue to pay wages and benefits to the workers through Jan. 4 and employees were notified on Friday. The layoffs affected Twitter's offices around the world. In the United Kingdom, it would be required by law to give employees notice, said Emma Bartlett, a partner specializing in employment and partnership law at CM Murray LLP. The speed of the layoffs could also open Musk and Twitter up to discrimination claims if it turns out, for instance, that they disproportionally affected women, people of color or older workers. 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. RAANANA, Israel In the waning days of his most recent stint as Israels prime minister just over a year ago Benjamin Netanyahu made no secret of his disdain for President Joe Biden. Struggling to save his own political neck, Netanyahu suggested Biden was weak on some of Israels most formidable enemies, Iran and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and pledged to defy a Democrat-led Washington if necessary. On Wednesday, Netanyahu emerged as the likely choice for the top government position in Israel once again, after the countrys fifth election in four years. His right-wing bloc, which includes ultra-Orthodox and extreme nationalists, appeared to take a solid majority in the Knesset, or parliament. Today, we won a sweeping vote of confidence, Netanyahu declared early Wednesday to cheering supporters from his Likud Party. Many chanted, Bibi, king of Israel! using his familiar nickname. The results are sure to complicate Israels relationship with the United States. Already having made history as the longest serving prime minister and currently on trial for corruption, Netanyahu was famously fond of Bidens predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Trump in turn showered Netanyahu with praise and favors including the reversal of decades-old U.S. policy by moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the alliance of admiration pushed Israel closer to the GOP camp in what had always been a bipartisan relationship. This has to complicate the ties with the U.S. administration, said Shira Efron, research director for the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum. She noted that Biden and Netanyahu have a long personal friendship but an equally long list of disagreements. The problems, she said, will be rooted in both persona and policies, from expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank to diminishment of democracy and civil rights. Make no mistake: This is a vulnerable time for Israel, said Eric H. Yoffie, an American rabbi and former president of the Union for Reform Judaism, writing Wednesday in the Haaretz newspaper. He and others singled out Netanyahus alliance with Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right Knesset member known for anti-Arab rhetoric and proposals to deport Arabs from Israel. Ben-Gvirs emergence as a significant political player in Israel will undermine the countrys public standing in America, strengthen Israels enemies and offend its friends, Yoffie said. For now, U.S. officials are remaining guarded in their public statements, praising the large turnout in Tuesdays vote and pledging to work with any Israeli government on our shared interests and values. It could take weeks of negotiations for the next Israeli government to take shape. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said it was premature to comment on any potential government member or policy. However, he described a vision of government that Netanyahus critics say is profoundly at odds with much of the rhetoric that came out of the political campaign by Netanyahu and his allies. We hope that all Israeli government officials will continue to share the values of an open, democratic society including tolerance and respect for all in civil society, particularly for minority groups, Price said. He reiterated U.S. commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and equal measures of security, freedom, justice and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike. In addition to a prickly relationship with the Biden government, a Netanyahu-led coalition would probably have little interest in negotiations with the Palestinians over land and independence and also could halt the expansion of Israels new ties with Arab gulf states. Normalization in fact began under Netanyahu, who negotiated the so-called Abraham accords, which opened the way for trade and business opportunities. The current Israeli government had hoped to form a military alliance with some of those former enemy countries. But experts said that such an initiative what some have called a Mideast NATO would probably be off the table if Netanyahus government is seen as too radical or anti-Arab. Some gulf state governments have insisted that deepening relations would help the Palestinians cause a justification that Netanyahus hardened stance seriously undermines. The fact that his coalition is so right-wing is not a source of comfort to gulf monarchies, said Rabie Barakat, an analyst at American University of Beirut. The Emirates, Saudi Arabia, theyre using their soft power to instill this idea that normalization is where a better future lies for the region, he said. With Netanyahu, there will be complications. Some of Israels geographically closer neighbors are also girding themselves for what promises to be a stormy period ahead. One particularly delicate case is Lebanon. The two countries have been at war for years but still managed to delineate their respective maritime borders in a landmark, U.S.-brokered deal that included Prime Minister Yair Lapid and then-Lebanese President Michel Aoun. Signed last month, it also received the tacit blessing of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite armed group and political party that plays a dominant part in Lebanons politics and went to war with Israel in 2006. In the run-up to the election, Netanyahu excoriated the agreement, saying that it was illegal and that if elected, he would work to neutralize it. Jordan, too, is unlikely to welcome the return of a pugnacious leader whose previous tenure was marked by a nadir in the two nations long-standing cooperation over energy, water and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalems Old City, Islams third holiest site, over which Jordan has custodial rights. Jordan also has a significant population of Palestinian refugees and is a staunch proponent of a two-state solution. Relations had rapidly improved after Netanyahus ouster, with Lapid making a rare visit to Jordans King Abdullah II at his palace in Amman in July. But Marwan Muasher, a former Jordanian foreign minister who served as ambassador to Israel in the 1990s, said the return of a right-wing government that included racist elements would require a serious reevaluation of ties. This is obviously a government that isnt serious at all about the peace process, and certainly does not intend to engage in any sort of negotiations, let alone withdraw from occupied territory, and will treat Arabs under occupation and even Arab citizens of Israel in a racist manner, he said. The election of this government will poison the atmosphere in the region, Muasher said. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute, said Israel and the U.S. might also butt heads over perceived threats to Israels democracy. Netanyahus coalition partners have called for reforms that would weaken the independence of the judiciary by blocking the Israeli Supreme Courts ability to undo the work of parliament by striking down laws. Leaders from the Netanyahu-allied Religious Zionism faction, which is led by Ben-Gvir, also have voiced support for striking from the penal code the fraud and breach of trust offense that Netanyahu faces in his corruption trial, saying that its been used to target politicians. If democracy in Israel deteriorates, the U.S. may not be happy about it, Rahat said. In his corruption trial, Netanyahu stands accused of using his position to promote regulations that financially benefited a media company in exchange for favorable news coverage. He has maintained his innocence. Ibrahim Dalalsha, the director of the Horizon Center Palestinian political research group in the West Bank city of Ramallah, said that Netanyahus possible return to power leaves Palestinians with little hope for peace negotiations. Its a deja vu to the political stalemate that was under Netanyahu, he said. Israeli voter Abraham Granit, a retired 85-year-old army colonel who lives in the central city of Raanana, was more optimistic. He said he wasnt worried about relations between the U.S. and Israel, pointing to how the countries have been strong allies for decades. The relationship between Israel and the U.S. generally is not dependent on who is prime minister, he said. But Granit, who voted for the Religious Zionism faction, said he would implore Biden to support Israeli policy to build more settlements in the occupied West Bank, where he has two children and 17 grandchildren living in one such settlement. The Biden administration considers settlements an impediment to peace, and they are considered illegal by much of the world. A Lincoln woman is missing her Louis Vuitton wallet and a diamond ring worth more than $70,000 after she left both items unattended at a Costco food court, she told police. The 39-year-old woman was eating lunch at the Costco in south Lincoln at around 12:30 p.m. Thursday when she finished her meal and left the wholesale warehouse store leaving her wallet behind, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said. Surveillance video from the store, near 14th Street and Pine Lake Road, showed an unknown man grab the wallet and leave the store before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Vollmer said. Among items inside the wallet, the woman told police, was a four-carat diamond ring worth $77,500. Vollmer said it's common for victims reporting thefts to provide photos of items stolen not necessarily for proof of ownership, but to help police track down missing items at pawn shops or in online marketplace postings. It's unclear if the 39-year-old woman provided photos of the ring, Vollmer said. An investigation into the theft is ongoing. Paris, TX (75460) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 73F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 33F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Paris, TX (75460) Today Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 52F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Both familiar and unfamiliar names will appear on the Nov. 8 midterm election ballot, where contested races in Jackson County will have voters choosing between several different county officials and a judge. County Clerk In the race for Jackson County Clerk, Democrat Frank L. Byrd, the incumbent, will face off against Republican Dave Sullivan Sr. Byrd is the current clerk and recorder for Jackson County. Byrds grandfather, Frank Byrd Sr., was a precinct committeeman and an active member in the community, which influenced Byrd to get into politics. I want to help the people and make sure they have access to voting, Byrd said. I was the first clerk in this area to install not one, but two, Ballot Retrieval Boxes. This will help people and it has been very successful. Byrd has been in office for over a decade and still believes Illinois needs to expand economically. Illinois is my home, and it has many positive things happening, so I believe the future looks bright, but I would like to see more job and business growth in the future, Byrd said. He was unable to pursue higher education but has still persevered and been an advocate for his home community, following in his grandfather's steps. I feel very strongly about this area, being raised here all my life, I understand the plight of the people, we need more growth and opportunity. It is time for our state legislators to work and bring jobs to this area, Byrd said. Both my parents were working-class people and unable to pay for college. I attended John A. Logan College but was unable to continue. Many people in this area understand this scenario. That is why it is important to elect people who hear the voices of the people. Sullivan Sr., originally from La Grange, is representing the Republican party for Jackson County in the race for County Clerk. He served four years in the Navy from 1969 to 1972. When he left the Navy in 1972 he moved to Southern Illinois where he has been a resident for over 50 years. His son, Dave Sullivan Jr., said his father is a retired agent with Northwestern Mutual Life, where he does financial networking. Sullivan Sr. also worked as a salesperson with Baker Plumbing in Marion. He is an active member of the Murphysboro Elks Club and American Legion Paul Stout Post 127. County Board All 14 seats on the Jackson County Board will be up for election this year because of redistricting. When the board seats the winners of the election, they will draw names to decide which members will serve two-year terms and which ones will serve four years. Districts 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 are all uncontested races, while districts 2 and 5 are being contested. District Two In District 2, four candidates are running for two county board seats. They are Rebecca Rathert Mathis of Campbell Hill and Rodney Beckman of Ava, both Democrats, and Daniel Bost and Andrew F. Erbes, both Republicans of Murphysboro. Mathis graduated from college in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She became Bradley Township Supervisor in 2017 in Ava and Campbell Hill. My grandmother, Mary Mickey Korando, was on the county board for years and its my honor to follow in her footsteps, Mathis said. Mathis has spent her time campaigning, having meet and greets, posting on social media, and knocking on doors. She hopes to encourage young people to get out and vote. She urges the younger generations in Jackson County to get involved and be aware of what's going on around them. Mathis is a strong believer in finding a way for women to keep their reproductive rights. Daniel Bost is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1986 in agriculture business and economics. Bost joined the political world in 2003 with hopes of promoting economic development in Southern Illinois. I want to accomplish lowering taxes, common sense policy, and [growing] business, job, and career development, Bost said. I would reduce the Illinois 6,000 layers of government." Erbes has been involved in politics since childhood, helping his grandfather Jim Tindall, campaign for Murphysboro Township assessor. He helped his grandmother, Ruth Tindall, campaign for Murphysboro alderman. He assisted his mom, Julie Erbes, in campaigning for the Murphysboro school board. Erbes ran for city council in high school as a write-in. He ran again four years later and tied, but lost the tie, and was appointed as a township trustee for Murphysboro 10 years ago. I have won subsequent elections since then to keep that seat since, and will have served two full terms on the county board for District 2 at the end of this term, Erbes said. I love public service. It's in my blood, and my love for Jackson County and the people who live here are why I decided to run again this time. I genuinely enjoy serving on the county board. Erbes has had the privilege to serve as Jackson County liaison to the state bicentennial committee. He represents Jackson County, one of the oldest counties in the state, at the state level in Springfield. I've served as chairman of the finance and administration committee, of the legislative and public safety committee, and currently serve on those committees as well as real property committee, the health insurance task force, Erbes said. I was proud to be part of the driving force that reactivated the Jackson County building task force a few years ago. Beckman did not respond to requests for an interview. District Five The other contested race for a position on the Jackson County Board has three candidates facing off for two available seats in District 5. They are Democrats Julie Peterson and John S. Rendleman and Republican Navreet Kang. Peterson, originally from Elmhurst, was raised in Murphysboro. She earned her bachelor's degree from SIU in 1989 in history as well as her master's in history in 1991. Peterson was a social-studies teacher at Carbondale Community High School and retired in 2011. She has been involved in politics since 2008 and was elected to serve on county board District 5 for a four-year term as a Democratic Party member. She hopes to be a responsible steward of county finances and help prepare the county for the future. We need a progressive income tax coupled with property tax relief for middle and low-income residents that would free up disposable income for the taxpayers, Peterson said. Rendleman received his bachelor's in history from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and his Juris Doctorate from the SIU School of Law. He is an attorney and started his own law firm, Rendleman Law in Carbondale. He is a current member of the Jackson County Board and has served several terms. He also is a former chairman of the board. Kang has been a State Farm agent in Carbondale since 1989. He attended Punjab Agriculture University and then Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville where he graduated in 1983 with an MBA in business management. Kang has served as a city councilman for the City of Carbondale. First Judicial Circuit of Jackson County In the First Judicial Circuit of Jackson County, Republican Christine Heins of Murphysboro will face Democrat Ralph Boomer Bloodworth of Murphysboro. Born Marie Christine Heins, she now goes by her middle name Christine. Heins graduated with her bachelor's degree in theater from SIU and received her BSN from Saint Louis University. Heins left SIU in 1990, finishing with her law degree. Heins was a clerk for the Honorable Bill Lewis in the fifth district appellate court. She became a partner in a small Murphysboro firm for 10 years and was a solo practitioner for 20 years. Since then I've expanded my practice to do a lot of criminal defense. I don't do family law anymore. I do more criminal work, and then, I also do Secretary of State hearings, Heins said. I help people get their driver's license back when they've been revoked, usually for some kind of offense involving alcohol or drugs. Heins was never into politics, she saw an opening for the First Circuit Judge position in Jackson County and decided to run for office to help solve more problems outside of her current reach. People come to lawyers because they have problems. And I've been solving problems for the last 30 years for my clients. However, once in a great while, problems can't be solved by the attorneys involved. And so you have to go before a judge and the judge is the ultimate problem solver, Heins said. Heins said if she gets into the office she will make sure to be a fair and impartial judge, being equal, and serving the county justice. Bloodworth is an associate judge in the First Judicial Circuit. He was appointed in 2012 and has been reappointed every four years. Bloodworth is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and attended law school at the university. He finished his last year of law school at Southern Illinois University. He was admitted to both Illinois and Missouri bar associations and was in practice in Southern Illinois for 12 years. His family has a long history in law. His grandfather and great-uncle worked to prosecute criminals after World War II. His campaign website says their influence strongly impacted Bloodworths life and gave him a strong foundation in justice and compassion. Bloodworth is married to Jill Womick Bloodworth. He moved to Southern Illinois in 1999, with a plan to move after his wife graduated from law school. Instead, he fell in love with the area and has remained here. The Bloodworths have two daughters. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is reaching out to area residents in an effort to bring technology and assistance to them. Last week, university officials and representatives of the Eurma C. Hayes Community Center celebrated the grand opening of a new Community Technology Center. The three-room suite at the community center will allow individuals to access free broadband, check out tablet computers, print documents and learn how technology can benefit small businesses and entrepreneurs. Bob Wills, executive director of the Eurma Hayes Center, said the new facility will benefit all of Carbondale, not just those who live in the citys northeastern neighborhoods. Its a grand opportunity for the northeast side of the community for all of Carbondale and the region to learn more about the technology that runs the world, he said. Its a phenomenal idea. SIU Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Paul Frazier said the effort is a good fit for the university and the collaboration is an example of exploring non-traditional partnerships. I dont think you can live in a community and not be totally engaged in the community, he said. I think all of us collectively came to engage in seeing the possibilities of ways we could be innovative in moving forward. Thats what excites me about this opportunity. The facility will be staffed by graduate assistants and other people affiliated with SIU. It is funded by a $30,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Broadband READY program, in partnership with the Illinois Innovation Network. The facility has also been supported by educational institutions that have donated furniture, such as extra carts and tables. Members of the community can use the facility to meet and collaborate, learn more about technology and get assistance with computer and online projects as well as check out Chromebooks to take home for their own use. Wills said the center should appeal to the youth and to adults. SIUs Frazier said it is hard to imagine all of the benefits of the new technology center. Im grateful to even live in the community where we value community service and we value being an engaged institution, not just doing community engagement, but coming into the community, and I think this is a great jumpstart for us to begin to do that, Frazier said. Im excited about what it will become and what its going to do for this community and for our city. This is going to be a jewel. In their latest collaboration Illinois Trails and Traces: Portraits along the States Historic Routes Gary Marx and Daniel Overturf take the reader on a journey through the highways and byways of Illinois. The mode of transportation are the stories of everyday citizens, Marxs literate prose and Overturfs vivid photography that consistently proves to be worth thousands of words. They spent about six years researching the book, finding characters, in every sense of the word, in every corner of Illinois. One minute, Marx is telling the story of Justin Pickerings bar, The Cabin at Judy Creek, located in Glen Carbon. On the next page, Marx segues seamlessly into the Illinois earliest settlers transporting goods from Shawneetown and Golconda to Vandalia and Alton along the Vincennes-St. Louis Road. Or, Marx weaves a tale involving Jim Post, once a major player in the Chicago folk music scene, and on the opposite page an Overturf photo places Post on a snowy hilltop overlooking downtown Galena, the place Post now calls home. Marx and Overturf collaborated before, creating A River Through Illinois, telling stories of the Illinois River. Marx, a former journalist who worked at The Southern Illinoisan and the Kansas City Star, and Overturf, a former photography professor at Southern Illinois, formed their literary partnership shortly after being introduced in the 1990s. It has a lot to do with collaboration, that maybe some photographers just want to work alone and some writers just want to work alone, but Gary and I were both interested in the possibilities of collaboration, Overturf said. I guess we realized it would be a super additive situation where my work would get better with his words and maybe his words would be better illustrated with my photographs. I think it was because of that mutual respect, I didnt want to particularly work alone and take on the role of writer and this way Gary could have a photography component to his writing. That led us to want to work together. Not anyone can do that. After their first book, the duo wanted to keep working together. We were a partnership in search of a project, Overturf said. Then, Marx came up with the concept of peeling back the onion of Illinois history through the eyes and stories of current citizens. For the next several years, he and Overturf drove thousands of miles across the state, finding the right people, the right images to tell that story. The history of images in the book were taken like yesterday or today, theyre not from a history book, Marx said. What we like to do, those are current history. They do tell history. How long does history last? Its just an instant. When that history comes and goes, Im taking notes. Im glad because there are people who told stories that Im not sure theyve shared very much with the public. I think mostly people are just out there being who they are. These are all photographs about things that happened recently, but they are not tracking things that have happened in the past. Its more about who we are and how we evolved, how people change and things change in life if youre around and watching. Gary, the concept itself, I heard you say, it is linked to your childhood in Illinois, said Pam Kelley, Marxs wife. Youre an Illinoisan. You and Dan have crisscrossed this state, side to side and up and down. You said for this particular book, the idea was looking for the history that is sometimes obscured under the under layers and layers and layers. On a personal level, the concept of the book is linked to childhood. You lived in a Chicagoland that was rapidly changing. You grew up on open land with trees, swamps and ponds within the shadow of OHare Airport. And, you watched as all of that was stripped away and changed. That is the same story Overturf tried to tell through his photos. If you look at the photographs, theyre not gritty documentary photographs, he said. Theyre not in the act type photographs. They are truly portraits. I dont want to call them rock stars, but I wanted to elevate the situation beyond just saying these people do this and these people do that. It was all very formal and I think through that formality you are acknowledging a lot of people who worked behind the scenes and arent used to being photographed or even acknowledged. The book is being published by Southern Illinois University Press. It can be purchased at www.siupress.com/books/978-0-8093-3848-1 and also at www.waterstones.com. The price is $29.95. NORTH The American Legion is offering people a chance to honor those who served and have breakfast with them on Veterans Day in the town of North. Enjoy a light breakfast, coffee and conversation with veterans from the region by attending the Nelson-Bass Post 78 Veterans Day Coffee and Breakfast on Friday, Nov. 11 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. William Duane Bramlett, commander of the American Legion post, is heading up the efforts for the breakfast. Bramlett retired from the Army National Guard with the rank of staff sergeant. He served just as the Vietnam War was ending. Bramlett also served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and retired as a sergeant. Bramlett said, I think this breakfast is important because it gives veterans a chance to get together with other veterans who shared some of the same experiences (and the public). The public will have a chance to recognize veterans at the event. I think veterans need to be recognized more because so many are homeless and alone. Not all wounds are visible. Many have PTSD, Bramlett added. Bramlett continued, That is the main mission of The American Legion, to reach out to veterans and help them get the help they need. All members of the community are invited to attend. The breakfast will be held at the A.L. Post 78 Legion Hut at 10099 North Road in North. A donation of $5 is requested, and all proceeds support the Nelson-Bass Post 78 American Legion Veterans' Community Projects. For more information and to RSVP, email northscamericanlegion78@gmail.com. Early voting numbers across The T&D Region have been high, and county election officials say that will likely lead to shorter lines on Tuesday. Early voting in South Carolina began on Oct. 24 and ended on Saturday. Orangeburg County Voter Registration and Election Director Aurora Smalls said 7,793, or 13 percent, of the countys total voters cast their ballots as of 3 p.m. Friday. Weve been kind of running mostly in Orangeburg with close to 500 voters a day, she said. Smalls said 1,476 absentee ballots, representing 2 percent of the countys total voters, had been returned out of the 1,760 that were issued as of early Friday afternoon. Its lower than it has been in the past. During the presidential election in 2020, it was much higher. I think its more so to do with the new law. We no longer have absentee in person. Absentee voting is only by mail now, Smalls said. You dont have someone doing mass requests for someone anymore. They can request an absentee ballot individually, but, as with special interest groups, you just cant bring in a load of requests for an area. People have to request their absentee ballot individually, or you can request for your family, she said. Smalls said the lower number of absentee ballot numbers could also be attributed to the fact that more people are coming in to vote in person rather than voting absentee by mail as their concerns over COVID have lowered since 2020. Smalls believes the high number of early voters will lead to shorter lines on Election Day, Nov. 8, when polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some people prefer just to do it on Election Day. So its more of a preference. A lot of people may want to do it early just in case. People may have issues with work. So it helps to have those early voting days, but then were open after they get off of work at 6 p.m. on Election Day, she said. Smalls said she is expecting a big turnout during the elections overall. Usually the school board brings a lot of voters out. We have school board candidates on the ballot. We also have a referendum on the ballot. So it should bring some interest of people out whether they have students in school or not. A lot of people are interested in the school superintendent race on the ballot, and then youve got the governors race. I think those have been some hot topics there, she said. Smalls urges all registered voters to come out and exercise their right to an unimpeded vote. Id just ask voters to come out and vote and dont wait until the last minute. It is their right to vote. It is an obligation to vote. As a citizen, it is our obligation to be interested. A lot of people say, Well, Im not interested in it, but it is our obligation to make sure that our country and county and towns and cities are run by people that we feel are up to the job, she said. Bamberg County Bamberg County Voter Registration and Election Director Athena Moorer said more than 1,000 early voters turned out to cast their ballots as of 3 p.m. Friday. She said 1,063, or 11 percent of the total county voters, had shown up at the countys two early voting locations. Early voting has been amazing. Turnout has been great. The voters seem to be super excited to have the opportunity to vote early, Moorer said. She said that number was high compared to the number of early voters who turned out during the June primary races. I know were well over double the turnout for early voting than we had for the primary, Moorer said. She noted that 236 absentee ballots had been returned out of the 276 issued as of early Friday afternoon, representing 3 percent of total county voters. This number is slightly higher for the general election. Typically general elections have a higher turnout than any other elections. It is possible that interest in the County Council 3 and House District 90 races contribute to some of the turnout, Moorer said. She continued, I think the more people that show up to vote early, the less theyre going to be showing up at the polls. So there wont be long lines for those who do vote on Election Day. Moorer said anyone seeking guidance on what voters can and cant do at the polls, including rules surrounding campaign materials, can visit https://scvotes.gov/, the website of the S.C. Election Commission. Calhoun County Calhoun County Voter Registration and Election Director Shayla Jenkins said early voting has been steady and brisk. Every day has been pretty steady. We havent had any lines. We kind of expanded the early voting efforts over in council chambers just to give us more space, more machines. We havent had a line to grow, Jenkins said. There were 1,400 early voters, or 12 percent of the countys total voters, who had cast their ballots as of 3 p.m. Friday Weve had good turnout. All the voters seem really pleased with the process, Jenkins said. She continued, In comparison to our last gubernatorial election, we got up to about 1,200 total. Back then it was in-person absentee, as well as mail-in absentee. So were surpassing that number totally for the last gubernatorial election. As of early Friday afternoon, 90 absentee ballots, representing approximately 1.2 percent of the total county voters, had been returned out of the 161 issued. Thats small. Our numbers for absentee by mail have lessened because those rules are a little bit different now, Jenkins said. Some people that previously voted absentee have come in early to vote. I think its been a good thing for them, she said. She said the media exposure about early voting has contributed to its rise. Weve had lots of commercials, lots of news articles and everything that kind of brought home that we were having early voting. So I think people hearing about it a lot more is probably driving people to say, Oh, well, I can vote early. So Im going to go ahead and do it, Jenkins said. She continued, People have been asking for early voting for years. We had to call it by a different name, which was in-person absentee. When those laws expanded and made everyone eligible for early voting, I think that has increased our numbers, too, because now you dont need a reason in order to early vote. You can just vote early as long as youre registered. Jenkins said she thinks there will shorter lines at the polls on Tuesday. The more numbers we see before Election Day, the less the number of people who go out to the polls on Election Day. So I do think that, along with just fine tuning processes so that hopefully the lines dont form, we kind of work ahead of the curve for your busy time, she said. She said if voters dont have a photo ID at the polling place, there are options. If voters dont, for whatever reason, have a photo ID, they could come to the voter registration office on the day of the election even and get their picture taken and put it on their voter registration card. I thank the voters and the citizens for coming out and exercising their right. We want to make sure that everyone whos eligible comes and casts their ballot, Jenkins said. Voter voices Voters said they appreciated the ease and convenience of early voting. I voted early in case the lines were long. I figured that would curtail that because you could walk right in with the early voting. I didnt have any waiting time, Orangeburg resident Lauritza Hill said. She said there were no particular races she was excited about, but she did pay attention to a $190 million school construction and renovation referendum the Orangeburg County School District has put forth for voters to decide on. I wasnt so sure about the $190 million thing, but I voted for it. I said, Well, maybe they did need a school. I didnt know whether I was doing the right thing or not, but the children do need a good place to be, Hill said. Orangeburg residents Rogers Thomas and Geraldine Singleton, who are both in their 80s, said early voting was convenient. At my age, tomorrow is not promised to you. So I figured I better go ahead and do it while I felt good and did not have any complications, Thomas said. He was paying particular attention to the gubernatorial race between incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, and challenger Joe Cunningham, a Democrat. Im hoping that the new guy gets a shot at it because once you stay in position too long, youre not as productive, Thomas said. I think that someone younger, some young blood needs to be in there. Give him that shot and see what he can do. Things have to get better, he said. Singleton said she appreciated the advantages that early voting gave her. Number one, its convenient. You dont have the crowd, and Im 83 years old. So that makes a difference with me. It was a nice day. So I wanted to make sure I get my vote in. I enjoy voting. Ive voted every year as long as I was old enough to vote. Its a privilege that I enjoy, and I take advantage of it, she said. Orangeburg resident Lillian Johnson said, I wanted to avoid the long lines of people. My particular interest is the state superintendent of education. Orangeburg resident Gwendolyn LC Snider said, It was a convenience for me. I just didnt want anything to happen and I not be able to vote. Im very much in favor of voting early. Snider said she is keeping an eye on all of the races. Every one of them affects us in some shape, manner or form. We have to elect persons thats for the betterment of our community. Weve got to elect persons that care about us. When I say us, I dont mean African-American, Caucasian or Asian. I mean people, she said. Orangeburg's Veterans Day program is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11. The event will be held at Veterans Memorial Park, located on Riverside Drive across the street from the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce building. It is the first time the event has been held in three years. The event was cancelled the last two years due to the coronavirus. The rain location for the event will be Orangeburg County Council Chambers at the County Administrative building on Amelia Street. The guest speaker for the ceremony will be North Carolina Selective Service State Director Manley James. James was sworn in as state director March 11, 2020. He was nominated by Gov. Roy Cooper and appointed by U.S. Selective Service Director Donald M. Benton. A Beaufort, N.C. native, James joined the U.S. Army Reserves in 1984. After completing Army basic training, James enrolled and was subsequently commissioned a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at North Carolina State University. He graduated with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering with a minor in math. He also holds a masters degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. James served over 34 years in the military. That includes 25 years in the North Carolina National Guard, including serving as executive officer of the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade from 2008 to 2009 in Iraq and commander of the 139th Regiment at Ft. Bragg from 2014 to 2017. Other notable assignments include deputy J-5, Joint Forces Headquarters in Raleigh; joint operations analyst, Joint Staff, J7South, Suffolk, Virginia; and commander of 2-139th Modular Battalion at Ft. Bragg. James retired as a colonel in 2019 while assigned as the director of safety. Throughout his career, James has deployed in support of multiple state hurricane relief operations, including hurricanes Michael, Fran and Floyd. Additionally, he supported state and national objectives by leading two Botswana engagements in support of the N.C. National Guards State Partnership Program. He has numerous awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars. James is employed with IBM as a strategy and transaction program manager. He has over 30 years experience with IBM in lease management, design and construction and engineering operations and maintenance. James is married to Charlene and has five children: Rahmelle, Whitney, Manley Jr, Blake and Cayce. In addition to James, the program is scheduled to include the Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School Band as well as a recognition of POWs/MIAs and a special tribute to veterans. The program will also include prayers, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of the national anthem, a wreath-laying ceremony and Taps played by Steve Jarvis. The event is hosted by the Orangeburg County Veterans Affairs office, the Orangeburg County Veterans Council, American Legion Post No. 4, Auxiliary and a number of other local veteran organizations. Refreshments will be provided following the program. A South Carolina State University biology major has been selected as the 2021-2022 recipient of the Geraldyne Zimmerman Scholarship, which was named in honor of the late civic leader. The Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina selected Iayana Sanders of Orangeburg as this years winner of the $2,000 scholarship. She said she is grateful for the award. I thank the Southeastern South Carolina Girl Scouts. This scholarship has greatly helped me not only cover tuition, but also cover my books, Sanders said. The support and encouragement she has received from GSESC has been great. She is now working to become a Girl Scout troop leader. Theyve just been very supportive and been in communication with me, Sanders said. Zimmerman, known affectionately as Mrs. Z, died April 10, 2011, at the age of 100. Born in 1911, she was one year older than the Girl Scouts. She had been active with the Girl Scouts since 1951 and started the first Girl Scout troop for African-American girls in Orangeburg. Zimmerman went on to create the Helen Sheffield Girls Club for girls in grades 9-12 in 1963. Zimmerman served not only as a Girl Scout troop leader, but as a board member, association president, troop consultant and service unit chairperson. Pat Baxley, GSESCs grants and community resources director, said the Geraldyne Zimmerman Scholarship has continued since it was developed in 2014. A gala had been held in Orangeburg to support the scholarship, but hasnt been held in the past two years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Weve continued to appeal for donations and sponsorships via social media and direct mail. Im keeping my fingers crossed. We are definitely planning to have the event in person next year, she said. Baxley continued, The Claflin University choir usually comes and sings, and the students from S.C. State come and are the wait staff. So its usually a very nice event. We still do tributes to Geraldyne Zimmerman. We usually have a guest speaker that was in some form or fashion associated with her. Thats been very impactful. She said the GSESC continues to be active in the local community. Were still very engaged in the community. Every year the community in Orangeburg has been so gracious and generous in supporting this event, the scholarship and Girl Scout programs in Orangeburg. The response we get from the community always astounds me. They are very generous group of people as a whole, Baxley said. Frances Morant is a troop leader in Service Unit 643, which serves Orangeburg and Calhoun counties. She leads local Girl Scout Troop 235 of Orangeburg. Morant said Zimmerman was a big proponent of youth development and girl scouting and exposing the girls to different options and channels in their lives. She said Mrs. Z. would be happy that the Girl Scouts are still thriving and developing youth. I think she would be overjoyed, I really do, Morant said. While an in-person scholarship gala is not being held this year, she and other troop leaders are working to get back to their own in-person meetings with their troop members. We are looking at some activities for the girls, but we havent finalized any plans yet, she said. Individuals who wish to support the Geraldyne Zimmerman Scholarship and students like Sanders can donate at the following "Mrs. Z Lives On" link: https://bit.ly/mrszliveson. South Carolina State University will conduct its annual Veterans Appreciation Program on Thursday, Nov. 10, beginning at 11 a.m. in Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium on campus. Army National Guard Lt. Col. Herbert Gamble Jr., an S.C. State alumnus, will be the keynote speaker. The observance also will include remarks by S.C. State President Alexander Conyers, a retired Army colonel, and performances by the S.C. State Concert Choir and the Celebration Mass Choir Ensemble. The SC State Bulldog ROTC Battalion will conduct a candle lighting and wreath ceremony under the direction of Lt. Col. Antonio Pittman, professor of military science. A native of Scranton, S.C., Gamble joined the South Carolina Army National Guard in November 2000 and was commissioned into the Army National Guard in December 2003. Gamble has served in the Army National Guard for more than 20 years in positions ranging from platoon leader, company commander to assistant product manager. He is now serving as the National Guard Bureau Legislative Liaison Branch chief for the Army Team. He received his bachelors degree in family and consumer sciences/business from S.C. State in 2003 and his masters degree in management leadership from Webster University in 2015. Gamble and his wife Lakena have two daughters, Hayley and Kately. COLUMBIA (AP) More than 14% of registered voters in South Carolina have already cast ballots for the 2022 general election after the state opened up no excuse early voting to all for the first time. More than 438,000 early votes and 51,500 absentee votes were in as of the end of Thursday, which was the 10th day of early voting, according to statistics from the South Carolina Election Commission. Turnout has been steadily increasing about each day. More than 50,000 votes were cast Thursday, the most of any day so far. If turnout in 2022 is similar to turnout in the last midterm elections in 2018, that means about 25% of votes in South Carolina would be in before Election Day on Tuesday. South Carolina has nearly 3.4 million registered voters, adding about 240,000 people to the rolls since the 2018 midterm elections, when turnout was about 55%. Early voting came to South Carolina this year thanks to a new law that received nearly unanimous support in the General Assembly. Voters get 12 days to cast ballots ending the Saturday before the election. Over the past several elections, South Carolina has allowed people to cast absentee ballots in person, but they had to include an excuse for why they could not be at the polls on Election Day. The law passed this year has South Carolina returning to mail-in absentee ballots. (TBTCO) - Cuc Du tru Lien bang My (FED) co kha nang se tiep tuc ot tang lai suat lan tiep theo trong thang 12 toi, nhung voi muc o co the nhe hon. ieu nay se lai la mot trong nhung yeu to tac ong en thi truong tai chinh va tien te trong nuoc. Casper College will kick-start its Veterans Appreciation Week with several different events, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Veteran Resource Center. The ceremony, along with an open house, is planned from 12-1 p.m. Monday at the resource center in the colleges Gateway Building room 207, though people are invited to drop by anytime before 5 p.m., an email from Veteran and Military Student Services Coordinator Nicholas Whipps said. There will be lunch for those who want it. Though the resource center has been open since the beginning of the semester, due to a quick turnaround to get everything ready, they were not able to have a grand opening for it. We want everyone who can (to) celebrate this milestone with us, Whipps said in an email to the Star-Tribune. Wednesday will be Gold Star Family Awareness Day, during which the community will have a chance to learn what a Gold Star family is and the service they have done, another email from Whipps said. The next day, the College will host the Operation Thunderbird Military Kids Dinner from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Veteran Resource Center. All military kids will have the chance to be treated to an awesome dinner, as well as activities and games. On Friday, which happens to be Veterans Day, the annual Veterans Ball will be held at 6 p.m. at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper. The keynote speaker is Samuel Rollin Rollie Dunnuck, who will speak to the mission statement of the Casper College Veterans Club: Never stop moving forward, the email said. Dunnuck is a member of the Casper Police Department, a Marine Corps veteran and team leader of the Natrona County chapter of the Mighty Oaks Foundation. Tickets, bought in advance, are $50 and can be purchased online or at the Veteran Resource Center. The soda shop craze which has its roots in Utah has moved into Casper. Husband-and-wife duo Perry and Ana Dayton opened Soda Springs Drinks in Mills on Oct. 22. They noticed how well soda shops were doing in Utah, where theyre originally from, as well in states such as Arizona and Idaho. If people flocked to get flavored drinks in places such as Boise, which has a cold climate similar to Wyomings, then a soda business could do well in Casper, they surmised. And they just like soft drinks, they said. Its simple, its fun and people enjoy it, Ana said. This is their first business venture together, one they have been thinking about for almost a year. It took a long time to get the location and details worked out. Their menu is expansive: They stock both Pepsi and Coke products, soda water, Red Bulls and cream soda, and they have over 36 syrups and several different types of creamers. They also have started selling hot chocolate and cookies as the temperatures slip further down the thermometer. The couple also do drink-of-the-day posts on their social media. They have punch cards, which have already earned their customers 13 free drinks. Soon, theyll add stroopwafels, a type of light cookie with a waffle pattern that originates from Pennsylvania. Though customers can make whatever drink-syrup-creamer combination they want, Soda Springs does have its own drinks, with names catering to a kind of tongue-in-cheek humor: Big Chungus, Princess Consuela, Flirty & Dirty. It was kind of late when we came up with them, Perry said. I even asked people online for suggestions for names and I got like 4,000 suggestions. Even on a chilly, windy Friday, Soda Springs Drinks is busy. Ana takes orders and completes transactions at the first window of the shed-like structure (which they spent six months looking for and have done renovations to). While people order, she writes down the specifications on Styrofoam cups (all branded with stickers) and then hands each one to Perry, who makes the drinks quickly enough that by the time the customer has pulled around to the second window on the other side, their order is ready. Not only did they open the shop itself, they also open the business each morning, too. Their other three employees, all teenagers, arrive in the afternoon to close, but the mornings are their time to spend together. This also allows them to to spend time with their four kids later in the day. Luckily, we like each other most of the time, Perry said jokingly. Though Soda Springs Drinks is still young, they already have regulars eight or 10 people who have been there every single day, Perry said. They want to expand, too. Food trucks in the lot next to the building in the summer. Another location in Casper. Ana used the word when and not if when she talked about that idea. The community of Casper, Mills and Evansville theyve been so supportive, she said. Im just so happy to have opened a business here, because its been a big community support, so we appreciate it. As usual, Republican candidates are expected to dominate statewide races on Tuesday, a new University of Wyoming survey released Friday shows. UWs School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies partnered with the schools Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center to conduct a survey of 436 Wyoming residents between Oct. 22 and Thursday, according to the university. The surveyors selected residents at random. The results arent surprising. Wyoming is a deeply red state, and Republicans have won all races for the five statewide executive offices since 1994, as well as all races for U.S. House since 1978, according to Dr. Jim King, a UW political science professor and the surveys director. The Republican primary race for Wyomings lone House seat drew national attention as incumbent Rep. Liz Cheney, an outspoken Trump critic, faced off against Trumps pick, land attorney Harriet Hageman. Hageman ousted Cheney by nearly 40 points in the August primary. The UW poll shows that Hageman leads Democratic nominee Lynnette Grey Bull by 36 points, with 62% saying they intend to vote for Hageman and 26% saying theyll vote for Grey Bull. Roughly 94% of the survey respondents who said that they voted for Hageman in the primaries said they plan to vote for her again. About 67% of those who voted for Cheney said they intend to back Grey Bull on Tuesday. This year, Republican candidates for three statewide elected offices wont be facing any challenger in the general elections. Those candidates would be secretary of state candidate Rep. Chuck Gray, state treasurer incumbent Curt Meier and state auditor incumbent Kristi Racines. The poll also shows that incumbent Gov. Mark Gordon will likely glide to victory, with 76% of respondents including 89% of Republicans and 73% of independents saying that he has their support. In contrast, 54% of Democrats said they will support the Democratic nominee for governor Theresa Livingston. Almost a third of Democrats said they plan to vote for Gordon. The most competitive statewide race is for state superintendent of public instruction, according to the survey. The poll shows Republican nominee Megan Degenfelder leading by 30 points over her Democratic opponent, Sergio Maldonado, with 54% of respondents saying they plan to cast their vote for Degenfelder and 24% stating their intention to back Maldonado. Another 22% said they were undecided. King said thats not very unusual for lower-profile offices and that Degenfelder is still very likely to win. Most of the undecided voters are Republican and will probably support Degenfelder come election day, he said. In virtual town halls for landlords and renters this week, the Department of Family Services clarified how Wyoming's Emergency Rental Assistance Program would change after applications close Thursday. The agency announced last month that the federally funded program, created to help burdened renters and landlords during the coronavirus pandemic, would stop taking new applications to prepare for the program's end. The state could run out of ERAP money as early as next spring, said Tina Packard, an ERAP program manager for the Department of Family Services. By closing applications, the agency hopes to stretch its remaining funds so it can keep assisting current clients. ERAP extensions aren't considered new applications, so anyone who applies before Thursday will still be able to apply for more assistance until the money dries up. (Though ERAP provides up to 18 months of rental relief, the department must approve tenants and landlords for three months at a time, requiring clients to reapply for extensions every few months.) Since ERAP is tied to your current place of residence, any applicant that moves after Thursday will lose their eligibility, Packard said. The agency is also suspending its letter-of-intent program, which was introduced last year as a way to preapprove homeless people for ERAP. Anyone who receives a letter of intent has 90 days to use it. In other words, a letter of intent issued next week would be valid until early February (though the program could be out of money by then.) Due to rising applications, it currently takes up to 40 business days for the Department of Family Services to approve and pay applications to the program. Packard urged applicants to keep an eye out for questions and updates from the department. Applicants should expect email correspondence from noreplywyoerap@wyo.gov. Phone calls regarding applications will come from 1-877-996-3727, she said. Anyone who needs help applying can contact their designated local ERAP partner organizations, which the Department of Family Services contracted with to assist with applications and provide case management services. The full list of organizations is available on the Department of Family Services website. The controversial use by college admission committees of an applicants race was the subject of a five-hour hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court this week in cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The lengthy oral argument brought to a fever pitch the long simmering question of the constitutionality of race conscious programs affirmative action policies that were upheld in the Courts landmark ruling in 1978 in Regents of University of California v. Bakke. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the use of race as a factor in the admissions practices of the nations colleges and universities. But affirmative action programs have suffered declining public support in the four decades since the Bakke ruling was handed down. The Court, firmly controlled by six strongly conservative Justices, seems poised to strike down the practice that, to many Americans, represents for historically disadvantaged minorities the most effective entryway to the nations elite universities and the leadership opportunities that accrue to graduates of those schools. Lost in the roiling waters of the debate on affirmative action has been understanding of what the Court actually ruled in Bakke. The Court, in a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Lewis Powell, appointed to the High Bench by President Richard Nixon, rejected the use of quotas, but found constitutional under the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause the use of an applicants race as one of several factors that admission committees may consider. Justice Powell rejected the concept of a benign racial classification. He wrote that the burden of providing remedies for past racial discrimination could not constitutionally be placed on the shoulders of individuals who had no part in that discrimination. But the Court approved the use of race as one factor race plus one as one factor in a universitys admissions policy for the purpose of promoting diversity in its student body. Race, Justice Powell explained, is relevant to diversity, principally because societal discrimination has made race relevant to a students views and experiences. It is permissible, Powell noted, that a students race may be a decisive factor in a particular case. How important a students race may be in the admissions process may depend on some attention to numbers, that is, the number of minority students already admitted. The Court, in 2003, in Grutter v. Bollinger, in an opinion authored by Justice Sandra Day OConnor, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, embraced the Bakke ruling. Indeed, the Court applied the strict scrutiny doctrine and approved the approach employed by the University of Michigans law school. Justice OConnor wrote that diversity represented a compelling governmental interest, one that sought to achieve that diversity which has the potential to enrich everyones education and thus make a law school class stronger than the sum of its parts. The educational benefits that flow from diversity, OConnor emphasized, were indeed compelling. Several amicus curiae briefs, including those filed by American corporations, stressed the invaluable importance to their employees of experiencing a racially diverse student body. This required, the Court observed, particular attention to the inclusion of students from groups that have been historically discriminated against, such as African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans who, without this commitment, might not be represented in the student body in meaningful numbers. The goal of the school was to enroll a critical mass of students from these underrepresented groups in order, as Justice OConnor wrote, to ensure their ability to make unique contributions to the character of the Law School. The future of affirmative action admissions programs in the nations universities is unclear. Advocates of affirmative action programs, first introduced at the federal level by President Lyndon Johnson in the mid-1960s, have emphasized that the programs are but temporary, that is, lasting long enough to overcome the historic practice of racial discrimination. For her part, Justice OConnor, in the 2003 Grutter opinion, stated: We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today. Dissenters in that case Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas along with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, who joined the majority, agreed that race conscious admission programs must have a logical end point. Justice Ginsburg rightly pointed out that nobody can anticipate the future with any certainty. Thus, the 25-year goal could be only a hope and not firmly forecast. For those who hope for a race-neutral nation one in which law and society truly are color blind the question, always, is one of the means to the end. Thus, we ask: if affirmative action in college admission policies is still necessary to overcome the impact of historic practices of race discrimination in higher education, should Supreme Court Justices worry about deadlines, that is, whether achievement of that goal requires 25 or 35 or 45 years? If that, indeed, is the goal, shouldnt the answer be: as long as it takes? On this years general election ballot, you will see an opportunity to vote for Amendment A. This initiative would provide an option for counties to expand their investment of general funds into equities. Amendment A isnt a new concept; it is widely practiced across the country. In 1996, a Constitutional amendment was passed allowing the State of Wyoming to invest the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund (PWMTF) into secure equities. This change allowed for the PWNTFs rapid growth and compounding returns on that growth. The State has endured significant tax revenue losses with federal policies discouraging coal, oil, and gas development. Today, because of the States investments policies, one-third of State revenues come from income from the PWMTF, not taxes. Amendment A would allow counties the same opportunity. Amendment A, subject to legislative authorization, will be a choice for each county in the State of Wyoming. Funds will be invested through professional portfolio managers and not individual counties. Professionals would be responsible for ensuring stable returns over a long-term period with a focus on security and steady growth. With our state facing challenging economic times, every tax dollar must be maximized. However, a strong future for counties requires us to be good stewards of our budgets by making intelligent investments smartly and conservatively. Constitutional Amendment A will give counties another option to manage their budgets wisely in a skillful way to help counties thrive and allow for the responsible growth of funds with oversight You, the voters, currently allow the State of Wyoming to invest in this same manner, producing steady, long-term returns focused on security and stable growth. We ask that you allow the individual counties, this same opportunity. When you vote this fall, vote yes on Amendment A. AN 89-year-old woman was found dead in Tunapuna yesterday morning after a fire at her home. The deceased has been identified as Zubida Mohammed of Prescott Lane in Tunapuna. Residents of the area told the Express that around 8.45 a.m. they heard a loud explosion, and then observed flames coming from one of the rooms of the bottom floor of the two-storey home. THE murder count is now 551, the highest it has ever been in the history of Trinidad and Tobago Twitter began widespread layoffs Friday as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the company, raising grave concerns about chaos enveloping the social media platform and its ability to fight disinformation just days ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The speed and size of the cuts also opened Musk and Twitter to lawsuits. At least one was filed alleging Twitter violated federal law by not providing fired employees the required notice. The San Francisco-based company told workers by email Thursday that they would learn Friday if they had been laid off. About half of the companys staff of 7,500 was let go, Yoel Roth, Twitters head of safety & integrity, confirmed in a tweet. Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no choice but to cut the jobs when the company is losing over $4M/day." He did not provide details on the daily losses at the company and said employees who lost their jobs were offered three months' pay as a severance. No other social media platform comes close to Twitter as a place where public agencies and other vital service providers election boards, police departments, utilities, schools and news outlets keep people reliably informed. Many fear Musks layoffs will gut it and render it lawless. Roth said the companys front-line moderation staff was the group the least impacted by the job cuts. He added that Twitters efforts on election integrity including harmful misinformation that can suppress the vote and combatting state-backed information operations remain a top priority. Musk, meanwhile, tweeted that Twitters strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged. But a Twitter employee who spoke with The Associated Press Friday said it will be a lot harder to get that work done starting next week after losing so many colleagues. This will impact our ability to provide support for elections, definitely, said the employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concerns for job security. The employee said theres no concrete sense of direction except for what Musk says publicly on Twitter. I follow his tweets and they affect how we prioritize our work, said the employee. Its a very healthy indicator of what to prioritize. Several employees who tweeted about losing their jobs said Twitter eliminated their entire teams, including one focused on human rights and global conflicts, another checking Twitters algorithms for bias in how tweets get amplified, and an engineering team devoted to making the social platform more accessible for people with disabilities. Eddie Perez, a Twitter civic integrity team manager who quit in September, said he fears the layoffs so close to the midterms could allow disinformation to spread like wildfire during the post-election vote-counting period in particular. I have a hard time believing that it doesnt have a material impact on their ability to manage the amount of disinformation out there, he said, adding that there simply may not be enough employees to beat it back. President Joe Biden, at a campaign event in Illinois Friday night, said: "Now what are we all worried about? Elon Musk, who goes out and buys an outfit that sends and spews lies all across the world. ... How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake? Twitters employees have been expecting layoffs since Musk took the helm. He fired top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, and removed the company's board of directors on his first day as owner. As the emailed notices went out, many Twitter employees took to the platform to express support for each other often simply tweeting blue heart emojis to signify its blue bird logo and salute emojis in replies to each other. A Twitter manager said many employees found out they had been laid off when they could no longer log into the companys systems. The manager said the way the layoffs were conducted showed a lack of care and thoughtfulness. The manager, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity out of concerns for job security, said managers were not given any notice about who would be getting laid off. For me as a manager, its been excruciating because I had to find out about what my team was going to look like through tweets and through texting and calling people, the employee said. Thats a really hard way to care for your people. And managers at Twitter care a lot about their people. A coalition of civil rights groups escalated their calls Friday for brands to pause advertising buys on the platform. The layoffs are particularly dangerous ahead of the elections, the groups warned, and for transgender users and other groups facing violence inspired by hate speech that proliferates online. In a tweet Friday, Musk blamed activists for what he described as a massive drop in revenue since he took over Twitter late last week. Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg said there is little Musk can say to appease advertisers when hes keeping the company in a constant state of uncertainty and turmoil, and appears indifferent to Twitter employees and the law. Musk needs advertisers more than they need him, she said. Pulling ads from Twitter is a quick and painless decision for most brands. A lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in San Francisco on behalf of one employee who was laid off and three others who were locked out of their work accounts. It alleges Twitter violated the law by not providing the required notice. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification statute requires employers with at least 100 workers to disclose layoffs involving 500 or more employees, regardless of whether a company is publicly traded or privately held, as Twitter is now. Twitter filed notifications late Friday in California for its offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose. The layoffs affected 983 employees in the state, according to the filings. Twitter said it will continue to pay wages and benefits to the workers through Jan. 4 and employees were notified on Friday. The layoffs affected Twitter's offices around the world. In the United Kingdom, it would be required by law to give employees notice, said Emma Bartlett, a partner specializing in employment and partnership law at CM Murray LLP. The speed of the layoffs could also open Musk and Twitter up to discrimination claims if it turns out, for instance, that they disproportionally affected women, people of color or older workers. AP Business Writers Mae Anderson, Alexandra Olson and Ken Sweet in New York, James Pollard in Columbia, S.C., Frank Bajak in Boston and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this story. Cactizonians Treasure by Bart Ambrose. Aim-Hi Publishing, LLC. 273 pages. $26.95, $16.95 paperback, $6.31 Kindle. Local legend meets fiction in this lively novel about the pursuit of hidden treasure that gallops from the Rincon Mountains to Sonora, Mexico. Thieves who intercepted a train near Pantano in 1887 and relieved it of a Wells Fargo shipment worth thousands of dollars in gold and silver, stashed the haul in the remote Five-Mile Cave. Their loot, the subject of avid speculation, sat undisturbed in the cave for decades. Fast forward to 1934: Five-Mile Cave, now Colossal Cave, is the site of a Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp. The rumors about the hidden plunder live on since, as the narrative makes clear, stories of any kind were the lifeblood of the camp. Young Jimmy, one of the CCC Cactizonians readying the site for public use, realizes the payday of his life when he stumbles across the fortune, but he immediately becomes the target of thieves, opportunists, Wells Fargo detectives, and the federal government, all of whom have designs on Jimmys find. The race is on as Jimmy tries to outrun and outsmart his multiple pursuers and protect his treasure. Author Bart Ambrose, a native Arizonan and conservationist, lives in the Catalina Foothills. Helene Woodhams The Dawning of Diversity: How Chicanos Helped Change Stanford University by Frank O. Sotomayor; Research by Barbara Sotomayor. West by Southwest Press. 323 pages. $31.85. In The Dawning of Diversity, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines how the activism of Chicano students and faculty poked the sleeping bear that was Stanford University, bringing about a groundbreaking transformation in educational opportunities and inclusion for Mexican-Americans. As a student at Stanford, author Frank Sotomayor was both a witness to and participant in these events. Beginning with the founding of the university in Palo Alto in 1891 by Sen. Leland Stanford, the author provides some eye-opening history (including Stanfords cringe-worthy embrace of the eugenics movement) before turning to the period of the tumultuous mid-1960s. By 1967, thanks to exclusionary admissions practices, Mexican-Americans accounted for just a fraction of 1% of the student body, despite constituting 10% of Californias population. Society was in motion, however, and Stanford, if somewhat sluggishly, moved with it by accepting more minority applicants. Sotomayor identifies three critical years 1969, 1970 and 1971 when the incoming freshman classes included slowly increasing numbers of Mexican-American students who would be trailblazers, busting stereotypes and laying the groundwork for institutional change. The author skillfully weaves rigorous reporting and informed commentary with absorbing personal accounts from the change-makers themselves who, by passing the baton through the decades, remained determined to win acceptance and respect for their cultural identity in a milieu intent on their assimilation. The awakening of Stanford to the value of diversity is an important part of Chicano history, and, as Sotomayor correctly notes, its far too good an untold story not to be chronicled for posterity. He does it ably. Sotomayor, a former Los Angeles Times editor and a member of Stanford Universitys Multicultural Alumni Hall of Fame, lives in Tucson. Helene Woodhams Hugh Lenox Scott, 1853-1934: Reluctant Warrior by Armand S. La Potin. University of Oklahoma Press. 288 pages. $29.95; $21.95 paperback; $28.45 Kindle. Second Lieutenant Hugh Lenox Scott arrived in the Dakota Territory on the heels of Custers defeat at Little Big Horn, embarking on a military career in which he distinguished himself with his skills as a communicator and diplomat. The Reluctant Warrior is an unconventional title for a soldiers story, but as author Armand S. La Potin makes clear in this provocative volume, Scott had some unconventional opinions. A self-styled soldier of peace, he preferred compromise over warfare which, he believed, should be the last resort. Had Custer simply sat down with his adversaries to talk it out, Scott opined, things could have gone differently. The son and grandson of Presbyterian ministers, Scott easily adopted the mantle of negotiator, learning sign language so he could communicate with tribal leaders and gain their trust. His fascination with Indian cultural practices was critical to his ability to work with tribal leaders for peaceful solutions while simultaneously providing opportunities to learn their warfare techniques. As La Potin demonstrates, Scott was a complex individual full of contradictions, and this volume is far more than a standard military biography. Viewing his subject through the lens of the predominant racist attitudes of the day, La Potin offers an illuminating portrait of a man who, on the one hand, made the welfare and protection of tribal groups an imperative, while on the other, believed that Indigenous peoples were primitive and childlike by nature, unlikely to survive without being fully assimilated into white society. La Potin, who lives in Marana, is professor emeritus of history at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. Helene Woodhams American Indian Studies: Native PhD Graduates Gift Their Stories edited by Mark L.M. Blair, Mary Jo Tippeconnic Fox and Kestrel A. Smith University of Arizona Press. 188 pages. $24.95. This reader never expected this study of an academic program to be a page-turner. She was wrong. In the work, editors Blair, Tippeconnic Fox and Smith introduce the University of Arizona American Indian Studies program and let nine of its PhDs relate their personal and professional stories. The UAs AIS program was a pioneer (the first in the U.S. to offer PhDs). Readers can trace its evolution, butmore significantly they are granted access to the experiences, challenges and world views of Indigenous students. Each of the graduates occupy an academic position college professor, dean, or president but none attained it easily. They had prejudice to overcome; poverty, low expectations, cultural disconnect. What they have in common is persistence and appreciation for the UA AIS faculty. Their personal stories and voices are, indeed, the gift in the collections title. Christine Wald-Hopkins Dead but Not Gone by R.L. Clayton. Independently published. 447 pages. $17.99. The set-up of this, R.L. Claytons sixth novel in his Dead series, establishes a tone: The black-haired, ambitious female vice president of the United States, Kali Hamilton, aided by the equally ambitious, face-lifted, female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelton, seeks to unseat the older, white, first-term President, Jack Bolton (married to younger Joni Bolton), as Hamilton aggressively pursues mandatory national confiscation of assault weapons. See where were going with this? At issue in Dead but Not Gone is an amplification of the current political and cultural ideological gulf in the American landscape. Clayton has previously written about external threats to the U.S., like cyber or bio attacks. In this book, he turns domestic. A Southern Arizona ranch-turned-militia and foreign-military training center becomes the setting to play out the conflicting perspectives and objectives of both the right and the left. Clayton resurrects The Prophet, who already successfully united some world religions, and Kiki Russell and Nick Sabino, who are sharpshooter and interrogator/surgeon par excellence. Kiki and Nicks talents become necessary as former US president Ron Carson juggling the Second and Tenth Amendments is called upon to help resolve the ideological divide. Christine Wald-Hopkins A Hollow, Muscular Organ by Meg Files. Accents Publishing. 113 pages. $16. Poet, fiction writer and writing instructor Meg Files draws from her full creative quiver in this thought-provoking, saddening meditation on contemporary marriage: She uses the conventions of poetry, follows the forms of fiction and occasionally steps out of the narrators voice to share a writers decisions. The heart being the central symbol of the novella, we follow broken-hearted Susannah, as she deals with her husband Griffs affair with a (predictably) younger office worker. Denying that this affair is more serious than other things Griff has had, Susannah pulls out all the stops to draw him back . even to the cringe-worthy point of wrapping her naked self in cellophane. Through flashbacks to happy, connected times and metaphors (The sufferer exists as the focused red center of a bleared world.), the reader suffers with the couple, the ache of disconnection and loss; even the bitter-sweetness of epiphany. Christine Wald-Hopkins Three Doors, One Room by Tony Luebbermann. Finishing Line Press. 45 pages. $14.99. The poets eye and voice in these poems are as perceptive and incisive as his ravens dark wing: purpled,/Glossy, burnished . This chapbook, Tucsonan Tony Luebbermanns second, is a celebration of the natural world both desert and northern lake and the thoughtful observers place in it. Introduced by a Marianne Faithful quotation The really explicit phrase is doors of perception the collection is organized in its title: three doors and a room. First Door consists of crisp nature images and observations we see a bee, /on fire/ with pollen; we hear With water, a stone may sigh for the language of stones/ is naked ... Second Door, introduced by the Umberto Eco quotation The beauty of the universal consists not only of unity in variety, but also of variety in unity, contains poems of human interaction and action: Ever wonder about random events?; I find these scenes on thrift shops shelves:/ Shirts faded, folded like shouts In Both Doors Open, Luebbermann both celebrates and laments humanitys place in the natural world. In On Roses at Night Under Stars: he acknowledges the insignificance of humankind Above, the stars, our witness tress of space/ marking corners of our myths, our ancient/ properties indifferent to human styles but opaque, mysterious/ untouchable, chilling the uplifted face. Sobering. But lovely. Christine Wald-Hopkins TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Transgender children in Florida will be barred from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria under a rule approved Friday by state medical officials at the urging of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Board of Medicine and the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine voted at a joint meeting in Lake Buena Vista to finalize rules governing gender affirming health care for minors. The rule is set to take effect after a weekslong public input period. The ban comes as DeSantis and Republicans in other states move to limit access to the treatments for minors, often characterizing them as medically unproven and potentially dangerous in the long term, as another political battle against liberal ideologies. Many doctors, mental health specialists and medical groups have argued that treatments for transgender youth are safe and beneficial, though rigorous long-term research is lacking. Federal health officials have described the gender-affirming care as crucial to the health and well-being of transgender children and adolescents. DeSantis has made criticizing such treatments for minors a routine part of his reelection campaign, often referring to the procedures in graphic terms during rallies and speeches. The new policy, finalized days before the election, marks another example of DeSantis' ability to leverage the power of government to accomplish controversial political goals, bolstering his national reputation as a combative GOP culture warrior. The rule prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty-blocking, hormone and hormone antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors. It bans sex reassignment surgeries or other surgical procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics in minors. Todays vote from the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine will protect our children from irreversible surgeries and highly experimental treatments. I appreciate the integrity of the Boards for ruling in the best interest of children in Florida despite facing tremendous pressure to permit these unproven and risky treatments. Children deserve to learn how to navigate this world without harmful pressure, and Florida will continue to fight for kids to be kids," Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said in a statement. Florida health officials banned state Medicaid insurance coverage for gender dysphoria treatments this year and issued a report that said the treatments have not been proven safe or effective. After the report's publication, Ladapo, a DeSantis appointee, called for the adoption of new rules around the treatments. Florida has also clashed with federal health officials who advocate for providing the treatments for young people. Gender-affirming health care for youths has been a target for Republicans in recent years. Last year, the American Medical Association issued a letter urging governors to block any legislation prohibiting the treatment, calling such action a dangerous intrusion into the practice of medicine. Arkansas was the first state to enact such a ban on gender affirming care, with Republican lawmakers in 2021 overriding GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinsons veto of the legislation. Alabama Republicans this year approved legislation to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths. Both laws have been paused amid unfolding legal battles. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, signed a bill last month that bars federal funds earmarked for the University of Oklahoma Medical Center from being used for gender reassignment treatments for minors. Stitt also called for the Legislature to ban some of those gender reassignment treatments statewide when it returns in February. Top Tennessee Republicans also have vowed to push for strict anti-transgender policies. The state already bans doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment to prepubescent minors. To date, no one has legally challenged the law as medical experts maintain no doctor in Tennessee does so. In Florida, DeSantis signed a law last year barring transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as girls at birth. Farmers and related companies opposing hotly contested citizen initiatives to set up state regulation of groundwater pumping in the Willcox and Douglas areas are running away with the fundraising competition as Tuesdays election draws near. Fueled by contributions running as high as $10,000 from various companies, the opposition group, a political action committee calling itself Rural Water Assurance, had raised about $65,000 through Oct. 22, the close of the last fundraising period for the campaign before Election Day, state records show. The groups campaign funds come mainly from larger donors starting at around $5,000 apiece. The political action committee supporting the initiatives, Arizona Water Defenders, had raised about $16,000 as of that day, the records show. Its relied almost exclusively on small donations from individuals, many concentrated in the liberal enclave of Bisbee. On Tuesday, voters living in whats known as the Willcox Basin will decide whether to establish a state-run Active Management Area to control groundwater pumping there. Voters living in the Douglas Basin, lying just south of the Willcox Basin, will decide on a similar measure for their area the same day. The two groups divide over whether state regulation is needed to combat the areas chronic problem of declining water levels and drying wells due to longstanding unregulated groundwater pumping. The Rural Water Assurance committee has received more than 90% of its funds in contributions of at least $2,000, and received more than half its money in contributions exceeding $5,000. Close to one-fourth of the total donations to that group have come from individuals and companies based outside Cochise County, including several from out of state. Companies giving the group $10,000 include Western Hydro Engineering and White Water Irrigation, both of the unincorporated community of Cochise in the Willcox Basin. A total of $10,000 was given by two companies, White Water Farms and White Brothers Grain, that operate out of the same Elfrida address in the Douglas Basin. Arizona Water Defenders has reported only two contributors who have given more than $1,000 both individuals. Cheryl Knott of Pearce, the groups Willcox Basin volunteer coordinator, has donated nearly $3,470. Ashley Dahlke of Bisbee, who chairs Arizona Water Defenders, has donated $1,767. The vast majority of the donors supporting the initiative live in Cochise County. If Active Management Areas are approved for the two basins, new irrigation there would be banned. Existing farmers would be grandfathered in so they could keep pumping. But over time, they would likely face conservation requirements to gradually reduce their pumping. The Arizona Department of Water Resources would decide whether to set a goal of safe yield for the area, which would ultimately require that the total amount of pumping in each basin not exceed the amount of rainwater and other water sources replenishing the aquifer. Currently in the Willcox Basin, by contrast, pumping exceeds natural replenishment of the aquifer by four times, a 2018 study done by the state water agency concluded. Safe yield is today the goal for four of five existing water Active Management Areas in the state, including one for the Tucson area. The management areas being proposed for the Willcox and Douglas basins would be the first that arent centered in urban areas ranging from as small as Nogales to as large as Phoenix. On its website, Arizona Water Defenders argues that without Active Management Areas, the over-pumping in this region will escalate, putting more of the control of the areas groundwater in the hand of large companies, many headquartered out of state. Many residents in the area own wells that already are too shallow to reach the groundwater table or soon will be, the group said. Anecdotal accounts have placed the number of dried up wells in the area well into the dozens, the Arizona Daily Star has found. When ADWR decides on what goal to set for an Active Management Area, it must first hold public meetings and accept public comments, the group said. When was the last time an out of state agri-business asked you for your comments on their plan to use more water? the group asked. Rural Water Assurance argues that creating Active Management Areas will remove any possibility of local control over water use, investing it instead with the state. f you have property today you intend to develop in the future to expand your farm, your ranch, or your vineyard, converting to an AMA will greatly slow or even stop that, the group said on its website. Likewise, if you have land youd like to develop for housing, an AMA will require you to demonstrate a 100-year assured water supply before you can build. You will lose control of your property, your way of life and your future. If an AMA is created, individuals and business existing water use will be frozen in place and landowners will only be able to irrigate land thats been under cultivation during the previous five years. Cities, towns, private water companies and irrigation districts also would be required to obtain a service area right from the state to withdraw groundwater for delivery to landowners and residents within their service areas, the group said. Also, landowners whose wells use more than 35 gallons a minute will have to measure their groundwater use and report it to the state, the group said. Because the opponents have raised far more money than the initiatives supporters, that gave them far more money to spend in the campaigns crucial closing weeks. Arizona Water Assurance reported having about $46,000 left in its coffers as of Oct. 22. Arizona Water Defenders reported having $2,760 left on the same day. A man has been arrested after authorities say he reportedly hit and killed a bicyclist early Saturday while driving under the influence, authorities said. Deputies went to the intersection of West Valencia Road and South Camino De Oeste about 3 a.m. after a report about a crash involving a pickup truck and a bicyclist, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. The bicyclist, Christopher Lozano, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said. Deputies say Jason Duenas, 21, the driver of the pickup truck, was traveling west on Valencia Road when he struck Lozano. Duenas was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and driving under the influence, the news release said. 91, died on October 30, 2022. She is survived by her brother, James Martin; three sisters, Margaret, Nancy and Judy, six of her eight children, Greg, Jeff, Gerard, Joel, Julianna and John; 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survive. Frances was born on March 21, 1931, in Bloomington, Indiana. She worked for several years as a registered nurse in Indianapolis, where she met her lifetime love and husband of 52 years, Dr. John Gillette. John and Frances were married in 1953 and moved to Tucson in 1956. Passionately devoted to her husband and children, Frances also had an intense love for all animals and worked as a docent at the Reid Park Zoo for many years. Generous with her time and resources, she was kind and helpful to anyone who had the pleasure of making her acquaintance. We will greatly miss her, and we will fondly remember her always. Visitation will be held at the BRING'S BROADWAY CHAPEL, 6910 East Broadway Blvd. from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 6, 2022, with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, November 7, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 215 South Craycroft Rd. Interment to follow at Holy Hope Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to the Reid Park Zoo or the National Right to Life 419 South St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004-2293. A California-based loan servicing company is expanding its presence in one of Tucsons landmark buildings, with plans to add about 150 jobs. Advanced Financial Company, which provides consumer loan servicing and customer service for the timeshare resort industry, plans to add 152 jobs over the next five years in a major expansion of its operation at the historic 5151 East Broadway building, where it opened a small office in 2020. The company plans to invest $2 million in building out part of the historic building, and the economic impact of the plan is estimated at $135 million over five years, said Sun Corridor Inc., the Tucson regions main economic-development agency. Advanced Financial plans to move into its new space Dec. 1, expanding on the sixth floor of 5151 East Broadway to about 8,000 square feet from 2,600 square feet, and has options to take up the entire floor of 18,000 square feet, said Kyle Kolsky, Advanced Financials chief operating officer. The new local positions include customer service agents, trainers and supervisors with responsibility for solar and home improvement loan servicing, billing and payment processing and other financial services roles. Interested applicants can contact Delbert Reed at dreed@advancedfinco.com; veterans are encouraged to apply. Advanced Financial, which is based north of San Diego in Carlsbad, Calif., set up a small office at 5151 E. Broadway in 2020, after pivoting to remote work during the height of the pandemic. The company allowed some employees to relocate to markets outside of California, including Tucson, where the company recruited and trained employees as part of a pilot program. After an enthusiastic response from its local manager, company officials became convinced Tucson was a great place to attract talent and build a strong business location for a major operation, Kolsky said. We wanted to be close to home, and there are a lot of similarities between Tucson and San Diego, Kolsky said. Theyre both kind of border cities in the south, they have strong cultural heritage and a lot of Mexican Americans. Tucson is home to several major customer-service call centers employing thousands of workers, with operators including Geico, Citi, Intuit and OptumRx. Kolksy said he was pleasantly surprised when the companys demographic study of the Tucson market showed there were more than 20,000 skilled call-center staffers here. Advanced Financial essentially exported its pay scale from California to Tucson, he said, so its pay is near the top of the local market. The companys entry level pay is $17 to $19 an hour with potential to climb up to $30 an hour, plus full benefits including medical and dental coverage and 401(k) savings plans. Advanced Financial now employs about 50 people in Carlsbad and 25 in Tucson, where the staff is focused on consumer-loan servicing mainly for solar and home-improvement loans, Kolsky said. The company is affiliated with Grand Pacific Resorts, a Carlsbad-based resort management and development company that manages 24 properties in California, Hawaii and Utah. Though the company projected its hiring over five years, Kolsy said the company honestly could be on that entire floor in 18 months, citing the strong market for rooftop solar and home-improvement loans. The Arizona Commerce Authority, Pima County and the city of Tucson partnered with Sun Corridor to attract Advanced Financial. The company looked at several other communities including Baltimore, Austin, sites in Northern California and Phoenix, before selecting Tucson for its expansion, said Sun Corridor President and CEO Joe Snell. This company is an important part of our corporate portfolio of high-quality, industry-recognized brands who have chosen Southern Arizona, Snell said. Our strategic location and talent pool continue to make us attractive to many companies high-growth plans. In Ukraine, theyre carrying out the ideological battle with missiles and armed drones. Here in Tucson and across Arizona, were using ballots, thank goodness. As things have played out, though, the deep divide in both places is along related lines: Anti-democratic rule on one side, democratic rule on the other. The trick is, authoritarians can be elected and use their positions to cement their power. Its happened many places before. Might happen here. You probably are familiar by now with the right-wing authoritarian international movement they tend to call themselves nationalists or populists. Vladimir Putin, a genocidal fascist, is arguably the figurehead, but other members of the circle include legitimately elected ones Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Recip Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, and Narendra Modi in India, among others. In the United States, the leader is, of course, Donald Trump. And in Arizonas primary election, Republican voters chose Trump-supported candidates over less radical ones. Some of the common themes in the authoritarians' approach to government include: - Upholding the ideal of a strong man a powerful, impatient leader who gets things done. - Proclaiming the countrys core citizenry so-called real Americans here in the United States to be under attack. - Decrying their countrys enemies as a shadowy globalist elite, often led by George Soros. Putin has perhaps nowhere expressed his worldview as clearly as when he told The Financial Times in 2019: The liberal idea has become obsolete. It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population. Of course, sometimes the voting majority rejects these strongmen, but when they do, people like Trump say the system itself is fraudulent. Bolsonaro tried to play that card, too, when he lost the presidential election in Brazil Sunday, but his allies abandoned him and supported the system, leaving him without the Trump option. We havent had such luck. Taking power from the people In Arizona, weve wasted the last two years entertaining the never-ending questions about the 2020 election raised by people like Rep. Mark Finchem of Oro Valley, the Republican candidate for secretary of state. The Kalamazoo Cowboy, as hes known due to his origins and choice of dress, seems convinced that the Arizona he wants to exist the one he saw in Old West movies growing up in Michigan is the real one. It isnt. Arizona population is, of course, largely metropolitan. More than three-fourths of the residents live in Maricopa and Pima counties. And in those counties, the key votes that decided the 2020 election in Arizona were by people who voted mostly for Republicans but chose not to vote for Trump for president. A trio of election researchers, including Tucson Republican Benny White, found that by analyzing Maricopa Countys cast vote record, which comprises all 2.1 million ballots cast there. But people like Finchem have pointed to Trumps enthusiastic support the car caravans and such as evidence that couldnt really have happened. Isnt it interesting that I cant find anyone who will admit that they voted for Joe Biden? Finchem told Time Magazine. None of this would matter so much, or steer Arizona toward a less representative system, if it didnt also bring about anti-democratic policies. Finchem spent much of late 2020 arguing that the Legislature should convene in special session and use dubious constitutional powers to decertify the presidential election in Arizona. They would then have chosen their own presidential electors Republicans, instead of the Democrats Arizona voters chose. And in subsequent legislative sessions, Finchem has supported bills that would allow the Legislature to overturn certified election results, among many other election changes. That would functionally take away citizens right to elect their own government and hand it to a power structure that could perpetuate itself. This election season, hes still suing to require hand-counts of ballots, and supported armed intimidation at ballot drop boxes. A war against democracy In September, the State Department released an assessment that Russia has spent more than $300 million since 2014 trying to influence politicians and elections in foreign countries. The United States, of course, has been one of them. We know some of the players who have been indicted or sanctioned for their roles, but we may never know the full scale or impact. Russias efforts here didnt start or end with supporting Donald Trumps 2016 campaign. More than anything they have worked to exploit our political divisions and make them worse. You cant look at the unhinged rhetoric of a candidate like Finchem calling his opponent a Marxist, socialist, radical, criminal and Soros agent without seeing the success of those who seek to divide us. Putin, bogged down by his imperial war in Ukraine, must take some solace seeing such demonization in our democracy. He has made it clear that he sees this war as a war against democracy, that democracy is a threat to his particular kind of autocratic, kleptocratic regime, said Anne Applebaum, a historian of Russia and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Gulag: A History, in a recent interview. To their credit, most Republicans have joined Democrats in recognizing who is right and wrong in Ukraine, with only a relative few openly siding with Putin. Thats allowed us to provide vital aid that has helped Ukrainian soldiers liberate some of their terrorized countrymen, pushing Russias army back. Putins terrible misjudgment in invading Ukraine has also exposed a key weakness of authoritarian rule: The freedom of the strongman leader to make bad decisions unchallenged. Francis Fukuyama, the intellectual who proclaimed The End of History and the victory of liberalism when the Soviet Union fell, sees Ukraine as key to showing the weakness of strongmen. I do think that if Ukraine is able to defeat Russia, the demonstration effect is going to be really tremendous, he told the Washington Post. Its going to have domestic political consequences inside every democracy thats threatened by one of these populist parties. Authoritarian international movement To nurture sympathies with conservatives in the United States and elsewhere, Putin has been transparently hitting cultural issues that move the right wing. In a late-October speech, for example, he decried Western cancel culture ironic for a man who literally has dissidents killed. He also said the idea of transgender children verges on a crime against humanity. And in September, while announcing the annexation of Ukrainian, he said the West represents outright Satanism. Its questionable whether that tactic will lead Republicans to take Putins side in Ukraine, though. The memory of the Soviet Union lingers and the moral abomination of the Ukraine invasion is too clear. But Republicans have for months been signaling they want to question, reduce, or eliminate aid to Ukraine. Its the safe position staked out early on in the war by former Trump aide Steve Bannon, who, rather than support Putin, has said we shouldnt be involved. Putin aint woke hes anti-woke, Bannon said Feb. 23, the day before the invasion began. Bannon, it turns out, serves as a sort of connective tissue between the authoritarian international movement and Arizona. Bannon has hobnobbed with leaders from Hungary to India. He also regularly hosts Finchem on his online show, called War Room. He showed up in Chandler for a Republican rally Tuesday. Bannon even owns a home in Oro Valley, where Finchem lives, and plans to broadcast his show from there. Bannon, as he has often made clear, wants to tear down existing American institutions in favor of an amorphous but glorious authoritarian future. The vision should sound familiar to anyone who has followed Putin. Eroding trust in US elections taxes state investigators SALEM, Ore. (AP) As complaints about elections pile up around the country, investigators tasked with dealing with them find themselves on the front line of defending the integrity of elections. In blue states like Oregon and red states like Idaho, elections officials say investigating the complaints is critical for maintaining voter confidence. An Oregon complaints log obtained through a public records request says at least 204 accusations have been filed this year. The complaints included accusations of campaign finance violations, public employees campaigning while on the job, and someone yelling about signs on lawns. Russian soldiers enter Kherson homes, dig in for urban war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A resident of the Russian-occupied capital of Ukraine's Kherson region says soldiers are forcing civilians from their apartments and moving in themselves. His account of soldiers spreading throughout the city Friday suggested that Russia could be preparing for intense urban warfare as the southern city becomes a growing focus of the war. Russia-installed authorities in Kherson have urged civilians to leave the city in anticipation of Ukrainian advances and say that Russian forces might soon withdraw. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested the Russians were feigning a pullout to lure in Ukrainian army into an entrenched battle. AP source: Trump ally appears before Mar-a-Lago grand jury WASHINGTON (AP) An aide to former President Donald Trump who has claimed that he was present as Trump declassified broad categories of materials has appeared before a federal grand jury after being given immunity for his testimony. That's according to a person familiar with the matter. Kash Patel testified Thursday after the Justice Department agreed to grant him immunity and after a federal judge in Washington entered a sealed order to that effect. He had invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during an earlier appearance before the grand jury. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Nike splits with Kyrie Irving amid antisemitism fallout Nike has parted ways with Kyrie Irving. The shoe giant announced Friday night that it will halt its relationship with the Brooklyn guard, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs. The Nets made that move Thursday, and a day later, Nike made its decision as well. Irving tweeted a link to a film that contains antisemitic material and repeatedly refused to apologize until the Nets suspended him. Pelosi makes first public remarks since husband's assault SAN FRANCISCO (AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has rallied grassroots organizers on a video call in her first public appearance since the brutal attack on her husband. Pelosi said Friday the midterm race for control of Congress is a fight for democracy and very winnable. She also said her husband's recovery would be a long haul. Paul Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull and other injuries after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home and bludgeoned him with a hammer. Nancy Pelosi said when people ask what would make her feel better, I say: Vote! David DePape is being held on suspicion of attempted murder and other charges, and has pleaded not guilty. Twitter slashes its staff as Musk era takes hold on platform Twitter has begun widespread layoffs as new owner Elon Musk overhauls the company. The move has raised grave concerns about chaos enveloping the platform as a source of reliable information just days ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The speed and size of the cuts also opened Musk and Twitter to lawsuits. At least one was filed in San Francisco alleging Twitter has violated federal law by not providing the required notice. The company had told employees by email that they would find out Friday if they had been laid off. Yoel Roth, Twitter's head of safety and integrity, confirmed on Twitter the cuts affected about half of the company's staff of 7,500. Giant, sustainable rainforest fish is now fashion in America TRES RIOS, Brazil (AP) Until recently, the skin of the pirarucu, the largest fish in the Amazon, had no commercial value. The meat was being sustainably fished, but the skin discarded. But a new technique and the fact that the fish are sustainably harvested has delighted boot manufacturers and the fashion industry. Rihanna in her pregnancy shoot for Vogue magazine wore a red fish scale jacket open at her belly. The new trade is a circle of good because the livelihood is helping local people preserve the Amazon rainforest. Death in US gene therapy study sparks search for answers The lone volunteer in a unique study involving a gene-editing technique has died, and those behind the trial are now trying to figure out what killed him. Terry Horgan, a 27-year-old who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy, died last month, according to Cure Rare Disease, a Connecticut-based nonprofit founded by his brother, Rich, to try and save him. Although its still unclear what killed him, his death is raising questions about the experiment and the overall prospect of what one ethicist calls designer genetic therapies. The hope for this study was to use a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to treat Horgan's particular form of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Trump ally Tom Barrack acquitted of foreign agent charges NEW YORK (AP) A Donald Trump loyalist has been acquitted at a federal trial in which he was accused of using his access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates. A jury in Brooklyn deliberated three days before finding Tom Barrack not guilty Friday of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, obstruction of justice and making false statements. Barrack is a longtime friend of Trump and is a California billionaire who chaired Trumps inaugural committee. Trump responded to the acquittal in a statement, calling it Great news for our Country, Freedom, and Democracy. It's that time: Daylight saving time out, standard time in WASHINGTON (AP) A transition is coming this weekend across most of the United States, and it has nothing to do with the election: Daylight saving time is out, standard time is in this weekend. Standard time begins at 2 a.m. local time Sunday and lasts until March 12. Relish the chance to catch up on sleep and remember to set clocks back an hour before going to bed Saturday night. The time change means darkness will arrive earlier in the evening but it will be lighter earlier in the morning than now. Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time. Its not just the elections that are heating up as the campaign season enters the final days phones are heating up, too, with a torrent of political robocalls and robotexts. Almost 50 million political robotexts were sent to Arizona phones in September and October alone, according to the latest estimates by RoboKiller, a company that markets a spam-blocking app. It said Arizonans also got just over a million robocalls in the same period. They were just part of the estimated 2.2 billion in robotexts and 53 million campaign robocalls that were sent nationwide in the same period. It seems that political texting is definitely here to stay as a mechanism of generating voter support and voter fundraising, said Giulia Porter, a vice president of marketing at RoboKiller. Arizonas numbers were only good enough for 14th place among states on texts and 19th on calls. But that was more than enough for Lexi King, a senior studying social work at Arizona State University. It is definitely annoying, even though I like to be politically active, King said last month. The calls and texts keep coming despite the fact that the Federal Communications Commission considers most political robotexts illegal. Under FCC regulations, campaigns can send robotexts to anyone who opts in to receive them, or they can text voters manually, having a worker dial each recipients number instead of using autodialing technology. The RoboKiller data showed that political robotexts in Arizona were relatively constant through the fall, with 24.3 million sent in September and 25.2 million texts sent in the month of October. Robocalls dipped from 653,660 in September to 360,030 in October. But the parties differed on how they reached out to voters, with Arizona Republicans three times as likely to robotext and Democrats more than twice as likely to resort to robocalls. I think one of the things that were seeing is that as the rise of attacks via text has increased, we see the rise in Republicans using it as a way to affordably and quickly go after an opponent, said Paul Bentz, senior vice president at Arizona-based Highground Consultants. Over the years, Bentz said he has seen Democrats use phone-calling strategies more than Republicans. Thats still true this election season. When it comes to things like door-to-door and phone banking, those were often much more used methodologies by Democrats, he said. While the messages and calls can be annoying, they can also have a positive side if they encourage people to be civically engaged, said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow governance studies at the Brookings Institution. To an extent, robocalls are reminding voters to vote, Kamarck said. Whether they can vote early or vote absentee, theyre actually positive. People who are tired of unsolicited robotexts can message the FCC at 7726 or s-p-a-m or file a complaint at fcc.gov/complaints. Arizona residents can also can file a consumer complaint with the Arizona Attorney Generals Office at azag.gov/complaints/consumer. But the end may be in sight, with Election Day on Tuesday. And for those who cant wait that long, Bentz has another suggestion. LAS VEGAS (AP) Nevadas former state prisons director alleged Friday that before forcing him to resign more than a month ago, aides to the Democratic governor now seeking reelection wanted him to reshape accounts of a convicted bombmaker's escape that went unreported for four days. Gov. Steve Sisolaks chief-of-staff, Yvanna Cancela, responded by accusing ex-state Department of Corrections chief Charles Daniels of attempting a political shakedown for more than $1 million taxpayer dollars" with a threat of going public and filing costly and time-consuming litigation. The governors office and the state will not have this matter politicized, Cancela said in a three-page statement. To date, Daniels has not filed a legal claim, it said. Sisolak press aide Meghin Delaney provided a copy of an Oct. 28 letter from Daniels attorney, Craig Marquiz, to state officials seeking an amicable solution amounting to seven years worth of Daniels $150,000-per-year salary, or $1.05 million. Otherwise, the letter said, Daniels planned to file age and racial employment discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a possible federal lawsuit. The letter identifies Daniels as an African-American male executive within a protected age class who was forced to resign under duress. The letter from Marquiz quoted Sisolak's praise for Daniels when he was hired in December 2019. Charles brings more than three decades of knowledge, management experience and perspective that will bring needed structure, accountability and reform," Sisolak said at the time. Daniels resigned Sept. 30. He stood Friday with Marquiz in front of a federal courthouse in Las Vegas and read prepared remarks that Daniels said were a response to statements which have defamed me and eviscerated my distinguished and faithful career on both state and national levels. He called his rare appearance before the media the first step in regaining my good name, honor and reputation. He answered no questions, including an inquiry about the timing of his announcement. Daniels described, in time-of-day detail, what he said happened after he and other top prison administrators were informed Sept. 27 that Porfirio Duarte-Herrera had escaped up to four days earlier, Sept. 23, from a medium-security facility outside Las Vegas. Duarte-Herrera was sentenced to life in prison for a fatal Las Vegas Strip casino parking structure bombing. Sisolak posted a statement about the escape after 5 p.m. Sept. 27, noting that his office had been notified that morning. This kind of security lapse cannot be permitted and those responsible will be held responsible, Sisolak said at the time. A tip from a ticket clerk at a Las Vegas bus station late Sept. 28 led to Duarte-Herreras arrest by Las Vegas police as he stood in line to board a bus to Tijuana, Mexico. Daniels did not say exactly when officials at Southern Nevada Correctional Center learned from another inmate of the escape. He said Duarte-Herrera had left a crude dummy under blankets on his bed. Gov. Sisolak publicly suggested ... there was a cover-up to hide that escape, that he was going to hold someone accountable, Daniels said, then publicly announced that he demanded that I resign or be fired. Elizabeth Ray, spokeswoman for Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the Republican candidate for governor, noted in a statement Friday that the public still hasnt been made fully aware of the details surrounding the escape. Daniels said he refused instructions from a top legal aide to Sisolak to change a timeline about the escape to make it consistent with the medias facts. He did not specify elements of what he called a narrative that was knowingly false. Delaney noted that Daniels did not say Sisolak told him to change the timeline. Sisolak campaign representative Molly Forgey said Daniels made his public statement without offering evidence. Daniels said he filed a whistleblower complaint that state officials acknowledged receiving before telling him to resign or be fired. I was not offered protection and I resigned under duress, he said. Daniels departure renewed a spotlight on trouble including violence and chronic understaffing at Nevada's seven prisons, nine conservation camps and two transitional housing centers. The state inmate population has dropped from about 13,000 inmates when Daniels arrived to fewer than 10,000 today, with about 2,850 guards and administrators. In her statement, Cancela said on Sisolak's behalf that for decades, Nevada's corrections system has needed everything from infrastructure upgrades to more personnel. This administration didn't create the bulk of the problems, she said, but it will make a serious effort at correcting them. The sudden shuttering of the nonprofit arts organization ahha Tulsa and its Hardesty Arts Center on Friday has put a number of popular arts programs including the annual Tulsa Mayfest in limbo. Officials with the organization announced the Tulsa Arts District centers closure Thursday evening coincidentally just before the districts monthly First Friday Art Crawl and that ahha Tulsa was ceasing operations. In a statement released Thursday, the organization said it is working closely with our partners to ensure we find a long-term future for some of our programs and do this as quickly as possible. These programs include Tulsa Mayfest, which ahha Tulsa took control of in March 2020, as well as such long-running efforts as Any Given Child, the national arts outreach program created by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to provide in-person arts experiences for all public school students in a community; Artists in the Community, which connects local artists with people of all ages to spark their creativity; and Art of Healing, an art therapy program in partnership with Hillcrest Medical Center. The 2023 Mayfest would mark the festivals 50th anniversary. Jason Cleary, vice president of communication and advocacy for the ahha Tulsa Board of Directors, said in an email to the Tulsa World, I dont have specifics to share, but we are focused on long-term solutions for our programs, and that includes Mayfest. The ahha Tulsa website states on its homepage: During the past few years, our community has seen some of the most challenging economic, political and social times in recent history, which led to its decision to close the Hardesty Arts Center. In addition to its own programs, the Hardesty Arts Center has hosted events by other Tulsa arts organizations, most recently Heller Theatre Co.s Heller Shorts production. Chamber Music Tulsa had planned to present the Maxwell String Quartet in concert at the center on Nov. 11. Executive Director Bruce Sorrell said that concert has been moved to Studio 308, at 308 S. Lansing Ave. As a 501c(3) organization, ahha Tulsa must file a Form 990, which is the tax return form for entities exempt from income tax. The ahha Tulsa website has posted its 990s, or audited statements, for the years 2013 (when the Hardesty Arts Center opened) to 2018. With the exception of 2017, when the organization sold what had been its longtime home, the Harwelden Mansion, for $2.9 million, ahha Tulsa has operated at a loss, ranging from $632,063 in 2013 to $1,270,652 in 2018. Ahha Tulsa was originally founded in 1961 as the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa as a service organization to help bring the arts together and to take the arts to area schoolchildren. The organization moved into the Hardesty Arts Center, 101 E. Archer St., in December 2012. The building was dubbed ahha, an acronym fashioned from the initials for arts and humanities, Hardesty and arts. The organization would later change its name officially to ahha Tulsa. The 42,000-square-foot, four-story Hardesty Arts Center contains exhibition space, which is currently housing the exhibits Sticker Book by Tulsa Art Fellow Julie Alpert; The Experience, an interactive collection of exhibits, many with a science fiction theme, that occupies much of the second floor; and Kings Mouth, an interactive work created by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips; as well as studios and classrooms, a photography suite, wood shop, media lab, library and spaces that artists can rent for specific projects. Featured video: A south Tulsa man accused of posing as a retired doctor to gain access to vulnerable individuals is back in jail after prosecutors successfully argued for the revocation of his bond. David Menna, soon to be 67, was arrested in mid-September after a woman told Bixby police he inappropriately touched her husbands genitals. She described Menna as a friend helping care for her nonverbal husband with severe Parkinsons disease, She said Menna did so under the guise of medical necessity after she explicitly denied the purported need multiple times, and an affidavit indicated Menna lied to a hospice nurse aide about having obtained consent from the mans wife. Booked on a sexual battery complaint, a judge soon ordered Menna released on a personal recognizance bond, which prosecutor Tom Thornbrugh described as a mistake. He was formally charged the next week with sexual abuse or exploitation of a vulnerable adult and impersonating a medical provider. Menna was the subject of an investigative piece published by USA Today reporter Cara Kelley in 2020 that brought national attention to claims of child sexual abuse that spanned at least 15 years in multiple states, including Oklahoma. In it, alleged victims lamented Mennas apparent ability to skirt prosecution and litigation. Mennas first Oklahoma charges came through Osage County in 2007. After allegations of checking boys genitals for ticks while identifying himself as a medical doctor arose from a youth campout at Osage Hills State Park, prosecutors charged Menna with lewd molestation and practicing medicine without a license, according to Tulsa World archives. The molestation counts were later dropped in a plea deal, and Mennas remaining charge was dismissed after a two-year deferred sentence. The parents of one of the boys sued Menna and others involved in the case in 2009, but the suit was dismissed without prejudice in 2014, according to court records. Thornbrugh, a former judge and new elder abuse prosecutor with the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office, told Special Judge Loretta Radford on Friday that the roadmap the USA Today report outlaid was one of the many reasons he requested she strengthen Mennas bond to at least $50,000 and add several release conditions. Thornbrugh said evidence will show Menna represented himself in a faith community as David Turner, a retired doctor, and used the fraudulent identity to gain access to the elderly, now-deceased victim as a church volunteer who had also endeavored to work in youth ministry. Menna has never held a medical license. Arguing for a $25,000 bond, Assistant Public Defender Courtney Rainbolt called the allegations as set forth in the case at hand pretty minimal. Menna was present via a video conference call from the Tulsa County jail. Initially scheduled for a Wednesday arraignment, Menna was taken into custody after showing up at the courthouse Thursday. Records show he had earlier contacted court staff asking for his arraignment to be postponed due to ongoing and necessary medical treatments. Standing small behind a podium before rows of other inmates seated in orange, the gray-haired Menna was wearing a medical mask and barely audible while he intermittently responded to the judges questions through the repetition of jail staff. At one point, he reportedly said he wanted to speak with an attorney. Judge Radford ordered Mennas bond increased to $75,000 based on the allegations contained in the affidavit, the serious nature of the alleged offense and the likelihood of Mennas conviction at trial, she said. She also made him subject to a litany of bond conditions if he is released, including that he wear a GPS monitor and stop representing himself with a false identity and/or accessing vulnerable individuals. Rainbolt announced she intends to redress the bond issue at a later date. After he entered a plea of not guilty, court records state, Mennas preliminary hearing was scheduled for mid-December. Featured video: Security officers fired shots at a man who attempted to hit them with his car outside Saint Francis Hospital on Friday afternoon, the Saint Francis Health System reported in a press statement. According to Saint Francis, a man came to the campus at 61st Street and Yale Avenue to visit a patient. He became belligerent to the front desk staff, and security officers escorted him to his vehicle. After continuing to verbally abuse the officers, he got into his vehicle and rammed into the security vehicle. He then sped toward the officers, attempting to hit them, Saint Francis said in the press statement. The officers, who were not hit, fired one shot each at the vehicle in self-defense, according to the statement. The man then drove west out of the hospitals main driveway and crashed into a transponder, the release stated. The Tulsa Police Department responded quickly, Saint Francis reported. No further information was available Friday evening. District 5 City Councilor Mykey Arthrell and Grant Miller, his challenger in Tuesdays runoff election, agree that keeping an open line of communication with constituents is key to doing the job well. They disagree over who would do that job better. Our district needs a councilor who understands the needs of the district and vigorously advocates for its residents, Miller said. We do not currently have a councilor willing to do this, and I am stepping up to serve the residents in that capacity. Arthrell, who is seeking a second term, said District 5 residents can always count on him to listen to their needs and to do so respectfully. Constituents needs and priorities, not his own, determine how he approaches issues on the council, he said. The values that I carry are the unconditional positive regard I have for the citizens of Tulsa, Arthrell said. That is a value I hold above all when it comes to relating with people and working with people, so that is going to be the major difference. Miller, 35, is an Army veteran and former police officer who is attending law school at the University of Tulsa. He has spent a lot of time on the campaign trail arguing that District 5 has not received its fair share of city investments and stressing the need for decision-makers to distinguish between wants and needs. If the city doesnt have the money to address the homeless problem or to maintain its streets properly, it shouldnt be spending more than $100 million building a new pedestrian bridge over the Arkansas River and a new Gilcrease Museum, Miller said. Responsible spending on kitchen table issues that affect Tulsans on a daily basis is what I would like to accomplish, Miller said. We have to get back to the basics because whats happening now is not benefiting all Tulsans, especially District 5 residents. Arthrell is an education specialist at Urban Strategies Inc. He won 43.3% of the vote in the August City Council general elections, and Miller earned 24.6% of the vote. Arthrell said he running again because one two-year term is not enough time to get things done, though he has a ready list of accomplishments of which hes proud. They include last years City Council resolution stating the citys commitment to make tangible amends for the harm caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. And just this week, councilors tightened restrictions on small cell wireless providers and other businesses operating in the citys public rights of way. Arthrell was also part of the City Council working group that recommended that $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding go to local nonprofits. I have been invited to participate on all these working groups because I am someone who is able to be thoughtful of others opinions, and patient and not be too aggressive, Arthrell said. Moving forward, his priorities include getting the Police Departments Real Time Information Center open to help reduce call times, ensuring that District 5s parks are maintained properly to maximize usage, and continuing to push for a licensing process for apartment complex owners. Miller said he believes he is the best candidate for District 5 because he has a heart for service, as reflected in his military and law enforcement experience. Hes also earned a bachelors degree in business management and is a small-business owner, he said. I understand how to analyze a balance sheet, and I will graduate with my juris doctorate next month after having spent years learning about the law and how to be an advocate, he said. I have all the requisite life experience and education to properly represent District 5, and I will do so. Miller said he knows that some people, including Arthrell, have tried to paint him as some partisan winger a characterization Miller said could not be further from the truth. For me, City Council isnt about left versus right; it is about needs versus wants, he said. The people of District 5 tell me they need affordable water and utilities; they need their fair share of Tulsa resources; and they need a councilor who will be a strong advocate for them at City Hall. If elected, I will do just that. Arthrell, for one, isnt convinced. Arthrell said that at a forum Miller said his values trumped the majority of the district and that he will bring those into the office. He cant even exist in a group chat on social media because he is so inflammatory. That is not any way to behave. Featured video: A woman from the Nuyaka area of Okmulgee County pleaded guilty Monday in a deal that calls for her to serve life in prison for murdering two of her children and wounding another in 2018. Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency Saturday for Bryan, McCurtain, Choctaw and LeFlore counties after tornadoes struck parts of southeastern Oklahoma Friday evening. The state stands ready to send all the help, support and resources southeastern Oklahoma needs to recover and rebuild from this devastating storm, Stitt said in a press release. Oklahomans are strong and resilient. We will build back these homes and businesses. Stitt toured Idabel Saturday morning to survey the damage from Friday evenings storm. One person was confirmed dead, and more than 100 homes and businesses were damaged in the storm. As of 2 p.m., power outages continue to impact more than 680 Public Service Company of Oklahoma customers in the greater Idabel area, a spokesperson for PSO stated. Approximately 80% of all outages reported at the peak of the storm Friday evening are estimated to be restored by Saturday evening around 6 p.m. Efforts to restore power are being slowed due to downed pine trees on top of a feeder line that serves the Eagletown area in McCurtain County. A majority of customers in the Idabel area can expect to have power restored by 6 p.m. Sunday. Customers in the Eagletown area are expected to have power restored by noon Monday. Approximately 275 PSO support personnel, transmission, forestry, line and contract crews are assigned to the Idabel area. As Election Day nears, the candidates for state superintendent of public instruction have been busy selling voters on their ideas. But the state superintendent cant enact every policy on his or her own most require legislative approval. Oklahoma Watch took a look at several of the candidates proposals to answer a question: Can they do that? Two candidates for state superintendent are on the ballot: Jena Nelson, a Democrat, and Ryan Walters, a Republican. Both are certified teachers. Nelson, 44, teaches at Classen School of Advanced Studies Middle School in Oklahoma City Public Schools and was the 2020 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. Shes on a leave of absence to campaign. Walters, 37, is the state secretary of education and executive director of Every Kid Counts Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization that supports charter schools and private school vouchers. Heres an analysis of several policy proposals made by the candidates: Patriotic training for educators Walters suggested that he would put history teachers through patriotic training and said hes in talks with Hillsdale College to provide the course. Hillsdale College is a small, private Christian school in Michigan known for its principled refusal of state and federal funds, as well as its role in the Trump administrations 1776 Commission. Hillsdale has been expanding its conservative, American exceptionalism curriculum into elementary and secondary schools through a network of classical charter schools, with the first in Oklahoma, Tulsa Classical Academy, slated to open in 2023. Local school boards and the state Legislature set teacher training requirements in Oklahoma. Currently, there are two dozen statewide requirements, including preventing seizures, reporting suspected child abuse, autism support, and digital teaching and learning. Not all are required of all educators, and new requirements are added regularly. To implement patriotic training statewide as a requirement, Walters would need legislative approval. Lawmakers proposed two bills this year that would have allowed schools to use the Hillsdale curriculum in classrooms, but neither passed out of committee. Eliminating state tests Nelson said she would eliminate state tests, instead using benchmark tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year to measure student performance with the end of the year scores counting for state test data. By using benchmark tests, teachers can intervene sooner when a student needs help, she said. State test results typically are not available until summer or early fall when students have already progressed to the next grade level. The Every Student Succeeds Act, the main federal law governing education, requires states to test students annually in reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school. It also requires statewide science assessments at least once in elementary, middle and high school. The law allows states to use multiple measures of proficiency instead of one big end-of-year exam, as long as the tests are given statewide. Florida is moving to this model, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. Refusing federal funding In a video posted to social media, Walters said he wouldnt accept federal funding that comes with mandates that arent useful for students, teachers or administrators or that indoctrinates kids, pushes an agenda, or creates socialists. Walters said one of the federal policies he takes issue with is transgender youth using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. The Biden administration has held that anti-discrimination laws apply to transgender students. Federal funds make up an average of 10% of school districts budgets, or about $1,000 per student each year. These dollars provide additional resources for school lunches, after-school programs, reading specialists, tutors for students learning English and services for special education students. The vast majority of U.S. school districts participate, the federal agency said. Although schools may decline, civil rights protections for students under federal law would remain, said Kathy Dunn, director of professional learning for state and federal programs at the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administrators. I dont know why you would, she said of declining to participate. We put those funds to good use, and it would leave a huge hole in school districts budgets. Counselors in schools One of Nelsons priorities, according to her campaign website, is to staff all schools with a counselor who has had mental health training. Oklahoma schools are required to provide counseling services in elementary schools, but not necessarily by a counselor. School counselors are required for high schools. Oklahoma also doesnt have a mandated ratio of students to counselors for elementary schools; the mandated ratio for sixth through 12th grades is no more than 450 students to one counselor. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio no higher than 250 students to one counselor. The state superintendent couldnt strengthen those requirements without the Legislature. But as the current state superintendent, Joy Hofmeister was able to incentivize schools to hire more counselors through the Oklahoma School Counselor Corps. School districts applied for a share of more than $35 million in grants, which helped fund counselor positions through 2023-24. The districts had to match the funds for a 50/50 split. More than 300 counselors and mental health professionals have since been hired, the Education Department said in September. Oklahomas ratio has improved since the program started, from 411 students per counselor to 398 students per counselor, as of 2021, the latest data available from the American School Counselor Association. Enforcing House Bill 1775 Walters has said he would revoke the teaching credentials of any educator who violates House Bill 1775, a law passed in 2021 that restricts teachers and staff from teaching eight concepts, including that one race or sex is superior to another, that one race is inherently racist, and that any person should feel discomfort, guilt or anguish because of his or her race or sex. Im so proud of Oklahoma for being one of the first states in the country to ban critical race theory, Walters said. He said hes aware of two teachers who said they violated the law and said those two teachers should be held responsible and shouldnt be allowed to teach again in the state. So far, the law hasnt been applied to any specific educators, but two school districts have faced consequences. Tulsa Public Schools and Mustang Public Schools each received a warning on their accreditation this summer following complaints. In Tulsa Public Schools, a teacher complained about a professional development course that addressed implicit bias. In Mustang, the complaint centered on a student activity called Cross the Line, which is intended to build empathy and reduce bullying. Under state law, a teaching certificate can be revoked for willful violation of any rule or regulation by the State Board of Education. All of that boards members are appointed by the governor except the chair, who is the state superintendent. Teachers are granted a hearing before the board before they can be stripped of their license. Featured video: Osage Nation Congress discusses resolution urging repeal of HB 1775 OKLAHOMA CITY While the races for governor and state superintendent have grabbed attention, voters on Tuesday also will consider candidates seeking other statewide offices. Republican Matt Pinnell is seeking a second term as lieutenant governor and hopes to fend off Libertarian Chris Powell and Democrat Melinda L. Alizadeh-Fard. Pinnell, 43, of Tulsa, serves as Gov. Kevin Stitts secretary of tourism and branding. He is past chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party and past Republican National Committee state party director. He holds a bachelors degree in public relations and advertising. I believe the state needs someone in the executive branch that is focused on the sales and marketing job of the state, promoting the state, generating as much return on the taxpayers investment as possible, he said. Powell, 51, of Bethany, is an Oklahoma City Police Department evidence custodian and serves on the Bethany City Council. He said the state does not need a lieutenant governor, adding that the office has very little authority or responsibility. It is not appropriate to have a statewide office that is a choose-your-adventure experience, Powell said. Alizaden-Ford could not be reached for comment. Republican Todd Russ faces Libertarian Greg Sadler and Democrat Charles De Coune in the race for state treasurer. State Treasurer Randy McDaniel, a Republican, did not seek another term. Russ, 61, of Cordell, is terming out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His family runs a land title company. He holds a degree in finance, is a former banker, and is in the farming and ranching business. He said he has the skill set that matches the treasurers job. I cant think of a better way I can serve the people, he said. De Coune, 50, of Oklahoma City is the lending manager for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. He holds a bachelors degree in finance. He ran for treasurer four years ago as an independent. De Coune wants the office to be a watchdog on spending, to increase the states credit rating and to reunite people with their unclaimed property, a function of the office. Sadler, 49, of Newalla is in sales with a furniture company. He holds a bachelors degree in graphic communications. He said he is running to give people a third option. Many are not happy with the traditional two parties, he said. He said the position should have no allegiance to either party and should be a transparent watchdog. Republican Leslie Osborn, 59, of Mustang is seeking a second term as labor commissioner. She served 10 years in the Oklahoma House and is a former small-business owner with a bachelors degree in business administration. She wants to continue to focus on critical job shortages and occupational license reform. Challenging her for the labor commissioner seat are Democrat Jack Henderson, 72, a former Tulsa city councilor who is retired from AT&T, and Libertarian Will Daugherty, 28, of Yukon, who manages a home care company and holds a bachelors degree in health care management.. Henderson believes the Department of Labor is understaffed and would like to see more focus on the health and safety of the states workforce. Daugherty said the office presents a great opportunity to highlight some of the issues with the workforce in Oklahoma and how the state treats new entrepreneurs and employees. Republican Kim David hopes to defeat Democrat Margaret Warigia Bowman and independent Don Underwood for the Corporation Commission seat being vacated by Republican Dana Murphy due to term limits. Bowman, 54, of Tulsa, is an associate professor at the University of Tulsa College of Law and director of the Sustainable Energy and Resources Law program. She holds a bachelors in history, a law degree and a doctorate. She said voters are really being put at a disadvantage by the securitization bill that passed following the February 2021 storm. The measure pushes costs from the utilities on to the consumers, who are going be paying billions of dollars over 28 years. She said David worked hard in the Legislature to get the measure passed. David, 61, is terming out of the Oklahoma Senate, where she served as majority floor leader. From Porter, she is a small-businesswoman and holds a bachelors degree in petroleum geology. Had the securitization measure not passed, ratepayers would be on the hook monthly for thousands of dollars in bills, she said. Underwood lives in a rural area near Inola and works at an engineering firm. He said he spent more than 40 years in the electric power and oil and gas industries for construction, plant operation and maintenance support. He declined to provide his age or educational background. I am an Oklahoma native, he said. I am not, repeat not, a politician. One of the quieter races this time is that for Oklahoma attorney general, where Republican Gentner Drummond, 59, a Tulsa attorney, faces Libertarian Lynda Steele, 31, of Warr Acres. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed John OConnor to the post when Republican Mike Hunter resigned. OConnor lost the Republican nomination to Drummond. Drummond has a bachelors degree in agriculture economics and a law degree. He was a captain in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm. Im running for attorney general because I believe the people of this state deserve a chief law enforcement officer who answers to them and no one else, Drummond said. Steele runs a nonprofit and is an entrepreneur. She served 12 years in the Oklahoma National Guard. She is not an attorney and does not have a college degree. She said she was approached by the Libertarian Party to run based on her extensive work in the community. She said she understands constitutional law, court practices and procedures for fair trials. The polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Featured video: Tornadoes inflicted massive damage and caused the death of at least one person in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas on Friday evening, according to news reports and social media posts from that region. McCurtain County Emergency Manager Cody McDaniel confirmed that a tornado caused significant structural damage in Idabel, Broken Bow, Pickens and other areas, Fox-23 reported. Social media reports show major damage to houses, a medical center and at least one church. Denison Elementary School in Idabel also appeared heavily damaged in video posted on social media. Roads are still blocked, and were trying to cut into those places, McDaniel was quoted as saying. We did also receive confirmation that there is also one fatality in McCurtain County tonight, McDaniel told Fox-23. Law enforcement officials reportedly confirmed one fatality and two homes destroyed in Pickens, according to Steven Carter, the chief forecaster and severe weather coverage analyst for McCurtain County Weather. A photo on social media shows that the Kiamichi Family Medical Center in Idabel was virtually leveled. Photos also show that the Trinity Baptist Church in Idabel sustained extensive damage with near-complete leveling. Other photos on social media show that several houses in the Idabel area were leveled. Many Facebook posts from people who live near the Idabel country club say that area is badly damaged Video posted to social media shows a massive tornado moving through a rural area toward Idabel. KFOR-TV meteorologist Mike Morgan tweeted: "South and East portions of Idabel direct hit. Search and Rescues in progress. Wide damage swath, debris lofted to height in sky indicating EF4+ tornado. 7:10pm this evening with long track." The Oklahoma Mesonet site five miles southwest of Idabel was itself hit by what is believed to be a tornado at 6:50 p.m. The Oklahoma Mesonet reported that the 108-mph wind speed measured at Idabel ranks as the fifth-highest wind speed the Oklahoma Mesonet has measured since 1994 and the strongest in more than a decade. "This would be the fifth Mesonet site struck by a tornado, joining El Reno (5/24/2011), Tipton (11/7/2011), Fort Cobb (11/7/2011), and Inola (8/9/2018). The 108 mph wind gust would also be the highest since the 151 mph gust during the May 24, 2011, El Reno strike by an EF-5 twister," the Oklahoma Mesonet reported. KTEN-TV in Ardmore and Sherman-Denison, Texas, reported that several tornadoes moved through the area, including one tornado that hit Powderly, Texas, on U.S. 271 just south of the Oklahoma-Texas border at the Red River. While extensive damage was done in Powderly, "of greatest concern is the massive tornado that ripped through Idabel, Oklahoma," KTEN reported. "We will not know the extent of the damage until Saturday morning when daylight returns." KXII-TV, which also operates in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, reported that heavy rainfall and powerful winds knocked down power lines and tossed a tractor-trailer rig upside down on U.S. 75 near Calera, just north of the Texas state line. "With wind traveling 60 to 80 miles per hour, the storm tossed car ports, homes and anything in its way," KXII said. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tweeted about the situation late Friday, saying search and rescue teams and generators have been sent to the Idabel area. The storms hit in Bryan, Choctaw, and LeFlore counties, among others, and some areas also were innundated with flash flooding, his tweet continues. Gov. Stitt is canceling his campaign event in Grove on Saturday so he can go to Idabel, according to the governors communications director. Sen. James Lankford also offered support for the Idabel community. Cindy and I are praying for the community of Idabel. My office will make sure they have everything they need in the days ahead, Lankford tweeted late Friday. Emergency management crews from other parts of the state, including Wagoner, Pittsburg and Pushmataha counties, were headed to McCurtain County to help with search and rescue. Forty-seven years ago, the year that I first took the oath of office as a United States Senator, marked the end of a war that caused immense loss and suffering for the people of both our countries. I clearly remember that time, as I was the youngest member of the Senate Armed Services Committee when we voted to end the United States war in Vietnam. That vote was not popular in my own state of Vermont. In fact, Vermonts largest newspaper predicted that because of it I was finished as a politician and would serve only one term. History turned out differently, and of the more than 17,000 votes I have cast during eight terms in the Senate, that vote in 1975 is one that I am proudest of. As I have said at other times, we cannot change history, but we can choose a different future for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren. Today, two former enemies can take pride in more than 33 years of reconciliation, normalization, and a comprehensive partnership. Next year is the 10th anniversary of that partnership, signed in 2013 by President Obama and President Truong Tan Sang, and what better way to commemorate this anniversary than by elevating our partnership to a strategic one. How did we get to this point, after a war that was such a catastrophe for both our countries? It did not happen by itself. It was American veterans of that war John McCain, John Kerry, Bobby Muller, and others who led the campaign for reconciliation and normalization. It was also the Vietnamese people, who wanted to look forward, and not be held back by the past. The tragic consequences of the war remain with us half a century later. In the United States, I am reminded of that every morning when I drive past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on my way to the U.S. Capitol Building. And in Vietnam, which I have visited three times, I am always reminded of the terrible price paid by the people of Vietnam. Every family suffered, and many continue to suffer from the loss of loved ones, as do American families. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (left), Vietnam's Deputy Minister of National Defense, presents a box of treated dioxin-contaminated soil at Da Nang International Airport to U.S. Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy. That is what happens in wars. The shooting stops, but the painful legacies and memories remain. For more than 33 years, I and others in the United States and Vietnam have worked to overcome some of the worst legacies of the war, including locating and identifying the remains of the missing Americans and Vietnamese cleaning up areas contaminated with dioxin and unexploded landmines and bombs, and assisting people with disabilities. By doing so we have brought our countries together, despite our differences, and built a partnership that extends to many other areas of cooperation, including higher education, public health, climate change, and regional security. When you consider what relations between the United States and Vietnam are like today, 27 years after President Clinton announced the normalization of relations, it is remarkable. We would never have gotten to where we are if it were not for the willingness of the Government of Vietnam, over the past four decades, to help locate the remains of American missing in action (MIAs). Words cannot adequately describe the importance of that cooperation. I am very pleased that we are embarking on a new partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Vietnams Ministry of National Defense, to help Vietnam recover the remains of some of its own missing, who number in the hundreds of thousands. Of all the ways we have worked together to address the legacies of the war, this may turn out to be the most meaningful certainly for the families of the missing but also for our two governments. We will continue to assist the many thousands of disabled Vietnamese victims of unexploded ordnance, which began with the Leahy War Victims Fund 33 years ago providing artificial limbs and wheelchairs. We will continue to help Vietnamese persons with severe cognitive and physical disabilities, and to clean up the sites contaminated with dioxin from Agent Orange. The Bien Hoa Air Base remediation project is of a scale and complexity unlike anything we have done before, and it is indicative of the confidence of both governments in what we can achieve together. In a time of great uncertainty in the world, we are fortunate to have worked together on war legacy issues all these years. It has not always been easy, but despite our differences and we have profound differences over the rights and liberties of citizens it is because of our joint efforts that Vietnam today is one of our closest partners in East Asia. The next generation of leaders in Vietnam and the United States are too young to remember the war. What will the next 27 years be like for them? Will they continue and expand what we have started, not just on war legacies, but in meeting the growing demand for higher education and clean energy, preparing for future pandemics, and preserving regional peace? I have a lot of hope for Vietnam, because I have met some of the next generation, in Hanoi, in Da Nang, and in Ho Chi Minh City. They are as intelligent, enthusiastic, curious, and determined to succeed in todays technologically interconnected world as young people anywhere. They are proud to be Vietnamese, and they want their country to play an active and positive role in East Asia and the world. In two months, my time as a United States senator will come to an end. My wife Marcelle and I will return to our home in Vermont. But there are others in Congress who will continue the work we have done to bring our two countries together, and they will work to meet the challenges ahead. For me, helping to create a partnership with Vietnam that is based on trust, friendship, and cooperation has been among the most rewarding things I have done as a U.S. Senator. It has given new meaning to that vote, 47 years ago, to end the war. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! BUDAPEST -- Chelsy, a soft-eyed dog with an immune illness, has been returned to a Hungarian animal shelter two years after he was adopted as his owners can no longer afford the vet's bills or his food, forced to sell their own home to make ends meet. Chelsy, 4, is not alone. People turn up daily on the doorstep of the Noah's Ark Animal Shelter, saying they cannot care for their pets due to the rising costs of living and energy prices and with some owners moving abroad for work. Cats rest at Noah's Ark Animal Shelter in Budapest, Hungary, November 2, 2022. Photo: Reuters "Our list of returned animals is extremely long," said Kinga Schneider, spokesperson for the shelter, Hungary's largest animal home which looks after more than 1,200 animals ranging from rescued dogs to cats and poultry. The shelter itself is struggling to pay for increased energy and feed prices while donations -- its sole source of revenue -- have decreased. A woman shops in the AlphaZoo pet shop in Budapest, Hungary, November 2, 2022. Photo: Reuters "We are now living from day to day and we have to consider hard whether we can accommodate an animal, whether we can finance the healing of an animal," Schneider says. The situation is similar across Hungary's animal shelters, according to the Hungarian Animal Protection Alliance. Other countries including Britain have reported similar patterns. Kinga Schneider, spokesperson of Noah's Ark Animal Shelter, interacts with a dog at the shelter in Budapest, Hungary, November 2, 2022. Photo: Reuters One of the main problems is feed prices which have gone up 20%-30%, Zoltan Czibula, managing director of AlphaZoo, one of Hungary's leading petshop chains, said. Pet owners walking their dogs in a Budapest park confirmed the costs of keeping pets has surged. Dogs are seen at Noah's Ark Animal Shelter in Budapest, Hungary, November 2, 2022. Photo: Reuters "It's an average 30% rise in for all such costs (of the animals). And because all the other costs have gone up, too, it affects them most," Andras Biro said, playing with his black spaniel. Check out the news you should not miss today: Society -- Doctors at Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital in Ho Chi Minh said on Friday that they had successfully removed a tumor from the stomach of a 81-year-old patient without requiring the patient to fast beforehand. The patient was discharged from the hospital three days after the operation. -- Police in Gia Lai Province, Vietnams Central Highlands, arrested two people on Friday for allegedly forcing seven teenage girls into erotic massage services. -- People flocked to some filling stations to have their motorcycles refilled in Hanoi on Friday night as several other stations were closed over short supply. -- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City raided a warehouse in Thu Duc City on Thursday to confiscate thousands of fake luxury fashion products, days after conducting a similar raid at several stores in Saigon Square, a popular shopping center in District 1. -- Doctors at Tu Du l Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital said on Friday that they had successfully removed an ovarian tumor from a newborn baby who had been diagnosed with the tumor while still unborn. -- A driver from Dak Lak Province, Vietnams Central Highlands, has been fined VND6.5 million (US$261) for assaulting a reporter last month while the victim was reporting on illegal parking in the area, according to local authorities on Friday. World News -- Twitter Inc started a major round of layoffs on Friday, alerting employees of their job status by email after barring the entrances to offices and cutting off workers' access to internal systems overnight, according to Reuters on Friday. -- A blood-red full moon is set to rise in the sky on the morning of Election Day, November 8, across the US, Reuters reported on Saturday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Dinh mountain, which is also known as Con Voi mountain and is located in Vinh Phuc Province, northern Vietnam, has been horribly excavated and leveled for the construction of villas and mansions, stirring up the public. At the beginning of October, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper received more readers accounts of the destruction of Dinh mountain and the occupation of forest there, which the press had denounced for many years. Following that, Tuoi Tre reporters made a visit to the mountain. Villas and mansions are seen on the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre The areas where parts of the mountain have been torn down now are home to many villas and mansions that span thousands of square meters. The paths to these villas and mansions are often carefully guarded, with strangers not welcomed. An aerial view of the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Dinh mountain is located in an area of 140 hectares of forest land that was assigned by the Peoples Committee of Vinh Phuc to Kim Long Co. Ltd. to carry out a project growing sugar cane and fruit trees in 1995. Authorities in Vinh Yen City, Tam Duong District, and Binh Xuyen District administer different section of the mountain. A villa is seen on the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre In 2018, the committee revoked more than 125 hectares of the forest land allocated to the project over deforestation violations. In April 2019, Vinh Phuc inspectors pointed out the responsibilities of officials of the Peoples Committee of Vinh Yen City and the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment in the case. An excavator works on a flank of the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre In August 2020, a working group of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment initially determined that tens of hectares of forest land on the mountain had been destroyed. In May 2021, then Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who has retired, asked Vinh Phuc authorities submit a report on the case to the Prime Minister before July 31 that year. Villas and mansions are seen on the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre In May, a landslide struck Dinh mountain, causing three deaths and one injury in Kim Long Commune, Tam Duong District. On October 12, Tuoi Tre reached out to Le Duy Thanh, chairman of Vinh Phuc Province, regarding the destructive situation, but was then asked to contact Phan The Huy, chief of the office of the provincial Peoples Committee. An aerial view of the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Two days later, Vu Chi Giang, deputy chairman of the province, required the provincial information and communications department to review the issue and respond to Tuoi Tres request. It was not until Friday afternoon that an official of the department told Tuoi Tre via a phone call that it cannot provide the newspaper with any information as police investigation is underway. A football field is established on the destroyed Dinh mountain in Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Gia Lai Province, Vietnams Central Highlands, have raided a local massage facility, detaining two suspects and rescuing seven underage girls who were forced to provide sexual massage services to guests. In their raid at Mai Thy massage parlor and motel in Gia Lais Phu Thien District on Friday, local police arrested 40-year-old Trinh Thi Mai and 38-year-old Tran Minh Chung, for investigation into the charges of human trafficking and illegal detention of people.' Two other men were also found to have involvement in the case, namely Le Van Nghiem, 31, hailing from Dak Lak Province, and Che Thanh Long, 19, from Binh Dinh Province. During the raid, the police rescued seven teenage girls, aged 13-16, who had been coerced to offer sexual massage services to guests at the parlor. According to initial reports, Mai and Chung jointly opened this massage and motel business early this year, serving guests with ticket prices ranging between VND250,000 and VND1 million (US$10.05-40.2) Through a partner of hers, Mai bought the seven teen girls, aged 13-16, from some karaoke and massage parlors in southern Binh Duong Province. These minors are natives of different localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Tien Giang and Binh Dinh Provinces. The woman paid a total of VND300 million ($12,050) for the human purchase, according to VnExpress. Mai kept the girls on the fourth floor of the motel under the watch of Long as security guard, and compelled them to provide her customers with sexual massage services at their request. Mai set a rule that any girl found to attempt to flee from the parlor would be fined VND10-20 million ($402-804). In August 2022, one of these girls managed to make a phone call to her family in southern Tien Giang Province to report her case and ask for help. After receiving a notice from Tien Giang police, their colleagues in Gia Lai launched an investigation and conducted the raid. Six of the rescued girls have been sent back home while the other is staying at the Gia Lai Province social welfares center, waiting for her relatives to complete necessary procedures to take her home, local police reported. Investigators are expanding their probe into the case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A U.S. court on Friday sentenced a Vietnamese-American man to four weeks imprisonment after finding him guilty of slapping a cabin crew member during a plane bomb hoax in late September. The convicted man, La Andy Hien Duc, 37, committed the offense while aboard Flight SQ33 of Singapore Airlines from U.S.s San Francisco to Singapore on September 26, according to Reuters. Duc was also alleged to give a bogus bomb warning on the flight but the court dropped charges against him after looking into an expert assessment of his mental health conditions. Appearing at the trial via a video link, the man pleaded guilty of slapping a member of the cabin crew who tried to restrain him while he was giving the false bomb threat. The defendants lawyer Johannes Hadi told the court that his client has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Duc recalled that he had heard a voice in his head telling him there was a bomb on the plane and asking him to shout that out to alert others. The man declared he had shouted twice loudly to warn about bombs contained in the luggage compartments, where he saw white light appear. However, no bomb was found but the flight had to be escorted by fighter jets to Singapore. His delusionary beliefs, auditory hallucinations, as well as psychotic thought disorder have greatly contributed to his offending behavior, Reuters cited the judge as saying. As Ducs jail term was backdated to his detention, the man was released on Friday to return to the U.S. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Campaigning for Malaysias general elections started Saturday in a highly competitive race that will see the worlds longest-serving coalition seeking to regain its dominance four years after a shocking electoral loss. The Nov. 19 election will determine if Barisan Nasional, or National Front, can make a strong comeback or whether political reformers can secure another surprise win that will see their leader, Anwar Ibrahim, achieve a long-held dream of becoming prime minister. Led by the United Malays National Organization, the coalition had ruled since Malaysias independence from Britain in 1957. But anger over government corruption led to its defeat in 2018 polls to Anwars Pakatan Harapan, or Alliance of Hope. The election victory sparked hopes of reforms as once-powerful UMNO leaders were jailed or hauled to court for graft, but it was short lived after defections caused the new government to crumble in early 2020 and brought UMNO back to power. Scores of candidates, including Anwar and 97-year-old, two-time former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, submitted their nomination papers Saturday, paving the way for the start of a 14-day campaigning period. Local media reported that police fired tear gas to quell an unruly crowd outside a nomination center in a rural district on Borneo island. More than 21 million Malaysians are eligible to cast ballots to fill 222 seats in federal Parliament and choose representatives in three state legislatures. The general consensus is that the old ruling party Barisan Nasional will do very well and it is very likely that the only other coalition that can challenge BN is Pakatan Harapan, said James Chin, an Asian expert at Australias University of Tasmania. Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, from UMNO, registered to defend his seat in central Pahang state as he warned there will be no easy win. Anwar, escorted by drummers and supporters waving party flags, filed his nomination in Tambun in northern Perak state a new seat for him where he will face off with the incumbent who had defected from his alliance. Story continues We are here to offer an alternative because of the failure of the present policies ... and the social tension among various communities, said Anwar, as he began his rounds to meet residents. Anwar, 75, didnt participate in the 2018 vote because he was in prison for a sodomy conviction he said was politically motivated. The campaign was led at the time by Mahathir, who became the worlds oldest leader at 92. Anwar was pardoned shortly afterward and was to take over the baton from Mahathir. But distrust and infighting led to the governments collapse, sparking turmoil that has continued. Malaysia has had three prime ministers since the 2018 polls. Ismail dissolved Parliament on Oct. 10, nine months ahead of schedule, at the behest of party leaders despite a risk of floods from monsoon rains. Spurred by several state victories, UMNO believes it has the upper hand over a fragmented opposition and before an economic slowdown expected next year. Analysts said the emergence of two new Malay-based political alliances in Peninsular Malaysia could split votes among ethnic Malays, who form two-thirds of Malaysias 33 million people. The Perikatan Nasional, or National Alliance, is led by former UMNO leader Muhyiddin Yassin. His Bersatu party was a part of Anwars group in 2018 polls but defected to form a new shaky government with UMNO that was riven with rivalry. Mahathir, once Asias longest-serving leader for 22 years until 2003 and before his brief 2018 stint, also formed a motley alliance to contest 121 parliamentary seats. Despite his fading popularity, he is defending his seat in the northern resort island of Langkawi. He said he is young at heart and has unfinished business to oust a corrupt UMNO and revamp the country. I am not as old as my age. I have been fortunate to have been able to function just as well as many younger people," he said. In two states on Borneo island that jointly account for a quarter of parliamentary seats, a slew of other parties are battling it out. The ruling state governments are traditionally aligned with BN. In 2018, it was a long-serving BN government against a long-serving opposition but now, it is not so clear. People have more choices, Chin said. Some analysts cited possibilities of a hung parliament with no single coalition able to gain a majority that could see new alliances formed post-election. Analysts said the addition of 6 million new voters due to a lower voting age also adds to the uncertainty, while voter turnout could be impacted by bad weather. Parts of Malaysia have already been affected by floods. Malaysias meteorological department warned that severe monsoon rains would start next week that will cause flash floods in low-lying areas. ___ This story corrects name of state where Anwar is running. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Honda Motor Co unveiled the second model of its new China-only electric vehicle (EV) lineup on Saturday, targeting the fast-growing, battery-driven car segment in the world's largest auto market. The Japanese automaker said last year it planned to roll out EV models under a new brand called "e:N Series" over the next five years with partners GAC and Dongfeng Motor. It began selling the first model in China in April. "Honda is transforming itself into an electric brand in China with a series of unique and diverse electric mobility products that only Honda can offer," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe in a statement. A key challenge facing Honda and its major Japanese peers, Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co, is catching up to rivals such as Tesla Inc who have forged ahead in the EV sector. Honda laid out a target to roll out 30 EV models globally and produce some 2 million EVs a year by 2030 earlier this year. Last year, it said it would introduce only electrified vehicle models in China after 2030, including battery electric, hydrogen fuel-cell or petrol-electric automobiles. Its two joint ventures, GAC-Honda and Dongfeng-Honda, plan to build new EV-only assembly plants that are expected to begin production in 2024. (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) The Listenbourg flag (Listenbourg / Gaspard Hoelscher) In times like these, a healthy dose of escapism is the best way to go a practice which French Twitter users took seriously by conjuring a fictional country at the edge of the Iberian Peninsula. Listenbourg, which borders Portugal and Spain, is a fabricated nation imagined by Gaspard Hoelscher. In just a few days, the fake European republic made headlines across the world and an entire infrastructure was posed to support Hoelschers idea. But how exactly does one begin a nation and why was this one so successful? How did Listenbourg become a country? Hoelscher, named gaspardooo on Twitter, invented the country on Sunday, October 30, with a photoshopped map highlighting the non-existent land in the Atlantic, in an apparent attempt to test the stereotype of Americans having poor geographic knowledge. In the original post, he wrote: Im sure Americans dont even know the name of this country ptdrrr. More than 95,000 likes and 6,900 retweets rolled in. To another user asking who was not aware of Listenbourgs existence, Hoelscher replied: They dont even know how to place France so Ill let you imagine for Listenbourg. The joke was quickly co-opted by the meme-storm and satirical posts popped up discussing its government, tourism, and economy. Various accounts were started to take on roles in Listenbourgs government, as well as a subreddit and an updated satellite map image. Bonjour, bonne nouvelle nous sommes en pleine croissance economique et militaire. pic.twitter.com/iUTZFkiqAe Gaspard Hoelscher (@ListenbourgPSD) November 1, 2022 With Hoelscher at the helm, as president and founder, a cabinet was formed to join him, according to the official government website. Along with the red-and-white flag with a gold eagle emblem, a national anthem was posted on YouTube. The Minister of the Interior has also begun discussions of identification and documentation for Listenbourg citizens. Story continues Pas de recuperation politique Monsieur Zemmour. Priere de supprimer votre tweet. Ministere des Armees Listenbourgeoise (@MinisterArmyLB) November 2, 2022 Although some big names have tried legitimising the trend, such as far-right French thinker Eirc Zemmour, various ministers have rejected political input, instead forming their own extreme-centre party. Its history, however, was rejected by Wikipedia, as a page entry for the Republic of Listenbourg was taken down. Proud to be announcing our new base in Listenbourg! pic.twitter.com/fzN0mVHBsL Ryanair (@Ryanair) November 3, 2022 Now with its established government departments and multiple news outlets, its popularity is not slowing. Fox News, who in 2014 misplaced Ukraines Donbas region in Pakistan, ran with the headline French make fun of Americans by creating a country. So, while some celebs have been spotted abroad in Listenbourg, it may be some time before we see some real-life accounts. The United States on Friday assailed China and Russia at the UN Security Council for having "enabled" North Korea, which has launched a record-breaking blitz of missile tests. North Korea has also mobilized warplanes, leading Seoul to scramble its own stealth jets, in fury over the largest-ever military drills between the United States and Seoul -- which have been extended through Saturday. At the United Nations, US envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield denounced -- without naming them -- China and Russia, which in May vetoed a US-led effort to tighten sanctions on North Korea in response to earlier launches. The North, formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, "has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council," she told an emergency Council session. "These members have bent over backwards to justify the DPRK's repeated violations and in turn they have enabled the DPRK and made a mockery of this council," Thomas-Greenfield said, urging "unity" on enforcing sanctions. She dismissed criticism of the military exercises as "DPRK propaganda," saying the drills "pose no threat" to other countries, and reiterated that President Joe Biden's administration was open to dialogue. France's envoy, Nicolas de Riviere, called for continued pressure over signs that North Korea is preparing for its seventh-ever nuclear test. "The current escalation is unprecedented and these new provocations are unacceptable," he said. But China, North Korea's closest ally, and Russia, whose relations with the West have severely deteriorated over its invasion of Ukraine, placed the blame on the United States. Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun pointed to the US-South Korean military exercises and the Pentagon's recent warning in a strategy document that a nuclear attack by North Korea would mean an "end" to Kim Jong Un's regime. "The DPRK's recent launches and activities did not happen in isolation; they are directly linked to the words and deeds of relevant parties," he said. Story continues The Chinese envoy called on the United States to address "the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the DPRK so as to create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue." The 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, which include India, Brazil and Mexico, in a joint statement also condemned the missile launches and urged Pyongyang to refrain from further tests. The meeting ended without a joint statement from the whole Security Council. - 'Provocative' drill - South Korea said Friday it detected the mobilization of around 180 North Korean warplanes and that Seoul scrambled 80 fighter jets in response. North Korea has launched 59 missiles in recent days including an intercontinental ballistic missile and one that landed near South Korea's territorial waters for the first time since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Pyongyang has called the joint air drills, dubbed Vigilant Storm, "an aggressive and provocative military drill targeting" North Korea, and threatened that Washington and Seoul would "pay the most horrible price in history" if it continued. North Korea is particularly sensitive about the air drills, experts say, as its own air force is one of the weakest links in its military, lacking high-tech jets and properly trained pilots. The ongoing joint drills involve some of South Korea and America's advanced fighter jets -- F-35As and F-35Bs, both of which are stealth aircraft designed to produce as small a radar signature as possible. Such jets "would be a central component in any decapitation operations targeting the North Korean leadership including Kim Jong Un himself," said Go Myong-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "We know for a fact that North Korea is highly sensitive to these kinds of threats." Earlier this year there were reports that US and South Korean commandos were practicing so-called "decapitation strikes" -- the removal of North Korea's top leadership in a lightning-fast military operation. The North's latest launches come as South Korea is in a period of national mourning after more than 150 people -- mostly young women in their 20s -- were killed in a crowd crush in Seoul on Saturday. Pyongyang's provocations, "especially during our national mourning period, are against humanity and humanitarianism," said Lee Hyo-jung, a vice spokesperson at Seoul's unification ministry. In addition to extending Vigilant Storm through Saturday, Seoul's military announced that next week it will hold the annual Taegeuk exercise, a computer simulation that prepares capacity to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. cdl/ceb-sct/sst